skybytch

That explains a lot. We don't live in pre-history, we live in the 21st century. In the 21st century we no longer have to hunt our food or fight off animal predators so the fact that men are generally physically stronger than women really doesn't matter anymore. Breeding is what we do with animals, not humans. Using the term "breeding age" equates women to animals. Women of "child bearing age" would be a better term. Still a fact of biology but without the negative connotation of "breeding". Is he over 18? Then biologically he is a man. Never held hands with a girl? Maybe he's gay. Still a man. Never won a fight? Maybe he's mentally stable enough to have never gotten into one. More of a man than those who pick fights. Deathly afraid of spiders? Seriously? If being afraid of spiders makes him less of a man then does not being afraid of them make a female less of a woman? Porn addict? Plenty of men out there who meet that description. I could swear that "man" means whatever you say it means. If you get to decide what a man is, why don't women get to decide what a woman is? When I said women, I meant exactly what I said. Women. Females. We can lead. We can kill spiders. We can support ourselves and our families. Even if we aren't lesbians. When I said evolved, I meant just that. An evolved male understands and appreciates that in most non-biological ways women are the same as men. An evolved male is considerate of others. An evolved man doesn't assume that a woman with short hair wearing comfortable jeans and a tshirt is a lesbian. An evolved male doesn't spout misogynistic bullshit. The first rule of hole digging is knowing when to stop. Pretty sure you've already hit the bottom of this one.

Happy Skybirthday! I hit 29 years earlier this month. How much the sport has changed since we did our first jumps!

Breeding age? What century are you from? Yes, they are out of your league; no woman who is considerate, positive, self aware and authentic is going to want to hang out with someone who uses terms like "women of breeding age." Possessing those traits do not make a male a better MAN, nor does not possessing these traits make a male LESS of a man. Pretty sure most women are not looking for someone who thinks the way you seem to. Also pretty sure that most evolved males would love to have a partner who can take care of herself and others in her life. Yes... you walked right into the women's forum and started insulting women. Probably not one of your better ideas. Indeed. But hey, thanks anyway, I did need a good belly laugh this morning.

Congrats on the new puppy! So much fun! This is our Heeler/Border Collie mix, Rocket. He likes long walks, catching things, sticks, chasing squirrels/deer/skunks, spooning on the couch, licking faces and peanut butter.

Sometimes rules and regulations are a good thing. Yes, some of what I suggested would add to them, but it would serve multiple purposes. A required classroom session (including discussion) and a check dive would help to ensure that instruction given across the country is the same, that each instructor is capable of planning and performing a safe student jump, and other data could also be collected by the I/E and then sent on to S&T What I wrote - "Should a pattern of AAD fires be seen at any particular dz, S&T could then investigate further and require whatever retraining may be indicated by that pattern. I see nothing wrong with requiring the entire dz instructional staff to go through some sort of retraining." One AAD fire does not a pattern make.

Maybe it's just me, but I'm still not seeing a reason for this being a BSR. If it is data you are after, classify all AAD fires as incidents. There are a lot of lessons to be learned from an AAD fire regardless of the type of jump it occurs on. Should a pattern of AAD fires be seen at any particular dz, S&T could then investigate further and require whatever retraining may be indicated by that pattern. I see nothing wrong with requiring the entire dz instructional staff to go through some sort of retraining. Perhaps a required "standardization" session (like I/E's are required to attend semi-annually) and a check dive including ground prep with an I/E for all USPA I's on an annual or semi-annual basis would do more to save lives/prevent AAD fires. Becoming an instructor should not require self-incrimination. Being required to report one's own AAD fire, including their name, is requiring self-incrimination as there is a threat of disciplinary action attached to submitting said report. imho, of course.

The question no one seems to want to answer - Why is collecting this data so important that it requires a BSR to get it? Aren't BSR's supposed to be about basic safety issues - things that can/have hurt or kill skydivers?

