http://corinnaflies.blogspot.de/

Carsten Friedrichs <<carsten.friedrichs>>
writes:

I am a German pilot who has been denied the opportunity to compete
in the German Open with my Wills Wing T2C 144 (HGMA certified). As it is written
in the local rules you need an "Airworthy glider with valid type test
(airworthiness certificate) and single conformity inspection, ...". Since my
glider is HGMA certified I went to the competition and signed in. In the evening
I had a discussion with Dieter Münchmeyer (Competition Director) who claimed
that the T2C 144 does not have any certification. I told him to check at the
HGMA website. He talked to Christof Kratzner and Charlie Jöst and decided not to
accept my participation in the competition. They found out that they had not
been very clear with the wording of the local rules. In the German version of
the they wrote: "Flugsportgerät mit in Deutschland gültiger Musterprüfung (z.B.
Gütesiegel) und Stückprüfung, ...". This means: "Hang glider with a
certification valid in Germany (for example Gütesiegel) and single conformity
inspection, ...". The only certification valid in Germany is the DHV Gütesiegel.
The actual reason denying my participation was, that Dieter was afraid about a
protest from a participant. So the next day I had to sign out and at least got
my money back. Even foreign pilots need a glider with the DHV certification.

This is crazy. The DHV organizes an international competition and applies local
rules. If every country would do so, than in the USA you could only participate
in a competition with an HGMA certification. And the DHV has a conflict of
interest. They do the DHV certification (Gütesiegel) - earning money - and than
they organize a competition where you can only fly gliders certified by the DHV.

With the background of a decline of hang gliding this is the wrong sign from the
DHV. It is an association of pilots that should support the pilots and the
sport. Instead they do the opposite. The DHV puts its own interest over the
interest of the pilots. Times and conditions change but the DHV is not able to
change. In their monarchic style they just continue as they did the last 30
years. Austria and Switzerland recognized the HGMA certification. So why don't
we do the same in Germany?

I like my glider, trust the HGMA certification and will continue to fly it, but
may not participate again in a competition organized by the DHV.