MakeItHappen

Just a clarification here... The DZOs (2 of them) are were the S&TAs. I agree with you on these statements. . . Make It Happen Parachute History DiveMaker

So if a TI says "Duh, I didn't know that was dangerous." Then you'd just let him off the hook if he promises not to do it again? That sounds like Homer Simpson saying "what they want to hear." Come on, Ron. This guy went through a TI rating course. He was told that you need to cinch the horizontals connectors down. That has been reemphasized in the past year. I doubt if this guy qualifies as the butter knife in the silverware drawer. But even if he did, he has no business doing tandems because he does not have a concern for the safety of the student. What astounds me the most, is that jumpers that have been witness to this (the DZOs, photographers) have not told him to stop it. Instead, they condone it by saying "Yeah, that video looks cool." . . Make It Happen Parachute History DiveMaker

Question....How has the jumper responded about this? Has he admitted he screwed up and is he willing to fly right? Or is he pissed and thinks he was doing nothing wrong. IMO that makes a big difference in the level of punishment. I can't answer that question. But let me ask you this. This guy has done over 100 of these 'jump off to the side' tandems in the past few months at CSC. The video of these jumps is out there on the internet for the world to see. The DZ name and TI name are attached to these videos. Do you think he thinks he is doing anything wrong? Do you think the DZOs think he is doing anything wrong? Do you think the photographers think he is doing anything wrong? This was not a one-time thing like the drogue climbers. This is a repeated behavior and was also done at CrossKeys. The ffa.jpg in my previous post came from the video on this page. Would you trust this guy not to do the 'jump off to the side' on a no-video tandem? . . Make It Happen Parachute History DiveMaker

That sounds like you owe beer, twice over ;) I agree with you 100%. I have heard from a number of jumpers about this situation. All of them say that they want to see the TI rating pulled. I have asked people to email the Executive Committee or the full board and state their views and experiences with the said jumper. You can easily email the entire USPA BOD at Uspabod_AT_skydivehard.com replace _AT_ with @ You won't even be considered as a 'whistle-blower'. There is already a formal complaint filed that is currently in an appeal process. The FB already knows about this situation. They have been forwarded the following: Riva *flv Viewer - needed for the links below Realxstream links - goes directly to *.flv file 7 Aug 2006 - Ryan Meschez 6 Aug 2006 - Wojciech Powalka 6 Aug 2006 - Patricia Zoetveit 5 Aug 2006 - George Paleologos 5 Aug 2006 - Lisa Stuart 5 Aug 2006 - Premal Muni 5 Aug 2006 - Prashant Nisar 5 Aug 2006 - Cathy Cook 6 Aug 2006 - Rob Pritts 4 Aug 2006 - Vandana Gandhi 4 Aug 2006 - Jordan Jones 4 Aug 2006 - Lauren Milbourne 4 Aug 2006 - Gary Finn 29 Jul 2006 - Yukari Ohtomo 29 Jul 2006 - Jessica Oehler 29 Jul 2006 - Fernando Cepeda 30 Jul 2006 - Charity Spargo 30 Jul 2006 - Jennifer Jabczmski 30 Jul 2006 - Kyle Kavanough 28 Jul 2006 - Lindsey Carmichael 30 Jul 2006 - Robert Forler 29 Jul 2006 - Tomoko Nakao 28 Jul 2006 - Paul Peterson 28 Jul 2006 - Jenelle Chapman 27 Jul 2006 - Dawn Welch 23 Jul 2006 - Kyle Duff 23 Jul 2006 - Robert Kobuch 23 Jul 2006 - Liz Burns 23 Jul 2006 - Colleen Fanning 23 Jul 2006 - Michael Breedlove 23 Jul 2006 - Kurt Hoover 23 Jul 2006 - Jennie Kallembach 23 Jul 2006 - Gregorz Rusztowicz 22 Jul 2006 - Linda Sullivan 22 Jul 2006 - Tyresa Dixon 22 Jul 2006 - Antoine Stuckey 22 Jul 2006 - Dan Reyes 22 Jul 2006 - Peter Finlley 23 Jul 2006 - Boris Shogan 21 Jul 2006 - Tracy Mizera 21 Jul 2006 - Joe Pulichenc 23 Jul 2006 - Loni Wiedemann 16 Jul 2006 - Amanda Motz 16 Jul 2006 - Nickolas Clemens 16 Jul 2006 - Jean Ann Jordan 16 Jul 2006 - Karolina Szotko 15 Jul 2006 - Mary Buth 15 Jul 2006 - Michael Cumbee 15 Jul 2006 - Mackenzie Rakers 15 Jul 2006 - Anthony Miaoulls 15 Jul 2006 - Kim Blake 15 Jul 2006 - Ying Hsu 16 Jul 2006 - Catherine Warren 16 Jul 2006 - Judith Bilitzki 16 Jul 2006 - Kelsey Brown 13 Jul 2006 - Shelley Ostrom 13 Jul 2006 - Vanessa Buckley

