tombuch

You are correct, The Ranch does not appear in most GPS databases because it is a private use facility. The FAA maintains a database of all airports, including private use facilities. They distribute that list to GPS manufacturers and data providers. There is a code attached to the airport record that defines a facility as public, private, military, etc. so electronic systems know how to display the specific facility. I spoke with Garmin about the issue, and they said that manufacturers remove all the private use airports because there are too many of them, and that they just add clutter and use memory. An airport owner can call Garmin (actually Jeppesen, the provider of the data) and request that his private use airport appear in their database, and Garmin will add it back in, but it will be depicted as a public use airport. The folks at Garmin explained that since they don't include private use airports, their software doesn't know what they are, and doesn't know how to interpret the FAA code indicating the airport is private. Thus, the airport can only be depicted as public use. The only way around this would be for Garmin to update their software to interpret the private use code and to then display it with a different symbol. They won't do that because they do not perceive a widespread demand, do not want to incur the cost of writing and testing the needed code, and do not want to use the needed memory. The same problem faces us in the skydiving world. Once the FAA begins distributing drop zone data the manufacturers of GPS boxes will need to choose to include the code, and they will need to rewrite their software to interpret and display the new data. Any pilot with an old box who wants to access the new code will need to update his database with a recent version that includes drop zones, and he will also need to update the software (OS) of the GPS so the new code will display. That creates a long term legacy issue that would deny drop zone data to older units. In fact, many older GPS units have already exhausted the available memory and are no longer supported with new software or database updates. There are several large manufacturers of GPS, and many smaller users producing things like moving maps and flight planners. Some of these companies will be delighted to rewrite their code and include drop zones, some will decide not to include the new data. Each manufacturer will need to be approached on it's own. That's a bit more information about the issue. It all begins to make sense once you understand how the systems are integrated, and how the manufacturers support their products. Tom Buchanan Instructor Emeritus Comm Pilot MSEL,G Author: JUMP! Skydiving Made Fun and Easy

Well I can imagine the problem. The FAA is converting lots of data and many of the folks doing that are handling their regular charting responsibilities at the same time. Much of the data needs to be verified at the source, and all of the placements need to be confirmed. They can't do everything all at once, so they handle one element at a time. As I understand it right now they are migrating IFR elements. Our little piece of the pie will need to wait. I think I mentioned the drop zone data conversion is expected to happen in about a year, and it could be faster. The data is actually held by several parts of the FAA and NFDC. The group that has agreed to release the database of drop zones is targeting a year for that part of the project. There is another group that also has the data, and we are working on driving them to convert our little piece a bit faster. I get the impression it's a logistical/budget/staffing issue that needs to be handled internally. I think everybody is on our side, but our side isn't that big. Sometimes we need to be patient. What seems simple and easy from the outside can be a bit more complex on the inside. It's taken a bit of time to understand the system and get folks on board for the solutions that will help us over the long haul. I like to look at the progress and successes, and not dwell on what 'could be' if everybody saw priorities just like I do. Peace, Tom Buchanan Instructor Emeritus Comm Pilot MSEL,G Author: JUMP! Skydiving Made Fun and Easy

Strange you brought this up. I did a few Birdman jumps yesterday with a gentleman who also happened to be a pilot. He has a Garmin 296 that he uses frequently and had rigged up a hand mount for it so he could take it on Birdman jumps. The one thing I noticed as I was playing with it was that the DZ(Raeford) was annotated on the GPS screen as was other flight data( we have Ft Bragg,restricted air space to deal with sometimes). I am assuming Raeford was annotated on the GPS system due to it's being an established air park for quite sometime(correct me if I'm mistaken). What parameters do DZs have to met in order to be listed in GPS databases? According to both Garmin and the FAA there is no means of distributing data about drop zones from the FAA database. It is possible that your friend entered the drop zone as a user defined waypoint, or a third party content provider may have a listing of recreational activities that was incorporated into a consumer GPS unit. My GPS has my home DZ listed complete with a parachute symbol, and that's only because I took the trouble to add it myself. Individual airports are listed in GPS databases. According to Jeppesen, The FAA provides a complete listing of all the airports that are included in printed charts, but most GPS manufacturers remove listings for private use airports. Raeford is probably included as a standard public use airport. The FAA database that includes parachuting is not digital, and thus can not be shared with GPS providers. Tom Buchanan Instructor Emeritus Comm Pilot MSEL,G Author: JUMP! Skydiving Made Fun and Easy

