For most of us, the flying season is just starting and the last thing we want to do is stay inside. Unfortunately, with the current coronavirus pandemic, many state and local governments have issued shelter-in-place orders or similar recommendations across the country. As the pandemic continues to progress, these are likely to become more prevalent.

USHPA strongly encourages compliance with all CDC, federal, state, local, and landowner restrictions. With that in mind, we strongly discourage solo and tandem instruction at this time in order to to protect everyone involved from the spread of COVID-19.

While solo hang gliding and paragliding may be the ultimate in social distancing, they can still have wide-reaching consequences. Please carefully consider the following when evaluating your decision to suspend flying:

·     In areas with active shelter-in-place orders, flying may be viewed negatively by the community, particularly if it results in an accident. Please use your best judgment as this could affect our sports in the future.

·     Shared car rides to launch or for emergency situations do not maintain CDC guidelines for social distancing.

·     Flying (especially aerobatics and XC) can have a high level of risk and likelihood of requiring emergency care if an accident occurs. Pilots should consider their risk threshold and if it is appropriate under the current circumstances.

·     An accident would further burden already overextended health and emergency services. This may not only affect your care but reduce the resources being used to fight COVID-19, putting others at risk. First responders may also be less available due to these circumstances.

·     Should you need to go to the hospital, you put yourself at a higher risk of being exposed to—and spreading—COVID-19. Furthermore, surgeries or other procedures may be delayed. Elective surgeries (including a broken collarbone) have been postponed in many states.

First responders and the medical community have always been there for us; now is the time for us to support them in return. Nationally, we see notifications of free flight accidents and incidents occurring weekly. With hospitals projected to soon be overwhelmed, each of us avoiding flying for the time being can make a difference and help save lives. Prominent pilots around the world, such as Chrigel Maurer, are pledging not to fly in light of recent circumstances. Cloudbase Mayhem also has a recent podcast worth hearing on this topic.

We deeply regret the cancellation or postponement of events and competitions for organizers and pilots, and aim to make rescheduling as seamless as possible. USHPA has also been working hard on new ways to support our members and the free flight community during this time, and we're pleased to release the 2015 and 2018 USHPA film festivals for you to watch from home. See below for more resources that can provide inspiration and help you stay connected to the pilot community.

For updates on free flight and the pandemic, please see our coronavirus updates page. If you have any questions during these unprecedented circumstances, please feel free to reach out anytime. You are also welcome, as always, to join USHPA's monthly remote board meeting on Tuesday, April 14 (details below).

We hope everyone stays safe and healthy!

Randall Shane

USHPA President