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2007 | 2006 I 2005 I 2004 I 2003 I 2002 I 2001
Skydiving Records Receive NAA Honor (updated 02/21/08) As part of its annual Spring Awards Luncheon, the National Aeronautic Association will honor the recipients of the "Most Memorable Aviation and Space Records or 2007." Included in this year’s list are the 69-way head-down large formation record set at Skydive Chicago and the 100-way canopy formation record established at the Florida Skydiving Center. The event will be held Thursday, March 6, 2008, at the Crystal Gateway Marriott in Arlington, Virginia, with a reception at 11:30 a.m., followed at noon by the luncheon. All record participants are invited to attend and tickets can be purchased from the NAA for $75 per person (tables of 8 are available at a discounted rate of $550). For more information and to purchase tickets, contact Mr. Art Greenfield at (703) 417-1680 or awgreenfield@naa.aero. Chris Needels to Receive NAA Award (updated 02/21/08) National Aeronautic Association President John Gaffney announced this week that the NAA will honor USPA Executive Director-Emeritus Christopher J. Needels with its highest organizational award, the Certificate of Honor, for his 13 years of service to USPA as well as his many years on the board and Executive Committee of NAA. The award will be presented at the NAA’s annual Spring Awards Luncheon, March 6, 2008, at the Crystal Gateway Marriott in Arlington, Virginia. For more information, contact the NAA at springawards@naa.aero. USPA Meets with AOPA (updated 02/14/08)
USPA Executive Director Ed Scott’s first outreach meeting was with Phil Boyer, president of the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association, in Frederick, Maryland. AOPA represents 415,000 pilots who comprise general aviation and fly for sport, recreation, transportation and business. AOPA committed to using information provided by USPA to educate and inform their members about skydive operations, to safely share the skies. More details about the meeting will appear in "Gearing Up" in the April issue of Parachutist. USPA's Board Meeting Completes (updated 02/10/08) The UPSA Board of Directors met in Orlando, Florida, February 8-10. Highlights include—
A full report will appear in the April issue of Parachutist. College Students Compete at Nationals (updated 01/01/08)
With clear, windless skies over Eloy, Arizona, and temperatures in the mid-50s, 87 college skydivers from 10 universities gathered at Skydive Arizona for the 2007 USPA National Collegiate Parachuting Championships, Saturday, December 29. Events include 2- and 4-way formation skydiving, 2-way Vertical Relative Work, classic, and sport accuracy, and a new test event, 6-way speed formation skydiving. Perfect weather prevailed throughout the three-day meet, giving meet director Bryan Burke a perfect venue to honor USPA's college constituency. Jacques-Andre Istel, a pioneer of the sport and one of the early members of the USPA board when it was called the Parachute Club of America, dropped by to congratulate the students and thank them for their participation in the event he started 50 years ago in Connecticut. All events were completed by sunset and the awards ceremony was Monday night. Click here for results. Watch for a full report in the March Parachutist.
Rhodes Honored with FAI Award (updated 12/10/07) USPA member Scott Rhodes chose the annual reunion of the U.S. Army Parachute Team, the Golden Knights, to be honored as the recipient of the 2006 FAI Leonardo da Vinci diploma on December 8 in Fayetteville, North Carolina. USPA President Glenn Bangs, former member of the team, made the presentation to Rhodes, also a former member. Surrounded by hundreds of their life-long friends, President Bangs quoted the FAI's inscription on the handsomely framed diploma: "For his unparalleled success as a national and world skydiving champion, and his command and leadership within the world skydiving community." Rhodes was a member of several U.S. Formation Skydiving Teams, winning world champion medals in 1987, '90, '91, '93, '95 and '97. His team set world records four times in six years during that period and in 1990 set a 4-way FS world record. In fact, as team captain, the U.S. 8-way FS team was never defeated in world competition. He proved to be a role model for every competitor world-wide and remains an active skydiver and role model.
Antitrust Lawsuit is Settled (updated 12/04/07) Statement to USPA Members Concerning Skyride Antitrust Litigation On November 29, 2007, the United States Parachute Association (USPA) ended a two-year-old legal dispute with entities affiliated with 1-800-SKYRIDE. USPA believes this action best serves the interests of its members, the USPA and the sport of skydiving. As a statement recently posted on the USPA's website indicates, in conjunction with a resolution of a federal antitrust lawsuit against USPA, USPA has restored the memberships of three entities and two persons affiliated with 1-800-SKYRIDE and discontinued a "consumer alert" concerning 1-800-SKYRIDE. While specific details concerning the resolution of this litigation must remain confidential, USPA wants to reassure its members that it did not take these steps without careful consideration. USPA denies all liability in the lawsuit, and its attorneys were continuing to vigorously defend its actions. In fact, USPA succeeded in dismissing four of the eight claims lodged against it early in the litigation. However, as any person or business involved in litigation must do, USPA regularly explored and assessed all available options for favorably and efficiently resolving this dispute. The lawsuit contained a number of allegations about current and former USPA officials making statements and taking actions unfairly targeting persons and entities affiliated with 1-800-SKYRIDE. These allegations, which formed the basis of the remaining claims, were not likely to be fully resolved without substantial additional delay and cost. And, regardless of USPA's belief in the arguments it was prepared to make, there was no guarantee that a judge or jury would view the facts in a similar manner. Thus, given the relevant risks and options, the elected leadership of USPA decided now was the proper time to end this dispute in an amicable manner in the best interests of our sport, and, after considerable effort, was pleased it was able to do so. USPA has never sought, and does not seek, to regulate the business activities of its members. However, all USPA members must comply with the organization's policies and procedures, which include a requirement to uphold basic ethical principles, and comply with state and federal laws. USPA does not accept members who are unwilling to adhere to these standards, and it does not tolerate violations of these principles by its members. USPA will use its best efforts to avoid future situations in which its internal proceedings become unnecessarily entangled in litigation. USPA simply believes resolution of its legal dispute with the 1-800-SKYRIDE entities at this time will allow all relevant parties to move forward. USPA believes its efforts are best spent promoting the safety and enjoyment of skydiving. World Record Canopy Formation (updated 11/26/07) On Wednesday, November 21, 2007, 100 skydivers from 15 countries joined together over Lake Wales, Florida, to form the largest canopy formation ever, a new world record. Organized by U.S. skydivers Chris Gay, Mike Lewis and Brian Pangburn, the jumpers began practicing for the world record early in the week, with success coming Wednesday.
