[Rick Masters]

Hang gliding in the United States matured under the guidance of the United States Hang Gliding Association. It is necessary for today's hang glider pilots to examine the accomplishments of the USHGA on the sport of hang gliding and to compare that to the havoc wrought by today's mutant U$hPA, dominated by the interests of soaring parachutists and, importantly, by the financial interests of tandem paragliding "in$tructors."

My personal contention is that the U$hPA does not work, cannot work, and is constantly devolving towards something antithetical to the goals set by the USHGA, years ago. In doing so, the U$hPA now threatens the survival of hang gliding. Something needs to change.

Please structure your discussion beginning with what seemed right to you about the USHGA and how that has changed under the U$hPA. This discussion could generate a "Hang Gliding Bill of Rights" simply by listing each point as a grievance.

[Bob Kuczewski]

I took my first hang gliding lessons back in 1978, and at that time my instructors somewhat ridiculed what they called "UUUUSHHGA". I wasn't much of a "joiner", so I was happy to not have to sign up.

I took my first paragliding lessons in 1990, and I wasn't even aware of a national association at that time, so I didn't join then either.

By early 2004, I had been "intending" to get back to hang gliding for 25 years, so I decided it was time to do it. I began taking both HG and PG lessons together, and I thought it was great that I only had to join one national association for both sports.

But as time went on, I began seeing that paragliding was killing hang gliding in San Diego. I valued both sports similarly - with a slight preference for for hang gliding. But as I watched what happened to hang gliding in San Diego, I began to realize that without specific protections for hang gliding pilots, they would eventually become insignificant within USHPA. I saw USHPA actively working to ensure that the sport of hang gliding could NOT get its own representation on the Torrey Pines Soaring Council. I also saw that the hang gliding population was no longer able to elect their own representatives without some degree of "approval" by the paragliding pilots. That's when I knew that hang gliding needed its own organization if it was to survive.

Welcome to the US Hawks!!

P.S. I'm sorry that my post didn't reflect what I liked about the old USHGA because I was never a member of the old USHGA. When I joined in 2004, the name was still "USHGA", but the PG takeover was already under way. I don't have anything against paragliding, and I plan to continue it at coastal sites (thanks for the insights Rick). But the takeover at USHPA is basically telling hang glider pilots that they don't matter any more (evidenced first hand at Torrey), and that's what I find to be unacceptable at USHPA.

[wingspan33]

Rick,

I joined the USHGA in 1978. The local shop owner told me they had a good magazine with articles from which I could learn a good bit. It ended up he was right. There was more to learn than I even imagined. Also, at the time, most of us had "insurance" with GSI (Glider Sport International) but I believe they were about to close their doors. Because of this I think the USHGA was also the "other" source for insurance. I must say that back then (being 22 years old) I couldn't tell you what the insurance even covered. But it seemed to be necessary.

Now I also recall something about ratings coming up in the late 70's but I think until then (in Ellenville, NY) we flew and learned, then flew some more. Between your own thinking and some peer input a pilot would get a more advanced glider as they gained confidence - and/or enough money saved in the bank. Still, the USHGA did have a rating program and, in retrospect, that was a VERY good idea. Being able to demonstrate learned (predefined) skills to an Instructor or Observer began the positive progress toward creating a safer sport.

In connection with the USHGA Rating program I eventually became an Observer (mid 1980's). A few years later I was made an Examiner (later 1980's). A few years later I was certified to Instruct (1988 or 89?). Around 1989-90 I also attained my tandem Rating. When the tandem rating was split into the T1 and T2 I eventually got certified for the T2.

In connection with this thread's object, I learned a GREAT deal in connection with my membership in the USHGA. By way of its programs, the articles in Hang Gliding magazine, and - most of all - while teaching new people how to fly, I expanded my own knowledge. I also increased my skills, wisdom, and experience related to the details of what we call the sport of hang gliding. In so doing I felt very much a part of the hang gliding community.

Personally I had an "economic down turn" in 1991 and didn't fly as much as I would have liked throughout the 1990s. Still, I had probably a dozen or more flights a year. I took note (in the early 1990's) when the USHGA allowed a faltering US Paragliding Org to "merge" with the Association. I'm not sure I liked it, but they had (and kept issuing) their own magazine so they were "there" but not in any negative way.

However, that began to change when the PG magazine "evaporated". Articles related to PGing, that meant nothing to me (and/or most other hang glider pilots), started to appear and hang gliding content began to shrink. Between 2005 and 2007 the magazine's name got changed to Hang Gliding and Paragliding and then the Association itself became the US Hang (gliding) and Paragliding Association.

Both of those changes alienated me greatly from the USHGA I had once considered to be a very important and relevant organization. The magazine's content began to be CLEARLY biased in favor of inflatable canopies. Quite often that bias was mainly evident in the PG related advertizing which included a plethora of images of that sport. As I observed things, the good old USHGA seemed to be selling itself out to the inflatable canopy marketeers. Oddly, the more the one time USHGA directly or indirectly marketed inflatable canopies, the more they ended up attenuating (shrinking) the market of (potential and very real) new participants in the sport of hang gliding.

During the mid to later 2010's there were topics I might have written up and sent into the magazine as articles. But, neither the magazine or the Association felt like "Home" anymore.

Short story: I once leased a house and had roommates to fill the other bedrooms and split the rent and utilities. Once a new guy moved in and after a weekend of flying I came home and he'd rearranged the living room to HIS liking. I asked him what the heck he was thinking?!! I always explained to new roommates that their rooms were theirs to set up as they wanted but the common areas were to stay as is. In short order the living room was back the way it was.

This directly relates to the evolution of the the USHGA into the U$hPA. Only thing is, nobody told the inflatable canopy people to leave the common areas alone. And while the USHGA created and owned the "House", the inflatable canopy bunch have moved in and taken over.

Most recently I have seen very real evidence that influential members of the inflatable canopy faction willfully VIOLATE FAA regulations that could/can/will endanger the USHPA's Tandem Exemption - for both HGs and PGs. One such violation was committed (a few years back) by a newly elected USHPA Regional Director. That individual actually acted to help put together a petition (signed by some 600+ inflatable canopy pilots) to prevent the USHPA from disallowing (by way of their SOPs) the practice of letting BASE (style) jumpers detach and leap from tandem PG instructional(?) rigs - obviously during soaring flight. Doing so violates SEVERAL FAA regulations contained in both Parts 105 and 103.

Heck, it could be that as many BASE jumpers are leaping out of hang gliders. However, the point remains, . . . How can the USHPA turn a blind eye to a dangerous and "illegal" activity that has the potential for killing the USHPA's (FAA issued) Tandem Instructional Exemption? This is an example of the USHPA acting to please a fraction of radical members despite what is in its own best interests. Effectively, they are shooting themselves in the foot. It may be a better example to say they are separating their nose from their face - to please their nose!

Odd and irresponsible behavior such as the above caused this hang glider pilot to end his association with the USHPA about 2 years ago. So, let's see, . . . this year would be my 40th year as a hang glider pilot. Speaking objectively, this pilot held a Master rating, has accomplished hill training, tandem training, flown at 50+ sites around the Nation and has at least a couple thousand hours of air time. And because of the deterioration of the USHPA, this pilot's knowledge and experience has been subtracted from their membership "inventory". That even further degrades the value of the organization once known as the USHGA.