USHPA Special Skill Endorsements
All USHPA special skill endorsements are done in one day and usually take a couple of hours to complete.
Price: $200
Foot Launch (FL):
a. Demonstrates 2 clean, smooth reverse inflations/reversals prior to launch.
b. Demonstrates 2 successful, smooth, confident launches where the wind is at least 15° to straight up the hill in wind not exceeding 5 mph.
c. Demonstrates 2 no-wind (0-5 mph) launches.
d. Demonstrates 2 high-wind (10-15 mph) launches.
e. Demonstrates how to brief and instruct a ground crew.
Ridge Soaring (RS):
a. Demonstrates the ability to kite and launch safely on a slope producing sustainable ridge lift
b. Demonstrates the ability to fly a standard traffic pattern in both isolated and traffic conditions, illustrating the ability to communicate properly with other pilots in the pattern.
c. Demonstrates the ability to soar in a crosswind without stalling on downwind legs, and demonstrates the ability to fly at minimum sink without stalling in turns.
d. Demonstrates the ability to perform consistent and safe top landings.
Light Wind Cliff or Ramp Launch (CL):
a. Demonstrates the ability to launch safely from a shallow slope ramp or non-abrupt or overhung cliff top, where running room is severely restricted, drop off is steep, and wind is 5 m.p.h. or less, such that positive attitude control and strong, committed sprinting starts are required. Stalled, falling/diving launches are not acceptable demonstrations, even if flight is achieved.
Flat Slope Launches (FSL):
a. Demonstrates ability to launch in less than 10 mph wind from slopes which approach the maximum L/D of the glider.
Restricted Landing Field (RLF):
a. Demonstrates a landing using a downwind leg, base-leg, and a final leg approach where the entire base-leg, final, and landing occur within a 100′ square.
b. Demonstrates the ability to plan and execute consistent and controlled side hill landings on various slopes.
c. Demonstrates the ability to plan and execute consistent and controlled top landings from various approaches.
Turbulence (TUR):
a. Demonstrates controlled and un-panicked flight in conditions requiring quick, deliberate, substantial, and correct control application to reduce pendulum motion.
b. Demonstrates proper directional control and correction of full (i.e., 50% of the wing span) asymmetric collapses.
c. Demonstrates sustained flight in moderate thermal conditions without the aid of ridge lift.
d. Demonstrates smooth and correctly timed surge control.
e. Must have logged five 30-minute thermal flights without sustaining ridge lift.
High Altitude Launch (HA):
a. Demonstrates the ability to launch unassisted with strong, running forward-inflation launches in winds less than 5 m.p.h.
b. Demonstrates launches from sites with density altitude of 6000′ or higher.
c. Demonstrates understanding of high altitude conditions (e.g., air density, cloud suck, anabatic and katabatic conditions, hypoxia, hypothermia).