For those of you who have been members for a while, you will know that the preferred member publication of USUA has been for twenty years, Ultralight Flying! Magazine. The magazine and USUA are two completely separate entities, Ultralight Flying! Magazine being owned by an individual in Chattanooga TN, and USUA being owned by you- our members. We have worked well together throughout the years, but there comes a time in every business relationship in which some changes need to be made.

We are proud to announce that beginning July 2005, the preferred member publication of USUA will be Ultraflight Magazine. Long heralded as the premier ultralight magazine for powered parachute enthusiasts, Ultraflight is branching out into the fixed wing realm, providing a well balanced approach to Ultralight news and commentary. With this new approach, Ultraflight Magazine promises to be an outstanding source of information for all USUA members- regardless of their vehicle or aircraft preference.

Many things have led USUA to the decision to make this change, but member sentiment was the most important. Even though we have embraced, supported and participated in the implementation of Sport Pilot/Light Sport Aircraft, USUA is first and foremost an ULTRALIGHT organization. (It is, you know, our middle name!) USUA has vowed to our members to continue to focus on the Part 103 side of the aisle. This is what originally shaped our organization, and is what is in most need of protection for our members, representation to FAA, and promotion to the non-aviation public. We will still provide our members who choose to participate in Sport Pilot, with top-quality programs designed to help in their transition, and will provide the same services for ALL members- regardless of the FAR they choose to fly under. But our first love is still the simple, single seat Ultralight.

Our members have made it clear that they want a balanced source of Ultralight information in their mailbox each month. Ultraflight, by coincidence, has also vowed to bring more focused reporting to the Part 103 crowd. The decision to recommit focus on Ultralights by the two entities (USUA and Ultraflight) happened completely independent of each other, but coincided none the less, at the time both were making important changes.

Another important aspect of the new relationship between USUA and Ultraflight Magazine is the increased amount of member information that will now be available. Ultraflight will be providing up to sixteen pages of space each month for use by USUA, to be used for in depth reporting about member programs such as Government Affairs, Competition, Safety & Training, Club activities, USUA merchandise, and others. You will also be able to enjoy these articles, and the rest of UltraFlightąs informative material, complete with high definition images in a glossy magazine - all for ten dollars less than you are paying now!

Together, USUA and Ultraflight Magazine are very happy about the new arrangement. USUA looks forward to the next 20 years, and hopes that you will be as pleased with the new format as we are.

What does this "really" mean? It simply means that many of the things from USUA (Director's Memo, Headquarters Report, Upcoming Events, etc.) that previously appeared in Ultralight Flying magazine, will now be published in UltraFlight magazine instead. Since we will have more room in UltraFlight magazine, we will be able to expand the amount of information we can publish each month.

Does this mean I will no longer receive Ultralight Flying magazine after July 2005? If you subscribed to Ultralight Flying magazine, you will continue to receive it, and USUA will continue to offer subscriptions to it. By the same token, if you did not subscribe to UltraFlight magazine, you will not automatically start getting it after July 2005.

I'm already a USUA member. How can I change my magazine preferences? Normally, members elect which magazine(s) they want subscriptions for, when they join or renew their USUA membership. New or renewing members can already elect to subscribe to UltraFlight magazine at the time of renewal.

We realize that many members are already in the middle of a membership cycle. If you are already a USUA member in the middle of a membership year, and wish to add a subscription to UltraFlight magazine during this transition period, please contact USUA.