By Henri Corderoy du Tiers
President, IDPA-France

At first we thought very few deaf Europeans would attend this year's IDPA Fly-in at San Martin, Calif., because the San Francisco area is such a long way from Europe. But the opposite turns out to be true, because Mark Stern, the fly-in's organizer, has provided such enticing information about it.

This year, as many as 12 deaf Europeans will attend the fly-in. They are:

• From France, Eric Debieuvre (his 3rd fly-in visit); Philippe and Brigitte Sazarin; Pascale Gicquel (who attended last year's fly-in at Frederick, Md.), with her friend Cyril Verricha; Daniel Abbou (a deaf French television host), perhaps Philippe Marti (who attended the 1994 fly-in at Manteo, N.C.) and me.

• From the United Kingdom, Mike Tyacke (who attended the Frederick fly-in), and Joan Hartley and her hearing husband, both glider pilots.

• From Germany, Norbert Beckmann (his 3rd fly-in, too). Not bad at all!

• The Eastern France Deaf Association invited me to give a lecture on March 31 to explain how a deaf person can fly as a private pilot.

• A week-long training program on ULM (Ultra Light Motorized) aircraft (in an 80 horsepower, two-seat trainer) will be organized for the first time this summer near the French Riviera. Four deaf student pilots and their instructor will participate. If the program is successful, it will be held once or twice a year. Possibly IDPA-France may purchase an ULM for the training program, for renting by deaf pilots only.

• In September, a three-day para-gliding training program will be offered for deaf participants in the Alps.

• There also will be a charter day on a Saturday in which a DC-3 Dakota will be rented for 23 IDPA-France members on a round-trip flight to Deauville in Normandy for a picnic or lunch at a restaurant there.

• We also are looking forward to the fifth anniversary of IDPA-France in April, 2001, (during which we'll have one week of ULM training as well as a fly-in) and the international Fly-in in Australia in July 2001.

Meanwhile, Aero-Club de France has established a new "Virtual Pilot license" for computer flight simulator users. Anybody can obtain it by training on its Web site, http://www.onlinepilot.com. IDPA-France is encouraging a competition for an award to the first deaf person who obtains his or her Virtual Pilot license.

Finally, despite the recent negative decision by the French Supreme Court, I am still fighting for my right to fly as a private pilot in France as well as the rest of Europe with my strong team, which includes as Sylvain De Weerdt, of AOPA/EU, my lawyer, my chief pilot and the Aero-Club de France.