Help Prevent The Banning of Swooping

[FlipColmer 0]

Hello Everyone!

It's been great seeing all the discussion in each of the sections of the forum concerning our BSR proposal. Keep up the discussion not only here, but each and every day you are at the DZ. By discussing the problem every day, we are a step closer to safer landing arenas.

The reason I titled this thread as I did is because of the perception by some that our BSR proposal would limit or ban swooping. Nothing could be further from the truth.

However, in the pure safety realm, banning swooping is A way to make the landing pattern safer, if the Drop Zone Owner feels that way. We believe our proposal would give the DZO the tools to make the landing patterns safer without banning a fun and popular landing manuever.

So how can you help you ask? First off, communicate with your Regional Director, your DZO and your S&TA as to how you feel we should progress. That communication should happen soon as the USPA Board meeting is in less than two weeks.

The next time you are at the DZ, chat with the same folks and come up with your own local plans. If you believe that USPA should stay out of it, then someone has to get into it. Might as well be you. Come up with a Continuing Education plan to keep everyone focused on landing pattern safety. From the most junior jumper on the DZ, to you, the hottest swooper. If someone isn't willing to dedicate a little time to improve the landing arena, they are part of the problem.

Lastly, practice what you preach and use peer pressure to get your friends to do the same. If we don't get the patterns safer, then we will lose some of our friends in the future. I for one don't want to lose you because someone else just didn't care enough.

Blue SKies, Flip

[AggieDave 6]

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The next time you are at the DZ, chat with the same folks and come up with your own local plans. If you believe that USPA should stay out of it, then someone has to get into it. Might as well be you. Come up with a Continuing Education plan to keep everyone focused on landing pattern safety. From the most junior jumper on the DZ, to you, the hottest swooper. If someone isn't willing to dedicate a little time to improve the landing arena, they are part of the problem.

Lastly, practice what you preach and use peer pressure to get your friends to do the same. If we don't get the patterns safer, then we will lose some of our friends in the future. I for one don't want to lose you because someone else just didn't care enough.

You realize that irregardless of what others in the mass anonymous space of the internet may believe, there are many of us that do the above. We work really hard to help people from 1 jump to hundreds of jumps to learn more about canopy flight, about the landing pattern and show an example of good judgement skills.

No rule, no teaching, no instruction and no amount of regulation will solve someone's bad judgement making skills. That's simply a S&TA not doing their job with the DZO and grounding someone. Then letting the other DZs in the area know about the problem.

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

[skinnyshrek 0]

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The next time you are at the DZ, chat with the same folks and come up with your own local plans. If you believe that USPA should stay out of it, then someone has to get into it. Might as well be you. Come up with a Continuing Education plan to keep everyone focused on landing pattern safety. From the most junior jumper on the DZ, to you, the hottest swooper. If someone isn't willing to dedicate a little time to improve the landing arena, they are part of the problem.

Lastly, practice what you preach and use peer pressure to get your friends to do the same. If we don't get the patterns safer, then we will lose some of our friends in the future. I for one don't want to lose you because someone else just didn't care enough.

You realize that irregardless of what others in the mass anonymous space of the internet may believe, there are many of us that do the above. We work really hard to help people from 1 jump to hundreds of jumps to learn more about canopy flight, about the landing pattern and show an example of good judgement skills.

No rule, no teaching, no instruction and no amount of regulation will solve someone's bad judgement making skills. That's simply a S&TA not doing their job with the DZO and grounding someone. Then letting the other DZs in the area know about the problem.

Some people can talk all they want it still will not sink in. In my career i have seen 3 wraps close to the ground. One was at keystone 12 years back, I believe 5 years back at thomaston and then Dublin. No matter how much education you lay out there there will still be the arrogant idiot that is beyod learning. I think 1 violation a grounding and a severe warning, a 2nd maybe a 2 week grounding. After that its call an ambulnce or send them to another DZ. there is nothing wose than seeing your good friends die due to some prick. I personally have had enough of it. If i am at a dz and shit like this happens and nothing is done then i am out of there. I am here to have fun and chill.
Its time to stop the big shots getting their own way because of their jump numbers

http://www.skydivethefarm.com

do you realize that when you critisize people you dont know over the internet, you become part of a growing society of twats? ARE YOU ONE OF THEM?

