MakeItHappen

I did not particularly like the movie. It was a bang-em-up, shoot-em-up John Wayne, Clint Eastwood and Arnold action movie more than a Trekkie or Sci-Fi movie. Pretty much a dick flick. Quit reading now if you don't want any spoilers. The number one deficiency was the lack of a social or moral dilemma that all ST series episodes and movies had. The conflict is a deranged lunatic taking out vengeance because a rescue mission for a natural disaster failed to save the guy's family. Contrast that to the plot in the Wrath of Khan. Khan was seeking vengeance, but the plot was about the moral and ethical issues involved in eugenics and the obligations of society to check up on a colony that they transplanted (think American Indians relocated to reservations). Khan was upset at the Federation for not checking on how they were doing, after some natural disasters changed their living conditions. After they had been neglected, he developed a much greater hatred for the person responsible for marooning them on a hostile planet. It seemed there was a shoot out every 3 or 4 minutes. Really annoying after the first few and did nothing for character development. The scene with Kirk eating the apple at Star fleet Kobayashi Maru test is just as annoying as Caffee doing it in A Few Good Men. Staple of a dick flick. Blatant arrogance and machismo crap. The movie went too long (about 50 minutes) before explaining the dissonance between what was being shown and what we know from the series. I forced myself to watch it further to see if there was some sort of accounting between the two story lines. Even when the back to the future explanation was given, it did not completely jive with the original series. The ending does not either. It's a shoot-em-up dick flick and if you like those types of movies, it's ok. If you liked Star Trek (series and movies) because of all the social issues they addressed, even in the original (very sexist) series, then you probably won't like it. . . Make It Happen Parachute History DiveMaker

Holy Crap. I can't believe divorce settlements/issues are making the 'sticky board' here. Colin - long time no see - hope you are doing well and find your half of the plane. . . Make It Happen Parachute History DiveMaker

Yeah maybe that's the confusion. If you rewrite Tom's question as: Now what to do when you know a dz that is doing tandems at a non gm dz with USPA TANDEM rated instructors. The answer is: Nothing. They are following the rules (as far as ratings go). Further clarification is found here: So actually, foreign rated TIs can do tandems at a GM DZ in the US without having a USPA TI rating, provided that they are not a USPA members. Gee - the foreigners, without a USPA membership, have more rights than USPA members do in the US??? Look at what the BSRs and GM program say for foreign GM DZs - Here is a quote from the winter 2009 USPA Minutes: USPA is trying for domination of the global skydiving market. USPA is trying to get other nations to abide by US regulations stated in the FARs. Heck, even the FAA does not require that. It is a very strange situation for foreign GM DZs. They are required to make all licensed customers & instructors have a USPA membership. Apparently that is not happening. Non-USPA members, tandem rated by their home country, can come to the US and do tandem jumps at more places than a USPA member with a mfg tandem rating can. It is not a theory. And one more quote from the SIM From common interpretation, the phrase 'training student skydivers' means teaching TLOs from the ISP and the phrase 'introducing newcomers to the sport' means carnival ride. The 'teaching' that goes into proper exit positions, EPs etc fall into the instruction stated in FAR 105.45. . . Make It Happen Parachute History DiveMaker

It's a D license from any FAI recognized NAC. No. Any foreign country with a NAC recognized by the FAI would also be considered "an organization recognized by the FAA". For USPA, your license is only valid when you are a member. I hope not. That would have severe anti-trust implications. . . Make It Happen Parachute History DiveMaker

