[flyhigh013]

I just got off the phone with Nick Greece, editor of the USHPA magazine... and he was saying that he needs hang gliding articles really badly. He said he's got a crapload of good PG "features", but not nearly enough hang gliding content to keep it balanced.

He's going to send me a story to write up, so that's 1 more HG feature... but since he's trying to hard to keep things balanced I thought it'd be really great if the HG (and especially hg.org) community could help him out and submit some articles.

You have to give the guy credit where credit is due- calling his HG contacts and getting them to write articles is, in my opinion, going above and beyond just working with what is submitted.

If you have a good story, a flight report, a "there I was, thought I was going to die... but this is what I learned" story, a pilot profile on a local hot pilot that deserves some recognition.... anything you think people might find entertaining, educational, fun to read, whatever....... write it up, and send it in!

I'd be glad to proof read anyone's articles if they'd like an honest opinion and don't feel comfortable just submitting something without a little writing-guidance...

-Ryan

[Sky_Walker]

I really think that as a group (HG.org), we need to put together some kind of a committee for streamlining Hanggliding articles to the magazine. I know I'm not the only one who is tired of the imbalance.

Maybe set up a section of the wiki for potential articles that the entire community can work on. Individually we aren't going to be able to bury them with new hanggliding articles but I think if we all started working together on articles, we could take back at least half of our magazine.

I know that I would like to see articles relating to :

1) I've just completed my initial training got my hang 2 and had a few mountain solos, so whats next ? How do I continue to learn and grow in the sport. What resources are available for studying for advanced ratings and skills. How do I prepare for soaring flights. I know there are books available but lets get it in the magazine.

2) Soaring rules of the road. Especially how these rules need to be considered at sites that both Hanggliders and Paragliders will be flying. Discuss differences in design/control of Hanggliders/Paragliders that may contribute to some of the misunderstandings in the air.

I think if we pool our resources we could be submitting several quality articles a month. What do you guys think ???

[flyhigh013]

I for one think that's a great idea! Is there a way to "track" a wiki so that everyone that contributes to an article is sure to get credit?

I also really like those two article ideas!!! I think the first one has been done, but not in a LONG time... so all the H2's at at time are probably 4's by now, and there's a whole new generation of 2's that need guidance.

and RIDGE RULES!!! I wish I thought of that! Especially living here at the Point, it can get pretty crowded and it's only a matter of time until the inevitable happens...

[designbydave]

[HangDiver]

These are all good ideas - and thanks Ryan for the post. If we don't submit articles to the magazine we should not complain about it's content.

[flyhigh013]

[ddreg]

What do you get for submitting articles in the magazine? Is it worth it?

If you have a good article, don't know why you couldn't just share it here. HangGliding.org should have a repository of artitcles. Especially technical articles. It would be easier to query here as a referance and available to anyone. I'm sure potential pilots are influance more from HangGliding.org than the mag.

I really don't bother reading the rag much. Just flip though, look at the pictures and I'm done. Maybe once in a while I'd come across a good article worth reading. I wouldn't know how to find it again if I ever needed to referance the article.

[sg]

Ive been thinking about this from the standpoint of sport growth and im starting to wonder which would benefit the sport more???

1) Submitting articles to the mag, so that other HG pilots can read them

2) Submitting articles to the web, (I could create a new articles section and advertise on the front page when something new comes about), where lots of prospective pilots will read them

3) Both - but I think ushpa wont allow you to submit in 2 places, whereas hg.org would

[sg]

[flyhigh013]

[knumbknuts]

[sg]

[flyhigh013]

[ddreg]

I was under the impression that they didn't pay for articles or photos unless you were a regular writer for them or you gave up all rights to the material. What ever it was, didn't seem appealling. I guess its good to see you work published. Anyway just a rant, I'm actually past caring now. I get all my reading done one these online forums and blogs.

but, what would be more useful to the community? If you can submit to both, thats great then.

I remember reading a great landing article by Greg DeWolf publish in the mag at some date I don't remember. I got a copy of the article off the internet some where. Don't know where to find it again. If I need to look something up, like touching up my landing skills, am I going to go flipping through 1000s of pages in the mag to find what I need? Or can I just look it up?

Anyone have a link to this landing article? Also there are a bunch of good technical threads. If someone would just go and make a summary of all the good stuff.

[mgforbes]

I want to just emphasize a point here about photos and articles.

An article by itself is good, but lacks the visual 'zip' to really attract readers.

Photos submitted by themselves are nice, but without a story to
hang them on it's difficult to find a place where they fit, editorially.

What we REALLY need are well-written articles with accompanying
photos, that tell a coherent story together. That's what makes good
magazine content....visually compelling photos tied together with
a good story.

My own examples are pretty boring; I talk about stuff like finances and
insurance. But for example, when we needed to raise dues a couple
years ago, I sent in not only an article explaining the increase, but a
chart that showed how dues have varied over the years in constant-dollars.
I know nobody likes to pay more for something, but I've had a number
of people tell me that they completely understood the need, because
there was a good *picture* there to illustrate it. The story is much harder
to understand, and much less convincing without the graph.

I have some great photos that Josh Morell took of me last year at the Hang-On
comp. I need to send those in, but first I need to write an article about my
experience of a first-ever competition. Without some text to hang those
pictures on, there's no good place to put them.

MGF

[mgforbes]

[FormerFF]

I'd write up something, but don't have anything to write about. On the other hand, I can think of two things that each deserve an article, but wasn't at/wont be at: The Tennessee Tree Toppers May Mayhem, and the upcoming charity event that Jim Rice will be flyng. Anyone want to write those up?

[ddreg]

Found it, July 1986 Page 27

So thats what those pdx files where for...

[JDub]

Regarding the discussion of magazine vs. web publishing, I'll propose a few issues.

In the debate of quantity of exposure, which medium actually has more readers, a central magazine that goes to every USHPA member (or, at least its supposed to) or a website available to anyone. Not knowing the actual viewership of this website, I would venture to guess that more people recieve the monthly mag than visit a website at the same frequency.

As to the type of viewership, this really relates to the types of articles. Someone looking for info on how to get started in HG isn't yet going to get the mag as they probably aren't a USHPA member, and thus will search the web. Someone who just got their H2 and is looking for a tutorial on how to get their H3 probably isn't going to read a three-page memoir of someone's journey; rather, they're probably looking for a rather cut and dry list of H2 sites which is more easily found on the web.

I'm not necessarily advocating for one over the other; I am saying one medium may be better than the other depending on the content. A ten-page article complete with photos about a fly-in may get more appreciation in a national mag distributed to USHPA members while a how-to guide on how to start HG would be more appropriate for a website which would have a higher proportion of those who don't know what USPHA is.

[HangDiver]

I agree with everything flyhigh013 said about submitting articles for the mag and having your writing published in a nationally distributed magazine. I published many articles in "Hang Gliding" in the 1980s. It was always nice to see your stuff come out in print.

I also like the idea of having these articles also available here on the .org too.

Rich