MakeItHappen

Do the members have access to this information? see 10 Year Report - pdf file Linked from Insurance Crisis . . Make It Happen Parachute History DiveMaker

I think this conversation about whom to take advice from or who can give advice has taken a turn for the worst. It is not only a matter of experience. There are plenty of experienced jumpers that give advice that is completely wrong, sometimes downright dangerous if followed. The same can be said, albeit more frequently, for newer jumpers. The advice you receive - anywhere- must be given context. In some contexts the advice is good, in another situation it would not be ok. To assume that all jumpers with more experience (meaning jump numbers in your specific discipline) than you ALWAYS spoke the TRUTH is just plain stupid. There are various other social factors that go into what someone says about such-n-such event or activity. I have seen organizers over the years invite people onto loads, just to get the prerequisite body count. These people did not have the air skills to match the load. I had one friend get his leg smashed by a 20-jump wonder - going out last on a 20-way. The 20-jump wonder jumper went in. On another jump, by a different organizer, a jumper collided with another jumper. One jumper died. I've seen other jumpers realize that they were 'in over their heads' and get off of a load that they were 'invited on'. I had an organizer ask me to take up a 20-way 'to see what type of altitude we could get' with a solid overcast at 3K. Perhaps the most dramatic social pressure I've seen in this area was the 50-way night dive. We had an aborted jumprun on the first attempt. At least 8 people told me afterwards that they really did not want to do the jump and if it was cancelled - that would be okay with them. We circled up just prior to going for another attempt, approaching the midnight hour. Not a single person backed out. No one wanted to be the first to say 'maybe this is not such a good idea after all'. We went up and did the jump. A record was set. We did not listen to those real people or imaginary voices that said it could not be done or that it was too dangerous. Sometimes you listen to the advice, sometimes not. Another friend decided NOT to jump on one jump of a World Record attempt because people in the plane were hypoxic and the weather was marginal. It takes very strong conviction in knowing what is safe and what is NOT safe. This jumper chose a path. It was completely justified in my book - don't know how the others saw it. I do know that it took more courage to say 'this dive is way out of control & I'm backing off' than it did to go do the jump. The point is that there is no definitive answer as to whom to believe and who to dismiss. It depends upon context. I will reiterate that you should take advice in context. Judge the merits of the post by what is said, not just by who said it. With all that being said and knowing there is a large new jumper readership here. What applies to lots of experienced jumpers may not always apply to new jumpers. For instance, we ask first time jumpers to pull at 4,500ft (or there abouts). This is not acceptable for licensed jumpers unless they let manifest know or are doing CRW. If I was doing a 4-way camp with jumpers with less than 100 jumps, I would not ask them to track until 2,000 feet before pulling. If I was doing a 50-way invitational with very experienced jumpers, it would probably be a requirement to do that. Context is important. Look at the context of the delivery and of the recipient. . . Make It Happen Parachute History DiveMaker

I've already been in contact with them. If I can't place before Jan 21, I'll fork over the $100 & dog to them. Dogsitter for 2.5 weeks is more than $100. RePete is staying with someone else. Hopefully, one of the hundred or so S. Cal. jumpers I emailed and the ad in the paper will find a new place for her. . . Make It Happen Parachute History DiveMaker

Pedro . . Make It Happen Parachute History DiveMaker

That abandoned dog I took in last summer needs a new home. She has a really great temperment. She's a cross of some sort - shepard, chow maybe??? About 50 pounds. She's in great health now, not the mal-nourish dog I rescued in June. She's house broken, does not chew anything and well behaved. Not a barker either. She is jealous of my dog RePete. That's the reason I want to find another home for her. I do not know how she is around kids, but she's mellow and non-aggressive, so I suspect she'd be ok. I spent $100 on vet bills to clear up an ear infection and get her shots up to date. You can have her for FREE!!!! Will deliver in S. California area. Thanks. PS - my dog sitter said she was fine when I was gone for 3 days about a week after taking her in. . . Make It Happen Parachute History DiveMaker

Lee Loncasty jumped from a number of different planes. . Make It Happen Parachute History DiveMaker

Who's Photo? Who's photo is this??? TIA . Make It Happen Parachute History DiveMaker

Peer Pressure and Being Cool . Make It Happen Parachute History DiveMaker

Man that was toooooo funny!!!!! But Mike how do you sell USPA memberships so cheap??? It's $49 for renewal & expired members??? Are you taking trips to the Cayman Islands with that $9 kickback? . Make It Happen Parachute History DiveMaker

