Kurt Gaebel, founder and president of the US National Skydiving League, was recently named Skydiving Magazine's 2000 Skydiver of the Year. Gaebel earned the award for his tireless efforts to nurture the NSL to grow into a self-sustaining organization that will elevate competitive skydiving to the highese levels of professional sports.

T.K. Hayes, manager of Skydive City in Zephyrhills, FL fractured his neck during a pond-swooping competition March 3 at his dropzone. T.K. underwent surgery to fuse three vertebrae in his neck and was released from the hospital a few days later. T.K. who has about 5400 jumps under his belt was jumping a PD Vengeance 135 with a suspended weight of 260 pounds.

The Ranch Parachute Club in Gardiner, NY, is starting a Freefly League. There will be a series of five meets organized by "Generation Freefly". The League is designed to provide freeflyers with a structured competition forum similar to that of The Ranch Skydiving League's 4-wy RW teams. There will be a handicap system with prizes and money given away at the championship meet in September.

According to Business Aviation the pilot of a Beech King Air returning with passengers to Tooele, Utah, may have flown into poor visibility before crashing into five feet of water in Salt Lake. The pilot and eight other skydivers aboard died. They were returning from Nevada following a skydiving weekend. According to the report, the owner of the aircraft said the plane had only a hand-held GPS aboard for navigation and was not equipped for instrument flight. People at the Tooele Airport reported visibility of less than one mile at the time of the accident. [See report in our February/March issue.]

A brand new Skydiving Centre opened in St Andrews Scotland. They have purpose built facilities including a brand new clubhouse Bar all double glazed and centrally heated with a open stone fireplace. They are located in the beautiful "Kingdom of Fife", just 5 miles from the centre of St Andrews, the ancient capital of Scotland and the birthplace of Golf. Visit their Web site www.skydivestandrews.co.uk.

The Australian skydiving site www.apolloworks.com/skydive/ has just received a major overhaul. It used to just be a Team Spectrum site, and they still exclusively host Spectrum, but they have broadened their online facilities to include news, events, the live Gear Index and direct hosting of the global Skydive Newsgroup rec.skydiving. For those who don't know, rec.skydiving is a global, online community for skydivers. It has been distinctly lacking in a 'down under' perspective, so here's a chance to get vocal in the world.

Skydive Cross Keys has hired BoXman to set up and run the organizing for the summer season. Boxman will also be setting up a coaching program and will be involved with the AFF program. He will be organizing every weekend starting May 5, 2001.

After a long lay off Wales in the UK has a dropzone again. DZO Carl Williams has full airways avionics equipped Cessna 182 with an in flight door operating at Pembrey at weekends. If you live in South Wales and are fed up with the normal five hour round trip to your nearest dropzone, you now have another option. For more information contact Carl on 07779-019655.

Although Skydive Greenville in South Carolina was closed at the beginning of January, 2001, its website will continue to be maintained by a local skydiver to provide local skydiving news and contact info for Greenville, SC skydivers. The new website can be found at skydivegreenville.org.

Airanch Skydivers in Fayetteville, North Carolina had to close its doors after their plane crashed January 7, 2001. After dropping skydivers the Cessna nosed over during a forced landing in a field near Parkton, North Carolina. On board was the pilot who wasn't injured. NTSB report at: http://www.ntsb.gov/NTSB/.

UK skydiver Craig Poxon put a Cypres Resale Chart on his website. It is based on the chart that appeared in the January, 2001 edition of Parachutist. Check out www.poxon.org/Craig/Skydive/Tools/CypresResaleChart.asp or
www.poxon.org/Craig/Skydive/Tools/CypresValuer.asp for a more flexible version.

The British Parachute Association's Operations Manual, Safety Notices/Bulletins, Pilots, STC and Riggers minutes are now available on the BPA website at www.bpa.org.uk/safety.htm for full details.

The new version of the CoP requirements for 2001 is now viewable on the CSPA web site. Minor changes have been made since the proposed CoP's were published in the December issue of CanPara.

One of Viking's 18 jumper Caravans arrived at Skydive Space Center in Titusville, Florida April 15 to begin its permanent assignment. It has a big door, rail, camera porch and will bring skydivers for $18.00 to 13,500.

Parasport Italia just uploaded their new web site. It includes information about the Skytronic FX and the Crossbow wing suit. It also contains updated information about other products. Check it out at www.parasportitalia.com for full details.

AeroStore will be at Connecticut Parachutists in Ellington, CT May 26-28 with plenty of gear for sale, demo, etc. See www.SkydiveCT.com for full details.

Véloce Skydive France now has an online shop. They are installed in Gap- Tallard, and sell abroad. Check it out at http://shop.veloce-skydive.com/ for full details.

A group of skydivers located at Chicagoland Skydiving are preparing training camps for the 2001 season for Illinois skydivers and neighbouring areas. Goal is to improve skills and join the Midwest Skydiving League. More details and contact information at www.skyleague.com for full details.

Grand Caravan weekends will be hosted by Skydive Iowa in Brooklyn, Iowa on the following dates, May 13-14, June 17-18, July 15-16, August 19-20, September 16-17, and October 14-15. Check out their web site at www.skydiveia.com for more information.

The 2001 edition of a number of documents of the FAI Parachuting Commission have now been published at www.fai.org/parachuting/documents/ These include the new edition of Section 5, updated IPC Internal Regulations and competition rules for the various disciplines.

Jumpers build a 31-way canopy formation on the second attempt over Rio de Janeiro in Brazil, setting a Brazilian and South American record for largest CRW formation. The record attemp was organized by Petrobras Cometas, the Brazilian military demo team, and U.S. jumper Dave Richardson. The group completed a 17- way and 23-way before building the 31-way.

Mike Ortiz, former member of the Flyboyz freefly team based at Skydive Perris has joined the staff at Skydive Chicago in Illinois. Mike will coordinate the DZ's freefly programs, provide coaching and organizing.

Jerry Bird will organize dives at the POPS (Parachutists Over Phorty Society) Meet scheduled for May 24-28 at Chambersburg Skydiving Center in Pennsylvania.

Skydive Williston in Florida had it's Grand Opening Boogie April 21 and 22. The dropzone closed last year after dropzone owner Mark Wheeler was killed in a plane crash. Jumpers can expect the regular staff to be back. For more information check out their website at www.skydivewilliston.com or all 352-528-0012.

The all girl junior 4-way team "Handbags at Dawn" based at Langar Airfield in the UK has a new website at www.handbagsatdawn.net/ with photo's, articles and competition Info.

SOS record attempt and big-way camp takes place at Skydive Elsinore, California on October 5- 7. Contact jwbubba@aol.com for more info.