This is exactly what I said earlier. The issue that exists is when a non-USPA member does tandem jumps at a non-GM DZ. For example, a case is when someone with a recognized FAI D license from some other nation and a mfg tandem rating, does a jump at a non-GM DZ in the US. In this case, the jumps are completely in accordance with the FARs and the mfg rules. This is also what I said earlier. (eg You do not need a USPA TI rating if you are not a USPA member and are jumping at a non GM DZ. You do, of course, need the mfg rating.) If these jumps are to 'count' towards a USPA A-license, then the TI would need to have a USPA TI rating. If the jump is essentially a 'carnival ride' then there is no violation of any rule (FARs, mfg, BSRs or GM). This is incorrect. Renewals are tracked for all TIs by SE. Renewals for foreign TIs at UPT are tracked. The reason the foreign renewals are tracked is because some NACs have mfg renewal requirements - that were implemented when tandem was done under the waiver system. The foreign NACs have not changed their rules. They might have agreed to that, but I know SE still tracks things independently of USPA. . . Make It Happen Parachute History DiveMaker

How about a demo canopy for the 1st National Skydiving Convention June 8-15, 1965 in Las Vegas, NV, sponsored by the Hotel Thunderbird? The mags then (64-65) did not have Pioneer ads. . . Make It Happen Parachute History DiveMaker

Nothing. They are following the rules (as far as ratings go). . . Make It Happen Parachute History DiveMaker

Yes, IF you do 'training' jumps. No, IF you do non-training, aka carnival jumps. All your questions are related to this BSR. This applies to GMs and individual members. Yes, IF you do 'training' jumps. No, IF you do non-training, aka carnival jumps. If the TI is a USPA member then: No, IF you do 'training' jumps. Yes, IF you do non-training, aka carnival jumps. If the TI is NOT a USPA member then: Yes, IF you do 'training' jumps. Yes, IF you do non-training, aka carnival jumps. For the 'USPA rated [tandem] instructors' part: TIs that originally got their mfg rating before the USPA TI rating was around and have done hundreds or thousands of tandem jumps might just think USPA is out of line. But to completely understand the issues, you have to look at the historical progression of tandem. Originally, it was operated under a waiver from the FAA. USPA had no hand in it then. The mfg TI certification courses included student training, especially on canopy control. Then the USPA ISP came along. Then the tandem was incorporated into the FARs. Then USPA wanted to make sure that TIs were trained on the official ISP gospel. That's when USPA started to demand that any tandem training done, MUST be done by a USPA TI. (IMHO, this was all driven by USPA HQ and some DZOs on the BOD. It was not driven by the mfgs, other TIs or regular members.) There was a period of time where a mfg TI could get a USPA TI rating with relative ease and minimal expense. Most mfg TIs took advantage of this, but not all. That grace period was extended many times, as can be found in the BOD minutes for waivers. Today, this is becoming more of an issue because of the new 'Training Center' designation of GM DZs. (This also is driven by HQ and DZOs on the BOD.) This is a not so subtle way to indirectly label a DZ as a 'tandem mill'. The reality is that most first time tandems do not want to become skydivers. They would never do a jump on their own. This gave sustenance to 'tandem mills'. The 'holier-than-thou' group says that training should be done on all first tandem jumps. One of the unintended consequences of tandem is the market for tandem mills. There are tons of people that would have never jumped if they had to do it on their own. They have no desire to do so, even after their first jump. Some people do not want to accept this reality and want to penalize those that take advantage of this. The DZs or TIs that got rated 20 years ago and are running a tandem mill, do not care about the USPA 'training' stuff. They go where the market takes them. Yes. UPT has always wanted USPA to take over. SE has always wanted to keep training in house. I don't know what JS wants. USPA cannot even figure out how to put a type rating on the membership card, so I do not have that much faith that USPA would do a proper job with the paperwork. I like having the mfgs in the loop. They are much quicker to respond to issues. . . Make It Happen Parachute History DiveMaker

Dunno for sure, but it really looks weird - even beyond the hideous color pattern. I would guess that it has alternating block and bias gore patterns. Maybe that was the motivation for the color pattern? . . Make It Happen Parachute History DiveMaker

