J. Scott Hamilton

Dr J. Scott Hamilton is an experienced, multi-rated pilot, Professor of Aviation Law at Embry Riddle Aeronautical University, and the author of a textbook ‘Practical Aviation and Aerospace Law’.

Starting in 1961 as a sport parachutist at Arkansas Tech, he became a military parachutist and HALO instructor, and was manager, instructor, rigger, and president of the Special Warfare Center Sport Parachute Club, which won the Ridgeway Trophy in 1965 as the best military club under his leadership. Scott has worked for decades to protect parachuting. He drafted the ‘bulletproof’ hold-harmless agreement that protected DZs from liability for parachuting injuries, during 1971-1984. He obtained an FAA waiver for tandem jumping and worked to combat the ‘columns of air’ proposed rule change in the seventies that could have destroyed parachuting.

Scott was Assistant Director of the USPA from 1966-1969, and later, after leaving the employ of USPA, he became a voluntary National Director, serving for 8 years, for 2 of which he was President. Scott wrote the script and produced the USPA film, ‘This is a Sport?’, an excellent tool for USPA to promote skydiving. He was a prolific writer for Parachutist, the USPA magazine, and responsible for formulating many basic guidelines for uniformity of instruction, improving safety.