gowlerk

They don't need to do any such thing. And they won't. Skydiving is currently enjoying the most popularity as a sport that it ever has. Without the USPA and other national groups this would not be so. But someone has to pay for the imperfect things they do. And that someone is you. Unless you quit. You need to be realistic in your expectations of what USPA can be. If you want strictly enforced rules it would have to be a regulatory organization with powers given to it by law. Like in the UK with BPA. They have a nanny state attitude toward sticking their nose into making a risk sport "safe". Is that what you want? Always remember the brave children who died defending your right to bear arms. Freedom is not free.

Bight, it’s a nautical rope term.

Be careful. Your tendency to hyperbole and lack of experience/knowledge is showing again. But at least you have passion.

I was told by someone who trains civilians on using firearms for protection that he tells them to "think hard before you pull the trigger, because if you ever shoot someone it will change your life forever". Always remember the brave children who died defending your right to bear arms. Freedom is not free.

I think I get it. Trump represented himself as someone who could return the rust belt to it's past as an industrial powerhouse with employers who had high paying jobs for people of modest education. People decided to believe that he could do that even though it was just wishful thinking. As far as understanding you goes, no, I do not get it. But you do remind me a little of Archie Bunker. So that's how I think of you. Even though I know this can't be true because Archie was too New York for you. Always remember the brave children who died defending your right to bear arms. Freedom is not free.

Took me awhile to decode that. It means "sombody's ire". Gotta love speech to text! Do you understand the concept of checking and editing before sending? Always remember the brave children who died defending your right to bear arms. Freedom is not free.

Thank God. Allah will continue to allow the King to take our money. The Holy oil revenue will flow! http://www.cbc.ca/news/business/saudi-arabia-canada-oil-supplies-jailed-activists-1.4778749 Always remember the brave children who died defending your right to bear arms. Freedom is not free.

I watched the beginning and the end. It basically says everyone can get along once they understand that Clinton et al is a criminal who tried to destroy the country but was stopped by the savior (Trump). Meanwhile, Trump surrounds himself with real criminals and will probably turn out to be a proven money launderer. But, at least he doesn't push for liberal causes. The resistance is strong and elections are coming. We'll have to wait and see who decides to vote this time. But in the real world, yes, for the most part people need to get along with each other. And they mostly do. Always remember the brave children who died defending your right to bear arms. Freedom is not free.

Snowflake You are very good at the childish tactic of name calling. Actually I'm doing an impersonation of your level of discourse. I'm sorry Bill misunderstood your use of the word dotard. I think he thought you were calling me that, and really you were objecting to me calling your Hero that. I was calling you a snowflake because of how easily you take offense. I suppose the dotard is the biggest snowflake out there. Always remember the brave children who died defending your right to bear arms. Freedom is not free.

Mostly I don't. I just sit back and watch him play you and the others. And make the occasional short pointed jab. Always remember the brave children who died defending your right to bear arms. Freedom is not free.

Snowflake Always remember the brave children who died defending your right to bear arms. Freedom is not free.

You may be confusing SIM recommendations with BSRs. They are not the same thing. I've never been to a USPA BoD meeting, but I can bet they are similar to the CSPA meetings I have attended. USPA is not a regulatory agency and has little power beyond expulsion to enforce it's policies. It was ever thus. And this very argument is never ending. Compliance is mostly encouraged not coerced. It is mostly an attempt to influence the culture, and culture changes slowly. If you want change your best bet is to become involved with the leaders of your DZ and encourage it. But don't go overboard or you will make enemies very quickly. Try your best to set an example and when you see stuff that you don't think is safe stay off the load.

But you never accept the basic premise. Skin in the game does not mean being an employee. It means risking all your assets to buy airplanes and fly people like you. Your complaint seems to be that membership is required. I am merely stating why it is so. USPA exists on your back, but you can throw the monkey off if you want to. Most people see the value. Apparently you don't.

Absolutely correct. I have it on good authority that the Dotard becoming POTUS is a direct punishment from God. She's really pissed about bathroom laws. Always remember the brave children who died defending your right to bear arms. Freedom is not free.

Who said they weren't? Of course they are. And yes, the main purpose of that policy is to fund USPA. So just start there if that's your main objection. Like I've already said, the people with skin in the game control the assets and take the risks. If you want to play in the playground that they own you have to follow their rules. Or you can build your own playground. It's far cheaper and easier to buy a membership though.

