chuckakers

A legend... https://www.facebook.com/NationalSkydivingMuseum/posts/10153795489948203 Chuck Akers D-10855 Houston, TX

Not everywhere. Here in Houston (south side, nearest the coast) we often have uppers that are as much as 180 degrees from the wind direction at deployment altitude and with dramatic differences in speed as well. During some months it's quite common. I know the "uppers only" calculation works for most DZ's most of the time, but it's important for jumpers to understand that it is not the upper winds alone that determine safe exit separation. Without a correct fundamental understanding it is entirely possible for a jumper to believe all the bases have been covered and then find themselves in a deadly situation. Chuck Akers D-10855 Houston, TX

Even this commonly accepted technique fails to include the most critical data of all - the difference in wind speed and direction between the exit altitude and the planned deployment altitude. Chuck Akers D-10855 Houston, TX

According to the news story, the airport's grant money (federal funding) was potentially in jeopardy because of the (perceived) safety issues related to skydiving activities. Personally. if I was still a DZO and the locals didn't want us on the field I would just find a new home. Even if you win the legal battle the problems would never end. Chuck Akers D-10855 Houston, TX

I don't disagree with that, but the point remains - if you want to find out where the break down is and why, go to the top. I once got put into a ridiculously impossible phone circle with Comcast, the King of f'cked up customer service. After 30 minutes of research I was voice-to-voice with the right hand person of the VP of customer service. A tech was at my house less than an hour later. Problem solved. Chuck Akers D-10855 Houston, TX

Everything you ever wanted to know about disciplinary actions. Section 1-6. http://www.uspa.org/Portals/0/Downloads/Man_GovMan.pdf Chuck Akers D-10855 Houston, TX

Backatcha! Let me know when you're headed this way and we'll dedicate some jumps to your visit! Chuck Akers D-10855 Houston, TX

yep https://www.facebook.com/groups/121973277873750/ Chuck Akers D-10855 Houston, TX

I understand now. Thank you for the explanation. does anything like this already exists at the US PA? No. Chuck Akers D-10855 Houston, TX

I was thinking of the USPA (or maybe just a group of attorneys willing to do the Pro Bono work) who would be willing to assist in the formation of these corporations individually for each skydiver or at least skydiving instructors / professionals who is seriously injured. Once formed, they can be managed by the individuals families but I believe help with the formation of these Tax exempt organizations would go a long way toward increasing the donations because business & people would get a write off by donating. I know the organization I adopted my greyhound from had such a status. I have donated to injured Vets who have had such organizations formed. I don't understand why it is not more commonplace with injured skydivers - many of whom are in need of special vehicles & other basic medical needs. Honestly, I was thinking of one or two injured skydivers in particular. If there are no attorneys who are willing to donate their time, perhaps I was have a 501(c)(3) formed & cover the expenses myself. I just am not sure if those "form a corporation without an attorney" ads I hear on the radio would withstand scrutiny. Does anyone have any experience with them or has anyone been involved in the process of forming a 501(c)(3) for an injured skydiver? 501's require government approval based on a long list of qualifiers to earn tax free status and must adhere to strict ongoing accounting and fiduciary rules. One can probably be formed using a simple online service but must still be recognized to be valid, and that can take a lot of effort. Having an individual entity for each beneficiary would probably not be cost effective because of the costs associated with ongoing compliance. Helping jumpers individually would probably be most efficient just using a simple ongoing online fundraiser. A better structure for the big picture might be a single organization dedicated to assisting jumpers across the country. Chuck Akers D-10855 Houston, TX

Seem pretty reasonable considering.... "During the last financial year it conducted 23,055 tandem jumps, generating revenues of $11.4 million." Chuck Akers D-10855 Houston, TX

They were made up to 230. Chuck Akers D-10855 Houston, TX

Are you fucking kidding me? My guess is the 50k was paid out from a claim made under USPA member liability insurance. Chuck Akers D-10855 Houston, TX

800 bucks? You're off your rocker. Given what jumpers are willing to pay for stuff, maybe not. https://www.chutingstar.com/skydive/vertical-suits-viper-suit Chuck Akers D-10855 Houston, TX

Consequences. Chuck Akers D-10855 Houston, TX

Hooks date back to PC's, but DQ has this one. Rickster was absolutely one of if not "the guy" that kicked off swooping as we know it today. He was pulling off stuff in the late 80's and early 90's that seemed impossible and his style was emulated by many who would become the early pioneers. In all fairness though, JC Colclasure needs some credit too. His killer work in the early Ranch pond swoop meets and throughout the discipline in general were epic. Even today the best in the world are glad he is retired from competition. Chuck Akers D-10855 Houston, TX

