Flytec
Wills Wing

Oz Report

Volume 6, Number 256
10 am, Wednesday, December 11 2002

https://OzReport.com
"Toto, I have a feeling we're not in Kansas anymore."
Tue, Dec 10 2002, 2:00:01 pm EST

to Table of Contentsto next topic USHGA – we’re actually very sorry

Belinda Boulter|USHGA

Belinda Boulter|John "Ole" Olson|USHGA

Belinda Boulter|USHGA

Have you received a communication lately from the USHGA office in Colorado Springs?  Perhaps an e-mail communication related to your membership?  We’ve received a few lately here at the Straub and Boulter household, and frankly they haven’t made us too happy.

We complained to the USHGA office and to the USHGA director about the tone of the e-mail messages we’ve received and it looks like things are going to change.  So if you’ve been wondering what the problem was, and just blown off the message because it was too weird, here’s the story.

The USHGA sent the following e-mail (without my comments) to me on December 6th, 2002:

Dear USHGA Applicant:

The United States Hang Gliding Association, Inc.  is unable to process your application until each of the following criteria for membership are met: 1) Full paid annual membership dues are collected by the USHGA; 2) an approved membership application and original member signed release form are on file with the USHGA.

I wrote back: Huh, I'm on automatic renewal.

(editor’s notes: At first I didn’t know what they were taking about.  I hadn’t applied for anything, so I wasn’t no damn “applicant.” I hadn’t done anything.  Why were they writing to me at all?

Then I remembered that I was on automatic renewal and my USHGA membership was up at the end of December.  I also remembered that my wife Belinda had received the same USHGA e-mail message about a month ago as her membership is up in November.

Then I got mad.  They already had my credit card number.  The whole point of the automatic renewal system for me was to make it automatic, that was the promise.  The very big benefit to the USHGA was that they were sure to get my money on time and not have this one or two month gap before they got the money and thereby lose a little bit of money, and sometimes a member to boot.

Why was the USHGA sending out a dunning letter to me asking for the money when I had already given them carte blanche to take whatever they wanted?

Then I got furious.  I had already had troubles with the automatic renewal system the previous year when I responded to the USHGA request with an early sign up and this conflicted with the fact that I had already agreed to automatic renewal.

Then the USHGA screwed up the renewal dates.  I forgave them and we worked it all out last year and I was automatically renewed without further ado and without having to sign that damn waiver thing again.

Then I got even madder.  Now they were asking me for a new signed waiver.  Wait a minute.  What’s the point of signing up for automatic renewal if I have to do it manually anyway?  It looked like the USHGA wanted all the benefits (get the member’s money on time every month), but didn’t want to give the members any reward.

Screw them!)

If the applicant has not fulfilled these membership criteria, the USHGA will either return your paperwork and dues to you for correction, or if you joined or renewed online, the USHGA will hold your membership card until you provide a membership application and an original member signed release form to us.

I wrote back: You got that quite a while back.  Why are you bothering me about this?

(editor’s note: So what damn paperwork were they talking about?  I hadn’t sent them anything.  Hadn’t sent them any dues either and they sure weren’t going to get any for me at this rate.

They were basically throwing automatic renewal out the window.  You had to fill out the damn form all over again as well as sign the waiver again.  I had about had it.)

Failure to fulfill these requirements within 15 days will result in the delay of your magazine(s) delivery service and continued ineligibility for member insurance benefits.  You are not entitled to membership insurance until your membership application with original member signed release form has been accepted and processed by USHGA.

I wrote: I suggest that you tone down the language unless you wish to make your membership angry, and I will be quite happy to encourage them if this doesn't change ASAP.

(editor’s note: So now the USHGA starts to threaten and I return the threats.  Now I could care less about the magazine, as I don’t even get it here in Australia.  I could care less about the insurance, as I’m as HGFA member and insured here and won’t need USHGA insurance until I get back in a few months.  So they can stuff their 15 day requirement and stuff my USHGA card.

