US Hawks Hang Gliding Association

This blog is an autopsy of the suicide of the USHPA. All comments are welcome.

I liked the USHGA when they kicked out the ultralights.
I stopped liking them when I learned they didn't kick out the paragliders.

Just received this whining sheet of dreck from a sympathizer.
Try to find hang gliding mentioned

--------------------------
--- The Future of Free Flight ---
CRITICAL Update on Insurance Situation and Dues Increase
Some of the best advice in flight training involves rehearsing what to do in an emergency. Preparation is invaluable when things go sideways. Our present insurance situation is just such an emergency.

The insurance landscape changed in recent years, with increased premiums and an August notification that all of our schools and instructors will no longer be insured. We expect that in March we will see a huge increase in premiums and the loss of all coverage for commercial instruction for both individual instructors and flying sites. Many of our sites, our schools, and our members depend on this protection. The loss of insurance would devastate free flight in North America.

USHPA has identified self-insurance as the only viable option, and has begun the process of forming a self-insurance entity called a Risk Retention Group (RRG). In order to capitalize the RRG and sustain the increased premiums, USHPA will be instituting a dues increase, effective immediately, in addition to launching an unprecedented campaign --- Free Flight Forever --- to raise the necessary capital to form the RRG. WE MUST RAISE $930,000 FROM MEMBERS BY MARCH 1ST, 2016, TO PROTECT THE FUTURE OF OUR SPORT.

We want to update you with progress since our membership email on 10/22, announcing the probable dues increase. This email contains important information to help you understand the situation and your role in creating a solution.
Free Flight Forever -- $930,000 Needed by 3.1.2016
AN UNPRECEDENTED CAMPAIGN TO PROTECT OUR SITES, SCHOOLS, AND MEMBERS, AND ENSURE THE FUTURE OF FREE FLIGHT
Letter from USHPA leadership

Fellow pilots,
These are extraordinary times. The future of free flight in our country is at risk, and we must make bold and unprecedented moves to protect it. For most of us, flying is more than a sport --- it is a passion and a lifestyle. It has given us our greatest memories, our wildest adventures, our best stories, and our closest friends. We’re asking you today to consider all that free flight means to you, and to consider your role in contributing to our future through the Free Flight Forever Campaign --- a critical initiative.
The insurance landscape changed in recent years, with increased premiums and an August notification that all of our schools and instructors will no longer be insured. We expect that in March we will see a huge increase in premiums and the loss of all coverage for commercial instruction for both individual instructors and flying sites. Many of our sites, our schools, and our members depend on this protection. The loss of insurance would devastate free flight in North America.
USHPA leadership has been working hard to find a solution. We’ve explored other carriers, other extreme sports associations, and other countries’ solutions to find the best way forward. On October 22nd, Mark Forbes sent an email to all USHPA members, outlining our plan to form a self-insurance pool called a Risk Retention Group (RRG). Many members responded. Most responses were positive and all with good questions. This challenge also presents an upside. With self-insurance comes better control, better insurance for tow operations, and a long-term ability to reduce premiums. See the attached info sheet and more comprehensive FAQ’s here: ushpa.org/freeflightforever.
To fund the RRG we must raise $2 Million. USHPA is contributing all available assets, including the sale of USHPA headquarters and moving to a bimonthly magazine. We’ve received major contributions from schools nationwide and the Foundation for Free Flight. We are still left with a deficit of $930,000, which must be
raised by March 1st to launch the RRG before our current insurance expires. We need to raise this capital amount just once, to start up the RRG.
To ensure the future of free flight we must raise $930,000 by March 1st. An anonymous donor has pledged $100,000 to complete the campaign once $830,000 has been raised. Please send your tax deductible donation today! $830,000 is a big number, and it is an unprecedented ask of USHPA’s membership. If our entire membership contributes, we know we can achieve this. We will need to pursue gifts ranging from $100 to $25,000 and up. What is free flight worth to you personally? Consider this as you decide what amount you’re able to contribute. If you’re able, consider giving on behalf of those who can’t afford it. Every tax deductible donation helps to keep the future of free flight alive.
You can visit ushpa.org/freeflightforever to give online, or return the enclosed card with a check or credit card number. We will regularly update the website with current information and fundraising totals, so check back often. We must act boldly and move quickly. Please consider what you, your local club, or other connections might do to support this critical endeavor. It will truly take each one of us to ensure our collective future of flight. Together, we can do this!
Sincerely,
Martin Palmaz
Executive Director
Paul Murdoch
USHPA President

