dterrick

DAMN I missed it - was at SFO till 7 PM after a long travel day from Canada, eh. As I waited for United to supply me with my luggage (they so thoughtfully sent it along, perhaps in first class, but on a later flight ) I read of that concert in the WHERE! magazine.... - The do "Riders on the Storm" better than Jim did.... eh, maybe next trip -Dave Life is very short and there's no time for fussing and fighting my friend (Lennon/McCartney)

Back in C.A. land Belmont sky is very blue need a dropzone here Flight crews scared of me Exit row on big big plane When I yell out "DOOR!" (just kidding - I didn't want to spend my time in CA in a CA jail ) Life is very short and there's no time for fussing and fighting my friend (Lennon/McCartney)

Bone fete a toi LizzieB!! Dave from Winnipeg here in Beautiful Belmont till month end. Dialup is slow so I'll just have to spend less time online and come wish you happy birtyday at H in person sometime during the trip.

YE GODS!!! TWO JT's??? Must be a fellow Gemini Been here officially since December 2001 but I spent a month or 2 here looking at gear and articles befoe I figured what the forums were about. I had only started jumping that September so I've been here since "my" beginning -Dave Life is very short and there's no time for fussing and fighting my friend (Lennon/McCartney)

Hello Jim! [only you have been PM'd the first three paragraphs of this post out of courtesy to this forum] My synopsis of your position is "Demo jumpers should pressure their USPA representatives NOT to decrease or eliminate their financial support of the liability insurance costs for demo jumps". Perhaps there is more to your message? As an uninformed non-American, non-member looking in on this post, I could only comment on what I see as issues of politics, finance and economics. I can't make many informed comments on the structure of the USPA except that "the membership" voted for the people who are now in the process of doing their job. If they do it poorly and destroy this segment of the sport then the blame must lie with those who voted them in as much as those who failed to vote against them. I doubt very much that ANYONE ran on a ticket of "let's cut funding to demo jump insurance" but SOMEBODY obviously thought this was a good idea. Apparently enough people have been convinced of this viewpoint to cause you to act. BRAVO!! It is well within your right to do so. The point of view I attempted to show was that from an economist and businessman whereas yours was exclusively from the point of the Demo jumper. I am a professional insurance and investment agent in Canada with a CFP designation; I hold an advanced degree in Business from an internationally accredited University. Perhaps I spoke with excessively abstract terms? The real villain in this situation appears to be the Property and Casualty insurance industry (I represent Life and Disability products only but the business fundamentals are similar or identical). "They" are the ones that raised the rates to their consumer. The consumer of the insurance product is the show organizer, not the demo jumper and not the spectator. If, in the past, the USPA has made it a practice, effectively, to subsidize the show organizer so that the demos may be viable additions, that’s great. Please realize, though, that the USPA will have done this for their own "business reasons" i.e.: to generate interest in the sport and new membership fees. There is no fundamental difference between a show organizer deciding to scrap a demo after a cost/benefit analysis and the USPA deciding to discontinue subsidies on the basis of a similar cost benefit analysis. I STRONGLY suspect they have done this, though I am ‘uninformed’ on this matter. To the show organizer, the end consumer is the "butt in the seat"; to the USPA, the consumer is YOU, THE DEMO JUMPER – not the uninvolved recreational jumper. The show organizer answers to his corportaion/staduim owner/team/whatever... and the USPA answers to the GENERAL membership. If you feel the USPA BOD are taking the sport in an inappropriate direction for your ‘interest group’ then it is entirely within your right to do whatever you can, collectively as 'single shareholders' (i.e.: demo jumping members) to change the USPA’s direction. However, by blindly calling my attempt to expose the more general issues "clouded" and "uninformed" you are, in fact, only exposing yourself as being closed minded to the potentially divergent viewpoints of other interest groups and the membership at large. *** Now, in order to bring some POSITIVE resolution to this difficult situation, may I ask these questions? Does the USPA constitution provide a mechanism for a Plebiscite? A binding Referendum? Would it be 51 percent of the VOTES cast (as in the G.W. Bush election) or would it be 51 percent of the POSSIBLE votes? If there is such a mechanism then you should DEMAND it be used. If not, you can only continue your tact of moral suasion against the current Board of Directors. If that fails then your recourse will be to attempt to oust them at the next election; More important, you would ALSO need to fill those positions pf power with people sympathetic to your cause. THAT, as I understand it, is the Great Democratic process. Dave Terrick CSPA/FAI B 5079 Life is very short and there's no time for fussing and fighting my friend (Lennon/McCartney)

