Any new news about the status of Seminole?

On Friday, December 27, 2019 at 10:27:23 AM UTC-8, 2G wrote:
On Friday, December 27, 2019 at 9:31:20 AM UTC-8, Jonathan St. Cloud wrote:
On Friday, December 27, 2019 at 8:12:09 AM UTC-8, 2G wrote:
On Thursday, December 26, 2019 at 5:31:01 PM UTC-8, Bob Youngblood wrote:
On Thursday, December 26, 2019 at 6:38:54 PM UTC-5, Dan Marotta wrote:
On 12/26/2019 1:51 PM, Jonathan St. Cloud wrote:
On Thursday, December 26, 2019 at 11:11:48 AM UTC-8, Rich Owen wrote:
Bob, The key symptom of knowing your too old is not knowing when people are joking. No member of the armed services would ever seriously disparage another member, let alone an entire service branch. You should watch the end of the Army Navy football game. Both core of cadets get together at the end and sing both of their academy songs together. It doesn’t make a difference who wins in the end because WE know we are on the same team.

Also, I had the honor of being in an Air Force squadron for 4 years on exchange from the Navy. During that time I was able to fly most of their models of aircraft in service at the time. An Air Force pilot was also doing the job I would have had in the Navy. That program is still going on today. This way we find out how our sister service attack problems differently. It makes both services better.

Have a Happy New Year,
Rich
I know I have heard Navy pilots describe Air Force pilots as "squat to pee, flare to land". Define disparage?
All in good fun.Â* We AF pilots know that the Naval Aviators have to
compensate for certain, shall we say, short comings. :-D
--
Dan, 5J

Rich mean no harm, he is just a bit confused, I will close this out by saying my best friend resides in Arlington National Cemetery, Frank Bacque was a great friend and wonderful pilot, we flew gliders together back in the old days in Miami, yes we were both old! Frank, "Smokey" Bacque was an Air Force pilot that flew the OV-10 as an FAC. He once told me a story about an exchange program that they had with the Navy where their pilots exchanged seats. Smokey flew back seat in the F4 and the Navy guy flew back seat in the OV-10. Smokey always laughed about the Navy guys hatred for getting down low, god rest his soul.

Back to the issue at hand, Seminole's owner, Mihai Tanjala, was extradited back to Romania in 2016 to serve the 5 year sentence he received for duping investors in a construction company. That means he should be in jail right now, and it will be real interesting if he shows up at Seminole in March. He used the proceeds of his criminal activity to buy Seminole. This means his victims have a right to any proceeds from its sale. No wonder it hasn't sold. Rich, point me some news article that indicates that Tanjala has been exonerated - I couldn't find any.

Tom

Oh you are such an expert on Eastern Block countries? Before you judge someone on a public forum let me tell you a bit about the real world. In Eastern Block countries, (hopefully Ukraine is changing) the mafia is the government. If you are in a governmental position, your duty to family and self is to steal as much as you can. For instance, if you are Mayor of a town and there is a Resturant that is cash flowing, that owner will be given the "opportunity" to sell at a below market price to the powers that be. If you fail to sell your utilities keep getting shut off at peak business hours and there is a special tax on that business so now the price to sell is even lower. When the next party comes to power you had better have moved all the assets you have out of the country. Corruption is considered normal way of life in these cultures and will take generations to change. So all you assholes that sit behind your computer and try to throw shade on a legally operated soaring glider port, what are you really trying to do? Is your life so pathetic that you feel the need to judge another from a culture, you have no idea how it operates. Just be thankful here in the US for the most part we do have a rule of law. I have never been soaring in Florida, perhaps someday. But I am glad someone purchased and operates Seminole as a glider port, that is really all that is germane here. Do you perform title searches on all the airport you fly from?

Your lecture on Corruption is Standard Operating Procedure is totally meaningless. Tanjala was convicted in Romania, sentenced to 5 years and should be in jail RIGHT NOW. Furthermore, his assets are subject to forfeiture. If you have any more info on that, PLEASE post it. Otherwise keep your moralizing to yourself.

Tom

Fair enough Tom, how about you keep your judgement to yourself? BTW Romania is in Eastern Europe. I am very versed in how that part of the world works. Let us just go fly and leave matters of judgement to God and courts not to RAS. Long live operating Glider ports!

On Friday, December 27, 2019 at 2:14:59 PM UTC-5, Jonathan St. Cloud wrote:
On Friday, December 27, 2019 at 10:27:23 AM UTC-8, 2G wrote:
On Friday, December 27, 2019 at 9:31:20 AM UTC-8, Jonathan St. Cloud wrote:
On Friday, December 27, 2019 at 8:12:09 AM UTC-8, 2G wrote:
On Thursday, December 26, 2019 at 5:31:01 PM UTC-8, Bob Youngblood wrote:
On Thursday, December 26, 2019 at 6:38:54 PM UTC-5, Dan Marotta wrote:
On 12/26/2019 1:51 PM, Jonathan St. Cloud wrote:
On Thursday, December 26, 2019 at 11:11:48 AM UTC-8, Rich Owen wrote:
Bob, The key symptom of knowing your too old is not knowing when people are joking. No member of the armed services would ever seriously disparage another member, let alone an entire service branch. You should watch the end of the Army Navy football game. Both core of cadets get together at the end and sing both of their academy songs together. It doesn’t make a difference who wins in the end because WE know we are on the same team.

