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Re: Best Plan to Save Sport of Hang Gliding

Postby Free » Tue Sep 24, 2019 5:04 pm

spydermike wrote:Based on this thread, I don't really understand your approach to bringing new people into the sport. You state you have some ideas, maybe you could elucidate them. If you already have, will you steer me toward the threads/posts where it is defined?



Hey Mike, are you still with us? I've espoused ideas here before under the moniker FreeUSHGA before I changed the name to Free. Also before that at the old USHGA yahoo list.
The idea was to provide the tug and a possible tug pilot for nomadic instructors seasonally after the Florida parks hibernate in the summer months. Infrastructure for instructors.
About April it's over down there and just starting up in the mid-west. Instructors without jobs for the summer.
That's how Cowboy-Up came to be. They had their own tug and struck out in April or so to create a new gig. Jackson Hole seemed like a good place to set up a boutique shop catering to the money class.
Now it has revamped near Houston for a somewhat different clientele, I suppose.

Combine my idea with crowd source funding for a central hub training system for entry level training via static tow. Where I had in mind to do this, flatland, would entail some man made training hills. Plenty dirt for this.
So to sum this up quickly without all the details that would need to be worked out, one millionaire benefactor could pull this off. I don't believe Davis or Blindrodie are gonna step up, so like Cowboy Up asked for donations from pilots, instructor salaries and infrastructure would be funded by pilots that want to help new pilots come into the sport.
Static/scooter tow and wheels on gliders to teach flying like sailplanes. A lot of take off and landings at a cost sensitive price for the basics that would encourage participants that can't do the boutique thing.

I had a couple instructors lined up about 15 years ago but the deal got sabotaged before it happened. Before Cowboy Up happened.
It's probably too late now... now that the world is going to end in 12 years or less.
Anybody else could do this and it will take someone else to do it other than me.
Build it and If the price is right, they will come.
I see billboards across the interstates taunting all those people that say they always wanted to try hang gliding.
Some training could be free. As in FreeUSHGA.
A free flight park for instructors who earn a salary. Free training for those that can't afford the Disney Parks. The bulk will pay a fair price.
All can move up to pricier training if they care to... or they might just stay home with their own scooter tow and develop in a different direction than the money boys in their aerodynamic costumes.
Train a few hundred or a thousand and out of those maybe one will be the one to reinvent/save the sport.
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Re: Best Plan to Save Sport of Hang Gliding

Postby wingspan33 » Wed Sep 25, 2019 10:18 am

Here is one thing that I've done to help boost the sport of hang gliding. Less than 10 days ago I participated in an interview on a sports podcast. The "show" is 45 min. to an hour long and I was interviewed for 1 and 1/2 hours. So editing needs to be completed before the show is put up on line. I'll be informed when it's ready and I'll provide a link to it in a future post.

One significant point I wanted to make during the interview was how paragliding is NOT safer than hang gliding. I think that I did pretty good at establishing that. But in doing so I was even more intent on explaining how/why hang gliding is SAFER. The idea was to demonstrate to people who think paragliding is safer why it's not and to encourage them to give hang gliding a try instead.

There should be information about the US Hawks mentioned or included in the notes about the interview. That could bring a few people here to see what the US Hawks is about.

On a different but related topic, . . . I've been thinking about the creation of a "Hang Gliding Politics" section on the forum. Any member could visit there. But if they didn't want to, they could stay in the "all about hang gliding" area - basically the "I had a great flight" part of the site.

I think it's important that there really be a focus on the enjoyment and details of the sport of hang gliding that is (somewhat) separate from the important subject of hang gliding politics.

