DZs that have not yet received a packet should contact the Group Membership department at groupmembers@uspa.org as soon as possible.

The eighth annual Jump for the Rose Pinkfest Boogie in the fall of 2017 was the best so far! The skydiving community raised $31,000, which it presented to the Rose—a non-profit clinic that provides breast cancer care to all, regardless of their ability to pay—on December 13.

For 10 days in December, 450 jumpers from around the globe descended onto the Eloy desert for the annual Skydive Arizona Christmas Boogie.

Although MFS teams generally put most of their training focus on the performers, the camera flyers’ performances are critical to success. The mixture of horizontal and vertical formations makes flying camera for an MFS team very challenging because there is a lot of active flying necessary to get the best camera angle.

The Golden Knights Alumni Reunion recently brought alumni and current members of the United States Army Parachute Team to Fort Bragg, North Carolina, to enjoy four days of camaraderie among teammates old and new.

The Invasion boogie at Skydive Sebastian in Florida December 28-January 1 was a spectacular success and provided something for everyone: an array of camps (including the SDC Core head-down camp and SDC Rhythm XP 8-way and big-way formation skydiving camps), the Coach for a Day program, organizers for jumpers of all skill levels, courses through the Women’s Skydiving Leadership Network and Alter Ego, novelty aircraft, beach jumps, tube jumps, hot tubs, music, an island party on a private island and a New Year’s Eve celebration.

For the past two years, USPA has held Learn to Skydive Month, where drop zones offered one free first-jump ground school sometime during the month. The goal of the program is to introduce more people to skydiving without obligating them to jump (in the hope that they will not only make a first jump but continue to pursue the sport).

Executive Director Ed Scott presents former Director of Membership Services Clint Vincent, who served as USPA staff member in various positions for more than 20 total years, with a retirement plaque from all current USPA employees at his retirement party at USPA Headquarters in Fredericksburg, Virginia.

Jump 4 Joy’s program is called “Dream, Plan, Do.” The foundational idea behind Jump 4 Joy is that kids are really easy to inspire. They’re inspired by athletes, celebrities, actors and movies, but since they don’t necessarily know what to do with that information, it’s very quickly lost. Amonson built his program to help give them the tools to keep it going.

Brought to you by Niklas Daniel and Brianne Thompson of AXIS Flight School at Skydive Arizona in Eloy. Photos by Niklas Daniel. Information about AXIS’ coaching and instructional services is available at axisflightschool.com.

Following an uneventful 2-way head-down skydive, a jumper experienced a pilot-chute-in-tow malfunction and a subsequent uneventful reserve deployment.

If your canopy flies straight both in brakes and with the brakes released but it turns to the right on opening, you have a common problem that frequently has a simple, no-cost solution.

Each year, more states legalize marijuana for medical and recreational purposes. As the use of pot continues to gain acceptance around the country, the skydiving community needs to be aware that it may lead to some issues with students, licensed jumpers and instructional rating holders. 

They look over their shoulders and see me, a ginormous, unholy, nylon-flapping creature of some kind that has no right in Mother Nature’s world to be flying above them. 

One afternoon in the fall of 1988, I quit my job as head of marketing for a bank and broke up my marriage of 10 years … all within a 30-minute span. Not long after that, I took up skydiving.

Just a few weeks after giving this interview, on December 29, beloved skydiving mentor and big-way organizer Tom Jenkins, D-7707, died from the complications of Parkinson’s disease. During the interview, Jenkins—who knew his health was failing—stated his wish to pass away as a world-record holder. He achieved this wish three-fold, at the time of his death holding the 400-way Fédération Aéronautique Internationale World Record for Largest Formation Skydive (set in 2006), as well as the two-point 219-way and three-point 217-way FAI World Records (set in October, when he was suffering from the ill effects of his disease but was still able to jump at the highest level). From the moment of his first jump in 1978 through the more than 22,000 jumps he made afterward, Jenkins kept up a love for skydiving that never faded. His loss has left a big hole in the skydiving community, but the lessons he taught will help guide the sport for years to come. 

Every time you jump and pack, your gear collects dirt and grime. Between repack cycles, it is important that you are performing your own inspections after every jump and performing regular maintenance. 

A Parachutist Pictorial