[Bob Kuczewski]

UShPA's Big Lie

When USHGA was including the sport of paragliding, it was claimed that paragliding would not hurt hang gliding. That was a lie. Let me give just one (painful) example from my own site ... Torrey Pines.

In the late 1970's (before paragliding existed as a sport), the Torrey Pines Soaring Council consisted of 3 sports with 2 representatives per sport for a total of 6. There were 2 hang gliding representatives, 2 sailplane representatives, and 2 RC (Remote Control sailplane) representatives. In those days the 2 hang gliding representatives were ALWAYS hang gliding representatives.

Then came paragliding. USHGA became USHPA and the local San Diego Club became the SDHGPA. The two Soaring Council seats that were once dedicated to HANG GLIDING became HG/PG seats, and in 2007, BOTH of those seats were 100% paragliding leaving the Soaring Council with ZERO active hang gliding representatives. Remember the "lie"?

Over the past 7 years the sport of hang gliding has had to wrestle with both USHPA and the SDHGPA to get ANY representation on that Council. At the current time (January 2014) there are again ZERO active hang gliding pilots on the Torrey Pines Soaring Council. Remember the "lie"?

The RC pilots currently have 3 Soaring Council representatives (yes, they managed to ADD one since the 70's). Their RC representatives are ALWAYS RC representatives. They're not RC representatives one month and sailplane representatives the next. They're ALWAYS 3 DEDICATED RC representatives. The same is true of the sailplane clubs. They ALWAYS have 2 DEDICATED sailplane representatives. But the HG/PG balance waxes and wanes based on the ebbs and flows of both local and national politics. This is unacceptable.

In the spring of 2010 (back when I was a USHPA Director), I introduced a motion which directed USHPA's representative to the Soaring Council to "work" to increase our representation so that our combined sports (hang gliding and paragliding) would at least have the same representation as the RC clubs. The USHPA Board narrowly passed that resolution, but no substantial action has been taken in the 4 years since that passage. This is also unacceptable.

Back in 2007, the Torrey Hawks Hang Gliding Club was formed to ensure fair treatment and fair representation for the sport of hang gliding. In September of 2007, the Torrey Hawks filed a written application to the Soaring Council in accordance with the Council's bylaws. That application has NEVER been approved, and the 7 member Soaring Council remains unbalanced and with ZERO active hang gliding pilots ... to this day. Remember the "lie"?

I am calling on Rich Hass to give the Soaring Council an ultimatum: Either the Soaring Council votes to approve adding the Torrey Hawks or USHPA will leave the Council.

Rich, we've had 4 years of Ken Baier being "nice" to the Council, and the Council has walked all over him (and all over YOUshPa). Four years should be long enough to justify getting "tough" with the Council.

Finally, I'll point out that USHPA SOP 06-01.02 lists what it calls "Chapter Benefits". Among those benefits is an item that states: "Additional leverage in lobbying efforts". The Torrey Hawks has been a USHPA Chapter since September of 2007, and we are still waiting for those benefits. It's time to apply some "leverage" to balance that Council.

Rich Hass, step up for hang gliding at Torrey Pines.

Bob Kuczewski
H4/P4
858-204-7499
bob@ushawks.org

[soar8hours]

I hate politics.
And I especially hate hang glider / paraglider politics.
We had local HG club bull crap politics at Sauratown Mountain in Stokes Co, NC in the early '80's too.
That's when I said enough, went down the ridge & purchased a home & built my own site in 1986
Fast foward the clock and the lcoal HG club is gone, they lost their $200 a year lease.
Then their LZ owner died & the family sold the farm.
Current owners have a horse barn & pasture in the old LZ now.
Bottom line, I sold my home there in 1996, made boo coo $$$$ and kept a lifetime right to fly there!
I do not maintain the site or pay any taxes. Just fly.
It could have not worked out any better

That's my story and I am sticking to it.

Tommy

[Bob Kuczewski]

I hate politics.
And I especially hate hang glider / paraglider politics.
   :
That's when I said enough, went down the ridge & purchased a home & built my own site in 1986
   :
That's my story and I am sticking to it.

I love that story Tommy. I wish my great grandparents had purchased that cliff at Torrey Pines back in the 1800's. They probably could have gotten it for a song ... except they were still in Poland and Italy.

But you've done it RIGHT Tommy, and my hat is tipped to your foresight.

