Photo by Laszlo Andacs | D-22468

Jumpers set the 40-way Fédération Aéronautique Internationale World Record for Largest Night Formation Skydive at SKYDIVE ARIZONA in Eloy.

Jessie Farrington, D-6853, served on the USPA Board as a regional director for many years and has a long history in the sport. She is part of a large family of skydivers. Her father, Lenny Aikins, got her started in 1964. She has owned Kapowsin Air Sports in Shelton, Washington, with her husband, Geoff, for decades. Her children, Andy Farrington and Keri Bell, are extremely talented skydivers who made many jumps while still in the womb. And her brother, nieces and nephews are all skydivers, and a fourth generation is on the way.

In 1984, the IRS classified USPA as a 501(c)4 non-profit association. That was based on its finding that USPA’s main purposes “promote the common good and social welfare.” Importantly, 501(c)4 organizations can lobby government officials as long as they meet all lobby registration and lobby reporting rules. And USPA does lobby on behalf of skydiving. What does that mean? Primarily, USPA’s executive director and director of government relations engage in efforts to build relationships with various officials, usually those in the Federal Aviation Administration and the Transportation Security Administration but sometimes other federal and state agencies.

Jason Russell, D-23161, is a world record holder and a newly crowned Vertical Formation Skydiving World Champion with his SDC Core teammates, one of whom is his wife. Early in his career, he left motocross racing to compete in skydiving and now has made more than 14,000 jumps. Chalk this up as a huge gain to our sport.

Photo by Niklas Daniel | D-28906

EagleBear (Andre Gerner, Joseph Gerner and Nathan Roth) turn points on the way to taking the silver medal in open mixed formation skydiving at the USPA Nationals at Skydive Arizona in Eloy.

Cornelia Mihai, D-31070, is a focused and hard-working skydiver who at the 2014 Fédération Aéronautique Internationale World Championships became the first female to medal in a canopy piloting event. Originally from Romania, Mihai is now a member of the Skydive Dubai Canopy Piloting Team and is regularly atop the podium representing the United Arab Emirates in international canopy piloting competitions. She is also a tandem and AFF instructor.

Photo by Rick Winkler | D-32647

At Skydive Elsinore in California, Taylor Cole, Eric Gallan, Sean Jones and Will Kitto of U.S. Canopy Formation Team Elsinore Too Wrapped Up make a practice jump to prepare for competing in the rotations event at the FAI World Parachuting Championships Mondial.

Legendary aerial cinematographer Tom Sanders, D-6503, has filmed skydiving scenes for dozens of movies, including “Drop Zone,” many James Bond films and the original “Point Break,” which inspired thousands of people to become skydivers. His resume also includes countless TV commercials, the award-winning documentary “Over the Edge” and coordinating filming of the 1988 Olympic Rings skydive. In 2005, USPA awarded him its Gold Medal for Meritorious Service. He is the 200th person profiled since this column began in February 2000.

Photo by Mike Carpenter | D-34137

Some of the best freeflyers in the U.S., Mike Bohn and Leland Procell of Team FLO, Chad Ross and Damian Germano of Zulu Foxtrot, Brent Witt and John Starkey of Atlas Freefly, Andy Malchiodi of SoCal Converge and Keith Creedy join together to build a hybrid formation at GoJump Oceanside in California.

Photo by Ralph Turner | C-43075

Sarah Endrix skysurfs on Keith Portela while exiting over Skydive Miami in Homestead, Florida.

A recent fatal tandem accident and subsequent information have led USPA to conclude that a number of candidates who attended tandem instructor rating courses at The Parachute Center in Lodi, California, and other locations conducted by either Rob Pooley, #155136, or Yuri Garmashov, #163264, were not properly taught and/or were not properly certified. Some courses may have been abbreviated or incomplete, or candidates may not have met initial qualifications. Post-course rating applications may have been submitted under false pretenses or with forged signatures since, in some cases, the course examiner had been suspended and was not authorized to conduct courses.

In the interest of public safety, USPA is taking steps to ensure that all of approximately 140 tandem instructors and candidates affected can demonstrate proper emergency procedures, have completed the knowledge tests from USPA and tandem manufacturer United Parachute Technologies and have submitted proper rating applications to both UPT and USPA.

The 2016 USPA National Championships of Wingsuit Flying completed Wednesday, August 24—two days ahead of schedule—at Chicagoland Skydiving Center in Rochelle, Illinois. This marked the second year for USPA’s newest Nationals competition, both years hosted by Chicagoland.

Photo by Paul-Henry de Baère | D-30471

Omar Alhegelan takes freeflying to the Himalayas during the May 2016 Skydive Everest expedition in Nepal.

Photo by Caroline Layne | D-14528

On Flag Day, Team Fastrax performs a demo jump into downtown Philadelphia in front of Independence Hall, where the U.S. Declaration of Independence and Constitution were debated and adopted.

Photo by Norman Kent | D-8369

Jaime Tristancho (left) takes on Milton Pachon in a game of Quidditch during filming of a television commercial by Plan 9 Films for telecommunications company EBT at Skydive Colombia.

Longtime Florida drop zone owner and instructor Paul “Pop” Poppenhager, D-47, was born in June 1934 and became interested in skydiving at a young age while watching his father jump at airshows.

Photo by Javier Ortiz | D-28774

Olga Naumova (center) celebrates her birthday with Jakud Sklenka (left) and Joao Paulo by making a balloon jump at the Skydive Dubai Desert Campus in the United Arab Emirates.

Advanced Aerospace Designs has recently released an Information Bulletin as a reminder regarding battery replacement intervals required for their Vigil 1 and Vigil 2 automatic activation devices. The bulletin reminds jumpers that battery replacement is mandatory when “Bat Low” or “Bat Rpl” appears on the controller screen or when the Vigil has reached a maximum of 10 years plus three months.

Airtec, GmbH, maker of the CYPRES 2 automatic activation device, has announced a change in the maintenance requirements for all civilian CYPRES 2 AADs manufactured after January 1, 2016.

Photo by Tom Sanders | D-6503

During the Party on the Playa II boogie in Tambor, Costa Rica, (clockwise from bottom left) Andy Harris, Mike Bess, Larenda Graham and Mark Schrag fly a 4-way over the Gulf of Nicoya.