The USHPA BOD and committees are a bureaucracy, basically divorced
from reality by their structure. What passes for acceptable comment and action
is nothing that you would find in everyday life. Let's look at one example:

This is the new look of competition at the USHPA. It was passed Thursday night
at the BOD meeting:

Motion to reorganize effective immediately USHPA’s competition
framework into 3 parallel divisions of Sanctioned Competitions for (1)
Aerobatics, (2) Open Distance, and (3) Race-to-Goal, each with their own ranking
systems, national teams, rules unique to their respective race formats, and
championship and qualifying meets. And, to create a 4th new division for
Accredited Competitions and Events (ACE) of any format not meeting the criteria
of the aforementioned 3 divisions.

Motion to direct the Competition Committee to organize a Symposium for
Competitions and Events as soon as practicable and not later than 4/30/10 as
said symposium is described in the Competition Work Group Presentation to
USHPA’s Board of Directors in its presentation of 11/12/09. And, to authorize up
to $500 per participant and $7,000 total for the reimbursement of reasonable
expenses of its participants associated with attending this symposium.

A couple of points. There is little to no demand for USHPA
involvement (other than providing monetary support) in aerobatic or "open
distance" competition. There are no pilots pounding down the door of the USHPA
asking for sanctioning for these types of competition. These "silos" and the
future competition "silo" are empty.

But that doesn't stop the USHPA from committing $7,000, more than the USHPA has
dedicated to supporting competition in over almost a decade, to pay for the
expenses of creating this empty set of silos. This year and last and the one
before that, and so on, the USHPA provided zero dollars for competition.
Competition was a profit center for them.

Now, instead of say giving $2,000 in prize money to the Chelan Cross Country
Classic (that would encourage folks to compete), or paying someone, say, $500 to
set up regional and national HOLC's, they are paying folks to get together to do
something that few, if anyone, cares about.

This is craziness.

Now, I supported the USHPA going to this program for one reason only, to get
them out of the business of trying to change our existing competition system. If
they want to do something really stupid, please let them do it to something I
care less about. If the bull is charging me I want to distract it.

Another bunch of USHPA members' money going down the rat hole. They sure
wouldn't want to waste that money on reimbursing me for their mistakes. You can
see their whole presentation here: http://bit.ly/3aZ4bQ.