So no mention of Hangies ... I guess we dont count anymore
USHPA Adopts Speed Flying Special Skills
As the sport of speed flying grows worldwide, USHPA recognizes the need to establish instructor and pilot training programs. USHPA is developing a Speed Flying Instructor Training and Certification Program tailored for speed flying and a two-level speed flying special skill for interested pilots. Speed Flying Instructors will be required to hold a paragliding Basic Instructor appointment (or higher) and successfully complete a Speed Flying Instruction Clinic. The program is designed so pilots can qualify for the S-1 or S-2 speed flying special skills with or without prior paragliding experience or paragliding pilot ratings however, speed flying pilots must have a P-0 (Student) to P-5 (Master) rating.
USHPA is appointing Speed Flying Administrators and developing the Speed Flying Instructor training seminars. USHPA will be announcing the names of Speed Flying Administrators and the instructor training seminar schedule. Additional information on the Speed Flying Program will be available on the USHPA website as it becomes available.
All SOPS:
https://www.ushpa.aero/member_policy_manual.asp
SOP 12-02 Pilot Proficiency System:
https://www.ushpa.aero/member_file.asp?id=384
SOP 12-05 Directors/Examiners/Observers/Instructors:
https://www.ushpa.aero/member_file.asp?id=387
Terry, it makes sense. As I understand it's about speed gliders -- it's a canopy flight after all. And only P-0 is required.
We have bigger problems in H-world, like lack of mentors and no real place for people to post about road trips and where to organize them :-) Or at least people don't have a habit of doing it.
Speedgliding, as practiced by paragliders, uses substantially different equipment and involves a lot of low flying, so it's no unreasonable for there to be a special skill. To me it seems like a lot of trouble for a sled ride, but to each his own.
Besides, do you want to have to get another signoff?
"Speed flying" doesn't mean flying fast. It means flying a "speed wing", which is a kind of dwarf paraglider that's only soarable in unusual conditions (like strong coastal ridge lift). Normally they're used for things like downhill skiing a few feet off the slope. You can't do "speed flying" on a regular paraglider. If some manufacturer starts building 75 sq. ft. hang gliders that are only capable of sinking like a rock, then we'll probably see an equivalent signoff. It might be more likely that we'd see a rating for wingsuits. _________________ H4 + various skills (only foot-launch so far)
WW UltraSport 147, WW Falcon2 170, PacAir Vision Mark IV 17
My HG wiki profile and my flying blog
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Speed_flying _________________ "Men were not meant to leave the Earth. Spend too much time in the clouds and you never want to come back down again. I know skinchangers who've tried hawks, owls, ravens. Even in their own skins, they sit moony, staring up at the bloody blue" -- Hoggon
George R.R. Martin
So no mention of Hangies ... I guess we dont count anymore
USHPA Adopts Speed Flying Special Skills
As the sport of speed flying grows worldwide, USHPA recognizes the need to establish instructor and pilot training programs...
You don't wear ignorance well, Deep
The terminology can be confusing, but "speed gliding"- as in flying hang gliders fast around a course, is entirely different from "speed flying"- as in flying speed wings (tiny paragliders).
The skill set to do speed gliding in a hang glider is high, but not unlike regular hang gliding... because of this the current rating system should be applicable. H4/5 skills should be a must before flying fast, close to terra firma.
Speed flying in speed wings, on the other hands, is an entirely different beast from paragliders. The way the wings respond to pilot input is very different, the altitude that can be lost in turns or on final is absurdly different, and the conditions that they are generally flown in are very different as well. Because of this, the skillset for "regular" paragliding does not carry over well, and additional rating requirements were written up.
This was actually approved TWO board meetings ago... however issues with creating an entirely different class of wing/rating within USHPA arose after it was approved, so at the last meeting (March) we basically amended the system to function as a special skill, much like those already in place: FL, TUR, XC, and so on...
Drawing the conclusion that hang glider pilots don't count anymore from this news is a HUGE (unsupported) jump.
Quite a few members of the USHPA BOD are actually hang glider pilots, BTW... hang gliding IS well represented. This just has very little to do with hang gliding, other than being under the same USHPA umbrella... _________________ Ryan Voight
BLOG: www.AIRTHUG.com
VIDEOS: http://vimeo.com/AIRTHUG
Seems to me that this should be under the jurisdiction of the kiteboarding community. The kiteboarding community has been doing this for years. At what line length or design change do you draw the line and call your kite a speed flyer. . As and experienced kiteboarder am I now going to have to pay for this speed kite rating just because it resembles what I have been flying for years. Here is the most incredible video of the master of snow kiteboarding Chasta in 1997.
As and experienced kiteboarder am I now going to have to pay for this speed kite rating just because it resembles what I have been flying for years.
You don't have to pay for the rating. You don't need to get the rating. You don't (legally) need any ratings to fly. If some ski area decides that it will only allow people with a speed flying rating to use a speed wing at their mountain, and you want to fly there, well, then you'll need to get it. _________________ H4 + various skills (only foot-launch so far)
WW UltraSport 147, WW Falcon2 170, PacAir Vision Mark IV 17
My HG wiki profile and my flying blog
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Oh like those things they jump out of planes with 
