First things first: There’s a lot of debate surrounding this topic. Global climate change remains a charged topic, season after season … especially since those seasons seem to be, well, changing.

The USPA Board of Directors chose Bryan Burke, D-8866, to receive its prestigious Gold Medal for Meritorious Service. Every year, USPA presents a select few recipients with this award, which honors “outstanding Americans who, by their efforts over a period of years, have made significant contributions to the skydiving community.”

During the first week of October, you could hear a variety of languages anywhere on the drop zone: Chinese in the boarding area, French on the packing mats in the hangar, Norwegian around the pool, German at the mock-up and Russian at the manifest window. 

When a competitive skydiver earns a U.S. Parachute Team patch and the opportunity to represent their country at a Fédération Aéronautique Internationale world skydiving event, they are bound to have an amazing experience.