We've been going to Big Spring to run the Big Spring Nationals for
16 years. Now the airport is open to hang gliding year round as long as someone
wants to operate out of it. Bring your trike or Dragonfly.
The town of Big Spring goes all out to help us put on a competition. They
supplied $20,000 worth of services for the 2007 World Championships. They let us
use their taxiways for launching. They put up a spectator viewing stand next to
the launch for shade. They have Belinda come and speak to both their Rotary club
meetings. They give us water. They give us ice cream. The give us the use of
their terminal building and board room. They supply all the chairs for out pilot
meetings.
We get to use a hangar to set up gliders and tugs. We use their Flat Screen TV
for presentations. We can store gliders there in advance of the competition.
They received packages for the Brazilian pilots who want to buy US goods.
They rent four golf carts for our use. They chase and retrieve the launch carts.
The setup the launch. They let us park inside the airport fence near the launch.
They keep the prison authorities from harassing us. They mollify the air
ambulance people so that we can get along at the airport. They feed us a welcome
dinner. We get a reduced motel room rate (and it's inexpensive). We can have a
party at the Plaza Inn.
They provide sponsorship (the only sponsorship that we get outside of hang
gliding) from the local oil refinery. They send out the NOTAMs. They keep us in
good graces with the Midland-Odessa tower. They get the support of the community
behind us. We put us on the radio every morning. The town's people follow the
competition and know who the pilots are. They bring in a group to serve us
breakfast and lunch. The provide volunteers for launching and help with us
getting drivers.
They bring in local politicians and community members to celebrate our welcome
dinner with us.
They do all this without asking for anything in return other that we come back
and do it again next year.
So we'd like to give back to them to show how much we appreciate their support.
We support a local charity, the Rainbow Room, which helps out kids in foster
care. We want you to help us out to show how much we, the hang gliding
community, appreciates the community support for hang gliding. It's time to give
back.
