chuckakers

What if it was given to you in an endorsement deal? Chuck Akers D-10855 Houston, TX

In the 27 years I have been jumping there have been countless people burn in because they didn't have an AAD (or didn't have it on, thank you Mr. Piras), and not once that I know of has there been a lawsuit or even the threat of one because a drop zone didn't require AAD's on licensed jumpers. I can't imagine a DZ being held liable for the death of a licensed skydiver because they CHOSE not to use a non-required safety device. Maybe that's why I've never heard of any lawsuits. Chuck Akers D-10855 Houston, TX

Maybe he didn't mention the attributes above because that would require speculation, which is exactly what you are doing. It may be true that RSL's have caused accidents, but any attempt to make a comparison is futile since RSL saves are non-incidents that don't get reported. For the record, I do not jump an RSL. Chuck Akers D-10855 Houston, TX

Ahhh. Nothing quite like the sound of a stable door being clicked shut, long after the horse has wandered off. Doesn't matter. I know at least one regular jumper there that has one and never turns it on. What's next, ramp checks in the loading area? Chuck Akers D-10855 Houston, TX

Quit bragging and go work on your summer budget. Chuck Akers D-10855 Houston, TX

Can't speak to the canopy thing. As for the kiss pass, relax. Can you really tell me there's a safety issue with lockin' lips for a second with a student on what many DZ's consider a graduation jump? Really now. We have many major-league safety problems in this sport. Are you really trying to say a kiss pass with a level 7 student is one of them? My post mentioned nothing about the safety aspect. I just thought it seemed a bit unprofessional and the person said they landed off dz so the person doesnt have the situational awareness to do exciting things like pass a kiss...yet. They are still a student. Thats all I was getting at. Just stinks of the "cute girl at the DZ that gets whatever she wants." Even though it could have been a boy getting a kiss from the hot female instructor which would have contributed to him landing off. I couldnt care less. Just posting on the internet. Well if you think the kiss pass shouldn't have been performed because the "person doesn't have the situational awareness to do exciting things like pass a kiss...yet", aren't you saying that's a safety issue? And really now. You're saying the student landed off the DZ because the of "excitement" of a kiss pass? You don't get kissed much, do you? BTW, there's nothing unprofessional about superior customer service. Chuck Akers D-10855 Houston, TX

Can't speak to the canopy thing. As for the kiss pass, relax. Can you really tell me there's a safety issue with lockin' lips for a second with a student on what many DZ's consider a graduation jump? Really now. We have many major-league safety problems in this sport. Are you really trying to say a kiss pass with a level 7 student is one of them? Chuck Akers D-10855 Houston, TX

Where's the "like" button? Chuck Akers D-10855 Houston, TX

Your instructor sucked your face for the first time and you didn't end up in the hospital. Her day was made. Just to be sure, get her something nice for being so awesome. Chuck Akers D-10855 Houston, TX

"Cancelling" a jump with a 2-year old? Publicity stunt. It worked. Chuck Akers D-10855 Houston, TX

Yeah, but it wasn't their phault. You have been found guilty of a terrible pun. You are hereby sentenced to drinking a beverage of your choice, you hilarious bastard. Cheers! Chuck Akers D-10855 Houston, TX

Yeah, but it wasn't their phault. Damn Bob, that's phuckin' phunny! Chuck Akers D-10855 Houston, TX

The 45 degree thing is always pointless, wind or not. When a group exits, it will move aft of the aircraft (and thus create an angle to the rear) at the same rate regardless of what the wind is doing relative to the ground, so long as the wind speed (and direction for that matter) at the exit altitude is the same as it is below the plane during the observation interval. This is simply because the aircraft and the skydivers outside are in a mass of air that is the same for both objects whether that mass is moving relative to the ground or not. The only way the wind can affect drift angle is if the wind speed (or direction) at the exit altitude is dramatically different than the wind speed at the altitudes the exited jumpers fall through during the observation interval - and that would be exceedingly rare. Assuming the winds at the exit altitude and observation interval altitudes are the same, the only other relevant element that will change the visual angle vs observation interval is what the exiting group does after exit. Freeflyers - who experience a slower horizontal deceleration after exit relative to their vertical acceleration - will create less aft visual angle for a given observation interval than belly flyers who by comparison slow down horizontally quicker and speed up vertically slower during the same interval. Using the 45 degree rule will not insure adequate separation at opening because the variable (other than time between exits) that most affects opening separation - the difference in wind speeds at different altitudes - seldom exist with any significance at the altitudes where the 45 degree angle is observed. If in doubt, see Professor Kallend. Chuck Akers D-10855 Houston, TX

The 45 degree technique is ludicrous. I'm surprised you haven't found the obvious holes in the logic. Or maybe I'm not surprised. Chuck Akers D-10855 Houston, TX

Thank you for sharing your mom with us. The Arvin Good Guys were a very important part of skydiving's history. The cutting edge stuff they were doing paved the way to the modern-day freefall formation work of today. I'm glad Susie passed along her joy of skydiving to her family. If you ever get an itch, I'm sure there are a lot of skydivers that would love to see that scrapbook or digital scans of it. The folks at the National Skydiving Museum would probably also be interested in seeing some things from it for possible admission to their collection. Chuck Akers D-10855 Houston, TX