Please see a new thread called GPS Issue in this forum at http://www.dropzone.com/cgi-bin/forum/gforum.cgi?do=post_view&post=1133168 Tom Buchanan Instructor Emeritus Comm Pilot MSEL,G Author: JUMP! Skydiving Made Fun and Easy

There is another thread in this forum that addresses a problem with jump planes conflicting with other air traffic. The thread sort of wandered a bit and suggested that pilots flying near a DZ should know about the skydiving operation. Another post suggested that since skydiving drop zones are not included in GPS units, we should work to get them included. That’s my topic for this post/thread. For those who do not know anything about airspace, please see my feature on The Ranch web site at: http://ranchskydive.com/safety/tb_article08.htm Drop zones are currently NOT included in GPS databases. That has become a serious issue as pilots migrate to this new technology. It has become easy for a pilot to flight plan using the latest FAA approved flight planning software and not know that his flight goes directly over a drop zone. A pilot can then fly an airplane equipped with the latest GPS technology and most current database, and never know his flight passed over an active drop zone. The problem is huge, and it will get worse before it gets better. I’ve been working this issue aggressively for more than a year, and so has USPA. The Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA) added their voice to the discussion recently, and we have some resolution on the horizon, but a final fix is still a long way off. Drop zones are still listed in FAA databases as analog locations defined by distance and radial from a VOR. GPS units and flight planning software require digital data such as lat/long coordinates. Since DZ’s are handled as analog data, there is currently no way to get skydiving drop zones into the standard GPS dataset. The same is true for gliders, hang gliders, and ultralight locations. The FAA is currently working to digitize their data as part of an ongoing modernization effort. They expect to have drop zones in digital form within about a year, although there is a possibility that time frame could be expedited. Last week the FAA agreed to distribute lat/longs for skydiving drop zones to GPS manufactures and data providers on a CD of other data. That will happen as soon as the data is in digital form, and was driven by AOPA. So, in about a year we can expect to have digital data delivered to GPS data providers. Once data providers have digital detail defining drop zones they will need to update their firmware to display the data, and then actually add the data to their units. That takes time and costs money, and the extra data requires memory. Many of the manufacturers (including Garmin) have said they are not interested in providing drop zone data, so that will require a push, but it doesn’t help to push the manufacturers when the data isn’t even available. This part of the effort will probably begin in earnest in about a year. Big jets and commercial airlines get their data in a different form for use in Flight Management Systems. This data is defined by an international standard that is updated every two years. The standard is managed by an industry working group that meets just twice each year, and we now have some support on that committee. We are currently working to add drop zones to the data standard for FMS systems, and with a bit of luck will be able to roll out the new standard by late 2005 or early 2006. As with GPS, most FMS providers do not currently plan to take advantage of the data if it becomes available. So again, we will need to attack this issue once the international data distribution standard includes drop zones, gliders, hang gliders, and ultralights. Once data is available and manufacturers upgrade their systems to recognize the new data, pilots will need to upgrade their boxes and add the new data, then they will probably need to select the data class for display. This adds a long term legacy issue that will delay full implementation for many years. The key is to drive the availability of data, and then push manufacturers to include the data in their boxes and software releases as a safety of flight issue. USPA and AOPA are working on this problem. FAA is on board in the form of the Aeronautical Charting Office. We can not expect any remedy in the near term, but I think we have a long term solution in the works. In the mean time, we need to make an extra effort at pilot outreach. Local pilots can add drop zones to their own GPS units as user defined waypoints. Drop zones would do well to communicate with local pilot organizations and FBO’s, and provide their coordinates so pilots can add this detail one DZ at a time. For a sample of an airport notice, please see: http://ranchskydive.com/ranch-pilot-caution.pdf Tom Buchanan Instructor Emeritus Comm Pilot MSEL,G Author: JUMP! Skydiving Made Fun and Easy

