Benefits of Membership

What you get for your €40 membership fee

  • New members and Student Pilots get their first year's membership (or part thereof) for free! - up to March 31. Just sign the membership form and waivers and pay for your insurance online.
  • The IHPA is a democratic association of pilots, run by pilots (volunteers) working together for the good of the sport and to protect the interests of pilots in Ireland.
  • Members have a direct say in how the Association is run.
  • Members can directly influence how issues affecting all pilots are dealt with – and raise issues to be dealt with.
  • Members can directly influence how Association funds are spent – and suggest projects.
  • Members benefit from member-to-member liability protection (members can not sue other members.)
  • Recognition and Representation at a national and international level.
  • Membership of the National Aero Club of Ireland (NACI) - see the Organisation & Afilliations page.
  • Free access to accurate, up to the minute weather data from the IHPA weather station on Mt. Leinster.
  • Free Coaching and First Aid courses.
  • Members can avail of the services of the IHPA's network of Coaches for free.
  • More members mean we have a louder voice where it counts (NACI / FAI / ISC / IAA / state bodies / landowners)
  • Affiliation (through NACI) to FAI/CIVL – see the Organisation & Afilliations page for the benefits of this.
  • FAI/CIVL internationally recognised and accepted Pilot Ratings scheme (Safe Pro & Para Pro) – Non-affiliated schools can not issue ratings and those pilots cannot get IPPI cards.
  • FAI / CIVL IPPI cards - for when you want to fly abroad.
  • FAI / CIVL Sporting License - for when you want to fly in FAI/CIVL sanctioned international competitions.
  • A detailed on-line sites guide - maps / descriptions hazards / photos / pilot's comments.
  • Liaison & relations with landowners - this is exceptionally important!
  • Christmas Whiskey Run - the IHPA delivers a bottle of whiskey to each of the landowners whose lands we use to fly form or land on.
  • Access to gated sites – (Para Pro 3 / Safe Pro 3 and above) - Mt. Leinster - The Galty Mts. - The Comeragh Mts. - Maulin Mt. - Bray Head - Keeper Hill - Devil's Bit.
  • Liason with Air Traffic Control - allows IHPA members to fly sites inside controlled air space by agreement.
  • Liason with Irish Aviation Authority on regulatory matters and updating airspace maps to include HG/PG flying sites.
  • IHPA negotiates bulk insurance deal with insurance companies - and is constantly searching for better cover and better prices.
  • An excellent website (though we say so ourselves!)
  • A list of all the members of the association around the country and their contact details so that you can find and fly with pilots near you.
  • Two open mailing lists to keep pilots informed and to help them fly together.
  • The IHPA assists members in competing in free flying competitions outside Ireland, including the World Championships and Pre-Worlds.
  • Contact point and liaison for foreign pilots / NGBs.
  • Competitions / XC league / Celtic Cup / foreign comps & opens.
  • Text alerts for competitions.
  • A clear conscience that issues affecting you, your flying and landowners are being taken care of on your behalf.
  • You are supporting the sport in Ireland and not taking advantage (as some do) of the work of the IHPA.

Not to put too fine a point on it, but not being a member is a selfish abuse of the privileges that members of the IHPA have worked hard over the years to gain for all pilots in Ireland.

What your Membership fee pays for:

  • Assisting members to compete in international competitions.
  • Membership of the National Aero Club of Ireland (about €292 per year.)
  • Website hosting by Internet Service Provider (about €000? per year.)
  • Christmas Whiskey for landowners (about €250 per year.)
  • Mt. Leinster weather station - running costs & maintenance (about €300 per year.)
  • Safe Pro and Para Pro Student's Training Record & Log Books - free to schools (about €25 per year.)
  • Postage and Stationary (about €000? per year.)
  • Other minor expenses incurred in the day to day running of the Association.
  • Accountant's fees for auditing the IHPA accounts at the end of the year (about €000? per year.)
  • The balance is banked so that the Association has some funds available for special or one-off projects like improving access to a flying site or the HG Bursary Scheme.

Officer's travel expenses, to and from the monthly committee meetings, are not paid for by your membership fee - that comes out of their own pockets, as does their time and efforts on your behalf.