USHGA-silly

[Richard Hays]

Well.....I was just informed that the USHGA cannot issue a recent rating I
gave to a student because I did not have the Foot Launch skill on my own
personal record. Therefore I could not issue a FL rating. And...I would have
to get MY FL rating before I could issue one. WHAT ???

Funny; my membership with the USHGA beginning in 1976 preceeds the advent of
towing as we know it today. I seem to recall the ONLY way we got airborne
back then was by foot launching. Additionally; my card shows the following
applicable FL related skills ( CL, AWCL, FSL ).

I tried explaining this to the person out there but.....they still needed
proof. Thanks goes out to Dennis Pagen for getting this stupid crap
straightend out. Jeeeez.

Unbelievable. Our membership $$$ hard at work. And they want to change the
name of the organization too. Yeah....right.


Richard ( The Geezer ) Hays

[Spark]

Well.....I was just informed that the USHGA cannot issue a recent rating I gave to a student because I did not have the Foot Launch skill on my own personal record. Therefore I could not issue a FL rating. And...I would have to get MY FL rating before I could issue one. WHAT ???

Funny; my membership with the USHGA beginning in 1976 preceeds the advent of towing as we know it today. I seem to recall the ONLY way we got airborne back then was by foot launching. Additionally; my card shows the following applicable FL related skills ( CL, AWCL, FSL ).

I tried explaining this to the person out there but.....they still needed
proof. Thanks goes out to Dennis Pagen for getting this stupid crap
straightend out. Jeeeez. Unbelievable. Our membership $$$ hard at work. And they want to change the name of the organization too. Yeah....right.

Richard ( The Geezer ) Hays

Everyone:

The name is not the only thing some of 'them' want to change. For those of you who may not know this, Some of the USHGA leadership wants to 'expand' our focus to add powered harnesses. I've pasted a message below that discusses a petition to address the issue of powered flight in the USHGA.

I have been a pilot of foot-launched unpowered aircraft for nearly 30 years and I am deeply saddened that some misguided individuals wish to change the name and the primary focus of our organization. I am dead-set against any change in our name, and any change in our primary purpose: Foot-launched, unpowered flight. I love to fly both paragliders and hang gliders ... I Hang and I Glide!

I encourage each of you to read the message below and consider carefully this opportunity to guide the future of this sport we love.

'Spark

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Roy Mahoney" <RMahoney@poteau.com>
Date: Tue, 8 Nov 2005 15:10:06 -0600
Subject: petition to save ushga's primary purpose

Your help is needed to keep your association focused on gliding
(...well, "gliding" is right there in the name, at least for the past
30 something years, maybe not in the future if things keep going
the way they are...)

A certain group of pilots are trying to steer USHGA toward a
change in its Articles of Incorporation that would put motorized
aircraft in the organization with unlimited access to USHGA's
resources.

The Coalition For Common Sense (CCS), a member based group
of pilots, formed about a year ago to work toward the goal of
incorporating powered harnesses used for self-launch for soaring
flights, as a secondary purpose of the organization.

At the last Board of Director's meeting in Rochester, the BOD
voted against our proposal in favor of the ad-hoc power committee's
proposal to change the Articles of Incorporation for full inclusion of
power in the primary purpose.

Our answer to that is a petition to force a vote on a ballot measure
that would keep the Articles of Incorporation unchanged, and to
re-instate the focus on gliding/soaring. Specifics can be read at the
following link, along with downloading the petition:

http://www.poteau.com/petition.htm

The bottom line is we need 500 signatures by November 25. Please
act now and help save the USHGA's primary purpose of supporting
foot-launchable gliding/soaring flight.

Thank you!

[rs54263]

So when are you actually going to learn how to foot-launch gliders?

~Ralph

================================================================
from: Richard Hays (11/08/2005 17:14)
================================================================

Well.....I was just informed that the USHGA cannot issue a recent rating I
gave to a student because I did not have the Foot Launch skill on my own
personal record. Therefore I could not issue a FL rating. And...I would
have
to get MY FL rating before I could issue one. WHAT ???

Funny; my membership with the USHGA beginning in 1976 preceeds the
advent of
towing as we know it today. I seem to recall the ONLY way we got airborne
back then was by foot launching. Additionally; my card shows the following
applicable FL related skills ( CL, AWCL, FSL ).

I tried explaining this to the person out there but.....they still needed
proof. Thanks goes out to Dennis Pagen for getting this stupid crap
straightend out. Jeeeez.

Unbelievable. Our membership $$$ hard at work. And they want to
change the
name of the organization too. Yeah....right.


Richard ( The Geezer ) Hays

[brianvh]

No, no, no....geez - how many times do I have to straighten you guys out? We are *hand* gliders. We clearly hand launch, and the name of the organization should reflect that. Trying to footlaunch these things would just look silly.

[mcelrah]

Ya gotta love it, Richard! What is your USHGA number, anyway? - Hugh

[Gene]

I think that Richard's membership number is in Roman numerals

I guess all of us (students) under Richard have to retest... Gene

[breezyk1d]

Think I'll start checking the cards on John M, Steve Wendt and Sunny - whoo hoo! Wouldn't it be fun to razz the jazz for once! -Linda

[jimrooney]

Obviously you rolled your glider down the hill on a launch dolly... where do you think the aerotow guys got those things anyway? At least now we get to reuse them!

Jim

[rancerupp]

Hugh, You can get it at http://www.ushga.org

What is your USHGA number, anyway? - Hugh

[Girl on High]

I am only hours away from getting cleared from the training hills. I will take my H2 test and then will prepare for my first FL (I am already studying the flight pattern). I am very excited and proud of my new hobby - one of my favorite jokes is "how can you tell a hang glider is in the room? They will tell you"....but I must say the USHGA and their "new direction" annoys the hell out of me and frankly, is a turn off. I wonder if they realize the impact "their" ideas is having on the new folks coming up?

[CraginS]

As of 11/10/05. here is what USHGA thinks they know about our esteemed MSHG owner:

Name: RICHARD HAYS
USHGA #: 22764
Exp Date: 5/31/2006

Division: HANG GLIDING
Pilot Rating: MASTER By: J. SIMS Date: 3/9/1987
Appointments: ADV INST,EXAM
Ratings and Special Skills:
AT FL
AWCL CL FSL RLF TUR X-C
===================
... H5 since 1987? Dang, Richard, you ARE a geezer!

cragin (#63851)

[quote="Richard Hays"]Well.....I was just informed that the USHGA cannot issue a recent rating I
gave to a student because I did not have the Foot Launch skill on my own
personal record. Therefore I could not issue a FL rating. And...I would have
to get MY FL rating before I could issue one. WHAT ???

Funny; my membership with the USHGA beginning in 1976 preceeds the advent of
towing as we know it today. I seem to recall the ONLY way we got airborne
back then was by foot launching. Additionally; my card shows the following
applicable FL related skills ( CL, AWCL, FSL ).

I tried explaining this to the person out there but.....they still needed
proof. Thanks goes out to Dennis Pagen for getting this stupid crap
straightend out. Jeeeez.

Unbelievable. Our membership $$$ hard at work. And they want to change the
name of the organization too. Yeah....right.


Richard ( The Geezer ) Hays[/quote]