Hi Max, Can I get a photo op with you and your namesake (my Max)? If any of the Conatsers come by, just say 'these are my guide dogs'... it worked before... I have to bring RePete along too. No way of getting out of the house with only one of the dogs. Thanks . . Make It Happen Parachute History DiveMaker

Chuteless Jumps of the unintentional kind. . . Make It Happen Parachute History DiveMaker

Do you have any extra PCI ethernet cards? I need two. I just bought the guts of an older Pentium for twenty bucks. I'll be sticking that into the box that holds the antique 386. My other old pentium needs a network card. Right now it has a cable connection. That is really slow, but it does work. . . Make It Happen Parachute History DiveMaker

There were complaints filed with USPA. The action that the RD took included pulling the S&TA appointments from the 2 DZOs and writing a letter to the TI that basically slapped the TI on the hand and said, "Don't do that again" and threatened him with disciplinary action if it (the hopping over to the side of the student) happened again. One of the complainants has appealed the RD actions for review by the Executive Committee. That is currently 'in progress'. I do not have a timeline on when that appeal will be discussed by the Executive Committee. The complainant wants a more severe penalty imposed for the TI. This information comes from one of the complainants, who gave permission to the status of this action to all that may inquire. Please also note that the RD may not comment on this action as it is still in progress, as specified in the Gov. Manual Sec. 1-6.5.F.2 . . Make It Happen Parachute History DiveMaker

Some kind of flash file. The Riva viewer will display it for you. . . Make It Happen Parachute History DiveMaker

a friend pulled off one file, but it's nothing he's ever seen Try this: Russian Black Cats WR Russia Extreme RU WR Viewer: Riva Viewer Install this first. . . Make It Happen Parachute History DiveMaker

The audio system putting a drain on the battery when the car is off is a pretty common problem. The best thing to do is replace or at least disconnect the audio system. Buying new batteries and keeping the same audio system will just continue to drain the battery. I know this won't help you now, but the thing to do when the first battery went dead was to take it to an auto parts store and ask them to test it. They test and charge it for FREE. They will tell you if it is 'just drained' vs 'not able to hold a charge'. Oh and to disconnect the audio, there are about 4 screws on the side covers of the dashboard module that need to be removed. Then there are several mounting screws to take out. Then pull out the audio unit(s) and unplug the connectors. It's not hard and all you need is a #2 Phillips screwdriver. . . Make It Happen Parachute History DiveMaker

like back to back ? It's a pity there's no video available online... Yep - can we please have some footage from the artistic events put up online somewhere pleeeaaaase? It was great being able to see the routines on the website for france 03. Oh - and does anyone know why funkflyz aren't competing this year. DVD video available at WM 2006 . . Make It Happen Parachute History DiveMaker

RealXStream is definitely a source I'll avoid if ever given another choice. How completely disappointing. Maybe if they ditched all the self serving intro crap whenever it's loaded could help the cause. Being able to download wmv's was one of the best learning tools I ever got from skyleague. Here you go: WM 2006 dvd . . Make It Happen Parachute History DiveMaker

Check out this video Couple of freeze frames from that video attached here. I think the responsible people, out in that area, are over at Skydive Chicago. Please - someone tell GoFast that 'Australian Honey' falls into the category of 'five syllable words'. . . Make It Happen Parachute History DiveMaker

