tombuch

There will be some variation between drop zones because each DZ has their own program. There will also be a small bit of variation between students because each student has different needs. With that said, the program at your DZ should be very standard, and you should have an outline of what will be covered on each jump. The program shouldn't vary much from the outline, although sometimes the specifics of how it is taught will. If you think you are missing things on the outline, mention it to your instructor. One of the great things about outlines is they can be used by students and instructors to establish the standards expected of each person. As for briefing a jump on the way to altitude, that is not an appropriate way of teaching. Demand more from the staff. Now that we know that instructor is a bit of a slacker, I suggest that you end each debrief by asking for an overview of what will be covered on the next jump. If you have downtime, take a few moments and have an instructor brief you on the specifics of the next jump. Keep track of the outline and make sure you are being taught all the key points. For another outline, check section 4 of the the USPA SIM at http://www.uspa.org/publications/SIM/2005SIM/SIM.htm. That section is the Integrated Student Program (ISP), a national standard of instruction developed by USPA. Not all drop zones include the material in the same order, or break the training into the same levels/categories, but all the material should be covered at some point in your training. You will find a collection of oral questions at the end of each category, and you can use those as knowledge prompts, or discussion topics when chatting with your instructors. Tom Buchanan Instructor Emeritus Comm Pilot MSEL,G Author: JUMP! Skydiving Made Fun and Easy

As others have said, it is a congested area, so you would need FAA authorization. You should also consider 91.13 (Careless or Reckless Operation), 91.17 (Dropping Objects), 105.5 (Parachute Operations, General) For a bit more information, see a web feature I wrote called FAA Regulations Applied (Article 13) on The Ranch site at http://ranchskydive.com/safety/index.htm. Other features that deal with skydiving and airplanes include the "New Feature" titled Jumping Through Clouds, article 1, called Checking For Traffic, and article 8 called Airspace. Tom Buchanan Instructor Emeritus Comm Pilot MSEL,G Author: JUMP! Skydiving Made Fun and Easy

From Avweb: The man best known for organizing the private space race is making weightlessness available to anyone with $3,000 and, we hope (as will their fellow passengers) a strong stomach. Peter Diamandis, the founder of the X Prize competition, is behind the Zero Gravity Corporation, which just got FAA approval to sell tickets on NASA-style parabolic flight profiles (aboard a 727-200) that give customers a brief period of weightlessness and a rather unique view. The FAA signed off on the flights on Tuesday and tickets are on sale for flights that will be conducted on a two-week tour that will visit New York, Los Angeles, Reno, Dallas, Atlanta, Detroit and Florida. Passengers spend a full day in a program led by a former astronaut and then board a modified Boeing 727-200, which flies a roller-coaster flight profile between 22,000 and 32,000 feet. We hope the modifications include easy clean interiors because even the most experienced pilots training for the space program lost their lunches in the NASA flights. They nicknamed the KC-135 they used the Vomit Comet. http://avweb.com/newswire/10_38b/briefs/188151-1.html http://www.nogravity.com/ Tom Buchanan Instructor Emeritus Comm Pilot MSEL,G Author: JUMP! Skydiving Made Fun and Easy

I haven't noticed anything else that is major, but I know there are many small corrections and clarifications. One change that I asked for is a clarification in the qualification for a PRO rating. I wanted it made clear that the ten jumps need to be declared individually, and that there can be "fun jumps" in the middle of the series that don't count toward the accuracy requirement. This change is reflected on page 159 of the 2005 SIM See (B)(d)(2), and is much appreciated. The BSR relating to the minimum age for tandem jumps has been changed to match the age for other student jumps (page 6). There are probably many other small changes throughout the book. The Safety and Training department keeps a running list of problems in the SIM through the year and makes all the changes when the new edition is produced. You are correct that it would be helpful to have a list of updates in the front of the book. Perhaps you could send an email to USPA offering that suggestion. As an S&TA and local USPA authority, I need to be able to answer questions based on the latest information, so I dispose of my old SIM and only work with the new one. That way I know I'm not missing some little point that might matter to a member/customer who is seeking a license or rating. I don't think there are any major "safety" issues that have changed, so if you are using the SIM for general information, the old one is probably fine. One other thing I noticed is that there are new license tests included in the mailing to S&TA's. The "C" test now has 25 questions, up from 20. The SIM page for the study guide has been bumped back to page 223. That change is important to me because I have a web feature on The Ranch site that discusses exams, so I need to update that to reflect the new tests. It probably doesn't matter to the average member. Tom Buchanan Instructor Emeritus Comm Pilot MSEL,G Author: JUMP! Skydiving Made Fun and Easy

