skydived19006

No. Then, if it were up to me I'd have given you the job of explaining to all those families that you had the power to stop it, but your morals stood between the terrorists, and the death of their loved ones. Very interesting. Hell, if you said it would save one life, I'd put my hand up and say water board me! Maybe it's not torture though if I volunteer? Martin Experience is what you get when you thought you were going to get something else. AC DZ

I'd resort to old school torture in that case. Really Bill, you equate the rape of children with what was done to the three theorists at Gitmo? Interesting. Experience is what you get when you thought you were going to get something else. AC DZ

I find it hard to believe that people would forfeit their children's lives. If your child were kidnapped, and a person with the knowledge to recover them was in custody, but refused to talk. You'd say, "let my children die" before you'd say "subject the guy to the Bush era restrictive rules of water-boarding." It's an interesting world. Really, "let them die?" Experience is what you get when you thought you were going to get something else. AC DZ

100% "yes, if it saved 1 life" so far! Experience is what you get when you thought you were going to get something else. AC DZ

Interesting that the current administration will release details of our "torture", but refuses to release any details regarding intelligence we gained. If we could have used waterboard "torture" on one, two, 10 terrorists in advance of 9/11, and have saved those 3000 plus lives, would have it been "ok"? Experience is what you get when you thought you were going to get something else. AC DZ

Just like USPA justifying their advertising. Skydiving goes up, it worked. Skydiving goes down, it would have been worse. So, we should throw a few trillion more at it? Bush was a fiscal liberal throwing money all over the place, got us into huge deficit spending. Fix the deficit spending by tripling it. Not that the lending rules had anything to do with it, but then I guess that was all Bush too. How about a 6 month tax holiday? How do we "pay for it"? Same way we "pay for" the 2 trillion Obama non stim. Experience is what you get when you thought you were going to get something else. AC DZ

My tandem mains are Icarus (Precision, Icarus/Precision, Icarus Spain), all vectran lined. I was not aware of any heating problems, but it would seem that it's not an issue with vectran anyway. Experience is what you get when you thought you were going to get something else. AC DZ

I have no idea what DZOs are doing for the most part outside of Kansas. That said, my thought is that when someone calls from any booking "service", most DZOs would simply say "no thanks." I'd tend to say something like "Have the individuals call me directly, and I'll get them scheduled. I do not need the services of a booking agent. I market directly. I have a web presence, and advertise otherwise. Anyone in my area who's interested in skydiving can and will find me directly. Have a nice day." It seems to be the guys who are worried that they may "lose" a tandem customer to "the other guy" who agree to trade with SR. Kansas is more spread out, and we're not really in direct competition for the most part. If when someone calls us, and we find out that they're going to be driving past another DZ to get to us we'll ask why they want to come to us. We'll inform them that there are closer DZs, and even give the phone number. Again, this isn't Texas, California, Florida, Georgia, etc. Another little piece of irony. Jen Sharp who's DZO of Skydive Kansas set up a site, and forum for drop zone owners dzos.net. It's supposed to foster cooperation, and for the most part does. Jen told me that there are a few DZOs out there who think it's some kind of sin to even talk with another DZO who's within 150 miles of their DZ. Again, pull your damn head out of your ass! It's exactly this kind of attitude that the SR boys thrive on! Preach'n to the choir. Martin Experience is what you get when you thought you were going to get something else. AC DZ

My guess is that it went something like this: CQ: Yo! Jan! Jan: Who is this? CQ: Your ol' pal CQ! Wassup? Jan: Huh? Pal??? CQ: Just calling to ask you, now that you are free, to come play for my team, baby. Whaddayasay? Jan: Who is this really? CQ: HA HA HA HA. I got the action and I'd love to share it with you! Jan: You're outta your &*%^#) (&@(*&(&@#) (*@#$) (*@) mind. Don't you EVER call me again you !@*$#&^*!@&#^*!&@^#*!&@^#*&^!@*#&^!@. CQ: Did I say something wrong? Jan?......Jan? It actually goes a bit more like this. Me: Air Capital Drop Zone, this is Martin. SR: I'd like to schedule 4 tandem skydives this weekend.... It evolves from there. I "tried it" in 2002 before i'd ever heard of 1-800SR. It didn't take me very long to get a real feel for what they were doing. I did some 30 SR tandems that season, was totally fed up with it, and dropped them like a used condom. Since then I figured out how to market my business for myself, and doubled the number of tandems I do in a season. I think that if I wanted to I could do a whole lot more tandems that I do now, I don't want any more though. I actually cut back on my advertising. Fuck SR! DZOs need to pull their head out of their collective asses, and do their own marketing! Martin Experience is what you get when you thought you were going to get something else. AC DZ

We have PD reserve Slinks on our tandem mains. Problem solved. Experience is what you get when you thought you were going to get something else. AC DZ

