Photo by Terry Weatherford | D-22518

Marie Clark excitedly leaps from the gondola while making her first balloon jump at Skydive Perris in California.

 
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Features

Jumping From Space 101—Alan Eustace Talks Us In
Features | October 2019

Jumping From Space 101—Alan Eustace Talks Us In

By Annette O”Neil

So, late in the fall of 2014, you watched Alan Eustace get tugged 25 miles into the stratosphere by a balloon that for all the world looked like a big, white map pin.

Author: Annette O'Neil
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Surfing the Skies
Features | October 2019

Surfing the Skies

By Keith Snyder

Skysurfing has experienced a comeback in recent years, and fortunately, the drop zones of the world are helping to keep our skies safe by not blindly allowing just anyone to grab a board and attempt it. Most DZs insist that new skysurfers receive proper guidance from those with experience … and for good reason.

Author: Keith Snyder
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Freshman Year—The U.S. Canopy Formation Team Brings Home Bronze
Features | October 2019

Freshman Year—The U.S. Canopy Formation Team Brings Home Bronze

By Magaly Sandoval

The 8th Fédération Aéronautique Internationale European Canopy Formation Championships and 10th FAI World Cup of Canopy Formation took place from August 15-21 at the Romanian Airclub located in the southern part of the country in the town of Strejnic Ploiești.

Author: Magaly Sandoval
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Welcome to the Apocalypse—The Big O Boogie
Features | October 2019

Welcome to the Apocalypse—The Big O Boogie

A Parachutist Pictorial

The name of this year’s giant boogie at Skydive Orange in Virginia—the Apocalyptic Big O Boogie—could not have been more fitting.

Author: Matt Fry, Katie Hansen
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A Fest to Remember
Features | October 2019

A Fest to Remember

A Parachutist Photo Essay

From July 26-August 4, the skies over Ottawa, Illinois, blossomed with canopies during Skydive Chicago’s much-anticipated megaboogie, Summerfest. More than 800 jumpers from all corners of the world came to the drop zone resort to get on one of the nearly 700 loads during the nine-day boogie.

Author: Casey McGrath
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Gearing Up

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Photo Spread

Photo by David Wybenga | D-31862

At Skydive Arizona in Eloy during the Arizona Challenge, a formation skydiving event organized by former and current members of champion 4-way FS team Arizona Airspeed, participants build the event’s grand-finale formation, a representation of the team’s triangular logo.
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Featured Art

“Mike McGowan”
Airbrush

Rod Leisure | D-18726
Arcadia, Indiana

scratchart29@gmail.com

In Your Words

Parachutist Around the World

Parachutist Around the World

Author: USPA Staff
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“Mike McGowan”

“Mike McGowan”

By Rod Leisure

“Mike McGowan”
Airbrush

Rod Leisure | D-18726
Arcadia, Indiana

scratchart29@gmail.com

Author: Rod Leisure
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Letters

Maximizing Enjoyment of Record Attempts

In the beginning, we all wanted to be great flyers. We can recall many jumps when we weren’t. We wanted to set state records, and we remember when they were hard or didn’t happen.

Author: Steven Simpson
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Letters

Veteran Pride

Thank you so much for your article, “Saluting the Heroes of D-Day” (August Parachutist). I come from a long line of military volunteers, as does my wife.

Author: Jerry Hogan
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Letters

RSL Issues

In “Incident Reports” in the August issue, the third incident states, “Both canopies fully deployed and went into a downplane. The student immediately cut away the main, which remained trailing behind him attached by the reserve static line.”

Author: Rob Jonson
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Letters

Thought for the Day

Practicing cutaways in a hanging harness is a great exercise. However, it’s not perfect.

Author: Ski Chmielewski
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Marylou Laughlin | D-12418

Marylou Laughlin | D-12418

By Brian Giboney

Marylou Laughlin, D-12418, started skydiving in 1988 and soon became heavily involved in competition, first as a competitor, then as a judge.

Author: Brian Giboney
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Safety & Training Featured Photo

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.

Safety & Training Articles

Keep an Eye Out | Closing-Pin Nicks

Keep an Eye Out | Closing-Pin Nicks

A freefall photographer caught this damage to his closing loop, which was relatively new, while packing during a busy weekend of jumping.

Author: USPA Staff
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Article rating: 3.5
Ask a rigger | How Should I Store My Gear for the Winter?

Ask a rigger | How Should I Store My Gear for the Winter?

By Shauna Finley

If you’re a northern jumper, winter gives you the opportunity to travel south, experience new DZs and get a break from the freezing weather. However, if you aren’t able to travel to warmer climates during the winter months, you’ll need to store your gear.

Author: Shauna Finley
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Article rating: 3.0
Rating Corner | PRO-Rating Changes

Rating Corner | PRO-Rating Changes

By Ron Bell

At its summer board meeting in Arlington, Virginia, the USPA Board approved significant changes to Skydiver’s Information Manual Section 7-2—Professional Exhibition Rating.

Author: Ron Bell
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Article rating: 3.3
Safety Check | Fatigue

Safety Check | Fatigue

By Ron Bell

With the dog days of summer behind us and the home stretch of the skydiving season approaching, it’s important for jumpers to keep their guards up. July is typically the most fatal month in sheer numbers, but the fatality rate stays consistently high through October, even as the season begins winding down.

Author: Ron Bell
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Article rating: 5.0
Foundations of Flight | Learning About Learning, Part 1

Foundations of Flight | Learning About Learning, Part 1

By Joel Strickland

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. 

Author: Joel Strickland
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Featured Event

From left, Bryce Schunke, Travis Mickle, Gilles Gueveneux and Dylan Mitchell enjoy a wingsuit skydive at the Flock ‘til You Drop event at Sky’s the Limit in East Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania.

Featured DZ

Arturo Espinosa celebrates his 300th jump and 43rd birthday by making a hybrid with Manrique Ramirez Sabat and Bernardo Jimenez Vega at Skydive Pura Vida.

Closing In

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