DZO gives everything away on Craigslist

[PhreeZone 15]

http://www.kval.com/news/41716642.html



CRESWELL, Ore. -- One skydiving firm says business is down at the Creswell Airport since the government forced them to find a landing zone further away from the runways where airplanes take off and land.

And for another skydiving company, business isn't down -- it's done.

Wright Brothers Skydiving was officially evicted from the Creswell airport on Saturday. In an attempt to empty his hangar at the airport, Wright gave away all his stuff for free on Craigslist.

Wright is angry and blames his business going under on the city of Creswell, which owns the airport.

"This area was just a bunch of blackberries and a ditch, I built this," wright said. "This is my dream."

Wright blames city administrators for the demise of his business.

"What do I tell them? I don't know what to tell them, they should be ashamed of themselves," Wright said.

"I have nothing against skydiving," responds Mark Shrives, an administrator with the City of Creswell. "I am just trying to adhere to the rules and regulations of the city and the FAA."

Another company, Eugene Skydivers, continues to bus clients several miles from a landing zone back to the airport for takeoff. Owner Urban Moore said the change has cut business 70 percent.

The story is very complicated and starts in 2000 when the city of Creswell became the new owners of Creswell airport.

The airport and the skydiving businesses worked relatively well with only a few complaints from pilots.

Wright Brothers Skydiving was using a 32 acre piece of land that belonged to the state as a drop zone for its skydivers.

Then when the land when up for renewal in 2006, the state wanted the city of Creswell to provide liability insurance for the land if the skydiving business was going to use it.

The city felt it should not have to pay the insurance on a business, and the business couldn't pay the money either, so the lease was lost.

With the land gone, skydiving ceased as the city felt there was not enough land available for the skydivers to jump. Wright was forced to find another piece of land. He found a possible landing zone, but his permit was denied because the property was too close to the airport. Wright was forced to shut down.

Last year the city hired a third party to evaluate the airport and the skydiving situation. The report said skydiving at the airport can be done safely as long as it managed well.

Shrives called it a complicated situation that is based on several letters between the Federal Aviation Administration and the City. The FAA says there is not enough landing room left to safely deal with skydivers.

Shrives said the airport has been run with lax rules for a long time and they are just trying to play catch up.

Yesterday is history
And tomorrow is a mystery

Parachutemanuals.com

[futuredivot 0]

Does anyone know what the USPA did to help maintain access?

You are only as strong as the prey you devour

[NWFlyer 2]

Quote

Does anyone know what the USPA did to help maintain access?

Don't know exactly how they got involved but this thread has some history of the situation in Creswell for Wright Brothers and Eugene Skydivers and mentions getting USPA engaged in the fight.

http://www.dropzone.com/cgi-bin/forum/gforum.cgi?post=2379441

"There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences." -P.J. O'Rourke

[jimmytavino 16]

so then an airport
which was " a bunch of blackberries and a ditch " becomes a dropzone
and thanks to the energy of that endeavor the airport reawakens...
good.

the Dz uses state land
for the jumpers and all is well.
good.
A lease renewal complicates things, since NOW ,,
the state ( who should be encouraging businesses , )wants Liability INsurance...
Not so good...


Litigation, lawsuits, ambulance chasing legal zealots and outrageous financial awards have been a BANE to our country , to progress, and to many a good idea, for far too long. The nervousness about "what if" ? and the fear of the threat of a lawsuit, and then the hugely exaggerated "who is LIABLE"???? questions, sometimes reverberate far too loud as a deterrant, and as a roadblock to many a decent idea and noteworthy enterprise......

worrying about all the 'what ifs' to the level of stagnating, and then wiping out a going concern, should not be the business of any state office...


since blatant defiance of such things ( i . e. jumping there ANYway ) never works out well,, looks like the ( supposedley "FAA protected" ) skydiving operation(s) are S. O. L.

and that's real bad.


all over worrisomeness..... hahaha !! is that even a word?????
Maybe yes. maybe no, but for sure, the very CONCEPT of it..
is a truly paralyzing force.

and That is Bad , as well.


jimmy ....... out.

[SimpleJack 0]

Did he give away actual rigs?

[tetra316 0]

Quote

Did he give away actual rigs?

I wouldn't take any of his rigs for free. His student rigs were about 20 or more years old and had round reserves.

[iambeav2 0]

http://eugene.craigslist.org/zip/1085429039.html

Assuming all is gone by now.

...it's not the fact that you don't appreciate what you have until it's gone...it's the fact that you don't appreciate what you have until someone appreciates it for you!