What is the future of WFFC?

[IMGR2 0]

I hope no one judges me for this but I have heard some rumors that really disturb me.
Apparently the brother-in-law of the young man that died from the helicopter incident is sueing the operator of the helicopter, WFFC and the city of Rantoul. Supposedly this brother-in-law is also a skydiver.
I am sad to say that I have lost some very dear friends to skydiving but you don't see me sueing canopy manufacturers, DZO's or aircraft operators. Maybe I feel you are the controller of your own destiny. I feel that people like this, especially if they are a skydiver should understand that we live with the understanding that what we do is dangerous, so we take responsibility of our own safety. By being aware of our surrounding and knowing what is safe and what is not.
If there is anyone out there who knows who this person is, please speak with them, this can only hurt us as skydivers. By making it harder to get specialty aircraft to come to our dz's, to having the FAA breathing down our necks.
I work for a helicopter operator and I know for a fact what it cost to operate one. I have never been to WFFC but have always wanted to. So as for the operator of the helicopter at WFFC he was definitely not making any money flying skydivers. But after all of this I feel I might not ever get to experience WFF or the helicopter rides.

Bryan S. Moffett

[skybytch 273]

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Supposedly this brother-in-law is also a skydiver.

Got names? Would be nice to know who I don't ever want to jump with.

[diverdriver 7]

If it says anything....the FAA and NTSB are investigating and they did NOT take enforcement action against the pilot of the helicopter. Had they thought there was an obvious problem with what happened then they could have emergency suspended his certificate to keep him from operating. They chose not to. I think that speaks volumes.

I would imagine that the WFFC would be back at Rantoul next year same bat time, same bat place.

And that is just my own personal opinion.

Chris

[billvon 3,107]

>Apparently the brother-in-law of the young man that died from the
> helicopter incident is sueing the operator of the helicopter, WFFC
> and the city of Rantoul. Supposedly this brother-in-law is also a
> skydiver.

Nothing new there. Kat Folger sued Mick Cottle and Dave Burrows a few years back when her husband went in under a horseshoe mal, and eventually drove them out of business. The days when "skydivers just don't sue other skydivers" are past. Makes you think hard about doing things like organizing for free, or planning big ways - after all, if someone dies on a big way, the organizer is the logical first person for their friends to sue.

[AggieDave 6]

*putting on funny hat*
*putting envolope to head*
"An ass-whoop'n"
*ripping open envolope*
"What the guys sueing deserve"

"Haaay-OOOOooo...Yes!"

--"When I die, may I be surrounded by scattered chrome and burning gasoline."

[IMGR2 0]

I agree with Skybytch, I think people like this should be black-balled.

Bryan

[Zennie 0]

Right on Bryan.

It's amazing how many people start falling over themselves trying to cash in on tragedy. I call it the "legal lotto". Really it's just legalized extortion. Not like I have any strong feelings on the subject or anything.

What's worse is what you've mentioned... the fallout from the expense of having to defend yourself in a lawsuit... whether it's legit or not. People get run out of business or just don't bother to do those types of things. Why would they want to set themselves up to be sued?

I better stop now before I go on an extended rant about personal responsibility and our litigious society.

In any event, I've made it abundantly clear to my family and friends that I do not want them to sue anyone if I die skydiving. I'm doing what I love and feel incredibly privileged to be able do it. The people who run the dropzones and manufacture the equipment make that possible and I am grateful for it.

If there is a heaven and anyone sues becaue I die skydiving, they're going to have one pissed off mofo waiting for them at the pearly gates to smack them upside the head.

- Z
"Always be yourself... unless you suck." - Joss Whedon

[Jessica 0]

It's all chronicled on rec. Let's see if this link works:

groups.google.com/groups?hl=en&lr=lang_en&ie=UTF-8&threadm=d762fc7a.0208041005.2fb941f6%40posting.google.com&rnum=1&prev=/groups%3Fq%3Drantoul%2Bhelicopter%2Bgroup:rec.skydiving%26hl%3Den%26lr%3Dlang_en%26ie%3DUTF-8%26selm%3Dd762fc7a.0208041005.2fb941f6%2540posting.google.com%26rnum%3D1

Skydiving is for cool people only

[skybytch 273]

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the organizer is the logical first person for their friends to sue.

True. Something I hadn't even considered until recently when the husband of a friend of mine brought it up in the planning stages of a small boogie I'm organizing. Lucky for me, I don't have enough to make it worth anybody's while to sue me.

