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Safety
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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.
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Tandem
Meeting
Last June, USPA met with each
of the U.S. tandem manufacturers to discuss a variety of
issues surrounding tandem skydiving. One of the most
important topics revolved around the tandem rating
system for both the manufacturers' and USPA tandem
instructor ratings.
As a result of the
discussions, it was determined that both USPA and the
manufacturers should receive initial rating paperwork,
but only USPA needs to keep track of rating renewals.
Therefore, all USPA
members who are rated through a manufacturer but never
earned the USPA Tandem Instructor rating will need to
acquire the USPA rating.
The Basic Safety
Requirements for the 2009 SIM, due out September 2008,
will include a change to Section 2-1 Basic Safety
Requirements to reflect the USPA Tandem Instructor
rating requirement. This effectively gives USPA members
who are manufacturer rated one year to make the
necessary arrangements to earn the USPA Tandem
Instructor rating.
The article below includes
instructions on how to proceed, based on your current
rating situation. |
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Conversion From Tandem Manufacturer
Rating to the USPA Tandem Instructor Rating
Each non-USPA Tandem Instructor seeking
a USPA Tandem Instructor rating must be a current member
of USPA, show proof of a manufacturer's rating and proof
of current tandem jumping activity necessary to be
considered current by the United States Parachute
Association (outlined in the Instructional Rating Manual
and listed below). The table below is intended as a
guideline to help each applicant identify what is
necessary to receive the USPA Tandem Instructor rating.
Instructions:
Look at the left column to find your current
rating status; then, move to the right column to see
what requirements need to be met in order to complete
the USPA Tandem Instructor rating requirements.
The indicated items on the USPA Tandem
Instructor Proficiency Card must be signed by either a
USPA Tandem Instructor or a USPA Tandem Course Director,
as indicated on each of the line items below the table,
and submitted to USPA Headquarters for processing.
Existing
Rating Situation
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Additional
Requirements for USPA Tandem Instructor Rating
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| USPA Coach rating (either
current or non-current), current tandem
manufacturer rating with at least 15 tandem jumps
in the past 12 months, at least one in the
previous 90 days, attended a USPA Instructor
seminar within the previous 12 months |
Tandem Proficiency Card #2,
3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 10 and 16; proof of manufacturer
rating; and a current FAA third class or higher
medical certificate or the equivalent verified and
signed by a USPA Tandem Course Director. Fax or
mail the proficiency card to USPA with the $40
rating fee. |
| Other USPA Instructor rating
(either current or non-current), current tandem
manufacturer rating with at least 15 tandem jumps
in the past 12 months-at least one in the previous
90 days-and attended a USPA Instructor seminar
within the previous 12 months |
Proof of manufacturer's
rating, Tandem Proficiency card #10, current FAA
third class or higher medical certificate or the
equivalent verified and signed by a USPA Tandem
Course Director. Fax or mail the proficiency card
to USPA with the $40 rating fee. |
| No USPA ratings with or
without the Basic Instructor Course, current
tandem manufacturer rating with at least 15 tandem
jumps in the past 12 months-at least one in the
previous 90 days-and attended a USPA Instructor
seminar within the previous 12 months |
Attend Coach Course or test
out for the USPA Coach Rating, Tandem Proficiency
card #2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 10 and 16. Proof of
manufacturer rating and a current FAA third class
or higher medical certificate or the equivalent
verified and signed by a USPA Tandem Course
Director. Fax or mail the proficiency card to USPA
with the $40 rating fee.
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The
referenced requirements from the USPA Tandem Proficiency
card:
2. Assisted in two Category B tandem ground
preps.
3. Assisted in two Category D ground
preps.*
4.
Observed ground preps in Categories B, C, E, and F.*
5. Correctly
taught freefall stability and basic freefall maneuvers,
including freefall turns, backloops, barrel rolls, front
loops, and tracking.*
6. Prepared an
effective canopy flight plan and provided ground-to-air
(for example, radio) instruction for winds up to 14
mph.*
7.
Participated in the spotting and aircraft lessons from
Categories D through H (or equivalent training).*
10. Correctly
answered at least 80% of the questions on the USPA
Tandem Instructor Final Examination.
16.Completed
one satisfactory Category D freefall and canopy training
session and air evaluation during a Tandem Instructor
Rating Course.*
*
Current USPA
Instructors (in another discipline) need not meet the
starred requirements.
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Cold Weather Approaches
As the weather cools off and gloves and
other cold weather gear become necessary, be sure each
jumper experiencing freefall in colder winter
temperatures is equipped with the appropriate gloves and
other cold weather gear.
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| Matt Fitch's helmet lens fogs up during a
cold jump. Photo by Rick
Witcher. |
Gloves need
to provide adequate protection against the cold, yet
still allow for the jumper to find and pull any handle
or ripcord. Outerwear needs to allow for adequate warmth
but not restrict movement or block any handles.
Full-face helmets can easily fog up and even turn to ice
during a long freefall in very cold temperatures.
Each year, there is a whole crop of new jumpers
who will experience their first winter season. Let's
make sure everyone is using appropriate winter gear and
knows what to expect before that first freezing-cold day
gets here. A quick trip through the hanging harness,
while fully dressed for the jump, can help ensure the
cold-weather clothes will work while jumping.
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Rating Renewals
USPA Safety and Training Advisors,
Instructor Examiners and Instructors can sign for USPA
Coach or Instructor rating renewals, but if you are
signing for someone's rating renewal, make sure your own
ratings are current and appropriate for the sign-off.
USPA is forced to reject many rating renewal
applications each year due to expired ratings of the
person who signed for the rating renewal. This holds up
the renewal for the member and in many cases creates an
unnecessary burden. An S&TA or IE may sign for
instructor and coach renewals, while instructors may
sign only for coach renewals.
>> Link: How to
Renew Your Rating
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PIA Symposium in Spain
 The Parachute Industry Association
will hold a parachute Symposium in Barcelona, Spain,
early in 2008. This is in addition to the usual biennial
event held in the United States during odd years.
More information is available at http://www.pia.com/Symposium2008/.
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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
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