The USHPA pays something like $8,000 - $10,000 to belong to the
NAA. The National Aeronautic
Association is the US's national aerosport organization and is a member of the
FAI. The FAI is the world governing body for
air sports and aeronautical world records.
CIVL is the
Commission Internationale de Vol Libre, the Hang Gliding and Paragliding
Commission of the FAI. CIVL oversees several activities related to these sports
including competitions and world records.

I am not exactly sure why the USHPA pays fees to NAA or what it buys us. I've
heard lots of stories, but none of them are told by disinterested parties. I and
others have looked at this long and hard and argued about this for years and
still it is no clearer.

I am given to understand that CIVL doesn't get any money from the USHPA from the
$10,000 paid to the NAA. CIVL gets a little money from the competition hang
glider pilots when they fly in a CIVL sanctioned (Category 2) competition in the
US (like the 2009 Big Spring Nationals). In return it performs the job, using a
volunteer, of calculating the WPRS points that come from that meet.

The World Championships are funded by the competition pilots that enter them and
by the sponsors that the meet organizers can rally to their cause (in 2007 at
Big Spring, Texas, it was the city of Big Spring). CIVL volunteers are provided
with semi-generous expense accounts to attend the World Championships (again
paid for by the competition pilots and meet sponsors), but they aren't paid for
their time there. No money for the Worlds comes from the USHPA.

The Foundation for Free Flight collects money donated by pilots (USHPA members)
who designate their donations to pay for entry fees for pilots to the Worlds.
Competition pilots can raise funds for their costs of going to the Worlds and
ask their fellow pilots, friends, and organizations to support them.

The USHPA does not provide any funds for the US National team.

So, does the $10,000 or so dollars that the USHPA pays in NAA fees have anything
to do with the fact that we are allowed by FAI/CIVL to send a team to the World
Championships? Maybe. I sure don't know and don't know who could give us an
honest answer. Would there be a US National team eligible to fly in the Worlds
without these fees being paid? Who knows?