Scott Trueblood <email> writes:

This just came to me from a close flying friend in New Mexico who is a self-admitted Oz Report Junkie, Riker Davis <<email>>.

Riker taught me to fly hang gliders in 1978, as well as the late Curt Graham; Curt and I did our training hill flying together, and were hang gliding peers until Curt's death in a hang gliding accident in 2004. We had all flown the site being referenced many times.

This is a truly awesome site in the desert grasslands of southern NM, right where the high desert grasslands become mountains. NM has higher mountain peaks than many western states including Idaho and Montana. This location has an almost 360 deg. Training hill, known to the locals from way back as "Squaw Tit". One look at the topo map and you will understand the reason for the name, much the same as the "Tetons". Need I say more?

Squaw Tit is a 360 deg. Training hill about 200' vertical, which is adjacent to the Vera Cruz mountain site. The Vera Cruz site sits atop an old gold mine and is truly AWESOME flying. I pioneered the place back in the early 80's and there have been untold numbers of epic soaring flights, XC, huge altitude gains, etc, by God only knows how many people over the years. The mountain site is only 600' vertical, but at least as reliable and rewarding as Dry Canyon, about 60 miles south. And in a much more scenic location.

However, it has always been a site in distress too, landowner issues too many to mention, a very long story line there. The Rio Grande Soaring Association worked at length from about 1984-present with the former and deceased owners to maintain site access. Little things such as patrolling the fence lines during hunting season to ward off intruders in the private property. I could tell stories about all of this for hours. The fact that it is being split up and sold off by developers is a good news/bad news thing.

In any case, the parcels have not even come up for sale, as they are "Phase II". According to Riker, they will be coming onto the market in the fall of 2008. 145 acre plots for $1000-2000/acre. To make the perfect flight park, parcels 45 & 46 would need to be secured. In other words, about $300,000 capital investment for a million dollar flight park location.

If the right person could buy these parcels, they would own one of the best and most undiscovered sites in the west, good for everything from first day training to Hang 5 mid-day cloudbase going downwind XC. Not only that, but unbelievable home sites. Not sure about mineral rights but we have spoken with geologists who say there is still plenty of gold left up in them there hills.

The bad news is that if it gets bought by somebody who doesn't give a hoot about hang gliding or paragliding, one of the best soaring sites in southern NM will fade into the history books.

If you know anybody who may be interested in an excellent land investment which doubles as a flight park, let me know, they will not be disappointed.