Many of the participants had been on previous records, but this latest feat also included many who had not previously been involved in any of the the attempts. It was definitely a reason to give thanks during the Thanksgiving holiday weekend. World Cup of Canopy Piloting Completes (updated 11/12/07) The U.S. Canopy Piloting Team traveled to Picton, Australia, south of Sydney, to compete at the 4th World Cup of Canopy Piloting 2007. Team manager Jonathan Tagle said weather had been a factor, slowing competition for the first day, November 8.
The team (in order of standing at the USPA Nationals), Shannon Pilcher, Ian Bobo, Brian McNenney, Scott Roberts, Isaiah McCauliffe, Thomas Dellibac, Jonathan Tagle, Dan Raymond, Albert Berchtold, John Judy and Pete Schwartz, had been on site since November 6, hoping to get in some practice on the pond, but rainy, windy skies interfered. In fact, the opening ceremony was held inside the huge tent because of the weather.
Sunny skies on Saturday allowed for jumping all day, and by sunset, the speed and distance events were complete. Canadian Jay Moledzki took the gold, with USA jumpers Jonathan Tagle, Isaiah McCauliffe, Brian McNenney, Shannon Pilcher, Ian Bobo and Thomas Dellibac in the next six spots. In Distance, Moledzki placed first, with Tagle, McCauliffe, Pilcher and Bobo coming in second through fifth. The final day of the competition enjoyed perfect weather with a slight breeze. The USA fared very well in all three events: speed, accuracy and distance. During the spectacular closing ceremonies, the medals were hung in all three, including the overall winners: Jason Moledzki, Canada, Gold In addition, USA team members Brian McNenney came in fourth, Isaiah McCauliffe fifth, and Shannon Pilcher sixth. It was a great meet for the U.S. Look for complete coverage in the January Parachutist. Board of Directors Selects New Executive Director (updated 11/08/07)
The USPA Board of Directors has selected Ed Scott to serve as executive director effective in December. He succeeds Chris Needels, who is retiring after serving in the position for nearly 14 years. Scott has served as USPA Director of Government Relations and Group Membership for 11 years. He is an active skydiver and retired jumpmaster with more than 1,200 jumps. Scott also holds a commercial pilot certificate with an instrument rating and has logged more than 1,000 hours of flight time, much of it as a jump pilot. Said Scott, "I'm excited by the opportunity to help the board bring even more value to USPA's members." He continued, "Our members expect and deserve a full-service organization that continually works to reduce the risk, increase the fun, hold the costs and maximize skydiving's right of access to the national airspace system. An interview with Scott will appear in next month's issue of Parachutist. NTSB Determines Cause in Jump Plane Collision (updated 10/25/07) The National Transportation Safety Board has concluded that a jump plane struck a skydiver under canopy because the jump pilot conducted an "inadequate visual lookout." On April 23, 2005, a descending Twin Otter's left wing struck a videographer who had exited the aircraft earlier with a tandem pair. The collision occurred at an estimated 600 to 1,000 feet over the DeLand Airport in Florida. The NTSB also found that there were "no written protocols" for jump plane operations there. Read the NTSB report here. USPA Awards National Record (updated 11/08/07)
USPA recently issued its first national record certificate for a national record that was not a part of a world record dossier. Because world records must first be recognized as national records, in accordance with the International Parachuting Commission (IPC) rules, the National Aeronautic Association, which processes world record claims, has, on occasion, issued national record certificates. In addition, world record dossiers can only be submitted for categories established by the IPC. Now, with USPA’s new national and state records program in full force, and the fact that the IPC has yet to accept vertical relative work 4-way as a category, USPA has issued a national record to members of the Arizona Arsenal team—Sara Bennett, Amy Chmelecki, Steve Curtis, Ty Losey and Jason Peters—for their 19-point performance in round six at the 2007 USPA National Skydiving Championships on September 16. Caravan Crashes on Return Flight (updated 10/10/07) A Cessna Caravan with 10 people on board crashed Sunday night, October 7, in the Cascade mountains while returning to Shelton, Washington, from a weekend boogie in Star, Idaho. The pilot and all nine passengers on board were killed. The aircraft had departed Star around 7:30 p.m. Sunday for what should have been a two-and-a-half hour return flight. A search was initiated a few hours after the flight failed to return. The Caravan, owned by Kapowsin Air Sports located at Shelton, was flown by a single pilot and had nine passengers on board who had flown to the boogie from the Shelton area. Most of the passengers frequented Skydive Snohomish, another DZ north of Seattle. Jeep World of Adventure Sports to Air Nationals Coverage (updated 10/02/07) Tune in to NBC this Saturday, October 6, to see Jeep World of Adventure Sports coverage of the 2007 USPA National Skydiving Championships, which occurred September 8-21 at Skydive Chicago in Ottawa, Illinois. Three separate segments will air in the 4-6 p.m. (ET) slot. Check local NBC channel listings to confirm times and dates in your area. USPA Nationals Completes (updated 09/19/07) In near perfect weather, the 2007 USPA National Skydiving Championships began with the 4-way formation skydiving event Saturday, September 8 at Skydive Chicago in central Illinois. Fifty-eight teams-16 open, 15 advanced and 27 intermediate-made all 10 scheduled rounds by Sunday at noon in some of the most exciting competition ever conducted. The results will be used to select the U.S. Team that will compete in France next year, so competition was expected to be tough. Arizona Airspeed (with Andy Delk, Craig Girard, Brian Johnson, Mark Kirkby, Will Pesek and Eliana Rodriquez) won the open event with a 25.30-point average. Close behind was Fastrax Red with 244 points, and the Golden Knights Black team earned bronze with a 23-point average.