Hi Jim: I write this as a non-demop jumper and, for that member , a non-USPA member as I'm a Canadian citizen. I believe that using the rules of "formal logic" may isolate the issue(s) fairly. If, in the end, the USPA decides 'against' a logical conclusion, then it is THEIR problem not yours. Parachute Demonstarions require insurance which is a cost of the event. In order to justify paying an insurance cost, someone must recieve a benefit If nobody recieves a benefit then demos will not occur. This valid syllogism (yes I took a shortcut but if you care to extend the arguement it's actually 2 syllogisms) you can suggests that "somebody" must recieve a benefit and apparently in the past the USPA has felt that 'they' recieved a benefit. Now that the USPA appears NOT feel that this beneift exists, another group must be substituted. If event holders do NOT see their benefit exceeding their cost, nobody will pay the insurance and no demo will occur. Two solutions exist: increase the benefit to someone or decrease the cost. Next point, and this one is relevant to USPA. The USPA's BOD administer the funds fairly and in the best interest of skydivers in general. The USPA does not feel the membership wishes to incur increased demo costs. Therefore the USPA must not increase funding for demos (the valid missing but implied premise is that costs have gone up). The way I see this form the outside is that the curent USPA BOD have fear of losing more revenue from people rejecting increased membership fees and not renewing (increases due to increasing demo funds for which "the non-renewer" revieves no DIRECT benefit) than they will benefit from continuing the same demo programs and paying more to fund them. *** One could argue that doing a demo is a priveledge and an ego trip and that YOU should fund the associated costs - or become good enough salesmen to sell the costs to the event organizers (apparently not the present case). One could also argue that 'only very high profile groups' should do demos (Golden Knights, etc) and at the highest possible level. If you agree with #1 then the new scenario becomes ' only good salesmen are demo jumpers'. In the second case, the prolem becomes 'only those already at the highest level get to continue doing demos'. Think for a moment about what WalMart does to a small town when they arreive and go 24/7. The corner hardware store either competes directly, finds a niche that WalMart will NOT fill, or disappears in short order. I fear that the insurance industry has tipped the scales in their own favour without regard to the hurt it causes USPA. The 'capitalist organizers' of an event care nothing but for their bottome line - unless they too happen to be sympathetic to skydiving ... and THOSE are the demos that will not be the ones presently cancelled. So, who are left to share the imposed costst are the USPA and the demo performers. The 'egoist demo performers' must either convince USPA their case is worthy or pay up. I feel you are attempting the former but so far only with reference to "other capitalists" like DZO's and equipment manufacturers. If you can convince THEM of your case, you will win. But if neither the DZO's or the manufacturers are interested in sharing the increased cost of demos, I fear this segment of our sport will all but disappear. Gotta love Capitalism, right. This essay is all based on Adam Smith's Wealth of Nations (1789) - a very small part of any college Introductory Economics course. Damn somedays I hate being "educated" Dave T (hoping that demos are stil around when I'm qualified to do them) PS: I put these thought together only to illustrate from an unbiased point how the decision to canel the funding can occur. Out provincial association lost ALL sport funding from the government because 'someone in government saw more value in giving the money to someone else'. Just switch MB Sport Parachute Association and 'Demo jumpers' and you have the same case - only ours happened 2 years ago Life is very short and there's no time for fussing and fighting my friend (Lennon/McCartney)

Flying a tandem with a flag 'passenger' makes sense (what does it weigh) but I have to wonder how much drag that flag would place againse the forward speed of the canopy ...and how does it help do the flare on landing? Dave Life is very short and there's no time for fussing and fighting my friend (Lennon/McCartney)