Umm, sort of but not really. Let me try explaining. The atmosphere is 21 percent oxygen. That's true at sea level, and at jump altitudes. The difference is that at higher altitudes the air expands, thus there are fewer oxygen molecules in the same volume of air. Think about it this way: If a given container of air holds 100 oxygen molecules at sea level, and the air expands to fill a container twice as big, the larger container will still hold just 100 oxygen molecules. One half of the container (the same size we started with) will now hold just 50 oxygen molecules. When we jump from 14,000 feet the pressure is reduced by about 40 percent, so the ambient air expands, and the same lung full of "expanded air" holds fewer oxygen molecules than it did at sea level. Those fewer molecules are all available to us, but there are not as many of them. That's sometimes confusing, but it's an important concept to understand. I’ll try explaining it another way for the conceptually challenged: Imagine you have a small meeting room at a local hotel filled with 200 people, and 21 percent are relative workers, 79 percent are freeflyers. The math tells us that 42 of the jumpers are relative workers, and 158 are freeflyers. Imagine all those jumpers like each other and mingle freely, refusing to congregate in segregated groups. Now let's imagine the hotel manager walks in and decides the room is too crowded, so he pulls back the removable wall doubling the size of the room. The crowd spreads out to fill the larger space, but it is still comprised of the same 200 people, with 21 percent relative workers and 79 percent freeflyers. Now imagine the mean junior manager walks into the room and pulls the removable wall back in place, cutting the crowd in half. Each room still holds 21 percent relative workers and 79 percent freeflyers, but now the total number of relative workers in the original room is just 21, half as many as were in the room before...see, the concentration remains the same, but the actual number available is reduced. Now I'll take it a step further.. Oxygen and carbon dioxide move across the membranes of the alveoli in the lungs based on pressure differentials. If you go much higher than 18,000 to 24,000 feet there is not enough difference in pressure between the ambient air and blood gas to drive the exchange. That's the point where even 100 percent oxygen begins to loose effectiveness, and the oxygen that is in the air is actually not available to you. In that case the oxygen needs to be delivered under pressure so the gas exchange can occur at the level of the alveoli. In this sort of case, instead of using a nasal cannula, a jumper needs a mask with oxygen delivered at high flow and under pressure. That loss of pressure delivery isn't a critical issue at normal jump altitudes. Only in rare cases, generally having to do with a long term elevated carbon dioxide level and chronic lung disease. In normal cases our brain figures out when to breathe based on excess carbon dioxide in the arterial blood. A build up of carbon dioxide triggers respiration. In some people who have elevated carbon dioxide levels over a long period of time (chronic lung disease) the brain switches to a normal back up system called the "hypoxic drive." In these people the brain drives respiration based on low levels of oxygen. For these few people who breathe primarily based on the hypoxic drive, 100 percent oxygen may prevent the level of oxygen in the arterial blood from dropping to the critical threshold, and may depress respiration. It's not a common problem, and should not be a worry for skydivers. Most of us can easily tolerate 100 percent oxygen. Very true. Tom Buchanan Instructor Emeritus Comm Pilot MSEL,G Author: JUMP! Skydiving Made Fun and Easy

