- Mon Nov 30, 2015 8:52 am
#379291
"Rapidly rising costs" (you mention multiple times) : are you kidding? Are you still living in 1975? Whatever you do, don't go to the new Star Wars movie next month. You will choke at the price compared to the original. The rest of us will tell you all about it.
I've recently had to look into umbrella coverage and I can say first hand that this is a deal for a million bucks of coverage. Coverage by the way that protects the land owners who graciously let us use their land. With all the litigation in our country, it's more than appropriate for the landowners to protect themselves by having us carry a policy. I'm actually surprised we get away with only one million $ and not more.
Basically your "suggestions" are over $50 per year... that's adorable. Since you aren't a member, I'm having a difficult time understanding what your personal issue is. I don't know anyone who is leaving the sport over this. If you felt compelled to leave anything over $50/yr you probably have more important problems to attend to.
Suggesting a pay for site by club is short sited and unrealistic. Do you only pay for the roads you drive your car on? Why not? This would be a great way to lose a lot of sites. Again, you're just complaining over a cost, which really isn't out of line. Sure, out of line compared to 1975, but not in 2015.
If you want to make a realistic suggestion that can get traction, work with USHPA and bring your credentials and your suggestions directly to the source. While you are messing around doing that, the great majority of us will be gladly paying the $50/yr and spending our time flying with our friends. If you would like, we can tell you how great the flying is as well.
By the way, what are your credentials?
danmoser wrote:wsu-nicodemus wrote:So .. discussing constructive suggestions for trying to lower the cost of flying HGs is complaining?danmoser wrote:There are several ways to provide needed insurance to keep valuable flying sites open.Considering you haven't been a USHPA member since March, I'm assuming you are on one of your 'off again' times. Honestly, what are you complaining about when you aren't a current member and who knows when you will be? If you want to fly ultralights or hang glide at sites that don't require insurance, go for it (but please be able to take of any damage you are responsible for). For those of us who appreciate the landowners that let us use their property, this insurance is a very small price to pay for what we get in return.
USHPA could have supported liability insurance for individual flying sites, rather than charging the national pool of pilot members.
Flying sites that require insurance are typically controlled by local clubs, who could be charged with the responsibility of managing the insurance of that particular site themselves, and distributing insurance costs fairly among the pool of pilots who use that site.
This would have more fairly distributed insurance costs to those who need to be insured, but this was not the USHPA's decision.
Instead, USHPA decision-makers decided to dramatically raise dues on all member pilots to cover insurance costs, regardless of the insurance needs of each individual pilot.
It is not clear to what extent that the USHPA's BOD even considered other insurance options, or how much they considered various pilots' insurance needs.
I'm sure it was the most convenient for them to just raise the dues on everyone, and be done with it,
In contrast, the US Ultralight Association does not require insurance for its flying membership.
However, USUA does offer optional group liability insurance on a per-aircraft basis.
Other aviation groups operate in a similar way.
This might not be practical for HGs, but there are many other options.
As it stands, USHPA member pilots who fly at flying sites that do not require insurance are charged for insurance that they do not need, if they wish to remain dues-paying members of USHPA.
I assume USHPA arrived at their decision after estimating how many pilots would drop out of USHPA as a result of the latest dues increase, and figured it was worth the risk.
Did they make a bad decision? .. time will tell.
All of us are in risk pools that we don't feel like we directly benefit from, get use to it. Refer to NME's post.
OK .. feel free to call me a complainer, if that satisfies your ego somehow.
If you think that some pilots' deciding not to renew their USHPA membership is making hang gliding a better sport,
Or if you think that rapidly rising costs & regulations is somehow a good thing,
.. then go out and celebrate your victory.
.
"Rapidly rising costs" (you mention multiple times) : are you kidding? Are you still living in 1975? Whatever you do, don't go to the new Star Wars movie next month. You will choke at the price compared to the original. The rest of us will tell you all about it.
I've recently had to look into umbrella coverage and I can say first hand that this is a deal for a million bucks of coverage. Coverage by the way that protects the land owners who graciously let us use their land. With all the litigation in our country, it's more than appropriate for the landowners to protect themselves by having us carry a policy. I'm actually surprised we get away with only one million $ and not more.
Basically your "suggestions" are over $50 per year... that's adorable. Since you aren't a member, I'm having a difficult time understanding what your personal issue is. I don't know anyone who is leaving the sport over this. If you felt compelled to leave anything over $50/yr you probably have more important problems to attend to.
Suggesting a pay for site by club is short sited and unrealistic. Do you only pay for the roads you drive your car on? Why not? This would be a great way to lose a lot of sites. Again, you're just complaining over a cost, which really isn't out of line. Sure, out of line compared to 1975, but not in 2015.
If you want to make a realistic suggestion that can get traction, work with USHPA and bring your credentials and your suggestions directly to the source. While you are messing around doing that, the great majority of us will be gladly paying the $50/yr and spending our time flying with our friends. If you would like, we can tell you how great the flying is as well.
By the way, what are your credentials?