Operation Packrat is a volunteer-driven event in support of the Accessions & Curations Committee. This multi-day event takes place every two to three years for the purposes of identifying, tagging, and carefully storing parachute equipment, documents, film, media, instruments, and other skydiving artifacts that have been donated and acquired by the Museum over the last 40+ years.
Seeking Volunteers
The best Operation Packrat events are staffed by at least 30 volunteers who share a passion for the preservation of the history of our sport. Organized by team leaders, ideal volunteers fall into one of two categories: “specialists” offer varying expertise, and “apprentices” provide extremely valuable grunt work.
Once determined, the date of the next Operation Packrat will be noted here. Interested in participating? Submit an interest form!
Specialists
Specialists identify and document artifacts and log pertinent information into the database used by the Museum’s Accessions & Curations Committee. Volunteers include, but are not limited to:
- “Old school” jumpers
- Riggers
- Photographers
- Pilots
- DZOs
Apprentices
Apprentices put in the sweat equity necessary to manage the Museum’s many donated and acquired treasures. They open boxes – some of which have long been in storage – in order to:
- Identify donated artifacts
- Determine suitability for Museum use
- Repackage artifacts into standard boxes
- Label with barcode ID
- Appropriately store for future use
Volunteer Details
All volunteers participate at their own expense, including travel and accommodation.
As tokens of appreciation, volunteers receive:
- Daily coffee, lunch, and dinner
- Closing banquet
- Limited edition Operation Packrat T-shirt and sweatshirt
