2016 Competition Results Posted
Competition results have been posted for the 2016 Endless Footdrag near Ft. Smith, AR. Thanks to Britton Shaw and his Judging staff for putting this on.
- Published in Updates
Endless Foot Drag / USPPA Nat. Comp.
This year’s Endless Foot Drag and USPPA National Competition has finished with 13 competitors. Scores are in the competition section.
Date: May 28-29, 2016
Location: https://goo.gl/maps/2QqdnhEQNXt
Link: http://rvppg.com/html/fly-in.html
- Published in Updates, USPPA Events
Featured Imagery Update
The featured images on the home page are clickable and appear inside a frame now. Please keep sending in your photo submissions! You can send them to the webmaster.
Thanks for your support,
The USPPA
- Published in Updates
USPPA Instructor’s Clinic at the 2016 Endless Footdrag Fly-In
Chad Bastian will be offering a USPPA Instructor’s Clinic at the 2016 Endless Footdrag Fly-In on May 25-27, Wed-Fri. Candidates should have a PPG3 rating and have done at least 8-20 hours of Apprentice work with a USPPA Certified Instructor prior to the Clinic. A PPG3 rating can be administered concurrently with the Clinic for those who have the skills and requirements. For more information and registration, please look here: http://www.americanparagliding.com/instructor
- Published in Training Updates, Updates, USPPA Events
New Accident Investigation Team
A new Accident Investigation Team has been formed to help the PPG community learn from accidents
The team, put together by Christopher Pine, is Chaired by Dr. Ed Lowder who will be attending accident investigation training at Embry Riddle Aeronautical University. While he has only been paramotoring since 2012, his credentials in forensics and accident investigation make him particularly suited for the job. He will be assisted by Chris Santacroce, Phil Russman, Chad Bastian, and Eric Dufour. Others will be asked to contribute their input as needed.
- Published in Organizational, Updates
PPG 2 PL (Precision Landing)
After getting instructor input the Training Committee changed the PPG 2 landing requirement to better reflect what instructors are seeing in the field. They found that new students are almost universally unable to comply with the spot landing requirement of consistently landing within 40 feet of a target, power off, from at least 300′ within even their first 30 flights. That power-off landing requirement is now 100′, a value that instructors find is realistic.
The 40′ spot landing is now a special skill, PPG 2 PL (Precision Landing). So a student can get his PPG2 rating but will not likely get the PPG 2 PL sign off until gaining experience and then, at a later date, demonstrating the PPG 2 PL skills. He can do this demonstration to any USPPA instructor. That instructor can sign him off online and no syllabus submission is required if ONLY the special skill is being added.
- Published in Training Updates, Updates
Instructor Admin List
A list of Instructor Admins has been added on the Schools Page.
- Published in Training Updates, Updates
Exemption Denial
Read more about the FAA’s Exemption Denial here.
FAA Exemption Request Denial
The FAA has denied our request for an exemption of FAR 103.1 to allow wheeled tandems saying that, among other things, they are no longer going to approve exemptions of definitions. So if we want to apply for a wheeled exemption, it would have to be under the Light Sport Rules. This also implies that future foot-launch tandem exemptions will have to be done in the same way.
Since foot launched craft are not part of the Light Sport Rules, this makes no sense. We will be exploring options.
It does not change operations under our existing exemption but does mean that a different tact will need to be steered.