The creation of the US Hawks was triggered by political issues - those issues evolve and change and regularly need to be addressed. But (as an example) if you love playing basket ball, that doesn't mean you have any interest in the politics of basket ball. The same is true with hang gliding. For many people hang gliding is an escape from day to day troubles and who wants to go somewhere (between flying days) where all they read about is the (political) troubles within hang gliding. I think that is more or less Spider Mike's #1 point. Having a clearly defined Hang Gliding Politics section that isn't pushed at members could be a very good way to go.
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Re: Best Plan to Save Sport of Hang Gliding

Postby Free » Wed Sep 25, 2019 2:35 pm

wingspan33 wrote:

The creation of the US Hawks was triggered by political issues - those issues evolve and change and regularly need to be addressed. But (as an example) if you love playing basket ball, that doesn't mean you have any interest in the politics of basket ball. The same is true with hang gliding. For many people hang gliding is an escape from day to day troubles and who wants to go somewhere (between flying days) where all they read about is the (political) troubles within hang gliding. I think that is more or less Spider Mike's #1 point. Having a clearly defined Hang Gliding Politics section that isn't pushed at members could be a very good way to go.


Good point that many people are happier to remain in happy la la land. No one should be forced to join any discussion that makes them uncomfortable. There should be safe rooms with play doh and stuffed animals where they can escape the real world at any time. Maybe they should never be advised that big fluffy paragliders sometimes have a quirk that causes them to collapse at the most in-opportune time resulting in serious injury and death.
The USHPA model for hang gliding is churning memberships dollars to support lucrative salaries for our enlightened leaders. You certainly don't want to let that cat out of the bag, so to speak, to the newer, sensitive membership prospect.

I'll try and do more to clearly label subjects better, allowing people to self censor what they may perceive uncomfortable subject matter.
No one should be forced to read what they don't want.
We could do a section each of Life, Death and Happy Talk?
Something for everyone?
Pick your poison.
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Re: Best Plan to Save Sport of Hang Gliding

Postby Bob Kuczewski » Thu May 14, 2020 11:09 pm

Free wrote:Good point that many people are happier to remain in happy la la land. No one should be forced to join any discussion that makes them uncomfortable. There should be safe rooms with play doh and stuffed animals where they can escape the real world at any time.

And cats. Lots of cats.
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USHPA's Toxic Insurance Scheme

Postby Bob Kuczewski » Tue Apr 20, 2021 12:26 am

USHPA's toxic insurance scheme is killing the sport of hang gliding.

The scam with USHPA's "insurance" is that it's ONLY honored if ALL other gliders flying at a site are also "insured" under USHPA's policy. That's how they hold onto their monopoly AND deny benefits because everyone flying under USHPA's insurance signs away their right to sue USHPA or its members. You'll get a hint of that in the long quote posted by DAVE858 where it says:

When Recreation RRG was created, we had to explain to the regulators who issued our insurance license about the reasons why USHPA had lost its coverage in the traditional market, and we had to adopt underwriting policies so ...

For that reason, when a patron of JustFly-SVS Flight Park lands at the landing zone owned by the Tennessee Tree Toppers, there is no insurance under the USHPA GL policy for the Tree Toppers.

In other words, USHPA's policy is no good if any NON-USHPA insured folks fly at a site. Of course the USHPA insurance wouldn't cover the NON-USHPA folks, but it doesn't even cover the USHPA folks if NON-USHPA people are flying. That's the dirty little secret that USHPA uses to help enforce its monopoly.

Imagine if an auto insurance policy were ONLY good if ALL other cars on the road were insured by the same insurance company, and no one could sue other drivers or that company. That policy would not be accepted in any state in the U.S., but USHPA gets away with it because anyone who speaks up gets silenced.

Keep that in mind as you read these posts from hanggliding.org about USHPA's insurance at Henson's Gap:

From: hanggliding.org: HANSENS GAP INSURANCE PULLED?

By DAVE 858. -  Thu Apr 15, 2021 8:28 pm

Got this email from USHPA

Effective today, April 14, 2021, flights originating from Flying Camp & JustFly-SVS locations are no longer covered under USHPA's insurance policies.

