Welcome back to all those who were gone for the summer.  Some of you went home and some of you went over seas and both places were probably better than class.  Now we’re all back and it’s time to start skydiving again. 

The club is reaching new levels in many categories and things are changing a little bit from what we might be used to.  This means that you should read these meeting minutes and check the website regularly for updates.  Now for the very important content covered in the meeting.

We have been fortunate enough to have almost all of our outdated equipment replaced with many thanks to our vendors and Student Government.  It’s important to remember that the hard work of those over the 37 years before us is what gave us the opportunities we have as skydivers now.  In turn, we owe it to those who will come in the years ahead to not only maintain what we have, but further the benefits they may enjoy in the future.  The strongest organizations anywhere are those that look towards the years ahead and are selfless enough to work hard for the benefit of others. 

Every rig we have is new and that means everyone needs to be briefed on gear care and maintenance in order to keep this equipment in good condition for the next 10 to 15 years.  If you are looking to skydive this year on Tech equipment, you need to contact me, Ben Lee, so that we can go through how to care for the new gear.  This must happen before you make your first jump of this season.

The last of the old equipment has had some damage that was enough to make it considered un-airworthy.  These are rigs #7 and #8 and they are being repaired.  The reasons for the needed repairs are largely because of poor care over the years.  They both showed signs of wear comparable to rigs 8 years older then they were.  THIS WILL NOT HAPPEN IN THE FUTURE!!!  This is the main reason for the gear care course being a precursor to using our club gear.  Please pay attention to the gear and always complete a full gear check before you jump. 

We have been working very hard over the last few years to grow our club account so that we can keep replacing gear that gets worn.  We have relied heavily on Student Government for the absolute necessities when it comes to new rigs and parachutes, but now we need to replace the rest of the gear. 

Jumpsuits are a possibility for us so you may have new Bev suits at the DZ in the next couple months. 

Three new Altimeters are also being planned for but not committed to yet.

We can also send in our altimeters and get GT faces put on them so they stand out and we can tell them apart from every other altimeter at the DZ.

You must pay dues before you make your first jump on our new gear so don’t count on going down there and saying “I’ll get it to you next week” and me letting you jump.

For members using club gear, dues for this semester are $50, and for members with their own equipment, dues are $35.  Make checks payable to ‘Georgia Tech Sport Parachute Club’.  Get the checks or cash to Eric Scott or myself (Ben Lee).

Talk this up amongst all skydivers.  If you are looking towards competition (I strongly suggest it) then think about whom you may want to be teammates with and start jumping together. 

Kyle Collins has offered to help us out with an RW skills camp on the weekend of September 23 and 24.  He will have his trusty wingman Eric Taylor accompanying him, and this will not be something you want to miss.  Both Kyle and Eric are World Champion skydivers and it is a huge deal that they are willing to take time out of their schedule to coach us.  Keep looking for more on this topic and, oh yeah, did I mention that the club can pay for jumps!!!