They have already stuffed their automatic renewal system and this is a very impolite way of saying so.

I spoke with Belinda about her experience with the USHGA on this issue.  She said that she wrote back a polite e-mail message after she received this message – more to come – stating that as she was in Australia and had only very sporadic and unpredictable access to the Internet that she wouldn’t be able to download the USHGA waiver form, and as she had no access to a printer that she wouldn’t be able to print it and sign it.

She asked that her membership card be held until she returned to the US in February when you could download the form and send it in to the USHGA.  Two weeks later without receiving an answer from the individual at the USHGA to her e-mail asking them to hold here card, she received an additional form e-mail message stating that she had not fulfilled…. And that she had 15 days….

Belinda then wrote to Jayne to indicate very politely – unlike me - that there was a problem in the communication inside the USHGA re this issue.

Belinda hasn’t flown in the US in three years.  Her membership is a family membership.  We only get one magazine.  She doesn’t need the insurance.  Her membership is basically a donation to the USHGA, and now they were hassling her about it. Unbelievable.)

Applicants May Visit the USHGA’s website to download and print the membership application and Release, Waiver and Assumption of Risk Agreement, to expedite the membership process.  These forms can be obtained from the following URL on the USHGA’s website: http://www.ushga.org/forms/newapp.pdf. Faxed waivers are not acceptable.  Please do not fax your membership application/release form to the USHGA.  Please mail your signed application and release form to the USHGA, PO Box 1330, Colorado Springs, CO 80901-1330. Please do not delay.  We apologize for this inconvenience.  The USHGA will soon implement a new membership application and release form that will need to be signed one time by the applicant in the future.  If you have already signed and sent your waiver in, please disregard this notice.

I wrote: Look “X”, I'm in Australia.  I don't have a printer.  I have my signature on-line and I can email you whatever forms you like with my signature, but your requests are ridiculous.  You already have my waiver.  Live with it and just sign me up like you did last year.

If you get testy, remember I have teeth.  (I am just answering you in the tone that I think you are writing to me in this form letter).

(editor’s note: I have subsequently written and sent an apology to the individual at the USHGA to whom I addressed my response.

So faxed forms are not acceptable.  I wonder just where they got that gem of legal advice.  I have sent in faxed signatures on a number of contracts that were worth many thousands of times the value of my USHGA membership.  There were very high powered legal teams standing behind these procedures.  This is idiotic.

So finally the USHGA apologizes to its members for the inconvenience that they are causing them.  Well, it is about bloody time.  The USHGA has handled the waiver problem poorly from day one (long before the current office administration), and this is just a continuation of a complete mess.

This letter should have started out with an apology.  A sincere, heartfelt, and detailed apology for the screw up around the waiver, for the screw up around the computer system, for the screw ups around the automatic renewal system, for the terrible things they are going to ask the membership to do.

The USHGA is a membership organization.  It has to serve the members.  The first thing you do is apologize to the members when you do something that makes it difficult for them to be members.

You never do anything that makes it difficult for people to give you money (this is something I could learn with the Oz Report).

Discuss "USHGA – we’re actually very sorry" at the Oz Report forum   link»

Tue, Dec 10 2002, 2:00:02 pm EST

to Table of Contentsto next topic USHGA – the response

Jayne DePanfilis|USHGA

I sent my response to this form e-mail back to Jayne Depanfilis, the USHGA director.  After a bit of back and forth to get a clear understanding of what I was complaining about Jayne wrote (without my responses below in back):

The USHGA is working harder than ever on behalf of its membership.  Sport Pilot is one of the most important challenges our sports have ever been confronted with.  I can't see myself work much harder than I do now.

I am so sorry that you feel this way.

I wrote back: That the USHGA is sending out offensive letters?  I am trying to help you by forcefully pointing out a problem so that it can be dealt with.  I would hope that you want your members to help by pointing out problems with communications that they receive from the USHGA.

