USPA and PIA issues Skydiver Advisory
 USPA and the Parachute Industry Association (PIA) have issued a joint “Skydiver Advisory” to advise skydivers and riggers of concerns about some yet-unexplained fatalities in recent years. While the exact causes are not fully known, there are actions every skydiver and rigger can take to reduce the chances of a similar occurrence while PIA gathers more data for an in-depth review by equipment and rigging experts. See the Skydiver Advisory here.
Wingsuit Discussion Forum Now Available
The wingsuit working group formed at the International Parachuting Commission (IPC) meeting earlier this year in Switzerland has created an open wingsuit discussion forum for all those interested in the group's activity this year. Chaired by IPC delegate Jacqui Bruwer from South Africa, the discussion forum allows all those interested to provide input to the group as it deals with its three objectives:
- To create a clear working definition of a wingsuit
- To investigate ways to define and judge no-contact wingsuit large formation records
- To make a recommendation to the IPC for consideration of a new unlinked world record performance category for Wingsuit, Largest Formation
The other two voting members of the group are Larry Bagley from the U.S. and Ronald Overdijk from the Netherlands. For more information, USPA members may e-mail competition@uspa.org.
USPA Joins TSA Group to Address TFRs
USPA is a member of the Transportation Security Administration’s (TSA’s) Aviation Security Advisory Committee and recently participated in its semi-annual meeting.
Representatives of more than a dozen aviation associations attended the meeting at TSA Headquarters in Alexandria, Virginia. The group identified its top five most important issues and then split into subgroups to discuss topics of interest. USPA joined a group that will address industry concerns over Temporary Flight Restrictions (TFRs). These flight restrictions occasionally interfere with airport skydiving operations during presidential visits or large sporting events. USPA has successfully negotiated skydiving operations within a TFR, most notably at the 2008 USPA National Canopy Piloting Championships, held under tight security procedures at Mile-Hi Skydiving Center during the 2008 Democratic National Convention in Denver.
USPA Seeks Your Input
USPA is dedicated to its membership and values your input greatly. In an effort to better understand how you feel about your association and learn ways to provide better service, we’re asking you to take a brief membership survey. It will take only a few minutes of your time and will help us better serve you in the future. Please click here to take the membership survey now. We appreciate your feedback.
USPA Seeks U.S. Canopy Piloting Team Manager
At the International Parachuting Commission (IPC) meeting earlier this year, Russia was selected to host the 3rd World Canopy Piloting Championships from August 7-15, 2010, south of Moscow. USPA is looking for an individual to serve as team manager for the U.S. delegation. USPA will use the results of the 2009 USPA National Canopy Piloting Championships held at Skydive Spaceland last October to select the team. The IPC rules allow for eight competitors from each nation to participate.
Those interested in serving as team manager should contact competition@uspa.org.
USPA Accepting Awards Nominations
USPA is accepting nominations until May 15 for the USPA Lifetime Achievement Award, the USPA Gold Medal for Meritorious Service and for awards managed by the National Aeronautic Association (NAA) and the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale (FAI). At its next board meeting, scheduled for July 16-18 in Nashua, New Hampshire, USPA will consider all nominations that are received before the May deadline. Descriptions of the awards and procedures for nominating individuals appear in the Skydiver's Information Manual, Section 8. More information is available by contacting USPA Director of Competition and Special Projects Larry Bagley at lbagley@uspa.org or (540) 604-9740, ext. 312.
Skydiving in the News
As skydivers, we all know that the more positive media coverage skydiving gets, the better it is for our sport. And more and more, it seems the good-news skydiving stories are outweighing the bad ones in the media. If you see articles on skydiving online or in your local paper, we’d love to see them. Please forward any links to skydiving-related articles to sportpromo@uspa.org. Check out a few of the cool skydiving stories in the news recently:
Special Delivery Requests
Once in a while, USPA receives a store order with a special request to alter the normal delivery, such as “leave on the back screened porch,” “place in the plastic container on the porch” or “leave at the main office.” To keep costs down, we use a common carrier, usually UPS or USPS. Although they may honor such written requests on packages, there is no guarantee. If home delivery requires special provisions, consider providing an alternative address. Delivery to a work address or a neighbor’s house could eliminate a problem with your order.
In April’s Parachutist...
 The April issue of Parachutist shipped last week. This issue is jam-packed with features, including the 2009 fatality summary, a report on the USPA Board of Directors meeting, a piece on the development of wingsuiting, an overview of DZ efforts to contribute to the Haiti relief effort, weather basics for skydivers and more! Let us know what you think about this issue and others by e-mailing communications@uspa.org.
Please do not reply directly to this e-mail. Instead, send comments to communications@uspa.org
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