On Sunday, September 6, 2015 at 2:37:19 PM UTC-4, Steve Koerner wrote:
Well B6, I suspect everyone who has posted here can afford all the beer they'd care to drink. The issue isn't priorities at all, the issue is being charged a fee for nothing -- no merchandise received, no services rendered.. Paying that sort of a tax is annoying regardless the amount. I know of pilots who would fly for records were it not for the current NAA advance payment rule. In case you're not aware, NAA also charges a very hefty fee for processing a claim; so its sort of like: we'll get you coming and going - have fun buddy.

This does need to change.

I pretty much came to the same conclusion. I maintained my NAA membership for a couple of years and even made one attempt (failed) at a national record during those years. Record conditions come along rarely here in the eastern US - even more rarely on weekends. The more I thought of it, the more I realized this was just a fee to feed the NAA pure and simple. Air and Space magazine is nice, but I barely have time to read any of the other half-dozen aviation subscriptions I get through memberships.

Most people hopefully realize that all of the real work related to soaring and the FAI is done by the SSA and SSA Volunteers. Our badge administrator receives and processes every badge and record claim, does all the work, and determines (along with the OO and supported in rare cases by a Badge and Record Committee) approval or denial. SSA members work with the FAI to try to maintain sanity in the Sporting Code and related rules. The only time the NAA really gets involved is when a claim is submitted to the FAI and for some minor administrative work to log National records.

I proposed a few years back that we simply move to a "homolgation fee" for each record actually submitted. While distasteful, it would mean that you only pay for a flight you actually make. IIRC, the NAA pushed back on that..

Erik Mann (P3)
Formerly Chair of SSA Badge/Record Committee