Why I fly HGs

Please tell what happened and how it might have been avoided. Names should be ommitted. This forum should help others learn from mistakes that caused or nearly caused a mishap.
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gregangsten
Posts: 502
Joined: Thu Jun 02, 2005 11:22 am
Location: Westchester

Why I fly HGs

Post by gregangsten »

http://www.nbclosangeles.com/news/local ... 12761.html

Some more discussion can be found on the Crestline forum.

Boy, I think if every PG student watched this before starting, the numbers for HG vs. PG beginners would be reversed.
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Bob Kuczewski
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Joined: Mon Jul 06, 2009 10:39 am
Location: San Diego
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Post by Bob Kuczewski »

Rick Masters said that hang gliding isn't dying, it's being murdered.

I took a few hang gliding lessons in 1978, but I had too many other things competing for my resources (school, private pilot's licence, etc). But I promised myself I'd get back to it.

Fast forward to 2004. I went to Torrey Pines to follow through on my promise and found myself sitting at a table across from USHGA Region 3 Director David Jebb. It went something like this:

Bob: I'd like to get back into hang gliding.

Jebb: What do you do for a living?

Bob: I've got a degree in aeronautical engineering, but I mostly do software development.

Jebb: You know, all the professional people are getting into paragliding now.

As most of you know, I had to drive to Sylmar to find hang gliding instruction through Windsports.

In April of 2007 I joined with John Heiney and David Beardslee in founding the Torrey Hawks Hang Gliding Club. We became a USHPA Chapter in September of 2007. We continued as both a USHPA Chapter and a US Hawks Chapter until 2016 when USHPA refused to renew us in violation of their own rules. USHPA Region 3 Director Ken Andrews initially assured us that we would be renewed but then fell silent as higher ups called the shots.

Rick Masters was right. Hang gliding isn't dying, it's being murdered.
Join a National Hang Gliding Organization: US Hawks at ushawks.org
View my rating at: USHGRS
Every human at every point in history has an opportunity to choose courage over cowardice. Look around and you'll find that opportunity in your own time.
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