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Parachutist Around the World
Because we received such overwhelming response to this new section of the magazine, we're running several of the best submissions. So take your magazine on a tour around the world and e-mail us your shots at communications@uspa.org. Additional submissions appear online here: Parachutist Around the World.
Plans for Next Women’s Vertical World Record in Motion
Well-known freefly talents Amy Chmelecki and Melissa Nelson are organizing the next women’s vertical world record attempts, to be held at Skydive Arizona in Eloy March 20-23. The current record, an 18-way, was set at Skydive Chicago in 2005, and the two have high hopes of breaking that mark by “a substantial amount.”
Skills camp dates and locations, as well as further information on the attempts, are available at www.myspace.com/wvwr or by e-mailing w_v_w_r@yahoo.com.
SOS, JOS and JOES Jumpers Aim Higher
Pat Moorehead is organizing a world record Jumpers Over Seventy (JOS) get-together April 1-2 at Skydive Elsinore in California. His group will try to break the existing 11-way JOS world record set in 2002 in Lake Wales, Florida. Also, four Jumpers Over Eighty Society (JOES) members have committed to attending and will attempt to set a JOES world record. JOS and JOES members interested in participating should contact Moorehead at skyfunone@aol.com.
Many JOS members will stick around to participate in the Skydivers Over Sixty (SOS) weekend held at the same location April 2-6. With an emphasis on setting a new SOS world record, the long weekend will include an SOS tunnel camp and SOS jet jump on Wednesday. Thursday will serve as a tryout day for the record attempts, which start Friday. The group will aim to break the existing SOS 39-way world record set at Elsinore in September 2006. Interested SOS jumpers should contact Billy Calhoun III at billytrois@aol.com.
Australia to Host POPS World Meet
Skydive Ramblers in Toogoolawah, Australia, will host the 9th World POPS (Parachutists Over Phorty Society) Meet and Championships April 25-May 3. Events will include 4-way scrambles, 4-way national team competition, individual and team precision accuracy, sport accuracy and the POPS signature event—the hit ‘n’ rock. World TopPOP and event organizer Ian Robertson also promises “freeflying, canopy formations, wingsuits, big-ways, POPS record attempts and specialty and novelty jumps.” More information is available at www.thepops.org and through info@ozworldpops2008.com.
Eloy to Host Volunteer Training Courses
Skydive Arizona in Eloy will host a certified Wilderness First Responder (WFR) course designed for skydivers December 1-10. Participants will receive full certification for WFR training, with an additional emphasis on skydiving- and aviation-related injuries. For 10 days, students will perform hands-on training and learn how to handle issues related to the sport. Preference will be given to skydivers for registration, but the course is open to all who are interested.
More details on both courses are available at www.airdropassist.org.
Surfing Radio Helmet Adapts to Skydiving
An Australian company is selling a helmet radio system that could serve very well for skydiving students under canopy. Headzone of Tuncurry, New South Wales, designed the RTC (Real Time Coaching) helmet for surfing schools, so the system is meant to take a beating and survive salt water.
One transmitter-helmet system sells for around $500 U.S., with additional helmet-receivers available for $295 each. More information can be found at www.headzone.com.
Jumper Combines Skydiving and Music Passions
Skydivers who jumped at one of several Northern California drop zones between 1997 and 2003 may remember a jumper who had an unmistakable fondness for wearing tie-dye—right down to his rig, helmet, jumpsuits, shorts, pants, shirts, socks and shoes. Local jumpers therefore bestowed the obvious moniker “Tie-dye Keith” upon Keith McNamara.
“Any jumper has my full permission to use any of my original music as soundtracks for any skydiving-related footage they might be working on … for tandems or fun jumps, whatever—free—with no royalty concerns from me.” McNamara will also offer free music downloads on his website to fellow jumpers.
His music and skydiving-themed album covers can be found at www.tiedyekeith.com.
This Month in History
1967
• Chesley Judy earned his USPA Instructor/Examiner rating on October 4. Judy, a former USPA Director of Safety & Training, was later killed in a plane crash in 1995. In 2004, USPA developed the Chesley H. Judy Award in his honor to recognize members who promote safety in the sport.
• Maxine Nellen became the first woman to earn USPA’s Gold Wings (for 1,000 skydives) when she jumped from a balloon on October 1 near Steve Snyder’s Ripcord Para-Center in New Jersey, earning her Gold Wings #105.
1987
• Peter Tummalo, D-9745, walked away after a “close one” at Skydive the Ranch in Gardiner, New York. Tummalo, an AFF jumpmaster, was making an AFF level IV jump when his student started spinning at a low altitude. Not wanting to rely on the student’s AAD, Tummalo flew to the student and activated the student’s reserve at approximately 500 feet, deploying his own canopy immediately after. A tree broke Tummalo’s fall, as well as a few of his ribs, when his parachute snagged on the tree before he hit the ground.
Sponsored by The National Skydiving Museum, www.nationalskydivingmuseum.org
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Capital Commentary