Due to unauthorized use of Tennessee Tree Toppers' property containing their landing zone, USHPA's insurance no longer covers anyone, including USHPA members, while flying at the following commercial flying sites in Tennessee:

JustFly-SVS Whitwell Flight Park
JustFly-SVS Henson Gap Flight Park

For more specific information on this exclusion, please see the USHPA website.

We ask that pilots fly safely, respect all laws and regulations, and help preserve our sports’ self-insurance program.


Anyone know what this is about exactly?

By Toomb. -  Thu Apr 15, 2021 10:20 pm

There is a more detailed explanation on USHPA website if you follow the link in that email. Chris

By DAVE 858. -  Thu Apr 15, 2021 11:14 pm

I forgot my log in info.... Besides, I want to hear the rumor laden s--- talking local version. Not no censured USHPA version.

By red. -  Fri Apr 16, 2021 9:29 am

DAVE 858 wrote:I forgot my log in info.... Besides, I want to hear the rumor laden s--- talking local version. Not no censured USHPA version.


Same here!

By DAVE 858. -  Fri Apr 16, 2021 1:25 pm

Flights from Flying Camp and SVS locations are excluded under USHPA’s insurance policies.
USHPA was fortunate to establish an alternative insurance program with the creation of Recreation Risk Retention Group (RRRG) in 2016. Without the RRG, there would be significantly fewer opportunities for site access and no sustainable coverage for our activities.

USHPA is a partial owner of RRRG, but the two organizations are separate. RRRG is licensed and regulated by the state of Vermont. Vermont is known as the Gold Standard in the regulation of risk retention groups. To satisfy the regulators, RRRG must administer a program where risks are well managed.

As of April 14, 2021, Recreation Risk Retention Group has issued the attached Policy Change endorsements to both the USHPA General Liability (GL) and Professional Liability (PL) Policies.

Policy Change Number 85 to the USHPA GL Policy - MAGL00001001-R5 with an effective date of April 14, 2021 @ 12:01AM EDT.
Policy Change Number 1 to the USHPA PL Policy - MAPL00001002-R5 with an effective date of April 14, 2021 @ 12:01 AM EDT.

Both of these policy changes add two excluded locations to the policies. The new excluded locations are the JustFly-SVS Whitwell Flight Park and the JustFly-SVS Henson Gap Flight Park.

With these exclusions in place, there is no cover under either policy for any of the insureds due to claims arising from flights originating from these flight parks.

Why have we issued these policy change endorsements?

Dave Hanning and Rick Jacob operate JustFly-SVS Flight Parks and Flying Camp flight school. Both the flight park and the flight school are "For Hire" or "For Compensation" operations.

A landing zone is necessary for the operation of a flight park. Pilots must have a place to land once they have launched. JustFly-SVS and Flying Camp do not own a landing zone. So, in order to operate their flight park and their school, they need to obtain permission from landowner(s) to allow their patrons and students to land on property not owned by them. A necessary part of obtaining that permission from landowners is the acquisition of liability insurance covering the landowners for liability that the landowners incur by allowing the patrons and students to land on their property. This cost of insurance is a cost of doing business of any commercial operation and should be borne by that commercial operation. It is not a cost that USHPA, USHPA's Chapters or USHPA members should bear.

In the days before Recreation RRG was created, the insurance that USHPA obtained in the traditional insurance market accidentally ended up covering claims that came out of commercial operations that used USHPA Chapter launch and landing facilities. These commercial operations had not been underwritten by the insurance company and, in the cases where USHPA's insurance ended up being involved, there was insufficient or non-existent risk management by the commercial operations. Furthermore, there was no premium collected to cover the commercial risk being insured. As we all know, this was a model that led to the loss of insurance for USHPA in the traditional insurance market.

