Functions
The Parachute Industry Association actively pursues technical, safety, and promotional projects that benefit its members and the industry it serves. The purpose of the PIA is to recognize and promote the use of parachutes through public education and awareness; recognize the contribution to parachutes by its participants, suppliers, and supporters; capture forever the history of the industry via its events, equipment, and personalities; and enhance aviation safety as it pertains to the use of parachutes. [2]
The Parachute Industry Association meets twice each year. [3] On odd-numbered years, it hosts the International Parachute Symposium. [4] The symposium consists of classes, displays, and a venue for other aviation organizations to meet. [5]
The Parachute Industry Association is the custodian of more than 300 parachute specifications (thread, cloth, tape, webbing, hardware, plating, etc.). Formerly referred to as Military Specifications (Mil-Specs), these documents were turned over to the PIA when the U.S. government stopped maintaining all Mil-Specs in the mid-1990s. The PIA members meet to discuss, revise, publish, and keep these specifications up-to-date.
The PIA publishes service bulletins for the parachute industry. The PIA Library of Public Documents is a rich source of information regarding aspects of the PIA's organizational structure, parachute design, maintenance, and parachute rigging. These documents are available without charge to the public.
The PIA advises the Federal Aviation Administration on parachute regulations. [6] The PIA works closely with other skydiving and parachute organizations worldwide. [7]
General aviation (GA) is defined by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) as all civil aviation aircraft operations except for commercial air transport or aerial work, which is defined as specialized aviation services for other purposes. However, for statistical purposes, ICAO uses a definition of general aviation which includes aerial work.
Webbing is a strong fabric woven as a flat strip or tube of varying width and fibres, often used in place of rope. It is a versatile component used in climbing, slacklining, furniture manufacturing, automobile safety, auto racing, towing, parachuting, military apparel, load securing, and many other fields.
A drop zone (DZ) is a place where parachutists or parachuted supplies land. It can be an area targeted for landing by paratroopers and airborne forces, or a base from which recreational parachutists and skydivers take off in aircraft and land under parachutes. In the latter case, it is often beside a small airport, frequently sharing the facility with other general aviation.
A United States defense standard, often called a military standard, "MIL-STD", "MIL-SPEC", or (informally) "MilSpecs", is used to help achieve standardization objectives by the U.S. Department of Defense.
Bill Booth is an American engineer, inventor, and entrepreneur in the skydiving equipment manufacturing industry. His invention of the 3-ring release safety device has enhanced skydiving safety. He founded the companies United Parachute Technologies and Complete Parachute Solutions, which had 150 employees as of 2015.
AS9100 is a widely adopted and standardized quality management system for the aerospace industry. It was released in October, 1999, by the Society of Automotive Engineers and the European Association of Aerospace Industries.
Airlines for America (A4A), formerly known as Air Transport Association of America (ATA), is an American trade association and lobbying group based in Washington, D.C. that represents major North American airlines since 1936.
Zephyrhills Municipal Airport is a public use airport in Pasco County, Florida, United States. It is owned by the City of Zephyrhills and located one nautical mile (2 km) southeast of its central business district. This airport is included in the National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems for 2011–2015, which categorized it as a general aviation facility.
A commercial astronaut is a person who has commanded, piloted, or served as an active crew member of a privately funded spacecraft. This is distinct from an otherwise non-government astronaut, for example Charlie Walker, who flies while representing a non-government corporation but with funding or training or both coming from government sources.
The Canadian Sport Parachuting Association (CSPA), through affiliation with the Aero Club of Canada (ACC), is Canada's representative to the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale (FAI) and the International Parachuting Commission (IPC). Thus, the CSPA is the official sport organization for sport parachuting in Canada.
The Parachute Association of South Africa (PASA) manages the sports of parachuting and skydiving in South Africa on behalf of the South African Civil Aviation Authority.
A specification often refers to a set of documented requirements to be satisfied by a material, design, product, or service. A specification is often a type of technical standard.
The American Trucking Associations (ATA), founded in 1933, is the largest national trade association for the trucking industry. ATA represents more than 37,000 members covering every type of motor carrier in the United States through a federation of other trucking groups, industry-related conferences, and its 50 affiliated state trucking associations. Former Governor of Kansas Bill Graves was replaced by Chris Spear as the ATA's president and CEO in July 2016.
Cullman Regional Airport-Folsom Field is a public-use airport located five nautical miles north of the central business district of Cullman, a city in Cullman County, Alabama, United States. It is owned by the City and County of Cullman.
The European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI) is an independent, not-for-profit, standardization organization in the field of information and communications. ETSI supports the development and testing of global technical standards for ICT-enabled systems, applications and services.
Parachuting and skydiving is a method of transiting from a high point in the atmosphere to the surface of Earth with the aid of gravity, involving the control of speed during the descent using a parachute or parachutes.
Perris Valley Airport is a privately owned and operated airport open to public use and located one mile (1.6 km) southeast of Perris, serving Riverside County, California, United States. It has one runway and is used for general aviation and extensive skydiving. The airport operates from dawn to dusk daily year-round.
The International Skydiving Museum & Hall of Fame is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit corporation governed by a board of trustees. Equipment and documents are being collected, inventoried, and preserved. Funds are being raised to build the museum in Central Florida.
General Wayne A. Downing Peoria International Airport is a civil/military public airport five miles west of Peoria, in Peoria County, Illinois, United States. It is on the northwest edge of Bartonville, near Bellevue. It is owned by the Metropolitan Airport Authority of Peoria, which often refers to it as Peoria International Airport. It was formerly the Greater Peoria Regional Airport.
