Members are reminded that annual membership renewal falls due on 1 April 2013.

PASA fees for the 2013/14 membership year were set at the recent AGM at R450 (R20 increase).

As in the past, PASA will collect Aero Club fees from licensed members and pay them across on your behalf. The Aero Club fees are set by the Aero Club and are R330 (R30 increase).

New licence/new rating application fees remain unchanged at R100.

Rating renewal fees for all ratings (except Jumpmaster, Coach and Evaluator ratings for which there are no renewal fees) remain unchanged at R100.

New tandem rating applications remain unchanged at R600.

SANDF/SAPS members:

• All licensed PASA members currently serving in the SANDF and SAPS pay half the Aero Club fee (R165).
• PASA members who are currently serving in the SANDF and SAPS and hold NO PASA ratings, pay R100 PASA fees while rating holders pay the full fee (R450).

The online renewal process will get underway around 20 March. All current members with a valid, listed email address will receive an automated email renewal reminder containing a link which you will need to click on in order to update your data online. Once updated, you will be prompted to make the required payment. For those members who have no ratings to renew or who are not applying for any new licences or ratings, this will be all that is required.

If you did not provide an email address on your last renewal form or, if your email address has changed in the past year, please drop a line to the PASA admin office confirming your correct email address.

If you are renewing an existing rating or applying for a new licence or rating, you will be prompted to make payment and print Page 2 of the PASA General Application Form which you will still need to get signed by your Chief Instructor and submit to the admin office via fax or email as in the past.

Rating holders who want to get their ratings signed off before the renewal emails go out can download Page 2 in the mean time and obtain the required signatures. Please only submit these to the admin office via fax or email once you have also completed the online renewal.

New members joining for the first time, or those without a valid, listed email address will need to download and complete the PASA General Application Form, complete and submit to the admin office via email or fax. If you are not applying for a licence or rating, you do not require CI signature and need only submit page 1 of the form.

If you are unsure of the correct amount to pay or have any questions about the renewal process, please contact the PASA admin office.

Follow this step-by-step guide to renew your membership quickly and easily.

Please Note: If you have ratings and/or licences applications or renewals, you need to submit the online form first and then print and complete ONLY PAGE 2 of the manual form for your CI to sign. Page 2 is still manually submitted to PASA. If you have no new licence applications and no ratings, you can complete everything online.

1. Just before renewals are due, you will receive an automated email from PASA Admin reminding you to renew.

• The email will display the link to your personal online renewal form.

2. When you are ready to renew, all information on PASA's records will already be completed for you in the form. You only need to confirm what is there and update what has changed.

• Just like when you renewed manually, have your log book on hand (or at least knowledge of your jump numbers in the last year and last 3 months.

3. Click the renewal link in the email to go to your form.

• This link is unique to each member so you can't click somebody else's link - you MUST click the link that was emailed to you personally.

4. When the form opens in a webpage, you will see most of your details are already completed.

5. At any point during the process, you can save what you have done to continue at another stage. To do this, just click the SAVE button at the bottom of the form. You can return to the form by clicking the emailed link again. What you completed will still be there.

6. Sections 1 and 2 (everyone must complete):

• Confirm the information there is correct, updating as necessary.
• Select the check box/es for your preferred discipline/s (you may select more than one).
• Select from the yes/no drop down list to indicate if you regularly use an AAD as this is a mandatory field.

7. Section 3 (New Licence Application):

• ONLY select a licence if you are applying for a NEW licence.
• The green instruction section gives you the cost and reminds you that your CI must confirm you have met the requirements. Your CI's checks and signature can be completed after you submit this general application, so continue through the application process. The system will tell you at the end what more is required from you.

8. Section 4 (New Rating Application):

• ONLY select a rating here if you are applying for a NEW rating. Select the relevant box/es to select more than one.
• The green instruction section gives you the cost and reminds you that your CI must confirm you have met the requirements. Your CI's checks and signature can be completed after you submit this general application, so continue through the application process. The system will tell you at the end what more is required from you.

9. Section 5 (Rating Renewals):

• You will see your existing ratings listed.
• ONLY select the ratings here that you are RENEWING by checking the relevant box/es.
• The green instruction section gives you the cost and reminds you that your CI must confirm you have met the requirements. Your CI's checks and signature can be completed after you submit this general application, so continue through the application process. The system will tell you at the end what more is required from you.

