Riggers and the Sport of Skydiving
What is a Rigger?
Riggers are parachute professionals, trained and licensed to pack and repair parachutes for military and civilian, recreational and sport skydiving purposes.
In the military, riggers are trained by their military branch around the world, to support their paratrooper forces and for aerial supply and equipment parachute delivery. In the civilian world, riggers are certified by national aviation authorities like the FAA (Federal Aviation Authorities) in the US. In most countries, there are at least 2 levels of rigger ratings, such as the senior and master levels in the United States.
Recreational skydivers can rest assured their backup parachute, called a reserve, is packed and signed for by a licensed rigger. In the US, the FAA is the regulatory agency that requires the reserve parachute to be packed by a certified rigger. The rigger will then include a dated card that will stay inside a pocket in the container to be signed and dated at every 6-month reserve repack.
Most skydive drop zones will require this proof of a current repack for all fun jumpers wanting to skydive at their facility. This ensures the highest level of safety, not only for the jumpers and those they share the sky with, but also for…