FAQs

This is a complex situation with information evolving daily. USHPA leadership has undergone extensive research and received an overwhelming amount of support and questions from members, most of it positive. To ensure you’re as informed as possible, we’ve set up a substantial Information Center and FAQ section of our website, which we’ll keep updated with the latest information.

You can also read the Info Sheet Insert from the December magazine.
Map of at-risk sites


USHPA currently insures approximately 200 sites.

Without site insurance, many of these flying sites could be lost!

WHICH SITES ARE AT RISK?

Membership Dues

This situation affects the entire membership. We notified members via email on October 22nd of a possible dues increase. We received an influx of questions and comments, most positive. The board did not take this lightly. The discussions among the board were virtually identical to those comments from the general membership. Some were very sensitive to any dues increase. Others wanted much greater increases to prepare for the uncertainties we’ll face in the transition. Sadly, there was no choice. We need to increase our dues to cover the insurance premium increase and ensure the future of free flight in North America.

The updated dues schedule can be found here, effective immediately.
Donate Now
$1,070,000 Raised So Far -- Donate Now
If we are going to successfully preserve free flight in our country, it will require investment from all of us. USHPA is contributing all available assets, including the sale
 of USHPA headquarters and moving to a bimonthly magazine. We’ve received major contributions from schools nationwide and the Foundation for Free Flight. We are still left with a deficit of $930,000, which must be raised by March 1st to launch the RRG before our current insurance expires. We need to raise this capital amount just once, to start up the RRG. Every dollar helps, and we ask you to consider giving as generously as you are able. We will need donations ranging from $10--- $10,000 and beyond. An anonymous donor has issued our membership a challenge grant, pledging $100,000 to complete the campaign once $830,000 has been raised.
We know that this is an unprecedented initiative and a major ask of our members. We also know that free flight will not continue as we know it in North America if we don’t all take ownership of this challenge. We are committed to navigating this situation with humility, excellence, and leadership, and to keeping you apprised every step of the way. In the short term, we will be sending a weekly update to inform you about our latest progress.
---------
Followed by a list of threatened sites:

