diverdriver

Not to mention it benefits the experienced jumpers in that the DZO can afford a turbine plane to take everyone to 13K feet. If you do S/L then you need two planes to do all that. 1 C-182 and then some other turbine. You have to split your instructional staff to go in two different planes. This add ineficiencies. So, it can be the best of both worlds. Good instructional technique and economics for the DZO/fun jumpers. Chris

You really haven't quit if you start smoking again. That's just taking a break.

Very nice Becky.

Congrats! 1000 jumps since 1999. Nice. I've got about 780 since 1995. And many more to yah! Chris

I know the Cypres will not arm itself until you achieve 1,500 AGL. So, just jumping from a plane at 1,000 with a Cypres may not be testing anything other than its fire inhibit for not achieving 1,500 feet. Chris

Blue skies Holly. Remind St. Pete to save me a slot for the 100 Otter formation. See yah after awhile.

Yah, and if you forget to turn the ASTRA off after every jump you will eat the batteries WAY fast. That's a serious drawback to the Astra. Cypres is turn it on and forget it basicly. Sure, you should always check that it is on (or off if that's what you want for that jump) but it's very low in user input. Astra seems to be user intensive comparitivly. My $.02 Chris Schindler

View From the Top is funny for a whole other set of reasons if you actually work in the airline industry. More truth than it seems. Just keep telling yourself Peppermint: "Perris. First Calss. International." bwaahahahhahahahah....

Ummm....well....are you judging the facilities or the people? I posted how nice they were HERE and CDRinf posted: So how can you say that no one has replied saying it is a nice DZ? Chris

Being an outsider I have to ask what do you think the cause/causes for the difference in accident ratio is? I feel it is the environment that is the skydiving industry today. That is, skydiving has been growing leaps and bounds over the past 10-12 years. More and more DZs are open. Yet, just because you have the money to open a DZ does not mean you know very much about hiring and training pilots or ensuring that your aircraft has the proper maintenance. How many times a year must we endure pilots running out of gas on jump run or just after to only land off the airport and damage the aircraft? Read through the accident reports on my site. See for yourself what the cause of jump plane accidents are. I think it is a general lack of acknowledgement that aircraft are dangerous vehichles and we must care for them and take care around them. They are not a jungle gym to crawl all over and pilot experience and training must be focused on. Flying airplanes is not like driving a car and as much as I might joke about being a glorified ski lift we aren't. Call it indiference. Call it melaise. Call it hurd mentality. Whatever it is, I feel we need to break this cycle. We have improved in the overall accident rate for skydiving fatalities. We jump more now than ever. The percentage of accidents to jumps is lower. Yet, I don't see that happening with jump plane operations. I sent a letter to the full board of the USPA voicing my concern over this issue. I presented my website and the info there. I only got one response to talk about the subject. That was from Gary Peek. Thanks Gary. Chris Schindler www.diverdriver.com ATP/D-19012 FB #4125

Nacmac you have a point. Most people wouldn't know what to look for. So it is moot. But, comparing that to airline flying doesn't match up. Airline operations have WAY more scrutiny than skydiving ops. Anyone who thinks they are on par (in the US) with the airlines is seriously mistaken. So, I think some people keeping their eye out might be a very good thing. They just need to know what to look for. And that's where Regional Directors actually traveling around to the DZs in their region helps! But alas, that is tough to have happen. Someone else said that the majority of DZOs are safety minded. That is true. Yet, in skydiving, we have an accident rate TWICE as much as other general aviation flying. And that's comparing our Commercially Certificated pilots to other commercial pilots, many more private pilots, and a lot of student pilots. I'd say that's a pretty bad safety record for our industry. We need to do better. But until many people start clamouring for change it won't happen. Kevin has the right idea (keeping an eye on things that seem out of place) but maybe a misguided way of doing it (looking through Mx logs that many won't understand). Chris Schindler www.diverdriver.com ATP/D-19012 FB #4125

Be nice. Don't make me have you sit in your cockpit for timeout. Hey, this was posted in Incidents forum first. That's why I posted what I did. It did matter there. It doesn't matter now. So, disregard my post please. I really wish moved posts told you that they were moved to a particular forum because some posts don't make sense afterwards. Oh and.....

I haven't been to this DZ but I do know the people involved. And yes, they are nice people. They are DZOs trying to make it in a tough area. Kansas City and the Kansas / Missouri area has had a rough ride over the 90s with DZs. I think they are fighting more than local politics. So, if for the short term they need to make these rules to keep themselves jumping then so be it. It's not an insult when the alternative to you doing whatever you want is not operating at all. I say give these guys some slack. They're trying to strike the balance between not operating and going all out. Chris Schindler www.diverdriver.com ATP/D-19012 FB #4125

Is this related to skydiving? Chris

Dang Jack. I hardly ever read the Feedback forum and I find this. I'm all misty eyed. Thanks man. Chris Schindler www.diverdriver.com ATP/D-19012 FB #4125

Bill Von isn't with you is he? I heard they were "looking" for him again.

Hubba hubba!

I read the same thing. That's what I'm talking about! She's taking up my oxygen!

Ok....then tell me this smarty pants.......why is Britney Spears taking up my oxygen without penalty for being an idiot.

Why is there an Electoral College?

Why is the sky blue?

Wouldn't you like to know? he he heheheh ehhehe......

You can also go to the powerpoint presentation at: http://www.iit.edu/~kallend/skydive/#resources I highly recommend the powerpoint presentation because it explains so much about the physics in layman's terms. Chris Schindler www.diverdriver.com ATP/D-19012 FB #4125

I agree completely. PC in tow? I'm pulling silver. Those who know the story of Frank at SDC will know how cutting away almost killed him. When the reserve deployed it pushed the main risers free of the three ring. The snagged on the reserve deploying and nearly collapsed it. Well, actually, it inflated then deflated, then inflated, then deflated. Frank got lucky in that he hit during one of the better times in the canopy flight. He's walking again and jumping. But he had a hard long recovery. At least he, and Mike McGowan got the chance to recover. If I already have one thing out above me that could interfere with reserve deployment why would I want to add two more things (main risers)? I recognize I'm in the minority in the voting on this issue. But I believe I have solid information on which to base my opinion. PC in tow? I will be pulling the reserve handle without cutting away. Chris Schindler

You know, that's one guy in the "regime" I felt sorry for. I saw the interview and there really was a genuiness (is that a word) about it. Seemed all the weight had been lifted off of him and he could just be a normal human being instead of a talking puppet for SH. I hope he does make it back ok.