We have learned with regret that APF House, which also housed the Australian Sport Aviation Confederation, was destroyed by fire in the early morning hours of New Year's Day. I thought you would like to receive an update on progress and I have a request to you all from the APF.
 
Firstly, the staff are all in good spirits (even high spirits - tragedies do this to people) and are being kept very busy working out of the temporary office in Dave's kitchen. Telephone calls are being directed there. Dave has requested that you keep traffic to a minimum for the moment and deal with the APF only via paper mail. There are no internet or fax communications. Computers will be back up by Monday in a temporary office space but for two weeks please make your license requests etc. via snail mail.
 
The database was backed up and stored in three separate places and all mail received up till 24 December is intact. Parachuting memorabilia and mementos were stored off-site and are safe. More good news - insurance cover is thought to be adequate depending on the losses assessed. The APF intends to try and operate from the same mail/phone area meaning phone numbers and PO Box address won't have to change. The APF intends to get a mail house to issue a memo to you all on Monday.
 
Now the damage - Senior staff have been allowed into the building this morning with an insurance assessor to assess damage and recover whatever is recoverable. Prior to that, police were investigating the scene. Any fire is apparently treated as a crime scene until investigations are complete. Arson is now officially suspected due to the discovery of certain items in the office that staff didn't put there.
 
The front of the building is smoke damaged, the rear and upstairs is razed. The paper records (old pink cards) and the compactus materials have gone. Computers, offices, photocopiers, fax, etc are gone as the APF was in the downstairs rear, the area hardest hit and the centre of the fire.
 
Six tenants have been affected. Those in back and upstairs are destroyed, in front OK except that they must now seek new premises - our lease with them allows them to do so and does not make the APF responsible for providing new premises. Will keep you informed as and if I hear of developments.
 
Blue skies, Gail Bradley

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 Tullinge dropzone will not close
The Tullinge dropzone will not close down this year. Swedish politicians wanted to re-zone the airport for residential use. Due to protests, long leases and investments, the airport and the dropzone will live on. In case the re-zone proposition is put into effect at some later time, the dropzone will be offered a nearby location. For more information, check out www.frifallskolan.se.

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News from the CSPA [Canadian Sport Parachute Association]
by Tom Buckler - Tom@Buckler.ab.ca

2001 Elections and Annual General Meeting
 
The Moncton Sport Parachuting Centre is pleased to announce they will be hosting the 2001 Annual General Meeting. The Canadian Sport Parachuting Association hereby calls all voting members to the AGM (Annual General Meeting) of the Association. The meeting will take place in Moncton, New Brunswick, on February 24, 2001. The venue will be the Rodd Park House Inn, 434 Main Street, Moncton, New Brunswick, E1C 1B9 (506) 382-1664 Further information on accommodations will be posted on the CSPA website.
 
Record Date
 
The Record Date is January 18, 2001, the date your member group must be affiliated as a paid-up member of the Association to be eligible to vote at the meeting. If your club or centre is not affiliated by now, this is a reminder that January 18, 2001 is the last chance to become properly affiliated.
 
Elections of Board of Directors
 
The individual members of British Columbia, Yukon, Ontario, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland are hereby invited to compete for this important position in our Association.
 
Interested candidates must complete the appropriate statutory declaration form available from the CSPA office, or a sworn declaration which must be postmarked no later than the Record Date. Candidates are welcome to send their " profile" not to exceed 200 words at the same time.

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Super Otter and $10 boogie in Georgia

Air Ventures Skydiving in Rome, Georgia, now has a Super Otter, and they will be flying it non-stop through the winter.
 
This coming weekend, December 16 - 17, a $10 boogie will be held. $10 per jump to 14,000 ft! There is a $15 registration fee which includes all the beer and food you can eat and drink. Get out and help them break in their new Super Otter.
 
Air Ventures has a deal for teams that are looking for a place to practice for the winter. They want to beat any other DZ for team rates, including free video slots for commitments of 100 jumps or more. Contact Ron Green by phone at 678-596-3363 or by email at rg@airventuresskydiving.com for details.

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New Dropzone in Spain

Just 40 miles south of Madrid in Spain, through the N-IV highway (35-minute drive) you will find the new Centro de Paracaidismo de Ocaña. The historic sunny land of Don Quixote, near Toledo and in the heart of La Mancha.
 
Their facilities include low-price rooms and restaurant inside the airfield, swimming pool, covered packing area and bar. They fly a Pilatus Porter and more than 90% of the days are jumpable. The dropzone offers AFF and static line course and tandems. Special team rates are available. English, French, Italian, German and Bulgarian speaking.
 
For more information contact Iñaki Bilbao by e-mail at aerolibre@jet.es or by phone/fax- +34 91 892 9174, mobiles +34 670 973531 / 32.

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Caravan in Kentucky
by Chris Reed

Nashville Skydiving at Russellville/Logan County Airport in Russellville, Kentucky has a Caravan coming to do some HALO work with 5th Special Forces Group based at FT Campbell, KY. The Caravan will be in Russellville for this event from January 6-20, 2001. It will be available to skydivers on the weekends.
 
Harry is very excited about this and wants to spread the word throughout the skydiving community in this area. He's hoping that a visit by a large aircraft to the Central Tennessee/Kentucky area will draw enough jumpers to show people that there is an untapped market in this area, and thus draw more aircraft, more jumpers, etc. Goal is to end the current situation of central Tennessee/Kentucky being known as a "black hole" of skydiving. Please help get the word out to skydivers in your area!

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Yahoo! skysurfers delivered soccer ball

On a beautiful fall day in Washington, DC, the Yahoo! Skysurfers added professional soccer to their growing resume of sporting event "drop-ins". They delivered the MLS game ball at RFK Stadium for the championship match between Kansas City and Chicago (the KC Wizards went on to win 1-0) on October 15. 40,000 soccer fans looked on as Brian and Stefan demonstrated some expert canopy maneuvers culminating in two high speed pinpoint landings at midfield. View photos from the event at www.yahooskysurf.com/photos.html#RFK.

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