For many decades, USPA has proudly touted the “self-regulated” nature of our sport, and for good reason. Generations of skydivers can be proud of the fact that USPA’s forefathers successfully pitched the concept of allowing the sport to institute safety standards, a skydiving licensing system and a means of certifying skydiving instructors to the Federal Aviation Administration (actually its predecessor agency) so it wouldn’t need to regulate skydiving safety. And that is exactly the picture today, though it was by no means a foregone conclusion. more »

The early 1970s were pivotal years for competitive skydiving, with formation skydiving just beginning to supplant style and accuracy as the primary competitive discipline. What we now call 4-way formation skydiving (then called 4-man relative work) made its first appearance at the U.S. National Championships in 1970. Ten- and 8-way competitions quickly followed 4-way. The First World Parachuting Championships in Relative Work occurred in Germany in 1975. By the time William H. Ottley (WHO or Bill to his friends) became USPA’s executive director in 1978, 4- and 8-way formation skydiving were the premier competitive disciplines. more »

As a USPA member, you helped your association make history at the end of September and again in October. At September’s end, USPA membership totaled 34,600, eclipsing by 17 the previous membership high. That high was set at the end of August 2001, and 11 days later came the attacks of 9/11. Do you remember the effect on aviation? For months, airline bookings, charter flights and flight training dropped drastically. DZs reported a substantial drop in first-jump customers, and all skydiving, along with USPA membership, began a decline. more »

When I became USPA’s Executive Director nearly five years ago, one of my first calls was to Parachute Industry Association President Cliff Schmucker. The relationship between our two associations needed to be reinvigorated. USPA soon became an affiliate PIA member, and the partnership improved dramatically. It couldn’t have happened at a better time, considering the issues facing our sport. more »