Labor Day weekend in Central Texas means a lot of different things to different people: a tasty plate of barbecue with friends and family, another fun outing to the lake or one last trip to the coast. For skydivers, the lure is Skydive San Marcos’ once-a-year Jump Your Ass Off event. For almost a decade, the DZ has dedicated the first weekend in September to the pursuit of fun jumping (with the emphasis on fun). The terms are simple: Pay $99 and jump as many times as you wish on Saturday and Sunday.

I have an intense fear of heights. My hands sweat on carnival Ferris wheels, during cliff scenes in movies and in my office (I’m on the 44th floor of a downtown building). Whenever I mention this, people just shake their heads in disbelief and say, “How did you skydive?” My answer is simple: a very persistent friend. And I will always be thankful his persistence paid off.

Hannah Betts, D-30022, is a competitive skydiver, instructor and stunt performer who began her jumping career in the U.K. but now lives in California. Betts’ 4-way formation skydiving team—Bodyflight Storm—won the Féderátion Aéronautique Internationale Women’s World Championships and twice won the British Championships, and she was a member of the 181-way team that set the FAI Women’s World Record for Largest Formation Skydive. Skydiving opened the door to a career in Hollywood, where she now does stunt work for TV shows and movies, which have included “NCIS,” “The Walking Dead” and “Antman.”

Photo by David Cherry | D-33500

Dallas Disturbance builds a formation on its way to taking the silver medal in 16-way formation skydiving at the USPA National Skydiving Championships at Chicagoland Skydiving Center in Rochelle, Illinois.

So, you’d like to form a skydiving team and you’ve found other skydivers to join you. Congratulations! Now what? The good news is that the greatest hurdle is behind you. The next step is to come up with a team budget.

All USPA Foreign Affiliate group memberships expire December 31. Drop zones that have not already submitted renewal applications should do so as soon as possible. 

At Skydive Paraclete XP in Raeford, North Carolina, the U.S. Army Golden Knights 8-way formation skydiving team trains for the World Championships.

Photo by Elliot Byrd | D-32251

At the Big O Boogie at Skydive Orange in Virginia, (from left) Nancy Koreen, Zachary Hoffman and Grayson Hoffman enjoy a head-down skydive.

Photo by Craig O'Brien | D-19294

I just began my 41st year of skydiving at age 82. I have been current throughout all those years, rarely missing a single month. I once went 34 years and 11 months without a miss until a bicycle crash sidelined me for three months. However, I notice myself becoming more apprehensive every time I drive or fly to the jump center, and I do not know why and wish to stop being that way.

It appears to be almost mandatory that the person who announces a jump over the radio must garble the name or location.

Today, USPA membership stands at 40,512 and continues growing with over a half-million people in the U.S. making their first jumps every year. General aviation, however, is still in a downward arc despite the best efforts of general aviation groups to attract and keep more pilots.

Digital

Ben Harris | D-30873

Salisbury, Maryland

Photo by David Cherry | D-33500

Mixed formation skydiving team Fallhalla (Chris Gunter, Paul Harris and Emily Royal) turns points on its way to taking fourth in the advanced class at the USPA National Skydiving Championships at Chicagoland Skydiving Center in Rochelle, Illinois.

USPA has selected Ron Bell as its next Director of Safety & Training, succeeding Jim Crouch who has served in that position a phenomenal 18 years. Bell’s start date is October 29.

Advanced Aerospace Designs has released Public Service Bulletin PSB-02-2018 which requires all Vigil 2 automatic activation devices with serial numbers from 16,000 to 21,999 to be inspected by the manufacturer. 

On the morning of July 5th, at the Elsinore Paracenter (California), Johnny Carson, Host of NBC's "Tonight Show", realized a life long ambition by making the delayed free fall parachute jump from an altitude of 12, 500 feet.

The National Aeronautic Association updated its process for issuing Fédération Aéronautique Internationale Sporting Licenses, which anyone participating in an FAI World Championship, World Cup or World Record must hold. Applicants must apply for their sporting licenses and pay their fees electronically at naa.aero/membership/membership-application. Processing time is five business days.

Sunrise Manufacturing International, Inc., maker of the Wings harness and container system, has issued a mandatory service bulletin for rigs equipped with an RSL with Reserve Boost MARD (Main-Assisted Reserve Deployment).