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After citation to pilot, trustees ask staff to review rules on precautionary paraglider landings
Summary
Following public comments from two pilots who said a precautionary landing led to a citation, staff committed to review the city manager rule and return to the board in Q1 with options to clarify guidance and possibly update rule language to allow precautionary landings or internal guidance for rangers.
Two pilots told the Open Space Board of Trustees that OSMP enforcement of landing rules had produced a chilling safety effect. Albert Nizander described a flight that ended in a precautionary landing and said: "Immediately, I was approached by a ranger that issued me a citation as scheduled a court date, which I'm planning to attend next week." Vinay Shaw, president of the Rocky Mountain Hang Glide and Power Gliding Association, urged the board to modernize the city manager rule ERC 8.3.3.g, arguing the rule predates modern cross-country flying in Boulder and that criminalizing precautionary landings can push pilots to make unsafe decisions.
Trustee Brady Robinson summarized earlier August discussions and asked for staff guidance distinguishing emergency versus precautionary landings, arguing pilots should not be penalized for putting safety first. Dan (OSMP staff) said staff have met about the incident and are "committing to, reviewing the city manager rule, to look at the concept of precautionary landings" and said OSMP would seek to return to the board in Q1 with proposed language or guidance.
No formal policy change was adopted at the meeting; staff committed to an expedited review of the rule and to assessing Jefferson County language as a possible model. Trustees discussed options including providing internal ranger guidance that avoids ticketing clear precautionary landings and pursuing formal rule revisions.
