USHPA
Encyclopedia
The United States Hang Gliding
and Paragliding
Association (USPHA) is a non-profit organization
supporting foot-launched soaring flight in the United States
. It began in 1971 as the Southern California
Hang Gliding Association and became national in scope by the mid-1970s. When paragliding became popular in the U.S., the American Paragliding Association was formed. That eventually merged into the USHPA (then called the U.S. Hang Gliding Association). In 2006, paragliding was added to the organization name to reflect its growing contingent of paraglider pilot members.
USHPA is the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale
recognized body representing motorless hang gliding and paragliding competition and records in the United States.
The organization provides a pilot
proficiency program for foot-launched soaring pilots and instructors. It is available at their website.
Hang gliding
Hang gliding is an air sport in which a pilot flies a light and unmotorized foot-launchable aircraft called a hang glider ....
and Paragliding
Paragliding
Paragliding is the recreational and competitive adventure sport of flying paragliders: lightweight, free-flying, foot-launched glider aircraft with no rigid primary structure...
Association (USPHA) is a non-profit organization
Non-profit organization
Nonprofit organization is neither a legal nor technical definition but generally refers to an organization that uses surplus revenues to achieve its goals, rather than distributing them as profit or dividends...
supporting foot-launched soaring flight in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It began in 1971 as the Southern California
Southern California
Southern California is a megaregion, or megapolitan area, in the southern area of the U.S. state of California. Large urban areas include Greater Los Angeles and Greater San Diego. The urban area stretches along the coast from Ventura through the Southland and Inland Empire to San Diego...
Hang Gliding Association and became national in scope by the mid-1970s. When paragliding became popular in the U.S., the American Paragliding Association was formed. That eventually merged into the USHPA (then called the U.S. Hang Gliding Association). In 2006, paragliding was added to the organization name to reflect its growing contingent of paraglider pilot members.
USHPA is the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale
Fédération Aéronautique Internationale
The Fédération Aéronautique Internationale is the world governing body for air sports and aeronautics and astronautics world records. Its head office is in Lausanne, Switzerland. This includes man-carrying aerospace vehicles from balloons to spacecraft, and unmanned aerial vehicles...
recognized body representing motorless hang gliding and paragliding competition and records in the United States.
The organization provides a pilot
Aviator
An aviator is a person who flies an aircraft. The first recorded use of the term was in 1887, as a variation of 'aviation', from the Latin avis , coined in 1863 by G. de la Landelle in Aviation Ou Navigation Aérienne...
proficiency program for foot-launched soaring pilots and instructors. It is available at their website.