CSPA valid in the US??

[mxr73 0]

Hello folks,

I searched for the answer to my question but was unable to find what I was looking for. I am a VERY new jumper with a CSPA solo license with only 35 jumps. Anyway, I would like to head down to Eloy for a couple weeks....do I need a USPA membership to be eligible to jump?

One more thing...why do some Canadian drop zones require a USPA membership?

Thanks for your time.

[Beatnik 2]

The answer your are looking for depends on the drop zone. Since I have no affiliation with them I am not going try to comment for them. But some drop zones in the US require a USPA membership and some don't it is really up to the drop zone. If you do require a USPA membership, you can by a temporary USPA membership which should cover you for the duration of your visit.

Some Canadian drop zones are USPA drop zones and not CSPA drop zones. They are trying to promote the organization that they belong to and it is easier for them with insurance coverage.

One thing that you should note is that the CSPA SOLO CoP is not a recognized FAI CoP. So some drop zones might not recognize it and allow you to jump by yourself as they would here in Canada. You are best to check with the drop zone before making the trip as you might be disappointed if you require someone to jump with you. This is entirely up to the drop zone and how they want to run their business, so answers may vary from drop zone to drop zone.

IMO the SOLO is more of a money grab by CSPA as it used to be an endorsement and not cost any money from the jumper. Because of how our CoP system works and requires you to get and process every CoP, the organization is able to know receive one more level of additional processing fees from new jumpers that it wasn't able to previously. Some people feel differently on this subject and there are many that share the same opinion. So take it for what it is.

[riggerrob 558]

More productive advice would be to encourage the young lad to complete his CSPA A Certificate of Proficiency before heading south.

[erdnarob 1]

I have jumped in many states in the USA : Maine, New York, Vermont, Illinois, Florida, Pennsylvania, California, Connecticut, Massachussets and never really with any problem but at two places where they asked me to join the USPA and buy a temporary membership for 20-25 $. Those places are Titusville Florida and Skydance at Davis California. Few Canadians DZ are affiliated with USPA but they should accept the CSPA membership just like most of the USPA DZ in USA accept it.

Learn from others mistakes, you will never live long enough to make them all.

[mxr73 0]

Thanks to everyone who took the time to respond and offer their opinions, advice and experiences. It's greatly appreciated.

I understood that the CSPA solo wasn't that terribly important but I had no idea that it was "unofficial." Quite a bummer really. I would love to get my A-Cop but the DZ I obtained my solo from is roughly 3.5 hours away and the season is coming to a close quickly. That, money and my own opinion of my abilities has slowed my progression. My wife is incredibly supportive, my mortgage is not.

It looks like I had best send the Eloy DZ an email providing my information and requesting their policy. I would hate to miss the Canadian Invasion. Perhaps I should have emailed them right away. I apologize if anyone feels I wasted their time.

RiggerRob....Being called a "young lad" is the best compliment I have received in years....many, many years. Even if it was given in mistake. Thanks!!

Thanks again everyone.

[mxr73 0]

Crap...The information I was looking for was right on their site. Sorry folks.

Looks like I'm out of luck....A is required.

[Remster 24]

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Crap...The information I was looking for was right on their site. Sorry folks.

Looks like I'm out of luck....A is required.

Send a PM to Karl at https://www.facebook.com/meyerkarl

He should be able to steer you in the right direction.

Remster

[mxr73 0]

10-4....thanks for the direction.

[pchapman 261]

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It looks like I had best send the Eloy DZ an email providing my information and requesting their policy. I would hate to miss the Canadian Invasion..

At some US DZ's, a CSPA Student or Solo is able to jump ... IF under the supervision of the properly rated CSPA instructor. You don't plan to tour around the US on your own anyway. If you wanted to go as part of the Canadian Invasion, there will be CSPA instructors going, some of whom will do some coaching or instruction of other Canadians while down there. Find one and talk to them first, before giving up on your plans!

[doog 0]

So what all do you need to get your A CoP?
I take it that it is more than just the exam. Can you get the necessary jumps done before you leave? Also, ask around at your local DZ. There might be an instructor going down there at the same time who would help you with the necessary jumps/training/endorsement and you could get qualified while down there.

Doog

DOOG
Muff 846
All you people are here to make sure I have a good time.