I agree with co-ed being a good thing. As I'm sure you know, everyone going down, at least if they're staying for any time is required to undergo psychiatric screening. You wouldn't want to end up down there over-wintering with Jack Torrance. If you get the job, good luck with the C-130 jump! I don't quite see it happening though. They may not even allow you to haul your gear down there. Experience is what you get when you thought you were going to get something else. AC DZ

I did ask Monty about the 300 degree club. He said that it seldom gets to 100 F below, but if/when it does he plans on doing the run. For those who don't know or didn't do the Google search. Once it's 100 below, they heat the sauna to 200, then go from 200 above to 100 below and run round the Pole. I asked if it's still allowed to do it naked since the over winter crew was now coed. He said that there wasn't a rule against it, but it was discouraged. Seems that a fellow fell down a while back and frost bit his parts. 100 F degree below zero is right at the temperature of dry ice. Not good, Martin Experience is what you get when you thought you were going to get something else. AC DZ

You can see her at kneeling at the right in the fully clothed picture. She'd the one "hiding" behind the guy at the far right in the "shirtless" picture. Ok, since nobody seems to be at all interested in the "pollution issue", I'll just tell you. They use glycol (anti freeze) heated from the electric generators to heat the station, and do a whole list of other things "heat related." They get their fresh water by drilling a hole in the ice (It's a couple of miles thick, with a top side elevation above 10,000') with a glycol heated drill, then hollow out the ice in an oval shaped cavity using the water. Once they're done with the fresh water, they move the water well, and dump sewage down the old hole. The ice shelf moves, I think something like 2' per year, so eventually these sewage blocks will make their way to the ocean. It'll be quite some time though, as they're something like 800 miles form the ocean. Monty is responsible for being the first to bring beer pong to the South Pole. He had his little sister mail him ping pong balls, and Solo cups. He and the plumber also did a little Arkansas engineering and built the first hot tub at the south pole. Attached pictures. Hey everyone I know you’ve been dying to see what has been going on at the south pole well here it is. The remarkable hot tub designed and built by the unstoppable force of monty and smitty, with much much help from Jason and big dan. The first picture is how we heat it it’s a heat exchanger brought in from the summer camp bathrooms that were shut down we tapped into the glycol lines that run through the building and use glycol to heat the water through the exchanger that way we only use enough power to pump the water. The second picture is of the hot tub just starting to get heated up the bubbles are brought to you via a compressor and airiator provided by Jason. There's not a lot of people that thought this could happen here but we've managed to build a hot tub that only uses about 600 watts of energy to heat it unbelievable! Experience is what you get when you thought you were going to get something else. AC DZ

Was there a "distance rule"? As in how far away to poop? Did it depend on wind speed/direction? Hi Don't understand your fixation with "shitting in the weeds" sounds like you been taking the kids to potty. So listen up here's the way it was back in the day.

Get your Guys Nuts! Experience is what you get when you thought you were going to get something else. AC DZ

Trivia: You can find out just about anything you'd ever be interested in knowing about the Amundsen-Scott Station on the internet. I have a few tidbits that you won't find with a Google search. One of my nephews is an electrician, and last year he saw a listing on the Union list for the South Pole. Long-Short he's doing a year down there. So, who cares to guess what they do with the sewage they generate? There are in the neighborhood of 250 folks through the summer, and I think around 30 over winter. Here are a couple of pictures from last summer (December). Monty is the one in the center behind the "South Pole" wearing glasses. There's one female in the pictures, can you find her in the "shirtless" one? Martin Experience is what you get when you thought you were going to get something else. AC DZ

Was there a "distance rule"? As in how far away to poop? Did it depend on wind speed/direction? Experience is what you get when you thought you were going to get something else. AC DZ

If Bush and "his" congress doubled the debt, what course are we on since January? I've been honestly considering putting what investment money I have into hard metal (gold). We've seen what can happen when the loan industry falls, what will happen when the United States Government can no longer maintain the Ponzi Scheme we've been operating under? Seriously, at what point does this house of cards fall? How long can we sustain these levels of deficit spending? What will the fall and the aftermath look like? Anarchy? Gold, and lead backed by gun powder to protect it? Experience is what you get when you thought you were going to get something else. AC DZ

You're right. With very few exceptions everyone who jumps at my DZ are USPA members. They have to be to jump at boogies, and other DZs who not only require membership, but actively enforce it. Besides, they all want their own copy of Parachutist! Experience is what you get when you thought you were going to get something else. AC DZ

Not to mention that the Otter will take you to 13, to 14k with 23 of your closest friends for the money you'll pay for a 182 to haul you to 9, or 10k. Folks around here are willing to drive 5 plus hours for that extra 15 seconds of freefall. Besides, you get that cool magazine for "free" with your paid membership! As for my DZ, I do require USPA membership. I agree to this requirement every time I renew my Group Membership. That said, checking that people keep up their membership is one thing that I don't actively do. It is "the law", I simply don't actively enforce it, and apparently don't care who knows . New to me skydiver: Do you require USPA membership to jump here? Me: Yep, Skydiver: I'll get my card. Me: I don't need to see it. But I will look at your reserve packing data card, and log book. Experience is what you get when you thought you were going to get something else. AC DZ