So let's be sorry that the USHGA has inadvertently, and without malice, miscommunicated with its members.

I have asked X to let me know if she receives comments about my letter.  I will try to tone the letter down, but we have been trying to obtain some of these member signed waivers since this past summer.  Members need to know that this is very important and while it doesn't seem like this initiative is in your best interest, it is. The USHGA is the association that is working very hard to preserve our right to teach tandem, aerotow launch hang gliders, pilot tugs without having to have a private pilot's license, fly tandem gliders without having to certificate them, use the existing fleet of aerotow launch vehicles and the list goes on.

I wrote: I assume that you are saying that you wrote the letter that X sent.  Therefore she has no need to feel bad at all.  :-)

But, of course she does because my letter was intended to make the USHGA (not necessarily her) feel as bad as I felt when I got the letter from the USHGA.  Once we both understood how each other felt, then communication can begin.

I agree that this is very important, and will help fix it.

I am sorry that you feel or believe that we are screwing you but I am doing my best to make sure the USHGA continues to serve its customers in the best way possible.  We need member signed waivers and the kindest appeals, and there were many of them, didn't net member signed waivers.  I needed to write a letter that let members know that it is time to return that waiver and be sure you have met the membership criteria.  I wouldn't have to do this if these issues had been addressed properly with the design of the database.  Shame on me, the messenger.  I am going to write the report now, a condensed version since an explanation already appeared in the magazine many months ago.

I wrote: The first thing that you do in the very first sentence of the very first paragraph is profusely apologize for the many screw ups on the part of the USHGA re this issue.  You go into detail about them.  You beg for forgiveness.

Thanks for letting me address your readers.  Jayne

You have every right to find the letter offensive, but to use it as a springboard to reach the conclusion that we are screwing you, makes no sense to me. I don't understand this logic, really I don't.

I wrote: It's very simple.  The clear implication of the letter was that I had done something wrong, when I hadn't done anything at all.  It was the USHGA that was doing everything wrong.  It was their computer based system that re upped me and then told me I was doing it wrong.  I wasn't even at the ballpark, much less in the game.

Discuss "USHGA – the response" at the Oz Report forum   link»

Tue, Dec 10 2002, 2:00:03 pm EST

to Table of Contentsto next topic USHGA – sign the waiver every time

Jayne DePanfilis|USHGA

Jayne DePanfilis «jaynedepanfilis» writes:

The USHGA re-emphasized its mandatory waiver collection program this past summer in an effort to be sure that each of the association's members satisfies the criteria for membership this year.  The USHGA has three membership criteria: 1) Full paid annual dues; 2) An approved membership application and 3) An original member-signed waiver on file in the USHGA office.

Magazine subscribers are not members of the USHGA.  Magazine subscribers do not have the right to vote and you are not eligible for pilot liability coverage.  If by chance, you are an active pilot who renewed as a magazine subscriber for some reason, please be advised that you are not eligible for the USHGA's pilot liability insurance program.  While the magazine is considered to be the most visible membership benefit, pilot liability insurance and landowner site insurance are arguably your most important member benefits.

The design of the USHGA's database nearly four years ago did not take into consideration the association's need to implement a mandatory waiver collection program on an annual basis to fulfill membership criteria.  In order to qualify for pilot liability insurance and landowner site insurance, the USHGA agreed to implement a diligent waiver collection effort at the time you join the USHGA and at the time you renew your membership each year.

The USHGA's membership database is fully integrated into our website.  The membership database drives the content of the website in many ways.  While many aviation association's websites offer online application services that appear to be utilizing fully integrated membership databases, some of these other online application processes still require a staff person to print the online applications and enter the (membership) data into a separate membership database.  Other aviation-related associations don't require original member-signed waivers for membership because they don't offer a unique insurance program like the USHGA does.  Again, the USHGA's online application process is fully integrated and it will soon provide fully automated application and renewal services with some fine tuning.

