3331 137 #1 July 30, 2008 Jacques-André Istel, considered by many to be the father of U.S. skydiving, was unanimously selected by USPA’s Board of Directors to receive the organization’s 2007 Lifetime Achievement Award. The recipient of the award, USPA’s highest honor, is always "an expert active or retired sport parachute jumper in recognition of outstanding sportsmanship, skill or personal contribution to the sport of parachuting and the USPA, its goals and purposes." Istel joins 23 other recipients selected since the award’s creation in 1970. His contributions to skydiving are many and varied. He organized the first U.S. Team to compete in an international competition in 1956. He served as executive vice president for the National Parachute Jumpers-Riggers, Inc., along with serving on the board of the Parachute Club of America—both forerunners of USPA. His family funded the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale Gold Medal for Parachuting and started the Istel Scholarship Fund, awarded annually to the winner of the National Collegiate Parachuting Championships, a league he started in 1957. The Lifetime Achievement Award citation reads,"In recognition of his pioneering spirit as he promoted skydiving in America, United States Parachute Teams and collegiate parachuting competition while serving the United States Parachute Association and its forebears." USPA will present the Lifetime Achievement Award to Istel at a date and location yet to be determined.I Jumped with the guys who invented Skydiving. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
itllclear 1 #2 August 1, 2008 QuoteUSPA will present the Lifetime Achievement Award to Istel at a date and location yet to be determined. It should be done at the "Center of the World" http://www.dropzone.com/cgi-bin/forum/gforum.cgi?post=3187015;search_string=istel;#3187015"Harry, why did you land all the way out there? Nobody else landed out there." "Your statement answered your question." Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
