Sequatchie Valley Hurricane

A discussion restricted to the topic of hang gliding.
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The Oz Report
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Sequatchie Valley Hurricane

Post by The Oz Report »

<div id="1601051676"><i>A writer in distress</i><br><p>"jessie oliver" <<a href="http://ozreport.com/emailer.php?toName= ... essiem></a>> writes:</p><p class="BN">Hello TTT Members/Community,</p><p class="BN">I'm writing to let our TTT community know what's going on with our family and our community. We have been very stressed and upset by the lies and manipulations caused by David Hanning and Fly Camp.</p><p class="BN">My husband and I continue to struggle with the idea of staying in the area at our forever home, or whether it's time to leave this beautiful place because of how saddened we've become.</p><p class="BN">My husband has been coming here for twelve years and fell in love with the area and with TTT. He chose to fly Henson over Lookout because of the great valley and the way the community made him feel like family. Also, the TTT parties, events and the weekend meetups with friends made this place more desirable than anywhere else he flew. The camaraderie was wonderful and heartwarming.</p><p class="BN">I came here about ten years ago to visit my husband during a team challenge. When my weekend visit was up, I didn't want to leave. The valley was so enticing with beauty and outdoor fun, and I was having such a good time with the pilots here. I remember Curly was one of the first locals I met and how friendly he was. He shared all kinds of stories with us, told us about the great places to hike and gave Matt advice on hang gliding in the valley. He was so nice and always took the time to answer questions. I enjoyed his good mood and smile. We both loved this place and continued to come down from Ohio to visit.</p><p class="BN">Fast forward about four years ago when we decided to search for land to build our dream home. We looked in Colorado, where I grew up, and here in Dunlap because of my husband's love for hang gliding and paragliding. It was his dream to live somewhere he could just walk to a launch site and fly anytime. No driving involved. We also wanted to be a part of the TTT community to help maintain/take care of this beautiful property for future years to come.</p><p class="BN">A year and half later we bought our property a few blocks away from launch. Two and half years later we moved in with our new four week old baby girl.</p><p class="BN">Since we moved in, our experience has not worked out the way we had hoped. Honestly, for the last year and a half our experiences at launch have gotten more uncomfortable than we ever would have imagined. We forced ourselves to believe that life around Henson's would get better with time. Time heals, right? Unfortunately, not in this case.</p><p class="BN">Life at Henson's has changed once David Hanning wanted to establish his business here. Rick Jacobs also changed and became more distant and unfriendly towards the club. Since then, our local community has been split. Friends and David's former employees have left, couples have left, couples have divorced, families have decided to not to move here and our TTT community is getting smaller.</p><p class="BN">We started off neutral to both sides. Wanting to stay friends with everyone. My husband and other TTT hang glider pilots learned how to paraglide from David, and we were referring people to Fly Camp to take lessons on this up and coming sport.</p><p class="BN">Since we remained friends with TTT members, David and Elena constantly questioned us if we were spies for “the other side.” My father was even asked at camp if he was a spy. After a while it wears on you. We were told by David that the other side wasn't really our friends. That if you crossed them they would turn on you. These people who would supposedly turn on us were the ones that invited us to dinner when we were camping, offered us a place to stay when the nights were raining or cold, they came over to help us build our house, raise our walls, and put in our foundation framing. They were just a phone call away anytime we needed them. How could this community be the bad egg. We were supposedly "Drinking their Kool-Aid''.</p><p class="BN">They never lied to us or told us to stay away from Fly Camp. So if "Drinking their Kool-Aid'' meant that we were kind, generous and helpful people then by all means I'll have another drink.</p><p class="BN">David Hanning said we were friends and we were there for a while. Until our friendship was tested. Everything he said we realized was a lie, just words, no true meaning behind them. One day my husband voiced his opinion to a supposed friend about what he thought David was doing wrong with the TTT and David found out and sent Rick over to our property to confront us. It didn't end well.</p><p class="BN">From then on we were “bad people”, shamed and cast out. After that my husband and I have never felt comfortable going up to launch. It's been about a year and a half since my husband has flown at all. At the time it was hard for some pilots to focus on flying safely when there are people videotaping you, calling out names at you or making obnoxious noise in hopes that you mess up and they can catch it on video to use against TTT. In that situation how can anyone feel comfortable enough to show up to launch or fly safely.</p><p class="BN">I know a lot of you think David Hanning is a nice guy, and he is when you're a customer and you're not challenging him on his way of doing things. There are also a handful of people who don't stand up to David because they fear they might lose their flying privileges at his flying sites. They might also end up being belittled and called names by David. There is no excuse to continue to support a man who lies, makes people feel small and who takes advantage of a situation for personal gain. It hurts me, and makes me feel sick to my stomach thinking of everything he has put people through.</p><p class="BN">David is a smooth talker, very persuasive and conversational. He says the things people want to hear. I again feel a lot of people who support him don't know that he can be manipulative, vindictive and has a very abusive side to him. They have never seen it because they've never had a confrontation with him. If you're one of his previous or current customers remember that he will always be sweet and kind to you because he wants referrals, good reviews, repeat business, anything that will benefit him. Why would he ever want to look bad in front of you?</p><p class="BN">David also talks a lot about people being mentally ill because of their actions. I have a real big problem with people making fun of mental illness. It is nothing to make jokes about. Also, calling my husband a bad father just to get a reaction out of him is horrible and wrong. He is a wonderful father who takes great care of our daughter.</p><p class="BN">David is not a good influence on our community. He may be good to the paragliding community but locally he doesn't support or help out the Henson community. He is only here to make money on property that was given to him. He also pushes potential clients to join TTT, not because he supports the club but because he wants to run all the locals out so he can have control of the club. Much of this has been insinuated on Facebook. If his clients join the club they can use TTT parking, bathrooms, clubhouse, camping and top and bottom landing fields while they are learning from him. Nothing to do with supporting a local club and being a part of the TTT community.</p><p class="BN">There are so many of us that David has hurt, and too many people who have turned a blind eye. This is now the time to stand up against a bully and put a stop to his intimidation and manipulation. It's in all our best interest that we should stand together and help the Henson community become a happy place for locals and visitors.</p><p class="BN">If that means the community builds a fence to separate his business from the club, we should do it. Or any other proactive actions that will bring a more peaceful environment. We need to stand together for the betterment of Henson and TTT.</p><p class="BN">TTT has stood the test of time and I would hate to see it slowly disappear. Thank you for taking the time to read this, I appreciate you. This was our dream location and it has been anything but that. We spent 2 1/2 years building this home by hand. My father, who is a carpenter by trade, designed it. We want to feel at home here. Please help take a stand against David and Fly Camp, and bring our community/friends/flying family back together. We need each other during this stressful time.</p><p class="BN">Thank you and Namaste,<br> Jessie Dittman</p><p>The fence has been built.</p></div>
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Blindrodie
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Tell us how we can help!

