Back in September I started working with all the hang gliding meet
organizers to be sure that they got in all their sanction applications to the
USHPA Competition Committee in time for the Fall BOD meeting. This was a big
problem last year due to conflicts between some of the competition meet
organizers and the Competition Committee Chairman. And, in addition, a major
point is that these meet organizers are not rich and getting rich off the meets
and they were very reluctant to get in their $250 - $500 bonds, and sanction
fees. So they just wouldn't put in their applications, gumming up the whole
works.

This makes it very difficult for pilots because they don't get the early word on
when the meets will happen, if they will happen, and don't have an idea of where
to go register. Many pilots have to set aside vacation time six months or more
in advance, so we need to have these meets sanctioned early.

Right now I am hearing from some of them that the money requirements for the
bond and sanction fee is just a huge barrier (and a new potential meet organizer
complained bitterly about that to me this evening). I have repeatedly passed
along these concerns to the USHPA. So far we haven't got the bond levels or
sanction fees reduced. More on this later.

All five US hang gliding competitions and all four US paragliding competitions
(two major, and two minor) were sanctioned. In addition, it appears that there
will be a PWC meet in the US this year. It is great to have this wide assortment
of US competitions available for US and foreign pilots.

There was one date change for the hang gliding meets. The first meet of the
year, the 2nd Annual Rob Kells Memorial will start on April 17th (one day
earlier) and end on the 23rd (one day earlier) to allow for one rest day before
the Flytec Race and Rally begins.

You can find out more here: http://ozreport.com/uscompetitiondates.php

There appear to be many date changes for the paraglider meets and they had to do
some work to get the applications up to snuff. I'll see what I can do about
getting the latest information.