When Recreation RRG was created, we had to explain to the regulators who issued our insurance license about the reasons why USHPA had lost its coverage in the traditional market, and we had to adopt underwriting policies so that Recreation RRG would not provide coverage for commercial operations where there was no premium collected from the commercial operator or where the risk management was not appropriate. As part of that process in getting our insurance license, we adopted the underwriting rule that we would not provide cover to USHPA chapters or landowners for losses that arise out of commercial activities that take place on the property of the chapters or landowners. For that reason, when a patron of JustFly-SVS Flight Park lands at the landing zone owned by the Tennessee Tree Toppers, there is no insurance under the USHPA GL policy for the Tree Toppers.

At the formation of Recreation RRG, we provided insurance to Flying Camp. JustFly-SVS Flight Park never applied for insurance with us. As you know, we discovered that Flying Camp was not practicing good risk management practices and we attempted to have those practices corrected. Flying Camp represented that they would operate on a going forward basis in compliance with certain risk management practices. Unfortunately, we discovered that they did not do so, and when confronted, Mr. Hanning stated that he never intended to comply with the risk management practices and had signed the agreement to do so "under duress" because he knew we would not provide the insurance unless he signed the agreement and that he had no intent of complying when he signed the agreement. When this fraud was discovered, we cancelled Flying Camp's insurance and expelled Flying camp from membership in Recreation RRG. Flying Camp is ineligible for insurance from Recreation RRG and we will not directly or indirectly insure the operations of Flying Camp or any other organization where Mr. Hanning is involved in decisions related to the management of risk.

When Flying Camp was insured by Recreation RRG, we also provided additional insured coverage to Tennessee Tree Toppers and to the other landowners of launches and landing zones used by Flying Camp. Once we terminated Flying Camp's coverages, we no longer provided additional insured coverages to Tennessee Tree Toppers or the other landowners.

The Tennessee Tree Toppers recognize that they are not insured under the USHPA GL policy for the commercial flights emanating from JustFly-SVS Flight Park and Flying Camp.

Neither JustFly-SVS Flight Park nor Flying Camp have permission of the Tennessee Tree Toppers to use the Tree Topper's landing zone. Neither JustFly-SVS Flight Park nor Flying Camp have contracted with the Tree Toppers to allow such landings. Neither JustFly-SVS Flight Park nor Flying Camp have provided insurance acceptable to the Tree Toppers covering the Tree Toppers for the liability exposure that using their land as a landing zone for JustFly-SVS Flight Park or Flying Camp creates.

When a pilot launches from a JustFly-SVS Flight Park and lands at the Tennessee Tree Topper's landing zone, there is no insurance coverage for the Tennessee Tree Toppers under the USHPA GL policy because the activity is "For Hire" or "For Compensation".

Furthermore, students of Flying Camp who are not rated pilots, who are not under direct instructor supervision, who are not members of USHPA and who are not members of Tennessee Tree Toppers have been landing in the Tennessee Tree Topper's landing zone. There is no insurance coverage for the Tennessee Tree Toppers under the USHPA GL policy for these landings because in addition to the activity being "For Hire" or "For Compensation", the pilot is not a USHPA member and is not operating within the operating limitations of a valid USHPA pilot rating.

This uninsured exposure exists because JustFly-SVS Flight Park and Flying Camp have not provided insurance acceptable to the Tennessee Tree Toppers that covers the liability they are exposed to when patrons and students of JustFly-SVS and Flying Camp use the Tree Topper's property as a landing zone.

Tennessee Tree Toppers has announced to the hang gliding and paragliding community that their landing zone is off limits and has requested that no pilot use it as a landing zone on flights originating at JustFly-SVS or Flying Camp. Instead of honoring that request, JustFly-SVS and Flying Camp communicate to their patrons and students that the Tennessee Tree Topper's landing zone is the "best landing zone" and that they should use it notwithstanding the Tennessee Tree Toppers request not to.

