Dear Ms Schoeman,
Your application to participate in the All-Africa Pre-World Cup refers.
After consideration of the many relevant factors and issues, we regretfully must decline this application.
For the record, this decision is unrelated to previous issues which led to your being banned from the Lodge and from Dasklip. Lest you misinterpret this decision as having any personal bias, I will explain our reasoning.
During the last several years, you have expressed, many times, your increasing uneasiness - even anxiety - when flying near mountains. You are an avowed "flatland" flyer.
You are also on record as having expressed the view that the Dasklip site is unsafe - especially during competitive events in summer; and as recently as Monday, October 27th, you again expressed your fear of Dasklip, as the place that "represents all that terrifies me in mountain flying"... [Your weblog attached]
While you might not be aware of this - or might simply dismiss it as irrelevant hearsay; many of your friends (fellow pilots - with whom you recently have travelled to flying sites) have recounted their increasing impression that your fear has grown to proportions which prevent your launching even at 'safe' sites in very benign conditions. These individuals believe strongly that you can not yet be considered ready to participate safely in a competitive event at Porterville.
(This last information was not considered by us as a reason to disallow your entry - it merely served to confirm that our decision is a fair- and safe one; and to highlight the fact that your oft-expressed fear is common knowledge and clearly represents your current state of mind). You might do well to re-read (as I have) your many posts in which you discuss your fears.
Furthermore, your unreasonable refusal to comply with FAI's safety rules during the 2007 All-Africa Open are also a matter of public record. All of the the airborne competitors were witness to your repeated radio calls on the competition safety channel despite specific on-air admonitions from the Meet Director for you to desist, with the explanation that outside of emergencies and official task-related information (from launch or from the safety pilots), radio silence is imperative on the channel.
It was also explained to you (on more than one occasion during the 2007 event) that the FAI competition airspace was to be kept clear - that no non-competitors may occupy the event's airspace with the competitors. You dismissed this information as "personal opinion"; and ignored it - launching against our requests to the contrary, into the NOTAM-registered airspace from other locations.
Your airspace violations and refusal to comply with our repeated request for radio silence were regarded in a most serious light; and were reported to SAHPA.
Unfortunately, the SAHPA chairman (who was one of those competing - and who publicly discussed your poor radio conduct), in an attempt to defuse the "situation" which you had brought about, failed at the time to register my complaint with SAHPA. Since you also announced around this time (publicly on the "FlyCape" list - and other forums) that you were leaving paragliding, SAHPA was then reluctant to convene a disciplinary hearing to review your uncooperative conduct, given that the cost and time involved were unjustified, seeing that you were no longer involved in the paragliding community.
These last violations are indicative of your disregard for- and disdain of rules, irrespective of their origin; but especially if they originated from the Dasklip site-owner.
With this in mind, (and despite assurances from those who know you, that you had learned the error of your ways); your recent quite arrogant- and very public, announcements that you are preparing once again to violate the airspace of the All-Africa Pre-World Cup is most concerning. It has caused us to take the most unusual step of alerting the authorities of your intentions to ensure that your threats can not be carried out; and to ensure your removal should you attempt to do so.
This is all very distressing; and outside Manilla, Australia (where banned pilots were arrested for trespass) completely unprecedented in the paragliding world. We regard this as most unsporting behaviour; and we will take the matter officially to CIVL.
An international paragliding event is a very special affair, requiring much forethought, planning and organization. A CIVL Category 2 event is much more demanding. When this is coupled with the Pre-World Cup status, through which we hope to attract a full World Cup event to South Africa, the last thing an organizer wants is doubtful compliance or concerns about safety. Nor is an incident involving eviction by the police going to look good.
Given your oft-repeated and self-declared fear of mountains, and your specific terror at Dasklip; and considering your stated plans to violate te Pre-World Cup event's airspace, we believe that your participation in a competitive event there presents unacceptable risks - to yourself certainly; but also to the other competitors who rely on the discretion of the organizers in selecting- and vetting those flying the competition.
We believe that your decision to attend this event was governed more by the desire to "be there"; and to "make a point" against your banning than actually to compete in the flying. This situation would impose on you much (imagined) peer-pressure and stress; that would likely result in your launching despite your ingrained fear of the site.
Such situations are exactly those which must be avoided in aviation. Flying "for the wrong reasons" is a recipe for disaster - especially at a site which terrifies one; and at which many other pilots - unaware of the issues at play - assume that other airborne pilots possess the competence to match their apparent confidence. Flying in a world class competition, with all the stress and pressure which accompanies such an event requires a cool head and calm assessment of the task and weather.
A pilot like yourself, with known issues concerning mountains - and this mountain in particular - would be in the high-risk category just flying the site in any circumstances. When these fear-related issues are coupled with the high-stress environment during the launch phase of a Dasklip competition, nervous mistakes are far more likely; and every effort must be made on the part of an organizer to eliminate their possibility.
The decision to disallow your participation is, as you can see, a safety issue. With our concerns about your current level of preparedness, confidence and safety there is no way that we could allow your participation in this event. A competition is no place to attempt to start coping with ones fears.
Novices and less-experienced pilots at the event are not in the same category as you. Some of them may well be nervous at first but this is not the same thing. The site holds no irrational terror for them. They are also screened- and advised by us at the various pre-flight briefings; and they will also be subjected to the same rules and parameters which governed our decision on your ineligibility to attend this event.
No further discussion is necessary or possible; and no new, apparent circumstances can influence this decision. Our primary concern is safety; and further debate will not allay our fears for the general well-being and safety of the event.
I hope you find this explanation reasonable; and that you are able to look at yourself - and at the bigger picture as we have had to do.
Please do not belabour the point. This decision is final; and is not open to discussion or arbitration. We would ask you in addition, not to attempt to violate your banned status at this site. Your non-compliance in this, or in acceptance of our decision will be viewed in a very dim light.
Perhaps at some future date we may be persuaded that your skills and confidence (and your attitude towards rule-compliance) have matured sufficiently to allow your entry to Dasklip events.
Kind regards,
Rob Manzoni
Organizer & Meet Director: 2008 All-Africa Pre-World Cup
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