diverdriver

Split the Nationals. Classics in one place. Formation skydiving in another. Artistic events some place else. That way more DZs could participate. Chris

I think it has everything to do with skydiving. Traveling with jumpers/passengers without seats does not afford them the added protection of a lap belt or possibly shoulder harnesses. Also, aircraft that are used in skydiving ops are driven hard. How they are cared for may or may not play a factor in an accident while going cross-country. Pilots who do not spend much time going cross country may not consider all aspects of the flight before departing. They are really good at flying jumpers up and down but going point to point can be very different. Who knows what will come out of this particular accident. But I do think that skydiving has everything to do with jump planes when they crash whether there are jumpers on board or not. Here is the FAA intake report: IDENTIFICATION Regis#: 7989C Make/Model: PA32 Description: PA-32 Cherokee Six, Six, Sarat Date: 12/29/2002 Time: 2000 Event Type: Accident Highest Injury: Serious Mid Air: N Missing: N Damage: Unknown LOCATION City: STEAMBOAT SPRINGS State: CO Country: US DESCRIPTION ACFT CRASHED UNDER UNKNOWN CIRCUMSTANCES, 2 POB SUFFERED SERIOUS INJURIES, 2 POB SUFFERED MINOR INJURIES, STEAMBOAT SPRINGS, CO INJURY DATA Total Fatal: 0 # Crew: 1 Fat: 0 Ser: 1 Min: 0 Unk: # Pass: 3 Fat: 0 Ser: 1 Min: 2 Unk: # Grnd: Fat: 0 Ser: 0 Min: 0 Unk: WEATHER: METAR KSBS 292124Z 00000KT 10SM SCT075 05/M09 A2966 OTHER DATA Activity: Unknown Phase: Unknown Operation: General Aviation Departed: STEAMBOAT SPRINGS, C Dep Date: Dep. Time: Destination: CANON CITY, CO Flt Plan: NONE Wx Briefing: Y Last Radio Cont: UNK Last Clearance: UNK FAA FSDO: DENVER, CO (NM03) Entry date: 12/30/2002 Chris Schindler www.diverdriver.com ATP/D-19012 FB #4125

You are unlikely to ever get to the pilot. If they think you are intending ill will they won't ever let you get in proximity. It probably would be best to not demand to see the captain. It will only make things worse for yourself. I usually try to walk through the terminal before the flight looking for any jumpseaters having problems getting on. Not all CAs do this though. Chris Schindler Airline Captain United Express

Isn't that what an S&TA is for? Chris

The end of 2002. Blue skies...... Johnny "Wood" Ron Pasmore Tim "Timmy Dollars" Daughters Johnny "Love" Horton I will never forget you. Bring on 2003.

TSA = Thousands Standing Around I rest my case. Chris

Yah......it requires you to use the English language, grammer, punctuation and stuff. Chris

If they haven't flown jumpers before I bet they won't want to start. Flying jumpers has a bit of a stigma in the aviation community. Some understand what it's about. Most do not. I don't think that most pilots want to work for peanuts either. And folks....reality check....DZs pay peanuts for the job pilots do. It is hard work and high risk. No health insurance. I completely understand why these furloughed airline pilots aren't flocking to fly jumpers. Chris Schindler

Isn't that what I did? I just asked if someone wanted to fix the obvious snag point on a cutaway system. I obviously don't know her or her background but maybe a cutaway cable protruding way out in the open is still a bad idea no matter what rig manufacturer she is. From what I've heard this person also goes over and messes with people's rigs without asking. So maybe she could head your advice too. Unfortunately....sometimes it's not. Chris

Oh, I know her, and if you were to point that out to her, she would have gone off............. She would go off on my pointing out a significant snag point that if hooked could do serious damage to her break away system and possibly render it impossible to cutaway? Ummm....ok. Chris

Wannna make a small fortune in running a DZ? Start with a large fortune.

Oh....I love that one. LOL......bahahhahahahahahha....... It really is too bad that Flight Safety hasn't developed a Level D Sim for Santa. Good Reindeer are hard to find these days.

Oh yah there is.

On the record attempts 2000 at Ottawa, IL I landed out and was riding back on a truck to the DZ. I sat up by the cab in the payload bed. The radio antenae was sitting across the back window inside the cab. The driver transmitted to the DZ that he had a bunch of us and was headed back. At the same time my Cypres fired while the truck was going 60 mph. The pilot chute inflated and one guy in the back of the truck grabbed for it and missed. Someone across from me grabbed me and pulled me down into the bed from the seated position I was in on the truck bed wall. My Reflex has the "Catapult" installed and when it came out it inflated. The same guy that missed the first pilot chute was able to grab the Catapult and pull the whole bridle in. The free bag never came out of the container. It all happened very fast. And yes, I had the grey sleave on the control unit. We had a new cutter on the unit in an hour and the rig closed up again. The unit self tested correctly and I continued to jump. And I didn't ride in the truck again. Another JM at SDC had his Cypres fire after he landed and pulled out his student radio. He looked up, found his student, keyed the mike and "POP!". The Cypres unit had damage to the battery box suspected to have happened during normal main packing. If you see your packer EVER pound on your rig fire them. If you see them pick your rig up by the yoke (the top of the rig container going between your shoulders) fire them. They can be damaging the components of your Cypres and cracking the protective shielding of your Cypres. I think mine fired just from the proximity to such a high powered transmitter. It has been in for its' four year check since then too. Unit is ok. Chris

Now what the hell does his being a skydiving instructor have anything to do with this case? Did he meet her at the DZ? Did he get her into the car with the promise of free jumps? I find it frustrating that the press is using this to show the public how "deviant" skydivers must be to be involved in jumping from perfectly good aircraft. Seen this before in Missouri. And I'll bet that if it ends up on the TV news it'll get more air time than the 300-way did. F'n BS. [/rant] Chris

Yah, and I get to claim Kate as my plane captain for the 300-way. She is a great plane spotter and oxygen operator! Chris Schindler www.diverdriver.com ATP/D-19012 FB #4125

Hell, you could have claimed the noise from one Skypig....I mean Stall Magnet.....I mean UPS Truck with Wings.......oh whatever that "Skyvan" thing is.....and I would have believed you. Garret engines.....ewwwwwwwww.......

Ok, good start. But sending them packing after the fact is only reactionary. What would get them sent away during the first face to face interview. I know what I look for but I'm trying to get other opinions. Is it just a "vibe" or are there specific questions that you ask to see how someone will react? Chris Schindler www.diverdriver.com ATP/D-19012 FB #4125

.....couldn't get a way. Ok...along that Flock O'Hairdos line....... "It's not the way you look, It's not the way that you smile. Although there's something to them. It's not the way you have your hair, It's not that certain style; It could be that with you. "

PMd Chris

It was a nice use of smilies though to get the feeling across........I'll give it a star and a half (out of 5) just for playing.

Attention DZOs and aircraft owners: I'm looking for info on what aircraft owners and DZO's use in hiring a new Jump Pilot. I think some guidance could be shared in how to pick the pilot that you want flying your 182 while he/she builds time. Or if you are hiring for a turbine powered single/twin what do you look for? Hours is a start usually for anyone. But what else? How do you interview a prospective pilot? What do you look for on a checkride that will tell you they should be IN/OUT? Chris Schindler www.diverdriver.com ATP/D-19012 FB #4125

But it was an official Guiness Book record.

LOL......bahahahhaah.....oh Gemini....you better hide at Rantoul........bahahahaha.......Accebar......Rebecca.......OMG

Or ask him if he wants a bucket of prop wash. (I always love sending the new flight attendants out for that one. He heh ehehehheheehe)