The Tennessee Tree Toppers have reached a breaking point and have decided to pursue legal action - civil and criminal - against pilots who continue to land on their property when launching from JustFly-SVS or Flying Camp. Unless we add JustFly-SVS Flight Parks and Flying Camp to the "Excluded Locations" in the USHPA GL Policy, we anticipate having to defend numerous USHPA members in civil suits brought against them by Tennessee Tree Toppers for using the Tree Topper's landing zone without permission. Providing coverage in this way would be counterproductive to USHPA's goal of having a sustainable source of insurance to keep the sport alive and healthy. It would also be rewarding pilots for violating the property rights of the Tennessee Tree Toppers.

We ran into a similar situation with the Soboba flying site in California a couple years back. In that case, it was alleged that the local pilots had trespassed on a neighboring property and built roads and launches on that property. The Owner had been absent for many years and upon his return, he told the pilots to get off of his land. When they did not immediately do so, he filed a civil suit against them and broadcast his intention to add any pilot who came on his property to launch or land to the lawsuit. In response we counseled the local pilots to honor the landowner's request and we added that landowner's land as an excluded location on the USHPA GL and PL policies.


Heres the USHPA version.

By dsk. -  Sat Apr 17, 2021 8:35 pm

https://lying.camp

FYI. 
In case the person of interest decides to skip town and shows up at your local site next...

By winDfried. -  Mon Apr 19, 2021 5:32 am

DAVE 858 wrote:... I want to hear the rumor laden s--- talking local version. Not no censured USHPA version.


The Ozreport reported ongoing (world readable, from my humble Europeans prespective):

http://ozreport.com/blog.php?1618681684

By red. -  Mon Apr 19, 2021 10:11 am

Campers,

I have no dog in this fight, and I do not know the Tennessee (or local) laws on landowners and recreation. What little I do know, I got from this thread. So I take no stance here; I have my opinions, but my opinions do not count. From a legal and personal standpoint, though, I would caution anybody who may want to remove a landowner's fence. Nothing good will come of that action.

Still, I think it may be valid to ask those who are involved to check something out, there. Most states have laws to protect landowners from being sued when they allow recreational use of their property. That state-issued legal protection usually ends, however, if the landowner gets money or other compensation for that recreational use of their lands. Then, the landowner is engaged in a commercial enterprise, and most states do not protect that option, even for recreation. 

The people who "should" pay landing fees there may have set up more of a problem in terms of landowners and insurance issues than they knew, but again, I only suggest that the local pilots check into that possibility. Then they can make better-informed decisions from there.

By DAVE 858. -  Mon Apr 19, 2021 1:47 pm

1st, I am very concerned that the USHPA will not cover pilots launching from a specific place because they are in a pissing match with the owner or affiliated school/flight park. If I have paid my USHPA & associated club dues, it should not matter where I launch from. I deserve to be covered because I have paid for coverage. If USHPA is really going to go down the road of telling people where they can and cant launch or land, then we have a huge problem.

2nd, Whoever decided to get the local sheriff and the FAA involved in your pissing match is a complete moron. This thing goes beyond you and if they decide to change laws around or rules that make claiming an emergency landing more difficult, it effects the entire culture beyond the confines of Tennessee.

3rd, The USHPA zealots need to chill out. There is no law requiring insurance to launch or land hang gliders. Insurance is like condoms, it's nice to have it when u need it. We have unwaiverd pilots fly our site all the time. Ive even offered to pay someones membership before. Things are going to get messy if we start Narcing people out to the land owners and demanding they trespass people. Its not a good road to go down & makes us look stupid. Land owners I have known have made it abundantly clear that they don't want to be involved in club disputes and politics, yet there is often a small contingent of people (often ones who rarely if ever fly) who try to drag them into it.

By Paul H. -  Mon Apr 19, 2021 1:49 pm

The laws are protection from liability, not from being sued. Landowners can still end up with legal bills from having to defend themselves.

