New in 2011: RVHPA Membership Required to Fly at Woodrat Mountain

RVHPA has implemented a significant and important change at the popular Woodrat Mountain flying site in Ruch, Oregon. In short, ALL pilots flying at Woodrat must be current RVHPA members with a Woodrat Mountain site pass card prior to using the site.

RVHPA has four different levels of membership:

• Visiting Pilot Annual Member – $30,
• Local Pilot Annual Member – $60,
• Commercial Pilot Annual Member – $100, and
• 7 Day Visiting Pilot Member – $20 for seven consecutive days.

Please see the Join RVHPA page for detailed information on joining or renewing your RVHPA membership. You can join RVHPA in-person at the Ruch Country Store one mile SW of the Woodrat LZ on Hwy. 238 and get your site pass right away. You can also join online and have your Woodrat Mountain site pass mailed to you (allow 14 days to receive your pass in the mail).

Why This Change?

Pilots have been flying at Woodrat Mountain for over 30 years and RVHPA has been the steward of the site for that entire time. So why is there a new membership requirement now? The short answer is that with increasing site usage, we need to better manage the site and equitably pay for the costs of maintaining it into the future.

The popularity and use of Woodrat Mountain has been steadily increasing in recent years. As one long-time local pilot recently said, “I used to come to the LZ parking area at Woodrat hoping someone else would show up to fly. Now I go to the parking area hoping there will be a parking space left”. We all love flying at Woodrat and we need to make sure we manage the site well so we can all continue to enjoy the privilege of flying here. The new membership requirement is a step toward making sure the site is properly used and cared for so it remains available to us.

1. To Better Manage Use of Woodrat Mountain

Our enjoyment of Woodrat Mountain has placed a strain on the site. Thousands of car loads of pilots go up and down the mountain each year, a number of popular events bring in large crowds, more and more new students are learning at the site, and pilots from all over the West Coast and even other countries are arriving in ever greater numbers. Because flying at Woodrat relies the use of privately-owned LZs and parking areas, we need the continuing permission and support of the local community to fly here. We have a number of common sense rules in place at Woodrat to help keep things running smoothly. By being a member of RVHPA, pilots are formally signaling their intent to abide by these simple rules as a condition of flying at Woodrat. Membership is about caring for the site and being part of the club that makes flying at Woodrat possible.

2. To Equitably Pay the Costs of Maintaining the Site

On top of this increased use–and largely because of it–the costs of maintaining the site have also been increasing. RVHPA has been covering these costs as a club for a long time. This includes things like maintaining dozens of windsocks in the greater Woodrat area, giving annual holiday gifts to every landowner whose field we use as an LZ, grading and improving the launch slope, creating a new parking area, installing cattle guards on the road, providing grass seed for the main LZ, etc. RVHPA spends several thousand dollars per year maintaining Woodrat and the related LZs in the Applegate Valley. Until now, RVHPA has relied on an unpredictable stream of emergency donations from club members to pay for maintaining the site while a growing number of visiting pilots were not contributing significantly to the costs of flying here. Membership is about fairly and evenly spreading the cost of maintaining the Woodrat flying site.

How the Membership Requirement Works

Pilots must become an RVHPA member prior to using the Woodrat Mountain flying site. Joining involves completing a membership form, signing a site waiver, paying dues,  reviewing the site guide, and displaying the proper membership identification. All RVHPA members must also be current USHPA members. This is very important for liability and site insurance purposes.

Specifically, RVHPA membership is required to legally land in the primary LZ (aka Hunter LZ), use the parking area along Bishop Creek Road, or land in the “feed lot” field on Bishop Creek Road. These fields and the parking area are private property and the landowners graciously allow RVHPA members to use them. Technically, non-members are trespassing and are not allowed access. Please respect this rule so that pilots are not trespassing on private property.

FAQ on the New RVHPA Membership Requirement at Woodrat Mountain

When does this membership requirement go into effect? January 1, 2011. Pilots can join RVHPA in-person at the Ruch Country Store, one mile SW of the Woodrat LZ on Hwy. 238. You can also join online. Please see our Join RVHPA page for more info on both options.

How will RVHPA know if I am a member? All new and renewing members will be issued a membership card (aka site pass) that identifies them as a current member. RVHPA club members and officers will be politely looking and asking for proof of membership as the flying community adjusts to this new system and the club will sometimes have a membership check-out in the LZ.

But the launches on Woodrat Mountain are public land so how can RVHPA require me to join before launching from land freely open to all people? Technically, RVHPA membership cannot be required to launch Woodrat Mountain, but it is required to land in the privately owned LZs surrounding the mountain and in LZ Donato, 16km (10 miles) to the east. Every pilot who launches at Woodrat is assuming that they will land in the Hunter LZ–the only LZ within a guaranteed glide of launch. We can fly at Woodrat only because we are welcomed–as RVHPA members–in the only field guaranteed to be within glide of launch. RVHPA membership is also required to use the privately-owned parking area near the LZ on Bishop Creek Road.

I’m a tandem instructor from out of the area and want to fly a commercial tandem flight at Woodrat Mountain. Can I do that? Yes. Obviously, you must first have the appropriate USHPA credentials. You must also join RVHPA as a Commercial Pilot Annual Member before flying.

I’m coming for the Rat Race this year. Do I have to join RVHPA? Yes. If you are from out of the area you may join as a Visiting Pilot, either for one year ($30) or for 7 consecutive days ($20). Please see our Join RVHPA page. If you arrive at the Rat Race and have not yet joined RVHPA, you will be able to do so as part of your race registration.

Can I see a list of RVHPA members? Yes. The club keeps a frequently updated current member list on the RVHPA website. This list is updated manually so don’t expect your online membership to show up right away. If you have joined but your name is not yet on the list, don’t worry, it will be added on the next update.

Do I have to be an RVHPA member to fly at The Whaleback? No, but we’d love it if you joined RVHPA anyway as a way of supporting our ongoing work and improvement of The Whaleback flying site.