[Bill Cummings]

UShPA's Big Lie

When USHGA was including the sport of paragliding, it was claimed that paragliding would not hurt hang gliding. That was a lie. Let me give just one (painful) example from my own site ... Torrey Pines.

In the late 1970's (before paragliding existed as a sport), the Torrey Pines Soaring Council consisted of 3 sports with 2 representatives per sport for a total of 6. There were 2 hang gliding representatives, 2 sailplane representatives, and 2 RC (Remote Control sailplane) representatives. In those days the 2 hang gliding representatives were ALWAYS hang gliding representatives.

Then came paragliding. USHGA became USHPA and the local San Diego Club became the SDHGPA. The two Soaring Council seats that were once dedicated to HANG GLIDING became HG/PG seats, and in 2007, BOTH of those seats were 100% paragliding leaving the Soaring Council with ZERO active hang gliding representatives. Remember the "lie"?

Over the past 7 years the sport of hang gliding has had to wrestle with both USHPA and the SDHGPA to get ANY representation on that Council. At the current time (January 2014) there are again ZERO active hang gliding pilots on the Torrey Pines Soaring Council. Remember the "lie"?

The RC pilots currently have 3 Soaring Council representatives (yes, they managed to ADD one since the 70's). Their RC representatives are ALWAYS RC representatives. They're not RC representatives one month and sailplane representatives the next. They're ALWAYS 3 DEDICATED RC representatives. The same is true of the sailplane clubs. They ALWAYS have 2 DEDICATED sailplane representatives. But the HG/PG balance waxes and wanes based on the ebbs and flows of both local and national politics. This is unacceptable.

In the spring of 2010 (back when I was a USHPA Director), I introduced a motion which directed USHPA's representative to the Soaring Council to "work" to increase our representation so that our combined sports (hang gliding and paragliding) would at least have the same representation as the RC clubs. The USHPA Board narrowly passed that resolution, but no substantial action has been taken in the 4 years since that passage. This is also unacceptable.

Back in 2007, the Torrey Hawks Hang Gliding Club was formed to ensure fair treatment and fair representation for the sport of hang gliding. In September of 2007, the Torrey Hawks filed a written application to the Soaring Council in accordance with the Council's bylaws. That application has NEVER been approved, and the 7 member Soaring Council remains unbalanced and with ZERO active hang gliding pilots ... to this day. Remember the "lie"?

I am calling on Rich Hass to give the Soaring Council an ultimatum: Either the Soaring Council votes to approve adding the Torrey Hawks or USHPA will leave the Council.

Rich, we've had 4 years of Ken Baier being "nice" to the Council, and the Council has walked all over him (and all over YOUshPa). Four years should be long enough to justify getting "tough" with the Council.

Finally, I'll point out that USHPA SOP 06-01.02 lists what it calls "Chapter Benefits". Among those benefits is an item that states: "Additional leverage in lobbying efforts". The Torrey Hawks has been a USHPA Chapter since September of 2007, and we are still waiting for those benefits. It's time to apply some "leverage" to balance that Council.

Rich Hass, step up for hang gliding at Torrey Pines.

Bob Kuczewski
H4/P4
858-204-7499
bob@ushawks.org

Here is a BUMP to make it easier for BR and GH to find out that HG is getting the short end of the stick at Torrey. To research this information they of course will have to move their fingers to different keyboard keys. If their fingers cramp up I hear that tonic water with Quinine in it is good for cramps (and restless legs.)

[Bob Kuczewski]

I sent the letter from my first post (above) to USHPA on January 21st, 2014. It was mailed to Nick Greece <nick.greece@ushpa.aero> and Richard Hass <richhass@comcast.net> with my request to have it published in the USHPA newsletter (magazine). Rich Hass was President of USHPA at that time, and Nick Greece was the magazine guy. Here's the entire message as it was sent:

Hello Rich, Nick, and others,

This is my submission for publication in the USHPA newsletter (aka USHPA Magazine). I would like it published as soon as possible since it is a timely issue. Please call if you have any questions or issues.

Thanks in advance,

Bob Kuczewski
858-204-7499


===================================
Copyright Bob Kuczewski 2014

Permission is granted to USHPA to publish this in its entirety as long as the text remains unaltered (other than changing the line breaks for appropriate "flow").
===================================

UShPA's Big Lie

When USHGA was including the sport of paragliding, it was claimed that paragliding would not hurt hang gliding. That was a lie. Let me give just one (painful) example from my own site ... Torrey Pines.

