Parachutt" Inilustrl lssricirltim - Parachute Industry Association

I..lINUTES PIA MEETING USPA EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR ADDRESS TO PIA:
TEMPE, ARIZONA
ocroBER 22, 23 & 24, 1993
USPA RECOGNIZED EARLY THIS YEAR THAT FAA WAS CONSIDERING CHANGING
PART 105 TO ACCOMODATE TANDEM PARACHUTES. HERETOFORE THEY HAD
BEEN OPERATING UNDER WAIVERS FOR BOTH THE MANUFACTURERS OF THE
EQUIPMENT. THIS HAS BEEN GOING ON NOW FOR ABOUT TEN YEARS AND
THE FAA WAS UNDER SOME PRESSURE TO STOP REGULATING BY INJUNCTION
AND TO MAKE AN EFFECTIVE CHANGE IN 105 THAT WOULD REGULARIZE THE
S ITUATION .
WHEN USPA FOUND OUT THEY WERE GOING TO REGULATE TANDEUM THEY
ASKED THE FAA WHAT WOULD BE THE REQUIREMENT FOR SUBI'IITTING THEIR
OI^JN PROPOSAL FOR THIS. FAA ADVISED THAT IF USPA COULD PROVIDE
THEM A PROPOSAL BY THE FIRST OF JANUARY, IT COULD CONCEIVABLY
COULD GO THROUGH FAA'S PROCESSES IN TIME TO BE II'IPLEMENTED AND
OPERATIONAL BY THE TIME THE EXEI"IPTION EXPIRED AT THE END OF JUNE,
1994.
USPA I4EET WITH THE FAA AND BOTH THE TANDEI"I MANUFACTURERS IN
ALEX"II{DRIA IN JUNE AND DISCUSSED WHAT NEEDED TO BE DONE TO GO
FORWARD ON A PROJECT THAT WOULD ALLOW THEM TO EFFECT THE LANGUAGE
OF THE CHANGE. THEY PUT TOGETHER A PROPOSAL PROJECT TEAM TO
WRITE A PROPOSAL TO REPRESENT THE CONCENSUS OF ALL INVOLVED AND
BE PRESENTED TO THE FAA TO EFFECT THE RULE CHANGE.
THEY ADOPTED THE AVIATION RULE MAKING ADVISORY P1ODEL WHICH
ALLOWS PARTICIPATION BY INDUSTRY GROUPS AND ALLOWS FAA TO MAKE
USE OF THAT PARTICIPATION IN FORMING NEW RULES.
THE MODEL WAS THERE SHOULD BE PARTICIPATION BY BOTH THE
MANUFACTURES, THE USPA, THE FAA AND USERS IN THE FIELD. THUS
THEY HAD ONE DELEGATE FROM EACH OF THE T!'IO }4ANUFACTURERS
PRESENTLY I"lAKING EQUIPI.{ENT, DELEGATES FROM TWO MANUFACTURERS WHO
HAD EXPRESSED INTEREST AS I.{ANUFACTI]RERS IN THE FUTURE, DELEGATES
FROM THE FIELD WHO USED TANDEUI"I IN THEIR INSTRUCTIONAL PROGRAI'{S
AND A DELEGATE FROM THE USPA.
HAD FIVE MEETINGS IN FIVE DIFFERENT AREAS SCHEDULED AND THEY HAVE
NOW COMPLETED FOUR OF THE MEETINGS. THE RESULTS SO FAR IS THEY
ARE PUTTING TOGETHER RECOMMENDATIONS REFLECTING THE VIEWS OF ALL
THE VARIOUS PEOPLE INVOLVED AND A REPRESENTATIVE OF THE FAA HAS
ATTENDED ALL OF THE I"IEETING EXCEPT THE LAST ONE. THEY HAVE HAD
INPUT FROM PIA, USPA AND FAA AND ARE OPERATING BY CONCENSUS.
THERE ARE TWO DRAFT PROPOSALS...ONE INSTRUCTOR PROPOSAL AND A
STUDENT PROPOSAL ,BOTH DOWN ON PAPER. THE PROPOSAL WILL GO TO
THE USPA BOARD IN DECEMBER AND THEY WILL VOTE ON IT,AND SUGGEST
ANY CHANGES THEY FEEL SHOULD BE INCORPORATED. JERRY ENCOURAGED
ANYONE INTERESTED TO ATTEND THAT MEETING.
THEY ARE ADDRESSING A REAL NEED, AND THAT IS THE NEED TO REGULATE
THE TANDEI"I SYSTEM AND ITS INCLUSION IN THE INDUSTRY.