Impressive. That’s the word I have for the new USPA Advanced Canopy Pilot section in the 2005 Skydiver Information Manual. The new SIM has a nine page section dedicated to this critical topic, as well as a proficiency card (bound in the back of the book) with targeted skill exercises. The canopy skills outline should give canopy coaches and instructors a good foundation for designing a training program, and it should give every jumper a great overview of the topic. The 2005 SIM is available and should be in S&TA mailboxes by now. If you don’t want to buy a copy, ask your S&TA to let you glance through his/her copy, or look at it on-line at http://www.uspa.org/publications/index.htm . The SIM is available for on-line review by section, or as a downloadable file. The new Advanced Canopy Pilot component is section 6-11 Tom Buchanan Instructor Emeritus Comm Pilot MSEL,G Author: JUMP! Skydiving Made Fun and Easy

I'll ditto what everybody else said...tips are not required, but they are appreciated. In the tandem program 20.00 is a common tip from those who offer. Tips are less common on the AFF side because there are so many jumps, and the AFF program is expensive. If you want to offer a tip, 10-20 dollars per jump is about right. If you have two instructors give the tip (same 10-20) to the one who was primary, and tell him you appreciated the work both instructors did and hope he will share the tip with his partner. When instructors work together the tips are generally shared anyway. Even if you don't offer a financial tip, you could buy beer, soda, bring a plate of cookies, or just say a sincere "thank you." AFF instructors really understand the financial pressures of the program, and know that many students can't afford any thing extra, so whatever you offer (even just words of appreciation) will be well received. Tom Buchanan Instructor Emeritus Comm Pilot MSEL,G Author: JUMP! Skydiving Made Fun and Easy

Talk with your instructor. When you pull high you will have greater exposure to the upper level winds, so the spot will need to be adjusted. If your drop zone has multiple airplanes, a high pull might place you under the jump run of another jump plane. If your drop zone is in congested flight area opening high may subject you greater threats from other airplanes, so your jump pilot may need to alert ATC. With all that said, opening high gives you more time to play with your parachute, and it can be really fun. Tom Buchanan Instructor Emeritus Comm Pilot MSEL,G Author: JUMP! Skydiving Made Fun and Easy

Oh so true. When I did my first segment of chamber training I was a civilian, but in a class of active Air Force flight crew. There is a point in the chamber when the pressure is reduced and everybody is asked to drop their masks and feel the effects of hypoxia. The trainer (an Air Force captain) quizzes everybody over a headset by asking simple questions. When he got to me he asked how I was feeling, and my answer was “…well, you know what you feel like when you have been doing coke all day and smoke a little hit of grass to take the edge off…” The captain said “Sir, I wouldn’t know, are you alright?” I suppose that was my queue to get back on oxygen. I felt great. All my inhibitions were gone and I was loving life, but I needed that bit of prompting to save myself. After a quick self-applied dose of high pressure oxygen I was fine, knew what I had said, but figured there wasn’t any way to take it back. The captain never mentioned my verbal slip after that. I guess what happens in the chamber, stays in the chamber. Euphoria is definitely a symptom of hypoxia. For me it is a clear symptom in the chamber, but as I mentioned in my first post, in a skydiving environment happiness is replaced by paranoia. That’s unusual. The trainers I’ve worked with say the symptoms should be the same in the chamber and an actual flight environment, but I can assure them there can be a difference. Tom Buchanan Instructor Emeritus Comm Pilot MSEL,G Author: JUMP! Skydiving Made Fun and Easy