10. Check through your form to ensure everything is correct.

11. To save and submit your application to PASA, click Save and Apply for Renewal. If you want to save what you have done and return later to complete and/or submit, click Save.

12. Remember that your renewal application is only submitted when you click Save and Apply for Renewal. Until then, PASA will NOT receive anything from you.

13. Remember too that you need to deposit your fees before PASA will activate your received renewal. You will be reminded of this when you submit your application.

14. This concludes your General renewal application.

15. Read the confirmation message that pops up when you submit - it contains instructions on what is left to do.

16. If you have not applied for a new licence and have no rating renewals or applications then all that is left is to deposit the required amount (detailed in your form) and send proof to PASA.

17. If you have new licence or rating applications or rating renewals, PASA still requires your CI to verify that you have met the requirements by signing Section 2 and/or Section 3 of the General Application form.

18. Completing Section 2 and 3 is exactly the same as previous years' manual renewal process.

The following PASA Office Bearers were ratified at the AGM:

PASA Management Council:
Joos Vos (Chairman)
Chris de Jager (ADZO)
Claire King (SSA)
Mark Bellingan (NSTO)

Association of Drop Zone Operators (ADZO) Executive Committee:
Joos Vos (Chairman)
Chris de Jager
Graham Field

Sport Skydivers Association (SSA) Executive Committee:
Claire King (Chair)
Jacqui Bruwer (Vice-chair)
Julie Teague (Secretary)

PASA representative to the Aero Club of South Africa:
Graham Field

Non-Executive Directors (NEDs):
Steve Bartels
Dennis Cohen
Charles Verster
(Any one NED also serves on the Management Council)

All contact details are available on the Contacts page of the PASA website.

The SSA committees were all elected prior to, and ratified at, the recent PASA AGM as follows:

Contact details 

The outgoing committees presented their feedback reports for the previous 12 months at the AGM. These reports are available here.

The new committees’ activity plans for the year ahead are set out in the following articles. Members’ funds are allocated according to your ticks on the annual renewal forms, so, please consider the plans of each committee carefully and ensure you tick the box/es of the discipline/s you would like to support for the coming year. Only the skills development plans are listed here. For the detailed budgets and activity plans, click here.

1. Bloem Skills Camp/ Mini-meet (R2 000). A skills development weekend (with an informal 2-way competition if it is appropriate for the participants) will be held at Skydive Central. This will double as an opportunity to hold a Coaching Seminar for non-Gauteng members.
2. Novice Team Subsidy (R5 400). The senior slot subsidy for new Novice 4-way teams will be repeated. This seems to be feeding the FS competition pool and excitement, focus and exposure for novice jumpers. This subsidy will cover 10 slots for the senior jumper on 2 new novice 4-way teams, provided they do a minimum of 20 training jumps and compete in SA Nationals. The funds (R5 400) for the 2012 teams comes from the 2012 activity plan but will only be paid after Nationals 2013 provided the teams meet the commitment agreement. The 2013 teams will be awarded closer to Nationals 2014 on the same basis, funds to be paid on the same basis (after the year end, due to Nationals timing).
3. Robertson Rumble (R3 600): Skills and Mini-meet. The annual Robertson Rumble embodies SSA principles of skills development, exposure and competition support. In previous years, a coach and judge have attended this event (private initiative) and it is consistently one of the most productive and positive club events of the year. Therefore the SSA would like to ensure a coach and a judge can attend the 2014 Rumble by assisting on flight costs. This will double as an opportunity to hold a Coaching Seminar for Cape FS coaches and members.
4. Shake the bag (R6 000). After the success of 2012’s event, another will be held in 2013. This is a skills weekend aimed primarily at novice and intermediate 4-way jumpers who are looking to meet and greet other jumpers to form new teams with. It will be held a couple of months after Nationals when budgets have recovered and jumpers are motivated to start planning and training for the new season. The funds will be put toward coach slots on the lower-experience teams who still need senior jumpers for productive 4-way but are ready to start competing and looking for team mates. Coaches will coach, jump where necessary and assist with matching and introducing jumpers appropriately.
5. Money Meet - prizes/prize money (R2 500). A competition with a money prize will be held. Both 2-way and 4-way will be included and all experience levels will be catered for. A small entry fee may be charged, live judging and a prize giving at the end of the weekend. This may leverage off or combine with SASL.
6. Cat III days - no funding. We will continue with this offering - organisation of an experienced Cat III base of senior, current FS flyers for Cat III attempts. The student will cover the base’s slots, an expense we found they are happy to do for the guarantee of skills and reliable base. Because of differing schedules of those needing the base, we simply have a standing offer to organise the base for requests as they happen.
7. 16-way Sequential Day. Aimed at the senior FS skydivers only. There will not be coaching - it is a fun and challenging sequential day for the experienced skydivers who usually come to SSA Events to coach. The committee will keep looking for opportunities to schedule the event. The participants will all contribute equally to additional costs (such as aircraft ferry and camera slots) but we have earmarked R2000 should the opportunity for a bigger aircraft be available and assistance with ferry costs is needed.
8. C Licence 8-Way days - self-funded. The FS Committee will organise 8-ways for ready skydivers who need the C-Licence requirements. The system of an experienced base to fly and coach during the day and rotating docking positions for participants will be used again. Participants will cover the costs of the coaches’ slots.
9. FS Camera Camp - self-funded. If sufficient support is shown the FS Committee will hold a skills camp for FS cameramen. There is currently a shortage of skilled FS cameramen, and a lack of understanding from cameramen of the FS-specific requirements. In 2012, we had little interest but we feel it is something worth persevering with and will try to structure something low cost and local to motivate participation.
10. SASL Sponsorship R3000 - FS has a long term strategy to partner with SASL in building competitive formation skydiving, increasing competition opportunity and growing the discipline.

