+ Canopy Issues + Vigil Service Bulletin + USPA Website + Correct Forms                         advertise here                         + USPA Website + The USPA Professional Archives + Advertising with USPA                   Greetings, S&T News is now The USPA Professional! We'll feature safety tips, USPA news and manufacturer service bulletin announcements for skydiving professionals. The title is a salute to The Professional, a printed publication from the '90s that was geared toward instructors, S&TAs and other skydiving professionals. The USPA Professional is an electronic equivalent, coming to you through the Internet instead of the postal service.   Be sure to add e-news@uspa.org to your contact list so that you can continue to receive newsletters from us.       Canopy Issues Incredibly, seven of the eight skydiving fatalities so far in 2007 have been the direct result of canopy-control issues. This should raise a red flag with every instructor, S&TA and drop zone owner that we need to improve how we approach canopy training and education. An industry-wide, collective effort among all interested parties will be necessary to make a difference. Everyone from the manufacturers and equipment retailers to the drop zone owner, S&TA, instructor, coach and canopy pilot needs to be involved. The good news is USPA has already identified the issues and offers plenty of useful supporting materials. But the information can only help if it is disseminated and put to use. The Safety page on USPA's website includes downloads for several helpful files, including the Fly to Survive DVD presentation, and other Safety Day-related materials. Additionally, the Skydiver's Information Manual contains lots of helpful tips in Sections 5 and 6 regarding canopy flight, downsizing recommendations and traffic patterns. Make sure each jumper is using an appropriately sized canopy. Use the Integrated Student Program so your students can take advantage of the canopy training built into the program. Encourage licensed jumpers to participate in intermediate and advanced canopy training courses. Separate high-performance canopy pilots from those flying a standard pattern. Establish a separate landing area for high-performance landings, if space allows. If only one landing area is available, separate the traffic by providing a low pass for those making a high-performance landing, or have them deploy higher and land after those flying a standard pattern.     advertisement       Vigil Service Bulletin Advanced Aerospace Designs, manufacturer of the Vigil automatic activation device, has released a service bulletin stating that each Vigil manufactured before August 2006 must be inspected for damage to the unit's plastic insert inside the unit's cutter, which in turn may damage the reserve closing loop. An FAA senior or master rigger (or the foreign equivalent outside the U.S.) must inspect the cutter at the next scheduled reserve inspection and repack. The bulletin states that if cutter damage is found, the rigger can make arrangements for a replacement part from the original dealer, Vigil USA in Florida, or Advanced Aerospace Designs in Belgium. More information is available at www.vigil.aero.     USPA Website In recent months, USPA added more multimedia to its website, including video and PowerPoint presentations, which can be downloaded and used for local presentations or DZ events such as Safety Day. Future plans include a fresh, new look for the website. Keep an eye on www.uspa.org for new features.     Correct Forms Make sure you are using the correct form for new membership applications or renewals, as well as new license and rating applications. All of the latest forms are available for download at www.uspa.org/publications/forms.htm. Throw away the old and outdated forms to avoid using them by mistake. Any USPA rating course requires the candidate use a SIM and IRM printed within two years of the course date. Using correct forms helps USPA Headquarters process applications and renewals in a timely manner.   We hope you like this new format. Is there something you'd like to see in The USPA Professional? Please send comments, questions or suggestions directly to me. Blue skies!   Jim Crouch safety@uspa.org Director of Safety & Training U.S. Parachute Association +1 (540) 604-9746 +1 (540) 604-9741 fax

The USPA Professional is an e-mail newsletter which contains information for Safety & Training Advisors, USPA Instructors, Coaches, Drop Zone Owners and Operators.