Not true. Hypoxia can occur very quickly, and in fact, mild hypoxia is common at our normal jump altitude of 13,500. I’ve felt it many times, especially while talking to my students when doing tandems at the end of a long weekend. The concentration of oxygen at 15,000 feet is only about 60 percent of that at sea level, and at 18,000 feet the pressure/concentration of oxygen is reduced to 50 percent of sea level. There are many elements that will aggravate hypoxia, including simple things like smoking or undiagnosed lung disease. Other common factors that reduce the ability of the blood to carry oxygen include poor nutrition, fatigue, dehydration, or exposure to carbon monoxide. Oxygen demand is increased when we are active, or talking. Reductions in respiration or respiratory effectiveness (generated by stress and unusual breathing patterns) can also cause hypoxia. The longer the exposure to low pressure altitudes, the greater the effect of hypoxia, so jumpers in slow climbing airplanes are more susceptible than those in turbine airplanes. Mild hypoxia will often manifest as a lightheaded feeling, dizziness, disorientation, tunnel vision, or disassociation from the moment/event. The specific effects vary by individual, but age tends to accelerate the process. I find that I become hyper-aware of the problem and very paranoid about the hypoxia when in a skydiving situation, but when in a chamber I enjoy the experience. The FAA recommends oxygen for pilots flying above about 8,000 feet at night (the color receptors in our eyes are one of the first organs impacted by hypoxia). Oxygen is required for a pilot flying above 12,500 MSL feet for more than 30 minutes, for all pilots flying at a cabin pressure altitude of 14,000 MSL and greater for all exposure time, and oxygen must be provided to passengers (skydivers too) at all times above 15,000 feet. If you are in the airplane and begin to feel hypoxic, try to relax. Stop being active…that means stop moving around the cabin and STOP TALKING. Take a couple of deep breaths and hold them for a second or two, then resume normal respiration. If you feel like you are not in control, let other jumpers know and consider remaining in the airplane. Experienced skydivers can often tolerate hypoxia through the first few seconds of freefall, but it can be a real problem for students who are confused by the experience and frightened by the new feeling. We can reduce hypoxia by staying in good physical shape, remaining well nourished and hydrated through the weekend, getting plenty of sleep, and staying calm while in the airplane. If we are at higher altitudes than normal jump operation we should use oxygen in the airplane. It’s also important to know that even mild hypoxia can be an especially serious problem for jumpers with heart disease. The BPA reports experienced jumpers often manifest tachycardia (rapid heart rates) of 120-160 bpm, and students can experience tachycardia of greater than 200 bpm. The lack of available oxygen coupled with greater cardiac activity can cause serious problems for jumpers with undiagnosed cardiac conditions. Mild hypoxia is generally short lived, and will clear up soon after exit. In most cases it just takes a couple of breaths at lower altitudes. It’s very unlikely problems in the landing pattern are caused by hypoxia. Tom Buchanan Instructor Emeritus Comm Pilot MSEL,G Author: JUMP! Skydiving Made Fun and Easy

Can you provide a bit more detail about the annual "pull test?" I have two PD reserves, manufactured in 1992 and 1996, and the instruction manuals don't say anything about a pull test. Is this a new supplemental? Tom Buchanan Instructor Emeritus Comm Pilot MSEL,G Author: JUMP! Skydiving Made Fun and Easy

Here are a few quick suggestions: 1) Read the USPA SIM. Pay special attention to the ISP (pages 17-97 in the 2004 version). Each category (level) of the ISP is followed by a page of discussion questions. Think about each question and mark those you do not understand or feel comfortable with answering. Take your collection of unanswered SIM questions to an instructor and spend some time talking about the issues. The best time to do this is on a poor weather day when the staff isn't doing anything else. If the DZ wants to charge you for the instructors time, go ahead and pay their rate. If the ground component is free, then offer the instructor a friendly tip for his time. 2) Sit in on another ground school at a different DZ than your first training session, or with a different instructor. There may be a small fee for the class, and it will probably be worth it. I'll bet you pick up a good point or two, but I'm also betting most of the course will be boring, and will reassure you that you did master the early material. 3) Make a few jumps with an AFF-I. Limit your targeted learning objectives to just three, and make the first TLO "have fun." Don't pressure yourself by trying to learn too much, often we learn best when we relax and see a big smile on the face of the instructor across the sky from us. 4) Take the Scott Miller course. It's well worth the money. 5) Keep enjoying skydiving. When you have a zillion jumps remember how tough it was 'back in the day,' and extend a hand to the new jumpers. Tom Buchanan Instructor Emeritus Comm Pilot MSEL,G Author: JUMP! Skydiving Made Fun and Easy