[LoudDan 0]

You can't cure stupid. Didja ever notice who people go to when they finally decide or have been beaten over the head enough to realize they need canopy coaching.........the swoopers, the competitors, the folks that are always training, the people that go away for canopy camps, the ones that take the time and spend the money to give canopy piloting the respect it demands be it HP or SP.

Coming soon to a bowl of Wheaties near you!!

[Ragnarok 0]

"Irregardless" is redundant.

Swooping is here to stay. End of line.

Swooping in "normal canopy traffic" is dangerous. Period.

Seperate landing zones is the best solution.

This is why I posted a thread about why I won't jump at Eloy again.

Swoopers are the most exciting visual aspect of our sport. They can either make a good impression, or just make an impression.

Like a crotch rocket speeding on the highway in traffic, a swooper is just asking for trouble. I see it, I will do something about it. I do not care if I am popular or well liked. I am here to have fun. Someone pulls some stupid human trick and ends only hurting themselves, well, they had it coming. Hurt someone else - and they should be held accountable. Lets keep it fun AND safe. Swooping needs its own traffic and landing area. That is the best and safest thing to do.

I suggested this last year somewhere, but it took an article by Briam Germain and several (not one ot two mind you) deaths to bring a solution to our attention.

Shame, those deaths could have been prevented......

_________________________________________
Twin Otter N203-Echo,29 July 2006
Cessna P206 N2537X, 19 April 2008
Blue Skies Forever

[LoudDan 0]

of course separate landing areas is the best solution, and if one does not have the realestate for that venture ........does the USPA decide or does the staff and the DZO/ DZM decide what is best.

Coming soon to a bowl of Wheaties near you!!

[kallend 2,129]

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of course separate landing areas is the best solution, and if one does not have the realestate for that venture ........does the USPA decide or does the staff and the DZO/ DZM decide what is best.

The petition being presented to the BOD is to require the DZO/DZM to decide. There is ALWAYS the option of separation in time if the DZ doesn't have enough real estate.

...

The only sure way to survive a canopy collision is not to have one.

[Ragnarok 0]

If there is limited space, why not have the swoopers do a low altitude pass - IE Hop-&-Pop??? This would give everyone the area they need without crossing landing patterns.

Why does this have to be such a hot debate? Skydivers are a small unique family. We do not need the dissention among the (all to few) ranks.

This sport is dangerous enough without all the drama of who should have what landing priority, blah, blah, blah.

_________________________________________
Twin Otter N203-Echo,29 July 2006
Cessna P206 N2537X, 19 April 2008
Blue Skies Forever

[hukturn 0]

Absolutely. And Style jumpers should not be allowed to shoot accuracy on the bottome end. Same scenario, right?!?
In fact, we should not even allow a 90 deg turn onto final. Since this would be performed at a different altitude than a lower wing load. "Yes" let's make everyone do everything exactly the same. Just line up like lambs to the slaughter. Oppress anyone thinking outside of the norm. Do not let anyone push their limits. Where would we be? No swooping, no wing suits, no RW, no big ways, no high altitude jumps, no freeflying...no skydiving. Just falling from a plane and doing nothing more that pulling a ripcord. Oh, we wouldn't even do that because the static line would handle it.
I do not mean to sound attacking, it just comes out that way. I agree that this does not need to be complicated. Many DZ's have made decisions on how to handle who lands where and proper seperations along with good patterns. So, swooping should be a non-issue.

[dob 0]

a very productive weekend at the USPA Board of Directors meeting!! Thank you everyone who posted to these threads and read them!! Keep up the awareness and issues of canopy safety. We all have to work hard to reduce the 9 fatalities a year under fully open parachutes.

The new thread in General Skydiving Discussions is entitled "Results of USPA meeting."

http://dropzone.com/cgi-bin/forum/gforum.cgi?post=2886862;sb=post_latest_reply;so=ASC;forum_view=forum_view_collapsed;;page=unread#unreadhttp://