livendive

I think Rosie would have to use a BUNCH of sparklers in order for them to stay in there. I don't know about fireworks, but we should at least have a rockin' bonfire. JumperVint was rockin' the chainsaw last weekend, chopping up all the trusses from the old hangar so we can burn 'em this weekend. Edit: With any luck, Pete Hill will bring some of the good fireworks and we can stand around saying "Oooh" "Aaahhh" "Wow" "Fucking A!" Blues, Dave "I AM A PROFESSIONAL EXTREME ATHLETE!" (drink Mountain Dew)

I think they bend you over and .... you in the ass to make up for lost time. Two years later, you were proven correct! Blues, Dave "I AM A PROFESSIONAL EXTREME ATHLETE!" (drink Mountain Dew)

They're given out/sold by survivor support groups. It's not for me, but I wouldn't be offended by others choosing such a means of expressing their grief. Whatever helps get ya through the night. Blues, Dave "I AM A PROFESSIONAL EXTREME ATHLETE!" (drink Mountain Dew)

Happy birthday my friend. Blues, Dave "I AM A PROFESSIONAL EXTREME ATHLETE!" (drink Mountain Dew)

West Plains Skydiving kicks off our 2008 season at our new DZ on a private strip in Ritzville, WA this coming weekend. Some construction activities for the new hangar and RV slots are ongoing, but fully operational status is now in sight. Last year we skimped on events other than birthdays and such, so this year it's time to host a boogie. Looking at other northwest boogies, the 4th of July weekend appears to be the best slot, so go ahead and make your plans now to come boogie at "The Ritz". Organizers and aircraft other than our normal Caravan are still undetermined () but there will certainly be some of the former and we'll pursue the latter if there's enough interest. Beer will flow in large quantities after jumping, and our margarita machine is second to none (except perhaps that diesel powered thing at LP last year). Hey, it's a three day weekend and you don't have anywhere better to be, so come play with us! Blues, Dave "I AM A PROFESSIONAL EXTREME ATHLETE!" (drink Mountain Dew)

Most of the ferry flights I've been on included seats, but I'll admit some didn't. As for the charging thing, it's irrelevent if the participants (including the pilot) are merely splitting the cost of the flight, right? If you and I took your Mooney to Eloy for a weekend and I split the costs with you, that wouldn't make it a commercial flight, would it? Blues, Dave Were the seats "approved" for passenger operations by the manufacturer according to the type certificate, by STC, or FSDO approval? Ferrying skydivers does not count for the skydiving exclusion. I assume so. They've been the normal padded seats with shoulder & lap belts and four points of attachment to the floor, just like I imagine these planes use when not configured for skydiving or cargo ops. They're mostly just a hassle to put in and take out whenever going on a ferry ride. I certainly don't feel much more or less safe as a result of them. Blues, Dave "I AM A PROFESSIONAL EXTREME ATHLETE!" (drink Mountain Dew)

Yeah, I wasn't really asking about coaches on Cat E, but the A card does say "Prior to freefall self-supervision (typically after the first jump in Category E), all students must meet the standards listed in the USPA BSRs. Clearance to freefall self-supervision requires the endorsement of an appropriately rated USPA Instructor (signature in logbook). Under the supervision of a USPA Instructor, a USPA Coach may train only the freefall portions of Categories E-H." It's just that the suggested diveflows include two disorienting manuever diveflows (barrel rolls on E-1, back & front loops on E-2) and the A-card requires frontloop, backloop, barrel roll, and "jump without FF supervision." To me, that suggests E-2 is supposed to be their first solo and include disorienting maneuvers, but that seems odd to me. Edit to add: The way I read the card, self supervision is itself one of the TLO's of Cat E, not something that comes after finishing Cat E. If the sign-off was "cleared to self supervise" instead of "jump without FF supervision", it'd make a lot more sense to me. Blues, Dave "I AM A PROFESSIONAL EXTREME ATHLETE!" (drink Mountain Dew)

For the most part I only share meals with people I like. This means, during the week, I almost always eat alone, at my desk. If that makes me a dick, so be it. Blues, Dave "I AM A PROFESSIONAL EXTREME ATHLETE!" (drink Mountain Dew)

Sounds great, but the bass player looks like an asshole! Blues, Dave "I AM A PROFESSIONAL EXTREME ATHLETE!" (drink Mountain Dew)

Most of the ferry flights I've been on included seats, but I'll admit some didn't. As for the charging thing, it's irrelevent if the participants (including the pilot) are merely splitting the cost of the flight, right? If you and I took your Mooney to Eloy for a weekend and I split the costs with you, that wouldn't make it a commercial flight, would it? Blues, Dave "I AM A PROFESSIONAL EXTREME ATHLETE!" (drink Mountain Dew)

You still didn't answer the question. *You* say that the FAA says it was illegal, but you haven't provided a reference supporting that statement. Blues, Dave "I AM A PROFESSIONAL EXTREME ATHLETE!" (drink Mountain Dew)

