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In answer to the three above posts: For at least 20 years Texas prisons have been under federal court supervision and mandated prison rules imposed by the court including one related to prison overcrowding. As a result, prisoners can be released after serving as little as 1/10th of their sentences. For example, I was on a jury where an assault with a knife with intent to kill (victim stabbed 7-8 times) resulted in a 45 year sentence. After the trial, the judge who is now a US Congressman told us the defendant would serve 4.5 to 6 years max. As a result, defendant's receiving life sentences which has been deemed to be 60 - 70 years, can get out in 7 years. Not all do, but some do! Texas has no provision for life without parole. Yep, I have been on juries where we wished we had that option. And you are absolutely correct, it is a Texas problem! Blue skies, Jim

I have compared the per jump prices between SDH and Spaceland and found no major differences ($58)except the tandems. If you take advantage of all the available tandem discounts (jumps 1 - 2) at $248 total and purchase the student jump package (jumps 3 - 25) for $2,007 total, you actually spend $205 less in total at Spaceland than Skydive Houston and get the two tandem jumps too! Blue skies, Jim

That makes it easier to update since it comes from another website! Blue skies, Jim

Hey Jeff, I have the TexAus plane (E) already slotted. Just sitting back waiting on the event to start now! Blue skies, Jim

Apparently this point is not important, only that someone, anyone else on death row might be innocent. Let's let them all go free just in case one might be innocent! Go ahead flame me if you want to, but in Texas there are plenty of people who got life terms who are walking the streets today after as little as 7 years behind bars. And there are a few of those scumbags who have killed again. Life does not necessarily mean a lifetime! Blue skies, Jim

An accrual is like a savings account that you use to pay maintainance expenses and to give you a base to be able to estimate future maintainance expenses. In our case, we add money to a maintainance account each month based on the number of hours flown. Over the years we have adjusted the amount needed to keep the cash balance constant after paying repairs, maintainance inspections, and general maintainance expenses. Some years it runs $75 per hour and some years higher because of expenses that you don;t incur every year (eg., engine hot sections). This year it is running at $125 per flight hour. This makes it easier to estimate costs. Blue skies, Jim

Intuition or sometimes experience...like why some jumpers get on the plane as the clouds are building up and turning dark, and other jumpers decide to wait and see what the weather does. Blue skies, Jim

Hey that's the best seat in the plane except for the cold and during the summer even that can be good! You get a great view, you get to open the door at the right time, you can really check your spot and for clear airspace, you get to watch the hop-n-pops deploy, and in freefall everyone should be behind you along the line of flight. And in the event of an in-flight emergency, you will be first out! Blue skies, Jim

Good point John. I have backed out of loads when the mix of jumpers on the formation didn't appear safe, there were to many on the plane, or there was mass confusion prior to boarding. But I've also seen a few jumpers who were on teams, decide on the way to altitude that it just didn't feel right and refused to get out. All the gear was turned on and working, checked and rechecked, dive plan and break-off were solid, and each of the jumpers on the jump were well know by the one refusing to go. Really hosed the team! I could even understand if the jumper got back on the ground and unpacked the parachute because of something that may have been forgotten, but no repack occurred. One jumper waited a few loads, then got back on the plane with the team as if nothing had happened. Blue skies, Jim

Thanks and just in time to order cards from too! Tell everyone in Victoria I said hello. Jim Blue skies, Jim

