Belgium may not be the first country that comes to mind when you think about taking a skydiving vacation. First, the weather conditions aren't perfect for non-stop skydiving throughout the year. And, second, Belgium is not so well known. Brussels, Belgium's capital city, is better known than the country itself for being the headquarters of NATO and the European community. However, even without perfect weather conditions, Belgium offers nice skydiving possibilities. There are several drop zones situated throughout the country.

What else to do on vacation in Belgium? The coast offers great opportunities for lazy sun bathing and picking up some cultural events. A visit to Ostend, birth place of James Ensor, will certainly help you spend your money shopping.

Feel more like a more active vacation? (next to the skydiving, of course!) The Ardennes will provide you with any kind of activity you'd like! Mountain biking, adventure games, paint ball, hiking, rock climbing-- you name it, you'll find it there. Feel like taking long walks but hate to go up and down hills? You'll enjoy the sandy plains and woods of the "Kempen". Did we get you interested yet?

As far as the languages spoken in Belgium, actually, there are no less than three languages: Dutch (Flemish), French and German. Because of their historical background, more Flemish people are bi- or tri-lingual then there are French speaking people or German speaking people that speak other languages. Nevertheless, certainly where skydiving is concerned, most skydivers or drop zone-related people do speak English. So, don't worry about coming to Belgium and not being able to speak Flemish, French or German. You'll get by fine. But it might be a bit less easy to get around in English in the Ardennes than it would be in the Flemish parts.

Want to learn some more about the country and the people, the cultural life, the languages that are spoken in Belgium and some language-related topics? Hit this link and enjoy!

Alexandria, Virginia -- The U.S. Parachute Association™ (USPA) and the Parachute Industry Association™ (PIA) are pleased to announce matching $25,000 grants to the American Museum of Sport Parachuting and Air Safety™ (AMSPAS) in order to launch the fundraising campaign for a museum dedicated to skydiving and skydivers.

The AMSPAS, incorporated in 1986 as a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit association, will make a reality a decades old dream of establishing a museum for and about skydiving. The purposes of the Museum are to:

promote public awareness and understanding of the sport of skydiving; recognize the contribution to skydiving by its participants, suppliers and supporters; capture and preserve forever the history of the sport through its events, equipment and personalities; and enhance aviation safety as it pertains to skydiving through research and education.

As its initial step in the fundraising process, the trustees of the Museum have selected Goettler Associates of Columbus, Ohio to conduct the feasibility study and develop the case for support for the fundraising effort. As part of this process, Goettler Associates will conduct interviews of sport and industry leaders.

Part of the long-term vision of the AMSPAS is to collocate the offices of skydiving related organizations into a national skydiving headquarters. The USPA has already approved in concept the collocation of its headquarters with the Museum, if a suitable site can be found.

Full details of the proposed skydiving museum will be made available to the public following the conclusion of the fundraising feasibility study. Pending the establishment of its own home page and Internet site, please refer inquiries to Museum@uspa.org.

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