As a potential aviation safety improvement, USPA and the NTSB have collaborated to provide the educational links below to help jump pilots and operators improve the safety of jump flights.

1. FAA Safety – Flying for Jump Operations
2. Back to Basics Flying for Skydiving Operations – YouTube
3. NTSB Safety Alert on Carburetor Icing

This is a synopsis from the NTSB’s report and does not include the Board’s rationale for the conclusions, probable cause, and safety recommendations. NTSB staff is currently making final revisions to the report from which the attached conclusions and safety recommendations have been extracted. The final report and pertinent safety recommendation letters will be distributed to recommendation recipients as soon as possible. The attached information is subject to further review and editing to reflect changes adopted during the Board meeting.

Studies have shown that startle responses during unexpected situations such as power‐plant failure during takeoff or initial climb have contributed to loss of control of aircraft. By including an appropriate plan of action in a departure briefing for a power‐plant failure during takeoff or initial climb, you can manage your startle response and maintain aircraft control.

USPA has developed a packet that has been mailed to all Group Member DZ operators that helps clarify the federal aviation regulations as they apply to operators of jump aircraft. The USPA Group Member pledge also includes new provisions clarifying FAA aircraft inspection requirements and jump pilot qualifications. Following are the packet contents:

Cover Letter
Maintenance Narrative and Sample
Aircraft Status Form

The USPA Skydiving Aircraft Operations Manual was designed to provide DZOs and their pilots with a guide to procedures and practices that supplement FAA regulatory requirements. The newly revised 2011 USPA Skydiving Aircraft Operations Manual is now available for download.

The Jump Pilot Training Syllabus serves as an outline for topics that should be covered during initial and recurrent jump pilot training. Aircraft operators are encouraged to tailor this Word document to their needs. Sections may be added to address pilot training in specific skydiving aircraft. The syllabus was created by Chris Schindler, whose website DiverDriver, is “the jump pilot’s information resource.”

The Flight Operations Handbook, originally by Ray Ferrell, is an in-depth template to be used to cover a variety of topics related to aircraft procedures and pilot training for skydiving operations. It includes sections on several popular skydiving aircraft, and pilot flight competency and proficiency checks. This Word document may also be edited to suit company needs.

USPA Skydiving Aircraft Operations Manual
Jump Pilot Training Syllabus
Flight Operations Handbook

One word summarizes the basis for successfully flying aircraft formations: planning. Whether you’re flying two Cessna 182s or a 12-aircraft formation for a world record, the same rules apply.

Planning. Planning. Planning.

Orange Skies Free Fall Center launched its opening weekend at Fort Morgan Municipal Airport in Colorado April 20-21.

During its recent meeting in Dallas, the USPA Board of Directors voted to support a major airport-access win for skydiving by Luther Kurtz, DZO of the Phoenix Skydive Center in Casa Grande, Arizona, under Part 16 of the Code of Federal Regulations. Kurtz will receive a $24,156.76 as a reimbursement for a share of his legal expenses through the Airport Access and Defense Fund. Details about the case are available in the article “DZO Wins Part 16 Appeal” on page 16 in the February issue of Parachutist.