Correct. The key is judgment, and what is proposed in the other thread is flat out wrong. Tom Buchanan Instructor Emeritus Comm Pilot MSEL,G Author: JUMP! Skydiving Made Fun and Easy

Legal, yes. Right, no. Keep in mind the DZO is the owner of the operation and can make any decision he likes regardless of what another S&TA or instructor might think. The student doesn't "belong" to the instructor, and the DZO does not "owe" the instructor an opportunity to object to the plan. The other S&TA (instructor) represents USPA, and has no specific authority over the drop zone, beyond that granted by the owner. In a perfect world we would all get along and respect each other. The DZO would be willing to listen to, and respect the decision of the other S&TA who is (I assume) more familiar with the student and prospective coach. If the original instructor doesn't like the decision he could try and talk to the DZO, live with the uncomfortable situation, or stop working for that DZ. If the instructor sees a continuing problem he could contact his USPA Regional Director or the USPA Director of Safety and Training, but it's unlikely the DZO would change his approach. My suggestion would be to express the concern, document that conversation at least in a note to yourself, then let the DZO run his own business. If it is a one time issue, then continue working for the DZ. If it's a continuing problem, stop teaching there, go to another DZ, or find something else to do with your life. Sadly, as an S&TA I see this kind of issue all the time. I've come to understand that there are some things I can fix, and some things I have no control over. I try to put my efforts into things I can improve, and I try to assist those who are interested in my suggestions. I try not to sweat the things I can't control, but it's a really tough challenge, and probably the worst part about being an S&TA. Tom Buchanan Instructor Emeritus Comm Pilot MSEL,G Author: JUMP! Skydiving Made Fun and Easy

He is considering a 150 sq foot canopy at a body weight of 140 pounds. Figure the rig weighs at least 25 pounds so his exit weight is about 165, giving him a wing loading of 1.1 on a parachute that I understand to be elliptical. He only has 40 jumps and is not close to current. Size does matter. At that level he should be working with a larger more docile parachute so he can learn to handle it in all situations with all control inputs. Something so small and loaded may be fine for a basic landing in the middle of a big drop zone, but it drastically reduces learning and growth opportunities, and would be a real problem in an off field landing. Likewise, loaded ellipticals tend to spin when they malfunction, and that is an additional problem for a low time uncurrent jumper. I'd suggest student gear for a few jumps, then upsize quite a bit for a hundred jumps. There should be no rush to get on a tiny parachute. The emergency room will still be there if he wants to do battle with the planet later in his jumping career. Tom Buchanan Instructor Emeritus Comm Pilot MSEL,G Author: JUMP! Skydiving Made Fun and Easy

Quote Technically, perhaps, but not really. Remember the decision to allow a non-rated instructor to jump with a student requires the approval and best judgment of the S&TA, so the S&TA should be watching out for the students safety interest. What you are proposing doesn't make any sense. USPA actually provides specific guidance about the topic in SIM section 6-1-Group Freefall (page 119 in the 2004 SIM). See B(3): Initial training should begin with no more than two jumpers-the trainee and a USPA instructional rating holder. The specific training outlines for group freefall are included in the ISP categories G and H. The entire USPA program is designed to safely train student with a nationally recognized standard. Deviations from that standard are allowed in some cases, but they need to be justified by safety and training concerns. Once you get beyond the mandatory parts of the BSR's, an instructor or S&TA should use good judgment. I always assume something may go wrong, so I make sure that every decision I make can be justified in terms of student safety, and can be easily defended if there is a problem. When I look at your proposal (rhetorical, I hope), I ask myself what would happen if the overloaded student and a non-rated jumper had a canopy collision, or if the student lost stability and dumped at 9,000 feet into another approaching jumper. Could I tell the surviving parents, children, friends and family, that the jump was reasonable? Is allowing such a jump something that another reasonable person with appropriate training would recommend? How would I justify my very clear deviation from published standards in the SIM? When we think about students it's important to understand that they do not yet have the knowledge to analyze risk and offer an informed decision. It is really the instructors job to evaluate the risk of any specific jump plan, and to always error on the side of minimizing the risk, while still allowing for learning to take place. One of the big differences between a well trained and experienced instructor and a regular jumper is the way they look at regulations and guidelines. A good instructor begins with an understanding that the guidelines are there to help both the student and instructor. Many experienced jumpers view the guidelines as a burden to be overcome through technical loopholes. A good S&TA will evaluate a non-jumper interested in working with students based on flying skill, but also based on judgment and understanding of a students limitations. Tom Buchanan Instructor Emeritus Comm Pilot MSEL,G Author: JUMP! Skydiving Made Fun and Easy

