This is the USHPA Sanction Agreement, which is a legal document that all meet organizers are required to sign.

This is what says:

Applicant understands the safety standards set forth in the most current USHPA Sanctioning and Competition Rulebooks are to be regarded as bare minimum general safety requirements...

Let me quote once again from the USHPA Competition Rulebook:

6. 7. Task Cancellation and Stopping a task Meet Organizers are required to have a system to notify pilots of task cancellation or task stoppage prior to the completion of the task because of weather or other safety considerations that the pilots cannot avoid. If the task is cancelled the round will not be scored. Meet Directors may stop a task if they feel that to continue the task would be unsafe. (See Section 6.3L)

What do the local rules say about stopping a task at the King Mountain co-Nationals:

1. If weather is obviously dangerous on any given day then the task will be canceled prior to launch.

2. Launch may be closed at any time if dangerous conditions develop on or around launch.

3. If dangerous weather develops on course, each pilot is responsible for observing, recognizing and avoiding (when possible) flying in dangerous weather.

* It is the pilot's responsibility to fly safely and terminate the flight as dictated by changing and/or dangerous conditions.

* Due to the vast area and terrain over which this competition extends, it is impossible for the meet director to observe or recognize most of the weather related conditions that may develop over the course of a day. It is also virtually impossible for the meet director to communicate weather conditions to pilots due to the lack of dependable radio and cell phone communications across the vast area and terrain.

* Pilots who encounter dangerous weather developments are encouraged to radio that information to their drivers and ask their drivers to attempt to communicate that information to the meet director when and if their drivers happen to have cell phone connectivity.

4. Upon receipt of a report of dangerous weather, the meet director will broadcast that report on the official meet frequencies. Pilots may attempt to monitor the official meet frequency for reports. Pilots should note, however, that due to the vast area and the terrain, these broadcasts will not reach all areas of the course and therefore will not be available to pilots for much of the course. Pilots are reminded that pilots are responsible to observe and recognize dangerous weather/flying conditions. It is the pilot's responsibility to fly safely and terminate the flight as dictated by changing and/or dangerous conditions.

5. Pilots will be required to sign an acknowledgment of these rules and a release, waiver and assumption of risks related to all risks involved in the competition, including those related to weather and reports of dangerous weather or lack thereof. 6. Pilots who knowingly fly into unsafe conditions or who violate FAR 103 will be disqualified at the discretion of the meet director.

As I said previous, in other words, the meet director or safety director is not responsible for stopping the task, as is the case in all other USHPA and CIVL sanctioned competitions if unsafe conditions occur on the course, and that the total responsible lies with the pilot to avoid unsafe conditions.

The local rules for the King Mountain co-Nationals did not meet the requirements of the USHPA Sanction Agreement that the meet organizer and USHPA President and USHPA Executive Director signed.