DECISIONS (US)

wrote:

Bad Decision #2, The hang gliders came to us and wanted to join as a
division of the SSA. What did we say? No way------we don't wan't
anything to do with those uncertified things, why ther're nothing but
lawn chairs hung under bed sheets.

That was over 30 years ago, and I don't think it was a bad decision
then. Hang gliders were VERY different from sailplanes, with much lower
performance, not "getting close" like they are today. No way to hold
events together, really, and they don't care about airports and we do,
we can't use their winches or towplanes or instructors and vice versa,
and so on.

I suspect the personalities of the pilots were very different, too,
since the sport (back then) attracted people that were more
"adventuresome" and not so tolerant of official regulation as sailplane
pilots.

It was definitely a much more dangerous sport then, and that might
reflected unfavorably on the SSA.

What did the hang gliders do? They
formed their own association and I believe they have something like 4
times the membership we now enjoy (11,306)

According their website, they had about 10,000 members in 2002.


So, where are we now and what can we do? First off, solving our
problems doesn't have anything to do with moving the office. Secondly,
merging with EAA or AOPA won't solve a thing-------all that will do is
to insure the loss of our idenity.

I agree with this - this "solution" has come up several times over the
last 20 years, and this is the conclusion each time.


We must hang in there and tough it out. I contribute $100 bucks a year
to the coffers, partially because I know my life membership was sold
way too cheap. If we get to the point where we can no longer pay the
bills-----------we might consider asking the hang gliders if we could
become a division of the USHGA.

I think the two sports and pilots are closer now than then, so perhaps
more interaction would benefit both groups, but frankly, I don't even
know how much interaction there is now.

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Eric Greenwell
Washington State
USA