Also, I had the honor of being in an Air Force squadron for 4 years on exchange from the Navy. During that time I was able to fly most of their models of aircraft in service at the time. An Air Force pilot was also doing the job I would have had in the Navy. That program is still going on today. This way we find out how our sister service attack problems differently. It makes both services better.

Have a Happy New Year,
Rich
I know I have heard Navy pilots describe Air Force pilots as "squat to pee, flare to land". Define disparage?
All in good fun.Â* We AF pilots know that the Naval Aviators have to
compensate for certain, shall we say, short comings. :-D
--
Dan, 5J

Rich mean no harm, he is just a bit confused, I will close this out by saying my best friend resides in Arlington National Cemetery, Frank Bacque was a great friend and wonderful pilot, we flew gliders together back in the old days in Miami, yes we were both old! Frank, "Smokey" Bacque was an Air Force pilot that flew the OV-10 as an FAC. He once told me a story about an exchange program that they had with the Navy where their pilots exchanged seats. Smokey flew back seat in the F4 and the Navy guy flew back seat in the OV-10. Smokey always laughed about the Navy guys hatred for getting down low, god rest his soul.

Back to the issue at hand, Seminole's owner, Mihai Tanjala, was extradited back to Romania in 2016 to serve the 5 year sentence he received for duping investors in a construction company. That means he should be in jail right now, and it will be real interesting if he shows up at Seminole in March. He used the proceeds of his criminal activity to buy Seminole. This means his victims have a right to any proceeds from its sale. No wonder it hasn't sold. Rich, point me some news article that indicates that Tanjala has been exonerated - I couldn't find any.

Tom

Oh you are such an expert on Eastern Block countries? Before you judge someone on a public forum let me tell you a bit about the real world. In Eastern Block countries, (hopefully Ukraine is changing) the mafia is the government. If you are in a governmental position, your duty to family and self is to steal as much as you can. For instance, if you are Mayor of a town and there is a Resturant that is cash flowing, that owner will be given the "opportunity" to sell at a below market price to the powers that be. If you fail to sell your utilities keep getting shut off at peak business hours and there is a special tax on that business so now the price to sell is even lower. When the next party comes to power you had better have moved all the assets you have out of the country. Corruption is considered normal way of life in these cultures and will take generations to change. So all you assholes that sit behind your computer and try to throw shade on a legally operated soaring glider port, what are you really trying to do? Is your life so pathetic that you feel the need to judge another from a culture, you have no idea how it operates. Just be thankful here in the US for the most part we do have a rule of law. I have never been soaring in Florida, perhaps someday. But I am glad someone purchased and operates Seminole as a glider port, that is really all that is germane here. Do you perform title searches on all the airport you fly from?

Your lecture on Corruption is Standard Operating Procedure is totally meaningless. Tanjala was convicted in Romania, sentenced to 5 years and should be in jail RIGHT NOW. Furthermore, his assets are subject to forfeiture. If you have any more info on that, PLEASE post it. Otherwise keep your moralizing to yourself.

Tom

Fair enough Tom, how about you keep your judgement to yourself? BTW Romania is in Eastern Europe. I am very versed in how that part of the world works. Let us just go fly and leave matters of judgement to God and courts not to RAS. Long live operating Glider ports!

Spent all day in court today watching a German national go before the judge for assaulting a senior citizen in the State Of Florida. Lesson learned should be that you do not assault a senior citizen in the State Of Florida. Rich, getting old has benefits. Bob

Tom (2G), Call me on my cell 407-325-6500. You are dead wrong and I will put you in direct contact with Mihai and his local attorney. Mihai was released from detention in February of 2018 (I have a copy of the release). Your comments about Seminole-Lake are inaccurate and harmful. I would like to prove, beyond any doubt, that Mihai has no legal issues with the government of Romania or the US. If you do not want to find out the truth, then we will seek other remedies to fix the harm you are bringing to our business.

I would like to thank all the pilots that have stood up for Seminole-Lake Gliderport. We have had more contests, XC Camps, and promoted soaring at Sun n Fun more than any other commercial operation in the US. We are active on the SSA Board of Directors, the Rules Committee and our local pilots mentor many new XC and contest pilots every season. Our business is successful, growing, and supporting every facet of the sport. We certainly could do better, but we try every year to improve. It is very frustrating to be the subject of false statements from another soaring pilot. I will keep all of you informed of my discussions with Tom, but it is better to be handled off line.

