Levin

Why the hell are so many DZ's in Texas closing during the holidays???

Skydive Houston will be closed New Year's Eve and Day

the tunnel is still around. they have been having trouble with locations since it is so loud. it's currently located at 8 & MLK. Last I flew in it skydiver prices were $5 a minute if you bought at least 10 minutes. Their new multi level L1 tunnel is scheduled to open next summer at Memorial City Mall.

brit and i were driving on 1960 in houston. we saw a truck in front of us with skydiving stickers. i put on my helmet cam, drove up beside him and honked the horn. brit recognized him. can't remember who it was. san marcos jumper.

Memorial City Mall Summer 2005

I believe his rigging business is a seperate entity. I don't think he could lose his rigging business, only his onsite location. What he could stand to lose is his staff manager position at ASC, which I hardly believe is a job worth keeping. I imagine that position must pay him pretty well. I don't see how he can change anything. The owner is unethical and encourages those kind of business practices. For Mike to change anything he would essentially have to tell his boss and buddy how to run his business.

I read the post earlier and just re-read them. I did not interpret those post as an attack on Chuck. Instead I read that as a reply to Chuck that Mike has brought this upon himself. If anything I interpret those post as attacks on Mike.

I called them a while back just to check them out for myself. I also talked to Bruce. I found him to be vague, evasive and ignorant.

Chuting Star Rigging may have come under the spot light because of association, but he stayed under the spot light because he is the staff manager at ASC. How has Chuck been lumped into the bad guy category? I've read the post and I don't see it. Maybe I missed something.

Sorry the content of this thread does not sit well with you. Alot of people have real grief with what Skyride is doing. A number of them are already taking action in the form of lawsuits. It takes time and money to get that ball rolling. Voicing opinions and facts in this thread is also a form of taking action. This thread has brought this subject into a whole new light. Those opinions and facts are what informs the reader on this issue. This issue affects everybody and I don't think anybody is going to just get over it. The funds generated from SkyRide are used to open new 'real' ASC affiliated DZ's with a similar code of ethics. When that happens in your home town it will personally affect you. The title of this thread is "What can we do about SkyRide?". The thread is a call for action. The proposals by some to boycott SkyRide, ASC, ChutingStar Rigging Loft and DZ's that accept the certificates is a legitimate proposed form of action. I'm not sure if I agree with it or not, but wether we like it or not is beside the point. If you choose to jump at a DZ that accepts the certificates then that is your prerogative. Nobody is putting down the fun jumpers at ASC because they choose to jump there. All that has been asked of them is to inform themselves on this issue. My opinion of the staff is different. They support a DZ whose business practices are illegal, unethical and very questionable. Mike hasn't been targeted because his loft is in the building or his 4-way team is based there. He's being targeted because he is the staff manager at ASC. He oversees a staff that for example lies and claims to be a DZ they are not in an effort to solicit credit card charges from their competitor's customers (post #384). Since he is the manager he is responsible. As for his business, Mike knew or should have known that the good name of his rigging loft could be tarnished by associating it with an unethical dropzone and a parasitic company.

could it be because they are landing down wind.

Hey Mike, Sorry for just now getting back to you. I don't doubt that ASC does great things for it's jumpers. My problem is with ASC's business ethics. I'm amazed that you can justify the taking down of signs and the placement of those bumber stickers on another competitor's gate and clubhouse. In politics taking down another candidates signs is frowned upon. Does not placing bumber stickers on your competitor's gate and clubhouse seem like a stick in the eye? And how about the issue with your manifest and phone operators claiming to be the DZ in Rome, GA over the phone in an attempt to solicit a credit card charge from another DZ's customers? If you are the staff manager then ultimately you are to blame. Your allegations about Sandor Vali aren't relevant. That good DZ, bad DZ stuff goes on everywhere. What worries me about this whole thing is Cary opening up more ASC affiliated DZ's. He endorses unethical and criminal business practices. I don't want the problems going on in Georgia coming to our backyard. edit: rephrase something

AUSTRALIA being that it's 48 degrees outside right now, to me nothin' sounds cooler than summer in the winter.

because it seems like you'll defend anything with 2 blind eyes.

just based on his posts in these forums i would gather that Mike is probably one of the nicest people i would ever meet. just because he is super nice doesn't mean that on the business side he is a good guy. by "business side" i am referring to his association with asc/skride, not his rigging.

wow, i really wasn't expecting one and your temp reply is nice, polite and formal. now i feel like an ass for coming across as one. that doesn't change the way i feel about asc and the events i posted. looking forward to reading your response.

Howdy Mike!! Being how you are pro-skyride and an ASC staff member, I’d like to hear your responses in regards to these events that were mentioned in some of the past post in this thread. Yep, that's some pretty interesting stuff, Mike. Taking down competitors signs and replacing them with your own. Putting your own bumper stickers on your competitor's gates. Lieing to and stealing from your competition and their customers. Atleast 24 times no less. Is that the kind of business practices you manage? Not the kind of behavior I would expect from a professional. Wether your the manager or just a staff member, condoning these kind of business practices is mud. Perhaps you'd like to begin your road to redemption with an apology to the skydiving comunity and an immediate disassociation from ASC/SkyRide. Or is the price for selling out your sport to high to walk away from? Don't be a falling star and chute us your response. Or are you going to hide in shame and let benny handle that for you.

I've jumped in 36mph winds that were steady with hardly any noticable variation or gust. It was just a steady bend the trees over 36mph wind. Really didn't seem that bad. What scares me are sudden strong gust and obstancles on the ground that create turbulence. If the wind is blowing 15mph and in 1 second or less it jumps to 25mph then screw that. But if the winds are blowing 15mph and then a gradual gust comes along that takes 5 - 10 seconds to build up to 25mph and stays like that for 10 - 20 seconds before gradually going back down to 15mph then that isn't that bad. If that same wind is coming across a small forest then golf courses, houses and finally a hanger then probably screw that. If it's coming across several open fields with nothing to swirl the air then not as big a deal. Wind chill is also a deciding factor for me. Although that has nothing to do with it being more dangerous.

very creative idea hope the rope doesn't break seriously, it sounds like it could work. would probably be best to try it at the new L1 tunnel in NC. or wear a neck brace (just in case) if you try it in a tunnel with walls.

i voted for ya, but i couldn't find country on the drop down list. i picked reggae instead. i like it too. still haven't received the confirmation email to finalize the vote.

my advise, in the meantime spend some of that money saved from not jumping on some really cool freefly tapes. or dvds. that'll hold ya thru the bad weather, somewhat. check out chronicles3 first.

that's one dz i plan on visiting when i get the chance just because of the name. how could you forget that one dave.

i agree, that's bullshit. a smoke jump from 7500' gives you approximately 10 seconds of smoke on the strut, 25 - 30 seconds of smoke in freefall and 20 - 25 seconds of smoke under canopy. the smoke cannisters are typically burnt out by the time you land preventing anyone on the ground with breathing problems from inhaling the smoke. perhaps the jumpers that organize that demo should be a little more open minded to their possibilities.

didn't a DZ recently open up in that area called Skydive Cowtown?