RackJR

I'll ask Rusty today, he's probably flown one. His ZP Ouragon is here, a couple of us have flown that. if you haven't flown it much, keep in mind that it's pretty warm to fly ZP for extended periods. Say what you mean. Do what you say.

sorry Kelli i'm having way, way too much fun. Say what you mean. Do what you say.

man i love it. i'm not fishing for anything. i'm not the only one with this information. since i doubt you shared it with anyone, that means Ben did. it's unfortuntate that i don't want to drag other people into this, who aren't talking on their own, because you know as well as i do that you did apply to work there, and were not given a job. i will say that one of my best friends is the reason you don't have a job there. that person was willing to say that you are nothing but a problem, and that they shouldn't hire you. again JP, i'm not fishing for anything. you asked for those positions, and didn't get them. you then presented yourself as having that role, when you didn't. i'm the only one talking about it right now, but the whole staff knew you were signing your emails to customers as "lead instructor", and laughing at your tremendous ego that you were giving yourself a title that you would never have. i read the email JP. we passed it around. you called yourself the lead instructor, a position you never had. I still work at SVCO. what agreement are you talking about? You, after hearing information from an explicity confidential meeting of instructors, went THE NEXT DAY to another staff member to share, in direct contradiction of those EXPLICIT instructions, that information. dude you were doomed from that moment on. you had the trust of no one. you deserved the trust of no one. had you not left, you would have been fired, not just for that, and you know that perfectly well. I'm living up to my word. i still work there. i have a year left to go on my contract, and i'll be there long after that. You are saying in your profile that you are a tunnel instructor, when in fact you're not, and given that your reputation now precedes you, you probably won't be again. but keep up the facade. we love it. if you mean that i offered to quit, in response to your inability to maintain a level of trust, that's true, i did. i offered to pay back their investment in me, since i was working at the tunnel as a "fun" job, not my primary source of income. when i was ready to go to blows over you being untrustworthy, i thought it was probably time to leave. the owners decided to fire the other employee, and asked me to stay. unfortunately you left before you got fired. personally it would have been very gratifying to see you canned. i guess you're at least smart enough to see that you were on the way out. you mispelled privy. your spelling and grammar suck. you're not bringing up anything else about experience, or my lack of it. that makes me smile. but keep talking. it gives me so many opportunities to point out the flaws, as you're clearly not clever enough to keep up with your own lies. slander is a term that denotes a lie, a false statement that typically injures a person's reputation. i have done nothing of the kind. i have simply shared the truth. painful as that may be to you, it doesn't make it slander. you've made your own reputation. the great part is, you've done it at big drop zones. people know you. i'm positive that the silent majority is nodding it's head at everything i post. your actions in the past are the only piece of proof anyone needs to know exactly how you operate. also, slander is verbal. in print, it's called libel. i never thought i'd have so much fun in a forum. the best part is, you took a thread talking about the power grid, and made it a personal insult against me and Derek. Was telling me to "try having a personality" the only thing you could come up with? fantastic. thank you for opening the door. i hope this has been as entertaining for anyone else as it has been for us. I'll continue to hope that you will KEEP IT COMING!!!! I love the internet. Say what you mean. Do what you say.

oops, i guess you did get the L3 sign off, for time in the tunnel. not skill. nice job JP. Say what you mean. Do what you say.

i never claimed to have no ego. I said the only person showing their unbelievable ego was you. there are several people who would have a different story about SVNH, and since it would not be their ego bruised by the truth, i think i'll take their word. I never did work at the Perris tunnel. I did fly about 60 hours there, with coaching and without, i knew all of the instructors there, i still talk to them. Kris Reynolds still works here. he knows pretty well what happened there with you. Scott Levesque still works here. He does too. Keith. Shane. Derek Cox. the list goes on. Current Perris employees relayed that you called Ben an idiot, and he told you not to come back ever. I cannot even believe that you have the arrogance to say i never saw you miss a spot. of course i did. your ego simply will not allow that to be public. you moved about as slowly as Rob. I've never said anything about having a perfect record, so you're not slamming me to say it isn't perfect now, and never was. i'm well aware that i'm not achieving perfection. what a crazy ego you must really have, that's only just leaking out now a little. you keep pointing to limited experience. That's fine. i have no problem pointing out to anyone that i started tunnel flying only 5 years ago, and i've been an instructor only a year. i'm not claiming in my profile to be a tunnel instructor when i'm not. all your experience didn't move you into the "lead instructor" position you asked for, and then called yourself even though you had no such title. it also didn't get you the "safety supervisor" role you asked for, and then called yourself even though you had no such title. all your experience didn't keep me from passing your flight skills in a matter of weeks. in much less time than you've been an instructor, i've gotten to L3, with some L4 sign-offs, and T2 sign-offs. you're a L1, with some L2 sign-offs. I do have an ego, here it is. keep it coming JP. I promise you i'm loving that there's no mod in here. Say what you mean. Do what you say.

