US Hawks Hang Gliding Association

Ken Andrews (USHPA Region 3 Director) is a nice enough guy. He follows in the footsteps of many "nice enough" guys in Region 3. I would include Bill Helliwell, Dan DeWeese, and Alan Crouse among them. But when it comes to dealing with USHPA's "insiders", Ken and the other "nice enough guys" are out of their league.

The USHPA insiders chew up and use "nice enough guys" like pawns. Here's a current example.

A long time Torrey Pilot wrote to Ken complaining about USHPA's unfair expulsion of Bob Kuczewski (that's me). Here's part of Ken's reply:

Ken Andrews wrote:"I’ve told Bob many times that if he would stop attacking Torrey and USHPA, then I would work to get his membership reinstated so that he could fly at USHPA sites again. So far, Bob has refused my offers."
                 - USHPA Region 3 Director Kenneth Andrews, April 16th, 2016

Here's my message to Ken (sent a few minutes ago):

Bob Kuczewski wrote:Hello Ken (cc/bcc observers),

In a recent message to a USHPA member, you (USHPA Director Ken Andrews) wrote:

"I’ve told Bob many times that if he would stop attacking Torrey and USHPA, then I would work to get his membership reinstated so that he could fly at USHPA sites again. So far, Bob has refused my offers."
                 - USHPA Region 3 Director Kenneth Andrews, April 16th, 2016

OK Ken, I'm calling your bluff. Please write up EXACTLY - and in the form of a contract - the precise terms and conditions that I would be required to abide by for you to work to get my USHPA membership reinstated so that I can fly at what you've called "USHPA sites" again. Please write this in an unambiguous and objective manner such that it would be enforceable in a court of law.

I look forward to your reply.

Sincerely,
Bob Kuczewski
858-204-7499

It will be interesting to see Ken's response. If he lists the "purported" reasons for USHPA's expulsion (things like "interfering with instruction" or "endangering tandem pilots on landing"), then they'll be forced to reinstate me because I've never done those things and would agree not to ever do them (as we all should). But if he lists the real reasons (things like "to be a USHPA member, you can't be critical of USHPA" or "to be a USHPA member, you can't speak to your City Council or testify in a court case") then he's going to show what was really behind the expulsion.

Ken's a smart guy, and it will be interesting to see how he handles this one. My guess is that USHPA (and Tim Herr) will urge him to find an excuse to avoid answering altogether. That's my prediction. But like I said, it will be interesting to see what happens.

"I’ve told Bob many times that if he would stop attacking Torrey and USHPA, then I would work to get his membership reinstated so that he could fly at USHPA sites again. So far, Bob has refused my offers.

You want to clarify that?

Simple Definition of attack
: a violent, harmful, or destructive act against someone

Simple Definition of victim
: a person who has been attacked

"work" could be minimal; there is no guarantee that target will be reached.
He could do a one-second work effort; and that effort might achieve no change.

bobk wrote:Ken's a smart guy, and it will be interesting to see how he handles this one. My guess is that USHPA (and Tim Herr) will urge him to find an excuse to avoid answering altogether. That's my prediction. But like I said, it will be interesting to see what happens.

Well, let's see how my prediction worked out. Here's Ken's reply today:

USHPA Region 3 Director Ken Andrews wrote:Bob,

When I originally made this offer to you on February 20, I said I was not interested in a “letter of the law” contract. I was looking for a radical change in style, a “spirit of the law” agreement, so that we wouldn’t need lawyers and this type of arguing in the future. If and when that sounds attractive, I’m here to help.

-Ken

How accurate was my prediction? Ken writes as if he made that offer back in February and it's no longer valid. Yet two days ago he told someone (behind my back) that: "So far, Bob has refused my offers."

Then I take him up on his offer and suddenly there's no offer any more.

RickMasters wrote:Simple Definition of attack
: a violent, harmful, or destructive act against someone

Thanks Rick!!!

Something about what you wrote got me to thinking. It got me to thinking not so much about what Ken Andrews wrote ... but about what he didn't write. Let's take another look. Ken wrote:

USHPA Region 3 Director, Ken Andrews wrote:I’ve told Bob many times that if he would stop attacking Torrey and USHPA, then I would work to get his membership reinstated so that he could fly at USHPA sites again. So far, Bob has refused my offers.

What's missing in that statement?

You'll notice that he didn't say:

    "When Bob ceases the creation of at least two national hang gliding organizations
     with the stated purpose of competing with USHPA, one of which he currently controls;
     I'll work to get his membership reinstated."

Gee, but that was the very first thing listed in my expulsion proceeding. How did Ken miss that? Instead, he just said I have to stop "attacking" USHPA and Torrey. He surely doesn't mean physically attacking them (as Rick has pointed out), so he must mean criticizing them.

Let's see what else Ken didn't say. He didn't say:

    "When Bob ceases endangering safety of paragliding and hang gliding operations involving
     members of USHPA, USHPA Certified Instructors, and USHPA Tandem Instructors at the
     Torrey Pines Gliderport (TPGP) by, disrupting training of students at TPGP; I'll work to get
     his membership reinstated."