Ummm, all I can say to that is "Coors Lite" - if you don't drink you'd be fine with that "beer" and guess where IT comes from??? Actually, the one thing youze 'mericans have on us is the fact that your "standard" beers don't cost a buck and a half a bottle from a government monoplized liquor emporium. If that was all we could get I wouldn't drink either. Dave PS: there's no 'ox' in Moosehead but I think they're cousins Life is very short and there's no time for fussing and fighting my friend (Lennon/McCartney)

Welcome back dude! you forgot to mention the killer mosquitoes though. Yes, the winters are hell but that's what southern DZ's are for, right? Here's a twist... Thursday I arrive back in Belmont and will be house sitting till the 28th. 2 big dogs, 2 cats, 2 cars, no rig, not much cash. I'm alternating between thoughts of begging for someone's spare rig and doing Hollister for a day or annoying the neighbors and inviting y'all up into the Belmont hills for an unauthorized bash. Either way, watch for the "I'm baaaack" thread Dave Life is very short and there's no time for fussing and fighting my friend (Lennon/McCartney)

a FINE Canadian beer residing in a green bottle and best served at 4 degrees Celcius Dave Life is very short and there's no time for fussing and fighting my friend (Lennon/McCartney)

HAH! I did 3 clear and pulls on a Jonathan 170 from 3k - our 'standard' IAD height (I was loadfill doing a canopy demo on a low cieling day). That particular Jon was a 'good' one and it opened nicer than a Sabre 210 I often deploy at terminal. Snivelly, yes, strange, no. Actually, speaking of hop n pops, as an IAD/SL baby (150 jumps ago), the SKILL of being rock solid on the slide while tossing is something you CAN'T (or don't) develop on a turbine DZ - or so it seems from many comments. I do aspire to CReW where, again, this is a necessary skill. But if the whole truth is told, when I do a Canopy Jump from 9k I almost always take a 10 second sit and belly-flip or 1/2 pike backloops or something else fun so I get the cool exit, a terminal deployment, AND a good long canopy trial. Our activation altitude for FAI A holders and beyond is 2200 ft so 3k works quite well. In fact yesterday I pulled a 3 second clear and pull from a hanging exit on our 182 - jumping my Raven (it can bite) flatpacked by "Magistr8" under my supervision. I survived and it was fun to be so stable that I could geek the camera in the pull process Dave Life is very short and there's no time for fussing and fighting my friend (Lennon/McCartney)

um, wow Jasmin ...Now for inspiration, remember the Police song from the late 70's? ... And on unrelated psychobabble, the great composer Ludwig von Beethoven once said "Only the pure of heart can make great soup" -Dave Life is very short and there's no time for fussing and fighting my friend (Lennon/McCartney)

qu'est que c'est le WHAT? That is the weirdest looking flying thing I've seen. Tre cool - just watch out for the whirly bits. Dave Life is very short and there's no time for fussing and fighting my friend (Lennon/McCartney)

Misquoted ... should be "My God can kick YOUR God's butt" - least how anyways it sure looks like that from here Dave Life is very short and there's no time for fussing and fighting my friend (Lennon/McCartney)

Peas. > > > > > > Sorry, an episode of Bugs Bunny(Foghorn Leghorn) got me started... Life is very short and there's no time for fussing and fighting my friend (Lennon/McCartney)

Touche.. and I mean tou-chay in the "froggie" sense, Simon .. just to make R2 Hubert feel at home. Damn I'll be at San'Fran next Thursday (for 2 weeks to house-sit) with no jump money... Anyone at Hollister feel generous to a Canuck with no Greenbacks to spare? Waaahhhhh I might visit anyway Dave T (Raven Wonderkid) When's Swoopin' Sebazz back..must.. find ...cowzzzzzz ... and the blue windsock again :-( Life is very short and there's no time for fussing and fighting my friend (Lennon/McCartney)

Didn't we 'do' this thread shortly ago??? Oh well, practise makes perfect... ... .. (pick me ?) Dave Life is very short and there's no time for fussing and fighting my friend (Lennon/McCartney)

