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Here's my post to that topic:
Rick Masters said that hang gliding isn't dying, it's being murdered.
I took a few hang gliding lessons in 1978, but I had too many other things competing for my resources (school, private pilot's licence, etc). But I promised myself I'd get back to it.
Fast forward to 2004. I went to Torrey Pines to follow through on my promise and found myself sitting at a table across from USHGA Region 3 Director David Jebb. It went something like this:
Bob: I'd like to get back into hang gliding.
Jebb: What do you do for a living?
Bob: I've got a degree in aeronautical engineering, but I mostly do software development.
Jebb: You know, all the professional people are getting into paragliding now.
As most of you know, I had to drive to Sylmar to find hang gliding instruction through Windsports.
In April of 2007 I joined with John Heiney and David Beardslee in founding the Torrey Hawks Hang Gliding Club. We became a USHPA Chapter in September of 2007. We continued as both a USHPA Chapter and a US Hawks Chapter until 2016 when USHPA refused to renew us in violation of their own rules. USHPA Region 3 Director Ken Andrews initially assured us that we would be renewed but then fell silent as higher ups called the shots.
Rick Masters was right. Hang gliding isn't dying, it's being murdered.
Thanks Rick.