Even though the USHGA is well ahead of the curve in terms of having developed and implemented such sophisticated internet technology, especially given the fact that we are a relatively small membership association with limited resources, the online processes, including joining the USHGA, renewing your USHGA membership and auto-renewing your membership, must conform with our business model.  The fully integrated database/website has not yet provided fully automated application and renewal processes.  Members must still provide the USHGA with original member-signed waivers on an annual basis and the online processes did not account for this requirement.

An announcement was published in the magazines this past summer letting USHGA members know that the association planned to implement a revised waiver.  The primary purpose of revising the waiver was to address this issue that our members must still provide an original member-signed waiver every year at renewal in order to fulfill the membership criteria.  The USHGA is very cognizant of the fact that in order to take full advantage of the website as a fully automated membership application and renewal service, we had to implement a waiver that the applicant would be required to complete/sign one time, either at the time you join, or at the time you renew.

The USHGA is going to implement a new membership application as well in December/January.  Once this new membership application is "married" to the revised waiver, applicants for membership in the USHGA will only need to sign the Membership Application/Waiver, Release of Liability, and Assumption of Risk form one time facilitating a fully automated online application service.

The USHGA expects to begin a one year mandatory waiver collection program when the new Membership Application/Waiver is implemented during the next month or so. The USHGA currently requires original member-signed waivers for membership.  Many of you already know that the USHGA can not accept faxed waivers, and we can not accept telephone renewals either.  For those of you who renew online, the USHGA will contact you and let you know that we will happily send your new membership card to you once we receive a "freshly" signed waiver from you.

The USHGA advises you to return the completed and signed membership application/waiver to the USHGA office within 15 days of notification.  Those of you who are currently enrolled in the auto-renewal program can expect to receive this same kind of notification either by email, if we have your email address or by regular mail.  The membership application and waiver forms can be downloaded from the USHGA website or mailed to you by the USHGA staff.

I acknowledge that the USHGA currently has an online system that isn't fully automated but we also have one of the most advanced, integrated, online membership services in operation in a small aviation related association.

The USHGA staff greatly appreciates your patience and understanding during this time of transition.  If you have questions or comments, or require further clarification, please call me at 800-616-6888 or email me at «jayne».

Discuss "USHGA – sign the waiver every time" at the Oz Report forum   link»

Tue, Dec 10 2002, 2:00:04 pm EST

to Table of Contentsto next topic USHGA – the resolution

Jayne DePanfilis|USHGA

Jayne DePanfilis «jayne» writes:

Wow, I see what you mean.  I will take another look at the letter and tone it down a bit because this is the USHGA's problem to correct but we do need the members’ help to fix the problem, we need original member signed waivers, no way around this right now.

Thanks so much.
Jayne

Discuss "USHGA – the resolution" at the Oz Report forum   link»

Tue, Dec 10 2002, 2:00:05 pm EST

to Table of Contentsto next topic USHGA – the head count

Jayne DePanfilis|USHGA

Jayne DePanfilis «jayne» writes:

USHGA has 11,200 members today, about 1,000 more members than we had in January of 2001.

Discuss "USHGA – the head count" at the Oz Report forum   link»

Tue, Dec 10 2002, 2:00:06 pm EST

to Table of Contentsto next topic USHGA – the next issues

Bill Moyes|Dragonfly|USHGA

Jayne has a lot on her plate at the moment.  In particular the Sport Pilot Initiative.  I spoke with Bill Moyes on Sunday and the USHGA is going to ask the FAA to go with what the USHGA is doing now.  Certify the Bailey-Moyes Dragonfly B model (not the new Moyes certified model) and Grandfather in the existing tug pilots and tug pilot training scheme.  Sounds good to me.

If this doesn’t fly, then the fall back is the Australian proposal.

