livendive 8 #1 October 3, 2003 Received this morning from Jim Crouch (.pdf attached): "SAFETY & TRAINING NEWSLETTER A Bulletin for the training community Vol. 3, Issue 7 October 2, 2003 RATING COURSE MATERIALS USPA continues to receive outdated instructional rating proficiency cards from course candidates and course directors. These outdated cards result in rejected applications returned to the candidate or course director. USPA HQ cannot issue a rating unless the proper materials are used for the course syllabus. Since January 1, 2003, all USPA rating courses have required the USPA Instructional Rating Manual and Skydiver’s Information Manual, each dated within two years of the course. Both manuals are available through the USPA Store, and the SIM is available online. Each candidate must have his or her own manuals during the conduct of a rating course. One IRM can be used for all of the USPA instructional ratings and contains the forms necessary for each course. NEW MANUALS The 2004 Skydiver’s Information Manual and the 2004 (Edition Three) Instructional Rating Manual are now available through the USPA Store. Input from the membership continues to improve both manuals. New to the SIM in 2004 is a section for advanced canopy flight, with recommendations for downsizing and learning performance canopy maneuvers. The section on canopy formation received a much-needed rework, thanks to CF specialist Wendy Faulkner. Section 3 covering USPA licenses has been updated to reflect the September 30 alignment with FAI standards. Other miscellaneous SIM updates include: • The cutaway alternative has been added to the first-jump course and in the recommendations for experienced jumpers to address a side-by-side (main and reserve) canopy formations. USPA is looking for more research on two canopies out to update its recommendations, which may or may not work with the smaller canopies now in use. • The outmoded height-weight table in Section 4 was deleted. • The section on skydiving emergencies now includes a recommendation for jumpers to simulate malfunctions on the ground at every repack cycle and to operate the emergency handles on their equipment (probably best done with the rigger present to recover the equipment). • A new passage in the recurrency recommendations addresses longer periods of inactivity or sporadic activity. • Jumpers are reminded to take extra care when reassembling reserve static lines after disconnecting them. • In the spotting section, recommendations include staying in position on the line of flight after opening to allow jumpers from other groups to open. Whenever possible, jumpers should fly perpendicular to the flight line after opening until they see the next and previous groups open their parachutes. Also, whenever the plane takes a second pass or if there is more than one plane flying jumpers, enough time must be allowed for everyone to fly clear before the next pass. Flight operations need to accommodate the broader range of altitudes at which jumpers now choose to open. • The freefall timetable, at least two decades old, now includes average freefall times for freeflyers and wingsuit jumpers. • The night-jump recommendations include new information on hypoxia and night vision and advice for using whistles or other noisemaking devices. • In the SIM section on PRO Ratings, USPA further clarifies that the ten jumps to qualify need to be successive or successively declared. If a jumper declares a jump and misses, he must start again from jump number one. • The Membership Services Committee updated a number of the service awards. • USPA Headquarters checked the FAA website for new editions of the FARs applicable to skydiving and included any corrections or additions. • License exam answer sheets no longer need to be forwarded to USPA Headquarters, and drop zones may develop their own written tests for the USPA A license in lieu of the oral testing now required as part of the USPA Alicense check dive. Procedures for license testing are reviewed in the IRM for use with the USPA Instructor Rating Course. • For D License applications received after September 30 from applicants with 500 jumps or more, the written D License test has been eliminated. The test questions for the B and C Licenses have been updated and are available at USPA HQ. INSTRUCTIONAL RATING MANUAL The 2004 IRM (Edition Three) has also been changed to reflect the updates to the SIM. The USPA Coach rating had required a C license. Now it requires only a B license with 100 jumps, keeping the experience level the same. All USPA Instructor ratings had required a D license, but now any C-licensed Coach may apply for an AFF, Instructor-Assisted Deployment or Static-Line Instructor rating. As before, AFF applicants also need six hours of freefall time. USPA Tandem Instructors still need a D license which is a requirement listed in the FAA Part 105 regulations. NEW LICENSE TESTS The USPA B and C license tests have been changed to reflect the latest USPA policies and procedures. Copies of the written tests and answer keys will be mailed to all S&TAs, I/Es and USPA Board members along with their new 2004 SIM. Any USPA official authorized to administer license exams may request the new tests from USPA Headquarters. In the meanwhile, pre-September 30 exams may be substituted. In that case, applicants for the USPA C license must pass both the C and D exams. The USPA A License continues to be an oral exam using 20 questions from the A-H Category quizzes found in Section 4. Drop zones may also create their own written tests for the A License using the same pool of questions. INCIDENT REPORTS NEEDED The number of incident reports sent to USPA has increased slightly in 2003 but still does not reflect the actual number of accidents occurring around the country, according to reports found on various Internet websites. Any accident or incident should be reported to USPA HQ using the new accident report form, which is confidential. No names or locations are required to be listed on the form, unless reporting a fatality. USPA uses the reports to help identify trends in skydiving and to help educate the Membership. USPA cannot keep track of incidents unless they are reported. The forms take only a few minutes to fill out and the information is invaluable to USPA and its Membership. An S&TA or an instructor whom the S&TA assigns should complete the form whenever possible. However USPA will accept forms completed by other individuals. INSTRUCTIONAL RATING END GAME Plans continue for the development of the top-level training course where the successful candidates will most likely come away with a USPA Coach Course Director appointment and Skydive University Coaching rating. This new course will train very experienced instructors to be course directors for USPA Coach Rating courses. The course is still in early development, and will eventually become the avenue to follow for anyone interested in teaching instructor courses for USPA ratings. The rating has yet to be named and no deadline has been set for a completed syllabus. USPA is looking for input from interested course directors. The next workshop will be held at Skydive Dallas from November 6-9, 2003. This workshop and program will benefit candidates in several different ways, including: 1. Those who would like to become USPA course directors or possibly USPA Instructor Examiners, depending on the final title for the rating 2. Those who would like to become Skydive University Coaches 3. Those who are interested in updating their teaching skills and learning the latest techniques in skydiving instruction The cost per candidate to attend this Dallas workshop is $400 per candidate. Those interested in attending should contact Rob Laidlaw at (386) 738-7699 or robsdu@aol.com The class is limited in size.""I AM A PROFESSIONAL EXTREME ATHLETE!" (drink Mountain Dew) Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
