obelixtim

Also watch out when moving around in the plane......those bones can snap very easily.... My computer beat me at chess, It was no match for me at kickboxing....

Only on Thursdays!!!..... My computer beat me at chess, It was no match for me at kickboxing....

Well, You can live in fear of what "might" happen right through life if you like, I choose not to......All the rules in the world don't guarantee immunity from danger...... I prefer to manage the risks I can control and not worry about things that "might" happen..........its worked pretty well so far for well over 10000 first jumpers and well over 100,000 tandem riders I've been responsible for keeping safe....... If I do my job properly then I have no fear of litigation......but no matter how good I am, an accident can happen tomorrow....if I was afraid of "maybes", I might as well quit now..... Treating people as adults who appreciate their rights and responsibilities with respect and common sense has always been the way that works best for me........people aren't stupid..... If you want to be consistent with your argument, we wouldn't get off the ground if stopped everyone who put legal drugs and chemicals into their bodies.......and what do we do with people who walk in off the street with mental problems....because there's lots of nutters out there who could be very dangerous indeed........ Its a responsibility (and risk), I'm willing to take on..........not many people are willing to, but if nobody did, we wouldn't have a sport...... My computer beat me at chess, It was no match for me at kickboxing....

Roger that!!......Right on the button.....well said. My computer beat me at chess, It was no match for me at kickboxing....

Well you've got it all figured out...haven't you... My computer beat me at chess, It was no match for me at kickboxing....

Thats cool.....thought you were a newbie rigger...... When I trained, the unwritten rule was: "you pack it......you jump it"......both main and reserve..... Concentrates the mind wonderfully!!!. My computer beat me at chess, It was no match for me at kickboxing....

Was it your reserve, or your Dads???.... My computer beat me at chess, It was no match for me at kickboxing....

Disagree......strongly... Where do you get the idea that people are "forgotten"??...... We don't have to have a public ceremony to prove our grief or memories......and what people do to manifest their memories of dead friends is a private affair..... Its a very personal thing when a friend dies skydiving.....and people are never forgotten.....in fact, lost friends are always remembered when jumpers are reminiscing about the past.....which happens a lot in skydiving......and skydivers, in my experience, never forget a friend.... Making people who never knew someone participate in a "memorial" day is hypocritical to say the least....and almost an insult to the memory of people who really lived.......and who would prefer to be remembered by people who knew how they lived....... I understand your sentiments, but I feel they are misdirected........Skydivers don't work that way......sorry..... My computer beat me at chess, It was no match for me at kickboxing....

Why do you think you will "lose your friend" at a bigger operation???. What nonsense!!!. Tandem oriented operations in NZ have evolved the way they have because NZ is the adventure activity capital of the world, and they do these activities (not just skydiving) extremely well, with high standards of safety and expertise, with extremely good equipment and experience..... The demand for their services is proof of their quality........ Their safety record is one of the best in the world........they have evolved specifically for the tourist market, which is a big industry in NZ......and are very conscious of the need for a high quality, safe operation....and protect their reputation jealously.... You can go to ANY operation in NZ with complete confidence.......it just depends which bit of scenery you want to see on the way down.....the "factories" are more likely to cater for all your tandem needs (videos, photos, t shirts and accessories). Sure, some of them don't do student training or fun jumps very well.....because they are commercial tandem businesses first and foremost....some are licenced for tandem operations only....and they do that very well indeed.....do a search on the net and you'll find whatever you need...... My computer beat me at chess, It was no match for me at kickboxing....

3 years 6 months.....Alannah Brady, by her Dad back in 1989, Bridge Pa, Hastings, New Zealand..........no problems..... My computer beat me at chess, It was no match for me at kickboxing....

