At Skydive the Ranch in Gardiner, New York, Laszlo Andacs (blue jumpsuit) celebrates his 10,000th jump with friends (clockwise from right) Tom Falzone (15,000 jumps), Max Cohn (11,000 jumps), Steve Webb (15,000 jumps), John Kieran (13,000 jumps) and Guy Wright (18,000 jumps), who along with camera flyer Igor Shpino (18,000 jumps) have more than 100,000 jumps and 215 years in the sport between them.

The annual Sisters in Skydiving boogie blasted off June 30-July 1 at Skydive Spaceland–Dallas in Whitewright, Texas. For the event titled “SISters in Space,” the star-studded organizer lineup included skydiver and astronaut Mary Ellen Weber, as well as Lacey Breaux, Erin Kruth and Genifer Oliver for belly flyers and Nicole Black and Vanessa Meyer for freeflyers. Weber, a former NASA astronaut and one of only 59 women to have gone into space, detailed her career progression, NASA training and missions (one in 1995 while sending a satellite into orbit and a second in 2000 to the International Space Station). Weber illustrated the importance of mentoring, and the women left feeling inspired to follow their dreams.

The 2018 edition of the American Revolution Boogie at Skydive Spaceland–Dallas in Whitewright, Texas, is in the books, and judging by the reactions, feedback and word on the street generated by the almost 200 jumpers who attended, it was a resounding success!

On Friday, June 15, Seven Hills Skydivers of Madison, WI, (which is located in Marshall) held the 4th Annual Freedom Freefall event in conjunction with its Head to the Hills Boogie. The veterans-help organization 4th HOOAH (Helping Out Our American Heroes)—which aims to reduce the number of veteran suicides a day from the current 20—started the event in 2015 to give those suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder a coping mechanism through skydiving. The organization funded tandem skydives, as well as inside and outside video, for 35 veterans this year.

Registration is now open for the 2019 Drop Zone Operators’ Conference, scheduled for Sunday-Monday, February 3-4, in Dallas, Texas, at the Hyatt Regency Dallas. The conference will take place in conjunction with the USPA Board of Directors meeting February 1-3 and the Parachute Industry Association Symposium February 4-8.

On July 7, jumper Eric Proctor made a 24,000-foot HALO skydive as a fundraiser for the family of New York Air National Guard Master Sergeant Christopher “Goose” Raguso, who died in action on March 15 when his helicopter went down during a night mission in Iraq.

In July, Southwest Regional Director Jack Pyland—flying a 2,032-square-foot American flag—headed up a group of 12 skydivers who made a demo jump into the annual Kaboom Town fireworks display at Addison Airport just outside of Dallas, Texas.

Sixty skydivers of varying skill levels from four countries headed to Skydive Midwest in Sturtevant, Wisconsin, June 22-24 for the first Sun Path Sequentials vertical skills camp. Participants in the three-day camp split into groups of 3 to 12 flyers to work with one of the 11 rotating organizers, all Sun Path-sponsored athletes. 

In July, four students made the first known civilian AFF jumps in Iran.

Dueling DZs—a 6-way formation skydiving competition between California DZs Skydive Elsinore and Skydive Perris—took place on July 21 after a two-year hiatus, and the rivalry was intense!

Lenny Botak made a tandem jump a couple of years ago. When he landed, he knew he wanted to skydive some more, but as so often happens, life got in the way.

There were lots of smiles and lots of tears the weekend of July 14-15 at Skydive Spaceland–Dallas in Whitewright, Texas, as friends, family and skydivers from across the country came to pay their last respects to Ryan Risberg, D-22873, an amazing personality who passed away in June.

Photo by Mark Kirschenbaum/Hypoxic | D-28515

During a Sisters in Skydiving event at Des Moines Skydivers in Winterset, Iowa, new A-license recipient Kari Spethman (purple helmet) enjoys a 4-way with mentors (clockwise from right) Amanda Kubik, Jeanine Bonvin and Julie Kleinwort.

The Parachutist staff has discovered that substantial portions of the interview on which the article “Children of Fallen Heroes—Skydiving Angels” (August Parachutist) was based are not accurate and that at least some of the published photos, including the opening photo, did not depict the correct organization.

On Saturday, July 14, the U.S. Parachute Association became the official Host Country Affiliate of the International Skydiving Museum and Hall of Fame. The USPA Board of Directors made the decision to become a partner of the museum by committing to donate $25,000 per year for the next six years to the museum’s fundraising efforts.

While making a tandem skydive with instructor Iain Guthrie at Pepperell Skydiving Center in Massachusetts, Greicy Hoepers accepts a marriage proposal from Eliseu Matos, B-34200.

Dalton Carvalho | D-25058

I was an adrenaline junkie until I had a severe stroke in 2006. Last year, when I heard about a guy who was raising money to take people with disabilities to a wind tunnel, I was very curious. I didn't think that flying in a wind tunnel was possible for someone as immobile as I am, but I contacted him to see what he thought I could do.

Bill Jones, D-924, is a legendary skydiver, instructor, drop zone owner, innovator and the patriarch of a large skydiving family. Nearly the entire Jones family jumps: six of his children have made their livings from skydiving, and five of the six still do. At age 86—after actively sport jumping for more than 50 years—Jones still has skydiving goals, proving that this is a sport for life.

Wingsuit training is multi-faceted and requires both freedom and flexibility to change with the rapid development of suit design, competition formats and flying styles.