From the USHPA Competition Rulebook

2. 1. Purpose

The role of the CC in sanctioning meets is to ensure that U.S. pilots have fair access to quality meets including competition with foreign competitors, as well as to provide a scheduling tool for pilots to use in their pursuit of NTSS points. That responsibility includes that dates, quality of structure, geographical accessibility, etc. are figured into the CC’s final decision.

In addition, the role of the CC is to encourage the growth of the sport of hang gliding by sanctioning competitions that encourage pilots from all locations and with a wide range of skill levels to participate. The CC shall endeavor to build a system of sanctioned meets that allow regional pilots to gain NTSS points and thereby encourage them to participate in national level competitions.

10. International Competition and National Team Selection System

10. 1. General

The selection of any U.S. National Team for international competition, including the FAI World Championships, will be based on the proven ability to compete, as measured by the USHPA NTSS.

10. 5. National Team Selection System

A. Purpose

The purpose of the NTSS is to provide a national pilot ranking based on objective measurement of a pilot's proven ability to compete against other pilots of proven competitive ability. The purpose of this ranking is to select pilots for U.S. National teams which will fly in international competitions such as the FAI World Championships.

In addition, the purpose of this ranking is to encourage U.S. hang glider and paraglider pilots to participate in competitions and earn NTSS points through their participation.

So, is the job of the Competition Committee to run a competition system that can choose a National Hang Gliding Team that can compete in the Worlds? Or is it to encourage the growth of competition? Both at the moment, but if there is a conflict, does the Competition Committee have guidance on how to spend its limited resources?

Now think about this. A few years ago you could count up to four "foreign meets" toward your NTSS points. This was because the point of the NTSS system was to choose the best pilots to fly on the US National team. And if you were out there competing in international events and doing well, then you deserved to be on the team.

Also, your results in the Worlds counted for your NTSS points, again because there you were competing against the world's best and gaining valuable experience that you could use to do well in international competition. After all that was the point of the NTSS ranking system.

Then, under my chairmanship of the USHPA Competition Committee, we changed the focus of the NTSS ranking and the focus of the USHPA Competition Committee to include inclusion (as seen above in the Rulebook changes), to try to help bring in new pilots to competition. In spite of the fact that it was against my own self interest I proposed and got passed the restriction that only two foreign competitions would count toward your NTSS points (I would have an extra 160 points this year - http://ushpa.aero/competition/ntss1/index.php). We also disallowed the use of results from the Worlds because it wasn't "fair" to pilots who weren't qualified or invited to go to the Worlds (it is not an open meet, but an invitational).

So, during my regime, we took away some from the focus of the Competition Committee on choosing a National Team and used the NTSS system in a way to encourage more participation in competition.