We just went from USD 15.00 for club members to 16.50. Non-members pay an extra 2.00. If you are in the Northeastern United States, come join us at The Ranch, or check DZ's in your own area for lower rates. Each DZ sets prices based on their own costs, and often those costs are driven by jumper requested amenities. Fewer amenities will often mean lower prices. Likewise, non-profit clubs can often charge less than commercial centers. Although we would all like to pay less, jump prices are still pretty cheap. I graduated from a student program and began paying experienced rates in 1981. At that time the standard jump price was a dollar per thousand feet, with some "expensive" drop zones charging an extra dollar or two. Most jumps were made from about 7,500 feet, but we sometimes brought the Cessna up to 12,500 and paid USD 12.50 for the experience. Given the increases in insurance, maintenance, and fuel over the past 20 years, I've got to consider today's prices pretty reasonable. Tom Buchanan Instructor Emeritus Comm Pilot MSEL,G Author: JUMP! Skydiving Made Fun and Easy

See 65.133: "Each certificated parachute rigger must have a seal with an identifying mark prescribed by the Administrator, and a seal press. After packing a parachute he shall seal the pack with his seal in accordance with the manufacturer's recommendation for that type of parachute." The regulation does not specifically say that the rig must remain sealed, but that is, I think, assumed. Wire seals are also used by maintenance technicians working on airplanes, and a broken seal is a no fly item. Tom Buchanan Instructor Emeritus Comm Pilot MSEL,G Author: JUMP! Skydiving Made Fun and Easy

I must also be tired. Backward ground speed? Do you mean backing up under canopy? Wind > 15 mph. When wind speed is less than 30 mph you should have some forward ground speed when flying into the wind. What do I teach students about landing in high winds? Simple, students are not allowed to jump in high winds. It isn't so simple. We shouldn't let our students jump in high winds, but we are training them for life-long participation, and certainly we can expect them to get into a backing up situation at some point. We don't need to worry about high wind landings on the first few jumps, but the topic should be covered at some point prior to graduation. I think students should be trained that the flare is sometimes all the way down and aggressive, but less so if the winds are high. If you are backing up and flare the same way you do in no winds, your parachute will crash, so students should understand the differences. They should know that backing up is possible, and in fact will likely happen to them at some point in a long jumping career...it shouldn't be a surprise when it does happen. Likewise, they should know about pulling a toggle to collapse the parachute, running around the parachute to get upwind, containing the nose, disconnecting the RSL after opening in very unexpected high winds. Tom Buchanan Instructor Emeritus Comm Pilot MSEL,G Author: JUMP! Skydiving Made Fun and Easy

Obviously, the guy flying the parachute has an obligation to avoid anybody already on the ground. However, mistakes happen, and I'd rather not be on the receiving end of a collision. My procedure has always been to land, turn around and stay put while watching approaching canopies. I use that time to lift up one side of my frap hat to improve hearing, and I reset my breaks. I try to stay focused on traffic, and try not to look down for more than a second or two. I start walking when the coast is clear. Once in a while I forget to turn around, or get caught up in talking with other jumpers on the walk back while tandems or other canopies are still landing. I think we all blow it in that regard at least occasionally. Heck, as I watched jumpers over the weekend I saw at least half walking through the landing area without looking for canopy traffic. The point is that we should all use this opportunity to refocus on proactive safety procedures. We should all re-double our efforts to watch for landing parachutes. This kind of accident can really happen to anybody, but we each have the power to reduce the risk. Let's be "head's up. Tom Buchanan Instructor Emeritus Comm Pilot MSEL,G Author: JUMP! Skydiving Made Fun and Easy

Sabre 120 loaded at 1.46, earned in 1995. Tom Buchanan Instructor Emeritus Comm Pilot MSEL,G Author: JUMP! Skydiving Made Fun and Easy

