About Government Relations

Oversight of skydiving involves multiple entities, most notably including the USPA, and the FAA.

The mission of the Federal Aviation Administration is to provide the safest, most efficient aviation system in the world. They regulate aspects of skydiving and rely on the self-regulation of the participants through the guidelines and recommendations published by USPA. The FAA's main responsibility is to provide for the safety of air traffic, as well as persons and property on the ground. The FAA does this by certificating pilots, mechanics, air traffic controllers and parachute riggers and by requiring approval data for aircraft and parachutes. The agency has the authority to impose fines and suspend or revoke certificates it has issued. In the case of a skydiving violation, the FAA can fine the pilot, rigger, jumpers, as well as suspend or revoke the certificates of pilots and riggers.

The FAA and USPA rely on self-regulation from within the skydiving community for most training and operational requirements.

Government Relations

The Government Relations Department at USPA Headquarters addresses member and group member questions regarding aircraft, airport access, the FAA, legislative issues, TSA, or security issues.

(540) 604-9740 ext. 3320
govrelations@uspa.org

View FARs in the online SIM

USPA In Action

One-third of USPA's mission directly involves Government Relations, namely to ensure skydiving’s rightful place on airports and in the airspace system, which includes protecting the sport and the industry. Often, USPA In Action involves prevention of harmful action. Here is a sample of the wins USPA has for skydiving!

USPA Acts to Prevent ATC Privatization

Tuesday, March 21, 2017

USPA has joined a coalition of 15 general aviation associations in letters to Congress in strident opposition to the Trump administration’s proposal to privatize air traffic control. The Trump budget, released last week, proposes to end air traffic control as a government function of the Federal Aviation Administration and convert it to a private corporation. All general aviation groups are opposed to the concept, which grants airlines a majority position on the private board that would run the corporation. An airline-driven board could be expected to make decisions that would favor airline access to airports and airspace over general aviation access. Currently, FAA air traffic control is based on a policy of first-come, first-served. A privatized ATC could also be expected to push for user fees on operators who use the ATC system, including jump operators.

“The general aviation community has very real and long-standing concerns, which include but are not limited to user fees,” said the GA group in a letter to the chairmen and ranking minority members of the House and Senate transportation committees and their aviation committees. USPA has pledged to continue working with the other aviation groups to ensure that air traffic control remains a government function.

USPA Joins GA Groups Opposed to ATC Privatization