Photo by George Katsoulis | USPA #93010

At Skydive Perris in California, the Top Flite team, led by Kevin Kierce, flies a 16-way during its first skills camp since the DZ re-opened. 

Due to continuing uncertainties regarding the COVID-19 pandemic and after reviewing more than 450 responses to a survey of recent competitors, Skydive City Zephyrhills decided—with USPA’s full support—to decline to host the 2020 USPA Skydiving and Parachuting National Championships scheduled for October 30-November 21.

Albert Berchtold, D-27832, has been selected as USPA’s next executive director, officially taking the job on January 1, 2021. After an eight-month search process, USPA’s board of directors affirmed the decision this week.

One of USPA’s most vital functions in pursuit of its mission to “support skydiving and those who enjoy it” is safeguarding skydiving’s rightful place in the national airspace system, which includes public airports.

On a beautiful, cloudless Saturday afternoon last April, Team Fastrax, a professional exhibition team based at Start Skydiving in Middletown, Ohio, boarded their Caravan to make a demo like no other before.

Each year, the International Skydiving Museum inducts a select few men and women who have “defined, promoted, inspired and advanced the sport at the highest levels” into its Hall of Fame. This year marks the organization’s 11th class of honorees.

Bradley Allen hangs below Mariah Funcannon (left) and Steve Osner at Skydive Kansas City.

John Pitts lands during the re-opening weekend at Skydive Tennessee in Tullahoma.

Tandem skydiving has been instrumental in promoting and growing our sport; it brings both revenue and new skydivers to our DZs.

Many jumpers are confused about the term “hard deck” and how it differs from the term “decision altitude.”

Wingsuit flyers, or any jumpers who sit at the front of the plane and exit last, have the farthest to travel to the door on exit, which increases the chance of a snag.

Instructor Matt Leonard of Superior Flight Solutions films James Deller’s landing for use in the debrief during a canopy course at Jumptown in Orange Massachusetts.

Tom Camire (green helmet), D-25536, makes his 2,700th jump during Summerfest 2019 at Skydive Chicago in Ottawa, Illinois. 

The USPA Board of Directors rescheduled its summer meeting and USPA General Membership Meeting, originally set for July 10-12, to September 18-20.

The International Skydiving Museum has rescheduled its Hall of Fame Celebration for the class of 2020, originally planned for October 8-10, to April 22-24, 2021.

Skydivers Over Sixty had planned to hold its 20th annual Record Week at Skydive Perris in California in May.

Tim Carothers models the latest in 2020 fashions on the way to altitude on re-opening weekend at Skydive Chicago in Ottawa, Illinois.