United States Parachute Association > Rating Holders and S&TAs > Safety & Training Advisors
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Interested In Becoming An S&TA?

Safety and Training Advisors are usually very experienced instructors (although instructional ratings are not specifically required), who possess a great deal of knowledge in all aspects of skydiving and drop zone operations. An S&TA should be available at the drop zone anytime skydiving operations are conducted. The drop zone owner will select an S&TA for the drop zone and notify his Regional Director of his choice. If the Regional Director agrees with the selection, the appointment is forwarded to the Director of Safety and Training at USPA Headquarters for processing. If you are interested in an S&TA appointment, contact your drop zone owner or Regional Director. Read more in the Safety & Training Advisor Handbook.

Summary Of Responsibilities

The principal responsibility of the S&TA is to promote safe skydiving. Toward that goal, the S&TA serves specific advisory and administrative functions:
 

  • Observes skydiving operations to verify compliance with the Basic Safety Requirements
  • Informs the Regional Director of all flagrant and/or recurring safety violations
  • In grave cases, takes summary action under Section 1-6 of the USPA Governance Manual
  • Provides safety and training advice to skydivers, drop zone operators, and rating holders
  • Reviews plans for exhibition jumps
  • Verifies that drop zones qualify as “sanctioned” by meeting the minimum drop zone requirements (see the BSRs in the Skydiver’s Information Manual)
  • Assists and advises with extraordinary skydive operations (see the BSRs)
  • Verifies the requirements on D-License applications and rating renewals
  • Promotes USPA policies and programs, for example, USPA Safety Day
  • Unless excused by the Regional Director, attends an annual S&TA meeting called by the Regional Director

Plan For Safety Day At Your DZ

Plan For Safety Day At Your DZ

  1. Announce the Theme to Your Jumpers
    Inform your community that this year's Safety Day will focus on the "Stay Alive - Practice Five" theme, emphasizing five key areas: Rear-Riser Turns, Braked Turns, Half-Braked Flares, Reverse Turns, and Low-Turn Recovery. Highlight the importance of mastering these techniques for skydiving safety.
  2. Incentivize Attendance
    Encourage a higher turnout by offering attractive incentives such as discounted jump tickets, free food, reduced prices for reserve pack jobs, door prizes and more. Culminate the event with a celebratory gathering to reinforce community bonds.
  3. Choose a Comfortable Location
    Select a venue that comfortably accommodates lectures, training-harness drills and rig inspections. Consider options like a spacious hangar, local restaurants, school gyms, motels or veterans' lodges.
  4. Develop a Training Syllabus Around the Theme
    Prepare a training program incorporating the "Stay Alive—Practice Five" theme. Additional resources will be available by the end of February, including the 2023 Fatality Summary and related video, along with the "Stay Alive—Practice Five" PowerPoint presentation and accompanying video. Your curriculum should encompass:
    Gear Check and Review:
    Have jumpers inspect their rigs with a rigger. Check closing loops and flaps, pilot chute snugness and condition, Velcro, three-ring condition, RSL routing, AAD compliance with battery and factory check, etc.
    Skydiving Emergency Review and Drills:
    Tailor emergency drills using the five canopy skills jumpers need to practice to stay proficient.
    Canopy Flight and Landing Patterns:
    Use aerial photos to show acceptable and unacceptable outs, review hazards, establish or review landing patterns and discuss canopy handling toward preventing low-turn accidents using this year's five highlighted canopy skills.
    Aircraft Procedures and Emergencies:
    Review exit order and loading procedures, seat belt and weight-and-balance concerns, spotting procedures, visibility minimums and cloud clearances, air traffic control requirements and aircraft emergency scenarios.
  5. Engage in Public Relations
    Give recognition to attendees and contributors. Engage local media for coverage. Please take pictures and send them to Parachutist with a brief write-up on this page's form. Remember, those who don't attend might need extra attention when the season begins.
  6. Emphasize Fun and Socializing
    While focusing on safety, don't forget the fun aspect of skydiving. Plan social activities for post-event relaxation, allowing jumpers to connect and share their experiences.

What Are Safety And Training Advisors?

USPA Regional Directors appoint Safety & Training Advisors at each drop zone. Among their volunteer duties, S&TAs provide advice and training for many extraordinary jumps, verify rating renewal requirements and issue license tests. They may be called upon to investigate skydiving accidents and report safety problems and violations.

The S&TA is the USPA member's direct link to the Regional Director and USPA Headquarters. If you have a safety concern or question about anything related to skydiving, your S&TA is probably the best place to start looking for answers. If he doesn’t know the answer to your question, he will likely know where to find it or who to call for an answer.

A Safety and Training Advisor may waive certain Basic Safety Requirements for reasons of hardship or in the interest of development of new technology. Each waivered item should include an explanation of why the waiver has been issued and deemed acceptable by the S&TA. The waiver remains in effect indefinitely until the drop zone changes ownership or location. See form for details.
  1. Download and fill out the waiver form.
  2. Email or mail one copy to your USPA Regional Director
  3. Email safety@uspa.org or mail one copy to USPA Headquarters, 5401 Southpoint Centre Boulevard, Fredericksburg, VA 22407; or fax (540) 604-9741.

Find a USPA Safety & Training Advisor

Use this locator to find a USPA-appointed S&TA. USPA Regional Directors appoint Safety and Training Advisors at each drop zone. Among their volunteer duties, S&TAs provide advice and training for extraordinary jumps, verify rating renewal requirements and supervise license tests. Scroll down this page for more information about how these important liaisons help the USPA member locally.

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