FYI: Mamma's little boy... Jose Medellin is a convicted rapist. Jose Medellin is a convicted murderer. Fourteen years ago he was sentenced to death for participating in the gang rape and murder of Elizabeth Pena, 16 and Jennifer Ertman who was 14. The girls had tragically wandered upon a gang initiation. The girls were raped and strangled with a belt and shoelace after they stumbled into a drunken gang initiation rite while cutting through the park to get home before their curfew. The victims were abused for an hour, then killed to prevent them from identifying their tormentors. Mr. Medellin strangled one girl with her shoelaces, the trial revealed. The center of the dispute is Jose E. Medellin a onetime gang member in Houston who took part in the rape and slaying of two teenaged girls on June 24, 1993. Medellin, a Mexican national who spent most of his life in the United States, was condemned for the June 1993 murders of Jennifer Ertman, 14, and Elizabeth Peña, 16. Four days after the crime, a tip from a gang member's brother led authorities to the bodies, then to the suspects. Within three hours of his arrest, Medellin admitted his role in the gruesome murders, appalling authorities with his boastful, callous description of the night's events. On June 24, 1993, Medellín performed a gang initiation in a park along with five others, Peter Cantu, Roman Sandoval, Efrain Perez, Raul Villareal and Sean O'Brien. Two others, Frank Sandoval and Venancio Medellín, were present but did not participate in the initiation. The initiation involved the new member, Raul Villareal, submitting to beatings from the others. After this, the gang members remained in the park, drinking beer. At this time, 14-year-old Jennifer Ertman and 16-year-old Elizabeth Pena were taking a shortcut through the park to get home before curfew. They encountered the gang, and Medellín began talking to Pena. She attempted to flee, but he forced her to the ground. Pena cried for help and Ertman ran back to assist her. In response, Cantu and O'Brien pushed her down as well. Roman and Frank Sandoval chose to leave then. The remainder of the gang, as well as Venancio Medellín, took turns vaginally and anally raping the two girls. Afterwards, they were beaten, then the gang decided to murder the girls so they would not be identified as the rapists. Medellín killed one of the girls by using his shoelaces to strangle her, then crushing her neck with his foot. Other gang members strangled the remaining girl with a nylon belt, until the belt snapped. Medellín, Villareal, Perez, and Cantu then congregated at Cantu's home, where he lived along with his brother, Joe Cantu, and sister-in-law, Christina Cantu. Christina Cantu questioned why Villareal was bleeding and Perez had a bloody shirt. This prompted Medellín to say the gang "had fun", and that details would appear on the news. He then elaborated that he had raped both girls. Peter Cantu then returned, and divvied up valuables that had been stolen from the girls. Medellín got a ring with an 'E', so he could give it to his girlfriend, Esther. Medellín reported that he had killed a girl, and noted that he would have found it easier with a gun. Derrick Sean O'Brien was videotaped smiling at the scene of the crime. After the gang left, Christina Cantu convinced Joe Cantu to report the crime to police. Four days after the crime, the bodies were found in the park. They were badly decaying, and dental records were used for identification. The medical examiner corroborated that the cause of death was strangulation. All those believed responsible were ultimately arrested. Medellín, after receiving his Miranda warning, gave both a written and taped confession. [Excerpted from various articles and court testimony.] Blue skies, Jim

That is going to be a good show! Talk about vintage birds... Blue skies, Jim

Profit margin: This is where a lot of DZOs get side-tracked. They confuse Gross margin (or Conribution margin) with Profit Margin. If a DZO is doing a good job and getting a 25% profit margin on his sales, it doesn't matter if it is a fun jump, a tandem, or gear sales. The Gross margin or contribution margin is a different matter. For example, a $200 tandem may generate a gross margin of $128 or 64% ($200-$50 to the TM-$22 to the airplane for 2 slots) while a fun jump would generate only a $14 or 56% gross margin ($25-11 for 1 slot). From both of these gross margins the DZ will pay fuel, operating costs (manifest personnel, electric, water, maintainance, etc.) As an example lets say the overhead rate for the dz runs $3 per jump and the fuel for the load was $6.50 per slot (and let's ignore payments to TM for tandem class, tandem gear expense, etc.). We would adjust our margins as: Tandem: GM $128-2*(3+6.50) or $109 or 55% Fun Jump: GM $14-3-6.50 or $4.50 or 18% Now apply the 200 jumps the fun jumper may make during the year and the margin is $900, but still 18%. So over the course of the year the DZO has $109 at 55% from the one tandem or $900 at 18% from the fun jumper from which he can pay the rest of the true overhead like insurance, interest, etc. As you can see the "margins" can be very deceptive. Blue skies, Jim

