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cepq

Skydive Spaceland Clewiston

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Who is liying

Canadian skydiver in USA. Since 1975, I traveled over USA for skydiving. Massachusetts, Florida, New York, New Jersey, California, Arizona, Illinois, Nevada, Carolina North and South, Texas etc… AND NEVER any DZ asked me for USPA membership when I presented my CSPA membership. This morning, January 5th, 2019. I went to Skydive Spaceland Clewiston with my friend Jean-Marc to make some jumps with our friends there. Surprise, the gentleman at manifest tell him he cannot jump because he is not USPA member. We asked if it’s a new politic for the dropzone? He told us:” I am working here for 13 years and it always been that”. We were surprise because we jumped there many times before, both of us, without being member of USPA. Example: Dec 2017, 13 jumps for Jean-Marc, we built a 75 way over Clewiston in 2010 with almost half of the group were Canadian jumpers non USPA members. We went to Clewiston for the Everglades Boogie 3-4 times. Insurance problem, CSPA insurance cover up to 2,000,000 $ cdn, USPA 50,000$ US. With dollar exchange rate CSPA cover more than twenty-eight times USPA insurance.
Even if I’m member in both associations: D-293 and D31662, and I can jump at Skydive Spaceland Clewiston, I support my friend and I left the DZ without jumping because we were not welcome. Also, the comments from the same gentleman when we left was inappropriate….

Francois Leblanc, Quebec, Canada. [email protected]

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Back in the early 90s there was some confusion about this issue at some smaller USPA DZs. I have not heard of any problems like this for CSPA members since then. About a quarter century or so. Spaceland has 5 large DZs spread around the South East and Texas. Hopefully this is just an error by an overzealous employee and not a system wide policy.

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Hi Francois, I was so sorry to hear of your group's experience with us this past weekend. There was some confusion I'd like to clear up, and a comment by one of our employees that was inexcusable--for that I would like to personally apologize. We are handling that situation appropriately.

Regarding our requirement for USPA membership, you are absolutely correct that USPA recognizes CSPA membership and that at most U.S. dropzones, a current CSPA member would not need USPA membership to jump. Unfortunately, our municipal airport requires USPA membership for all self-supervising skydivers regardless of any foreign association memberships. I understand that your group has been able to jump with us without all being USPA members before, and that was an oversight on the part of our manifest staff. It is not a new requirement.

We would love to have you all visit us again, and we'd also like to cover the cost of a temporary USPA membership for you in that event. Please reach out to me directly and we'll make it happen! Again, my deepest apologies and we hope to see you again soon.

Lisa & Rick Hornsby: Owner

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RickH

Hi Francois, I was so sorry to hear of your group's experience with us this past weekend. There was some confusion I'd like to clear up, and a comment by one of our employees that was inexcusable--for that I would like to personally apologize. We are handling that situation appropriately.

Regarding our requirement for USPA membership, you are absolutely correct that USPA recognizes CSPA membership and that at most U.S. dropzones, a current CSPA member would not need USPA membership to jump. Unfortunately, our municipal airport requires USPA membership for all self-supervising skydivers regardless of any foreign association memberships. I understand that your group has been able to jump with us without all being USPA members before, and that was an oversight on the part of our manifest staff. It is not a new requirement.

We would love to have you all visit us again, and we'd also like to cover the cost of a temporary USPA membership for you in that event. Please reach out to me directly and we'll make it happen! Again, my deepest apologies and we hope to see you again soon.

Lisa & Rick Hornsby: Owner



Lisa & Rick,

While I totally understand the restraint put upon you by your contract with the airport, I would assume that the logical issue that the airport has is for the jumpers to carry 3rd Party Liability Insurance, such as is provided with USPA Membership.

Along that line, CSPA members have $3 million dollars of coverage (worldwide) vice USPA members $50K. It seems only logical that the airport would accept the CSPA coverage.

Is there some other issues involved that prevent the airport from accepting the CSPA coverage?
It seems that the airport would prefer the CSPA coverage vice the USPA coverage.

If you are interested in pursuing an avenue where the airport might consider accepting CSPA, I am sure that USPA could provide some help, if requested, in that goal. I would be happy to request that the problem be put on the Group Membership agenda in the upcoming USPA meeting on 1 February, if you so desire.

Mike Mullins
USPA National Director

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Mike,

Thank you very much for reaching out an offering assistance. As a result of this incident, we are now taking the appropriate steps in approaching the County and the Board of Directors in making the necessary adjustments to ensure that this matter will be resolved.

The CSPA is an extremely professional organization and we will make sure that our local government officials are properly educated and we will do our due diligence to ensure that our International brothers and sisters will be recognized.

Thank you again for reaching out to us and once this matter is resolved in a positive manner I will update our skydive community and also the USPA.

Rick & Lisa Hornsby DZO

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