You have the answer in front of you. They made decisions that benefited the most jumpers. From what I heard the weather pretty much sucked for most of the meet. There were a bunch of rejumps. If you can predict the weather and determine exactly how many loads and passes you can get out during a given sucker hole, then by all means sign up to be a meet director. . . Make It Happen Parachute History DiveMaker

They may be further along than we know. They only post scores at the end of day. They did not set up Omniskore with internet access. I also tried to find a replacement reporter for Liz, who had to cancel. If anyone knows anyone out there, that is just hanging out and has email access, then have them email me reports info etc. I'll put that up on OmniSkore. aerosoftware_AT_makeithappen.com meyer_flyer_AT_yahoo.com replace _AT_ with @ . . Make It Happen Parachute History DiveMaker

OmniSkore is not getting direct updates because they don't have internet access in the hanger that the systems are in. Let me tell you that Larry Hill and I are not exactly happy about no updates going to the OmniSkore web site. OmniSkore is what is used to score the dives. It should get the scores. That won't happen again at a world meet or any US Nationals. But I have posted scores on OmniSkore as I get them. Kurt and RealxStream are using a Wi-Fi connection to the local cell phone system. For your entertainment pleasure see 4-way Combined Standings . . Make It Happen Parachute History DiveMaker

Hey if you want something to do I can put you to work.... email me at aerosoftware_AT_makeithappen.com or Meyer_Flyer_AT_yahoo.com replace _AT_ with @ . . Make It Happen Parachute History DiveMaker

Yes, the hosting company fixed whatever they did. In the meanntime, I need an on-the-site reporter for daily updates and pics. Liz had to cancel because of work related issues. So anyone at Gera want to do this? Email me asap at aerosoftware_AT_MakeItHappen.com or Meyer_Flyer_AT_Yahoo.com replace _AT_ with @ Thanks. . . Make It Happen Parachute History DiveMaker

Why? That is precisely the comparison I make, as well as a large number of other experienced jumpers make. The rest of my original paragraph made the point that gets lost when the one sentence gets taken out of context, which is what happened in your reply, Jan. The point was, it's bizarre to compare safety levels at WFFC with those at world record events or weekend or day-to-day populations at large DZs because — of course — in such an illogical comparison, WFFC is going to have a diminished level of safety, as any boogie would. The point was: it's akin to the apples and oranges cliché. I think anyone who is thinking clearly would not EXPECT or even hope a boogie (whether WFFC or any other boogie) can have a safety level comparable to that of world record events or weekend or day-to-day populations at large DZs. Bill von Novak itemized it more thoroughly in his "I think it's more that there are three cases" analysis, and essentially, corroborated the stance that WFFC is similar to any boogie and vice versa, and as such, will not have the safety levels of "a typical day at the local DZ" or a world-class event comprised of highly skilled and experienced jumpers. For anyone to think that a boogie could match the safety level of what you're using for a measuring stick is exceedingly illogical and unreasonable. You are quoted in the entirety... But it does make sense to compare WFFC or any other event to whatever risk levels a jumper may find at their local DZ. When I was talked into going to WT 96 for 300-ways, without an AAD, I had many reservations. As I ran out the back of those helicopters on the first ever 300-way attempt, I said to myself "I hope Rusty's plan works." When I was talked into doing a night 50-way dive, I had reservations. As I jumped out, I said to myself "Well, there's no going back now." I don't know about others, but I do compare xyz event risks to my 'average' weekend at home, whether it's Skydance or Perris or Coolidge. I ask, "Is this xyz event worth the extra risk?" For some world record type events, yeah, I'll take on some more risk. But for some boogie party type thing, no. YMMV. You certainly don't need to go to "some" or any boogie to do that, Jan. I never made any allusion to that effect. Did i somehow inadvertently give you that impression? There are plenty of other people, though, who DO go to the convention for that, because it's something that they can't get at their home DZs. Do you condemn them for doing so, in the same way that you seem to condemn the convention's very existence? Anita, you are stooping to low-ball tactics that are way beneath you. I'm not condemning WFFC by any stretch of the imagination. I am merely stating why I don't go to it and why it does not appeal to me. Don Kirlin is a pretty smart guy. He would probably welcome ideas on how to make WFFC more attractive to more experienced jumpers. Many years ago there used to be big-way invitationals at WFFC. That has fallen to the way-side. I would LOVE it if you succeeded in making that a DZ standard at Perris. I was merely making the observation that, at this time, it is NOT a standard there. If you don't recall my original question, it was: Why aren't DZs (such as Perris) addressing hook turn violations as aggressively as they are treating low pulls and AAD activations caused by low pulls? I would like to see Perris enforcing consequences for hook turns as persistently as Perris enforces its penalty for low pulls, and i would like to see that at other DZs, as well. In my view, the only acceptable exception would be for landing areas specifically designated for swooping. My original reason for posting the item that triggered your responses to me, Jan, was the fact that some people, including you, seem to have a penchant for bashing WFFC. This perplexes me because, although you haven't been there for i-don't-know-how-many years, you seem to have an axe to grind against it so perniciously — and with what appears to be NO recent first-hand experience from which to judge or to back up your malignment of it — to the point that your attitude defies comprehension. To me, it seems rude and, actually, unethical for people to continually bash something when they don't seem to be able to produce valid first-hand reasons for their malice toward it. It's one thing to make a personal choice about not going to WFFC for yourself, but to broadcast slurs about it to thousands of jumpers without reasonable cause is entirely another thing, and i just don't understand why you do it. Maybe you could enlighten me? Part of the 'problem' is that the DZ owners and or staff partake in the 'swoops' over the grass area. Once you and I and others can convince DZOs/staff that their 270s over the grass when tandems are landing tend to precipitate others (aka out-of-towners) doing the same thing at the most inappropriate times then we can make some headway. Getting back to WFFC, the lone fatality this year was observed to swoop the tents earlier in the week. I did not make that up and it is not from some long ago WFFC. It was this year, just a couple of days ago. I do not want to go to a boogie where I have to 'duck and cover' as I walk out from a tent. This jumper repeatedly did these types of approaches. At any other DZ, there would have been a 'talking to'. WFFC does not seem to have that in place. WFFC does not have a 'beer line' designating suitable landing areas far enough away from foot traffic. I do not want to put my life on the line for walking out of one of the tents there. YMMV. . . Make It Happen Parachute History DiveMaker