[Beatnik 2]

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More productive advice would be to encourage the young lad to complete his CSPA A Certificate of Proficiency before heading south.

Not necessarily. What if he is near a USPA dropzone and decides to go that route or what if it is at the end of the season and not able to complete his A in time? Giving him a proper answer is much better than trying to rush them through something and put pressure on instructors to do things. I have put a personal policy to administer CoP's one day a month and I know of a few other SSEs that are going to do the same. Jumpers might not be able to get everything done in time. Additionally, depending on the type of jumping they want to do an A CoP might not allow them the additional privileges required. These are possible scenarios and without knowing all the details of his, I can't see your advice as being productive.

[mxr73 0]

Here is the latest. Prior to pestering anymore of you professionals I spoke to a new jumper who attended Eloy during the last trip. I have been informed that she had yet to apply for her solo and was still allowed to jump. There will be very experienced instructors and coaches from the DZ I attend going and it appears that I will be able to get my A-CoP down there. I'm pretty sure our DZ owner will also be going again and he's essentially a guru. That said, being permitted to jump does not mean I will be satisfied with my abilities in order to justify moving on.

I will post a link to the requirements for the A-CoP at the end of this post. The PIM1 also has it in a chart format on page 15. I'm stuck on a couple major points...I'm very critical of my performance and I simply want to ensure that I am a safe and capable student before I move on. At this point I am not thrilled with all of my jumps. The second problem revolves being a bit of a perfectionist. Packing absolutely baffles me. The first time I observed a professional perform a flat pack I was astonished and horrified. I expected to see every fold perfectly laid out to the millimeter, every line perfectly straight and so on. Everyone is careful when they pack; it's just not like I expected. I can't seem to grasp packing in a confident manner and I'm embarrassed that I have not progressed to packing on my own. It literally takes me 10 minutes to flake the canopy just because I want things "just right". Again, I want to be safe and capable.

I'm at the point where I feel bad for my coaches and instructors. Almost like I am disappointing them for not progressing at an appropriate pace. They constantly tell me to stop being so critical, that's not easy to do; especially since the sport has zero margin for error. Perhaps it's my age, I have taken up this amazing sport at 39 years of age, I'm an old feller and I want to do and learn everything I can in order to minimize the chances that I kill/injure myself or someone else. I am aware that those are possibilities regardless of an individuals knowledge or abilities.

Since I have strayed a little off topic I'm going to ask one more question. During my AFF and several solo jumps afterwards I was able to fall straight down during free fall. Lately for some reason I can't seem to keep from "wandering around" in the air, especially backsliding. I retreat like I'm running from the herpes virus and it's getting to be quite frustrating. My legs feel like they always have but watching a video shows another story. Not only have they moved in but my entire body looks like a corps in full rigormortis. Legs, legs, legs is what I hear from the instructors but my ability to keep them out has vanished and I'm not sure why.

Anyway, thanks again to everyone. here is the link to the A-CoP requirements.

http://www.cspa.ca/en/cwc/cops/qaq-cop

[riggerrob 558]

Wandering away from your original topic... I suspect that your "legs" problem is related to the 3.5 hour drive to your DZ. If you don't jump every weekend, you tend to lose recently learned skills.
You need to repeat a skill dozens or hundreds of times to burn it into long-term memory, which is why the "Canadian Invasion" of Eloy may be your best investment.
Five orsix jumps per day - with Canadian coaches - will burn many - recently learned skills into longer term memory.

As for referring to you as "the young lad" ... would you prefer me to call you "junior jumper?"
Hah!
Hah!

[ctrph8 0]

One of the concepts that helped me in my early days of belly flying was the idea that I was never just falling straight down. I was always going to be pushing a little bit towards the center of the formation, even if that formation is just two people. If you look at pictures of big way formations, those guys are completely focused on flying their slot as perfectly as they can. They are pretty much all driving in with their legs a little even though they are in the middle of a huge formation and they are not trying to "go" anywhere.

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Since I have strayed a little off topic I'm going to ask one more question. During my AFF and several solo jumps afterwards I was able to fall straight down during free fall. Lately for some reason I can't seem to keep from "wandering around" in the air, especially backsliding. I retreat like I'm running from the herpes virus and it's getting to be quite frustrating. My legs feel like they always have but watching a video shows another story. Not only have they moved in but my entire body looks like a corps in full rigormortis. Legs, legs, legs is what I hear from the instructors but my ability to keep them out has vanished and I'm not sure why.

