UntamedDOG

The video demonstrates the impact and consequence of a skydivers inactions. It also demonstrates a lack of proper training methods. Witnessing a fatality firsthand or watching the video is more intense than imagining what might have happened. It provides greater impact and realism. A lot of newer skydivers could benefit from seeing how fast things can turn ugly and how little time you have to react. The video is tragic but I don’t believe pointing fingers and locking people up is the answer. These parents have to live with their decision to let their child jump without proper training. They will think about that decision every time they remember their son.

Go back and re-read my second post in that thread (reply #83). It should help to explain why I started that thread. clicky http://dropzone.com/cgi-bin/forum/gforum.cgi?post=1639706;search_string=desire%20to%20witness%20a%20fatality;guest=16551590#1639706 You need to open your mind and expand your horizons. Don’t let raw human emotion become the basis of your critical judgment against me. There are aspects of the human psyche that need to be explored in this sport, especially when they relate to how people react to death. You just proved my point.

A low altitude jump with no instructors? it had to be a static line student. Perhaps an AFF jump would have been more appropriate in this circumstance. 2 instructors jumping from a much higher altitude would have given sufficient time to get that chute out. It was interesting to watch the actual video of this skydive fatality. I had heard about it several months ago but did not know that they had it on video. I don’t find it offensive in the least that it’s posted on the internet. A lot of people want to watch it. I think people need to see the reality for what it truly is. This sport is fucking dangerous and hindsight always seems to be 20/20.

Huh? was that a rhetorical statement? Does one not know what it happens, when one doesn't know shit? So not only is your grammar bad, your memory is ambiguous as well. Maybe you should re-read your first post again.

I firmly suggest that you downsize. You are special. You have a better understanding of canopy physics at 100 jumps than most people who have 1000’s of jumps. I really wouldn’t pay much attention to what these experienced jumpers are telling you. They are just jealous that you are doing so good and progressing so much faster than they did. They are trying to hold you down. If you really want to turn some heads, I recommend the Velocity 90. You will push every envelope and it will be a true test of your talent and skill in the sport. When you have survived at least a dozen landings on this canopy, you can post your success story here in the forums. Only then, will people realize how wrong they were to question your judgment.

Never, only the student should make that decision. The student is the last person to leave the aircraft and jumps a larger canopy so it is unlikely that they are endangering other skydivers. It is very harsh and self-assuming to judge someone at such an early stage in their skydiving career. A wise man once said, there is no such thing as a bad student, only a bad teacher. With all the safety measures in place like AAD’s, radios and GPS navigation on the plane, the student program should be designed to be idiot proof. If you want to throw the Scott Lutz example at me, I say those instructors made the mistake of not training him in his practice harness properly. It is all about muscle memory and mistakes were clearly made with his training.

The guy who died at Cal City a few weeks back was jumping a Spectra 190. He had an opening that broke all the lines on his front riser. The rumor was that his packing technique wasn’t so good. This so called “soft opening” canopy still caused a fatality. You need to accept that packing has a lot to do with the way that your parachute is introduced to that 120mph wind stream above your head. Read the tips in all those Sabre threads. They will help your openings tremendously.

I love Steve-O for ruining his show like that! Adam Corolla is the biggest fat jerk on the planet. Adam was the co-host for MTV’s “Love Line” w/ Dr. Drew back in the 90’s. The guy is a way bigger idiot than Steve-O. At least Steve-O isn’t trying to pull a Jon Stewart by leaving MTV to become some sort of “respected TV personality”. I respect Steve-O for that. He’s not a sell-out. He isn’t trying to mass market himself. Keep it real Steve-O!!!

Not if they don't agree to do the work.

Are you crazy? I love dropzone politics! I love to hear about who is pissed at this DZ owner or that rigger and so forth. Gossip is what separates man from the beast. I often help the process myself by starting rumors and malign. Call me an old hen, but being a chatterbox has given me such a sense of social fulfillment in skydiving. To me, skydiving is all about the drama aspect. I like to hear about aircraft maintenance horror stories, who is pencil packing their reserve, and who lied on their Jumpmaster rating application. Terminological inexactitude. I really don’t care if it’s true. It’s simply a form of entertainment. UntamedDOG

That is the problem. Anytime a skydiver wants to leave the sport, they always have some lame excuse. I myself have been guilty of this. I really don’t think of Skydiving as a hobby/sport/pastime. In fact I find such comparisons to be insulting. Is religion a pastime? Is raising kids a hobby? There are legitimate excuses for taking a break such as finances and “fear” of death. I have more respect for someone who just comes out and says, “I’m a coward and I don’t want to die”. I guess being a good father and paying taxes is more fulfilling than anything skydiving can provide. There was a guy I met once who compared skydiving with a good round of golf. I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. He no longer jumps. I wasn’t surprised, I could tell he just didn’t get it. FUCKING SELLOUTS.

Wow, a bon mot reply to my obdurate witticism. You deserve a medal. Predictable but worth the kudoz! Besides, I’m saving the money for a speed boat. UntamedDog

I would love to know the answer to this. Judging by his avatar, I would say it’s a little of both. Right now, you are more at risk of myocardial infarction than a botched landing on a tiny 280. This thread should be a wake up call. Maybe the $3000 would be better spent on a gastric bypass?

Now that you are more comfortable, you can focus on your appearance. The first suggestion would be to lower that chin pad inside your helmet. Unless of course, you need padding for your lips.

