Page 32 - QARANC Vol 14 No 6 2013

30 QARANC THE GAZETTE
Army Medical Services Sports Parachute Association
The Army Medical Services Sport Parachuting Association (AMSSPA) is a group of enthusiastic AMS sports parachutists. The association aims to encourage skydiving at all levels within the AMS - from introducing beginners to the sport, to members competing at national level.
Exercise Skies Call, May 2012 – California
Ex SKIES CALL is the training highlight on AMSSPA’s calendar - a 2-week Adventure training exercise to the USA.
A total of 20 personnel, TA and regular alike, from across the AMS comprising 8 complete beginner skydivers, 10 experienced jumpers, and 2 instructors, deployed on the exercise. After 8 hours of ground school training for the beginners, at the Joint Services Parachute Centre Netheravon, the whole group flew to Los Angeles (LA). A two-hour road trip south from LA and the group found themselves in the quirky small Californian town of Lake Elsinore - home for the next two weeks.
The Drop-Zone at Skydive Elsinore is arguably the best in the world for Skydiving Expeds – great weather, lots of aircraft, a huge safe landing area, army-friendly owners, and a good dollar to pound exchange rate. During the 2
Exped members help Capt Kate Blethyn model the latest wingsuit
weeks, the parachuting programme involved the beginners progressing through 18 levels of instruction jumps, progressing their skills whilst under the expert supervision of their instructors.
Experienced jumpers provided coaching for intermediate jumpers to gain their formation skydive licences, practiced skills training for canopy handling, wingsuiting, and team formation jumping, and even squeezed in some a novelty fancy dress jump. During the R&R weekend stand-down, the group was free to explore the USA – with San Diego being utilised to the maximum by exped members!
Thanks to Exped organiser Maj Mel Dando, the exercise was a great success. The group had a highly enjoyable time, and the novices who completed the student programme gained their internationally recognised licence, which enables them to jump unsupervised worldwide.
Capt Rachel Meeke practicing her reserve parachute drills before a day of instructional jumps