Well, I think the intent is to allow an S&TA to identify a jumper with experience who chooses not to get a rating, and designate that person as approved for specific levels of instruction. I don't think the intent is to suddenly "deputize" a jumper because there is a student on the DZ, but no available instructor. For example, I may choose to allow a former instructor with a long expired rating to jump with students, after the students have demonstrated recovery from instability. Or, there may be a very experienced four way coach who is interested in getting involved in the student program, and I may approve him to jump with advanced students until he is able to get an instructional rating. In any case, I would want to sit down with the candidate and discuss modern student training and the DZ program, and some specific tactics for the training levels involved. I would not use the waiver authority for just any experienced jumper who "happened" to be available at the needed time. Tom Buchanan Instructor Emeritus Comm Pilot MSEL,G Author: JUMP! Skydiving Made Fun and Easy

I do not see this in the SIM. Is this something NEW added to the SIM or must I be missing something? Or did you just ad this part? - There is an "S" enclosed in brackets. That means the specific BSR can be waived by the S&TA. See the next page (Section 2-2) in the SIM that explains waivers. Tom Buchanan Instructor Emeritus Comm Pilot MSEL,G Author: JUMP! Skydiving Made Fun and Easy

BSR E(4)(c) says: All students must jump under the direct supervision of an appropriately rated USPA instructor until demonstrating stability and heading control prior to and within five seconds after initiating two intentional disorienting maneuvers involving back to eart presentations That section can only be wavived by the Executive Committee. BSR E(6) says: a) All student freefall training for group freefall jumps must be conducted by a USPA coach under the supervision of a USPA instructor. b) All students engaging in group freefall jumps must be accompanied by a USPA coach until the student has obtained a USPA A license This entire section may be waived by an S&TA. So, it is my understanding that until demonstrating recovery from loss of stability a student must be handled by an instructor. Once cleared by an instructor, training can be conducted by a coach, and a non-coach may be approved for that part of the training by an S&TA under waiver authorization. Tom Buchanan Instructor Emeritus Comm Pilot MSEL,G Author: JUMP! Skydiving Made Fun and Easy

The SIM allows for an unrated jumper to serve in a Coach capacity if approved by an S&TA. I agree with that approach. Most training should be conducted by rated instructors and coaches, but there are certainly some very qualified and experienced jumpers who never earned the rating who can do quite well with students after the student has been cleared through the lower levels that do/should require an AFF instructor. In any case, an instructor should ALWAYS supervise the training process to at least some degree, as required by the BSR's. Tom Buchanan Instructor Emeritus Comm Pilot MSEL,G Author: JUMP! Skydiving Made Fun and Easy

I felt very overloaded and uncomfortable for about the first 25 tandems. After that I felt capable of handling the jumps without worry, but kinda knew there were still some scary things that could kill me, so I wasn't completely relaxed. I guess I really felt on top of the program at about 500 tandems, but as you and others have pointed out, never really felt I had seen it all, nor did I ever get to the point where I thought I was bulletproof. There are different levels of comfort, and hopefully as we gain experience we gain comfort, but always remember we need to stay focused and not become complacent. Tom Buchanan Instructor Emeritus Comm Pilot MSEL,G Author: JUMP! Skydiving Made Fun and Easy

