Skydiving (w/ Parachutes)/Expert Profile

Expertise

Skydiving/Parachuting: First jump and jump training, equipment, drop zone operations, employment opportunities, lifestyle, general aviation...

Experience in the area

Lifetime member of the United States Parachute Association ("USPA"). Currently active as a licensed instructor, coach, and instructor trainer with over 25 years experience. Skydiving was my full-time career and primary source of income for over 10 years. Participating member of the USPA's safety and training committee. Over 10,000 jumps (military and civilian); traditional relative work/formation skydiving, aerial camera/videographer, canopy relative work, sky-surfing, free-flying, BASE, national competitor/team coaching experience. Multiple world records (Large formation)

Education/Credentials

Commercial/military pilot, air traffic control specialist, retired military officer, BS, JD (09)

What do you like about this subject?

Skydiving is one of the things in life that has immense power to instill confidence, self-reliance, and a sense of achievement in people. Skydiving is available to nearly every person and requires only the desire to experience one of life's opportunities or perhaps the desire to overcome what for many people is a natural fear.

What do you still hope to achieve/learn in this field?

We are students in every aspect of life, every day. I am constantly learning and teaching, seeking safer, more efficient, more enjoyable ways to participate in the sport.

Something interesting about this subject that others may not know:

People sometimes deliberately jump keeping their eyes closed for training/learning purposes.

Something controversial or provocative about this subject

In the U.S. alone millions of jumps are made every year. In 2007 only 16 jumps ended fatally. Every day in a single four hour period, 20 people die in automobile crashes.(Average according to the Natl. Hwy. Trans. Safety Admin., see http://www-fars.nhtsa.dot.gov/Main/index.aspx)