chuckakers

At Houston Skydiving Center (now Skydive Houston) hookin' & swoopin'! Chuck Akers D-10855 Houston, TX

Your screen name may hold a clue to your being banned. Chuck Akers D-10855 Houston, TX

Yes you are! Congrats!! Chuck Akers D-10855 Houston, TX

I don't know about tacking anything on, but you should be made whole on this deal. Whatever it cost you for shipping, reserve repack, etc,, should be repaid pronto. If he doesn't feel the same way, gun him down in cold blood and take the beer money out his wallet. No wait, that's not right. Please forgive me. Take the whiskey money out of his wallet. Chuck Akers D-10855 Houston, TX

I'm a bit surprised you didn't get the law involved pre-sting, but bravo just the same. Chuck Akers D-10855 Houston, TX

I got to know Bobby in 1986 while stationed at Ft Gordon. He was the real deal and one helluva guy. And oh, the parties! Chuck "That's a step ant...piss on it". B. Frierson

Practice handing over your plastic. Chuck Akers D-10855 Houston, TX

cutaway. Chuck Akers D-10855 Houston, TX

Frame it! Chuck Akers D-10855 Houston, TX

You guys are driving my point home very well. Pilots, do us a favor and save the demonstration of your skills for fun flights. We just want to go to altitude smoothly. Chuck Akers D-10855 Houston, TX

Yes, and besides, checking for traffic and clouds is such a waste of time. Chuck Akers D-10855 Houston, TX

being a lowtimer freeflying my ass off, i was told in order to freefly, besides having a rig suitable, i'd need at least one audible. better to have two. which i do. both are set to nearly identical altitudes, slightly set off, so it rings first left then right at break-off, same for opening altitude. usually i gaze at my altimeter just before break-off, while separating, i rely on my audible to tell me to stop tracking and pull. what you're saying is, that is wrong? i might add, i'm a dirty high puller, i break away at around 5000ft, and pull around 3500ft. i like to keep a little altitude to deal with stuff that might occur, but since i'm always packing myself, i'm quite confident to have a working canopy above my head, i can find a nice spot in the pattern, bla-bla-bla.. No, you're not worng - you're very right as far as using multiple devises. My point in that response was that with all the altitude sensing devises we use today, busting altitudes is more unforgivable than ever. Chuck Akers D-10855 Houston, TX

As I said in my first response, I would leave a DZ if I wasn't happy with the flight ops. I've done it in the past. As for your defense of the behavior in question, I guess we just disagree. I believe flying a plane for hire properly - regardless of the amount of peanuts the job pays - means keeping your mind on the task and not hot dogging. I think most passengers, jumpers, and pilots would agree. Chuck Akers D-10855 Houston, TX

This sort of thing has been happening since the dawn of skydiving time. "accidental" low pulls are part of the landscape. In the old days, this would have been four guys grounded for pulling low. In the old days there weren't multiple people in the group wearing multiple altitude sensing devises. And in general, we hear of a bunch more of this kind of crap than ever. Chuck Akers D-10855 Houston, TX

Actually it means they are more like skydivers and less like professional pilots, regardless of discipline. Flying jumpers is a tactical environment. The pilots attention - all of it - should be on conducting the flight as safely as possible, and nothing else. The original post concerning a crawling p/c is good example of the potentially fatal possibilities. Should we all check our gear before exit? Of course, but that won't matter when a p/c launches during climb-out or while chunking a piece, all because a pilot felt the need to entertain jumpers and waste the DZO's money. Bad comparison. The ride up is not the activity of choice, it's a necessity in order for us to to conduct the activity of choice. I, like everyone in the sport should, fully accept the risks of my skydiving, whatever discipline that may be. And yes, I am the paying customer and I can and would take my business elsewhere if needed to avoid unprofessional flight ops. I am at the mercy of the pilot on the ride up. I don't need a joyride. Look at it this way. The plane ride up is like the car ride to the race track. The race car drivers don't race to the track, they race at it. Chuck Akers D-10855 Houston, TX

Did the pilot ask everyone on the load if performing zero-G's was ok with them before doing them? Many people don't like them, and some people get sick from them. Some people, including myself, believe that while a zero-G move by itself is not inherently dangerous, it speaks to the attitude and mindset of the pilot. With all the crap - accidents, incidents, screw-ups - we see going on with jump planes, isn't it finally time to just take the paying customers to altitude in the most textbook manner possible? The amount of aircraft accidents that began with a pilot "just having a little fun" is substantial and completely avoidable. I can't possible be the only skydiver left that gets it, can I? Chuck Akers D-10855 Houston, TX

Well folks, here's another fine example of what this sport has come to. Can you even imagine being on a load where not a single person out of four notices the rapidly growing ground, hears an audible devise, has an internal alarm clock go off, or even notices a visual altimeter? Get out of the sky before you do something else magnificently stupid and kill someone whose only mistake is jumping with you. Un-f*cking-believable. Chuck Akers D-10855 Houston, TX

I hear Jim McGreevy buys it.

Sounds like the night load at the old Skydive Spaceland that spotted for the dragstrip down the road from the airport doing night drags instead of the lighted runway. Chuck Akers D-10855 Houston, TX

Looks like a Texas Parakeet to me. That would be a common buzzard. Chuck Akers D-10855 Houston, TX

Just got off the phone with my contact at Channel 13. It appears this is a powered parachute and it has not yet been found. Chuck Akers D-10855 Houston, TX

Uh oh. Looking at Google maps http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&safe=off&q=Sylvan+Beach+La+Porte,+texas&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=X&oi=geocode_result&resnum=1&ct=title the LaPorte Municipal Airport is a stones throw from Sylvan Beach. However, I don't know of any jumping activity there. Hmmm Chuck Akers D-10855 Houston, TX

That's weird. The nearest DZ to that area is Skydive Spaceland, and they are waaaay too far away for someone to have ended up there. There is some once-in-a-while private jumping around the area, but I haven't heard of any happening on that side of town. I'm anxious to hear more. So far nothing new. Chuck Akers D-10855 Houston, TX

So I guess if I mention "Proof", they'd really be lost. Chuck Akers D-10855 Houston, TX

Or you might say "please use the search feature to educate yourself on this issue. Then your comments and questions will better contribute to the discussion and will be very welcome....and always watch the horizon". Chuck Akers D-10855 Houston, TX