ALASKA
Alyeska
Baldy
Glen Alps
Hatcher Pass
Mt. Roberts
ARIZONA
A-Mountain
Ak Chin Airport
Apache Maid
Box Canyon
Cottonwood Airport
Echo Cliffs
Humboldt Mountain
Miller Canyon
Mingus Mountain
Mount Lemmon
Mt. Eldon
Oatman Mountain
Shaw Butte
South Mountain
Whetstone Mountains
ARKANSAS
Mt. Magazine
Nebo
CALIFORNIA
Bacchi Ranch
Bidwell Park
Big Black
Blue Rock
Crestline
Cronan Park
Dunlap Sky Park
East Beach
Ed Levin Park
Elings Park
Fillmore Hills
Fort Funston
Goat Rock
Horse Canyon
Kagel Mountain
La Cumbre Peak
Laguna
Lake McClure
Little Black
Marina State Beach
Mariposa Airport
Mission Ridge
Montana de Oro
Mori Point
Mount Diablo
Mount Saint Helena
Mount Tamalpais
Mt. Bullion
Oat Mountain
Palomar
Parma Park
Sagebrush
Soboba
St John Mountain
Sugar Loaf Mountain
The Stables
The Whaleback
Tollhouse
Waddell Creek
Windy Hill
Yosemite
COLORADO
Bellyache Ridge
Copper Mountain
Crested Butte
Lookout (Mt. Zion)
Pearl Property
Red Mountain
Ruthies
Skinny
Storm Peak
Telluride Ski Resort
Walshes
Wonderland Lake
CONNECTICUT
Talcott
GEORGIA
Bell Mountain
Pigeon Mountain
HAWAII
Kahana Bay
Kealakekua
Makapuu
Mount Haleakala
IDAHO
King Mountain
Mt. Baldy
Palisades Reservoir
Sky Ridge
KENTUCKY
Hisle Field
MARYLAND
High Rock
Pulpit Rock
MASSACHUSETTS
Mt. Tom
Plymouth
Tanner-Hiller
MICHIGAN
Green Point
MONTANA
Ellis
Mount Sentinel
Story Hills
NEVADA
Goodsprings
NEW HAMPSHIRE
Mt. Washington
NEW MEXICO
Blue Springs
Dry Canyon
Guadalupes
La Luz
Sandia Crest
Sandia Peak
Sod Farm
NEW YORK
Bristol
Dansville
Draht Hill
Ellenville
Genesee Airport
Hammondsport
Harriet Hollister
Italy Valley
Labrador
Mossy Bank Park
Mount Utsayantha
Mt. Brace
Padgham Hill
Randall Airport
Whiteface Mountain
NORTH CAROLINA
Blue Ridge
Cotton Gin
Currituck Airport
OHIO
Edgewater
Richmondale
WesMar
OKLAHOMA
Buffalo Mountain
Heavener
Little Yancy
PG Point
OREGON
Peterson Butte
Pine Mountain
Sunset Beach
Woodrat Mountain
PENNSYLVANIA
501 (Bethel)
Bill's Hill
Blue Mountain
Elisabethville
Fisher Road
Hyner View
Kennedy
Kirkridge
Little Gap
Quakertown Field
Sacramento
Templeton
TENNESSEE
Chilhowee Mountain
Henson Gap
Whitwell
TEXAS
Wharton Airport
UTAH
Commadore
Cove Mountain
Grandeur Peak
Inspo
Monroe Peak
Mt. Edna
Mt. Olympus
Point of the Mountain
The V
West Mountain
Yuba Lake Tow Site
VERMONT
Burke Mountain
Mt. Ascutney
Sugarbush
West Rutland
VIRGINIA
Daniel's Launch
Dickey's Ridge
Eagle Rock
Edith's Gap
Hogback
Massanutten Peak
Millers Head
Raven's Roost
Woodstock
WASHINGTON
Area 151
Baldy Butte
Blanchard Mountain
Chelan Butte
Dog Mountain
Eagle Butte
Saddle Mountain
Tiger Mountain
WEST VIRGINIA
High Point
WYOMING
Grand Targhee Resort
Rendevous Bowl
Sandturn
Snow King
------------
If anyone has been following me over these past years, they've heard me say many times that paragliding will bring down hang gliding.
This is how it happens.
The self-insurance scheme won't work with a dangerous sport.
There are too many big lawsuits in the pipeline.
There is no way to save USHPA.
The only way to save hang gliding is to be hang glider pilots with a hang gliding organization.
No paragliders.
Shoulder your own liability.
No formal competitions.
No formal schools.
Training by peers.
No joyriding.
No insurance schemes or scams.
A man and his wing.
It worked the last time we tried.

The best way to invite a law suit is to have a pile of money sitting on the board room table unprotected. It is an attractive nuisance to a lawyer. Lawyers don’t waste their time unless they see a pay day. At least that is what they (the Lawyers) tell me.

The lesson of the Titanic is the same as in business, financial bulkheads, trusts, LLCs, subsidiaries owned by parent companies. When a particular financial compartment accumulates too great a liability, it gets flushed. Time to flush. Actually, past time to flush.

