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USHPA Examiners

Examiners are appointed by Regional Directors for hang gliding, paragliding or both. Examiners are appointed by Regional Directors to serve for a period of one calendar year. Examiners are responsible for the appointment and performance of Observers for their craft (hang glider/paraglider/both), and to serve as a review person when questions regarding the Pilot Proficiency Program arise in their craft and area. Examiners will provide guidance to Observers in mediating conflicts at the pilot level. Examiners shall work cooperatively with the Regional Director/s, Observers and Instructors in his/her region to support their efforts to rate unrated sites, and to support the efforts of Instructors and Observers to obtain compliance by pilots with those site ratings.

Examiner appointments are reviewed annually for renewal by each Regional Director. An identification card, half-moon patch and materials will be sent by the USHPA office upon receipt of the appointment by the Director and the signed acceptance of appointment form.

5.05 OPERATIONS (EXAMINERS)

A. Appointing Observers:

1. Examiners may only appoint Observers for their particular craft and within the region in which they reside. Any Observer who moves from his region is subject to re-appointment by an Examiner in the 'new' region, but may issue valid ratings until re-appointment.
2. Observers are appointed by Examiners to serve for a period of one year. Observer appointments are reviewed annually for renewal by the Examiner who made the appointment unless the Examiner is no longer active, in which case, the name of the Observer will be sent to another Examiner for re-appointment.
3. Examiners may appoint themselves as Observers of their craft, but must inform the office and use the appropriate appointment form.
4. Observers must be USHPA Full Members with an Intermediate or higher rating in their craft. Non-renewal of membership after three months will cancel appointment. (Ratings issued by a non-renewed Observer are not valid.)
5. Examiners may appoint Foreign Observers to rate all skill levels in their craft for a specified time limit. The office will notify both the Foreign Observer and the Examiner 30 days prior to the expiration of the time limit. The Examiner may then re-evaluate the situation and act as necessary.

B. Residence:

1. Examiners who move from the region in which they were appointed must be re-appointed by the current Director in the new region before any new appointments are made.

C. Recommendations:

1. Examiners may recommend a candidate for attendance to an ICP of his craft, after establishing that the candidate has had experience and instruction in teaching for that craft. 2. Examiners may recommend Candidates for the 'Master Rating' of their craft to the Regional Directors.

D. Complaints and/or Accidents:

1. Examiners are responsible for the investigation of complaints of any Observer he/she has appointed. These findings will determine if the Observer appointment should be canceled or continued. If the Examiner fails to take action, the matter may be referred to the Regional Director.
2. Observers guilty of 'give-away' ratings or inactivity should be removed from the rolls by the Examiner.
3. Any accidents involving any appointee should be investigated and reported.

5.06 POLICIES (EXAMINERS)

A. Revocation of Appointments:

1. Examiners may revoke the appointment he/she made if the appointment is a detriment to the sport or the Pilot Proficiency Program.

B. Revocation/Reduction of Rating:

1. Ratings may be revoked or reduced; see SOP 12-7.

5.07 OBSERVERS

General Information:

Observers are appointed by an Examiner for one or more craft (hang glider/paraglider/both) for which they are an Examiner. Observers are only appointed by Examiners within his/her region and must be USHPA Full Members with Intermediate or higher pilot standing. The Observer's duties are to observe pilots' flying skills for rating Intermediate and Advanced ratings, Special Skills, administration of oral (optional) and written (mandatory) tests for those ratings and skills, and to write letters of recommendation for Master Rating applicants to indicate that he/she has known of the applicant's good judgment, safe practices, etc. for a period of three years, or less if indicated. Observers are to actively work to establish proficiency ratings for any flying sites in their area which are presently non-rated.

Observers are renewable each calendar year by the Examiner. If there is a change of residence, the Observer can rate pilots anywhere in the U.S., but must be renewed by the Examiner in the 'new region' in the following year. An identification card, half-moon patch and materials will be sent to all Observers by the USHPA office upon receipt of notification of appointment or re-appointment, and receipt of signed acceptance of appoint form.

5.08 OPERATIONS (OBSERVERS)

A. Administration of Ratings:

1. Observers may rate all levels of Intermediate, Advanced, Special Skills and make Master recommendations for their craft. An Observer may not issue a rating or special skill that he/she does not possess.
2. Pilots being observed must be Full Members of USHPA or be in the process of obtaining membership, and must have a previous rating one level below the rating being observed.
3. The pilot's flying skills, as required in Part 104, must be actually observed. The appropriate oral (optional) and written (required) tests can be administered at any time during the rating process.
4. The written test is corrected, using the appropriate Key Answer Sheet, after which the pilot is informed of his/her score.
5. The Observer completes the rating application, being sure to circle the proper rating level. The pilot (student) completes and signs the waiver and receives the rating portion of the form. The Observer retains the Instructor portion of the form for his/her records.
6. The Observer's signature on the rating application designates that the pilot has passed the flying and written test.
7. The pilot's portion of the rating application is only valid for 30 days, so the pilot should be informed that he/she must send in the waiver/application and appropriate rating fee (if needed).
8. It is the pilot's responsibility to send in the paperwork. Observers should not take the responsibility for sending a pilot's application to USHPA.
9. Foreign pilots may be rated for any level deemed appropriate. (See foreign rating policy.)
10. Specific foreign equivalent ratings are accepted for conversion to the USHPA system, as noted in USHPA SOP 12-6.

B. Rating Filing Fees:

Effective August 1st, 1998.
$15.00 fee per membership card generated.

1. Beginner (H-1, P-1) - $ 15.00, payable to USHPA
2. Novice (H-2, P-2) - $ 15.00, payable to USHPA
3. Intermediate (H-3, P-3) - $ 15.00, payable to USHPA
4. Advanced (H-4, P-4) - $ 15.00, payable to USHPA
5. Master (H-5, P-5) - $ 15.00, payable to USHPA
6. TOW (by ICPelf) - $ 15.00, payable to USHPA
7. FL (by ICPelf) - $ 15.00, payable to USHPA
8. Special Skills - $ 15.00, payable to USHPA
9. Portable Radio Authorization (PA) - $ 15.00, payable to USHPA
10. Vehicular Radio Authorization (VA) - $ 15.00, payable to USHPA

5.09 POLICIES (OBSERVERS)

A. Log Books:

1. Observers are encouraged to use, and suggest that pilots use, log books.

B. Revocation/Reduction of Ratings:

1. Ratings may be revoked or reduced; see SOP 12-7.

C. Observer Ratings:

1. Observers may NOT rate themselves for any rating level. They must be rated by another Observer or Advanced Instructor for the appropriate craft

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