In the interest of safety, USPA formed a Compliance Group to investigate allegations against members of USPA. Although the Compliance Group focuses its efforts on retraining and education rather than penalties, it will suspend or revoke memberships or ratings if its investigations show that such actions are warranted. In 2018, the USPA Compliance Group conducted 21 investigations into allegations against members of USPA, 14 of which resulted in disciplinary actions. These are the 2018 actions:

• Two members attempted to attend a USPA Tandem Instructor Rating Course without the required three years of parachuting experience. Both members received membership suspensions, and one must wait an additional year beyond the three-year date (four years total) and receive permission of the full board before attending a tandem instructor rating course.


• Three cases involved members who made tandem jumps as instructors without having both a USPA and manufacturer’s rating. All three received tandem-rating suspensions and were required to complete training with a tandem examiner before conducting tandem jumps again.


• One tandem instructor received a 12-month rating suspension for submitting a falsified medical for his tandem-rating renewal. The Compliance Group required him to receive an FAA Third-Class Medical Certificate, permission from the full board and retraining if he wishes to renew the rating following the suspension period.


• After initiating a 180-degree turn to final approach below 500 feet, which violated the Basic Safety Requirements and resulted in injury to the student, a tandem instructor received a 60-day rating suspension and was required to complete retraining before conducting tandem jumps again.


• A tandem instructor whose automatic activation device activated during a tandem jump received a 60-day suspension. Before returning to performing tandem jumps, he must go through retraining with a USPA Tandem Instructor Examiner.


• After performing unsafe tandem exits and conducting tandem jumps without completing a system-handles check on each jump, a tandem instructor received a 30-day suspension and was required to undergo retraining with a USPA Tandem Instructor Examiner.


• A jumper who conducted AFF jumps without an AFF rating received a 90-day membership suspension and may not attend any USPA rating course for a period of one year.


• A USPA member received a letter of censure after allowing a non-rated instructor to perform AFF jumps. The member owned the drop zone and assumed the jumper was appropriately rated but did not check.


• An AFF instructor received a letter of censure and retraining by a USPA AFF Instructor Examiner due to poor documentation of training for a jumper obtaining a USPA A license.


• A non-PRO-rated jumper received a revocation of his USPA C license and was prohibited from applying for any USPA license for a period of three years after making a poorly planned and executed landing into an area with inadequate crowd control during a demo that required a PRO rating.


• A USPA member submitted a falsified USPA Coach Rating Proficiency Card without having attended a USPA Coach Rating Course. He received a 12-month membership suspension and must receive the permission of the full board before attending any future USPA rating course.