but it brings a smile to my face daily.......... ;) Say what you mean. Do what you say.

anecdotal Say what you mean. Do what you say.

but not 45 people dying every year. Not 2 people in the last week. 1 fatality in the history of tunnels. is that right? Some injuries? I'm not trying to say you can't be hurt. But comparing it to skydiving, and then saying it's more dangerous, is ridiculous. the incident in perris was a belly flyer, being coached, who caught his foot on the door going up, stood up vertical, rolled head down and Christie missed the spot. it was a few years ago. Since you just added the double wrist in eloy, we should probably note that the IBA trained instructors told Olav not to go head down until he was more comfortable in the tunnel. the story i heard was that he held a sit for about 30 seconds, flipped to his head, held that for about 10 seconds and then slammed into the wall. If someone does something intentionally stupid, what can be done to prevent that? how many more people are now flying in tunnels, as opposed to skydiving, and not getting hurt? you sound like a news reporter, who with limited information, inflames the story to look sensational. the bottom line is that people do sometimes get minor injuries, and rarely, a serious one. It's not a serious problem, and the people who still work in the industry would rather not have a former instructor going around telling people that flying in the tunnel is going to be a dangerous, potentially injurious experience. I think that most return flyers, skydivers or not, come to realize quickly that they could possibly be hurt. You can get hurt playing golf, too, but most instructors aren't out there preaching about how it's dangerous. Part of the reason that injuries aren't more prevalent is that there IS a progression, thought out by people with years of experience, to step people gradually forward. Because you don't always have an instructor with you while skydiving doesn't make skydiving safe. Part of the reason there aren't more injuries is because we DO have instructors who are (hopefully) trained to recognize potential problems, try to prevent them, and if that's not possible at least try to minimize the potential for injury. Are you saying that IF we didn't have instructors in there, THEN tunnel flying would be potentially more dangerous than skydiving? Ok, i'll agree with that, but if frogs had wings they wouldn't bump their ass when they jump. what's the point of debating that? JP the only person here who is flaunting their ego is you. you keep going on and on about the potential for serious injury, in the face of personal experience from other instuctors. you've insulted both myself and Derek when you run out of responses. Your posts constantly talk about you. You, you you. In this last one "your perfect streak", or a previous one, claiming to have intimate knowledge of the system, and then making incorrect statements about how it operates. When you worked here, i saw you miss plenty of spots. None resulted in an injury, but to post something about your perfection is such an incredibly egotistical thing to say, it galls me. I have certainly missed spots as well, but you won't find me talking about any kind of "perfect record". Since you're asking, you weren't hired. You have been the pariah everywhere you've gone. You were never part of the team here, and your days were numbered no matter how it ended. It was exactly the same in Perris, from what I understand. You're not allowed back at the Perris DZ. Maybe someday you'll realize, you keep having the same problems, and the only common factor is you. Say what you mean. Do what you say.

edit for spelling jp Say what you mean. Do what you say.

I believe it to be more dangerous for most skydivers. *** ok JP, tell us all why. is it because of the vast number of fatalities that come from tunnels? or maybe the even bigger number of injury reports? Should we contact Parachutist and ask if we can start a new column there, "Tunnel Incident Report"? Show us all the stats you're basing that statement upon. I know of one (1) tunnel flier that was seriously injured, happened in Perris and he's in a wheelchair, i believe for the rest of his life. Come on, rattle off some other serious injuries. tell us all exactly why tunnels are more dangerous. Or maybe you need to read your own signature. Say what you mean. Do what you say.

so i guess your argument is over, and the only thing left to do is try to salvage your ego by insulting me? when you get back to colorado we can discuss that in much greater length. i will look forward very much to that discussion. until then, please, keep educating the world with your opinions. it gives the rest of us something to prove wrong. how'd it go at SVNH? Say what you mean. Do what you say.

Julie if you want something you don't have to travel for Mike Swanson will be at SVCO the 3rd week of jan. i know he's doing some flying, and based on previous conversation i think he'd be willing to do some coaching. he's a member of the freefly team Alchemy, several times over the national/world champion team. let me know. -jason Say what you mean. Do what you say.