I haven't made a skydive in over five years. Why is not important. What is important is that my rig is being put back together and I'll be going back home sometime this spring. I have not kept up with much in the sport since I had to stop. I know things have changed in five years. So what's different? What's better now than it was five years ago? What's worse? What do you think a returning old fart should know about jumping today? Thanks!

I was just thinking about the drunk dial list. And weekend numbers. And pimp fees. And the Pub. And the dz dot com record jumps. And the tents at WFFC. It was a unifying force. A family even. But like the sport itself, people move on to other things. A new dz opened (facebook) and people went there instead. Life happened and people went away. None of that devalues this place, really. There is still soooooo much information here and quite a few people with loads of experience posting. Just fewer people around to read and reply now.

Nowhere do I see mention of disciplinary action against anyone (I, S&TA, dzo, Joe fun jumper, etc) who doesn't file an incident report. Filing an incident report is voluntary. Why is disciplinary action being threatened to an I or camera flier that doesn't report their own AAD fire? Information from a USPA fatality report has made it into the hands of plaintiffs lawyers in the past. Why should USPA be trusted to keep that info confidential? How can we know for sure that names have been redacted and the report destroyed? We can't. We can only trust. Does anyone want to trust their livelihood to an organization that has already proven it can't be trusted to keep that info away from lawyers? I see no issue with voluntary reporting of student AAD fires, as long as there is no disciplinary action threatened for not filing it within 48 hours. Especially when the student can die and there is no requirement that anyone file an incident report in any amount of time. And there shouldn't be!

What does USPA plan to do with the information gathered from these reports? How is USPA going to protect the instructors who submit these reports from being sued by a student? What guarantee does an instructor have that USPA will keep his/her name confidential? For that matter, what guarantee does an AFF instructor have that his/her entire report will be kept confidential? If an instructor or cameraflier does not report their own AAD fire occurring on an AFF skydive within 48 hours, they are subject to disciplinary action? What exactly does this disciplinary action consist of?

Over here ! <waving madly with a beer in hand> Oddly enough, I am so rarely here anymore, was just wondering what the og's are up to nowadays... How's life? No jumping for me - stupid brain won't give up the seizure action. Keep talking about putting the rig back together and just say fukkit and go jump. Tunnel time is fun but it isn't the same... But overall life is good. We bought a little piece of heaven, 5 acres of pines and oaks in the Sierra foothills, and a house that we are slowly renovating. Who knew home improvement was so much fun. If I can't have 2k agl, I'll take 2k msl. Pic is our deer family having afternoon tea on the back patio.

Skydive California in Tracy. Great people, great instructors, nice facilities.

Because someone has a piece of paper that says rigger doesn't mean they know a whole lot. Choose a rigger with years and years of (preferably full time) experience to check out any used gear you intend to purchase. The longer one has been rigging, the more likely it is they will catch potential problems, especially if the gear is not a current model.

Hey, thanks for posting this. We will be taking a few days and our trailer to drive Sacramento to SoCal and back in October (he has a meeting in San Diego). He just last night mentioned driving up 395 on the way home since neither of us has done it before. Now thanks to this thread most of my research is already done! I think we'll be taking the Tioga Road (Hwy 120) back west through Yosemite if it's still open instead of continuing north to Tahoe. If we were heading north, I'd go check out Bodie State Historic Park, an old mining town. Have fun!

So that makes you, like, fucking old.

Spectre230?

:-(

The Wednesday evening Pub sessions. What happened in the Pub, stays on dz.com forever!

Ah bummer. We were there the last four days or so. Was good to see some people.

I saw you there. We were both drunk but you were drunker.

Unbanned? WTF did you do to get the boot this time! Lmfao

Buy an annual pass. It will pay for itself over snd over.

You better enjoy every second of it while you can, cuz it can all be taken away in a heartbeat.

I wish. Damn things don't do shit other than mess with my balance (oh and make me not have scary seizures). How the hell are you?