timasch

Weapons accuracy is not their bosses first priority. It ranks 24th on a list of 24 items they are evaluated on. "One checklist that is used to evaluate marshal performance leads with "compliance with dress code" and "compliance with grooming standards." The last item, No. 24, is "weapon handling skills and safety." " http://www.forbes.com/entrepreneurs/feeds/ap/2005/12/09/ap2381208.html So, just to keep the discussion going. Lets see if I can recap this. Passengers are reboarding after having their bags inspected by customs. Agitated Man rushing up center of plane. Worried wife following him, yelling that he was suffering from Bipolar Disorder and needed to get out of plane. Man enters jetway with enthusiastic fed following. They order him to stop and he reaches for his bag. They shoot him, then realize that they need a more valid reason than "failure to comply with a lawful order by a law inforcement officer". They think they heard him say something about a bomb. No one else hears him say that. Is that about what has been reported? To me the following would indicate that caution should be used before using deadly force. 1. The bag had just been inspected, so probably did not have unauthorized items. 2. The wife informed them about why hubby was acting that way.

That would be pretty stupid since currently when you get a Pro rating you are "qualified" on the canopy you jump during your 10 accuracy jumps. So....are they going to suggest that I could go out and buy a sub 100 canopy and then TRY to land it on a target in my first 10 jumps on it? Not what a Pro rating is for...... Actually it looks like they are going to talk about PRO rating holders and whether they should have tighter rating when they use small canopies. Sounds like a good idea, might lower the bloodshed. IMHO, rocket canopies have no place on a demo. The spectators can't tell the differance and it gives the sport a bad name when (not if) they blow a landing.

USPA is planning to address competency in reference to piloting smaller canopies. An item is on the quorum in the S & T Committee during the BOD meeting. It looks like they will address whether a PRO rating will be required to pilot some of the smaller Canopies. The Agenda is at http://www.uspa.org/news/notices.htm#wintermtg I would love to be there, to see if anyone gets hit during the arguing. ;-) Tim Aschmann

Do any of you Know this man? The Ann Arbor, Michigan newspaper had his death notice at the age of 75. He began skydiving at 60 years old. He made around 2000 Jumps. He was a pilot since he was 16. He was an educator who worked in Newfoundland, Spain, Ann Arbor and Ypsillanti, Mish. Finishing his Career as Deputy Superintendent of schools, after which he took up skydiving. I wish I had known him, he seems like an interesting person. Blue Skies

They have it posted to the USPA website, in case you are on the run and don't get your Mag.