jcrouch

Maybe it was this article I wrote in January 2016 Parachutist? A Problem With Two Solutions. misc_pcintow.pdf

Some things to consider are covered here: https://parachutistonline.com/p/Article/safety-check-harness-and-container-fit

Section 5-1 of the SIM has recommendations for off field landings. It was added in 2001 or 2003 after there were several fatalities from jumpers making mistakes when landing off the drop zone. Page 106. http://uspa.org/Portals/0/files/Man_SIM_2016.pdf

September 5-7 join the Queen of skydiving-Carolyn Clay, to celebrate her birthday all weekend. Skyvan Saturday and Sunday, King Air all three days. Roger Ponce confirmed organizing and we will have others organizing freefliers and RW. $25 registration for all three days includes dinner Saturday night, or $10 per day if you attend just tone or two days. Camping available at Picture Lake Campground and the county fair and fireworks are the same weekend, right next to the campground. More details will be added soon at virginiaskydivingcenter.com

We will have Jim Smith out to organize RW jumps all three days at VSC. Come on out and enjoy the long weekend! Pond swoops at the campground at the end of each day and a cookout Saturday night. Fast, clean King Air and Cessna 182. https://www.facebook.com/events/249952068531858

http://www.virginiaskydivingcenter.com/memorial-day-boogie/ Virginia Skydiving Center’s Memorial Day Weekend Boogie! Crouchfest starts the summer season! Planes: Sky Van, The Rocket King Air, and a Cessna 182 We will start jumping Friday at 9 AM, so plan for an extra day to start the weekend early! Freefly Organizer: Matt Fry Belly RW Organizer: Roger Ponce, Christine Bruchac, Andrew Happick from Paraclete XP, and more! Pre-Register for the event will be available soon. Registration-$40 per person, includes the Saturday night dinner. Licensed Skydiver Jumps-$25 cash or $26 credit card Free Beer Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights for registered jumpers. Organizers, food, music, friends!!! Formation loads, raft jumps, tubes and all sorts of fun awaits you! We will have a food vendor at the drop zone for the event. There will be a dinner served in the campground Saturday night that is NOT included with the registration. Reserve your camping space at Picture Lake Campgrounds, right next to the drop zone! http://www.picturelakecampgrounds.com/reservations.html If camping is not for you, there are lots of hotels within 10 minutes of the drop zone. Event news also on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/events/645885775473730/

Well, who needs flaps and ailerons, anyway? So far, so good for this weekend!

We are celebrating the arrival of our new C90 King Air with something for everyone in the month of September! Starting with Labor Day weekend with reduced price slots for licensed jumpers, and continuing later in the month with Jim Smith organizing, a SiS Fiesta fall event, a Tic Tac Toe team accuracy event, and finally a Flight-1 canopy course. http://www.virginiaskydivingcenter.com/about-vsc/events/ for some details, and there is more info on our Facebook page in the events section at https://www.facebook.com/groups/VirginiaSkydivingCenter/ Come on out and check out our newly painted, freshly overhauled C90!

http://www.uspa.org/USPAMembers/Membership/Travel/tabid/126/Default.aspx

USPA changed the licensing requirements at the last Board meeting and now does not allow for an FAI license to be used in lieu of the A license card. Also, FAI licenses are now not recognized for USPA rating applications Beginning January 1 of this year, any USPA rating applicant must hold an appropriate USPA license. I am trying to get the online SIM updated with the changes from the last board meeting. To the original poster, he will need to meet with a USPA rated instructor and complete a USPA A license application and be a current member of USPA in order to receive an A license number. Jim Crouch

http://parachutistonline.com/safety_training/keep_an_eye_out/installation-errors

Course is 2 days September 23-24. http://www.bigairsportz.com/pdf/parachuting-safety.pdf for more information. Call us at 804-466-0215 to schedule.

