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Home: news: Events: Airdrop Assist and You

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Airdrop Assist and You

Looking for a way to put your skydiving skills to use, in a hands-on humanitarian way? There are plenty of nonprofit organizations out there, and many ways in which to help others - now you can join one which uses skydiving, to bring care directly to people in need and go to places you wouldn't otherwise visit as a traveler.

Sometimes, getting an aircraft into a remote area is extremely difficult and often times it is too risky to attempt. Accessing highly remote areas is difficult by ground, sometimes nearly impossible, making airdrop access a preferred - and quicker - way to go. Remote Area Medical is continuing the development of its airborne project, using airdrop operations to gain access to otherwise inaccessible regions. The people who go on these expeditions need more than the typical skydiving skills.

A new nonprofit school, named Airdrop Assist, is set up to prepare volunteers who are able to perform in the air as well as on the ground. The school trains people to be capable of going into remote areas and getting back out safely. Starting on November 1st, the enrollment period begins for the next training course that is scheduled for December 15-19; for more details about enrolling and the training course itself, go to www.airdropassist.org.

With more than half of US citizens over weight, and even more who are adapted to a "push-button" lifestyle, getting back to basics is not simply throwing on a backpack and "roughing it" for a week. It means physical conditioning, and additional training in: first-aid, navigation, knowing how to read the outdoor environment, and more. Having a USPA license is one step, of many steps, to becoming an airborne volunteer.

Outdoor skills are part of the training program, which is certainly not included in your typical AFF program. Volunteerism brings on a whole new element to the sport, a more grounded one in a manner of speaking.

When jumping at dropzones, complete with well-marked landing areas, wind indicators, and easy access to medical care (if needed), jumping has a degree of certainty and safety. When you remove all of the usual trimmings of a dropzone, and if you all but eliminate access to definitive health care, a soft-and-safe landing takes on a whole new meaning and landing takes on a higher level of risk - and skills. Students who train with these risks in mind, view skydiving in a whole new light and find that there is still a lot to learn.

In a sense, exiting the aircraft is the easy part - it's what happens from the time you land, up through the time you are back home, that needs more careful attention and practice. Being able to handle difficult situations, in harsh environments, is not your typical post-dive activity; hiking several days through jungles or arid mountains is not you typical stroll from the dropzone to your car either. All of these aspects of remote area access, for providing humanitarian aid to people who would not otherwise receive care, are but a sampling of what to prepare for, as a remote area volunteer; it's also something that is the most exciting. Airdrop Assist is coming up with ways to test and train potential volunteers, providing immediate and measurable goals for determining whether or not people are ready to take on these challenges in the field. Without prior training, the last place you want to find out you're not ready, is when you are days away from a place where you may (or may not) have easy transport to a one-room hospital.

Based in Eloy, Arizona, Airdrop Assist is making arrangements for a minimum of two "Basic Bootcamp" courses each year, with one in the spring and one in the winter, plus other activities year round; while volunteers undergo training, sites in other countries are being sought for more advanced training and humanitarian expeditions. Once the two pieces are in place, skydivers will begin to enjoy the exciting world of helping others in need, in some of the most exotic places in the world.

In addition to working in the field, for medical and non-medical expeditions, Airdrop Assist is looking for volunteers with other skills, including: website design, accounting, legal, and business professional skills - among many other things - in order to keep operations working smoothly back here in the states. If you feel you have something to offer, there is a place for you. For more information on the RAM Airborne project visit www.ramusa.org or contact Karen Hawes, at karen@karenhawes.com, and to see what you can do in the field of volunteerism. Find out how to train for this and more, at www.airdropassist.org.

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