http://www.hanggliding.org/viewtopic.php?t=33738
Just because.
Dave Pendzick - 2015/12/02 19:12:24 UTC
Steve, I think you are confused about where I stand on these issues. We are free to choose whether or not to jeopardize our personal safety with little oversight or control. I like having the freedom to make my own decisions when it comes to my own safety.
You no longer have the freedom to be clipped into your glider in a setup area are launch line without having a helmet buckled on. And I didn't hear a single whisper of protest from any of you freedom junkies when Bob and u$hPa foisted that atrocity upon everyone with zero discussion and data for justification.
That being said, there are things that I choose not to do simply because it COULD result in me being seriously injured.
Fly with something heavier than a Rooney Link or a Dragonfly tow mast breakaway protector? Good freakin' luck.
This is part of managing risk. These things vary from XC flying to aerobatics and even which Wing I chose to fly. I make these decisions and it should not be anyone but me to decide how and when I choose to go about doing things.
Or the cheap bent pin pro toad crap that Davis sells and forces everyone to use at u$hPa Nationals comps?
I have a problem when the USHPA Gods or other pilots want to try to make decisions for me or control how where or when I can fly.
Just not enough of a problem to ever say or do anything about. Or maybe you just fly at your little local foot launch sites where you can do whatever the fuck you feel like and don't really give a rat's ass about the atrocities to which thousands of other flyers are subjected.
The choice is not theirs to make.
And yet...
Therefore it is nobody's business what kind of wing I fly or who I choose to sell it to, or even the type of flying I choose to engage in.
So you've never heard of FAR 103?
The choices and decisions are mine to make because I am the one who suffers the consequences of my actions.
Certainly none of the first responders or the health care system that maintains whatever's left of you for gawd knows how many years.
The one caviate...
What's that? Couldn't find it in my dictionary.
...to that is if the decisions I make directly impacts the safety of pilots or spectators.
And fuck the issues I just mentioned.
What I am meaning by "directly impact" I mean a physical collision.
NMERider - 2015/12/02 19:53:39 UTC
Sorry to be the bearer of bad news Dave, but USHPA SOP 03-19 provides for a Member Feedback Reporting System that ties into SOP 12-07 Policy on Revocation and Reinstatement of Ratings, Certifications, and Appointments. In other words, as long as you or anyone else chooses to be a USHPA member then that pilot is subject to the rules of SOP 12-07.03 Causes for Revocation.
Which include, but are not limited to, acting in a manner contrary to the interests of the Corporation - which means whatever the fuck the Corporation wants it to. Which means that any member at any time can have his ticket permanently shredded with no means for recourse for wearing the wrong color T-shirt.
It is 1-1/2 pages long so I won't quote the whole thing here.
That's OK, I'll summarize. u$hPa can do to you whatever the fuck pretense it feels like.
Feel free to look it up along with FAR 103.
Yeah, that's one freedom u$hPa permits you.
Pilots do turn each other in.
So do non pilots - like the douchebags running commercial tandem thrill ride businesses.
As a USHPA member you are free to do as you please within the guidelines of the SOPs and FARs.
Bull fucking shit.
Obviously there is plenty of flexibility.
Yeah. Like if you wanna aerotow in compliance with the guidelines, requirements, regulations of the SOPs and FARs you can - and will - suddenly find your career ended.
Only 85 more posts until the 10,000 mark.
Dave Pendzick - 2015/12/03 18:40:26 UTC
There has to be corroborated witnessed accounts or evidence to prove that the actions in question violated laws or endangered the safety of other pilots or spectators.
What cave have you been living in and how deep is it?
You could not, for example say that someone is unsafe because of a personal grievance of some kind.
Like wanting to fly with a weak link dead center in the middle of the legal range and at the value recommended in the u$hPa SOPs and having something a bit heavier on the front end - and not being allowed to?
What would stop someone from making mountains out of mole hills so to speak and turning someone in for an unjust reason?
Why bother turning someone in for some valid reason when you can just:
http://ozreport.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=24846
Is this a joke ?
Jim Rooney - 2011/08/25 04:55:25 UTC
Ditto dude.
It always amazes to hear know it all pilots arguing with the professional pilots.
I mean seriously, this is our job.
We do more tows in a day than they do in a month (year for most).
We *might* have an idea of how this stuff works.
They *might* do well to listen.
Not that they will, mind you... cuz they *know*.
I mean seriously... ridgerodent's going to inform me as to what Kroop has to say on this? Seriously? Steve's a good friend of mine. I've worked at Quest with him. We've had this discussion ... IN PERSON. And many other ones that get misunderstood by the general public. It's laughable.
Don't even get me started on Tad. That obnoxious blow hard has gotten himself banned from every flying site that he used to visit... he doesn't fly anymore... because he has no where to fly. His theories were annoying at best and downright dangerous most of the time. Good riddance.
So, argue all you like.
I don't care.
I've been through all these arguments a million times... this is my job.
I could be more political about it, but screw it... I'm not in the mood to put up with tender sensibilities... Some weekend warrior isn't about to inform me about jack sh*t when it comes to towing. I've got thousands upon thousands of tows under my belt. I don't know everything, but I'll wager the house that I've got it sussed a bit better than an armchair warrior.
The video of your Long Low Glide Out, lets say for the sake of argument that if you pissed off the wrong person could they in theory turn you in for making poor decisions & being too risky? Is this enough to get your rating removed?
See above. NOBODY is safe from u$hPa. First they came for the unrepentant child molesters and I said nothing because I was a repentant child molester. Then they came for Bob and I said nothing because I wasn't Bob. And besides, he's an asshole who doesn't get along with the people running these shows.
By the way Dave... Your writing totally sucks. I cleaned up most of it to make it more tolerable for our readers.