Post by Blindrodie »

I have never flown with the TTT but have always wanted to come to an event there, much like Yosemite and Funston to name a few.

Again, how can those of us from afar help out?

8)
Jim

Tow me up. I'll find my way down
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Davis
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Post by Davis »

We'll have more information soon.
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Tonya R.N.
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Sequatchie Valley Flying

Post by Tonya R.N. »

W H
Last edited by Tonya R.N. on Tue, Feb 02 2021, 06:56:22 am, edited 2 times in total.
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Davis
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Post by Davis »

- Original Message ------
From: "jessie oliver" <oliver_jessiem>
To: "davis@davisstraub.com" <davis>
Sent: 9/25/2020 3:23:25 PM
Subject: Response

Hello,

You might have more experience with this than me, and I don't mean to be a bother. If I take up too much of your time please let me know. David is of course lying in his email too and I don't know how to go about letting people know that what he says is going to be a lie. Me saying that out loud would just mean everybody going back and forth until the end of time. I just want people to know that we don't even own a gun, and I don't know how truth can be slander. We definitely don't want to get into trouble by causing his business issues. I don't even know where to look up that information. Again if this is not something you want to deal with I understand, just looking for a direction in case this gets ugly. Thanks.

Jessie
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Davis
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Post by Davis »

------ Original Message ------
From: "jessie oliver" <oliver_jessiem>
To: "Davis Straub" <davis>
Sent: 9/25/2020 6:01:44 PM
Subject: Re: Response

Thank you for keeping in the loop. Just wanted to let you know that I soley created this letter because I'm feed up with the situation. My husband did not ask me to write it. 
Seamusless
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Post by Seamusless »

Tonya R.N. wrote: we both witnessed Matt Dittman selling marijuana out of his dark-colored van on Tennessee Tree Topper property to Tom Jaeger.. . . Please also note that Thomas Mistretta and I DO NOT and HAVE NEVER USED marijuana or any other kinds of drugs. You can surprise drug test us any day of the week and we will pass with flying colors. Thomas Mistretta does not even drink alcohol. I may have 10 - 12 alcoholic beverages for the whole entire year. As I said, safety is our top priority. We realize that marijuana is legal in some states (but not Tennessee where Matt Dittman was selling it out of his van) and that we are the minority as lots of paraglider and hang glider pilots partake in using drugs and alcohol on a regular basis. We are proud to say that we DO NOT. We take pilot safety very seriously. .

:roll: :roll: :roll:
Sounds like a buncha TTT tee-totalling going on in Tennessee.
:lol: :lol:

Best that people just mind their business and the world would be a better place. Build a fence and stop side-eying the neighbors. The grass is greener on your side of the land anyways.

(FYI - that's a pretty clearcut libelslander right there of saying someone's a drug dealer.)
Flying guy
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Crying about Libel while commiting it

Post by Flying guy »

Seamusless wrote:
(FYI - that's a pretty clearcut libelslander right there of saying someone's a drug dealer.)
Just to be accurate, it is defamation and libel. :)

I am sure if you stop by and talk to her, she will be willing to make it slander as well (Slander being spoken statements, vs libel being written statements that defame a person's character. )

I also love the arguement that there is no way Hanning has an issue with mental illness because he once helped someone who was having a problem.

For folks who just want us to stop by and see the kumbaya of their group, they definitely go to extra lengths to show that if you are one that they don't like they will track you down and post huge, long winded screeds with multiple "exhibits" to show how you are horrible and they are not.
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Andrew Vanis
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Post by Andrew Vanis »

what a great topic to generate views and web traffic....reminds me of the news coverage of our current political stuff. Best way to make it go away is to ignore it. (implemented) good luck to all involved. where there is hate where love could be is always a shame. and there are always at least two sides to a story. bbye.
Seamusless
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Re: Crying about Libel while commiting it

Post by Seamusless »

Flying guy wrote:
Seamusless wrote:

I am sure if you stop by and talk to her, she will be willing to make it slander as well (Slander being spoken statements, vs libel being written statements that defame a person's character. )
Heh, they should just call that fence, the "Slander Fence." They can sling slanders over it all day long instead of just flying.

Hard to see what the issue is about here. Each group has their own property to fly from and their own property to land inside. The bigger issue is that neither group seems like to each other and have devolved to being nosy neighbors. As long as no one is blocking access to their respective properties they should all just shut their mouths (and keyboards) and just fly rather than nitpicking each other.