US Hawks Hang Gliding Association

You may know, I maintain a personal HG web page,

https://user.xmission.com/~red/

which is mostly for the benefit of the newer HG pilots. All are invited. Comments are welcome.

Lately I have added a new topic there, which I believe may be a path to a brighter future for our sport. I believe that contest flying sucks, producing far too many HG pilots who may go home seeing themselves as losers. I fly for FUN! For anybody flying with me, everybody is welcome to join in for the evening campfire, or a restaurant meal, after a great day of flying, good camaraderie,and maybe even a few personal bests. IMHO, all HG contests suck the air out of a room, and HG contest rules have stifled the advancement of HG for far too long. Since HG manufacturers want to do well in HG contests, every HG pilot is stuck with a glider that could enter the average HG competition, but with a "control" system that is laughable, and maybe even dangerous in some conditions (such as weightlessness).

Hoping to put a stop to this nonsense, and hoping to let HG advance beyond some silly, aged contest rules, there is a new addition to my wordy HG webpage:

https://user.xmission.com/~red/#gcs

All of that is just IMHO, and I welcome discussion of the current state of affairs in regard to this issue. Thanks.

Hi Red thanks for posting this. I agree on competition hang gliding.

In 1971 when I switched from R/C gliders to hang gliders I said to a number of people that as this new sport grew they would eventually start having competition events. I pledged to never fly in any competition events that developed in the sport, unless it was just a fun thing like spot landing on the $5 bill or the six pack to win it.

I did this because I had been a serious R/C glider competitor, for a number of year,s, and got completely burned out about competition, for a lot of the reasons you state.

Please keep posting on this forum,
Frank Colver

Red wrote:You may know, I maintain a personal HG web page,
https://user.xmission.com/~red/

It's a wealth of good information.   

Frank Colver wrote:... unless it was just a fun thing like spot landing on the $5 bill ...

The next time we're at Dockweiler ... I'm bringing a $5 bill.