That little parachute symbol isn't included in GPS databases, conventional flight planning databases, or on instrument charts/plates. As more pilots migrate to digital flight planning and navigation tools we will see increased traffic over our drop zones. We can't rely on pilots to know that we exist, or what our activity levels might be. Please see: http://ranchskydive.com/safety/tb_article08.htm But that's not to say it's easy to spot a plane while on jumprun. There is actually a ton of space to clear, extending as far as 12 miles in every direction, and as much as two miles deep. It takes the effort of each jumper looking out of every window to spot traffic, and that is especially true of high speed traffic at lower altitudes. If we throw in some scattered clouds, the check for traffic can be completely ineffective. It's a problem. See http://ranchskydive.com/safety/tb_article01.htm Tom Buchanan Instructor Emeritus Comm Pilot MSEL,G Author: JUMP! Skydiving Made Fun and Easy

...and others are terrific people doing the best job they can to keep all the users of the national airspace system happy. I'll bet that most drop zones have a great relationship with local controllers and appreciate what ATC guys and gals do to keep us safe. By the way Chris, when you spoke with the offending pilot, were you kind enough to clue him into a NASA report? Tom Buchanan Instructor Emeritus Comm Pilot MSEL,G Author: JUMP! Skydiving Made Fun and Easy

I think most USPA drop zones will require USPA membership. They usually also require a USPA license. If your friend has a bunch of experience that will translate well to a civilian environment he may be allowed to make a few jumps, but most drop zones will expect him to get a license if he intends to keep jumping on the civilian side. Your friend should call the specific drop zone(s) he wants to visit and discuss his situation. The DZ will want to know when he was trained, how many jumps he has, when he last jumped, how current he is. They will also want to know about the type of equipment he is using, when and how it was packed, and by whom. Each drop zone will make their own assessment. Some may require additional training, most will probably also want to meet with your friend on a non-busy day. Tom Buchanan Instructor Emeritus Comm Pilot MSEL,G Author: JUMP! Skydiving Made Fun and Easy

unless he was in controlled airspace, he didn't have to talk to ATC. Skydivers are supposed to "see and avoid" as well as other VFR traffic. unfortunately it isn't very realistic way for skydivers and VFR aircraft to avoid each other. Derek Wrong. Jump pilots are required to contact ATC via radio prior to jumping. It's in part 105.13. Check out a feature I wrote about airspace at: http://ranchskydive.com/safety/tb_article08.htm Tom Buchanan Instructor Emeritus Comm Pilot MSEL,G Author: JUMP! Skydiving Made Fun and Easy

I'll offer a few quick thoughts. There are several great web sites that I check often. They are listed below. Take a quick moment and visit each, bookmark them, then when you have nothing to do on a rainy day make a return visit. I've also listed a few of the print products available along with purchasing detail. This stuff makes great reading, and each book offers lots of discussion possibilities for those evening bonfire sessions. http://www.performancedesigns.com/education.asp This is the Performance Designs site. It's one of the best. http://www.noexcusesrigging.com/EssaysArticles.htm[url] This site has a bunch of interesting articles. I especially like the PowerPoint programs about risk and accident analysis. [url]http://www.chutingstar.com/rantandrave.html. This is the Shooting Star Rant and Rave, a good site for general information from a major rigging loft. Click on the "previous" feature at the bottom of the current feature for more information. http://indra.net/~bdaniels/ftw/index.html. This is a general collection of articles by Skratch Garrison, an old pioneer in the sport who is still going strong and offering his latest ideas. http://ranchskydive.com/safety/index.htm. This is a collection of my essays on The Ranch site. I'm the S&TA and am expected to write something every month or so, and this is where my ideas live in print. Parachuting: The Skydivers Handbook, by Turoff and Poynter. This is the ninth edition of a book that has been the bible of skydiving for many years. This book is available directly from the publisher (Para-Publishing), or at places like Amazon.com. The Skydivers Survival Guide, By Emerson and Antebi. This is a relatively new publication targeted at folks just off student status, to those with a few hundred jumps. It offers some awareness of issues that most of us don't consider very often. The Guide is available from many skydiving retail shops as well as Amazon. JUMP! Skydiving Made Fun and Easy, by Tom Buchanan---that's me! I wrote this book for whuffos who are interested in learning about skydiving. The idea was to educate consumers so they would make better choices. The book is also a good read for instructors, and makes a nice gift for worried family members of active skydivers. It is published by McGraw-Hill and is available at many bookstores, as well as Amazon. The Parachute and it's Pilot/Vertical Journey. These two books are by Brian Germain who was too sensitive about the "no advertising" rule here to list his own products. They are available from, among other places, his web site at: http://www.bigairsportz.com/publishing.php Tom Buchanan Instructor Emeritus Comm Pilot MSEL,G Author: JUMP! Skydiving Made Fun and Easy