I didn't see the lights go out.*** it just doesn't matter what everyone else says, does it JP? even a video of someone flying in a non recirculating tunnel that loses power doesn't prove to you that the flight didn't "immediately" stop. you're so intent on finding a flaw in the power loss that makes it not qualify as the power loss you're looking for. what's the point of even having a conversation if there's no potential for change? the guy who actually experienced it said he heard the failure rather than felt it, and was gently set back down on the net. seems reasonable that a higher windspeed, like freeflying speed, would take even longer to set a person down. flying in a recirculating tunnel would take even longer. if the lights had gone out, then you could say that there was no video to prove that he actually didn't crash to the net, huh? Say what you mean. Do what you say.

where is the Genting Skyventure? i'm not familiar with that one. Say what you mean. Do what you say.

love you Say what you mean. Do what you say.

jp you certainly have no room to talk about egos (i think you can single handedly prove beyond doubt that ego travels). leave that out of it. one of your posts clearly stated (i don't have the exact quote at this second) that a power outtage while freeflying would result in a serious potential for injury. Derek said nothing about tunnel flying being safer than skydiving. where did you come up with that? the only thing either of us has said is that a power loss at SVCO is going to be a non issue for nearly every single flier that will ever come here, in response to a post that suggested potential for serious injury. you seconded that idea (serious injury). you have not experienced a power outtage here. no one has. i don't even remember you flying in the tunnel after we cut the power using the stick. i can't speak for Derek (even though he's standing right here) but i feel that there's no need to scare anyone about a power loss. suggesting that anyone is going to be seriously hurt, with no experiential basis for that suggestion, is irresponsible. Shane has experienced a power outtage with fliers in Perris, and his experience does not match your story at all. there's nothing personal about it, except that we work here and don't want the clients scared about something because of someone's need to post overly dramatic messages. Say what you mean. Do what you say.

i did ask shane. i posted his response. it was, that the power was cut to the entire tunnel. the grid went out in the area. how does that not cover your "losing power to the VFD's"? as to the experience of a thing, usually that helps to clarify what parts of a theory are correct. is bedford of the same design as SVCO? if i remember correctly, it's not. so again, i'll suggest that your experience would allow you to comment on what happens in your tunnel. i have, at no time, attempted to refute what your experience was at bedford. i simply don't know, as i have never experienced it personally. i'll take is as good luck that i read this post, however. if i do travel to bedford, at least i'll know that a power loss (or shutdown) there will be different than what i have experienced here in colorado. Say what you mean. Do what you say.

have you personally experienced any of the 3 scenarios i listed? when Shane says the power was cut to the Perris tunnel, what does that mean to you? Say what you mean. Do what you say.

ok i'll give up after this. you seem to conveniently neglect commenting on the fact that someone has been flying during a power grid failure in Perris and flew to the door and safely exited. nothing in your technical explanation says anything different than what i've been saying. under power, the wind slows faster than with a loss of power. i guess i'm at a loss. i feel like you have not listed any reason why the wind would stop faster under a power outtage, and accept that with power, the wind is slowed by the fan blades more than if there was no power. if a lawnmower is suddenly shut off, no power whatsoever, and you stick your hand into the moving blade, will it not still cut you? if the fan blades continue to turn because of the momentum they possess, are they not still pulling wind? you claim it's negligible. ok, but my experience, and the experience of others who i trust, tells me otherwise. i think i'm going to stick with that. in my experience, and the experience of other skyventure instructors, there is no reason to believe that a loss of power would be dangerous to 99.9% of tunnel fliers. we could come up with only one, hanging on to the top, and even then felt that with the skill level necessary to be able to hang on to the top, you would probably also possess the skill to slow your descent. Say what you mean. Do what you say.

ok, so i've listed 3 different instructors, in 3 different situations, within my posts. 1, a pullback of the throttle at SVCO, a slight hesitation, then Derek jumping in, flying to the top, and safely flying back down (happens daily). 2. a vibration sensor trip that immediately shut down the system (happened twice). i was flying one of those, felt the drop, flew to the door and safely exited. 3. a SVPerris employee, flying in the tunnel, when the grid went out. he felt the drop, flew to the door, and exited safely. not sure what else to list, or what other situation you are speaking of. since we're still on it. if you aknowledge that the VFD's "brake" the system, however they do it (i'm not interested in hearing more about what defines a brake), are the fans simultaneously being powered as well? what i mean is, since you are suggesting that a power outtage is significantly different from an e-stop or throttling back (even though the experience of an instructor says different), why is that? would it make sense, in any way, to continue to power the fans as you apply the brakes? would it not follow logically, that if the brake is electronic, and a power failure would do the same thing to the fans as throttling back, except that the lack of power would disable the "brake", that the slow down time for both the fans and the wind speed would be longer? Say what you mean. Do what you say.