Best Regards, Rich

On Friday, December 27, 2019 at 2:43:31 PM UTC-8, Rich Owen wrote:
Tom (2G), Call me on my cell 407-325-6500. You are dead wrong and I will put you in direct contact with Mihai and his local attorney. Mihai was released from detention in February of 2018 (I have a copy of the release). Your comments about Seminole-Lake are inaccurate and harmful. I would like to prove, beyond any doubt, that Mihai has no legal issues with the government of Romania or the US. If you do not want to find out the truth, then we will seek other remedies to fix the harm you are bringing to our business.

I would like to thank all the pilots that have stood up for Seminole-Lake Gliderport. We have had more contests, XC Camps, and promoted soaring at Sun n Fun more than any other commercial operation in the US. We are active on the SSA Board of Directors, the Rules Committee and our local pilots mentor many new XC and contest pilots every season. Our business is successful, growing, and supporting every facet of the sport. We certainly could do better, but we try every year to improve. It is very frustrating to be the subject of false statements from another soaring pilot. I will keep all of you informed of my discussions with Tom, but it is better to be handled off line.

Best Regards, Rich

Thank you Rich for your service to the soaring community and for your service to the United States.
Jon

Interesting, sounds like more pending legal wranglings, a suit for libel is in the works? I’m staying outta this mess.

On Saturday, December 28, 2019 at 9:28:10 AM UTC-8, wrote:
Interesting, sounds like more pending legal wranglings, a suit for libel is in the works? I’m staying outta this mess.

I just got off the phone with Rich. I was particularly interested in knowing what I wrote that was, as Rich wrote, "dead wrong." He said that it was that I claimed that Tanjala was currently in jail. I reminded him that what I wrote was: "That means he SHOULD be in jail right now," and that I didn't have any information what happened after his appeal was denied by the BIA (which I posted a link to). Rich confirmed that Tanjala was extradited to Romania in 2016 (he said Tanjala went "voluntarily"), served time in jail there and was released from jail in Feb 2018. Thus Tanjala would have served about two years of his five year sentence (included credit for time served in the Cayman Islands awaiting extradition). He also said that there are no outstanding civil judgments against Tanjala, and that all of this would be disclosed to any potential buyer of Seminole Gliderport, which he confirmed is for sale. He further said that he will have Tanjala's attorney contact me to confirm Tanjala's legal status. I accept all of this on face value. I also told Rich that I thought he was doing a great job in managing Seminole (I have never implied anything otherwise) and thanked him for his service to our country. Rich also confirmed that Tanjala was convicted of fraud in Romania, but has paid his debt to Romanian society in full. Further, he said that everything I have written about Seminole, with the possible exception of Tanjala being in jail (which I never claimed as noted above), is factual.

Everything I have written about Seminole is based on information available to anyone with an Internet connection, and I have posted links to those sources, and I encourage everyone to read them so you can reach your own conclusions.

Tom

I started flying at Seminole maybe 2 months ago, I got my add-on to my private and purchased a Std. Cirrus which I keep there in the trailer... I guess this thread is a great example of why I DO NOT participate on social media. I guess my main comment is "WHO CARES"!!!

I have not met the owner, wouldn't matter if I do or not... what matters is the people they put in place regarding administration and management of the operation. If the operation is being run well, why should the personal life and issues of the absentee Owner be of any concern to me??? More so to people that DO NOT fly there. If the operation sells, I hope it can continue as-is which is great.

Everyone I have dealt with there has been excellent, extremely helpful and I have nothing negative to say. I have been hesitant getting into sailplanes (I fly hang gliders) partly due to a reputation at some locations of being "Holier-than thou" and very snobish for lack of better words. So far it has been just the opposite... Marc

On Saturday, December 28, 2019 at 1:19:37 PM UTC-7, Marc V wrote:
"I guess this thread is a great example of why I DO NOT participate on social media."

"If the operation is being run well, why should the personal life and issues of the absentee Owner be of any concern to me???"

"I have been hesitant getting into sailplanes (I fly hang gliders) partly due to a reputation at some locations of being "Holier-than thou" and very snobish for lack of better words."

As a new resident to S.W. Florida, and a returning glider pilot I agree with the above.
Soaring / gliding is on the decline in the U.S. so as long as the operation is well run, I am not going to get too excited about the legal issues of the owner.

I'll make one comment about the "Holier-than thou" attitude. I've been in various hobby related clubs over the last 40 years and it has been my experience that 90% of the members are regular people who will help each other out and enjoy each others company and the hobby at hand. Roughly 10% of the members are egocentric "know it all's" with chips on their shoulders and opinions about everything. Unfortunately the 10% usually cause about 95% of the unnecessary drama in any club. R.A.S. included.
I used to let it bother me, and when I was younger I left a few clubs after dealing with those egomaniac style of personalities, that can really ruin a club or group. Now I focus on the other 90% of people who are more or less normal, and simply look humorously at those who would make mountains out of mole hills.

Well said Mike, and pretty well spot on. Where in sw FL are you flying Coastal? Thats a pretty fun club.
Dan

I am at Tampa Bay Soaring Society at Zephyrhills. As my home club.
Although I'd like to do some cross country out of Seminole Lake too. So I may trailer up there from time to time depending on the forecast.
I follow Skysight.io pretty closely for weather.