No, the important part is if you made a spiel in the local paper, bonus points for a picture. Please let us know about that. PS - you can always call the local paper or tv station and provide the pics and video yourself. . . Make It Happen Parachute History DiveMaker

no no. What do you mean by 'USPA handling all the paperwork'? Right now, the rules say that a TI, who is a USPA member, must have a USPA TI rating if they perform training jumps. If TIs, USPA member or not, do 'carnival' rides they do not need a USPA TI rating. (These two statements apply equally to GM DZs and non-GM DZs.) If a TI has a mfg rating, is not a USPA member and is at a non-GM DZ, they must follow the FARs and the mfg rules. A question (new reg) that is being kicked around is to require TIs at GM DZs to have a USPA tandem rating. IIRC, it is part of the new Training Center BS. There are four sets of rules: FARs, mfg, USPA individual and USPA GM. Each mfg has slightly different rules. | GM | Non-GM -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- USPA Member | FARs, mfg, BSRs, GM | FARs, mfg, BSRs | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- non- USPA Member | FARs, mfg, BSRs, GM | FARs, mfg | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- In theory a non USPA member jumping at a GM DZ is not supposed to happen, but reality shows otherwise. . . Make It Happen Parachute History DiveMaker

Atlanta, GA – 5/1/09 - CDC and FAA Shutdown Skydiving Operations because of H1N1 Virus The FAA and the CDC announced today that all skydiving formation loads must be halted for 15 days as a measure of abundance of caution. This was a prudent and preventative measure to reduce the spread of the H1N1 virus among skydivers in the US. It also reduces the spread to other nations, since the US is the mecca of skydiving formation loads. Many foreign skydivers travel to the US to participate in these formation loads. CDC spokesperson, I. C. Allman, stated that some skydivers jump without protective clothing on their hands and face. The hand to hand contact that is done during pre-exit team chants and on nearly every formation load is thought to be a contributing factor in the spread of the H1N1 virus. Most skydivers admit to not sanitizing their hands before boarding an aircraft. Northeastern University has banned handshakes during their commencement program. The ground zero outbreak among skydivers is suspected to be Mr. Bill von Novak. Many skydivers that participated in these formation loads as 'floaters' have a higher incidence of contracting the virus. This is because they share a 'floater bar' that is never cleaned or sanitized. The FAA and CDC admitted that if each skydiver would don appropriate protective clothing, as show in the attached picture, skydiving could continue uninterrupted. Several skydiving centers are protesting this grounding by having a pig roast this weekend. In Southern California, Arizona, Texas and Florida, Cinco de Mayo celebrations are still going forward with pig roasts and demo jumps. However, the demo jumps are limited to one jumper per pass, as was done in the 1960's to prevent collisions between jumpers. ### . . Make It Happen Parachute History DiveMaker

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Yet you posted that jump as an example of how things were "boogered up". Hmmm. That seems a bit contradictory. Sure it is an example of how part of that HIGH PROFILE demo was boogered up. The organizers did not vet the tandems soon enough. The 3 USPA directors on site screwed up. They were the Prez (former Dir of S&T), Sec(former Chair of S&T, was then on the S&T Com) and COB(the longest serving BOD member) Booth did an underage tandem. . . Make It Happen Parachute History DiveMaker

no this is yet another underage tandem and USPA action that happen in-between the winter and summer 04 mtgs. This action should have been reported in the minutes but was not. . . Make It Happen Parachute History DiveMaker

Hey I was on Bill's side at the time and now. I think USPA should have given him a retroactive waiver for the age rule. Yeah, sure he probably did know about the rule (even though he denies knowing about the rule in his letter to USPA), but if it had been asked for in advance, it would have been most likely been given. Some others on the BOD were pissed that he pulled a fast one. Just another example of how some board members vote with their personal agendas and do not do what is right for USPA. Here's a relevant email: (note that GB reply does not have the > marks on my email, but I think it is clear enough who said what.) Oh here is another email . . Make It Happen Parachute History DiveMaker

