Dear CSPA skydivers,

At the request of many members and riggers, and after a thorough analysis by the CSPA Technical & Safety Committee, a revision has been made to BSR 2.2. 

The main premise of the BSR changes is to extend the reserve repack cycle from 180 days to 270 days. The repack cycle period is under the sole authority of the CSPA BSRs and not that of the rigger. The new BSR now reads as follows:

2.2 A) The reserve parachute to be used or worn by any parachutist making a jump in Canada must have been packed, or had the packing thereof supervised, by a current CSPA Type Rated or FAA certified rigger within the previous 270 days.

B) In the case of a parachutist whose reserve parachute was not packed in accordance with A above, the reserve parachute must have been packed in accordance with the civil aviation regulations of his/her country of residence. In addition, the reserve parachute packing is valid for the duration of its cycle or a maximum of 270 days (whichever is the shorter).

In the event that an Automatic Activation Device (AAD) is installed in the harness/container system, this device shall be serviced and maintained in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions and service

In accordance with PIM 1, The Basic Safety Rules (BSRs) are the rules established by the CSPA as the minimum standards for safe parachuting. These are accepted by each Registered Participant and Member as part of the affiliation and membership agreements. Dropzones are still within their rights to keep a 180 day repack cycle. As with any visit to a new dropzone, we encourage you to contact them in advance to confirm their operating procedures.

Please note:

• That the repack cycle for demonstration jumps, in accordance with the CARS, remains 120 days. CSPA is continuing discussions with Transport Canada and will follow up as necessary.
• Until such time that the exemption request submitted to the FAA is approved, any jumpers travelling to the USA would still need a reserve repack by a FAA Rigger and the repack cycle would remain at 180 days in accordance with their regulations.

Analysis considered included, but was not limited to, the following:

• Manufacturers recommendations
• Relevant historical data from incident reports from both Canada and other countries
• International standards and practices
• Existing owner/operator practices (maintenance, compliance, etc.)
• Existing rigging practices (currency, compliance, reporting, safety standards, etc.)
• Existing safety management systems pertaining to risk assessment and risk mitigation
• Feedback gathered from survey results from Canadian DZOs and CSPA Riggers

As skydivers, it is your responsibility to ensure your equipment meets the safety requirements. The T&SC will be producing educational materials (such as checklists and videos), to help educate jumpers on regular gear maintenance, proper external gear inspections, etc. These materials will be available year-round by visiting the CSPA website. If you have suggestions or requests, please contact [email protected].

It is the intention of the T&SC and the Board of Directors to continually analyze this change based on the above considerations.

As our sport develops, we try to ensure the association does as well. Any constructive ideas are always welcomed.

Regards,

Technical & Safety Committee
Board of Directors
National Office