I had a similar experience following a really bad accident involving a landing in high voltage power lines at night (completely my fault), more than 10 years ago. Just after being moved from the emergency department to a hospital room, I was interviewed by a nurse with a standard intake form asking about things like past health, and medical insurance. One of the questions was "Is there anybody you can sue?" I told her the only person I could sue was me, she followed up by asking if I could sue the skydiving place, or the power company, and seemed convinced there must be somebody else at fault. I made it clear there was nobody else involved, and nobody to sue. I have no idea what she wrote on the form. That seems to be a pretty standard set of questions used to give the hospital a few options if the patient isn't able to pay. I had insurance at the time and there was no problem with payment, so I never heard about that form again. Tom Buchanan Instructor Emeritus Comm Pilot MSEL,G Author: JUMP! Skydiving Made Fun and Easy

The McDonalds Coffee case wasn't as outrageous as has been presented. The customer suffered significant burns that required skin grafts. McDonalds elected to serve their coffee at a temperature far greater than other restaurants, and at a temperature that their own experts knew would cause burns. McDonalds knew there was a significant hazard of burns, and in fact more than 700 customers had been burned in prior cases. McDonalds had an opportunity to settle for 20,000 dollars that would cover the eight days of hospitalization and skin grafts, but choose not to. The jury award represented about two days of coffee profits, and was reduced by the judge, then reduced again in a final settlement. In the end, this case forced McDonalds to reduce the temperature of their coffee to a level that doesn't cause burns, and that outcome wouldn't have happened without the economic cost of litigation. Sometimes we, as individual citizens, need access to the courts to compel giant corporations to act responsibly. That should be a last resort, but sometimes it's the only way for citizens to protect themselves. Read about the McDonalds case here http://www.atla.org/ConsumerMediaResources/Tier3/press_room/FACTS/frivolous/McdonaldsCoffeecase.aspx Tom Buchanan Instructor Emeritus Comm Pilot MSEL,G Author: JUMP! Skydiving Made Fun and Easy

I think that's a cop out on the part of a DZ. There is a federal standard that defines maintenance minimums, and as a customer I have a right to expect the airplane to at least meet that minimum standard. For a DZ to say "umm, yeah, we know the government says we need to maintain our airplanes, and we know our customers expect maintenance, but we won't provide it, you can't expect it, and you can't do anything if the airplane falls apart as a result" is pure foolish. Such a statement defines a negligent culture. If I was on a jury and saw that kind of statement on a waiver I would want to discount everything else in the document. I DO have a right to expect at least some level of professionalism, and some standard of care from an aviation operator, regardless of what a waiver says. Tom Buchanan Instructor Emeritus Comm Pilot MSEL,G Author: JUMP! Skydiving Made Fun and Easy

Interesting issues. I'd understand a case where the drop zone had a specific legal duty, a breech of duty, the breech caused a harm, and the injured jumper had no reasonable means of knowing about the breech. For example, the out of date rental rig should be identified by the jumper and shouldn't be attributed to the DZ, even if the rig being out of date caused a harm to the jumper. An airplane out of annual and in poor mechanical condition can not be identified by the jumper. If the airplane was out of annual, and had a mechanical problem that could have been detected by a mechanic, AND that problem caused a significant injury, I'd understand a lawsuit. Understand too that an injured jumper doesn't always have control over the lawsuit. An uninsured jumper treated by a hospital is often required to sign a form giving the medical provider authority to sue on his behalf, and to promise to assist in any such suit. In that case there are conflicting documents, one that supports the drop zone and resists a lawsuit, the other supporting the hospital and a potential suit. The law is sometimes complicated. Tom Buchanan Instructor Emeritus Comm Pilot MSEL,G Author: JUMP! Skydiving Made Fun and Easy