The advanced class had a slightly tighter competition, with Perris Aftermath (with Michael Anderson, John Hamilton, William Morrison, Piya Nava, Steve Saloman and Donald Simonds) taking first; Perris Katalyst was in second, and Cross Keys Vision won the bronze. Excitement in the intermediate class ran the whole event. Requiring a jump-off after round 10, Cross Keys Air Pollution (with John Baum, Robert Fields, Martin Schneider, Cherie Schuch and Karl Schuch) beat out U.S. Air Force Ascent by two points for the gold. Coming in third was SDC's Quattro. Although weather interrupted 8-way formation skydiving, the competition got underway Monday as scheduled, with 10 intermediate and nine open teams. Airspeed took the lead in round two and never looked back, taking the meet after 10 rounds with 189 points. Knight Trax placed second and Ace8 finished third.
Team SPX8 won the intermediate class with 72 points. Second place went to Carolina Black Ice, and third, requiring a jump-off because of a 61-point tie, went to Perris Active8. Team Accuracy has final results after eight rounds with Skydive Rick's (Jimmy Drummond, Jim Hayhurst, Rick Kuhns, and Drew Riffle) taking first with 56 centimeters. Individual Accuracy continues tomorrow and should have final results by morning. Six teams entered the 16-way event. Airspeed ran away with first place, with a score of 69 in the six-round event. Not far behind was Knights Defiance with 61 points and in third was the Texas team, Deguello 17. Canopy Formation and 10-way formation skydiving start Friday.
High winds delayed completion of freefall style & accuracy landing, but medals were hung Saturday morning after five rejumps caused by the errant weather. Women's overall, with first in both accuracy and in style, was Elisa Tennyson; second went to Cheryl Stearns with third and second, and the bronze was won by Karen Morrison, scoring second in accuracy and fourth in style.
The men's overall medals were awarded to first place James Hayhurst (3rd accuracy and 1st style), Drew Riffle (4th and 3rd), second, and Jimmy Drummond (6th and 2nd) in third. The team accuracy medals, and winner of the Thacker Cup, went home with Skydive Rick's, scoring a total of 56 centimeters in the eight-round event. The artisic events were completed in one day, requiring just a couple of hours the next day to finish the judging. Medals were hung Sunday night in all three disciplines-skysurf, freeflying and freestyle. In skysurfing, Perris Skysurf (with Sean McCormac and Craig O'Brien) took the gold, with Resurrection winning the silver and Elsinore H2 earning the bronze. Only two teams entered the freeflying intermediate, with Lunacy (with George Adcock and Joseph and David Lunardi) going home with the gold. Freeflying open had five teams; world record holders Spaceland Anomaly (with Trent Alkek, Steve Boyd and Jed Lloyd) finished first, Solstice came in second, and Groovalicious placed third. Only three teams entered the freestyle event. Team Robot Lords from Tokyo (with Bryce Witcher and Jason Peters) took the event after having just returned from the world cup in Russia. Second place went to Flew-ID and third to CSC Invasion.
Canopy Formation competition finished Monday with the 8-way speed and 4-way sequential events. Finishing Sunday was the 4-way rotation event, won by Fayard-4 (with Mario Bufalino, Chris Gay, Mark Gregory, Brian Pangburn, Mike Paolin and Keith Thivierge) At the end of the 2-way sequential event, FSC-2 (with Chris Gay, Mark Gregory and Keith Thivierge) took home the gold. During the meet, round seven became a world record when the team turned 16 points in the 60-second working time. Eight-way speed, with four teams, was won by Fayard Speed; second was Crewzin and bronze went to Frayed So. The combined canopy formation medals went to Chris Gay, Mark Gregory and Keith Thivierge. The new vertical relative work event also finished yesterday. Only three teams entered the open class, which was won by Mandrin (with Mike Wittenburg, David Brown, Brian Buckland, Rook Nelson, Jon Pinyon and Kyle Starck). Arizona Arsenal came in second, and no medal was given to third because of rule that at least four teams must enter to give three sets of medals. The intermediate event had five teams, with gold going to Drive (with James Flaherty, Keith Fournier, Paul Hardin, Mickey Nuttall and Will Pesek). Silver went to Train Wreck, and bronze went to Elsinore Jedi. In canopy piloting, after three rounds of zone accuracy, speed and distance, medals were hung for the open and intermediate classes. Overall open gold went to Shannon Pilcher, Ian Bobo earned second and the bronze went to Mathew Lewis. The three intermediate overall medals went to Karl Eakins, John Zagoda and Troy Church, first, second and third respectively. Watch for a complete report in the November Parachutist. Kent to Receive Gold Medal (updated 09/07/07) Skydive DeLand, Florida, will host a party October 27 for renown freefall photographer/movie-maker Norman Kent, where he will be presented USPA's 2006 Gold Medal for Meritorious Service. Kent's credits include movies such as "Drop Zone" and "Terminal Velocity," award winning commercials for Coca-Cola and Visa, and TV credits that include two Olympic opening ceremonies. His work within the sport has been featured in Parachutist magazine