Rick Masters wrote:
Quote:
Or follow Rick Masters advice and realize that USHPA is confident with their monopoly and secure in their feeling that they hold all the cards.
My advice to hang glider pilots is to form a national recreational hang gliding association.
Rather than attempt to change the USHPA, walk away and start over.
That corporation is dominated by paragliding and business interests antithetical to recreational hang gliding.
Realize that an alternative association will stand on equal footing with the USHPA in the eyes of the FAA.
My displeasure with the USHPA is a result of recreational hang gliding being forced into a destructive marriage
with the most dangerous forms of parachuting - paragliding and speedflying - and rampant joyriding for profit disguised as instruction.
Did hang glider pilots really ask for this?
The ones who did not ask for it need to form a national recreational hang gliding association.
There is none, right now.
Wasting time arguing with USHPA is pointless but it works in their favor because nothing gets accomplished in forming the new association.
I gave it an extra year of membership with USHPA at Bob's request. I also sent letters to Regional Directors asking for reinstatement of Bob's membership. That didn't work.
So now I've decided to follow Rick Masters advice and walk away.
Attachment:
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Below are copies of emails that I sent to Regional Directors:
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Re: Open letter to Region 4 directors.
Postby Bill Cummings » Thu Apr 28, 2016 12:47 pm
Open letter to Region 4 directors: Ken Grubbs, Bill Belcourt,
I've decided to let my long-standing USHGA/USHPA membership expire for the following reasons:
First, none of my letters, sent to the Region #4 Directors, addressed above, were responded to, according to my wishes concerning the "Vote NO" on the expulsion of Mr. Bob Kuczewski. I may renew my membership, within three (3) years, in order to maintain my ratings, unless USHPA randomly changes the rules in order to shorten the current rating-retention grace period. Should that action take place, I will be done with USHPA permanently.
Secondly, I am, further, severely disappointed in USHPA Directors for not disciplining a Torrey Pines site instructor who abused the FAA tandem exemption while giving joy rides to children. Regarding such reckless endangerment of children, it seems obvious to me that USHPA is simply following the money in favor of heedlessly endangering children. Hanggliding/Paragliding are not carnival rides for which there is a parent-informed, reasonable acceptance of safety.
My advice is to stop catering to the business community and return to catering to the recreational pilots.
With full understanding of how insignificant my and Mr. Kuczewski's combined total of $300.00/year may be to USHPA, please consider my membership expired until USHPA does the right thing by reinstating Bob Kuczewski's exceptional standing, history,. and membership in USHPA.
Sincerely,
Bill Cummings
Pilot 30448
billcummings wrote:
Open letter to:
Region four Director William Belcourt,
Vote NO on the expulsion of Robert Kuczewski.
Also vote NO on any motion that could also arise for the expulsion of Dennis Pagen and Marty Deviette for their testimony concerning an injured USHPA paragliding student’s law suit against Air California Adventures. (ACA)
Allow the San Diego local court to sort out the dispute between ACA and Bob K. before entertaining any expulsion for alleged wrong doing. So far Bob K. has prevailed in court.
Thank you for your consideration of my request.
Bill Cummings. Pilot # 30448
(PS: It took Bob K. a half hour phone conversation, about this expulsion process, to talk me out of letting my 37 year membership with USHPA run out at the end of this April 2015.)
NOW IT HAS FINALLY RUN OUT AS OF APRIL 2016.
