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A canopy coach caught this incorrectly configured cutaway cable on a rig rented by his student, who was a licensed skydiver. A local packer had hooked the main canopy up to the container.
When jumpers take on the responsibility (and that’s precisely what it is) of getting their licenses, they are pledging to conduct themselves safely.
During the ride to altitude at a summer boogie, an organizer noticed a twist in the lateral webbing on a jumper’s harness and informed him of the problem.
For years, the USPA Board of Directors heard feedback from members who felt that the night-jump requirement for the USPA D License was outdated. The number of night-jump waivers submitted by applicants to the Safety & Training Committee attest to this fact.
Brought to you by three-time British Freefly Champion Joel Strickland. Strickland is a full-time freefly coach and tunnel-flying professional and a Fédération Aéronautique Internationale Artistic Events Judge. Jumpers can read more of his writing or contact him for tunnel camps in Europe at joelstrickland.net.
Canopy formation coach Brian Stempin high fives new CF jumper Scot Flynn during a training jump at the Freeze Your Pups event at Skydive DeLand in Florida.
A jumper came to me after his first cutaway, concerned about damage to his reserve system.
As a Safety and Training Advisor, it’s important to take a leadership role during your drop zone’s Safety Day activities.
Safety Day presents the perfect opportunity to strengthen the relationship between jump pilots and skydivers.
In 2019, the USPA Board’s Compliance Group received reports of 63 possible infractions of USPA policies that could merit disciplinary action.
Brought to you by Steve Lefkowitz of SDC Rhythm XP (rhythmskydiving.com). Additional instructional materials are available by downloading the Rhythm apps: Rhythm Skydiving 101 and Rhythm Skydiving 401.
A main parachute that opens quickly and hard can be extremely dangerous. A hard opening can break suspension lines, tear canopy fabric, and injure, kill or incapacitate the jumper.
Chances are, you know very little about your reserve canopy (after all, it’s packed away out of view most of the time), but you should. It’s an important piece of equipment, and although you hope to never use it, you probably will at some point. (Photo by David Cherry.)
USPA Safety Day is just around the corner—on March 14—and most DZs are gearing up for the event.
Studies have shown that the individuals deviating from standard protocols don’t set out to break the rules.
Like just about any innovation or improvement, the hip rings introduced to make a skydiving harness more flexible for freestyle and freeflying have a downside. If the harness is fitted correctly so the two ends of the leg strap at the ring seldom or never make contact, no wear should appear.
A tandem student points out his altitude as he makes his first skydive with instructor Jeff Whitt at Skydive Spaceland–Houston in Rosharon, Texas.
Oil and water, Red Bull and milk, brass grommets and rubber bands: all things that don’t mix together well.
My first year here at USPA as director of safety and training has gone by so quickly.
You pull one handle and, magically, there is an open parachute over your head. And if that doesn’t work, you just cut away, pull the reserve handle and later buy your rigger their bottle of choice. Voilà! Seems simple enough.
AFF Instructor Tim Hajewski guides an AFF student through the landing pattern at Skydive Milwaukee in East Troy, Wisconsin.
During a routine repack, a rigger discovered that this Maillon Rapide quick link (aka French link) on the main deployment bag had damaged the pilot chute’s kill line and attachment point, likely from repeated friction between the components.
The summer season has faded away, and so have high temperatures, at least in the northern states. Fall is fading to winter, frost is appearing in the morning grass, and if you live north of the Mason-Dixon line, you have probably noticed it is getting colder in freefall.
If you’re instructing AFF students, you are engaging in formation skydiving.
USPA takes every opportunity to support military skydivers as they serve our country and as they face struggles while entering civilian life after service. Our military counterparts in airborne operations train endlessly, and during their service, many of the paratroopers work with military instructors who are also USPA Instructors to earn there USPA A licenses. However, their training is subject to the conditions and equipment available at the time the training takes place.
Diana Martin checks her altitude during an AFF jump with instructors Erin Engelsen (left) and Dennis Dorman at Skydive the Ranch in Gardiner, New York.
(More articles being added every day!)