countless times, as well as every significant skydiving publication in the world creating some of the sport's most iconic images. Kent's Gold Medal reads, "For nearly 30 years of contributions to skydiving and the USPA. Norman's work has put the highest artistic touch on images of our sport that have been seen by millions. Wallace to Receive Gold Medal (updated 08/28/07) At its meeting earlier this year, the USPA Board of Directors named Jim Wallace as one of the recipients of the 2006 Gold Medal for Meritorious Service. Wallace, who started jumping in 1970, has accumulated more than 18,000 jumps and 300 hours of freefall time. Along with his wife, Gail Sims, he owns and operates the Jim Wallace Skydiving School at the Perris Valley Skydiving Center in Southern California. Wallace holds every skydiving license and rating available and teaches skydiving in all disciplines. As a member of the Screen Actor's Guild, he's been a stuntman in several movies, including "Point Break," "Navy Seals" and "Terminal Velocity." He was a member of the 1975 U.S. Team that competed at the first World Parachuting Championships of Relative Work in Warendorf, West Germany. The handsome medal, framed in cherry wood, reads, "In recognition of almost 40 years dedicated to the skydiving community, and especially USPA, with boundless energy and enthusiasm as an instructor, demonstration jumper, U.S. Team member, and movie stuntman." USPA President Glenn Bangs and other local skydiving dignitaries will be on hand during the POPS 120-way record attempts October 6 in Perris to make the presentation. Skydivers Urged to Comment on Reserve Repack Proposal (updated 08/03/07) August 20 is the deadline for all comments on the FAA’s recent Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (pdf) to lengthen the repack cycle for reserve parachutes from 120 days to 180 days. The FAA published the proposal after years of effort by USPA and PIA, which most recently submitted a joint petition. All skydivers are encouraged to submit comments in support of the rule change. You can e-mail comments by going to http://dms.dot.gov and following the instructions or fax your comments to the DOT at (202) 493-2251. Be sure to identify your comments by Docket Number FAA-2005-21829. International Team in U.S. Claims World Record (updated 08/03/07) On their 14th attempt, 69 jumpers from around the world jumping at Skydive Chicago in Ottawa, Illinois, set the new world record for the largest formation in a head-down orientation. It held for almost 10 seconds, an incredible feat. Breaking the 53-way record set two years ago in California, chief judge Scott Smith said that it was awesome to look at and fun to judge. Organized by world-class skydivers Jon DeVore, Rook Nelson and Mike Swanson—freestyle team Alchemy—the outstanding performance was filmed by Brian Buckland, Norm Kent and Jason Peters. Watch for complete coverage in the October issue of Parachutist. Racer Tandem Flex Pin Safety Notice (updated 08/02/07) Jump Shack, maker of the Racer harness and container system, has issued a safety advisory regarding the main container closing pin used with the company's tandem system. The main container flaps of the tandem system are held closed with a Lolon-covered flex pin, which is inserted through the main container closing loop and connected to the drogue bridle. Once the drogue release handle is pulled, the drogue extracts the flex pin out of the closing loop and pulls the main bag from the container. Two of these flex pins have failed during tandem jumps when one end of the cable pulled free of the metal collar used to create a loop in the end of the cable. This caused the drogue bridle to detach from the closing pin and resulted in a container lock with a drogue-in-tow malfunction. In both cases, the reserve canopy deployed past the drogue, and both tandem pairs landed uneventfully. The report does not indicate how much time passed between the two failures, but it does say that the flex pins were apparently manufactured in 2004. The faulty flex pins were found to have only two crimps in their metal collar instead of the three crimps normally used to assemble them. Jump Shack will provide rig owners with one free replacement flex pin for each tandem rig. Additional flex pins are available for $3 each plus shipping. Further information can be found in the company's Safety Advisory available here (pdf) and at www.jumpshack.com. USPA Summer Board Meeting Completes (updated 07/13/07) The USPA Board of Directors met July 13-15 in San Francisco for the summer meeting. Highlights include—
A full report will appear in an upcoming issue of Parachutist. USA Competes at Russian International Cup (updated 07/04/07) Four-way formation skydiving teams from Russia and the USA, including Arizona Airspeed and Team Fastrax, have been competing at the sixth annual Anton Malevsky Memorial International Cup, July 3-7, in Stupino, southeast of Moscow, Russia. With $36,000 in prize money up for grabs for the top six places, the Malevsky Meet has become one of the premier international events to attend. The USA had three teams in last year's competition, with Team Fastrax ending up third among the 11 teams entered. The event will serve as a warm-up for top teams when they compete at the USPA National Skydiving Championships in September.