The USPA membership database is available to USPA group members who have computers and a password. Most large DZ's use the system to confirm memberships and ratings of visiting jumpers. Have a friendly chat with your local DZO and see if he will take a few minutes to look up your friends. Tom Buchanan Instructor Emeritus Comm Pilot MSEL,G Author: JUMP! Skydiving Made Fun and Easy

The FAA doesn't take FAR violations to a conventional court of law. They are handled by an administrative law judge who will look at the specific wording of the regulation and the history of the regulation. I maintain that jumping with an out of date tandem rating is legal as per the FAR's. If the FAA brings a violation against the jumper for an out of date tandem rating it should be dismissed by the ALJ. If there is an injury accident, the lack of a current rating might present a financial liability in a jury trial, but it is not a crime or violation. Tom Buchanan Instructor Emeritus Comm Pilot MSEL,G Author: JUMP! Skydiving Made Fun and Easy

The yellow proficiency card with signature and stamp is your "A" license. If you want to register your license with USPA you can send them a copy of the card and the license fee, and they will give you an official "A" license number. Registration of the license also protects you in case you loose the original proficiency card. The details of the registration process are listed in the 2004 SIM on page 14, section "B"-Presenting a Completed License Application. Tom Buchanan Instructor Emeritus Comm Pilot MSEL,G Author: JUMP! Skydiving Made Fun and Easy

From the comments section of the final rule: The FAA has clearly chosen not to require a tandem instructor to follow manufacturer rules, or USPA rules. The only rules that matter are FAA rules. The tandem instructor must simply have been trained, and have received certification that he was trained. The course provider is required to provide training, and then to generate some kind of testing (certification) to assure the training was received. That's it. Following manufacturer guidelines and USPA guidelines is a good idea and will certainly be looked on favorably if there is a law suit, but self regulation can not carry the weight of law. Tom Buchanan Instructor Emeritus Comm Pilot MSEL,G Author: JUMP! Skydiving Made Fun and Easy

The regulation clearly indicates the past tense regarding certification. The jumper must have been certified. There is no provision for currency, nor is there any provision for any agency to revoke the certification. The regulation simply says that you must complete a program and be so certified. This is a foolish lapse that was brought to the attention of the FAA in the comment period, but they chose to ignore the issue. It would have been very easy to change "has been certified..." to "Is certified..." The FAA didn't make that change. The intent looks pretty obvious to me. Now it may be that the certifing agencies (manufacturers, USPA could make their certifications provisional on continuing currency, but I don't think that has happened. Any examiners want to comment? Tom Buchanan Instructor Emeritus Comm Pilot MSEL,G Author: JUMP! Skydiving Made Fun and Easy