You might try contacting the manufacturers to see if they might provide the original buyer's name and start tracking the ownership from there. That might tell you if it was ever stolen or who was the last owner and possible "seller". Chuck Akers D-10855 Houston, TX

+1 - sounds like a hoot if the logistics are solid. Chuck Akers D-10855 Houston, TX

I'm 6'3" and was 275 when I started jumping(250 now), all 21 jumps so far have been on a Nav 260. The student Javelin I use barely fits but it works(I'm all torso height which makes it harder). My landings still aren't great but I'm doing just fine. AFF wasn't easy but my coaches and I worked through it safely. I'm fast in free fall but have learned to slow down to allow my coach who weighs half what I do to keep up(tunnel training was essential for me). If you have some gear he can fly safely to start out give him a chance, if he likes the sport he can find gear better suited to him. Safely or luckily? What was/is your rig TSO'd for? Typical sport rigs are TSO'd for 254 pounds max suspended weight. I personally know a guy that died when his overloaded reserve blew up. Might want to consider that if your rig and/or reserve is TSO'd for 254. Chuck Akers D-10855 Houston, TX

Z-hills Chuck Akers D-10855 Houston, TX

I am just surprised that a DZO would be quite so dismissive of potential business. But there are certainly a growing number of DZ's that chase the fast easy dollar with the statistically "normal" but outliers need not show up. Too tall.. with the wrong BMI for the sport In Group-Out group dynamics....love it. I guess you don't know TK very well. TK is an excellent DZO and very smart business man. My guess is that he just knows what business he's in. In any business it's not wise to try to be all things to all people and in today's business climate it's often better to identify and target a specific segment of the potential customer base. All businesses have a finite amount of resources and must maximize profit while staying within resource limits. In much the same way a company stops making a product because the required resources don't justify the monetary return or a retailer stops carrying a product because the sales don't justify the required shelf space, a smart DZO must decide who will get the DZ's resources and who won't. You may call that being selfish, but I see it another way. A drop zone that makes a healthy profit can afford to donate jumps to wounded warriors, give away jump certificates to local charities for fundraising purposes, and on and on. A drop zone that is on the financial edge can not. It reminds me of a very wealthy friend of mine, who when asked about his fortune has a simple answer - "the more I have the more good I can do". TK runs one of the most successful DZ's in the country for a reason. He understands who is customer is and who his customer isn't. That's just smart business. Chuck Akers D-10855 Houston, TX

Houston has a 12 month jumping season. December through March has some sketchy weather but we can jump most of the time. Houston only as far as I know. Chuck Akers D-10855 Houston, TX

to clarify a question from Chuck further on, we are physically re inspecting all risers that were produced in this batch. They had gone through the multiple standard inspection processes prior to and after installation. As I stated, our systems and people and processes failed in this instance. Thanks for the clarification! Always great to hear positive reactions to issues!! Chuck Akers D-10855 Houston, TX

Depends of course on how you define "that archaic". You just named a whopping one person that you know that used to jump a balloon suit. Yes, swoop cords are still used by some and are useful in certain applications. In my experience, a properly fitted suit with things like appropriate fabrics, oversized grippers, mega booties made from ballistic nylon, and a few other touches does much more to slow fall rate than a basic suit with swoop cords and wings, and still allows for a full range of fall rate. Chuck Akers D-10855 Houston, TX

Of course we realize there are jumpsuits other than skin tight spandex, and many people jump them. When was the last time you did RW/FS with someone wearing a balloon suit? I've been jumping for 30 years and I have personally done it - never! There's a reason balloon suits went by the wayside. Beyond being difficult to fly, they have almost no range relative to that required in today's more aggressive formation work. In general, the larger the suit, the less range and expeditious movement the jumper will have and balloon suits are the ultimate in large suits. There are a few options out there that might help some, but a balloon suit is not a good one. Wings/swoop cords are an "ok" option but as I mentioned earlier, unless this person is really tall, 285 pounds is likely too heavy for wings to be very effective in staying with others. BTW, heavier folks should be glad many people wear skin tight suits (and some even wear lead). If they didn't the heavies would need even BIGGER suits than they already do. Chuck Akers D-10855 Houston, TX