The United States Parachute Association (USPA) is a self-governing body for the sport of skydiving. Its headquarters are located in Fredericksburg, Virginia

Fredericksburg, Virginia

Fredericksburg is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia located south of Washington, D.C., and north of Richmond. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 24,286...

 parallel to I-95

Interstate 95 in Virginia

In the Commonwealth of Virginia, Interstate 95 runs through the state. It runs concurrently for with Interstate 64 in Richmond, and meets the northern terminus of Interstate 85 in Petersburg. Though Interstate 95 was originally planned to go straight through Washington, D.C., it was instead...

. The USPA's roots go back to the National Parachute Riggers-Jumpers, Inc., which formed in the 1930s.

Functions

USPA issues sport skydiving licenses and longevity/skill/achievement awards, publishes and maintains skydiving training manuals and course guidelines from which instructional ratings are issued, serves as legal advocate & political lobbyist for skydiving, provides third-party insurance for skydivers, maintains the Basic Safety Requirements (BSR's) as a set of voluntarily followed safety guidelines, coordinates skydiving competitions and awards, and publishes Parachutist, a monthly magazine for members.

External links

• Official USPA website
• National Skydiving Museum
• Parachute Industry Association
• Parachutist Magazine and other pubs