Anyway, thanks again to everyone. here is the link to the A-CoP requirements.

http://www.cspa.ca/en/cwc/cops/qaq-cop

[mxr73 0]

You could most certainly be on track with the 3.5 hour drive to the DZ being part of my "legs" issue. At the start I used to stay out for a couple days at a time. Lately it's been drive up, a jump or two and then leave the same day.

I hope Eloy works out as planned. I'll be more than happy to jump with coaches the whole time; I just want practice. That and I simply love this sport. The freedom, the excitement and incredible fun are addicting...as you all know. On a very positive note, the wife and I are heading for Colorado for a few days, I didn't think about it until yesterday. I found a wind tunnel 1.5 hours away from where we are staying. I am going to be spending some time in the tunnel if there are openings. First time and it should help.

Feel free to keep referring to me as a young lad, I actually felt like it until I told my wife. Her response was to raise one eyebrow, grin and state "that's right, you're a young lad". Not sure if she was sincere.

[riggerrob 558]

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...

Feel free to keep referring to me as a young lad, I actually felt like it until I told my wife. Her response was to raise one eyebrow, grin and state "that's right, you're a young lad". Not sure if she was sincere.

..........................................................................

Some wives enjoy having a "playful young lad" around the house.
Nudge! Nudge! Wink! Wink! Know what I mean? Know what I mean?

In a few years, you will be old enough to join POPS (Parachutists Over Phorty Society). The POPS motto is: "You don't quit playing because you grew old, rather you grew old because you quit playing."

[scottd818 0]

good call on the tunnel all the guys at skyventure colorado r awesome. it will help for sure. also keep in mind that there is a wind tunnel at eloy as well.

[Remster 24]

Gsend an email to Karl anyways to make sure the girl you talked to didn't have something else going on.

This being said, there are plenty of coaches and instructors available at Eloy.

Which Canadian dz are you coming from, and who's that guru ? ;-) I'd love to give him flack for that one when I see him lol

Remster

[riggerrob 558]

Phone - or e-mail - ahead to reserve time in the wind-tunnel.

[ILUVCHUTERS 1]

I'm pretty sure none of your coaches are disappointed in you. We all started at the beginning, and all have our own difficulties and challenges. You don't give up, and you keep trying, and that's something to be proud of. And I have a feeling you're probably not nearly as bad as you think you are. We are often our own worst critics. I do understand wanting to be safe, this isn't competitive knitting, after all

Be kind to yourself.

Tunnel and the Invasion will be invaluble tools in your progression. WRT tunnel, don't just go in alone, book an actual coach to go with you. Money well spent.

[tkhayes 124]

you are welcome at Skydive City/Z-Hills with that and we can even help you continue your work on your CSPA A License,

[mxr73 0]

You guys are fantastic...I have yet to receive what I would feel is poor advice. Once again, thanks to everyone for their help. I will be sending Karl a PM right away just to confirm a few things.

RiggerRob....you're hilarious. That said, I wouldn't want to show my wife your post. She may have me out looking for a "playful young lad" for her.

Miss ILUVCHUTERS.....I recognize your license number and the little dog you have in your picture. Out of all the posts and all the forums on the internet, I bump into you here. Small world.

As for the tunnel. I agree, the coach is mandatory if I plan on correcting a "few" things.

[ILUVCHUTERS 1]

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Miss ILUVCHUTERS.....I recognize your license number and the little dog you have in your picture. Out of all the posts and all the forums on the internet, I bump into you here. Small world.

You should recognize it - it's written in your log book enough times, and said Exalted and Revered Beagle has been petted by you on more than one occasion!!

I thought I "recognized" you! Now I'm absolutely sure your coaches and instructors (well, at least this one) aren't disappointed in you
If you're out this weekend (or next, or anytime before the season is over) let's chat. And jump.

[Remster 24]

Don't do it. It's a trick. She only will pretend to show you how to pack to get he own gear packed. It's shameful really.

:-p

Remster

[ILUVCHUTERS 1]

SHH!! Why you gotta be tellin' my secrets?