Thanks Chris! I'm glad it was helpful... For the benefit of the list at large, I have also been in a 'total' crash on thr road in a Triumph TR-6. I also had a total loss in a race in a restored Triumph GT-6+ ( it took me 2 years to build it). In both cases I had that 'life got slow' feeling and I can doccument every little twitch I made - I can say no such thing for my skydiving mal's - they were pure instinct which means my instructors did ther job!! After the p/c in tow (as a student) I wrote a 67 minute song (CD format, from 80's stuff to classical, it just fit my mood) but the horseshoe just freaked me. The CD is cool (PM for a copy) but the Horseshoe just made me think of what COULD have happened... ... ... I'm more the Man for it Dave "Know your friends but know your enemes (mals) better -Sung Tsu (The Art of War??) Life is very short and there's no time for fussing and fighting my friend (Lennon/McCartney)

Eeh, drag racing, DB drag racing ..whatever. MY amplifiers go up to ELEVEN . Dave 74 Hz? Is that not the base frequency of a piston driven jump plane? Maybe we have a new market to tap into... skip spending the cash on car audio and buy a Lancaster bomber ... Life is very short and there's no time for fussing and fighting my friend (Lennon/McCartney)

and Merriam-Webster says... (aah, go look yourself) http://www.m-w.com/cgi-bin/mwwod.pl Dave Life is very short and there's no time for fussing and fighting my friend (Lennon/McCartney)

Hi Chris! Inded it is a scary mal. Mine was a "mild" one that some would call only an "entanglement". On a hop n pop from 3,000 I had an unstable exit (lesson #1 - it can happen anytime, anywhere, to anyone). I knew I'd have to pull as soon as I finished my unintentional frontloop and I did - except that I was still rotating headdown as I pulled. The pilot chute wrapped around my left ankle and pulled me further headdown. Yikes. To clear THIS particular mal you "rotate the offending limb while pointing to the sky" since the pilot chute really DOES want to leave your body (Think about the drag factor for a minute - if you rotated the wrong way (winding it up more) you'd be reeling in your pilot chue like a big fish). Of course, since me leg(s) were already pointing skyward as I continued to accelerate I "just" had to shake the leg and off it came ... and then came the BANG of an upset canopy warning me not to do shit like that again. *** I've done the pilot chute in tow and the horseshoe mal and they're both nasty, high speed problems requiring you to take IMMEDIATE action. There is a good video (called "Cutaway" I think) out there about mals and what to and I'd suggest you ask your DZO if there is a copy you can watch with a senior (is your profile up to date?) instructor. Oh ya, and read the dropzone.com forums often. Even when I'm not in the air I get to keep my mental skills sharp by reading and replying. Good question Chris. Dave Life is very short and there's no time for fussing and fighting my friend (Lennon/McCartney)

I know, I know ... I was being extremely silly - sheesh... here in Canada we DO realize that the US does not celebrate Boxing Day and it is, perhaps partly because of its British origins andthe fact that you do not celebrate it, that we "enjoy" it. Of course, youze guys "take a week off" at Thanksgiving and watch Football ... where to us it's just one Holiday Monday in early October... ...I've never understood why Thanksgiving is different in time and magnatude considering we observe it for the same basic reason Dave Life is very short and there's no time for fussing and fighting my friend (Lennon/McCartney)

Wi-nni-peg ... it is but a few dozen miles from the geographic centre of North America ... we ARE the centre of it all Life is very short and there's no time for fussing and fighting my friend (Lennon/McCartney)

Oh chopchop come-on Oil dripping on your rig sounds like lots of fun Life is very short and there's no time for fussing and fighting my friend (Lennon/McCartney)

I speak French and am a musician (yet another "language" not listed). I chose Norwegian for two reasons. First, I fully intentd to jump the fjords on my 40th birthday (another 5 years and several hundred jumps) and I'd like to be able to yak with the locals. Reason 2 is that one half my family lineage is Norwegian and it would be nice to be able to talk with them (conversational Whuffo? ... yue came-eh half waaay arounddd de worlt to yump off of de feeyourd? I intend tyo say "jeg" to that) Dave Life is very short and there's no time for fussing and fighting my friend (Lennon/McCartney)