[Bob Kuczewski]

Toward the end of July and early August of 2010, the HGAA had begun fracturing and Jack Axaopoulos locked down the entire HGAA forum. He only allowed very limited posting and only according to his rules. For this reason, other avenues of communication were sought. Some members of the HGAA Transition Team posted on hanggliding.org, others on the Oz Report, and still others opened their own forums and email groups. This topic lists posts from the Yahoo Group at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HGAofAmerica which is listed (at the time of this writing) as: "HGAofAmerica · HGAusa and HGAA formation".

The following posts record this branch of the US Hawks history...

Note: In late 2014 I changed each post to reflect the person who originally sent each message.

[HGAofAmericaOwner]

From: HGAofAmerica-owner
Date: Wed Aug 4, 2010 10:30 pm
---
Welcome to HangGlidingAssociationOfAmerica

open discussion group. You may help form THE association of hang gliding members in America.

Use the tools of this group. Links. Files. Photos. Polls. Database.

Fulfill the Yahoo Terms of Service for you posts; moderation is needed for public forums.

http://HangGlidingTrainingManual.com

[HGAofAmericaOwner]

From: HGAofAmerica-owner@yahoogroups.com
Date: Wed Aug 4, 2010 11:00 pm
Subject: What could be downside points of third-party insurance in HG?
---
What could be downside points
of third-party insurance
in hang gliding?

""Liability cover purchased by an insured (the first party) from an insurer (the second party) for protection against the claims of another (the third) party. The first party is responsible for its own damages or losses whether caused by itself or the third party.""

[HGAofAmericaOwner]

From: HGAofAmerica-owner@yahoogroups.com
Date: Wed Aug 4, 2010 11:04 pm
Subject: Options for pilot-rating systems?
---
This thread invites descriptions of optional hang gliding pilot-rating
systems. Invited are pros and cons on talking points of each presented
design.

[JoeF]

From: "Joe Faust"
Date: Thu Aug 5, 2010 5:42 pm
Subject: HGTM
---
All the world's hang gliding community are welcome to post in this thread sentences or more that are intended to go to the world-free and open Hang Gliding Training Manual.

What have you to say to those learning aspects of hang gliding? For the newbie and for the growing master?

[JoeF]

From: "Joe Faust"
Date: Thu Aug 5, 2010 7:40 pm
Subject: Niche hang gliding activity and related clubs
---
There are easily over a hundred ways to participate in the world of hang gliding.

This thread invites descriptions of niche hang gliding activites and groups or clubs with such activity in focus.

What is your favorite niche hang gliding activity.

Tell us about it.

Link groups focusing on the activity.

Has a club formed yet around the activity?

Then a dedicated thread could be formed on each activity.

Use the Files section to develop link trees to grow an activity.

To start: http://www.hgausa.com/nicheHGA.html

[HGAofAmericaOwner]

From: HGAofAmerica-owner@yahoogroups.com
Date: Thu Aug 5, 2010 6:20 pm
Subject: What do YOU want in a national hang gliding organization?
---
Describe and discuss what you want in a national hang gliding organization?

This thread will stay open for all.

[Free]

From: "freeushga"
Date: Fri Aug 6, 2010 2:23 pm
Subject: Re: What do YOU want in a national hang gliding organization?
---
Instructor, Tom Galvin, makes good points on this subject at the other group that routinely throws out founding members.

==============================Quote start:
Re: Hope
by TomGalvin » Fri Aug 06, 2010 2:26 am

I would ask that the HGAA focus on growing and supporting the sport of hang gliding, not just by duplicating programs at the USHPA, but rather supplementing them. What does the USHPA do poorly? What is the low hanging fruit? How can you energize the pilot population today, in a program that will grow organically, naturally, among hang glider pilots? Something that you can start now, without incorporation, bylaws, byzantine voting schemes, or a perfect chain of command. How can you share the joy of this sport? TomGalvin

Posts: 1
Joined: Fri Aug 06, 2010 2:07 am
=====================================End quote.

Tom's suggestions happen to coincide with ideas I've tried to forward over the years, and that is to support/subsidize instructors in making it as painless as possible for new students. This idea has been rejected and censored by a lot of people for some time now because of the 'what's in it for me' factor and other issues. Pilots can be such a selfish lot.. but maybe not so much worse than the general populace? At least not all of them... I'm a dreamer..

Anyway the idea/goal was free or subsidized infrastructure and support to deserving instructors that aren't able to scrape up the coins needed to accomplish what they could be doing, given the opportunity.

A few years ago I had a 160-acre private ex-municipal airport lined up that was now a skydiving operation. There was plenty room to share and they were open to new business. I had a tug and time to donate, and there was no real instruction for hundreds of miles. The idea was squashed at many levels. Now I wonder if it's too late..

The day is getting late and I need to get some work done, so later..
Free USHGA

[JoeF]

From: "Joe Faust"
Date: Sat Aug 7, 2010 12:00 am
Subject: Mascot
---
Lifting:

Bermuda Petrel (Pterodroma cahow) Thought extinct, it surfaced again. Legendary extinct bird was not extinct!

Possible mascot for members of HGAA.

http://www.hanggliding.org/wiki/Cahow

http://www.oceanwanderers.com/BermudaPet.html

[HGAofAmericaOwner]

From: HGAofAmerica-owner@yahoogroups.com
Date: Sat Aug 7, 2010 4:02 pm
Subject: Skid Hang Gliding
---
There are landing circumstances where landing with skids would be just great!

And some may aim to specialize in "Skid Hang Gliding" or "Skidding." SHG

Skid designing is invited. One direction is the primary-glider direction. Another direction is the Faust-TCF-skid design that prevent sthe feet of the TCF from ground gouging on downwind downslope landings; special harness fronts can be involved in variations of skidding techniques. Not wheels, as they have too narrow of interface with some ground textures. Broad-faced sleds and skids!

The thread invites on-topic comment.
Think: ski, sled, skid .... over rocks and brush.