Best Scene in Titanic

Quote from the Movie Titanic:

Ismay: [Andrews enters room with crew behind him; he lays out architectural drawings on table, with Ismay behind him] Most unfortunate, captain!
Thomas Andrews: [perspiring and trembling] Water... fourteen feet above the keel in ten minutes. In the forepeak, in all three holds and in the boiler room six.
Ismay: When can we get underway, damnit!
Thomas Andrews: That's five compartments! She can stay afloat with the first four compartments breached, but not five!
[tersely to Smith]
Thomas Andrews: Not five. As she goes down by the head, the water will spill over the tops of the bulkheads at E deck from one to the next. Back and back. There's no stopping it.
Smith: The pumps... if we opened the doors...
Thomas Andrews: [interrupting] The pumps buy you time, but minutes only. From this moment, no matter what we do, Titanic will founder.
Ismay: [incredulously] But this ship can't sink!
Thomas Andrews: She's made of iron, sir! I assure you, she can... and she will. It is a mathematical certainty.
Smith: How much time?
Thomas Andrews: An hour... two at most.
Smith: And how many aboard, Mr. Murdoch?
1st Officer William Murdoch: 2,200 souls on board, sir.
Smith: [turning to Ismay] Well, I believe you may get your headlines, Mr. Ismay.

We need to raise this capital amount just once

    It was dishonest to say the membership hike and donations went toward a one-time payment because if you fail to maintain the minimum pile of cash for the fund, it gets decertified. There's some stories of RRGs that failed because of substantial payouts.
    So think ahead. Any big lawsuits on the horizon that haven't been settled yet? For instance, any little children killed while joyriding with USHPA-certified instructors as the USHPA BOD looked the other way? Any chance of a sympathetic jury? No, I mean for USHPA. No? Uh, oh. Any award has to be added to the RRG minimum. Where does that money have to come from? And how does the lawyer get paid? What has he charged so far? Oh, my... Good thing they had towing insurance. Isn't it? It doesn't? Oh, my... I hope they don't drag the Foundation for Free Flight down with them. They gave how much? Oh, my...

F F FFF $$$ PDMC-PG
U$HpA Suicide
====================

FFF? Not the way to support the freedom of recreational hang gliding, Forbes!
==================
The F FFF $ plead missed the core: > recreational hang gliding in US founded on recreational immunity by non-charging and non-inviting premise managers/owners. U.S. needs its citizens to recreate, else the spirit and strength of America declines and the economy suffers. Stay focused on self-responsible recreation without mixing in all the commercial/insurance/pots-of-money. Let commercial operations and non-recreation sport-event flows support themselves. Have recreation hang gliding focus on the needs of recreational hang gliding. Let the PDMC-PG flow "Darwinize" with Forbes' FFF$ turmoil. Recreational hang gliding does not depend on compromises with commercial interests. Recreational hang gliding should not support PDMC-PG, but a full swarming separation from the U$hPa should now be made; do not support the Forbes' FFF. Consider rather standing creatively confident in the worth of recreation in the U.S. and the equities involved for its citizens. Recreation does not depend on Forbes' $$ plan to bolster paragliding commercial operations and commercial towing operations. The deep call and robust recreational sector is more than enough for one organization to protect, promote, and serve; consider the U.S. Hawks for the future of recreational hang gliding in the United States. The first international organization Self-Soar Association had no insurance and tens of thousands of Otto members were flying around the world just fine alongside hikers, walkers, bird watchers, skipper, jumpers, sky observers, paper-airplane tossers, kite fliers, bicyclists, walkers. Recreational hang gliding will be having millions of launch and landing points while using the open airspaces that the F.A.A. leaves open and free for recreational hang gliding.

Recreation does not depend on Forbes' $$ plan to bolster paragliding commercial operations and commercial towing operations.

I was disappointed when, a few years back, I contacted the FFF with some ideas on how to save hang gliding and was told any efforts had to support paragliding as well. You can forget that group. With the attitude that dangerous parachuting is on equal footing with the flying of genuine "full-time" aircraft, all its resources will be sucked up by the USHPA's mad commercial paragliding schemes.