The world and skydiving has changed. Getting together, buying an airplane, etc. wasn't all that uncommon "back in the day" (which by the way was before my time in the sport). I started a thread in the History forum detailing dropzones in Kansas over the years. There were quite a few "plane, grass strip, and a shade tree" DZs over the years. http://www.dropzone.com/cgi-bin/forum/gforum.cgi?post=3204702;search_string=kansas;#3204702 My guess though is that most skydivers these days would prefer an Otter and indoor plumbing with the accompanying USPA required membership to a C182 with no door or step and shit'n in the weeds. Martin Experience is what you get when you thought you were going to get something else. AC DZ

Really? In which part of the country has the FAA made it mandatory for you to be a USPA Member? I have never heard this so please qoute the regulation that you speak of. There is no regulation but most DZs will not allow you to jump if you are not a member. Come to Georgia and give it a shot. Must be the commercialization. Anyone or group of anyone's can purchase an airplane, find a grass strip, commercial pilot, and you're skydiving! No USPA GM, no USPA IM, no tandems, etc! This very thing at one time was quite common, but there wasn't any money in it (at least not the positive cash flow kind). The problem seems to be that the vast majority of DZOs these days seem to see what they do as a business. I know, I know, you're thinking I'm an ass hole for even suggesting that you do your own thing. "I can't afford to buy an airplane." "I can't dedicate 20 hours a weekend to running a DZ." "I can't..., I can't..., I can't..., I can't... Maybe you can? All it takes is dedication, and a some cash! Martin Myrtle Part Time DZO, and Full Time Electrician (so I can afford to eat indoors!) Experience is what you get when you thought you were going to get something else. AC DZ

There are some people who you simply can’t please. It sounds to me like her real complaint is the jump plane, but she couldn’t get anywhere complaining about an airplane flying in and out of an airport. I had a guy a few years ago complaining about my C182. According to him it “drones, and drones, and drones,” and this guy lives a couple of miles away from the airport! He also lives in the flight path of McConnell AFB, and fairly close to a very busy railroad track. I suggested that when he could convince the Federal Government, and Union Pacific to stop making noise, that I would as well. I started the conversation with a very congenial tone, by the end he’d pushed enough of my buttons that I advised him to go fornicate with himself. He never called me again, but as I understand didn’t give up his little campaign until he found something larger to worry about (cancer or something). Funny thing about this phone call, I was oblivious to what was happening around me. When I put the phone down and looked up, just about everyone in the hanger was staring at me, mouth agape. Good luck! Martin Experience is what you get when you thought you were going to get something else. AC DZ

We have an interesting situation, although I'm sure not all that unique. We're (k50) just outside the 5 mile radius of McConnell AFB (KIAB). The base uses a few traffic patterns, one of which routs their KC135s right over K50 at 1,200'. I do not have "permission" from the federal government, and we routinely fly right through this pattern. In the real world, it's only an issue when we jump on a week day evening, as they don't do much pattern training on the weekend. Weekdays though, there can be as many at three tankers doing closed circuit pattern work. They'll generally alter their pattern when we're jumping. Over the years, there have been a few skydivers who got a nice air to air view of a KC135. It's extremely rare, we're in contact with approach control at ICT, and we actively spot. We also have a few KC135 pilots who are skydivers. I was informed that the KC135 (Boeing 707 variant) "...is not a very good see and be seen aircraft." Add to that the fact that those pilots are not really paying much attention to what's outside the windscreen, even if they could see you, they're not looking. Interesting when the pilot gives "Jumpers away..." on approach frequency, and the controller comes back with "82X hold your jumpers." I ask my pilots to give "jumpers away just before "door."" It's one last chance to give a "red light." Experience is what you get when you thought you were going to get something else. AC DZ

So, you'll be at the Summer BOD, and General Membership meetings? Go share your thoughts with the BOD, you'll accomplish nothing by ranting here, I know from personal experience. Go to the meetings, get to know your RD. When you have an opinion you'd like to share, your RD will ask to recognize you (Robert's Rules of Order), and you say your piece. I went to the Winter meetings, spoke up multiple times, and learned quite a bit about how things work. The membership doesn't really give a shit about the BOD. 90% do not vote, and of the 10% who do vote 90% +/- of those vote on name recognition alone, and for the most part they only recognize the names of the incumbents. "Get out the vote" doesn't change anything if the electorate who vote are ignorant. Works at the USPA BOD level just as it does at the US National Level. Martin Experience is what you get when you thought you were going to get something else. AC DZ