We felt that last year’s spending at beginner level in AE has been really fruitful. So the idea is to do the same in 2013/14.

R10 500 set aside for nationwide skills development.

The area we didn’t get to in 2012 was EP, and so that will be the first club that we engage with this year.

• Aim to increase competition during the course of the year by coming up with a SASL type arrangement which is sustainable for the AE jumpers we have. This could be a quarterly competition, which may involve using a senior on camera and an intermediate / junior as a performer. Still under discussion.
• Aim to host an international coach that senior AE Jumpers and Wingsuiters pay to bring over. At a sea level boogie preferably out of the PAC or large aircraft we would like to set a new SA record for HD. When the coach is busy with the Wingsuiters, the senior local jumpers already gathered could then be available to coach local freeflyers.
• Reconsider the format of the Intermediate competition for Nationals, which includes a head down and two flat moves at present. Although the manoeuvres are attainable but challenging, there is little clarity on sequence etc.

R4 000 set aside for CF Intro skills camps planned for JSC, Robertson and KZN.

R1 000 set aside for skills advancement.

To enable coaches to introduce more people at an earlier stage in their jumping career to CF, we are planning to acquire 2 x 170Sq ft CF specific canopies. The first to be bought in the next 2 to 3 years and the second one in the next 4 to 5 years.

R4 500 to be carried forward to this end.

During the Management Council review of SSA budgets it was decided that Style, Accuracy and Paraski (SAP) will not have representation on the SSA committee this year due to on-going lack of activity and performance from recent SAP Committees.

• The implications are that SAP will have no representation this year. Ticks for SAP on 2013-14 renewals will be ignored.
• The SSA Exec will ensure that elections are held next year for a SAP Committee for 2014-15.
• SAP Nationals, having been planned and included in JSC’s bid and budget, will go ahead as planned if there are entries. The SSA Exec will ensure that what is needed for SAP Nationals from the SSA will be done.
• The SAP portion of the 2013 Nationals costs will come from SAP’s saved funds.

Hopefully some of the SAP jumpers out there will be motivated to step up next year and support and grow the discipline.

We are in the process of purchasing 3 lasers for the CP scoring equipment to the value of R15000.