Hang gliding has been abandoned by the very organizations it formed. The only hope hang glider pilots have is to distance themselves from paragliding and form a national organization dedicated to recreational hang gliding.

We note that HG and PG competitions have evolved to the point that our competitors’ aims are now almost solely about speed, and this has insidiously led to what we consider to be dangerous developments in glider design, in both sports. The fact that paragliders are the slowest flying aircraft, yet modern competitions are all about seeing how fast they can go is something of a paradox. We also note that ours is one of the few remaining so called "dangerous sports" where death is a regular occurrence at top‐level events. It suggests that the time to act has arrived, because our present situation just cannot continue in the simple hope that no more will die.
-- European Hang Gliding & Paragliding Union – March 31, 2009

This kind of thing went over pretty well with insurers who read it, no doubt.
There must be a lot of geniuses in the hang gliding movement to have hitched their wagon to paragliding.
What was the advantage in tripling our problems eight-fold?
Those people should stay with the USHPA and go down with it.
The others need to act now and begin building an alternative that works.
A man and a wing.
No formal competitions.
We will have to give up some things to survive.
But among the things we will not have to give up are competing against nature or against each other, informally, for distance, speed and altitude.

I very much suspect that Paul Murdoch, President of the USHPA, is the same "pmurdoch" who has posted for years on Paragliding Forum under that moniker. Others will know. So, as he captains the good ship USHPA down the toilet, I think it is relevant to look back on the reaction of "pmurdoch" to some things I have said (and still say) about the inherent dangers posed by paragliding. His response will help USHPA hang glider pilots understand the mindset of their chosen ruling class and perhaps enlighten them as to how things have reached this sorry state against a backdrop of over 1,400 paragliding fatalities and truly countless serious injuries (which, believe me, have NOT gone unnoticed by insurance company actuaries).
    Within a few weeks of beginning my investigation of paragliding fatalities, my access was denied. However, a thread was initiated by the moderators under my name, entitled "Rick Masters on Flight Safety", to which I was unable to respond.

"Rick Masters on Flight Safety" -- August 2009
http://www.paraglidingforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=26621

