Skydivers Wary of Potential New Regs in FAA Reauthorization

The United States Parachute Association is offering a safety management system as an alternative to a proposal it says could put some small operators out of business.

Meg Godlewski

Monday, September 18, 2023 at 01:00 PM ET

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The United States Parachute Association (USPA) is fighting proposed legislation that would require additional aircraft inspections and training for jump-plane pilots. [Credit: Shutterstock]

Key Takeaways:

The United States Parachute Association (USPA) developed an industry-specific Safety Management System (SMS), adapted from the FAA's template and international models, to promote professionalism, identify, and mitigate risks internally.
This SMS initiative coincides with the USPA's active opposition to the proposed Air Tour and Sport Parachuting Safety Improvement Act of 2023, which would mandate additional aircraft inspections and pilot training.
The USPA argues that the proposed legislation would economically harm small operators, contending that current pilot training is sufficient and that professionalism, rather than further regulation, is key to preventing accidents, advocating for their internal SMS as a better solution.

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There is sometimes a fine line between increasing government oversight to make a business safer and making it economically infeasible to stay in business. The United States Parachute Association (USPA) is keenly aware of this, and as such it spent months crafting a safety management system (SMS) that can be applied to its industry.

The goal, according to Michael Knight, USPA director of government relations, is “to promote professionalism within the industry.”