"braking" means to me a reduction in the speed of something through an outside means. for instance if you let off the throttle of the car, and don't step on the brake, it will take longer for the car to come to rest than if you do step on the brake. something in the wind tunnel system slows the fans more quickly than they would stop on their own if no outside force were applied. if that's not a brake "in mechanical terms", and the only way you'll accept that braking is happening is if we have a pedal on the floor that we step on after throttling back, maybe you need to get outside of the box a little bit more. And - to be a little bolder... I will happily put my money where my mouth is if any of you are confident enough for a wager if you'd like to do that, i'm sure we can accommodate you. since both Derek and i have been in this tunnel during flight, when the fans were immediately taken to zero, and survived with no damage at all, i don't think it's right for anyone to suggest that someone will be hurt by a power outtage. and, as stated in a similar post, a skyventure Perris employee told me today that his experience was nearly identical to mine, i.e. no physical damage when the power grid actually went out. since you don't seem to be swayed by testimony from first-hand experience, it seems the only way you will believe it is to come try it. see you then. however, i do think that barring you having that experience personally, your commentary should be limited to what you have experienced personally. or, if perhaps another person would help sway you, maybe run it by Katie Woods the next time you speak to her. she's been at our tunnel a lot recently, and has certainly seen Derek pop to the top after the power has been brought down, then easily fly down and exit the door safely. cheers. Say what you mean. Do what you say.

oh yeah. and i was in the eloy tunnel while they were fixing the braking system, because it had stopped working and it was taking way too long to bring the wind down. Larry was in there with someone i didn't recognize, working in what i took to be their VFD room. i don't know exactly how the braking works, but i know it's there. and not just in our tunnel. throwing out numbers, watts, volts, whatever sounds very technical, and that's great. but the brakes are there and they work. i'm not sure exactly how the microwave works either, but you wouldn't try to tell me that it doesn't heat up my food, would you? Say what you mean. Do what you say.

we've had the discussion going today. Shane (working at SVCO for the next month but normally works in perris) commented that he himself was flying in the perris tunnel when the power went out, and flew to the door and exited. i was personally flying during an emergency shutdown, flew to the door (from 1/2 up the tunnel) and exited. JP's comment that the e-stop takes less time than pulling the stick to zero simply demonstrates that he doens't know as much as he'd like you to think. it takes almost twice as long to e-stop the wind as it does to pull the stick back to zero. i didn't say the power outtage would go unnoticed. i said it would be a non event for most flyers, meaning that they would not be hurt, simply set down on the net, and be able to laugh about it later. i cannot comment on another tunnel, as i don't have personal experience. you probably shouldn't either. if you want to find out, come try it. but speaking from someone who has tried it, i can say it would be a non event for 99.9% of tunnel fliers. Say what you mean. Do what you say.

I disagree. Knowing the systems as I do, neither the e-stop, or pulling the stick back to zero simulate a power outage. Having been an instructor and a flyer during power failures in tunnels I can say when the power stops, so does flight. Immediately.*** somehow the laws of physics must cease to exist in a tunnel that loses power, right? Derek (hooknswoop) pointed out that it takes more energy to stop the fans by pulling the stick down than an e stop or power outage, because the brakes require energy to work. if the power goes out, the fan blades don't stop turning immediately (the physics of motion). i was flying in our tunnel (SVCO) when the vibration sensor shut off the fans. i was standing on the wall about 1/2 way up, immediately felt the power go down, flew to the door and exited. Derek flies to the top, after the stick has been pulled to zero, and flies back down, AND THAT'S WITH THE BRAKES WORKING. a power outage might be a problem for someone hanging on to the turn vanes at the top. maybe. but what are the odds of the power going out while someone is hanging on to the top? what number of people can do that (hang on to the turn vanes) in the first place? Derek is right. for 99.9% of tunnel fliers, a power outage at SVCO would be a non issue, just an interesting story to tell your friends. Say what you mean. Do what you say.

this is completely a rumor, i have not spoken to any of these people to confirm or deny, but i doubt they'd do that anyway. the rumor around mile hi is that the new members of the team are -Kevin Love -Jason Tolliver -Justin Thornton i heard a 4th name but i can't remember it. again, this is just the rumor that's floating around the dz (and the tunnel). and reading the other posts, it sounds like Jim is one of the members. if anyone is mad that i posted it, oh well. i just had shoulder surgery and have nothing better to do. what's your excuse? Say what you mean. Do what you say.