D. Randy Leggett, RRRG Customer Service Officer, <<randy.leggett>>
writes:

I had been unaware of your railing against the work we have been
doing to keep everyone interested insured and drive down the number of
accident/incident events.

Your Oz Report comments that we have done nothing to help the small instructors
is misleading at best and just a plain lie at worst.

Just what I personally have been involved with (and I am certainly not the only
one involved):

1) Developed and implemented a Foundation For Free Flight Grant system for a
$500 award for anyone successfully completing PASA certification to offset
initial costs.

2) Reduced the cost of SBSF PASA dues 18% between 2016 and 2017.

3) Increased the number of flight schools with risk and safety management plans
and commercial liability insurance operating in the US from (9) 2014 to 66 in
2018.

4) Kept open approximately 250 hang gliding sites nationwide that would have
closed without landowners insurance.

5) Developed a one on one outreach to every instructor nationwide who wanted to
continue teaching to guide them through the insurance program.

Virtually every school we insure has experienced steady growth over the last
three years except for two of the largest hang gliding operations. Many small
hang gliding operations have experienced year over year increases.

Striving to improve professionalism, safety and long term viability has been the
concerted effort of all three (USHPA, Foundation for Free Flight, RRRG).

Railing that Risk Management is at the epicenter of hang gliding's decline and
that the volunteers and staff aren’t doing enough is a sad excuse,
counterproductive and just plain wrong.

The small hang gliding schools that you lost refused to do 10 hours of homework
and invest less than $1000 to continue to grow in a professional environment.
Instead they quit. And that’s our fault? While none of them accept
responsibility for injuries and fatalities that precipitated the loss of
their25+ year run of virtually free liability insurance.

Wills Wing should have championed our efforts and set an example by partnering
with us to improve the programs and the sport. Helping each and every small hang
gliding school develop. Instead you rail against our efforts.

Steven Pearson <<Steve>>
responds:

I’m sorry you feel that way, but it’s clear from your tone that
you’ve entirely mis-characterized my comments.

1) Unconditionally great

2) Unconditionally great

3) I’ve seen nothing but a sharp decline in the number of hang gliding
instructors and new hang gliding students since the new programs. I would have
no complaints if the number are up. I’d appreciate if you can share the data
that supports your contention that these programs and administration are
consistent with supporting and growing our community.

4) Great, but keeping sites open is totally independent of increased costs,
bureaucracy and overbearing administration. I don’t seen any increase in safety
as a result of these policies and in fact I can point out several example of how
excessive focus on risk mitigation has compromised safety. A glaring example is
the accident reporting system that was discontinued for years and is now
neutered. Very few programs rise to the level of advancing safety in aviation
communities as effectively as accident reporting. This was a fundamental program
at the USHGA for years initially administered by RV Wills, an attorney and
father of Chris and Bobby.

Ironically, the biggest threat to our local flying site was an aerobatic event
promoted by the USHPA over our strong objections that resulted in a fatality and
almost setting the National Forest on fire. I still remember the shock in the
face of a mother after watching someone die in front of her—meanwhile the next
round continued. I’ve got lots of other examples but I don’t want to belabor the
point.

5)Your contributions have been very helpful and I’ve used your volunteer efforts
as an example of the best intentions of efforts of USHPA staff and volunteers.

You said, “Virtually every school we insure has experienced steady growth over
the last 3 years except for two of the largest hang gliding operations. Many
small hang gliding operations have experienced year over year increases.”. I’m
hard pressed to think of more than one or two hang gliding flights schools whose
business is up since the new insurance was implemented. What am I missing? Where
is your information coming from? If I have to distill it down to 2 points (1)
hang gliding is participation is sharply down since the new insurance rules (2)
safety is not up.

You said, ”Instead you rail against our efforts.” Please read all of what I
wrote before you rush to judgment. While I appreciate and respect your position,
I think it’s fair to say that the overwhelming response to my comments has been
positive with you, Steve and Alan dissenting.

I’m not trying to pick a fight. I somewhat reluctantly shared an email that I
sent to Bruce (to be shared with the USHPA) with Davis. This followed several
other emails, a trip to CO where we listened to the USPA executive director
share how they turned around our sister sport skydiving from the same magnitude
of crisis, several phone calls with you, a meeting with Alan, and many-many
conversation with dealers about their common concerns—all acknowledging problems
but without any corrective action. Almost none of this is addressed by your
comments.

I’ve been flying hang gliding for 46 years and working 3000 hours or more per
year at WW for 42 years so I’m looking at this from a comprehensive outside
perspective—not to say I’m right, only that what I’m saying represents many in
our community and deserves an audience.

How many at the USHPA who as contributed as much WW in terms of USHPA meetings
attended, USHPA programs authored, trips to DC for ARAC on behalf of the USHPA,
promoting and facilitating the merger of the APA and USHGA, conducting the first
(and free) paraglider SIV course in the US, free dealer seminars, parachute
repacking clinics, instructor clinics, administration of the HGMA, numerous
magazine articles like “how do we get a handle on this safety thing”, and
countless other community support activities. I think we deserve a little slack
for our contributions.

Maybe you’re not aware that the roots of PASA at KHK is from Rob Kells, John
Harris and others working to develop a professional dealer association. Finally,
I’ve identified the failures of manufacturers (me - Wills Wing) as more at fault
for the long-term decline of hang gliding by failing to address the fundamental
issues of hang gliding than the USHPA. I don’t expect you to fix hang gliding. I
don’t expect the USHPA and PASA solve safety issue. I do hope for an objective
accounting of the impact on the insurance program in hang gliding activities and
growth. In my dreams, I would hope that the USHPA would invest and incentivize
growth as we do with product development at WW.

Two of the examples I shared were Paul Voight and Zac. Paul, as you know is
probably the most experienced pilot and instructor on the board aside from Matt.
Why is it so out of bounds for me to suggest that the head of safety and
training and the tandem committee should be able to conduct am instructor clinic
at our local site?

I know all the work-arounds, like having Andy hire Zac, the only west-coast
tandem administrator, for a weekend so he can participate in a clinic to train
other instructors. How is this advancing safety?

How are the event fees that are now applicable whenever we want to designate a
day for a barbeque and fly-in helping? How about the vague restrictions about me
conducting a free clinic to improve pilot skills and safety without an event
fee?

My email to you yesterday was to help address and diffuse a high degree of anger
from a local instructor who said that Tim required him to pay for an additional
site (3 in total) to use our local landing area. As I said to you, there are at
least 6 take-offs that I routinely use at Crestline and it’s crazy that would
require me designating 4 addition sites as a small school application.

I can retire and walk away, and that’s what I’ll do if your comments represent
the consensus of our community and USHPA leadership. If so, I truly hope you are
right.