DougH

Lots of grey area here. If known policy is that renters replace all damaged or lost gear, then you agree to that, or you buy your own gear and don't rent. I don't think students should be responsible for lost gear, it is a cost of business, and part of training students. Still you may be a student, but you are still an adult. If that is the DZ policy and you don't agree you should vote with your feet and go to a different DZ. Either way there shouldn't be the charge of a new replacement canopy. A new canopy was not lost. There should be the cost of a ragged out student canopy that needs a new line set! DZ should also try to keep their rental gear in better shape, it is in their best interest to do so, regardless of who has to pay for the loss. It doesn't sound great that this canopy was known to be having slider hang ups but was still being rented out. "The restraining order says you're only allowed to touch me in freefall" =P

Who is running the event? If I recall it wasn't just finger prints and background checks that made many avoid the event recently. "The restraining order says you're only allowed to touch me in freefall" =P

FAA physical is hardly a test of fitness. I am far from this decision, but if we are still throwing drogues in 27 years I will probably put a stress test on my check list. One of my friends was super fit on the outside. He was an older guy, ran marathons, could have ran circles around me. Died of a heart attack on a jump, which by itself was tragic, but would have been even worse if it wasn't a solo (he wasn't a TI). "The restraining order says you're only allowed to touch me in freefall" =P

Grew up in NJ, drivers there think it is tank combat. I had a lifted truck with big welded steel bumpers, but people still insisted on tailgating and being dicks. I drove pretty damn fast back then, and I followed keep right except to pass. If I am passing someone at 85 wait for me to pass the person and so I can then move out of your way! You really cant wait the 30 seconds, you are going to fly up my ass with your BMW to hurry me along for 30 seconds? I put bright ass utility lights in the back for night time tailgaiters and piece of black shit pipe in the trailer hitch. At that point it wasn't as much of a brake check as it was a radiator punch. ;) "The restraining order says you're only allowed to touch me in freefall" =P

Looks excellent, I have one of the first Sony's with BOSS but I haven't been flying outside video much, so I never get any further than having exit equipment make me a custom box. This would be so much smaller and lighter. I am guessing the bigger camera body would still handle low light and other conditions better overall though. "The restraining order says you're only allowed to touch me in freefall" =P

I heard a story of a bunch of jerks that brought a cat along on a 182 load with the intention of tossing it out and catching it. Skyball with claws. When they opened the door the cat turned into the tazmanian devil and started attacking everyone it could get to like a meth crazed buzz saw. All evil doer jumpers got a good ass kicking, and then jumped, leaving the pilot to fend for the cat. I can't verify the story, but if true they got what they deserved, including the complicit pilot! "The restraining order says you're only allowed to touch me in freefall" =P

Do you have a recommendation for one that fits that bill? "The restraining order says you're only allowed to touch me in freefall" =P

I would think that you have to get the right people interested in the fact that a large volume of state consumers were being short changed something of quantifiable value. Then you would have to guide them through a way to verify that consumers are being short changed. It may not even be in the ballpark of something that they give a shit about, unless you tip off someone in that office to the fact that they were personally ripped off. Probably best to take the high road. I think you will win in the long run by being the DZ with better customer service, and a better atmosphere. "The restraining order says you're only allowed to touch me in freefall" =P

Skydivers don't sue, and snitches get stitches, but just maybe the state Consumer Protection agency could figure this fraud out, you know... on their own. "The restraining order says you're only allowed to touch me in freefall" =P

We are the government, we are here to help (push the agendas of various persons and parties at the expense of the overall population). "The restraining order says you're only allowed to touch me in freefall" =P

Are fellow DZ's experiencing a similar decrease? My guess is that the other DZ's are shitting where they eat, and unfortunately they are also shitting where you eat too. They are probably taking customers that may have gone to your drop zone due to you marketing campaign and website. These customers were going to jump regardless at one of the local DZ's, but they did their one lifetime jump or one annual jump through a groupon promotion. I haven't seen a decrease where I work as an instructor, but you have just as many local factors impacting business, as you do overall economy impacts. "The restraining order says you're only allowed to touch me in freefall" =P

IMHO business that partner are the ones that are driving the race to the bottom. You have trained a good amount of your customers to sit around an wait for a deal. Why would you want to pay another business a large cut of your gross margin, for poaching customers that would have found your business if you hadn't used Groupon? Sure people use it to pay for that engine that needs a rebuild, or for cash flow, but they are still cutting huge into their margins. You would be better off getting a line of credit with the local bank, than salting the earth partnering with Groupon. "The restraining order says you're only allowed to touch me in freefall" =P

Is Nylon similar to polycarbonate? Some flavored e-juice has been known to etch polycarbonate tanks that make up vaping equipment. The juices that etch and crack tanks are citrus flavored or cinnamon flavored. It isn't the PG or VG that causes the issue, it is some chemical in the flavor compounds. Does the customer know which asshole spilled the juice? I have no tolerance for people that put something that can be spilled near rigs. I would be fuming. "The restraining order says you're only allowed to touch me in freefall" =P

