Nice to have eventually been able to synchronise our diaries and eventually meet up today. A good positive meeting, with a great bunch of pilots and impressive video from Korea to wet all our appetites. I look forward to meeting again soon.
In the meantime I am hoping you can assist me in understanding what I heard at the meeting today. I am aware that Dara Hogan attended today's meeting in a personal capacity, however as the Chairman of the IHPA and Vice President of the NACI I would expect clear information.
I'd be grateful if some of you can acknowledge that the response that Dara gave to my repeated question "Have the NMAI delegated the sporting powers for paramotoring to the IHPA" was that there was no written agreement and when asked if IHPA members can apply for sporting licences the answer was an emphatic No. His answer would also imply that neither the NACI nor the FAI have delegated the sporting powers for FLPA to the IHPA.
However Dara has previously wrote to this forum
" I should mention that pilots who want an FAI Sporting Licence or an IPPI card can only get them through IHPA or NMAI." The reason I ask for your opinion is due to our (IPPHAs) long running application to the NACI and the FAI for affiliation. The IPPHA was formed in Nov 06 and applied to the NACI for affiliation, we were verbally told by Paul Mc Mahon at the meeting in Citywest that the IHPA applied for FLPA sporting powers on the 6th of Jan, coincidentally one day before the IPPHAs application was received.
The following are excerpts are from emails:
From the IPPHA to the FAI (as the National Aero Club of Ireland is the Active Member of FAI in Ireland)
Believing that the National Aero Club of Ireland (NACI) was an appropriate body to represent our interests internationally, we sought affiliation with them. Disappointingly they chose to reject our request and our appeal for membership. They advised us to join or affiliate with either the National Microlight Association of Ireland (NMAI) or the Irish Hang Gliding and Paragliding Association (IHPA) on the basis that “paramotorgliding is already catered for by the IHPA and NMAI”. However, sadly, both of these organizations have repeatedly refused to provide information about how they actually do cater for the sport of FLPA and have consistently refused to provide information to facilitate affiliation, including any information on the qualifications and experience of those purporting to represent and manage the sport, leaving us to conclude that neither organisation has credible governing procedure in place.From Paul Mc Mahon to IPPHA
It is not within the remit of NMAI to delegate any sporting powers to anyone. We were contacted by IHPA in Dec 2006 to discuss Paramotors as microlight aircraft and agreed to leave Foot Launched microlight aircraft with IHPA as there was no airworthiness procedures in place for them at that time. We also agreed to endorse IHPA applications to NACI for FAI sporting licences as IHPA are also NACI affiliated. At no time could we delegate powers that we dont have. Neither NMAI or IHPA process sporting licences. These licences are applied for through NACI and NMAI merely endorse applications for IHPA members as NMAI have this delegated to us through CIMA and FAI.NMAI do not look after foot launch issues and perhaps these issues would be best addressed with IHPA.This information seems to contradict the following:
http://www.fai.org/system/files/fai_statutes_2009.pdf 2.4.3. EXERCISE OF SPORTING POWERS
2.4.3.1. Subject to the provisions of Section 1.8. and Paragraph 4.2.2.12., FAI Active Members shall exercise Sporting Powers in their respective Countries, including the right to issue FAI Sporting Licences on behalf of FAI or to suspend or cancel any that they have issued.
2.4.3.2. An Active Member may delegate to another aeronautical organisation within his Country part of his Sporting Powers. FAI shall be notified promptly. Such delegation shall not diminish the Active Member's responsibilities and obligations listed in Paragraph 2.4.2.2. ; therefore, all parties concerned shall keep the Active Member involved and the FAI Secretariat informed of all significant developments pertaining to any aeronautical sporting event to be held in that Member's Country.
From Tom McCormack, President, National Aero Club of Ireland to IPPHA. "
If a new organisation emerges to represent Paramotoring as outlined in Paul McMahon’s proposal it will be accepted as a member of NACI. However until such time as a new Paramotoring Commission is established by the Federation Aeronautique Internationale all paramotoring matters relating to FAI will be dealt with by the National Microlight Association of Ireland". From Dara Hogan to IPPHA
In relation to powered flight, NACI has confirmed its position that these airsports are already represented by two existing NACI members - NMAI and IHPA......... I have met with NMAI and we have agreed between us that NMAI will focus on wheeled aircraft and that IHPA will focus on foot-launched aircraft.Daras postings to this forum:
" we completely avoided the IAA for decades. We were far from "in" with them. Up until 2007, IHPA's official policy (adopted by our members at AGM) was to have no contact with IAA.... Accordingly, my first ever meeting with IAA was a consultation on 28-Jun-07 (which was also attended by Jerry Parles & Co). This begs the question:
How was FLPA being represented by NMAI (NMAI do not look after foot launch issues ) or IHPA (my first ever meeting with IAA was a consultation on 28-Jun-07) prior to the IPPHA application???
Perhaps instead of having the carpet worn going into the IAA we should direct our enquiries to the FAI and the NACI.
One question you might ask of the FAI and the NACI is, if as the NACI claim, that their active affiliated members NMAI and IHPA were the representative bodies for FLPA why does the IHPA and Vice President of the NACI not know or say this when questioned at todays meeting.
Another question that then arises is if the IHPA have not been delegated the sporting powers for foot launched aviation, why have the IPPHA been denied affiliation and the sporting powers?
Why would a new organisation to represent Paramotoring be accepted as a member of the NACI and not the existing IPPHA?
If you would like to know the answers to these or any other relevant questions I respectfully suggest that you address them to the following email addresses identifying that you are not a member of the IPPHA (we will be sending our own) but would like some clarity on how the FAI and its FLPA pilots are being represented in Ireland. We may eventually get some evidence-based answers.
Max Bishop, Secretary General Fédération Aéronautique Internationale, Email:
maxb@fai.org" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false Website :
http://www.fai.orgTerry Rowan, Vice President FAI.
terry.rowan@upcmail.ie" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false
Tom McCormack, President, National Aero Club of Ireland.
tom.mccormack@aeroclub.ie" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false
Kind regards
Gerry
Sat Oct 31, 2009 11:25 pm 