In the late 1970's (before paragliding existed as a sport), the Torrey Pines Soaring Council consisted of 3 sports with 2 representatives per sport for a total of 6. There were 2 hang gliding representatives, 2 sailplane representatives, and 2 RC (Remote Control sailplane) representatives. In those days the 2 hang gliding representatives were ALWAYS hang gliding representatives.

Then came paragliding. USHGA became USHPA and the local San Diego Club became the SDHGPA. The two Soaring Council seats that were once dedicated to HANG GLIDING became HG/PG seats, and in 2007, BOTH of those seats were 100% paragliding leaving the Soaring Council with ZERO active hang gliding representatives. Remember the "lie"?

Over the past 7 years the sport of hang gliding has had to wrestle with both USHPA and the SDHGPA to get ANY representation on that Council. At the current time (January 2014) there are again ZERO active hang gliding pilots on the Torrey Pines Soaring Council. Remember the "lie"?

The RC pilots currently have 3 Soaring Council representatives (yes, they managed to ADD one since the 70's). Their RC representatives are ALWAYS RC representatives. They're not RC representatives one month and sailplane representatives the next. They're ALWAYS 3 DEDICATED RC representatives. The same is true of the sailplane clubs. They ALWAYS have 2 DEDICATED sailplane representatives. But the HG/PG balance waxes and wanes based on the ebbs and flows of both local and national politics. This is unacceptable.

In the spring of 2010 (back when I was a USHPA Director), I introduced a motion which directed USHPA's representative to the Soaring Council to "work" to increase our representation so that our combined sports (hang gliding and paragliding) would at least have the same representation as the RC clubs. The USHPA Board narrowly passed that resolution, but no substantial action has been taken in the 4 years since that passage. This is also unacceptable.

Back in 2007, the Torrey Hawks Hang Gliding Club was formed to ensure fair treatment and fair representation for the sport of hang gliding. In September of 2007, the Torrey Hawks filed a written application to the Soaring Council in accordance with the Council's bylaws. That application has NEVER been approved, and the 7 member Soaring Council remains unbalanced and with ZERO active hang gliding pilots ... to this day. Remember the "lie"?

I am calling on Rich Hass to give the Soaring Council an ultimatum: Either the Soaring Council votes to approve adding the Torrey Hawks or USHPA will leave the Council.

Rich, we've had 4 years of Ken Baier being "nice" to the Council, and the Council has walked all over him (and all over YOUshPa). Four years should be long enough to justify getting "tough" with the Council.

Finally, I'll point out that USHPA SOP 06-01.02 lists what it calls "Chapter Benefits". Among those benefits is an item that states: "Additional leverage in lobbying efforts". The Torrey Hawks has been a USHPA Chapter since September of 2007, and we are still waiting for those benefits. It's time to apply some "leverage" to balance that Council.

Rich Hass, step up for hang gliding at Torrey Pines.

Bob Kuczewski
H4/P4
858-204-7499
bob@ushawks.org

That was back in January of 2014 - long before my expert witness testimony in the Shannon Hamby case. That was also long before USHPA used my unjustified arrests as grounds for expulsion. But USHPA would not publish my letter in their magazine. USHPA claims that their magazine enables communication between USHPA members, but the truth is very different. USHPA's magazine is nothing more than USHPA's propaganda tool. It only prints what the USHPA insiders want to see printed.

[Craig Muhonen]

.....

PG's were "invited guests" at our H3 and H4 take off sites, back in the day.
They said, "we're hanging and we can fly", That's where the Big Lie started (1989?) and PG's co-opting HG. Flying was good until a certain point was reached where there were just too many PG's in the air to make it fun anymore, then add to that the fatality rate of these things. it was crazy,
even from this roadie's point of view.
Some Hang Gliders started PG'ing just because they were lonely.
The only thing in my mind that's going to snap them to reality, is what Rick Masters did/is trying to do, with some hilarious cartoons and videos on US Hawks and other places. These people need to be "ridiculed and roasted" like that again
only this time, full on published. Give something that HuG can hang on to and organize around.
how quickly we forget how brilliant and funny those posts from awhile back were/are, and reminding us how "Deadly" serious it is.
it could be said that "how dare" a mother letting their kids choose the wrong wing, then pay for their rescue and funeral,
when all they really had to do was, buy a hang glider. ha..

.