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Aerodyne with another technical bulletin for its ICON harness/container.

That’s a wrap on our May 2026 ChutingStar Rigging School with 4 fresh FAA Senior Parachute Riggers released into the wild back to Canada, Montana, Florida and Alabama.

This group made the most original school patch in the shape and color of a CYPRES control head! Josh, Art, Brent & Spenser were absolutely solid through the 2 weeks and testing, thanks to Big Steve dropping all that knowledge during training.

226 parachute riggers have earned their certificates at ChutingStar since 2008…hell yeah!

Aerodyne Icon cutter relocation now mandatory. See note below.

Aerodyne would like to provide a further update regarding the ongoing investigation into the incident in the United Kingdom.

The investigation, led by British Skydiving, remains ongoing, and at this stage, no conclusions have been reached regarding the cause of the incident or the equipment's performance.

We continue to support the process and are working in cooperation with all relevant authorities. Investigations of this nature are complex and may take time, and early-stage information may be incomplete or subject to change.

🔹 AAD Cutter Placement – Configuration Update
As previously communicated in Technical Bulletin TB-250122 (2022), Aerodyne identified AAD cutter placement as a configuration consideration based on internal testing and issued a recommendation for certain configurations.

In line with ongoing product evaluation and to promote global consistency in configuration, Aerodyne will now be formalizing this existing recommendation as a mandatory configuration requirement. A separate communication will be issued outlining the implementation details.

Both cutter positions have been tested and approved, and the system has been in service for many years with successful reserve activations in operational conditions.

This step reflects a standardization of configuration, and not the result of any findings from the current investigation.

🔹 Our Commitment
Aerodyne remains fully dedicated to supporting the investigation process, upholding the highest standards of safety, quality, and performance, and providing clear, accurate updates as new information emerges.

We recognize the level of discussion within the skydiving community and appreciate the shared focus on safety. We encourage reliance on verified information from official sources as the investigation progresses.

Further updates will be provided as appropriate.

Parachute Industry Association statement on the British Skydiving grounding of the Aerodyne Icon.

British Skydiving Incident Regarding the Icon Harness/Container System

We would like to express our deep condolences to the skydiver’s family and friends following the recent incident in the UK.

British Skydiving has issued a bulletin, grounding Icon harness/container systems, as a precautionary measure. The PIA Rigging & Technical Committees are aware of the incident and are maintaining contact with the parties involved.

PIA is an industry group with no regulatory authority. We will be disseminating information as it becomes available. Our committees will evaluate the data and develop a plan of action to assist Icon H/C owners, and riggers who service this equipment.

PIA is committed to provide support to all who are affected by the grounding notice issued by British Skydiving.

There has been no conclusion, to date, regarding the root cause of thisincident. We are awaiting more information from Aerodyne and British Skydiving regarding this matter.

PIA is kindly requesting the following from Icon Owners and Riggers: For those who will not be jumping their Icon systems during this fact-finding period, please do not open your reserve containers so the pack job can be preserved for evaluation by designated personnel, thank you.

Respectfully,
Kirk Smith
PIA Rigging Chair

T.K. Donle
PIA Technical Chair

LB Altimeters with a few tips for ya...

From Aerodyne below.

Related info here from British Skydiving: https://britishskydiving.org/british-skydiving-safety-notice-bulletin-sn-01-26/

Dear Team and Valued Customers,

Please find attached the official Manufacturer Statement issued by Aerodyne Research LLC dated 13 April 2026 regarding the recent incident involving an ICON Harness-Container System in the United Kingdom.

This communication is being shared to ensure that all stakeholders are informed with accurate and up-to-date information directly from the manufacturer.

As outlined in the statement, the matter remains under formal investigation, and no conclusions have been reached regarding the equipment or circumstances surrounding the incident. Aerodyne continues to cooperate fully with British Skydiving and is closely monitoring developments.

The ICON system continues to meet all applicable certification requirements, including FAA TSO-C23d, and has been in continuous service globally for over 20 years across sport, student, and military operations.

Should you have any operational or regulatory questions regarding temporary measures such as grounding, please direct them to British Skydiving or the relevant governing authority in your region.

We will provide further updates should additional verified information become available.

Regards,

AERODYNE TEAM

Free four-leaf clover stickers in orders today! Happy St Patrick’s Day!

☘️🌈🎩

𝐏𝐈𝐀 𝐑𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞𝐬 𝐌𝐚𝐢𝐧 𝐏𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐡𝐮𝐭𝐞 𝐏𝐚𝐜𝐤𝐞𝐫 𝐒𝐲𝐥𝐥𝐚𝐛𝐮𝐬

Sometimes it takes a lateral move to make progress, and the Rigging Committee of the Parachute Industry Association recently did just that. On January 6, PIA released the training syllabus for its Main Parachute Packer program on its website, PIA.com. Technical Standard 138 provides detailed procedures for any drop zone to adopt and conduct a meaningful course to broaden and improve the knowledge and skills of their hired packers.

The package, titled “Main Parachute Packer Blueprint,” lays out a complete course recommended over two days with an initial knowledge assessment, minute-by-minute classroom rubrics, and a comprehensive written, oral, and practical exam. Recommended prerequisites include a minimum of 50 FAA-rigger supervised packs jobs on a variety of main parachutes.

PIA developed the program over the last three years in an effort to convince the FAA that a trained and experienced main parachute packer can operate without direct supervision by an FAA rigger and attain the same or even higher level of safety. Last summer, PIA submitted a formal petition for exemption to the current rule that requires direct FAA-Rigger supervision for Main Parachute Packers who successfully complete the PIA course. Although the comment period in the Federal Register has ended with mostly positive comments received, the FAA has not yet acted on the petition.

So in the meantime, PIA decided to put its MPP program on the road for all to try out and implement. Of course, PIA is asking drop zones and related organizations who conduct the course to provide feedback on the program’s effectiveness and suggestions to improve it. While packers who complete the program are still required under FAA rules to pack main parachutes under direct FAA-rigger supervision, successful candidates would be easier to manage—so some immediate relief for the packing staff and supervising riggers.

Over time and while the FAA continues to contemplate its decision, PIA plans to promote the MPP packing program in hopes of shaping it into an industry standard. Doing so would provide leverage with the FAA toward an exemption or eventual rule change. PIA encourages those managing for-hire packing programs to investigate TS138 and give it a try. Comments and questions can be directed to [email protected].

Full URL link to TS 138:

https://www.pia.com/wp-content/uploads/TS-137_PIA_MPP_DZO_Blueprint.pdf