Rick Masters: The risk inherent in paragliding is often referred to by paraglider pilots as a "risk vs. reward" judgment. That is, they will risk their lives, their future and the future of those who may depend upon them by choosing a deficient wing that can suddenly fail in turbulence - if the pleasure they receive leading up to that event is prejudged as substantial. Incredibly, this choice is made over robust footlaunch wings with airframes that exist, used, within the same price range as new paragliders. The excuse given in accepting this additional risk is that hang gliders "are not as convenient."
    Hang glider pilots also share a risk vs. reward judgement but their wings do not fail in the type of turbulence that fails paragliders. The risk that hang glider pilots face, flying in the same air and at approximately the same speeds as paraglider pilots, is almost inconsequential.
    This is never acknowledged by paraglider pilots. In their risk comparisons with hang gliders, paraglider pilots without exception will state that, because hang gliders can also fail in turbulence, it follows that the two types of aircraft are equivalent in risk. This is not true. It is, in fact, a lie.
    Paragliding itself possesses, by far, the greatest inherent risk in popular aviation sports. This is due to the Paragliding Dead Man's Curve - the PDMC - that illustrates why a paraglider must travel through a zone of no-recourse twice on every flight. Unlike the helicopter, which has a genuine option to always avoid its own Dead Man's Curve, the paraglider is completely unable to avoid the PDMC. It must fly through the PDMC at least twice - on takeoff and landing - and the paraglider often spends a great deal of time within the PDMC while ridge soaring or seeking lift.
    If the airfoil fails within the the PDMC - that is, if a collapse cannot be recovered - the pilot will be killed or severely injured because within the PDMC the deployment of the reserve parachute is not an option. The majority of PDMC-related injuries, which is inarguable, are spine and leg injuries which can doom survivors to parapeligic futures. These types of injuries are not common in hang gliding accidents where the tensioned sail and airframe often absorb much of the impact energy.
    Paraglider accidents are, in fact, a massive step up in severity. This brings us to the fundamental difference between paragliders and all other types of aircraft - including helicopters. Paragliders present an added layer of risk to the pilot. This risk is directly related to the PDMC. It is the added risk accumulated from flying within the PDMC. This risk is additional to the risk inherent in all other types of sport aviation. It is also additional to to the risk inherent in flying paragliders above 366 feet - which represents the lower practical limit (4 seconds) of a successful reserve deployment.
    Therefore flying paragliders involves two layers of risk - the inherent risk of sport aviation plus the added risk from flying within the PDMC - compared to all other types of aviation, which involve only one.
    How large is this risk? Clearly, flight within the PDMC, even for a short period, is much more dangerous than flight above it. Therefore it is at least twice as dangerous and could easily be assumed to be 100 times or even 1000 times more dangerous. What is the actual significance of such risk when paragliders are commonly seen to experience safe flights? The answer is qualifiable - which adds an element of confusion to the issue.
    Paraglider pilots will point out that the vast majority of paraglider flights are done safely. They use these statistics to demonstrate that paragliding is a relatively safe sport. They will claim that only one accident occurs for every 1000 hours of flying.
    This is true. But what does this really mean? Paraglider pilots, almost without exception, learn to fly in smooth, laminar, turbulence-free air. This type of air is commonly found coming in from the ocean or lakes or smooth terrain, often in the morning or later in the evening. The numbers used to represent paragliding as a relatively safe sport are taken from these areas - where the majority of paragliding occurs.
    But the PDMC deals only with an instance of 4 seconds following collapse: the remaining 4 seconds of rapid descent (instigated by turbulence) where a reserve parachute deployment is not possible. These 4 seconds do not compare well to the three million, six hundred thousand incident-free seconds that make up the claimed 1000 hours in laminar air. These 4 seconds are significantly weighted in any discussion of paraglider safety. In fact, the 4 seconds are so significant and the 3,600,000 seconds are so insignificant that the 1000 hour claim is meaningless.
    Why? Because the pilot's life can be lost or forever changed in those 4 seconds. Those 4 seconds carry real weight. They mean something. You cannot compare 4 seconds spent floating peacefully around in the sky with the 4 second emergency that can end or forever change a pilot's life. Therefore the comparison is invalid.
    Risk involves the factor of accumulative time. Risk assessment assumes that over a period of time and under unchanging conditions, a singularity will occur between Point A and Point B. This type of analysis - static analysis - is accepted in general aviation, rail and ship travel, and automotive accidents. Actuary tables are built on static analysis.
    But in paragliding, static analysis is meaningless because the novice pilot will frequently progress in skill, experience, equipment choice and site choice to arrive at the new risk realm of inland thermal sites and their dramatically increased risk. The paraglider pilot will now begin to launch from inland mountains and fly in turbulent conditions. Sooner or later, turbulence will induce a partial or full collapse of the wing at altitude. Usually the pilot will recover from the collapse and throughout the remainder of his or her flying career will attribute his recovery to skill and training.
    Luck will not be a factor in the explanation. (This is denial.) But then, sooner or later, turbulence will induce a partial or full collapse near the PDMC. This will frighten the pilot, but again, the pilot will recover from the collapse and throughout the remainder of his flying career will attribute his recovery to skill and training. Here, luck may be acknowledged as a minor factor.
    The pilot's odds of encountering turbulence at takeoff, while ridge soaring within the PDMC or descending toward landing increase with the pilot's airtime. Paraglider pilots encountering a collapse during takeoff, low soaring or landing within the PDMC will not have time to deploy a reserve parachute and therefore must attempt to recover from the collapse before impact. This often fails, resulting in serious injury or death.

pmurdoch: This guy may very well be demented. He hasn't flown anything since what, 1978? He's never flown a PG. Yet here he is, repeatedly posting the same irrelevant material. His opinions aren't educated germane or based on facts. He is essentially the drunk, delusional guy on the street with tin foil on his head, a belt made of string and no shoe laces. He hands us a pamphlet explaining why President Obama and Osama Bin Laden are the same person. And most of our responses are to pick his illogical argument apart, based on logic. Shouldn't we just mumble no thanks, give him a dime and throw the pamphlet away?
-----

Irrelevant material? You USHPA hang gliding members have my sympathies. That's all.

