Dell Schanze
Sept 06, 2011 Complete Disregard For Others Closes the Entire Oregon Coast To Paramotoring
We should not be surprised but we should all be mad as hell.
I’ve flown this coast and it’s a beautiful place. Flown respectfully, as it has been for years by Brad and Marren of Discover Paragliding, it could have been a beautiful destination for pilots to visit. No more thanks to our sport’s raging bull: Dell Schanze.
It appears that Dell Schanze’s antics in Oregon has gotten PPG shut down on the state’s entire coast. When Schanze took his disrespectful “Superdell” antics to Astoria, Oregon and flew from one of their vaunted monuments, the Astoria Column, it was but the first of many insults that put our sport at odds with authorities. After flying motors disrespectfully around sensitive sites, the locals started looking hard for a way to make launching from the beach illegal. While it wasn’t likely the Astoria incident itself, all of Dell’s subsequent abuses of decency got the ball rolling. And rolling fast.
“I’ve got the right to fly here” is a common refrain from the last person to fly somewhere. I’m reminded of a statement by Jerry Daniele who wisely observed that we fly at the pleasure of the people. Piss enough of them off and we won’t fly anymore. Simple as that. And guess what? Dell has pissed off a *LOT* of people in Oregon.
Highly respected USHPA/USPPA Instructor Brad and Maren Hill have been instructing here, working well with authorities, for years. They’ve now been shut down on the beach as a result of all these irresponsible behaviors.
We as a community should recognize this train wreck for what it is. Dell Schanze is a caustic force in our sport and this is just his latest travesty. I can’t say it strongly enough: supporting him is damaging the long-term health of our entire sport. Do us all a collective favor and “Just Say No” when it comes to supporting this disrespectful calamity.