Yup, our neighbour and ally had this to say: Always remember the brave children who died defending your right to bear arms. Freedom is not free.

Some more information about the IPC and standardization of CoP requirements. This is written by the well known American, Pat Works. It explains how the push to standardization was from a meeting of the IPC in San Diego. Which I do believe is still on the US side of the Great Wall. It also explains how another American, Mr. Joe Crane, was instrumental in the creation of the FAI/IPC. http://works-words.com/NSM-WIKI/WP/wordpress/wiki/skydiving/org/associations-2/fai-international-parachuting-commission/

They actually matter to me not at all. They don't affect me in the least. I'm not sure of the nationality of FAI BoD members. It hardly matters to this subject. Parachuting is only a small part of the air sports that FAI organizes. It's actually the IPC, which is a sub committee of the FAI that looks after these rules. The IPC lists the names, but not the nationalities of it's board members. But I'd be surprised if there are not Americans there. As far as the rule changes for USPA licenses goes, they are long overdue. USPA is playing catch up here. No matter what the minimums are someone will object. Some will say they are too high, others too low. In Canada we laugh at how low the D requirements are for the USPA. Even tandem makers accept C CoPs from CSPA as good enough. Few Canadians hold CSPA Ds. US standards are regarded in the rest of the world as very low. I'm not sure why you are looking for more safety rules for canopy flight from USPA. I'm guessing a vote of the membership would say no thank you to more BSRs.

Apparently our government has upset the King and his son the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia by speaking too much about their political oppression. They have decided to retaliate by starting a trade war. I'm not sure how effective that will be given the small size of our trade. I guess it may be designed to let other nations know that such behavior will not be tolerated. How come America is still in the King's good books? https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/saudi-patients-wednesday-reuters-1.4777276?cmp=FB_Post_News Click below to see a picture of an Air Canada jet being flown into the CN tower 9/11 style. It was posted to social media by an angry Saudi group. https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/saudi-arabian-group-apologizes-for-posting-image-appearing-to-threaten-canada-with-9-11-style-attack-1.4775509 Always remember the brave children who died defending your right to bear arms. Freedom is not free.

Man, just how "American" is that? Imagine the Great Empire bowing down to Internationalists! The New World Order. USPA issues FAI credentials. If you don't want to adhere to FAI standards all you have to do is get USPA to withdraw from the National Aero club and stop issuing internationally recognized ratings. Simple. Just don't expect to be able to use them when traveling outside of the USA. Of course most Americans would have no problem with that because other countries don't count anyway. You could be a leader in isolationism! BTW, what makes you think America has no representation on the FAI BoD? Just because it has a "foreign" name? In fact, the USA is one of the founding members of the World Air Sports Federation (it's English name) and it has always had considerable influence on the body.

I’m pretty sure we have some members of Q-anon here. This story hit the “MSM” last week. Always remember the brave children who died defending your right to bear arms. Freedom is not free.

The real bottom line why DZOs require membership? Well, as I see it, DZOs are generally quite committed to the sport and industry. They believe, correctly in my view, that strong national associations are good for the sport. That also know that someone has to pay to keep them funded. So most of them agree to the system that forces you to either join, or jump somewhere that does not care about the sport that much. (Or a DZO that just can't be bothered) Most skydivers understand this basic fact and just pay for a membership. Some people would prefer a free ride, or they strongly disagree with some of the rules and complain about it. But DZOs are older and wiser in general. So just pay up or open your own DZ. It is set up the way it is in order to force skydivers to fund the organization. You are not wrong to believe that. But neither is the system wrong. It's well worth the small yearly fee. If only for the chance it gives you to complain endlessly.

Yes, reserve canopies are generally kept safe and protected inside a container that takes all the abuse. There are so many places for a H/C to get worn and become "close" to being non-airworthy. And that can be a very tough call. I'm still not comfortable with a time limit on them, but it sure does make more sense. We've all seen the ads for timed out European canopies, but I have not seen any for containers. Perhaps just the canopies are limited? That makes no sense at all. But regulations often don't make sense.

It just means she works as an employee of a loft with a 20 year policy. Please send all your "too old to pack" 1998 PD reserves to me. I'll use them to replace the 30 year old Swift Pluses and Ravens I'm packing for my customers.

Who cares what the Russians want? The point of the investigation is to find out what Americans did to help them. Always remember the brave children who died defending your right to bear arms. Freedom is not free.