How paragliding and hang gliding rating systems work world wide:
The rating is linked to the association and the associations' insurance.
So to have an HPAC (Hang Gliding and Paragliding Association of Canada) Novice Rating
or USHGA (United States Hang Gliding Association) P2 rating you must be an member
and pay yearly dues/insurance.
There are no exceptions. This is true of most free flying associations world
wide. You cannot get or maintain a rating without also being an insured member of
the association.
The insurance in most cases does NOT cover YOU for your own personal injuries or
damage to your property. So if you spiral in to the ground: your medical bill
and glider will be all yours to pay...
It is strictly third party liability coverage, that is, it only covers innocent bystanders
and property of non paragliding participants. So it protects the general public
from us. So if you: crash through someone's' roof and also on someone
inside, killing them; land on a spectator; crash on someone's cow; hit a plane; crash
through someone's fence: they and/or their family would be compensated up to three
million dollars.
If you land on a car or freeway causing a multi car collision, they would be covered
(this perhaps, is the single most realistic and potentially devastating scenario
for flying sports). Just picture a paraglider/hang glider landing in moving freeway
traffic and you will get the complete picture.
The only reason most countries allow paragliding to occur unregulated is because
of the creation of associations which assure the countries transportation agency
that they will:
A. Self regulate (and more importantly)
B. Have third party insurance covering every rated pilot to protect the public from
our activities.
That is why you cannot get a rating from an association without also becoming a member
and therefore carry the third party insurance: protecting the public from you and
allowing our sport to exist freely.
That is also why any pilot who professes to love, care about and promote their sport,
must also implicitly hold of paramount value being a member of their association...