By DAVE 858. -  Mon Apr 19, 2021 1:51 pm

Paul H wrote:The laws are protection from liability, not from being sued. Landowners can still end up with legal bills from having to defend themselves.


Which is the whole point of the insurance.

By TrikeTrash. -  Mon Apr 19, 2021 10:35 pm

The state of Tennessee has some very specific laws on where you can and cannot takeoff and land an aircraft. A hang glider IS considered an aircraft by the state. If this is not not put to bed very quickly and very quietly, BOTH sides may suffer consequences they are not prepared for. THIS NEEDS TO STOP NOW!
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Re: Best Plan to Save Sport of Hang Gliding

Postby Bill Cummings » Wed Apr 21, 2021 8:49 pm

The United States is an insurance company with a standing army.
Get caught traveling without insurance, get fined, refuse
to pay the fine, get subpoenaed, ignore it, get swatted, repel them,
Governor sends in the national guard. You will buy insurance. And
pay a premium for the people that are without insurance.
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Re: Best Plan to Save Sport of Hang Gliding

Postby Bob Kuczewski » Thu May 06, 2021 1:01 am

Bill Cummings wrote:Get caught traveling without insurance, get fined, refuse
to pay the fine, get subpoenaed, ignore it, get swatted, repel them,
Governor sends in the national guard. You will buy insurance. And
pay a premium for the people that are without insurance.

Benjamin Franklin wrote:Those who would give up essential liberty to purchase a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety.


I bought my first car when I was in the U.S. Army. At that time, I was not required to purchase insurance. When I transferred to a base in New Jersey. I was shocked at the price tag for one year of mandatory insurance. I had to get an account at the credit union so I could take out a loan to pay for the insurance. I paid more for one year of insurance than I paid for the car!

Mandatory liability insurance is a slap in the face to our liberty. Mandatory insurance requires innocent people to pay in advance for a crime they have not yet committed - and may never commit. It pins artificially "deep pockets" on every citizen making us targets for ambulance chasing lawyers. It removes personal responsibility from bad drivers and punishes good drivers.

It is unAmerican, unnatural, and ultimately unsustainable to require people to pay in advance for the "potential" harm they might do to others. It's a burden carried by no other creature on earth, yet we put it on ourselves to purchase a false sense of "safety" from the fear of "uninsured drivers".

To make matters worse, mandatory liability insurance is a regressive tax. It disproportionally harms the poorest people in our society. It makes no sense that a person making minimum wage should be spending an exorbitant proportion of their income to protect other people making 10 times that wage. That system only ensures that there's sufficient money for the lawyers.

People should insure themselves for the risks that they fear. Deciding what insurance to buy should be a personal financial choice. Fire insurance, flood insurance, theft insurance, earthquake insurance, health insurance, liability insurance, meteorite insurance, and uninsured motorist insurance are all choices that we should make for ourselves.

If we fear a tree falling on our house, we buy insurance to cover it. If we don't think it's worth the cost, then we don't buy it. We don't expect the tree to carry liability insurance to protect us. If we fear our house being burglarized, then we buy theft insurance to cover it. We don't demand that every potential burglar (that would be everyone) purchase insurance to pay us if they should buglarize our house. In all those cases, we - as sovereign individuals, get to decide which acts of man, nature, and God are worth protecting against with our hard earned time and money. That is our choice. That's how every living thing on this planet has existed since the beginning of time ... without the need for lawyers. It's the story and lesson of the Three Little Pigs. It's both the freedom of choice and the burden of personal responsibility ... as they should be. Our system of mandatory liability insurance turns that upside down and enslaves us out of our own fear.