Are you the same Tony Hays mentioned here? Oh of course you are, the D license and membership # match up. I am just curious, two years ago we (the USPA BOD) were told that you had ~100 to 200 jumps. You were suspended for a year. And now you have 2500 jumps. How do you get that many jumps so quickly? I wanna know so that I can sign up... . . Make It Happen Parachute History DiveMaker

This does not make any sense. The US way of filing a lawsuit such as this means waiting for the statue of limitations to almost kick-in, about 2 years for most states. That way most of the eye-witnessness are unavailable. Vivian and Susan Delacroix you may be getting taken for a ride by your US attorney??? The FAA report won't come out for another 6 months or so. There is no reason to rush into a lawsuit now. My condolences to your loss of your daughter. . . Make It Happen Parachute History DiveMaker

Why? That is precisely the comparison I make, as well as a large number of other experienced jumpers make. If I am in the air with +100 jumpers, I want to know what their experience level is. I am not going to do a 'trust-me' on that. I have too many dead friends and close calls to do that. It is in the similar vein of 'well, I can jump otters, skyvans etc here, why do I need to go to some boogie to do that?' Well, these other dzs (Perris or Eloy or ??) may attract the reckless, they do so in a smaller proportion. I guess you have not been at Perris when I have told people not to do 270's above the grass area. I am trying to get this to be a dz standard. I also do not attend other DZ boogies for the same reasons. Today's boogies are nothing like the Muskogee Boogies. Today, you sometimes have to place your life in the hands of others to survive a boogie. That is something I do not want to do. I will be the first in line to say that Bob's death was 100% preventable, and I DID say this at the time. He should have never been on that load. As far as I know Heather does not jump anymore. Her Mom does jump. . . Make It Happen Parachute History DiveMaker

Don't know, but I'll check on it. Think of it as a transitional period between the old guard and the new guard. Update - I think it's because of a transfer between hosting companies that have bought up the old hosting company. We are working on this right now. Update2- They (the hosting company) will be getting back to me. There's some sort of problem on their end. and Tim and Ted's other web sites have also suffered the same fate. . . Make It Happen Parachute History DiveMaker