Save the dates! September 7-9, 2012 Virginia Skydiving Center will host a terrific event that has proven to be an awesome weekend of skydiving every year! We celebrate the birthday of the Queen of Skydiving, Carol Clay, in grand fashion. This year we will add a Super Otter to fly along with our own Grand Caravan for three days of great skydiving and night time celebrations!Jumping starts 9 AM Friday and runs through sunset Sunday! www.virginiaskydivingcenter.com Aircraft: Raeford Super Otter Grand Caravan Fireball 182 Organizers: Roger Ponce (working on others) Slots are $25 Registration Fee TBD Make sure to reserve your camping spot early at the Picture lake Campgrounds. The county fair is held at the Virginia Motorsports Park next door the same weekend and space in the campground will be limited! http://picturelakecampgrounds.com/

Sections 7 and 9 of the Skydiver's Information Manual will provide you with most of the information you need for the test. http://www.uspa.org/SIM.aspx Jim

We will have online registration set up in a couple of days.

Billy, Have him call us again at Virginia Skydiving Center and we will take care of him. 804-466-0215. Jim

Maybe check with JR Sides at Chambersburg about the speed brakes. I had heard that the manufacturer would produce them if he had enough orders for them. JR may have an idea if he has been in touch with them.

I overhauled my '59 182 in 2010, replacing the engine and prop with a PPonk 520 and 3 bladed McCauley prop and I installed the wingX kit at the same time. The plane climbs fast and the gross weight increase is a huge benefit. It takes longer to descend with the longer wings, so you might want to think about adding speed brakes.

AADs are not required at VSC for licensed and current jumpers, but we highly recommend the use of AADs and RSLs for all jumpers, (with very few exceptions, like CRW guys and RSLs).

Coaches are trained and evaluated to lead the training jumps in Category G and H. Those jumps have specific protocol for each jump. On many of those jumps, the coach should remain in place so a student can take grips with the coach for docking maneuvers. Although the BSRs do not prohibit a gripped exit by a coach, or prevent the coach from flying up to a student who has been cleared to solo freefall supervision and gripping the harness, it is not part of any of the coaching outlined in the Integrated Student Program. And, if it is a grip to stop a spin, assist with a deployment or perform a roll-over, those types of maneuvers must only be performed by a currently rated AFF Instructor. Jim Crouch Director of Safety and Training U.S. Parachute Association

Aww Jerry, That's not fair! I have thousands of tandems with frap hats on students! That photo was actually taken years ago! The padded hard helmet works great. I have been testing it for a couple of years, and I will be phasing out the frap hats this season in favor of the hard helmets. Here is a photo of one during deployment.

Looks like 16 civilian U.S. fatalities in 2009, from my records. Jim Crouch

There seems to be some incorrect statements in this thread regarding tandem ratings. The USPA Basic Safety Requirements state the following: c. Tandem training jumps [E] (1) Any USPA member conducting a tandem jump must hold a current USPA Tandem Instructor rating and a manufacturer’s type rating. It does not matter where the USPA member is jumping. Group Member drop zone, non-GM drop zone, United States, Europe, Asia, etc. The BSR is clear that any USPA member who is conducting any tandem jump must hold a USPA tandem Instructor rating and be approved by the manufacturer of the type of gear they are using. This applies to all tandem jumps. USPA met with all of the tandem manufacturers in June, 2007 to standardize the way ratings were handled between each manufacturer and USPA. Because USPA has the only system in place to track rating renewals, it was agreed by all present at the meeting that it was in the best interest of everyone involved to make sure initial tandem instructor rating paperwork was received by both USPA and the manufacturer, and that USPA would keep track of rating renewals from that point forward. Regards, Jim Crouch Director of Safety and Training U.S. Parachute Association

The three years in the sport requirement is an FAA requirement that was established when tandem was under the FAA exemption. The rule remained when tandem was adopted into Part 105 in 2001. http://www.uspa.org/SIM/Read/Section9/Part105/tabid/254/Default.aspx#10545