Ed Scott D-13532
Profiles
Sunday, August 31, 2025
2025 marks Ed Scott’s 50th year in skydiving. Though he may have preferred to spend most of that time hanging off a Cessna strut, Scott spent the 25 years from 1996 to 2020 fighting for the sport he loves—first as USPA Director of Government Relations, then, beginning in 2007, as executive director. He is largely responsible for many of the privileges we enjoy in the sky, but you wouldn’t hear that from him: Scott humbly shifts praise from himself to others as naturally as he falls through the air. Were you to ask anyone who worked with him during his USPA tenure, you would be told that Scott is kind, driven and devoted to defending the interests of skydivers worldwide. Today, he continues his service to our sport by training skydiving pilots with his business, Jumpers Away, in North Carolina.
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“I consider myself lucky to have worked with Ed for more than a decade. He was always supportive of everyone he worked with and genuinely cared about the safety and longevity of the sport. I wasn’t quite sold on “Hawaiian-shirt Fridays,” but I appreciated the effort.“ —Nancy Koreen, Parachutist Profilee #250
Age: 69
Height: 5’11”
Birthplace: Augusta, Georgia
Marital Status: Married
Children: Two
Pets: Two mutts, both rescues
Occupation: Jump pilot trainer
Education: Bachelor of Science, Middle Tennessee State University
Hobbies: Guitar, hiking, woodworking
Favorite Food: Fresh
Rock, Rap or Country? Blues rock
Life Philosophy: It takes little effort to be kind, even to those who don’t deserve it.
Did you start out as an AFF, static line or tandem student? Static-line
Team Name: Free Beer. At the ’77 Z-Hills Turkey Meet, the manifest call was “Free Beer at manifest.”
Year of First Jump: 1975
Licenses/Ratings: C-13389, D-13532
Total Jumps: 1,200-plus
Largest completed formation: 40-way
Cutaways: 3
What do you consider your greatest accomplishment during your tenure as USPA Executive Director?
We did so much. For instance, we saved DZOs hundreds of thousands of dollars by pushing the U.S. Department of Transportation to publish an opinion clarifying that state and local governments cannot tax skydiving receipts. We defeated an FAA proposal that would have required FAA approval of each new drop zone. We helped scores of DZs open in the face of airport opposition. But the greatest accomplishment, along with all our partners, was reducing the fatality rate [fatalities per 100,000 skydives] from 1.15 to 0.39, all while growing the membership from 31,264 to 41,271 and increasing net assets from $1.5 million to $5.1 million.
What is your favorite jump plane and why?
The Cessna 182; no other jump plane lets you take any formation right off the step.
What do you consider your most significant life achievement?
Being of some help to my wife, who raised two children to become compassionate, caring, successful people.
Your focus these days is training future skydive pilots at Jumpers Away. What do you want people to know about your training program?
Jump-pilot training isn’t required by the FAA but is an absolute must. I’m not doing anything that a DZO or chief pilot can’t do, but many aren’t. My slogan: Every skydiver deserves a safe, professional pilot.
What is your favorite success story from Jumpers Away?
Most Jumpers Away graduates get their first paid flying job as a jump pilot. After five seasons, many have found careers as turbine jump pilots, airline and charter pilots, and even one who is now a U.S. Air Force F-35 pilot.
What was your canopy progression?
T-10, Papillon, Russian Para-Commander, Starlight, Paradactyl, Para-Flite Strato Flyer, Unit, Performance Designs Sabre 150
Is there one jump that stands out the most?
I was spotting a DC-3 big-way load that included many of The Herd. The pilot was dodging thick cumulus clouds on jump run; it didn’t look good. Suddenly, I saw an opening, called “90 degrees left and cut” to lots of wide-eyed anxiety in the cabin. We missed the clouds, completed the jump, and everyone landed back at the airport.
How long do you plan on skydiving?
Haven’t stopped yet.
What do you like most about the sport?
The people.
What do you like least?
The people (wink wink).
Was it a daunting task replacing Chris Needels as executive director after his tenure?
Chris took over a USPA that was nearly bankrupt; 14 years later, USPA was solidly in the black and had its own brand-new office building. A hard act to follow.
What was your experience serving on the USPA Board of Directors?
I experienced continued frustration with a few board members with personal agendas who refused to put the organization first.
Who, if anybody, has been your skydiving mentor?
Lots of mentors where I started with the Tennessee Tech Skydiving Club: Buzz, Frank, Lee, Tyler and others taught me so much. Later on, Tom Jordan, just the coolest guy who loved skydiving, loved life and loved others.
What safety item do you think is most important?
Gear checks. Gear checks save lives.
How did you become interested in skydiving?
Four jumpers with the Tennessee Tech University club landed on campus one day. I spoke to them, learned about the $35 first-jump course, and that was it.
Where would you like to see the sport in 10 years?
We need to finally leave the Fandango days fully in the past. DZs need to fully embrace Safety Management Systems like all professional aviation organizations are doing. Pilots need to fly professionally every day, and resist being part of the DZ entertainment committee.
Explain Ed Scott in five words or fewer:
Calm, concerned, compassionate.