Your point makes zero sense. The situation ended perfectly, unless you count the death of the aggressor to be a huge loss. No innocent lives lost. You can't prove that there were good guys with guns there in the first place. You can't prove that there was a direct situation that the good guys with guns needed to respond to. If I accept your "fact" that there were good guys with gun there, then we can all stop and recognize the fact that your alleged good guys with guns didn't make the situation worse, by turning it in to a wild west shoot out resulting in loss of innocent lives. That is a huge claim of the "gun-o-phobe" curl in a ball and pray to spaghetti monster crowd. The point of a concealed weapon is to be able to respond to imminent threats to the safety of yourself, your family, and others; WHEN A RESPONSE WOULD BE NECESSARY AND APPROPRIATE! Responsible gun owners exercise restraint. The point isn't that they can make every situation better, the point is that they can do more to try to make a situation better when there are no other options than a bunch of helpless people with no ability to respond other than retreat or hide. I will say it again, I am very sorry for your loss Kallend. I am sorry that gun owners didn't kill a bunch of innocent people, I know this lost opportunity to further your agenda must be crushing. I am sorry that this wasn't some right wing nut job that was able to kill a bunch of people, it must be a real shame to know this was just workplace violence, how sad. "The restraining order says you're only allowed to touch me in freefall" =P

Haven't had one in a while. I used to have ones where bad shit looked like it was happening to my buddies, but never did. For example I am watching my buddies doing a four way turning points right down to the basement, and they disappear behind a hill. I rush over and they are all walking back packed. "The restraining order says you're only allowed to touch me in freefall" =P

Careful now.....depending on the gun free workplace and the religion of the shooter, workplace violence quickly becomes terrorism. I suppose the shootings in San Bernardino were just workplace violence. The guy was an employee and all. All buses are automobiles, but all automobiles are not buses. This might be correct, if he was pissed about someone stealing his red stapler, and being put in a basement broom closet, and was watching too much Office Space. Instead he was consuming extremist jihadi propaganda on the internet, and he sympathized with ISIS, instead of Ron Livingston. I am pretty sure that most of us could independently come up with the conclusion that was terrorism, and not workplace violence. "The restraining order says you're only allowed to touch me in freefall" =P

According to similar research techniques, you sir, are a duck! "The restraining order says you're only allowed to touch me in freefall" =P

I thought they only picked gun-free zones? Who is "they"? This was described as work place violence. People normally commit workplace violence at places that are their current or previous workplace. That is why the phrase "work place" is used in conjunction with the word "violence" to describe such events. Work places are normally the location or business where some one works or has worked. If this shooter excluded his workplace because it wasn't a gun free zone, and selected another persons workplace that was, it wouldn't exactly be workplace violence anymore, would it? "The restraining order says you're only allowed to touch me in freefall" =P

Ok so this is Texas, in a Walmart. Where are the gun owners to save the situation ? Edited to add : I hope that no innocents will be hurt and that the perp will be taken out. Walmart allows customers to carry in their stores wherever state and local laws allow. And this was in Texas. So your question is very valid. How come it took a SWAT team to deal with the situation, rather than a manly "good guy with a gun" customer. Could Wayne Lapierre be wrong? Do you have video of the incident with expert analysis? No one but the shooter was killed, so you have to wonder if he was actively menacing customers, or if he came in and ordered everyone down to the ground, but didn't pose I direct threat as the incident unfolded. I have a carry permit, I am not SWAT. Unless you point a gun directly at me and my family, or you are actively shooting, I am going to comply and not escalate. The claim isn't that good guys with guns will stop all threats, the claim is that having good guys with guns is better than having all unarmed helpless victims. This incident doesn't disprove this argument. If you assume there were people carrying concealed it does help support the narrative that most gun owners can read a situation, and act responsibly. The proof is right there in the body count, 1 dead only, the aggressor. Just admit it, you are disappointed the assumed gun carrying individuals there didn't over react and shoot up the place and hurt someone other than the shooter. Sorry for your loss. "The restraining order says you're only allowed to touch me in freefall" =P

Don't you end up with some of the students showing up with hiking boots when you describe it that way? I get enough students that think they are going mountaineering without mentioning that they prepare for a day in the woods, lol. Off to the shoe bin they go. If it is working, great, but isn't it easier to ask them to wear athletic shoes, no sandals, no boot or shoes with heels. "The restraining order says you're only allowed to touch me in freefall" =P

Grenade jump high pull. "The restraining order says you're only allowed to touch me in freefall" =P

Yeah like this will deter the internet stalker crowd. "The restraining order says you're only allowed to touch me in freefall" =P

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cessna_208_Caravan You should correct the grammar too! Wouldn't want to pass that up! We all know a Caravan is a Cessna, but we also all know that the OP isn't referring to a turbine Caravan or Grand Caravan. But you knew that... To the OP, all that are mentioned here are great. When you do get the opportunity to launch a three way, a dive flow I call the Smoking 3-way is great for lower experienced jumpers. Launch a round from the step, or free-fly the exit and build to a round. Dive flow starts from the round, but doesn't go back to a round unless you need to reset and start from the top. Right hand donut. Left hand donut. Open accordion on one of the jumpers. Open accordion on another one of the jumpers. Open accordion on the final jumper. ---------- Rinse and repeat. "The restraining order says you're only allowed to touch me in freefall" =P

Who cares! Even if it was real the show is garbage and they are a bunch of nut bags. They show surprisingly little survival and pioneering skills, so no big surprise here with me. "The restraining order says you're only allowed to touch me in freefall" =P

Well, I, for one, think you should ABSOLUTELY NOT be allowed to do tandems. Unless, of course, you can exit stable, throw a drogue, deploy, and land safely. In that case, you go until your damned good and ready to give it up. raff Why set the bar so hi, when others already don't meet that standard. "The restraining order says you're only allowed to touch me in freefall" =P