eJAKAL 0 #1 January 9, 2009 Read this: http://www.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/africa/01/09/somalia.pirates.sirius.star/index.html Check out image #2. That's a ram air with a guy in an orange jump suit. The pirates released the Saudi tanker shortly thereafter. Questions (please use separate replies for each question): 1) What kind of license/rating do you need to make a ransom jump? 2) Since it's not in the U.S., the can the USPA still threaten the jumper's membership? 3) What's the going rate for a jump like that? 4) How many bonus "cool points" would the jumper earn if he can get a pirate to sign his log book? 5) Look closely at the jumper - isn't that Guy Manos? 6) If it isn't Manos, who is the jumper? And don't tell me it's DB Cooper, either. 7) How much does $3 million (in hundreds) weigh? 8) In the event a pirate gets twitchy, how many bills does it take to stop an AK-47 round fired at 100 meters (hello - Myth Busters...)? 9) The photo shows the guy in mid-flight. What do you suppose is going on in his mind at that moment? and... 10) How long will it take before we see this guy on Letterman? JAKAL Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JohnRich 4 #2 January 9, 2009 In other, larger, photos it just looks like a big orange bag. I think it's an unmanned remotely-steered cargo delivery chute. I sure wouldn't want to be the guy responsible for losing 10 million dollars due to a bad spot... Skydivers may be crazy, but not crazy enough to jump into the hands of pirates. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
howardwhite 6 #3 January 10, 2009 Here's an enlarged version. Looks more like a container to me, too. Robot/GPS guided airdrops are nothing new. They were used, among other times, to supply US embassies in (if memory serves) North Africa during a period of blockade. HW Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
diablopilot 2 #4 January 10, 2009 I dunno, if it's an all bright orange jumpsuit, it might be mjosparky, but then we'd have heard about the the Tanker being recaptured single handedly. ---------------------------------------------- You're not as good as you think you are. Seriously. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
rapter 0 #5 January 10, 2009 The old saying is true, "all the world IS a dropzone,,,,", or it's somekind of demo. Only the good die young, so I have found immortality, Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
lodestar 0 #6 January 11, 2009 Funny thing though, it seems a few of the pirates who got the ransome and boogied in a fastboat were found floating, dead, in the ocean near the boat. Opinions vary but news stated there may have been a large wave..... Hmmmmm Now, lets see......six guys, three million, half mil each, right, three guys, three mil, one mill each....wanna bet those guys have good math skills and weapons? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
airdvr 210 #7 January 12, 2009 Isn't Twardo in that area of the world? Please don't dent the planet. Destinations by Roxanne Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guru312 0 #8 January 12, 2009 Quote... I think it's an unmanned remotely-steered cargo delivery chute. Me too. See this: http://www.dropzone.com/forum/Skydiving_C1/Skydiving_History_&_Trivia_F21/aerial_drug_delivery_P3077525/ I spoke with Steve Snyder often about this system. If I recall correctly, the SSE system has been used since the early years of the Viet Nam war to pinpoint deliveries to remote SF locations.Guru312 I am not DB Cooper Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
howardwhite 6 #9 January 12, 2009 It's really easy to make stickies.http://www.dropzone.com/forum/Skydiving_C1/Skydiving_History_&_Trivia_F21/aerial_drug_delivery_P3077525/ HW Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JohnRich 4 #10 January 12, 2009 Quote It's really easy to make stickies. That would be a "clicky" rather than a "sticky". Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
howardwhite 6 #11 January 12, 2009 Quote Quote It's really easy to make stickies. That would be a "clicky" rather than a "sticky". Whatever. Don't pick on me in the morning. It's still easy. HW Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guru312 0 #12 January 12, 2009 Quote... It's still easy. And I should have looked more closely at my post before hitting "post reply" because I would have caught my mistake. WTF! I teach people how to use these stupid machines: I know better.Guru312 I am not DB Cooper Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
chuckakers 426 #13 January 12, 2009 Quote Skydivers may be crazy, but not crazy enough to jump into the hands of pirates. You don't remember Bill Grimm?Chuck Akers D-10855 Houston, TX Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
RogerRamjet 0 #14 January 13, 2009 From the photo's caption: Quote A parachurted object is observed by the U.S. Navy dropping onto the Sirius Star during a seeming ransom payment Friday. So, we're actually talking about PARACHURTING here, not PARACHUTING anyway... I guess parachurting is unmanned parachuting; who knew? ----------------------- Roger "Ramjet" Clark FB# 271, SCR 3245, SCS 1519 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