Rainy weather hampered the training week before the meet began Wednesday, July 4. Adding to the hassle was the fact that the airlines lost Airspeed's equipment, keeping them from meeting their on-site practice schedule. The opening ceremonies were delayed due to heavy rain on Tuesday night before the meet began, and fog delayed for a couple hours the first round on Wednesday. Seven of the 10 rounds were completed by sunset on Wednesday putting Airspeed in a commanding lead, followed by Fastrax in a tie with Russia Sky Panthers for second. As hoped for, the meet finished by noon on Thursday, with Airspeed Odyssey taking home the gold and $12,000. They finished the meet with an impressive 26-point average. Fastrax outscored the Panthers in round eight by five points to secure their second place win and $10,000 prize. It was a great meet for the U.S. For more information, click here for the official website and check back here for updates. Canopy Formation Web Challenge Announced (updated 07/03/07) The FAI Parachuting Commission (IPC) has launched the Canopy Formation Web Challenge, an international competition in the events of the Canopy Formation discipline. Open to both novices and those with some experience in Canopy Formation, the program is ideal for introducing inexperienced competitors from all parts of the world to the discipline. For more information on the Canopy Formation Web Challenge, visit the IPC homepage. “Fantastic” Jump to be Televised (updated 05/24/07) To see an incredible exhibition jump, jumpers should tune their TVs to FOX this Sunday to catch skydivers opening the Coca-Cola 600 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series Race at the Lowe’s Motor Speedway in Concord, North Carolina. But this demo will be more than a flag jump. The Silver Surfer will swoop a group of formation skydivers to promote the summer’s anticipated blockbuster sequel: “Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer,” opening in theaters nationwide on June 15. Fox will broadcast the “fantastic” exhibition jump live at 5 p.m. EDT. Check your local listings, and tune in to your FOX affiliate to catch all the action. Strong Enterprises Issues Service Bulletin (updated 04/19/07) Strong Enterprises in Orlando, Florida, has released a Service Bulletin regarding their Quasar II, Quasar II Trainer and Military Quasar II harness and container systems. A few containers have experienced restricted pilot chute deployments of the reserve system during activation on the ground. No reported deployment problems have occurred on an actual skydive. Strong recommends each rig be returned to the factory for updates before its next jump. There is no charge for the work, which includes reserve container flap modifications and a new reserve pilot chute. According to Strong Enterprises, this bulletin affects approximately 200 containers in the U.S. and an additional 400 containers in other parts of the world. Click here for the bulletin. USPA Still Accepting Bids to Host Nationals (updated 04/18/07) At its board meeting earlier this year, USPA selected Skydive Arizona to host the 2008 USPA National Skydiving Championships and Skydive Spaceland in Rosharon, Texas, as host of the 2008 USPA National Collegiate Parachuting Championships. Because no bids were submitted for the 2008 Canopy Piloting Nationals, the board is still seeking bids. Additionally, because of the board’s intention to select sites two years out, it’s asking Group Members to consider hosting the 2009 USPA Nationals, all events including (or not) canopy piloting. The board will also consider bids received for the 2009 Collegiates at its meeting July 13-15, 2007, in San Francisco. Group members wishing to submit bids should do so by June 1, in accordance with the Skydiver’s Competition Manual, which can be found here. We look forward to hearing from you and those with questions can e-mail USPA. USPA Accepting Awards Nominations (updated 03/20/07) USPA is accepting nominations for USPA achievement awards until May 15. At its next board meeting July 15-17 in San Francisco, USPA will consider nominations received for the Lifetime Achievement Award, the Gold Medal for Meritorious Service, and for awards managed by the National Aeronautic Association and the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale. Descriptions of the awards and procedures for nominating individuals appear in the Skydiver's Information Manual, available here. More information is available from USPA Headquarters. FAA Proposes New Fees for ATC (updated 02/15/07) On February 14, the FAA released its plan to revamp air traffic control to a cost-based system funded by a combination of user fees, fuel taxes, and the general fund. Though the FAA has not yet finalized all details, it does say that “Air traffic user fees would apply to commercial flights by turbine-powered aircraft (jets and turboprops).” Exactly how the rates will be structured is still to be determined, but there would be separate fees for enroute, terminal, and other airspace. The FAA intends to introduce congestion fees for those that use the airspace around the 30 large, congested hub airports. Whether those fees would be restricted to the surrounding Class B airspace, or beyond, is not specified. The FAA also proposes an increase in the federal fuel tax to 70 cents per gallon on both avgas (currently taxed at 19.3 cents per gallon) and jet fuel (currently taxed at 21.8 cents per gallon). Already, there are many in Congress who have expressed displeasure and disagreement with the administration’s proposal. Clearly there will be a political battle before this is decided. USPA staff is reviewing the fine print for details. More information is on the FAA web site here: http://www.faa.gov/regulations_policies/reauthorization/ Canopy Collisions on the Rise (updated 03/20/07) In the past ten months there have been nine fatalities associated with canopy collisions or low maneuvers to avoid a collision. They are definitely on the rise. The accidents have primarily been the result of a collision between jumpers flying a high-performance approach through groups of lower canopies flying at lower speeds. Speak with your local Safety & Training Advisor or drop zone owner, and ask for changes in landing area rules which will help make them safer for all jumpers. The time for action is now; our membership is asking for safer skies, and it is up to each of us to make the necessary changes! Once the newly established guidelines have been finalized, make sure each jumper is fully aware of the new landing area policies when arriving at the drop zone. Safety Check in the March issue of Parachutist offers some suggestions to help make our landing patterns safer: Click here for the online version of the article. Click here for additional information on canopy flight and traffic management. FAA Accepts USPA’s View on Sightseeing Flights (updated 02/12/07) The FAA has issued new rules affecting “sightseeing” flights, allowing many small sightseeing companies to continue flying under Part 91, the general operating rules. The notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM), issued three years ago, had proposed requiring all operators to fly under the more stringent regulations that apply to commercial air carriers. USPA submitted comments to the docket opposing the FAA’s proposal overall and making sure the FAA did not confuse any aspect of a skydiving flight as a sightseeing flight. “We could have safely assumed that the FAA would not include skydiving in the proposal, but USPA wanted to ensure that skydiving’s interests would be protected,” said Executive Director Chris Needels. Here are USPA’s comments. Winter BOD Meeting Completes (updated 02/04/07) The USPA Board of Directors met February 2-4 in Reno, Nevada. Highlights include—
Look for a full report in the March issue of Parachutist. United Parachute Technologies Announces Service Mandate (updated 02/01/07) Following damage found to a reserve ripcord in January on an older Vector II tandem rig, United Parachute Technologies (formerly The Relative Workshop) has issued a service bulletin requiring inspection of all tandem loop-style reserve ripcords installed on the company’s tandem equipment and manufactured by Relative Workshop prior to October 2004. Ripcords manufactured during this period can be identified by the black shrink wrap on the swage (metal sleeve crimped around the ripcord cables to join them together) and should be inspected following the instructions on the company’s website. They should be checked for any broken filaments (strands of metal woven together to make a ripcord cable) and replaced immediately if any damage is found. Since October 2004, the company has used clear shrink wrap so the filaments may be visibly inspected without moving the shrink wrap. The inspection must be completed before the next jump and can be performed by any certified rigger. Click here for the Service Bulletin.