RickMasters wrote:I very much suspect that Paul Murdoch, President of the USHPA, is the same "pmurdoch" who has posted for years on Paragliding Forum under that moniker. Others will know. So, as he captains the good ship USHPA down the toilet, I think it is relevant to look back on the reaction of "pmurdoch" to some things I have said (and still say) about the inherent dangers posed by paragliding. His response will help USHPA hang glider pilots understand the mindset of their chosen ruling class and perhaps enlighten them as to how things have reached this sorry state against a backdrop of over 1,400 paragliding fatalities and truly countless serious injuries (which, believe me, have NOT gone unnoticed by insurance company actuaries).
    Within a few weeks of beginning my investigation of paragliding fatalities, my access was denied. However, a thread was initiated by the moderators under my name, entitled "Rick Masters on Flight Safety", to which I was unable to respond.

That's the usual tactic (most recently exhibited by the Crestline Soaring Society against myself, Joe, and Phil). Just shut people up rather than addressing their concerns.

RickMasters wrote:pmurdoch: This guy may very well be demented. He hasn't flown anything since what, 1978? He's never flown a PG. Yet here he is, repeatedly posting the same irrelevant material. His opinions aren't educated germane or based on facts. He is essentially the drunk, delusional guy on the street with tin foil on his head, a belt made of string and no shoe laces. He hands us a pamphlet explaining why President Obama and Osama Bin Laden are the same person. And most of our responses are to pick his illogical argument apart, based on logic. Shouldn't we just mumble no thanks, give him a dime and throw the pamphlet away?

That's another common tactic - name calling and smearing. They prefer to slander someone than actually address their concerns.

So now they've lost their insurance and they're going around pan-handling to the members to try to build up another pot of money that they'll lose in short order.

There's a reason that USHPA has become uninsurable by those who know that business. USHPA is hoping that the members who contribute ... aren't that smart. They're doing their best to be sure that no one mentions this, and that's why they're calling on the "insiders" to silence anyone who questions their scheme.

USHPA caused this problem by shooting the messengers who pointed out the problems. Have they given any indication that anything has changed?

As a founder of what is now the USHPA, and still hold member #7, I won't constantly post about how disappointed I am about what has become of the organization (I was always against opening it up to paragliders). However, I have a real concern about ending my membership and how that action will impact my ability to fly in places like Dockweiler. Then there is always the possibility that my wife will open up to my flying some other sites, since when I got back in at age 80 I promised her that I would only fly Dockweiler, and of course I'm considering Cape Kiwanda in '17.

It's time for me to renew my USHPA membership and here I sit on the fence. I won't entertain opinions from anybody who doesn't fly anymore because USHPA membership isn't a physical factor for them. This is a practical matter of great importance to me, weighing the ideological choice of continuing my support of a failing management organization, against the practical choice of wanting to continue with my re-entrance into hang gliding.

Frank Colver

Hi Frank,

I encourage all pilots to support both organizations if they can afford it. Others can vouch for the fact that I've given that advice to them for the following reasons:

    1. From a practical standpoint, many pilots just plain need USHPA insurance to fly the sites they fly.

    2. From a strategic standpoint, members can petition USHPA to do a better job for hang gliding.

    3. If you hold USHPA #7, don't let it go!!!

With regard to number (2), we should be asking USHPA what kind of RRG they are forming. Will their RRG allow USHawks pilots to be insured under that policy? If so, then that makes a bigger pie for everyone. That's a question that members deserve to have answered.