[Bill Cummings]

It may have just performed such an act: see expulsion proceeding re: BobK as BobK posted this morning early.
BobK has proven to care about hang gliding in an exemplary manner. The P org is formally starting what may amount to expelling hang gliding from the soaring-parachute org; they will probably consider changing name to USPA and then see their affinity to the extant USPA parachutists. We are in a transition period. Hang gliding will again have a national org dedicated to airframed hang gliding. The soaring parachutists will have their separate org. It is time to be at peace with US Hawks as THE premier hang gliding association for the United States of America. Time to incorporate; my dues are waiting to be paid to the US Hawks Hang Gliding Association.

We all seem to out of bed at bed time.
More from me on this topic later.
I find charge # 5 to be a moment and a big
When someone sees U$hPA headed in the wrong direction and tries to correct it -- that is assisting USHPA as an organization.

[Rick Masters]

The U$hPA is in the process of making itself irrelevant to hang gliding.
Hang glider pilots have three choices.
1) Participate in funding the U$hGA while doing nothing.
2) Participate in funding the U$hGA while speaking out (like BobK) at the risk of being purged.
3) Walk away.

[Rick Masters]

PARAGLIDING
A primer

Paragliders can land anywhere. And often do.

Paraglider going cross country.

Paragliding is safer than motorcycling. "Hey, look, it's that guy who said paragliding is safer than motorcycling! Can we have this tent?"

Paragliding toboggan. "Wouldn't this work better in snow?"

Suddenly, the paraglider clean-up crew spots an empty helicopter.

Dead Bull Alps. "I think I liked the old rules better..."

Gekko-man strikes again! "Good thing there's bugs up here."

"Perching," a favorite paraglider past-time and the closest thing to being a bird.

[wingspan33]

I am seriously laughing my a** off!

[Rick Masters]

With over one thousand three hundred dead, most since 2002, it's either laugh or cry.

[wingspan33]

With over one thousand three hundred dead, most since 2002, it's either laugh or cry.

I realized after posting my previous message that all those pictures involved collapsible canopy (CC) failures. Failures where the occupant likely was injured or worse. It's not really funny at all. The promoters of and profiteers from CC sales have known for a very long time the "defects" included with their form of "wing". It's the buyer who should beware. Trouble is, the buyers are too ignorant/lazy/naive to discover the truth.

As David Hannum * (not PT Barnum) once said: “There’s a sucker born every minute.”



* [info from - http://blogcritics.org/q-who-said-theres-a-sucker/ ]

[Rick Masters]

Or, as Rocketman said, "It wasn't me" - when everyone knew it was him.

Through their organizations and publications, hang glider pilots worldwide embrace soaring parachutes. The public sees this, evaluates the cost and trouble to learn, and decides, since the sports are presented as being essentially equivalent, to mostly try cheaper and easier paragliding. Pick up any issue of the U$hPA rag if you don't know what I'm talking about.

Maybe I'll start calling today's hang glider pilots "rocketmen."

[Rick Masters]

Paradangling

The closest thing to flying.
"Get that damned hang glider out of there! We want to ski!"

[Bob Kuczewski]

Through their organizations and publications, hang glider pilots worldwide embrace soaring parachutes. The public sees this, evaluates the cost and trouble to learn, and decides, since the sports are presented as being essentially equivalent, to mostly try cheaper and easier paragliding. Pick up any issue of the U$hPA rag if you don't know what I'm talking about.

This really is a very very good point.

[Rick Masters]

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