USPA is on MySpace (updated 01/02/07)
USPA's new MySpace page should give its members another way to reach USPA employees and provide an easy link to non-skydivers interested in joining the fantastic sport of skydiving. Like all MySpace pages, the site is a work in progress, with future updates to include: videos (2006 USPA Nationals video is almost ready), pictures of HQ staff (so members know who they're talking to when they call or e-mail), surveys, polls and lots more. There is also a blog to give an insider peek into the day-to-day happenings at USPA headquarters. Anyone currently on MySpace should add UPSA as a friend at www.myspace.com/_uspa (please note the underscore). Winter 2007 USPA Board Meeting (updated 01/09/07) The next BOD meeting will be held February 2-4, 2007, at the Silver Legacy Resort and Casino in Reno, Nevada. The next General Membership Meeting will be held at 7 p.m. on February 2, 2007, at the same location. All USPA members in good standing are encouraged to attend. Click here for details and meeting agendas. New Board Elected (updated 01/05/07) The election of the 2007-2008 USPA Board of Directors is complete with the following results. Winner's names are in bold:
National Collegiates Competition Underway (updated 01/03/07) In near perfect Florida weather, 75 college students from 12 colleges gathered December 27-30 at the Florida Skydiving Center southwest of Orlando for the 2006 USPA National Collegiate Parachuting Championships. Participants competed for medals and national recognition in 2- and 4-way formation skydiving, classic and sport accuracy, freefall style and freeflying. National collegiate champions were decided after all scheduled rounds in all events except freefall style, which finished with the requisite one round. During the competitor’s meeting traditionally held during all championships, it was agreed almost unanimously to eliminate the style event in future meets. It was a great competition, and the collegiate competitors are already looking forward to next year's event at Skydive Arizona. Please e-mail any questions or comments about the event and click here for final medal standings.
Argus Releases Service Bulletin(updated 12/19/06) Aviacom, manufacturer of the Argus AAD, discovered damage to a cutter assembly in a Mirage RTS container. After discovering a broken plastic liner within the cutter hole that had damaged the reserve closing loop, Argus decided to replace the cutters in all rigs with a modified version that does not contain the plastic insert. A cutter with a plastic insert is more susceptible to damage with a container design that places the cutter on top of the reserve pilot chute. The service bulletin released by Argus December 11 requires the cutter assembly on every Argus AAD be replaced. According to the service bulletin, if the installation places the cutter on top of the reserve pilot chute, the cutter must be replaced before the next jump. For all other rigs, the cutter must be replaced at the next repack or no later than June 30, 2007. The original cutter with the plastic insert must be removed and sent to Argus. Once the company has received the old cutter, a replacement will be shipped to the customer free of charge. Additional information may be found at www.argus-aad.com. The full service bulletin may be downloaded here. Strong Offers Tandem Harness Modification (updated 12/06/06) Strong Enterprises announced that it now equips each tandem student harness with the “upside-down Y-modification” as standard equipment on all new harnesses sold. Any harnesses received at the factory for repair will have the modification installed before they are returned to the owner. In addition, Strong will modify an existing harness for a $120 fee. E-mail or call Strong Enterprises at (407) 859-9317 before sending a harness for modification. USPA is Accepting Bids to Host Future Nationals USPA is now accepting bids to host the 2007 USPA
National Canopy Piloting Championships, the 2008 USPA National Skydiving
Championships—all events, including canopy piloting—and
the 2008 National Collegiate Parachuting Championships. Bids must
be received by January 15, 2007, for consideration at the February
2007 board meeting, and they must follow the procedures outlined
in the 2006 USPA Skydiver’s Competition Manual. Among other
stipulations, all but the collegiates must be conducted concurrently
or sequentially at a single venue within a single time frame. USPA Nationals Concludes at Skydive Arizona (updated 10/30/06) Skydive Arizona officially kicked off the U.S. National Skydiving Championships October 21 in Eloy. The first day of competition ran like clockwork with 112 of 146 loads flown dedicated solely to the competition and Skydive Arizona having its second busiest day in DZ history. A satellite truck from ESPN arrived early morning and broadcast live nationals coverage to the network. By mid-day Monday, the 4-way formation skydiving event finished all ten rounds. In the open class, DeLand Groove edged out Team Fastrax to take the gold, and Airspeed Odyssey performed well in the final round to move up to take third. Host team Arizona Divewerkz stayed atop the advanced class to capture first, and Ranch Pulse finished its strong run to clinch the intermediate class. Sanders Receives Gold Medal for Meritorious Service(10/02/06)
Surrounded by past and present board members and in front of many good friends, Tom Skydivers Over Sixty Members Set New SOS Record (09/18/06) Skydivers over Sixty (SOS) members set a new record for largest formation of skydivers sixty years of age or older on September 15 at Skydive Elsinore in California. On their third attempt, the 39 skydivers broke the previous formation record of 33 jumpers. Look for a full report in an upcoming issue of Parachutist. Team Clean Air Establishes New Record (09/06/06) Some rules for judging canopy formation competition events changed earlier this year, causing the International Parachuting Commission (IPC) to retire world records set with the old rules. Four-way sequential competition was one of those events with new rules. Clean Air, with Chris Gay, Mark Gregory, Mike Paolin, Paul Quandt and Keith Thivierge, established the old world record of 12 points within working time at the USPA Nationals in Perris Valley, California, last year. Last month, at the world parachuting champhionships in