Jayne has also stated that she will get me a financial report, as she wrote in late October:

I will send you a condensed version of my report next week with some interesting industry wide stats including dues increases for the SSA, USUA, and the USPA, to really put the situation with USHGA into better perspective.  To understand the significance of what happened last year and this year, you have to compare these two years to 2000, and while Bill's report is accurate, he has an excellent understanding of the financials; you can't get a real feel for the changes until we compare them.  I will send the report next week when I am in the office again.

I am also waiting to see when the provisional minutes of the USHGA BOD meeting come out.  I know that Liz Sharp, the person responsible for collating all the minutes of the various committees, has been sick, so I don’t expect them soon, but would love to see them up on the USHGA web site as soon as they are available.

Discuss "USHGA – the next issues" at the Oz Report forum   link»

Tue, Dec 10 2002, 2:00:07 pm EST

to Table of Contentsto next topic Buenos Aires Flatlander

André Wolfe|Guido Picca

http://www.flyranch.com.ar/

«stewart» writes:

I was over at the FlyRanch Flatlander near Buenos Aires yesterday, for the 1st day of competition.  A task of about 100 km was called, westward to the town of Cañuelas.

The sky was mostly overcast with a few sunny breaks, and in one of these most of the field managed to get away, thanks to two tugs working efficiently.  Those that waited found that conditions shut off and they couldn’t get away.

En route, most of the field went down about half way.  But Andre Wolf of Brazil, and Guido Picca of Argentina both managed to make goal, and are neck and neck.

You’ll probably get more results later from Eduardo.  As usual, this is a small, fun meet with a heavy emphasis on great social atmosphere and a killer wind-up party.

Discuss "Buenos Aires Flatlander" at the Oz Report forum   link»

Tue, Dec 10 2002, 2:00:08 pm EST

to Table of Contentsto next topic Small control frames

Chris Giardina|Rob Kells

Chris Giardina «halkeyeflight» writes:

I've been reading a lot about smaller frames lately and feel I must respond with my P.O.V. I’m 5' 8" on a good day.  This has presented all the problems one can think of with the "one size fits all" mentality of most of the manufacturers: Launching, Frame Rake, Pitch & Roll, Stability and Landing.

(editor’s note: 68 inches (172 cm)? How about 60 inches (my guess) for Kate (152 cm). You’re not that short!)

LAUNCHING with a frame that hits you just above the ankles isn't fun, even in the best conditions.  The shorter pilot is forced to take smaller strides to prevent him (her) from hitting his shins on the base bar.  Once the glider lifts off the shoulders, then the pilot can get a full stride.  The question is: How long is the ramp?  Answer: a smaller control frame allows an average pilot to get the glider flying in six or so good strides rather than a very uncomfortable ten to twelve.

FRAME RAKE for a short pilot is not an issue if all you want to do is boat around.  If you were to buy a glider that is designed to fly with the "Big Boys" the problem is that with most gliders you can't because the big boys have a greater relative "throw" (push out to pull in) because of longer arms.

Areos gliders do have a greater rake on them with the longer frame, so if the shorter pilot were to "stuff" the bar, we would get the glider moving out faster than the other large frame gliders.  The problem with this is that the neutral point is way out in front of the pilot, and it takes away from a flare at landing.  I've heard Aeros fixed the flare problem too by moving the control attachment point further back.  I may be wrong though.

PITCH & ROLL problems I've already started to discuss in the prior paragraph.  The geometric facts show that the shorter pilot loses a valuable % of pitch and roll authority needed to fly a glider to its full design capabilities.  With me, a speed gliding pilot, I need the full 360% motion the glider is designed to fly at, or I can't get into the course.

STABILIZATION TRADE-OFF is a big factor here.  If the pilot shortens that downtubes for more input control, the pilot will lose platform stability.  I do however think that with thermaling technique, (1. never fly too slow, 2. be prepared to put it on its ear) can overcome the increased twitchiness you feel with a shorter frame.  This is purely a "comfort" thing here and I for one can respect any pilot who feels the need to fly with a lower frame.  On the other side, not too many new gliders have tumbled that haven't had reconfiguration done to the sprog system i.e. all the high octane gliders are far more stable than say three years ago.