Ben Franklin had it right: "Those who would give up essential liberty to purchase a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety."
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Re: Best Plan to Save Sport of Hang Gliding

Postby Bill Cummings » Thu May 06, 2021 5:51 pm

I could easily enter the cancel culture by landing on RRRG insured public land.
It would be like having retroactive veto power to a motion for insuring a landing zone.
I land as a non RRRG insured pilot and after much anguish and guilt confess my repeated
misdeeds to the insurance group.
The plan to maintain an insured landing zone has been terminated by my veto
My home insurance company after reviewing many photos of the hail damage
to my roof and vents have done little to endear me to them by denying
my damage claim.
If I were to, in my small way, affect the insurance industry’s bottom line
would that be looked upon as justice or retribution?
One so motivated by either could go on a coast to coast tour.
Perhaps there is a link to insured sites online?
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Re: Best Plan to Save Sport of Hang Gliding

Postby Bob Kuczewski » Wed Jun 09, 2021 3:45 am

Bill Cummings wrote:I could easily enter the cancel culture by landing on RRRG insured public land.

In the sport of hang gliding, it's even easier than that to be cancelled. Just mention my name on hanggliding.org ... poof you're gone. :srofl:
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Re: Best Plan to Save Sport of Hang Gliding

Postby Bob Kuczewski » Wed Jun 09, 2021 5:54 am

I already started another topic on the sad closing of Wills Wing here in California. That topic is the proper place for that discussion. But I also want to mark that event in this topic because I believe the closing of Wills Wing is another symptom of the systemic failure of USHPA to grow (or even sustain) the sport of hang gliding in the United States. Here's the letter announcing the closure:

https://www.willswing.com/the-future-of-wills-wing/

The Future of Wills Wing

To All of Our Dealers, Customers and Friends,

We wish to share with you some important news. During the next two and a half months, we will be finishing up orders currently on the books, winding down operations and preparing to shut down production at our Orange facility as part of a process of closing down the Company.

During that same period, we will be continuing work already in progress on developing a plan of support for a new successor entity, the goal of which will be to provide for the continuing supply of Wills Wing products, services and technical support to the hang gliding community. Heading up the new enterprise will be Rudy Gotes, top ranked competition pilot, and our long-time distributor in Mexico. Wills Wing president Steve Pearson will be joining the new company as a partner and will provide critical support in technology, manufacturing and customer support and product design and development. Production facilities for the new company will be headquartered in Valle de Bravo, Mexico, known around the world for its consistent, year-round flying. At the same time, we will be working here to lay a broad foundation of technical support to provide for an ongoing partnership between our long-time dealer Lookout Mountain Flight Park and the new company, in order to facilitate an enhanced level of domestic customer support going forward.

This transition will involve both challenges and opportunities. Wills Wing, incorporated in California in 1973, has had a good 48 year run, and with your support we have had the honor of leading the hang gliding industry for most of those 48 years. Nothing lasts forever, however, and a wide range of market and economic conditions, both currently and over the last several years have made this decision unavoidable.

First, thank you for all of the support that all of you have given to Wills Wing over the last 48 years. We’ve dedicated our careers and our lives to this sport, and in return we’ve been rewarded with lifelong friendships and incomparable experiences.

Plans for the new successor enterprise are still in development, and we have limited details to offer at this time. We can say that the primary goal for the new company will be to continue to provide the products, product support and services that you have associated with Wills Wing with the highest possible level of quality and with the minimum possible delay and disruption in the transition. You can expect further updates from the new company as plans develop and details are finalized.

With regard to our operations here over the next two and half months, we intend to, and we believe we will be able to produce all gliders and harnesses that are currently on order. New glider and harness orders placed going forward will be accepted on a provisional basis, and we will endeavor to keep you informed as to their status as we go forward. Those orders that can be produced before we shut down here, will be. For those that cannot be produced before we shut down, customers will have the option of re-ordering with the new Wills Wing once operations commence. We expect to be able to continue to fill parts orders here during most of the next two and a half months.

Once again, we thank you for your support over the years, and we wish all of you, and the sport itself to which we’ve dedicated our careers, all the best.

Sincerely,

Steve Pearson, Mike and Linda Meier, Chris Wills
Wills Wing
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