Gee, that was the second thing listed in my expulsion proceeding. Doesn't Ken think he should require me to stop doing that before he would work to reinstate me? But no, he didn't seem to be concerned with that either. Hmmm...

How about this one:

    Being in the active airfield restricted area of TPGP for purposes unrelated to flying;

Surely he'd want me to stop doing that one before considering to reinstate me. I wonder why he left that one out?

He didn't mention these either:

    Misrepresentation of paragliding experience;
    Misrepresentation of hang gliding experience;

Yet those were also listed on my expulsion notice. I wonder why that wasn't a requirement to be reinstated by Ken?

I think you get the drift here. Ken didn't mention any of the so-called "violations" because he knows that none of them were true in the first place. None of those lies were the reason for my expulsion. They were just the fake "window dressing" to make it look like there was substance to their witch hunt.

The real reason for my expulsion was revealed by what Ken gave as the one condition to have me reinstated - to keep me from criticizing either USHPA or the Torrey Pines concession. Ken has admitted that by what he said ... and more importantly ... by what he didn't say.

Thanks Rick for helping me see what Ken didn't say!!

By the way, before I had my insight about what Ken didn't say, I replied to him with this message:

Ken Andrews (cc/bcc others),

Here's what you wrote to another pilot (behind my back):

     "I’ve told Bob many times that if he would stop attacking Torrey and USHPA,
     then I would work to get his membership reinstated so that he could fly at
     USHPA sites again. So far, Bob has refused my offers."
             - USHPA Region 3 Director Kenneth Andrews, April 16th, 2016

OK, what does that mean?

     Does that mean I can't take pictures of Gabe Jebb kiting without a helmet?
     Does that mean I can't tell the City Council about violations at Torrey?
     Does that mean I can't testify in court when they injure someone?
     Does that mean I can't continue to operate the US Hawks?
     Does that mean I can't post references to accidents?

What exactly are you asking me to do? Is it unreasonable for me to ask?

Just spell it out. If it's reasonable, I'm all for it. The ball is in your court.

I'll bet that Ken won't have any substantial response to that either. Time will tell...

cross posted at shga.com:
With 42 days left before the RRG kicks in I doubt the non-paid volunteers of USHPA will address this issue before that time.

BobK's civil rights are being violated


BobK has consistently for years highlighted safety violations before they degenerated into multiple $2 million insurance payouts that USHPA (Did not win)

USHPA revoked his flying privileges which amounts to torture.


Palmaz says the RRG is owned by Flight schools, Forbes says it is owned by the members who pay dues, USHPA doesn't even know who owns it. BobK should be on the BoD of the RRG since he can sniff out troubles "BEFORE" they occur . Even Palmaz agrees we need a culture change.

I think the problem is with the paraglider harnesses because they cause you to crash in a fetal position and not foot first as God intended.

I say we start a class action lawsuit against paraglider harness manufactures
http://artofgears.com/2016/01/27/honda- ... harnesses/

For those of you who fell into the beleif BobK is a pathological Liar without any actual evidence and just hearsay, you have fallen into a Scientology Brain Washing Technique( I cannot post the actual Scientology content here without retaliation) But they repeat something over and over and over, you will start to believe it.
See Auditing Thetans etc
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operating_Thetan

the fact is noone has any evidence BobK has lied, if they do they can sign a statement of truth with Contempt of Court punishment.

They all back away at that point.

I brought this quote over from the, "Hello US Hawks!!" thread. The reason being is that some pilots just click onto the Hawks and don't sign in. I believe that by not signing in you will not be alerted to unread posts since your last visit.

--- Now I hope I don't give the impression that I'm a malcontent but Bob K. having broken
no rules in the U$hPA was kicked out for sounding the alarm. U$hPa shot the messenger.
To date they haven't stated one specific SOP or safety infraction. They just threw the book
at him as if to say, "It's within these pages - go look it up yourself!"
I am going to compose a letter to send to my two Region # 4 directors and U$hPA.
It will say something to the effect that I will pay the ransom of $150.00 if they ASK
Bob K to come back to U$hPA to enjoy full membership and benefits. (Sorry Rick M.)
They will also have to pull the ratings of a Torrey Glider Port instructor breaking SOP's.
My 38 years and 3 months of membership is set to run out at the end of this month.
But like I said, I'll pay the ransom if they do what's right.
I wish others would publicly follow me in this effort.
Jim, it's good to read you here.
EDIT CORRECTION I've been flying HG for that many years. I joined USHGA a few year later.

My hope is to in effect start a strike.

I really wish they'd have fallen short of the insurance crisis

GET A CLUE ~ The USHPA know there Wrong
They are trying to protect there business (By THREAT)
Do you really think they're Stupid enough to put it in writing ?

Haven't YOU read the New Secret USHPA guidebook

~ MEMBERS ONLY ~