(editor’s note: I notice the word twitchiness associated with small control frame, like on the ATOS.  Combine this with a control frame that moves from side to side, and perhaps we are a long way toward explaining the twitchy feeling that ones gets on a rigid wing glider.)

LANDING with a smaller frame is easier…do I need to say more?

SOLUTION: KIDS, DON'T TRY THIS AT HOME!  I have had the need to shorten my frame for all of the reasons I've stated above.  To me it’s like running with track shoes that are three sizes too big.  So I've been forced to find my own solutions by shortening my control frame and working with different rake settings over the last two years.

My Laminar MR70013 came with a "stock" control frame.  What I did was employ a shortened Wills "Slip Stream" frame, with the Aeros carbon control bar.  This is not easy to do! First you need a good test site, like Fort Funston, so you can launch and land close to where you can make adjustments on Rake, Twist & Sprogs.  If you don't have this, it will take forever to complete testing.  Next, you have to be crazy enough to make your own wires.  This is not a smart thing to do unless you really know what you are doing.  The end result is a glider that has a sweet spot right around 60mph and a sink rate that can keep up with the larger 14 mtr gliders.  I do share this information with Laminar.

I was out at Dinosaur's Pre Pan Am meet when Paris showed up with a very slick, 1 1/2 inch flat steel tube frame.  It was real cool until Rob Kells and G.W. had a long talk with him about potential structural problems.  The next day he was back to flying with a stock frame.  What Paris says about control frames is all very true.  It comes from years of thinking outside of the box and living to tell about it, or in his case, employ what he's learned.

What I think needs to be done is to offer a stock shorter control frame, offered by the manufacturers for those expensive high performance gliders.  I also think the reason they don't is because the people who develop the gliders are all over 5' 10" tall.

Discuss "Small control frames" at the Oz Report forum   link»

Tue, Dec 10 2002, 2:00:09 pm EST

to Table of Contentsto next topic Bobby Bailey in for surgery

Bill Moyes

Bill Moyes|Bobby Bailey

Bobby Bailey is over here building Dragonflies and is scheduled to be piloting one at the meets.  That may be out on hold, as Bobby has a couple of kidneys full of kidney stones.

Bill Moyes had to drag him into the hospital for a cat scan last week.  Bobby like other men is very reluctant to go the doctor.  When they got the results back, it wasn’t a stone or two, but a rock pile.

He goes in for surgery on one kidney on Thursday and the other in the New Year.

Discuss "Bobby Bailey in for surgery" at the Oz Report forum   link»

to Table of Contentsto next topic Oz Report in Cross Country Magazine

Tue, Dec 10 2002, 2:00:10 pm EST

Ian Blackmore

http://www.xcmag.comhttp://www.kiteworldmag.com

I have asked for an electronic version of the Cross Country Magazine article on the Oz Report.  We’ll see if that happens.  Ian Blackmore «news» writes:

I'm don't know whether you're a subscriber to XC or not but if you email me your address I'll try and send you a copy of the article.  It certainly livened up our letters page a bit.  You'll see from our reply when it's published that we're great fans of Oz Report and I think a few people just took the headline the wrong way.

As for the photo, well, wouldn’t you have done the same?  That's not a hunting licence to track down nasty shots of Hugh and I for Oz Report though.

Staff here nowadays are Hugh and myself on the editorial side.

Discuss "Oz Report in Cross Country Magazine" at the Oz Report forum   link»

The Oz Report, a near-daily, world wide hang gliding news ezine, with reports on competitions, pilot rankings, political issues, fly-ins, the latest technology, ultralight sailplanes, reader feedback and anything else from within the global HG community worthy of coverage. Hang gliding, paragliding, hang gliders, paragliders, aerotowing, hang glide, paraglide, platform towing, competitions, fly-ins. Hang gliding and paragliding news from around the world, by Davis Straub.

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