Ian Graham provided the artwork for this year's Nationals.  He and his wife Patti operate Caledonian Graphics in Zephyrhills, FL.  Graham has made 1,600 jumps since 1978 and was a member of the British Royal Marines Freefall Team, where he piloted the world record 24-stack.

For the first time in 33 months, the unmistakable photography of Norman Kent, D-8369, returns to the cover of PARACHUTIST (although his work has been featured dozens of times inside in the meantime.)  This shot was taken in Key Largo, FL.  Kent has been active in Hollywood, where he lives.  A sample of his recent work graced last month's center spread.

Mike McGowan, D-5709, flies in behind a giant U.S. flag carried by his wife, Misty Blues team member Nancy Auge, during the teams's training camp last spring at Flager Aviation in Bunnell, FL.  (See related story on page 24.)  McGowan became entangled with a similar flag while trying to get this shot last winter and had to resort to reserve procedures to get clear.

All of America's trophies and medals from the Canopy Relataive Work Championships in Chiangmai, Thailand were photographed just after the award ceremony by Cliff Dobson, D-1193.  This cover picture is a first for Dobson since his initial static line in 1962, despite 5,000-plus jumps, seven world championships and 21 world medals.  Dobson, who runs the Skydive Tampa Bay group member DZ in Florida, has competed 15 times at the Nationals, often with his son Cliffer.  His daughter Michele is also a serious jumper.  For the story of the championships, see page 18.

Mike Allen, D-10180, caught Shelly Jones in a freestyle T over the Air Adventures Florida DZ in Clewiston.  She is the daughter of Bill and Kay Jones, who operate the DZ, the site of last winter's U.S. Collegiate National Skydiving Championships.  This is the second PARACHUTIST cover shot at Clewiston; the last one appeared in March, 1988.

Dave Keith, D-5441, provided this shot of Cathy Conklin and James Hulse going floater for a load out of DC-3 "Our Douglas" over Hulse's house in Santa Maria, CA.  Eleven jumpers built a round for the back-yard demo.

Andrzej Jesmanowicz, D-9978, followed this CRW maneuver building over the Wisconsin Skydivers DZ in Menominee Falls, WI.  The group, led by Mike Mayotte, was attempting a "five-by-side," and according to Jezmanowicz, "came pretty close."  They expect to try again this season.

Jamie Paul provided this winterscape featuring the new kids on the CRW block, Quantum Leap, practicing over the Archway Parachute Center in Sparta, IL.  The team clobbered some of the perennial winners to place second during U.S. Team tryouts at Clewiston, FL over the Christmas and New Year's holiday.

Tom Sanders, D-6503, caught an unidentified jumper a few hundred feet above the desert during a spectacular sunset at Skydive Arizona in Coolidge.

Michelle Byrd (right), age 10 of Mesquite, TX, contributed this month's cover, entitled "My Momma's First 4-Stack, Almost."  The PARACHUTIST staff selected her art from among dozens of other responses to a call for children's cover art in the August issue.  Many of the staff's favorites appear in this month's center spread.  Michelle is picutred here with her sister, Stephanie, age 6 and their mother, Kim, C-19512.

Gus Wing, D-7117, was over the SkyDance DZ in Davis, CA to film this "room dive" organized by Bungee Wallace during the Wilbury Invitational held there on August 18-20.

Steve Wood, D-11234, caught some jumpers boogieing through a valley of clouds over the 20th Annual Pig Roast and Heathen Reunion at the Greene County Sport Parachute Center in Bardstown, KY July 21-23.  The meet was supported by the center's Beaver, its Cessna and Mike Mullins' Helio Stallion which flew 134 jumpers on 50 loads.

John Herring, of Paragraphics, designed the logo for this year's Nationals.  It was borrowed from Harold McElfish, who used it years ago in advertising for his Dallas, TX equipment company.

Kevin McCann, D-10018, caught Ron Huffmaster spiraling down over the Gulf of Mexico during an invitational boogie organized by Rick and Donna Wynn June 9-11 at Sugarloaf Key, FL.  Dan Haggarty provided his Twin Beech for almost 70 skydivers from various DZs around the state and as far north as Massachussetts.

Andrjez Jezmanowicz, D-9978, got this shot of Jack Witt, Mike Meyer, Mike Mayotte and Scott Matenaer of the Sky People canopy relative work team over Milwaukee, WI.

Robert Tomany, D-9376, caught this of his sister Nancy right after her first jump in tandem with Richard Linden over the Seagoville, TX drop zone.

Greg Miklasiewicz, C-12423, of Fairfax, VA, captured this classic of a competition landing at this year's U.S. Para-Ski Nationals.  This year, he went to observe; next year, he says he'll compete.

Jumpers from Tennessee, Mississippi and Louisana fly a 10-way star over the Mississippi River.  Photographer Steve Wood, D-11234, took this shot during a Helio Stallion Boogie over the West Memphis, AK DZ last March.

Denny Gainor (known to his many friends as Bear) set this shot of himself up from a boom attached to the basket of a balloon over Southern California.  Gainor jumps with the California Aerial Performance Parachute Team.

Mike McGowan captures the graceful and daring Sandra Williams suspended on a trapeze below her teammate Marsha Buckentin.  The two Floridians perform with the Misty Blues skydiving exhibition team nationwide.  According to Buckentin, how to perform the trapeze trick is a "team secret."