I've worn a frap hat on almost all my tandems but will be switching to a hard helmet in the very near future, mostly on the advice of people whose opinions I trust, not because I've found myself wishing I'd had on something more substantial than a frap hat. Nothing at all is bad for the ears...I do it occasionally, but it's definitely not my norm. Blues, Dave "I AM A PROFESSIONAL EXTREME ATHLETE!" (drink Mountain Dew)

I think it's because S/L and IAD students start out with several jumps of concentrating on very little other than canopy control. 98% of the time they spend on their jump is under canopy. If you subscribe to the notion that a student can only retain so much (the reason FJCs present only the basics), and you acknowledge that AFF dedicates a significant portion of that toward freefall (easiest way to fail level 1 is not pulling, something an IAD doesn't even think about), it's kind of obvious that an IAD or S/L will have significantly more attention to dedicate to C/C, and a much higher percentage of their jump to focus on it. I've taught C/C the same way to IAD and to AFF students, and the former seem somewhat better at it. HP canopy pilots dedicate hop & pops to their canopy skills rather than doing (extended) freefall on every jump. This is in part due to the cost of a lift ticket and the separation it gets them from freefallers, but it's also in part because it lets them concentrate on just flying their canopy, rather than a whole bunch of ther stuff PLUS flying their canopy. Similarly, canopy control course folks agree that when trying to improve C/C skills, hop & pops, even if from altitude, are better than freefall skydives followed by C/C. I think there's a reason for that. Blues, Dave "I AM A PROFESSIONAL EXTREME ATHLETE!" (drink Mountain Dew)

Pardon me if I don't take your word for it. Blues, Dave "I AM A PROFESSIONAL EXTREME ATHLETE!" (drink Mountain Dew)

Legality has little to do with safety, and that's one of the problems with inviting more regulation. Additionally, given that the jumpers aboard are *not* members of the public at large, you'll have to explain in a bit more detail how participants in a ferry flight are automatically illegal. Blues, Dave "I AM A PROFESSIONAL EXTREME ATHLETE!" (drink Mountain Dew)

You've yet to explain how the ferry flights become suddenly more hazardous by carrying jumpers. As far as I can tell, you're still just wanting those people to help fund your paycheck. Blues, Dave "I AM A PROFESSIONAL EXTREME ATHLETE!" (drink Mountain Dew)

Are we getting at the heart of the matter here? Because all I've expressed is the view of someone who wishes to continue skydiving, and you think that is not compatible with the NAS? I have said no such thing. I think skydiving AC should meet the current standards. You think the standards should be increased to an unsustainable level. Blues, Dave "I AM A PROFESSIONAL EXTREME ATHLETE!" (drink Mountain Dew)

My attitude towards safety is just fine. I am a *skydiving* instructor. The changes you propose would potentially make me neither a skydiver nor an instructor. As I said, I'm absolutely in favor of enforcing the current regulations. What I'm not in favor of can be found in the title of this thread, emphasis on "more". More enforcement would be cool. More regulation would not be cool. Blues, Dave "I AM A PROFESSIONAL EXTREME ATHLETE!" (drink Mountain Dew)

Didn't you *just* call out last fall's 208 crash specifically because it had more than 1 person on board? Either lots of people being in a single accident is relevant or it's not. Which is it? Blues, Dave "I AM A PROFESSIONAL EXTREME ATHLETE!" (drink Mountain Dew)

Even if you made the planes 100% fail-safe, people would still die. Blues, Dave "I AM A PROFESSIONAL EXTREME ATHLETE!" (drink Mountain Dew)

Almost every skydiving fatality, aircraft related or not, could be prevented by the deceased having not gotten on the plane. Who are you to decide what risks other people should expose themselves to? Blues, Dave "I AM A PROFESSIONAL EXTREME ATHLETE!" (drink Mountain Dew)

You could rephrase that "Why do they not wish the sport be priced outside of their ability to pay" and get the same answer. Blues, Dave "I AM A PROFESSIONAL EXTREME ATHLETE!" (drink Mountain Dew)

I had friends in three different crashes in the last year, two fatal to all aboard, including that one (and I had been asked to be on that flight several times). I've also ridden ferry planes to and from Boise, quite possibly in that exact plane. You are free to disagree with me, but don't think for a second that my opinion formed in a vacuum devoid of personal loss in such aircraft. Blues, Dave "I AM A PROFESSIONAL EXTREME ATHLETE!" (drink Mountain Dew)

YOU said the risk in 105 ops is that the public doesn't know the regs or whether the operator is in compliance. I submit that the same is true of 119/121 ops. I believe this counters the point. Well of course it is. And I think 98+ percent of first jump students would agree with that statement. So are you going after GA collectively, or just the evil skydiving operations. Because when I look at the NTSB database, skydiving planes appear to be a drop in the bucket. Blues, Dave "I AM A PROFESSIONAL EXTREME ATHLETE!" (drink Mountain Dew)

I know that there's a risk that the DZO, mechanic, and pilot are dishonest and don't give a shit if I die. I try to avoid such people, but I recognize that some day I could be make a fatal error in trusting them. Blues, Dave "I AM A PROFESSIONAL EXTREME ATHLETE!" (drink Mountain Dew)