I don't see the tax issue as relevant....politicians are already experts at seperating us from our hard earned cash...one way or another they know how to tax us......one of the two certainties in life... Surely FAA have no say in FORMULATING skydiving rules, they just ratify the rules skydivers come up with......after all we are the skydiving experts.......we can change rules if they reduce our exposure to litigation....and we should if they don't compromise safety.....its ridiculous that we have to live in terror of litigation........with that sort of fear, what is the point of doing what we do...... If someone who takes a tandem ride then wants to train to jump solo, can't differentiate between the right and wrong time to have a drink then they are obviously too thick to be jumping solo......come on, people do possess some common sense........and we control them during jumping...we are dealing with adults, not babies here.... Never advocated, and never will, drinking and jumping, for solo jumpers, till after jumping is over for the day....... For tandem riders.......maybe the borderline could be "advised" as the same as drink drive levels........no way am I advocating taking people who are off their faces......but I'm not worried about a couple of beers or a glass of wine, or even a shot or two of spirits........We still can reserve the right to refuse them if we think they've overdone it...... Shit...I don't want someone chundering all over me any more than you do..... People can take all sorts of medicines, quite legally, all sorts of chemicals, and several sorts of alcohol, lie on a waiver form, and conceal it from us to our face........but we are then liable for their deception???......its bullshit, and wrong......and the worst thing is: we've basically made the rod for our own backs..... All I'm saying is tweaking a few minor rules would remove us from the firing line and expose us to a little less potential flak.....and why not???. Common sense rules....that all....and no...drinking isn't that important.......certainly not important enough to have us living in fear of it...... My computer beat me at chess, It was no match for me at kickboxing....

Yeah but if a rule is consistently ignored, it either is a "bad" rule, or wasn't carefully thought through before implementation.......... Tandem IS just a ride.....and should be regarded as nothing more or less..........but it CAN be used for instruction as a bonus.........I'm certain Bill Booth wasn't thinking of instruction when he concieved the idea.... The rule is arse about face...... Either way it should be revised and either modified or deleted......... People should not be subjected to stupid rules and shouldn't be "criminalised" for breaking them............. What possible danger/threat/hazard is posed by a person who is going for a ride as a passenger, and has had one beer beforehand..... Its a nonsense......and you all know it!!!.... My computer beat me at chess, It was no match for me at kickboxing....

If EVERY tandem rider who jumped took up the sport, the sport couldn't cope with, or cater for the numbers......thats why tandem factories exist...... A lot of riders only want a ride.....and I've never seen anyone who desires to continue not being able to do so....... Perhaps the US needs to reassess its definition of how a tandem is defined......it wouldn't actually change anything, but it might reduce some unwanted "obligations"....... My computer beat me at chess, It was no match for me at kickboxing....

Well, I've been jumping since way before tandem was invented and its definitely helped the sport...... As well as providing aircraft, facilities, and 7 day a week DZ's, tandems provides a living for many skydivers who would otherwise have to work at a real job....... Skydiving is also a LOT more professional in terms of how it is conducted, and safer as a result....with a lot more experience around... Also it has made skydiving a "normal" activity in the minds of the public, and authorities, and this means we are no longer regarded as a bunch of nutters with a death wish........making it easier to fight battles for sponsorship funds for teams, or win battles with people who would try to close us down....we can present very accurate statistics to prove skydiving is a safe activity.....we can even show them how its done...... Also it generates enormous public good will when we take crippled or blind people who would otherwise never experience these things.....priceless PR which is good for the sport..... Skydiving is easier to do, with better facilities, and more people to jump with than it was in the 70's.......no question about it....... My computer beat me at chess, It was no match for me at kickboxing....

A tandem passenger falls exactly into the same category as a passenger in any commercial aircraft........so why is it such a big deal.....unless the individual is blind drunk..... So every airline that serves an alcoholic drink is breaking FAA rules???????......Can't see it myself...... Can't see any big deal about someone having a cold beer on a hot day.....I wouldn't have a problem with it unless they spewed in the plane or over me......thats perhaps the best reason to make them wait........ A tandem rider is not "conducting" parachute operations....he's going for a ride...... I've been at a world meet where beer was served at breakfast, lunch and dinner to all competitors, every day........no one thought anything of it...............common sense prevailed......... Some of you take this issue so seriously I can't understand where you are coming from.......lighten up a little........your clients are there for some fun. Thats what skydiving is ABOUT...... Banning someone for one beer is a total overreaction....... Ready....aim.....FIRE!!!!!..... My computer beat me at chess, It was no match for me at kickboxing....