Booking agencies are a viable business model. You did a great job of explaining that. A lot of people think SkyRide is a simple booking agent. [There is nothing wrong with a booking agency.] It is far from that. Beyond what I wrote on my website, there is also another aspect of this that was related to me by yet another DZO about a year ago. This past week I heard the identical 'speculation about the future' from a different DZO from a different part of the country. The speculation goes like this: SkyRide makes the DZs happy by recruiting tandems for them. After a year or two, SkyRide has made its name in the whuffo public. It has branded itself in the minds of one-time jumpers. Skydive Detroit, Skydive Sacramento, Skydive Philiadelphia, Skydive Knoxville etc etc dominate the public's awareness. Someone that does a jump through SkyRide today, meets someone a couple of years from now and highly reccomends SkyRide. Only thing is, a couple of years from now - the scene may be very different. One day, a couple of years from know, SkyRide opens its own DZs across the country - nearly simultaneously. At this instant, referrals to all of the real DZs (that we know today) are cut off from SkyRide. SkyRide saves up other people's money to buy a fleet to support the operations. It's much better to use OPM than your own, right? SkyRide is run by DZOs. That's a significant difference than an airline booking agency run by people that would not know much about starting an airline. It's kind of strange that it is working at all. Can you imagine one DZO saying to his neighboring DZO - 'Hey I'll take care of advertising for both of our DZs. We'll split the customers.' Maybe the SkyRide long term plan might be realized by 'competing' DZOs and they may do cooperative adverting in their area with their branding. One can only hope that DZOs realize how good Cary's advertizing is. There is a big picture here that many people do not see. Think of Cary and Ben's new twin otter with the SkyRide logo paint job flying into an airport near you. If you think this is far-fetched, go look at this url that someone sent me yesterday. Fine Livivng . . Make It Happen Parachute History DiveMaker

I realize that most people do not understand what is going on with this SkyRide thing. The comments here certainly indicate that. USPA HQ has been sending DZOs complaining about SkyRide my way all summer long. I have a long list of experiences, first hand from the DZOs. I put together this page to explain: http://FunJumper.com/skyride . . Make It Happen Parachute History DiveMaker

I'd like to hear from any DZO that has done business with SkyRide.com TIA . . Make It Happen Parachute History DiveMaker

I would like to hear from DZOs or people that signed up for a jump via SkyRide. I have heard good and bad about them. I would like to know your experience. This was taken from Aerosoftware~ A portal to Jan Meyer our very own resident USPA National Director. Man - my ears are burning… I had no idea that my little orphan page from a year ago was linked from so many places. . . Make It Happen Parachute History DiveMaker

Too Scared to Jump read the article about the night dive, linked at the bottom of this page too. The key is to not worry about crap that can go wrong at pull time until pull time. Enjoy yourself - it might be your last jump ;) Might as well have fun! Most times everything will go ok. If Murphy strikes, just deal with it. . . Make It Happen Parachute History DiveMaker

Altitude Awareness . . Make It Happen Parachute History DiveMaker

Dumbing Down of Jumpers Dumb Down 1: Making a bunch of people wait for a key to allow them to dock. This takes away the decision by individuals to know when a formation is ready for them. How can people learn when a slot is stable and available for docking if they cannot make that decision for themselves. I also think the 'wait for a key' method makes people rush because they take the key as 'dock now' as opposed to permission to dock. People should still verify that a slot is ready, even after a key. But people see a key and think 'Well, they said it was ok to dock - so I will.'' The 'wait for a key' method is almost as though the organizers want to fly other people's slots for them. A better alternative is to teach people how to read formations, where and when to look. Grip fixation is major reason most people dock too soon or when a wave goes through the formation. Many people on big-ways can fly no contact very well. They fly no contact off their grip. They do not look all the way to the center to see if their grip is moving around the sky or parked on its proper radial. They fly no contact, pick up a grip(s) when they are close enough, then get level with the formation and try to move to their proper radial and distance from the center. You should fly along your radial to the proper distance from the center exactly level or slightly below the formation, turn to your proper heading, then pick up a grip(s). The grip will come back to its proper place, assuming the formation does not funnel. If things look knarly in front of you, just wait, parked on your radial, up and out a few feet before committing as the formation settles out. I think we lose in the long run by not teaching people the know how and proper sequence of docking. Dumb Down 2: Holding the tetrahedron to indicate landing direction. If people on a big-way cannot determine the landing pattern and land in the proper direction then they should not be on the load. Holding the tetrahedron also makes landing more hazardous. Small wind fluctuations because of dust devils, wind shear or wake turbulence are indicated by a tetrahedron. This information is lost if the tetrahedron is held in position. If a rotating tetrahedron switches 180 degrees after the pattern has been established, then jumpers need to deal with landing in the established pattern. The good news is that they have knowledge that the wind has shifted and can adjust their landing flare properly. Nowadays, you have to check the direction of the tetrahedron and if anyone is holding it. On any given jump, you have no idea if that tetrahedron will be telling you anything about the wind. Sometimes it will, sometimes it won't. That's a dissonance that will eat someone up one day. A better alternative is to use a separate arrow to indicate landing direction. Dumb Down 3: Telling a new jumper to 'pull in place' on a load that is over their skill level. If someone does not have the ability to track and find clear air, then they should not be on that load. There are no guarantees that a dive will go exactly according to the plan. New jumpers may find themselves in the middle of a funnel at break-off. Do you really want a new guy pulling at 4K say in the middle of a funnel that he is low on?? I think not. Every jumper must be able to track all the way to assigned pull altitude. Your pull altitude may change to the lowest assigned altitude if you go low on a formation or a funnel puts you low. Funnels at break-off altitude are especially stressful to newer jumpers. The better plan is to make sure every jumper can handle and deal with all the contingency plans. That includes the possibility of being a low jumper and having to pull at the lowest assigned pull altitude. . . Make It Happen Parachute History DiveMaker

