[Bob Kuczewski]

https://forum.hanggliding.org/viewtopic ... 6&p=413824

USHPA/RRRG KILLING SMALL CLUBS IN THE USA

Thu Nov 14, 2024 11:32 am

First we had RRRG micro-managing our flying sites and websites. It was onerous jumping through the hoops needed to satisfy their demands, but other than the time-factor involved, it wasn't that much of an impediment to our club's flying activities. Then they increased the annual costs of insuring the flying sites to the point where we could barely keep the club afloat even after we doubled the yearly dues and received a small subsidy from USHPA. Now they've decided that all clubs must become non-profit corporations. This new requirement becomes effective in 2026 and is apparently the result of a New England club's legal battle with a landowner who decided to sue each of the club's 37 members individually after some type of a dispute. USHPA's contention is that had the club been a non-profit corporation, they would have only had to defend one entity instead of 37. Be that as it may, the cost and hassle of being forced to incorporate will likely put a nail in the coffin of many small clubs like ours (less than 10 members of whom only a handful are still actively flying).

I previously had a discussion with the former USHPA ED about the inequity of a small club with an out-of-the-way site that only sees a couple dozen flights a year paying the same rate for insurance as a large club with a highly-visible, publicly-accessible, site that sees hundreds of flights a year. One has a much higher liability exposure. That's the reason people that live in urban areas tend to pay higher auto liability premiums than those who lives in rural areas, but I guess when you're the only game in town, you can make and change the rules as you fit.

There are certainly advantages to being incorporated as a non-profit organization, especially for those groups that are large enough to absorb the additional expense and extra logistics involved, but to have it forced upon us when we're already barely getting by is just a bridge too far, at least for me.

JR

Fri Nov 15, 2024 2:33 pm

I agree.
For many years I flew at a privately-owned site. The owner maintained the launch and the LZ. Yearly fees were $75 for many years, then $100 last year, and now this year they're $150. However, the owner didn't require u$hpa membership or any of their shenanigans. 
I didn't re-up this past year with his $50-hike in dues, nor did I pay u$hpa. The owner of the site has indicated that only one or two hang gliders have flown there this year, and only a few paragliders. Hmmm. Seems he priced himself right out of the local market. For me, with a 1.25 hr trip one way and hang-waiting much of the day, it just didn't seem doable anymore with only a possibility of a sled-ride with the decent soaring conditions usually not aligned with my weekends. 

My flphg rig requires more prep-work compared to free-flight, but it offers far more opportunities for flying since launch sites are plentiful in my area and more types of weather conditions are better tolerated.
In my opinion, ushp has aligned with paragliders and has left HG behind. I love free-flying HG, but for now flphg is my only viable option unless I decide to spend a full weekend away from my family and other endeavors, which I am not so inclined to do anymore.

Thu Jan 02, 2025 11:18 am

This is why I suggested regionalizing the insurance so as to cover many multiple clubs in a given area... I was ignored.

Thu Jan 02, 2025 4:56 pm

Are you sure incorporating as a non profit will create "cost and hassle" and "additional expense" and "extra logistics" ? Yeah for sure it will require some extra effort, but how much expense? The whole thing may not be as bad as you fear. At least look into it before giving up and losing a site.

I've been told it's pretty simple and straight forward here in my state (CA). 

Of course I may be signing a different tune after I start the process for my USHPA chapter !

Someone should let them know about the U.S. Hawks and our support of both local chapters and recreational land use statutes.