- Sun Feb 24, 2019 10:45 am
#406598
Even if additional training is justified, requiring them to be pilots is not necessary. The worst part is that for a tech to tow both hanggliders and paragliders they would need to be BOTH H2 and P2. This is beyond foolish as integrating hanggliding and paragliding towing is of increasing importance to better use available towing resources. Even if you were able to get tow operators to get a H2 or P2 which I think is already too onerous, making them get both is *completely unacceptable*. Even if I agreed with you in principal, the fact is that right now the growth of the sport in flat land areas depends on towing resources being available, that's the primary concern, not pushing safety to the highest theoretical degree.
We shouldn't need to find someone willing to learn to fly multiple aircraft to drive a truck. I am generally supportive of ushpa's aims, but this rule is foolish and is an attack on my airtime and the growth of hanggliding in particular. We want tow techs towing, not flying.
mgforbes wrote: ↑Sun Feb 24, 2019 4:46 amA disproportionate share of our insurance claim losses stemmed from towing accidents, particularly ground-based towing as opposed to aerotow.The question is if they were training related and if the change will have any impact on the rate of those claims per tow. I take it that it's mostly things like lost tow lines / drogues getting sucked into combines and things right? Reducing claims by reducing the ability for clubs to operate, or shoving them out of ushpa, is not an option.
Even if additional training is justified, requiring them to be pilots is not necessary. The worst part is that for a tech to tow both hanggliders and paragliders they would need to be BOTH H2 and P2. This is beyond foolish as integrating hanggliding and paragliding towing is of increasing importance to better use available towing resources. Even if you were able to get tow operators to get a H2 or P2 which I think is already too onerous, making them get both is *completely unacceptable*. Even if I agreed with you in principal, the fact is that right now the growth of the sport in flat land areas depends on towing resources being available, that's the primary concern, not pushing safety to the highest theoretical degree.
We shouldn't need to find someone willing to learn to fly multiple aircraft to drive a truck. I am generally supportive of ushpa's aims, but this rule is foolish and is an attack on my airtime and the growth of hanggliding in particular. We want tow techs towing, not flying.