[Bob Kuczewski]

http://forum.hanggliding.org/viewtopic.php?t=35954

Hello my name is Darin Hecker from Southern Oregon Hang gliding. I have been with USHPA for 26 years. I’m a authorized flight instructor for Areo Sports Connection and a rated tandem pilot with a current exemption. I have been helping ACS design a pilot profishancy program to rate Hang glider pilots in the same manner as USHPA. We are being over run by bad leaders, bad social skills, bad judgement, that’s damaged our beloved hg sport. This has been practiced by the current USHPA leaders with no concern for the future of Hang Gliding. Not to mention the insurance scam running wild by ushpa’s leaders. If you haven’t herd about no insurance, at docweilers beach site in monta ray (now a waiver) then you should. We now have a program in place to compete with ushpa. If your interested and tired of funding all the bad ideas that ushpa pushes, then come on board. If you have ever been a instructor and have old credential’s, then we will honer them. If you need a tandem exemption we can provide it for $100. We will honer old ratings, and all special skills. Our program is less restrictive as well. Memberships with ratings is around $40. The ACS exemption is FAA authorized just like ushpa, we don’t charge excessive fees like ushpa. Anyone interested is recommended to contact areosprts.org, or you can contact me on my website directly for more info, so-hanggliding.com. My name is Darin. The hanggliding manufactures are aware of this also, there on board with excitement hoping to rekindle RD for hang gliders again. It’s time for us hang gliders to have our own home and voice again. We have a Hang glider pilot as the director of ACS to represent our soaring wings, we won’t loose site of our goal to promote Hang gliding once again. Are you interested? Do you believe USHPA is the authority of part 103? Or is it the FAA, that authorized our tandem exemption? The same exact exemption as USHPA has, we have also obtained for our members use with ASC membership.

[Bob Kuczewski]

TJW and JB chimed in:

I'm glad you spent the extra day to carefully craft your announcement. If you'd posted it yesterday, people might not have taken it seriously.

// "docweilers beach site in monta ray" //That's comedy gold right there (on several levels). I assume you'll be here all week?JB

[Bob Kuczewski]

There was some typical sniping with dshman replying:

Docweilers site is now a waiver site, no more USHPA insurance. Contact Gary jones dept of beaches and harbors. You can get your own waiver here. Beaches.lacounty.gov

Tomato tamoto the point is USHPA has problems with insurance. It’s no longer required at docweilers. You may want to check before you doubt the program that’s now in place. Tory pines is now operating without USHPA influence, big air hang gliding in San Fransisco is operations now without USHPA insurance. larry Jorgensen from dog mountain closed his doors, Tracy Tillman cloud 9 closed his doors, all this because of ushpas heavy handed bureaucracy. You must be stuck in that bubble boy.

[Bob Kuczewski]

USHPA Loyalist Tom Galvin jumped in:

Hang Gliding has been in a steady decline in the United States for decades. If the decline is to be reversed, the core problem must be addressed. 

More pilots are leaving the sport than are entering it.

With the average age of pilots in the US, that trend is only going to accelerate, unless there is concerted effort to attract, train, and retain new pilots. The landscape has changed drastically since the hang gliding boom times in the 70s & 80s. Either we adapt or die. Lawsuits are here to stay. Insurance is a reality for most sites. A new rating organization is rearranging deck chairs on the Titanic. The answer is not going to be a national campaign. To paraphrase Tip O'Neill.

"All hang gliding is local."

If your local pilots are not actively bringing up the next generation of pilots, then your local site's days are numbered.

Tom's been around long enough to know better. Tom stood by and watched USHPA protect the paragliding business at Torrey while throwing hang gliding under the bus.

The Torrey Hawks purchased site insurance for Torrey Pines but USHPA refused to issue the policy. The Torrey Hawks asked USHPA for help to save the hang gliding training hill at Torrey, but USHPA refused. That training hill is now a parking lot.

In 2015 USHPA expelleled one of hang gliding's strongest advocates. In 2016 USHPA refused to renew the only club supporting hang gliding at Torrey Pines.

Shame on you Tom Galvin for trying to sweep that all under the carpet.

Rick Masters was right. Hang gliding isn't dying. It's being murdered ... by USHPA.

[Rick Masters]

What was Tip O'neil's hang rating, again?    

Seriously, though, I am so encouraged to see this happening!
To see hang glider pilots waking up and realizing exactly what has gone wrong and now taking genuine steps to fix it.
My hat is off to Darin and ASC!    
This is going to spread like wildfire.
I foresee the new hang gliding paradigm as many separate clubs and commercial interests across the United States engaging in friendly competition between each other for new hang glider pilots, training programs - and expanding their flying sites by taking advantage of their state's recreational liability laws.
This competition between hang glider pilots for greater excellence in their sport will contrast starkly against the previous monopoly that has harmed hang gliding.
Those who recognize the superior experience hang gliding offers are tired of watching friends and acquaintences needlessly injured or sometimes killed by soaring parachutes, and they understand how paragliding has sucked the life out of the hang gliding side of the hybrid national organization.
They now realize that allowing parachutists to determine policy in a hang gliding organization was a big mistake.
But the fix is easy. It does not involve starting over from scratch.
The FAA and the state's recreational liability laws now provide the foundation for the resurgence of hang gliding.
Each club that abandons the USHPA to parachuting has a voice in this rebirth.
These clubs should invite neighboring clubs to their meetings to throw around ideas.
After a while, they might want to hold something like a constitutional convention.

[eagle]

Honor to those who are brave enough to speak the truth

GOLDEN SPIRIT.jpg (61.96 KiB) Viewed 6303 times

[magentabluesky]

Tom Gavin = Deflection

Deflect

Deflection Urban Dictionary

It is all Bob's fault.

LOL

[Rick Masters]

The tables turn.


        Tom Galvin finds Tim Herr's briefcase
        as the U$hPA Titanic goes down.

[magentabluesky]

Tim Herr's briefcase

[Rick Masters]

I suppose any curent USHPA member can tell me how much the USHPA pays for legal fees.
It's a club, right?
Any member should know, as they must vote to authorize the expenditure.
Right?    
Or have you been punked?    
Not being a member, I don't have a clue.