Stupino, Russia, under the new rules, Clean Air (same members but including Brian Pangburn) established a new record of 12 points. The dossier is being prepared for presentation to the IPC for certification. U.S Canopy Piloting Nationals (09/06/06) Despite two days of torrential rain and high winds, tropical storm Ernesto could not stop the U.S. Canopy Piloting Nationals on the beaches of Wildwood, New Jersey, over Labor Day weekend. On the final scheduled day, competitors in the open class knocked off two rounds each of speed and distance, and one of accuracy. Brian McNenny, Jonathan Tagle and Tom Dellibac tied for first in accuracy, and Shannon Pilcher took the gold in speed, distance and overall. Intermediate competitor Al Berchtold swept all intermediate category events. World Canopy Piloting Championships Complete (08/28/06) The 1st World Canopy Piloting Championships began August 25 in Vienna, Austria. The nine-member U.S. Team was among 48 competitors from 19 countries vying for medals to be presented in the three individual events—speed, distance and accuracy—plus overall. As part of a huge Sky Day celebration in a park near downtown Vienna, thousands of spectators witnessed some of the most spectacular pond swooping the sport has ever presented. The final awards ceremony was held Sunday, August 27. U.S. competitors Andy Farrington placed first in accuracy and second overall; in distance, Jonathan Tagle took first and Dusty Smith came in third. Look for a full report in an upcoming issue of Parachutist. World Meets End in Russia (updated 08/18/06) The World Championships of Freefall Style & Accuracy Landing and The events began August 12 at DZ Stupino, 100 miles south of Moscow, Russia, with 25 countries entered. Three 4-way teams from the USA—Fastrax, Synchronicity and Thunder—were part of the field of eleven formation skydiving teams. At the end of the ten-round meet, Fastrax had placed third for the bronze medal behind the Russian and French teams. Thunder finished 7th ahead of Synchronicity's 8th. Of the four canopy formation world championship events, the U.S. placed third in 2-way sequential and took home the gold in 4-way sequential. Only three teams entered the 8-way speed event, in its last year of international competiton—Russia, USA, and the United Kingdom—and they finished in that order. In the freefall style & accuracy landing events, the USA was challenged by very seasoned competition, and only Elisa Feldt and Chris Moore continued into the tenth and final round of accuracy. But at the end of the freefall style event, Feldt finished third of almost 60 competitors, winning the bronze medal. In addition, the women's team—Feldt, Angela Nichols, Rhonda Reichel, Amy Rodriquez, and, Cheryl Stearns—earned the bronze medal in overall female team behind the Russian and Chinese teams. The men's team finished 11th overall of 17 teams. After the awards ceremony on August 19, a huge party with an expected 10,000 spectators will help the skydivers celebrate the end of the competition. U.S. Wins World Meet (08/11/06) The World Championships of Formation Skydiving and Artistic Events, Parachutes Still OK for U.S. Travel (08/10/06) In view of recent security events and the government’s elevation of the threat level to High for commercial aviation, USPA has checked with the TSA about the status of parachutes as carry-on and checked items. TSA reports that the screening procedure for parachutes has not changed for domestic flights. Parachutes are allowed as either carry-on or checked items. Screeners may only insist on opening parachute containers if a swab results in a positive indication. Travelers on international flights entering or leaving the U.S. should check with their airline on whether carry-on items are allowed. Weather Plagues World Meet in Germany (08/08/06) Twenty-nine countries are represented at the World Parachuting Championships of Formation Skydiving and Artistic Events in Gera, Germany, which began Sunday, August 6. Unseasonably cold, wet weather and lack of airplanes are hampering the progress. By the third day of competition, only one round had been completed in each of the events except male skysurfing. The USA has teams in 4-way open and female formation skydiving, 8-way formation skydiving, freestyle and freeflying. According to the rules, completion of only one round is required to award medals if no more jumps are made before the meet is scheduled to end on Thursday, August 10. Click here for more information.
Summer BOD Meeting Completes (07/16/06) The USPA Board of Directors met July 14-16 in Fredericksburg, Virginia. Highlights include:
Look for a full report in an upcoming issue of Parachutist. DZ Reopens with USPA Help (07/12/06) Skydivers and one drop zone owner in Tennessee are happy again. Skydive Paris has reopened at the Henry County Airport in Paris, TN. Jumping commenced on July 8, more than two years after the airport manager abruptly shut down the DZ because skydivers were allegedly landing too close to the runway. DZO Johnny Reyes doggedly fought back and, supported by USPA, its attorneys, and the Airport Access Defense Fund, took the issue all the way to the top of the FAA by filing a Part 16 formal complaint. The result was a slam-dunk FAA ruling that “there exists a long-standing precedent for affording skydivers the same operational latitude given to an aircraft in flight or while taxiing.” The FAA threatened to withhold the airport’s construction funds if it did not allow skydiving back on the airport. “I can tell you that I had never experienced a greater feeling in my life than when those parachutes opened [on July 8th],” said Reyes. “The support that USPA provided played a key role in our success.” Look for a full report in an upcoming issue of Parachutist. Skydiver/Drop Zone/Industry Alert (05/31/06) JOINT STATEMENT FROM THE U.S. PARACHUTE ASSOCIATION AND THE PARACHUTE INDUSTRY ASSOCIATION Within the last seven months there have been two U.S. tandem fatalities in which the student/passenger has fallen out of the harness upon opening shock. In one case the person went under the back strap, and in the other, over the back strap. Salute to the Skydiver Weekend Rolls by Flawlessly (05/17/06) Skydivers, friends and family gathered May 12-13 to honor Gene Paul Thacker, dedicate USPA’s brand new headquarters and celebrate the life of William H. Ottley.
