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Leap into National Skydiving Safety Day! - March 8th
Coming off one of their safest, most successful years, the USPA is ensuring the sport’s continued upward trend with its March 8 National Skydiving Safety Day, to be held at affiliated drop zones and skydiving schools throughout the country.
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February 29, 2008 (FPRC) -- ENSURING SKYDIVING’S UPWARD TREND
2008 National Skydiving Safety Day ushers in New Year of safe jumps for growing sport of skydiving
Jumping out of a plane has never been safer, thanks to the strict safety guidelines enforced by the U.S. Parachute Association (USPA).
Coming off one of their safest, most successful years, the USPA is ensuring the sport’s continued upward trend with its March 8 National Skydiving Safety Day, to be held at affiliated drop zones and skydiving schools throughout the country.
Each year the USPA sets aside the second Saturday in March to concentrate on making the sport safer through a series of skydiving seminars and training drills that serve as both a refresher course and an introduction to new techniques, equipment, disciplines, and training methods that are constantly emerging.
USPA Safety & Training Advisors and other drop zone staff members coordinate this special day so seasoned skydivers and rookie jumpers alike can brush up on basic skills and learn the new techniques that will keep them safely soaring through the skies.
Topics to be covered include:
- Equipment —A review of equipment and emphasis on diligent maintenance and packing are the first step towards ensuring a problem-free freefall. (Last year equipment problems have accounted for 6% of fatal skydiving accidents.)
- Skydiving Emergency Review and Drills —Presenters will assess problems, reinforce altitude awareness, discuss disorientation, and allow participants to practice in a suspended harness. (Incorrect emergency procedures account for 6% of the total number of fatalities since 1999, but none such accidents occurred last year.)
- The Skydive —Planning and preparation can prevent accidents. A review of acceptable and unacceptable practices and hazards, and careful examination of canopy handling help preventing low-turn accidents. (From leap to landing, parachute control issues and freefall collisions make up the majority of skydiving fatalities – 48%.)
- Aircraft Procedures and Emergencies — Getting on, getting up, and getting out. Knowing proper exit order and loading procedures; weight, balance, visibility, and air traffic control requirements; and what to do in possible aircraft emergency scenarios can determine the outcome of any jump.
The USPA is dedicated first and foremost to safety. Through the development of training programs, licensing policies, a multi-tiered rating program for skydiving instructors, and accordance to USPA established safety standards, the organization surpassed a 45-year-old safety record for 2007, reporting that out of over 2.5 million jumps, there were only 18 fatalities for the year.
There are over 200 USPA affiliated drop zones in the U.S.. Though not mandatory, the USPA encourages every drop zone and skydivers of all experience levels to partake in the annual event that promotes safety and the socialization of its members.
To find the nearest drop visit www.uspa.org/dz/index/htm.
About USPA
USPA is America’s premier organization dedicated to the promotion of safe skydiving nationwide, establishing strict safety standards, training policies and programs at over 200 affiliated skydiving schools/centers. The Federal Aviation Administration recognizes and supports USPA's successful leadership role in the self-regulation of skydiving.
USPA hosts the National Skydiving Championships, the sport’s largest and most exciting annual competition, on October 18-25, 2008 at Skydive Arizona.
For more information call 1-800-371-USPA or visit www.USPA.org.
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Send an email to Robert Arends of United States Parachute Association
619-295-7140
Keywords:
skydiving, safety
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