[Craig 0]

Well, with all the stuff posted about the accident and this "brother in law", it likely would not be overly difficult to find out who this person is with a little work. Word will get out about the identity of this now nameless jumper and the rest is a just a guess.

I have heard about the lawsuit Billvon is speaking of, what ever happened to the jumpers that brought on the lawsuit? Jumping anymore?

[jraf 0]

Jumpers sueing jumpers should be exclude from the community. The Bytch is entirely right. We all know the risks. Mistakes here can (and probably will) be terminal. Unless there is malice sueing is immoral. But if there is malice, it turns into a criminal investigation.

jraf

Me Jungleman! Me have large Babalui.
Muff #3275

[Michele 1]

I have a letter with family and with my lawyer that remains unopened (except for my lawyer...). It states unequivocably that there are to be no lawsuits if I go in skydiving. I told my family, but thought that it should be in writing, as well, notarized and witnessed.

Although someone can sue anyway, it's gonna be hard for them to actually win anything.

Ciels and Pinks-
Michele

~Do Angels keep the dreams we seek
While our hearts lie bleeding?~

[Zennie 0]

That's a really good idea Michelle. Did your lawyer help you draft it? Could you maybe PM me the text? I might do something similar.

- Z
"Always be yourself... unless you suck." - Joss Whedon

[rhino 0]

This whole thing is getting under my skin..

[Jimbo 0]

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Got names? Would be nice to know who I don't ever want to jump with.

Maybe this guy?

Quote

Gary Dausch
Tims Brother-in-law; << and proud of it.
C31694

-
Jim

"Like" - The modern day comma
Good bye, my friends. You are missed.

[PhreeZone 20]

>Got names? Would be nice to know who I don't ever want to jump with.

From the thread on Rec. it appears to be Gary Dausch and someone going by the name Flynn. Who knows if thats the real names or not.

Yesterday is history
And tomorrow is a mystery

Parachutemanuals.com

[jumpy 0]

That is the most asshole thing anyone can do in my opinion. I understand that your opinion may be clouded in a situation like this were a loved one dies but if i'm to understand it the one who is sueing was on the helicopter? He MUST understand that it was nobodys fault but the dudes own (i'm sorry if that is not the right thing to say) but its true. You can't just spoil something for everyone else because you want revenge.
I personally would never sue a skydiver or a skydiving club unless whatever happened was actually there fault because i like ALMOST everyone else understands that this sport is dangerous and i'm participating at my own risk because i enjoy it more then anything else

[rhino 0]

grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

[Michele 1]

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Did your lawyer help you draft it? Could you maybe PM me the text? I might do something similar.

Hi, Zennie. Um, no, he didn't help me draft it, and chances are great I will outlive him (he has been the family attorney for, well, 40 years....). As to pm'ing you the text, it is a simple little statement, so when I have a ferw minutes, I will go and look it up and send it over. It's actually nothing other than a codicil to my will, but it clearly lays out my wishes.

Ciels and Pinks-
Michele

~Do Angels keep the dreams we seek
While our hearts lie bleeding?~

[fool 0]

I really don't know what I'm talking about and certainly am not defending these types of people, but...I heard something when I was in Alberta about something to do with an insurance policy making it manditory for a guy to sue. Even though he had filled out the waiver, and apparently had no wishes of sueing anybody. Like I said, I'm not justifying anything, but that's the only reason I can see anybody doing it. If not that, they should be shot and pissed on...

S.E.X. party #1

"Life's journey is not to arrive at the grave safely in a well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, totally worn out, shouting "f*#k, what a ride".

[WFFC 1]

Well, I've not heard anything...For the several months after the convention, I'm pretty much out of the loop. I'll make a couple phone calls tomorrow and see what I can find out and disclose.

Bluez~~~
Michael
Webmaster

Michael@Freefall.com

-----
~~~Michael

[fasterfaller 0]

I say the bastard gets banned from all dropzones forever or we give him a towel party till he drops it .

[rhino 0]

I say chill out and quit threatening people..

[fasterfaller 0]

We don't need sue happy skydivers . He might hurt himself and sue over that . You use the sue word you get banned for life from the sport . That was not a threat by the way , it was just a pissed off skydiver blowing off steam because someone is trying to get rich by FUCKING OVER Don and Rod and the WFFC . Thats all it was .

[Viking 0]

if my memory isn't failing i remember reading that the photographer was told back up. He didn't and got hit by the tail rotor. He died b/c he was in a place he was told not to be. I wouldn't be suprised if the judge bitch slappes the plantif.

I swear you must have footprints on the back of your helmet - chicagoskydiver
My God has a bigger dick than your god -George Carlin