Fair enough then........my question came because it seemed to me that there was a fair amount of bullshit involved from this Kenny character.... I hope everyone involved thinks a wee bit smarter next time........ My computer beat me at chess, It was no match for me at kickboxing....

So...Kenny went back to the guy he sold it to...got the canopy back.....(I presume)...refunded the $500 odd......brought the canopy around to you for a check out....then agreed to its destruction.... This was after reading all the posts slagging him off on this board....and he didn't bother to come and post a defense for his actions.....but got someone with one previous post and very little in the way of personal profile to defend him.... Surely the PD staff would inspect the canopy on its merits, what was he worried about.... And the placards had been replaced before he bought the canopy???????...well that can be answered by the original seller......... Something doesn't add up in all of this......call me a sceptic.....but there's a distinct smell of fish in all of this.... I don't buy it......can anyone vouch for this rigger tree915???. My computer beat me at chess, It was no match for me at kickboxing....

I'm aware of that.....my point was simply that he doesn't deserve any consideration or fairness, and not calling in the law is actually doing him a favour..... The cops would probably have a much easier job discovering the identity of the person he sold it to, as he seems to be a little reluctant to do so. In fact, he can thumb his nose at the skydiving community and there's sweet F*** all we can do about it......and thats exactly what he's doing....... Unless luck is involved, this canopy timebomb could stay hidden for months and reappear down the line when we've long forgotten about it ......... I think its an issue for the law to deal with.....at least it'll get the canopy out of circulation.....and thats the immediate priority..... Let the courts sort out the rights and wrongs of it all later.............. My computer beat me at chess, It was no match for me at kickboxing....

Surely you can find an old B 4 with 1 1/2 shots, and a 24ft twill with a KAP3.....put it all together for a real trip down nostalgia highway....then tell your mate your MD won't sign the waiver cos you're too old for that kind of shit...... My computer beat me at chess, It was no match for me at kickboxing....

Ummmm....I think that was my point....the cops normally show up after a fatal..... My computer beat me at chess, It was no match for me at kickboxing....

I WAS kidding of course.....and I have jumped a T bow.....piece of crap it was too.....I'd easily say I'd turned into a wimp..... My Para Wing was much hotter........ I was an athlete back then......but I'm still pretty fit......its only skiing that hurts me these days....... My computer beat me at chess, It was no match for me at kickboxing....

Just tell him you're a wimp...... My computer beat me at chess, It was no match for me at kickboxing....

Sorry, thays TOTAL bullshit....... If someone spears in under this piece of crap, the police WILL be involved.......and if this idiot sells it under false pretenses then he should be at least threatened with the law......what if it was a member of your family or your best mate who innocently bought this canopy and jumped it.... This scumbag needs to be stopped........he doesn't qualify for any consideration or fair play whatsoever....... If he sold a dangerous vehicle surely the cops would prosecute if a fatal accident occured... I can't believe the brainlessness involved with selling an unserviceable main on ebay for $69, without making it permanently unserviceable....... What the hell was the seller thinking...... Old canopies like that should be donated to your local infants school......they love them........ I hope this works out OK and lessons are learned.... My computer beat me at chess, It was no match for me at kickboxing....

Crad......you are copping flak for a reason.... I see people with tons of experience who care for the sport, and who have hands on experience of dealing with the aftermath of severe impacts.....They are speaking sheer common sense in an effort to alleviate the consequences of screw ups..... I don't understand why you have a problem with that....... You seem to be nit picking for the sake of it.......and peoples freedom to smash themselves up stops when it impinges on others freedom to enjoy skydiving without having to deal with smashed up bodies or have their livelihood put at risk...... What about some positive ideas to solve the problem......... My computer beat me at chess, It was no match for me at kickboxing....

If everything goes to plan.....fine..... In skydiving......it often doesn't work that way.....and I go into it with the attitude that the exception IS the rule...... Its when things don't work, that your training systems are really put to the test..... My expectation is that a student should be able to go out the door....forget everything....totally screw up.....and still walk away at the end..... Why quote someone else if you didn't mean it to convey a message???....I took it as it read.... My computer beat me at chess, It was no match for me at kickboxing....