I really hate to hear these tales - again. I thought the practice of letting new kids on loads over their heads did not happen any more. oh wait -it happened last year to a friend of mine. (he's dead now) To any & all of you new guys - if an organizer ever says something like 'Hey - you just stay where you are & pull' - get off the load. 1. If they think you can't track well enough to get clear air, by asking you to pull in place, then you probably do NOT have the requisite skills to be on that load. 2. If you 'feel better' because you don't have to worry about tracking and finding clear air, then you do NOT have the requisite skills to be on that load. 3. All sorts of things can happen to make this plan of you pulling in place go wrong. 4. You need to deal with possibily being low and having to pull at the lowest assigned pull altitude - usually below 2500. 5. It is not good fortune to be on a load over your head. It is adding extra risks to all on the load. . . Make It Happen Parachute History DiveMaker

[reply ] Can any of you point us to any _commercial drop zone's_ web site that has a page about "Here are the risks, the numbers, etc.? http://www.freefallexpress.com/qanda.htm I have read a LOT of FAQs pages of dzs. This one is the BEST one. . . Make It Happen Parachute History DiveMaker

Roger - get back it the air... Do not think it was an easy trail... see Me on a 15 sec delay in 1981 Photo by Norm Kent. DZ= Perris Valley AC = DC-3 The gear is different (and better today) but the head trip is the same. . . Make It Happen Parachute History DiveMaker

Just be nice. He's my new boss. Hey it's almost 5 o clock CA time..... I need some more 'How to help da Bytch' ideas. So far I have... [cloak] .... drink volka as I watch da Bytch pack (this won't work as I do not drink hard liquor anymore) .... bring a dolly and threaten to take it back before the U-Haul leaves [/cloak] what else??? . How to read cloaked messages???? . . . Make It Happen Parachute History DiveMaker

What Paul said. Once you are out the door - it's up to you to save yourself. If you don't feel right about it - don't go. BUT- when you do get your 'head' right it is a blast! And it really is true that someone that rode down a plane because of fear is on the USPA BOD & has a couple of National Titles & World Records. (My bio page is not up to date.) It is YOUR choice and decision. Never let anyone else tell you otherwise. . . Make It Happen Parachute History DiveMaker

[Bytch Cloaking Device] I thought you guys were 'experienced' jumpers????? Email me your idea of 'helping' and da Bytch doesn't know about it. Get it now? [/Bytch Cloaking Device] . Make It Happen Parachute History DiveMaker

It suddenly dawned on me that moving is a bytch - even when you want to do it. See I have this friend that lives about 5 miles from me that is packing up a bunch of shyt. Now, it happens that I have some 'dead-down' time [because of a hard drive crash over the weekend]. My new drive gets here on Friday. So--- while I have this backup drive in my system - with no space to install lots of nifty programs that make me useful to the world --- I can go 'help' da Bytch. ;) I am soliciting 'ideas' on how to help. email me at Aerosoftware _AT_ MakeItHappen.com Don't say anything to da Bytch. This MUST be a surprise. She won't be checking here - cuz she's packing. That's not parachute packing. It's shyt packing that she can do while drinking... did I say that?? Nope - she did... And to whoever that was that sent me an email last Saturday about computer viruses - can you send it again? I do not think that email will be recovered next week. ps- does anyone know why logins do not work - except from the home page??? . . Make It Happen Parachute History DiveMaker

In the US, the harness and container system and the reserve have a lifetime of 120 DAYS. This gets renewed (or not) every 120 days. . . Make It Happen Parachute History DiveMaker

so didja take the sticker with my name off the helmet???? it's hardly noticeable. ya never know, it could actually increase the resale value or not?? just make sure you won't actually be NEEDING that helmet. 1111111111111111 . Make It Happen Parachute History DiveMaker