http://www.avweb.com/eletter/archives/avflash/245-full.html Tandem Hang-Glider Pilot Pleads Guilty To Manslaughter Eleni Zeri, a 23-year-old tourist from Greece, died in March 2003 during a tandem hang-glider ride in the mountains of New Zealand after the pilot took off without properly securing her to the glider. Pilot Steve Parson, 53, of Canada, admitted that he had made a mistake, and last Friday apologized in court to the victim's mother. "Eleni was very brave. I'm so very, very sorry," Parson said. He was sentenced to serve 350 hours' community service and pay NZ$10,000 in reparation. After launch, when Parson realized Zeri was not secured, he wrapped his legs around her to try to keep her with him. She told him she couldn't hold on, and fell 500 feet to her death. New Zealand's Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) said it will start next month to review and overhaul the regulations that affect commercial adventure-aviation operators. However, a CAA spokesman told the New Zealand Herald the review was not a response to Parson's case. "What happened in his case was in no way related to the regulations," said Bill Sommer. "The company he worked for had safety procedures in place that were in line with regulations, but he failed to follow them." However, the current regulations need to be streamlined to make compliance easier for operators and the CAA, he said.

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MILE-HI Skydiving Center Hires CTA Public Relations for Marketing Public Relations LOUISVILLE, Colo., June 7 /PRNewswire/ -- CTA Public Relations has been retained by MILE-HI Skydiving Center to implement a public relations and marketing campaign. Started in 1995, Mile-Hi Skydiving Center has grown into the Rocky Mountain Region's premier skydiving center, with the largest drop zone in the state and more than 35 instructors. CTA Public Relations will provide publicity and implement marketing strategies for MILE-HI and will design marketing collateral for the company. CTA will leverage the exciting sport of skydiving to garner media attention for the school and drive consumer awareness of, and interest in, the sport. MILE-HI Skydiving is the Rocky Mountain region's most respected and largest skydiving facility. The only school within 100 miles of the Denver-Boulder area (12 miles from Boulder and 25 from Denver), the center also boasts the only full-time twin-engine jet-prop airplane within a several state area. And, on average, MILE-HI makes 20,000 jumps per year. At MILE-HI, novices and experienced skydivers alike will experience spectacular views of the Rocky Mountains as they jump. All skydives are monitored by certified training specialists. For first-timers, MILE-HI is the place to make a first skydive. Newcomers to the sport are invited to make the leap with a "tandem fun jump," the fastest, easiest, and safest way to jump. For experienced skydivers the environment is friendly, with plenty of helpful jumpers interested in all disciplines -- RW, Freefly, Freestyle, Skysurfing, and CReW. Located at Hangar 34G at the Vance Brand Longmont Municipal Airport, MILE-HI is approximately 12 miles northeast of Boulder. The facility is the only one in Colorado to use the newest and most sophisticated safety equipment and is the most modern school in the region. MILE-HI is a United States Parachute Association (USPA) enhanced group member and has highly qualified, nationally licensed instructors. The company offers skydiving year-round on weekends, and Wednesdays through Sundays during daylight savings time. For more information go to www.milehiskydiving.com or call 303-702-9911. Based in Louisville, Colorado, CTA Public Relations is a fully integrated marketing public relations agency providing public relations, graphic-web design, hosting and maintenance, and investor relations services since 1985. For more information, visit www.ctapr.com. For further information, please contact: Lauren Mundell, Senior Account Executive of CTA Public Relations, +1-303-665-4200, lauren@ctapr.com. SOURCE CTA Public Relations CO: CTA Public Relations; MILE-HI Skydiving Center ST: Colorado SU: Web site: http://www.milehiskydiving.com http://www.prnewswire.com 06/07/2004 05:34 EDT

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The Dropzone.com forums offer us a great chance to discuss selected accidents including those that are fatal, and those that result in injury. USPA also publishes a collection of fatal accident reports in Parachutist each month. USPA solicits reports of non-fatal incidents and includes some of those in Parachutist. Non-fatal incidents that will not fit in Parachutist are included in the "Safety" area of the USPA web site, available at http://www.uspa.org/safety/incident.htm. For those jumpers looking for additional information about the kinds of accidents that cause injuries, and suggested prevention strategies, the USPA listing provides a great overview driven by detail. I actually just stumbled on the site and was impressed by the volume of reports as well as the diversity of accidents, and the common causes that become manifest when looking through a large number of filings. Tom Buchanan Instructor Emeritus Comm Pilot MSEL,G Author: JUMP! Skydiving Made Fun and Easy