Skills camp

• Coaching camp for intermediates and identified students by current coaches
• Coach Slots at R2 000

Competition – Fun Scrambles Meet

• Planned for Sep/Oct 2013 to encourage intermediates and students coached by CP Coaches. Handicaps will be given to seniors so seniors can compete with Intermediates to make it fun. A team score will also be awarded to the Senior and Junior entering the event together.
• Prizes and Judges refreshments R3 381 – prizes to be determined by the CP Competition.

We are planning to start phasing out the Firebirds for PhoenixFly P3’s. First one will cost an estimated R6 000.

We are planning to host 3 Skills Camps around South Africa this year with more emphasis on getting regular wingsuiters as well as beginners in the sky. One of these Camps will be shared with the AE Committee to get the Soul Flyers to coach.

R7 500 set aside for 3 skills camps.

We are intending to hold a Competition at the Soul Flyers Camp with regards to speed and Distance in a WS. More info and sponsorships to follow.

Flight Club - Atmo Body Piloting World Association, in partnership with Flight Club South Africa, would like to extend a big thank you to Gigliola Borgnis & Cristian Vasari, and all the SA Body Pilots, who were hosts at the FLIGHT CLUB 2 (Flight Camp) from the 1st - 3rd March 2013.

Thank you to Skydive Parys for hosting the jumpers on the Friday, and JSC on the Saturday and Sunday, with participation from over 20 Body Pilots from around SA, and Mike Choi from Singapore who travelled to SA to join in on the festivities. A warm welcome is also extended to the newbies at Skydive Parys who joined the Atmo briefings and group jumps!

The eager Body Pilots pre-manifested over 30 loads for the three days, filling the Atlas Angels to the maximum of 8/9 per load on each of the Atmo loads on the loads which were not weather affected.

Once again, HIGH LEVEL of group formations were exhibited by the junior, intermediate and advanced Body Pilots, with linked formations including 4-way Diamond Formations, linked Tunnel transitions, Carving, Combo-Lines, and above all SAFE flying and break offs as usual.

A BIG THANK YOU to all the skydivers who once again contributed towards an International Event of epic proportions, just months after the FLIGHT CLUB & SOUL FLYERS event held in October.

I would like to extend my personal gratitude to G & X, for their friendship, and the professional briefings and debriefings, and incredible aptitude in flight - which contributed towards the rapid learning curve of the junior Body Pilots, and training towards the advanced manoeuvres for the more experienced Body Pilots - with highly controlled and precise linked formations and transitions.

We look forward to another 2 international events in 2013... See FLIGHT CLUB for news, pics, events, and updates.

The Sky Is Our Playground tm

Marco Ciocca

(Photographs courtesy of Gigliola Borgnis, Cristian Vasari, Ken Keller)

Skydive Parys hosted the Parys Skydive Festival on the 1-3 March 2013, in conjunction with Stonehenge In Africa and Pickled pig pub and pie house.

What a great success:

• We filled 27 Loads aboard the Atlas Angel (Solas), a total of 224 slots.
• 43 Tandem Skydivers experienced the world of Skydiving.
• 42 Sport Skydivers joined in on the fun.
• 10 Hot Air Balloon skydives were successfully carried out.

The weather dampened the Skydiving activities on Friday the 1st with only 2 loads going up with the ATMO crew. Saturday and Sunday cleared up and turned out to be beautiful Skydiving weather.

This event was a truly national and international event. People travelled from Singapore, USA, Italy, Botswana, Northern Cape, KZN, Freestate, North West and Gauteng. Thank you to all of you who made this event great fun and such a success, we look forward to welcoming you back to Skydive Parys in the not too distant future.

Graham Field, Joos Vos and Kallie van Beusekom with tandem passengers

Thanks to the great team we had to make this event awesome, Graham Field, Danelle Barnard, Amy Taylor, Glynis Parker, Aidan Parker, Brett Dugdale, Atlas Angel Trust, Joos Vos, Kallie, Mike Tippett, Cois, Eddie, Celestie, Anthony, Lizelia Nel and August.

Keep a Look out for info on Skydive Parys's next big event (1st B-Day bash) around June.

www.skydiveparys.co.za
skydiveparys@gmail.com
Steven Taylor 072 303 9140

(Photographs courtesy of Gareth Wentzel from Redslate Media)

PASA and the Toggle Times cannot be held responsible for any errors or omissions, due to all content being submitted without verification.