What's it mean?

[Divadiver 0]

Can anyone tell me what it means when a DZ is not a member of the USPA?

I have a friend who wants to skydive and he asked me if I knew anything about a DZ in West (by god) Virginia. I looked in Parachutist under the USPA Group Members and there are no DZs listed in WVA. Does anyone know of a DZ in WVA? And if so, what does it mean to the jumpers when you jump at a DZ that's not a member of the USPA?

I have no idea why he'd want to jump in WVA when there are plenty of places here in VA to jump!!

Diva

[PhreeZone 15]

It means nothing. Most time it means the DZO is fed up with the politics or something in the USPA and simply does'nt give them a few hundred dollars a year to have his name in Parachutist to become a group member. The Instructors for the most part hve had the same exact training as any other DZ and in most cases actually hold USPA ratings. Tandem masters all went through the manufactor's course so they have the same profenency as any other place.

To a small 182 DZ $300-500 that would be owned in dues could be better spent on equipment or thousands of other things. So in summery... its probally political or money related and not safety or anything else. Still scope the DZ out and look for safety violations if you are worried at all.

Yesterday is history
And tomorrow is a mystery

Parachutemanuals.com

[freeflir29 0]

Phree has it. It's usually just a money issue. Nothing more...nothing less. Except in the case of Mike Mullins... Then it's political..... Of course...being a group member when you are a single 182 DZ doesn't give you much for your money. I was talking to a DZO from Misissippi earlier this year. He was getting a lot of crap from the airport commission. They were trying everything both legal and illegal to kick him off the airport. Because he's not a big DZ , USPA access fund wouldn't help him.

[skyjames 2]

What you have read already is on the money.

What to read from it though?

A short story:

I was at Lodi Ca. for the Memorial Day Boogie.

Bill and Kathy (dzos) are not members of USPA. They have no waivers to be signed, they do not require jumpers to have membership in the USPA to jump there.

Could this be an unsafe DZ?

From what I saw it was as safe as any USPA DZ I have been to. In fact I met a BOD member there that just happened to have his AC there for the boogie. The Monteray TO. By far the best/nicest TO I have ever jumped outta.

I asked Jesse (BOD) why he was at a non USPA DZ. He said I represent the indivual members of USPA not the DZO's and there sure seems to be a lot of members here.

It's possible the amount of jumpers that were there had something to do with his AC being there, but I did like his answer :)

BTW, a tandem cost only $100. I asked Bill about this and he said "I think everyone should be able to afford to jump at least once."

Mikes place, well, lol, if you haven't jumped his ROCKET ship do it! EXIT EXIT EXIT! His kids can fly circles around me. NON USPA DZ, but every time I am in Memphis I manage to find time to jump there.

Don't discount a DZ just because they aren't USPA members, you will lose out on some great jumping opportunities.

james

"exit fast, fly smooth, dock soft and smile"
'nother james

[hobbes4star 0]

i went through my training in buckeye az at desert skydiving center. at the time they were not a member of USPA. i saw no differences for a uspa dz to a non uspa dz. the things concerning i barely new what the uspa was till i had 30 dives and just happened to go to a different dz.

if fun were easy it wouldn't be worth having, right?

[Divadiver 0]

Thanks for the information guys!

I'll pass along the information to my friend and his co-to-be-jumpers. These guys and gals are young'uns who are contemplating their "first" jump.

The recruiting continues . . .
Diva