Although not recognized as a cause of action in most jurisdictions, "desk rage"—i.e., abusive or threatening conduct at the workplace—is a growing problem and a growing concern to employers and the lawyers who advise them. At its worst, the occupational violence that can result from stressed and angry employees facing increasing pressures in a difficult economy can be deadly. But even when the problem is relatively minimal, it can result in reduced productivity and increased attrition, according to a New York Law Journal article reprinted by New York Lawyer (reg. req.). At the forefront of avant-garde jurisdictions recognizing such conduct as potentially actionable, the Indiana Supreme Court held earlier this year in Raess v. Doescher, 883 N.E.2d 709l, that "workplace bullying" can create a valid basis for an employee to sue an employer, the article reports. The court ratified a $325,000 award to a hospital technician whose supervising surgeon, who had a history as a "workplace abuser," confronted him with "[clenched fists, piercing eyes, beet-red face [and] popping veins]." "The court's opinion may provide plaintiffs an additional opportunity to pursue claims beyond traditional harassment claims under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act," the article notes. Blue skies, Jim

Why yes I am, thanks for asking. As a native Texan, I have to constantly fight a battle to educate others in the US that Texas is its own country. We have conveniently aligned ourselves with the US for trade and travel purposes. I wish the forums would include more Texas specific topics! Blue skies, Jim

Yep...a little sometimes goes a long way! I used to buy fun jumps to give away randomly. Loved to see a jumpers face when I said, "Want a free jump?" Also would buy 2-4 slots when a late load didn't have enough jumpers to fly. Those guys later usually brought out a lot of friends for tandems. Blue skies, Jim

580 sounds a really high. I wonder what size engines the NOAA Otter has and if it is carrying a full load of equipment when it flies? Cimbing on a typical jump run at 30 gals is around 210 lbs, if there are 3 loads per hour that would be 630 lbs hr. But this is up and down with no cruising. Maybe Chris can help us out with his fuel burn/hr when he sees this. And please don't flame me...I know it is not exactly 7 lbs per gal, but was to lazy to look it up again. Blue skies, Jim

Right. I bought some from Interstate a while back. They came in long plastic strips and cost about $2.20 each. Blue skies, Jim

I have used everything from 22-33 gals per load TOTAL, Similar to a car, it depends a little on how the pilot flies. Lot of DZ's use 30 gal average. I am more conservative so tend to overestimate my costs! Blue skies, Jim

WOOHOO! I'm getting excited...and you know how dangerous that can be for an old guy!!! Just got the data from Andrea and it looks like a really good team Carey has put together for the October attempt in Perris. 28 World Team or Former World Team Jumpers Average jumps 3,500 per jumper 9 Countries and 25 US States Represented 5 AU Australia 8 CA Canada 1 FR France 3 NZ New Zealand 1 PF Polynesia (French) 1 SG Singapore 2 UK United Kingdom 108 USA United States 1 UY Uruguay 3 Alaska 1 Alabama 1 Arkansas 3 Arizona 27 California 3 Colorado 16 Florida 2 Georgia 1 Hawaii 1 Idaho 4 Illinois 1 Massachusetts 5 Minnisota 1 Montana 1 North Dakota 2 New Jersey 3 New Mexico 1 Nevada 2 Oregon 1 Pennsylvania 1 South Carolina 19 Texas 2 Virginia 4 Washington 3 Wisconsin Blue skies, Jim

Rule of thumb is 33 gallons per load at 2 to 3 loads per hour. At altitude cruising, it is about 200 lbs (US) per hour or roughly 28 gal per hour. Maintenance accrual runs $125 per hour. Blue skies, Jim

Blue skies, Jim

Stop it you two! If I have to pull over and come back there, you are in for it young man! Blue skies, Jim

Tetra316: AND jumpoutnow: Boy did you two hit the nail on the head. Around 100 years ago when I was in college, we were taught that this is a form "marketing myopia". The blinders get put on, a decision is made based on faulty information or misunderstanding the actual business, and the business begins its long slow decline that most won't see coming until the cash flow runs out. Blue skies, Jim

You fixed the primary sorting and that helps a lot. Now if you could do a secondary sort by state that would clench the deal! What is still confusing however is that the page that opens after you select events in the dropdown menu does not contain all the events. Eg., the TSR does not show up until you click on "All" next to the dropdown box. This may imply to some that the particular event they are interested in is not yet posted. Thanks for asking. Blue skies, Jim