Thought this was interesting...

[BigBird]

thought I'd share. I didn't see S C Wise in the Hawks membership roster but he seems like he'd make a good member here

[Bob Kuczewski]

Great screen capture BigBird!!!!

This gives you a little insight into how insecure Davis Straub is about the US Hawks.

S.C. Wise ("Wingspan" in other contexts ... and Member #2 of the US Hawks!!) was making a very reasonable request to simply allow me to read what is on the Oz Forum. Davis is so insecure that he won't even allow that.

That's why we need a forum and an association like the US Hawks. Our goal as an association is to have a forum that belongs to the members. That's what USHPA should have, but they're afraid of the members having the ability to publicly ask questions of their leaders, and that's why USHPA doesn't have a forum to this day. Instead, the USHPA Directors go to a "safe zone" like the Oz Forum where Davis protects them from anyone who dares question them. Davis scratches USHPA's back and USHPA scratches his back in return. It's a very cozy deal.

Let's not forget that I was banned from the Oz Forum because I dared to ask reasonable questions of a Regional Director candidate supported by the USHPA insiders. In February of 2010, the Torrey PG crowd had found a somewhat feeble-minded Bill Helliwell to dupe into running in the Region 3 recall election. Helliwell refused to post on hanggliding.org because he would be challenged there. But Davis gave him safe haven in the Oz Forum.

Forums are certainly a perfect setting for a debate, so I posted a few simple questions to Helliwell (like where does he stand on open voting by the USHPA Board, and how would he balance the Torrey Pines Soaring Council in his region). Davis began actually removing my posts so it appeared as if those questions had never been asked of Bill Helliwell, and Helliwell continued to chit-chat on the forum about meaningless nonesense like who liked the movie "Avatar". Davis was doing the bidding of the USHPA insiders, and I suspect that's why he locked down his forum ... to give Mark Forbes and the others a safe place to post without being challenged by anyone who actually knows the right questions to ask.

[Merlin]

This gives you a little insight into how insecure Davis Straub is about the US Hawks.

Indeed. I'm surprised he bothers with his forum at all at this point. A common failing of old men - they hold on too tight and destroy what they're trying to preserve.

[Bob Kuczewski]

A common failing of old men - they hold on too tight and destroy what they're trying to preserve.

Very good observation Merlin. You're an astute observer of the human race!!

[Rick Masters]

When he pulled the site from public view, it became just a bunch of sycophants stroking each other in the dark.

[Bob Kuczewski]

When he pulled the site from public view, it became just a bunch of sycophants stroking each other in the dark.

Ugh. That's not a pretty picture.   

[BigBird]

OK, that explains why I came up empty checking the Hawk membership!!

I though it was a reasonable request also. Then again nothing surprises me in our sport anymore - it seems the common bond that once united us all, is lost in some sort of popularity/superiority contest.

S.C. Wise ("Wingspan" in other contexts ... and Member #2 of the US Hawks!!) was making a very reasonable request to simply allow me to read what is on the Oz Forum. Davis is so insecure that he won't even allow that.

[BigBird]

SOB!!!! These forums need a 'like' button!!! I just checked out the last page (10) of the BK video log thread over at OZland - GD, Wingspan is kicking some serious a** with his posts/responses!!! I'd be clicking the 'like' button left and right if one was available. That was some refreshing reading!!!

[Bob Kuczewski]

SOB!!!! These forums need a 'like' button!!!

That's one of the many things we can add to this forum as it grows. So far we've been fairly small, so I haven't invested my time in figuring out those "frills". But as we continue to grow (and gain more help) I'm hoping we can continue to improve the functionality of this site.

I just checked out the last page (10) of the BK video log thread over at OZland - GD, Wingspan is kicking some serious a** with his posts/responses!!! I'd be clicking the 'like' button left and right if one was available. That was some refreshing reading!!!

Wingspan is US Hawks member #2.    He was the former Chairman of the Hang Gliding Association of America's "Transition Team" and a long-time member of both hanggliding.org and the Oz Forum. He knows a lot more about the history of these organizations than almost anyone on the planet.

We've got some pretty smart people on this forum ... I think you'll fit right in.