OK, I’ve just submitted the following review for the Ranch. It is currently awaiting approval. The Ranch, a troubled dropzone. Although I have never actually visited this dropzone in person, I have been made aware that I am on their so called “death list”. At first I assumed the list was for newer jumpers who have yet to witness a skydiving fatality. Now I find out that I’m on this “death list” because people want ME to die! I was shocked. Who would want me dead? I went to my rig and unpacked the main. To my horror, I found that my slider had been tampered with. Someone from the Ranch broke into my house, unpacked my rig and collapsed half of my slider then repacked it without me even knowing. It is a good thing that I am so diligent, a compliment to my impeccable safety record. To those at the Ranch who doubt my skills, I’d like to send this special shout out...... Don’t fuck with me! We’re a new breed of skydiver. We learn things quicker, and we aren’t afraid to downsize. We only act cocky because we have more skills in 300 jumps than those who have thousands. You are all just jealous! Yes, I have been injured before in this sport but that is all ancient history. I'm not a weakling groveling for sympathy and I will not die so easily. P.S. The bathrooms suck!

Oh Ron, So tactful, you should be a therapist. I would like to give some advice to our disgruntled friend “Veter”. Please ignore 99.9 percent of the crap these guys are dishing out at you. If you really want to piss off this dropzone I would type up a review and post it in the dropzone section. Anyone who looks up The Ranch will see that you have given them an unequivocal THUMBS DOWNS. When you type the review, tell everyone about the death list and how unfairly they treated you. This is the only way to teach them a lesson. Sincerely, UntamedDOG

I just watched the video on launch.com This video is funny as shit! The video reminded me of when I was casket bearer for my dead grandmother. I love the facial expressions of the singer. It's nice to see a good video without Maria Carey or Chingy showing off their bling bling Why can't we have more creativity like this in EmptyV?

It appears that skydivers don’t support each other very often on this website. This thread has demonstrated a valuable lesson. If you want to find people who support your viewpoint just start a thread insinuating the exact opposite of how you really feel. The contradictory replies you receive will actually support your perspective. Humans. So predictable.

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I think it is time that we give the DZ owners in our community a break. I think we should raise the price of jump tickets to $35 per jump. After all, it’s only money. The added cost will result in fewer jumps per year by all but the most financially affluent. Despite this fact, I believe that money should be no object when it comes to skydiving. Ever since going Republican, I have had a change of heart about how to run a successful business in a tight economy. Although the rising cost of fuel at the gas pump does not necessarily dictate an upsurge for Jet A, most skydivers don’t realize this and are satisfied when you use the gas pump analogy. After all, who are they going to complain to? The FAA? Another suggestion would be to get all the DZ owners in a particular area to work conjointly to keep the ticket prices high. They can all charge the same rate without fear of competition. Furthermore, they can agree to a jump altitude of 10K with no exceptions. If we set a 10K altitude limit, we could save even more money by going back to flying Cessna 182’s. This rate increase will be a true test of loyalty. It will also insure an upscale demographic in our sport. Most importantly, we will be generating more profit with fewer loads. The possibilities are endless. Most true skydivers are willing to do whatever it takes to feed their addiction. I see dollar signs in the future for DZ owners who are willing to take part in my strategy.

I hope some of these dropzones go out of business. I'm tired of dropzones refusing to absorb the fuel cost increase. Every other type of business has been able to do this sucessfully. It's all lies. Do you think the jumptickets will ever go down once the fuel gets cheap again? Yeah! It hasn't happened yet. Crooks.

Dude, why are you using the “wife factor” to justify your hesitation to skydive? Admit it. You are just afraid to do it. It has nothing at all to do with your wife. If you really want to skydive, there is no law that says you have to tell your spouse that you are doing it. Men cheat on their wives all the time and never tell. Obviously, if these men can keep a secret that big, then skydiving should be relatively easy to accomplish. Nutt out…..Grow a sack….then learn to jump!....punk.

Good news. I have been offered free transportation onboard the DC-9 jet to the WFFC. Last week I visited Perris. I was approached by a rather esoteric group of skydivers who wanted to open a dialogue. Apparently my predilections were not to their taste. They told me that some of the local skygods were trying to run me out of the community. I laughed pretty hard when they told me that this guy named “Dom” was looking for me. They asked why I had a desire to witness a fatality. I explained that to jump out of an airplane is to embrace one’s own death. To witness it is to a flee from it. While this statement is pharisaical by nature, I just can’t get over throwing out an oxymoron to justify my opinions. I was able to convince them that they were wrong to judge me. Apparently, having more money than common sense, they offered to pay for my plane ticket to the WFFC, just so they wouldn’t feel stupid. I now plan to attend this trip as the ex cathedra plenipotentiary on behalf of Perris Valley. I predict that we will be welcomed to the WFFC the same way the Beatles were in 1964. Adoring fans gathering around the staircase in awe of us. It will be one hell of an ego boost!

Ever since watching “The Fast and the Furious” I've had a soft spot in my heart for street racers. I’m totally sad that your friend died. The question I have for the O.P. is what do you plan to do with all of your anger? What if they never find the racers involved in the accident? Don’t dwell on these lost dreams and broken hearts. It just isn’t worth it. It isn't your problem to "deal" with.

People fuck up sometimes. Haven't you ever fucked up before? Life is harsh. Sometimes people take their aggressions out by racing their cars. Other people jump out of planes from 12K feet. Have you ever wondered how dangerous a human body is in freefall to the people and property on the ground?