It was a 1/2 size replica made from plywood. They had midgets stand by it to make it look full size. It's a good movie - go see it. And watch all the commentaries on it. They are cool too. It's considered one of the all time best movies because so many lines from the movie made it into mainstream English. Here's looking at you kid. Round up the usual suspects. Play it Sam (often misquoted as Play it again Sam) etc, etc . . Make It Happen Parachute History DiveMaker

I have an extensive and nearly complete collection of most US mags, plus a misc collection from overseas. I also have duplicates from many years too. . . Make It Happen Parachute History DiveMaker

From the team roster in the mag: one of Anthony DeGregory, Gordon Robinson, Lynn Fogelman I don't know the first two. It could be Lynn. . . Make It Happen Parachute History DiveMaker

So? The fact is, he got the waiver. They could have said "no". They didn't. Therefore the jump was legal. He got a waiver for the non-license part. He did NOT get a waiver for the underage part. Me too. I even suggested that we give him a retro-active waiver. She was only a couple of months shy of 18. On no - the EC members that were 'duped' were too pissed off at Bill. And they claimed it was a big embarrassment because Bill was awarded the Gold Medal the summer before. So the BOD pissed and complained about Bill and told Richard to go figure out something. While that was happening - get this - some TM in the midwest gets an 'emergency - retroactive underage tandem waiver' for a sick kid jump. The story line on that was that it was a high publicity jump and USPA wanted to save face for the TM. You won't find this in the minutes, but I have all the emails. Then the BOD lowered the age for tandems to 16. Yes, USPA continues to take cheap shots at me. I made mention to HQ about that. It's been added to the pile of complaints against USPA. Time will tell and the story will become public - hopefully within my lifetime. . . Make It Happen Parachute History DiveMaker

yeah you are front center of first row. Looks like Dennis Murphy far right of back row. I *think* that's Hod Saunders front row far right. never met him, can only go by other pics I've seen of him. If it was published in a mag, I could go look it up for you. Lemme know if it was published. . . Make It Happen Parachute History DiveMaker

Why don't you tell us how you think it was "boogered up". Here's one way. The motion to get the waiver for the unlicensed pax was done that morning. Winter 04 USPA Minutes: Summer 04 Minutes: . . Make It Happen Parachute History DiveMaker

This video is interesting. At 1:16:12 it talks about a crop of soybeans that had to be destroyed because it was contaminated by a pig vaccine. I don't know if everything in that video is true, but here is an article on the pig vaccine. It sure would make a plausible reason why human, hog and avian flu viruses are in the current swine flu. Somewhere in the video they mention how much genetically engineered corn is imported from the US by Mexico and that certain varieties of corn are classified as insecticide by the FDA. The video is well worth the watch, but I have no idea how much of it is true. Now if only this swine flu could kill off the pork in the US budget. Oh yeah the movie talks about the US subsidies given to farmers. . . Make It Happen Parachute History DiveMaker

It is part of the new administration: A Lieutenant goes to a General's office and says: Lt: Sir, I think we ought to buzz the Statue of Liberty in AF1. Gen: why? Lt: It would be a training mission. We could have fighter jets flank the heavy. Not only that, they could take some waay cool pictures. Gen: Ok - as long as there are cool pictures for the revamped whitehouse web site. But let's not tell anyone. Everyone will be so surprised. During the flight the pilots say Captain: Hey look at all those people rushing out of the buildings to wave at us. Co-Pilot: Told ya - it would make great pictures. Navigator: We got them skeered now. President Obama: “To help build a new foundation for the 21st century, we need to reform our government so that it is more efficient, more transparent, and more creative." efficient - nope - lost that one more transparent - nope lost that one more creative - well maybe a point on that one. To whoever made the call on that operation - What were you thinking?? They burned a lot of money, I want to see the photos of AF1 with NYC in the background. I hope someone counts up how many calls were made to 911 and whose real emergency call got locked out. . . Make It Happen Parachute History DiveMaker

Looks like a 'Roy' . . Make It Happen Parachute History DiveMaker