New USPA Headquarters Open for Business (05/03/06) On Thursday and Friday, April 27-28, USPA, its staff, and all of their belongings loaded up and made the 50-mile trek south from Alexandria to its new home in Fredericksburg, Virginia. The brand-new 8,200 square foot state-of-the-art facility houses 17 full-time employees and provides convenient access to members and visitors from Interstate 95 and U.S. Route 1. As of Monday, May 1, it was back to business for all USPA employees—albeit with a more professional-looking and comfortable work environment. All mail and phone calls from the previous location will be forwarded. Direct all new mail and phone calls to: USPA
USPA is Accepting Bids to Host Future Nationals (03/30/06) USPA is now accepting bids to host the 2007 USPA National Skydiving Championships in all events except canopy piloting. Bids are also being accepted for the 2007 National Collegiate Parachuting Championships. The deadline for bids is June 1, and they must follow the procedures outlined in the 2006 USPA Skydiver’s Competition Manual. Among other stipulations, all but the collegiates must be conducted concurrently or sequentially at a single venue within a single time frame. Older Jump Planes in FAA’s Sights (03/28/06) The FAA has older airplanes in their sights, and USPA is involved to make sure the right actions are forthcoming. Hosting a conference entitled, “Aging General Aviation Aircraft,” in Kansas City last week, the FAA said it is concerned that the average general aviation aircraft is 35 years old. The agency says it wants to be proactive and prevent accidents due to corrosion and metal fatigue. The FAA is especially concerned with for-hire operations flown for special uses, like skydiving. To make sure the FAA understands skydiving operations, USPA attended the conference with a two-fold message: “First, maintain a high level of safety for skydivers by ensuring continued airworthiness,” said Ed Scott, USPA’s director of government relations. “But also use cost-effective maintenance and reporting strategies that don’t make operations cost-prohibitive and don’t create throw-away airplanes.” USPA has joined the working group that will review for-hire operations.
Winter Board Meeting Completes (02/19/06) The February 2006 USPA Board of Directors met in Phoenix February 17-19. In an effort to revitalize and energize skydiving and membership, sport promotion was the hot topic of the board meeting. Other highlights include—
A full report will appear in the April issue of Parachutist Magazine. World Team 2006 Claims New World Record (02/08/06)
IPC Meeting Completes (02/03/06) The International Parachuting Commission (IPC) finished its annual meeting in Stockholm, Sweden, this week, and some decisions were reached: IPC will no longer maintain 16-way FS rules, in that there has been only one international event since their inception. Skydiving will continue to be featured in the World Games in 2009, but some disciplines might change. Skysurfing has been put on notice once again about its lack of participation in world events, and it will be eliminated if more teams do not participate in the upcoming world meet in Germany this fall. Marylou Laughlin will be the FAI controller for the style & accuracy and canopy formation world championships this fall in Russia. The world canopy piloting championships will be held in Vienna this fall instead of Stubenburg as previously planned. Larry Bagley from the U.S. will be the FAI controller. Australia will host a world cup next year near Sydney. Marco Pflugar of Germany was awarded the Leonardo da Vinci diploma for his outstanding athletic achievements in competitive skydiving as a style & accuracy competitor. Scott Rhodes of the U.S. will be considered next year for the award. The next IPC meeting will be held in Florence, Italy, next January. FAA Rules in Skydiving’s Favor (01/25/06) The FAA has issued a major ruling that overturns a ban on skydiving and reinstates a DZ at a small airport in Tennessee. The ruling also reinforces USPA’s position that general aviation airports must not discriminate against skydiving activities. In its determination, the FAA finds the airport to be in violation of its grant agreements with the FAA and directs the airport to devise a plan to accommodate skydiving within 30 days. MORE. USPA Prepares for New Skydiving Records Program (01/20/06) One required step as USPA prepares to implement the new state skydiving records program is to determine the existing national (and de facto state) records.
Canada to Host Para-Ski Championships (01/19/06) Subject to the approval of the Canadian Sport Parachute Association, Canadian Nelson Van Chesteing will host a para-ski championships March 10-13, 2006, at Ski Chantecler, 45 miles north of Montreal, Canada. For more information, e-mail Van Chesteing. USPA Comments Alter Caravan AD (01/12/06) USPA comments to the FAA resulted in an airworthiness directive that Caravan operators can live with. In June 2005, the FAA issued a proposal to address a series of fatal accidents involving Cessna Caravans flown in icing conditions. In such conditions ice can accumulate on an aircraft’s wing and tail to the point that the aircraft will not fly. The FAA proposal required additional deicing boots to be installed on the landing gear and cargo pod of any Cessna Caravan already equipped with wing deicing boots. USPA pointed out that many Caravan jump planes had wing deicing boots that were deactivated or never used because the aircraft avoided flight in poor weather or in icing conditions. Instead, USPA suggested that a simple placard restricting flight in those conditions would suffice. The FAA agreed. The final AD allows a Caravan jump plane operator to paste a placard in the cockpit instead of requiring the operator to install additional deicing equipment or remove existing but unused deicing equipment. This change saves Caravan operators an estimated $12,556 per aircraft in maintenance costs.
Collegiate Championships Complete (01/03/06) Eighty-two college students from all over the United States competed at the 2005 National Collegiate Parachuting Championships at the Florida Skydiving Center in Lake Wales December 28-31. At the end of the four-day meet, all jumps were made, and everyone seemed to have a great time in the central Florida sunshine. Medals were awarded Friday night at the banquet to those winners whose events were completed by that time, and there was an Olympic-style presentation on Saturday for the rest of the champions. Click here for a round-up of all medal winners. 2005
Archives The Canopy Piloting Nationals (12/26/05) Canopy piloting will be a U.S. Nationals event in 2006 with two classes, open and intermediate. USPA is soliciting bids to host the 1st Canopy Piloting Nationals, and the bidders should use the format established in Skydiver’s Competition Manual Section 10. Bidders should use the 2005 IPC Competition Rules for Canopy Piloting and the Sporting Code Section 5 for the requirements for the canopy piloting event, such as the size of the body of water and the number of judges, which is 11 including the chief judge. The bids m | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Canopy Formation, as well as the Anton Malevsky International Cup, finished the competition jumps August 18 with a big party scheduled for Saturday, August 19. 
plagued by foul weather and lack of aircraft, ended in Germany August 10. Barely half of the scheduled rounds were completed in the five-day meet.
