Tracy Tillman has done a very admirable job leading this effort to
support USHPA instructors through Steve Wendt's Blue Sky Scooter Tow Clinics.
After the spring 2006 USHPA BOD meeting I was tasked with the job of organizing
these clinics, but rather abruptly I was fired by the USHPA President, Lisa
Tate, leaving no one to run with the ball.


At the same time, Tracy was spearheading an effort to gather the necessary
material to create a scooter tow curriculum and continued working on that. At
the fall BOD meeting Tracy realized that no one was working on getting further
Blue Sky Scooter Tow Clinics scheduled even though their funding had been
approved at the USHPA and the USHGF and he immediately took on that
responsibility also. Tracy knew how great these clinics were as he and Lisa
attended the first one this year and set up their own scooter tow operation at
Cloud 9.


Tracy has worked hard with Steve, Rob Kells, the USHGF, and the EC, to get
everyone on board, not an easy job for anyone, and Tracy has handled it with
aplomb. Thanks to him we'll see Steve's clinics in February at Quest Air, and
perhaps further clinics by other scooter tow instructors in other parts of the
country later.


Tracy is absolutely right when he applauds the EC for their swift action. They
approved the full $6,000 funding when the USHGF said that they couldn't meet to
re-approve their previous half of the funding until 2007 (BTW, half of that
USHGF funding came from Bill Bolosky who is a big fan of supporting
instructors).


Yes, it is unfortunate that the USHPA EC was unable to see that putting a
proviso in that restricted the access of foreign instructors to the clinics
(they had to get in line after USHPA instructors) was both parochial and short
sighted. Here was a perfect opportunity for the EC to gain world wide good will
(say, through the Oz Report), and they blew that chance by being petty.


The EC was also afraid that somehow Steve Wendt was making out like a bandit,
perhaps double dipping, getting paid by both Wills Wing and the USHPA. Of
course, this was not the case, but it reflects a poor attitude. Instead of
worrying about spending too much money on instructor support, perhaps the EC
should worry about spending too little.


In fact, there is a crying need for instructor support re business issues. Many
instructors do not know how to run a successful hang gliding (or paragliding)
business. Steve Wendt and Matt Taber could provide excellent instruction in
these areas. Steve for how to do it as a one man operation. Matt on how to run a
school with multiple instructors.


When I asked Steve about this, he wrote:

I hope that some of that is being observed and covered in my
clinics. Everyone that went through last year was surprised how much can be done
by one person. I think it's important to let the small guy know that he can do
it with enough effort, and then grow from there. I do emphasize that throughout
my clinic naturally, simply because it's what I have to do.

To get ideas like this through the USHPA requires a champion
willing to lead like Tracy has done. The EC is not a leadership body, but a
clearing house that judges what is brought to it. So if this proposal sounds
good to you, grab the reins and get the horses in gear.


Wills Wing has totally committed to the Blue Sky Scooter Tow Clinic and methods.
Mike Meier's book and the Blue Sky DVD edited and filmed by Ryan Voight will be
out next year. I am already hearing about a follow on to fill in the gaps, say
Volume 2.


The leaders at the Wills Wings company have displayed leadership and put their
money, time and effort into making sure that there are successful hang gliding
instructors, not just here in the US, but around the world. There is much
interest in these methods in Europe, south, and central America.


Wills Wing has a very strong company wide interest in the continued success of
hang gliding. The USHPA BOD has dedicated itself to the goal of doubling their
membership and the EC has funded these Blue Sky Scooter Tow Clinics. We are all
pulling together, and it is great to see.


Thanks again especially to Tracy, but also to everyone who has seen the power of
this vision and moved the ball down the court.