I am a career-long R.I. customer dating back to 1985 when I bought the 185th Talon to come off the line. I haven't seen the new Curve yet, but I jump an early Voodoo right now and would buy the new Curve sight unseen. The new features are very - ok - innovative, and the Voodoo format is a proven one. Sandy's engineering is second to none and the company's service practices are the best I've ever known - and I spent years as a dealer for all the big guys so I've seen the spectrum. My 2 cents. Chuck Akers D-10855 Houston, TX

I ran a DZ for a few years and we had an unusually high rate of students return. It was easy. We had full-tilt badass parties every Saturday night and invited, encouraged, coerced, and arm-twisted our students to stay for the festivities. Those who did almost always came back and most became licensed jumpers. Nothing brings a student back like being asked to party with the coolest people on the planet while they are still high on their experience. Chuck Akers D-10855 Houston, TX

www.visa.com Chuck Akers D-10855 Houston, TX

Just an observation: In places like the US & Canada we have nothing like a Harness/Container logbook, so any mods or repairs to the rig are undocumented. That's not ideal. Unless I'm mistaken, the rigger is supposed to document all repairs, mods, etc., in the rigger's log. Additionally, there's nothing that precludes the rigger from logging whatever he wants on the packing data card. Chuck Akers D-10855 Houston, TX

How so? Actually, I was talking about myself... saw a thread I hadn't posted in and all I could come up with was that... I had hopes that you'd catch on and throw out the classic, "I know you are, but what am I?" line but you didn't. Well in that case - I know you are, but what am I? Chuck Akers D-10855 Houston, TX

How so? Chuck Akers D-10855 Houston, TX

We're not dissing your friend, Mark. We're making light of a big-time drug smuggler who died in the commission of his felony crime. In the context of this conversation, Andrew was a cocaine smuggler regardless of whatever else he was. And honestly, brother. Skydiving would have progressed whether a gang of criminals smuggled tons of coke into the country or not. Excusing crimes that contributed to the sick, nasty underworld of drugs and violence because some drop zones got million dollar planes out of the deal isn't working for most of us. Those boys put a big, nasty scar on the sport. Chuck Akers D-10855 Houston, TX

June 9-10 - Skydive Spaceland - Houston, Texas Get out yer best cowboy booties and polish up those 10-gallon helmets, cuz the legendary TeXXas 20-way/10-way competition rides again!!! For 15 years starting in the mid 1980’s, skydivers rode the dusty trails from 27 states and 7 countries to reach the Republic of Texas... to compete head-to-head in a friendly ol’ freefall meet of monumentally entertainin’ proportions. And now, thanks to more than a few town folk with a hankerin’ to bring back that Lone Star vibe, the world famous TeXXas 20-way/10-way competition is back in the saddle! Teams are already forming in the gates, so whether yer a serious bull-ridin’ type that’s looking to take home the gold nuggets, or yer basic cowpoke that just wants to compete for fun, everyone can throw on spurs for this here rodeo! We’re gonna hitch the harnesses at Skydive Spaceland for 4 rounds of 20-way and 10-way June 9th and 10th! Then we’re circlin’ the wagons Saturday night for the first-ever “Swoop Pond Luau and Pig Roast Ho Down” with dinner and delicious debauchery by the “Anvil Brothers Cowboy Cookin’ Team”! Just before sundown, get ready for the always crowd pleasin’ TeXXas Hit n Chug competition, and – for the first time ever – we’ll be treated to the soon to be world famous “TeXXas Swoop n Swim”, a freestyle single-shot pond swoopin’ showdown guaranteed to git the evening festivities off to an entertainin’ start!! After the competition, stick around for fun jumps includin’ organized skyhoppin’ in all disciplines, a few formation-load big-ways, and maybe even some hybrid hijinks worthy of braggin’ rights! Scoring will be “TeXXas Style” givin’ all teams a chance to put up some big numbers, and all formations will be fun-jumper friendly! For riders that don’t like a crowd, there’s the equally legendary 10-way competition with a dive pool draw that every cowboy and cowgirl can ride! Don’t be shy now. This is a rodeo for everyone!! There’s also a big-way skills camp on Thursday the 7th featurin’ multi-time National Champion and member of Arizona Airspeed 16-way Scott Latinis! Cost for the camp is a measly 20 bucks and ya gotta register by calling the drop zone! Space in this chuck wagon is limited so git yerself signed up soon!! Official practice and team check-in will be on Friday the 8th, so plan to git here early to see all yer ol’ kinfolk before the competition and make some practice jumps out of the competition horsepower!! “Horse” power – git it? YeeeeHaaaw!!!! Don’t forget to give yer team a snazzy name and create some themed attire for team photos and ridiculously raucous recognition at the Ho Down!! Everyone rides for just 50 buckeroos plus jumps! (sorry, no Confederate dollars allowed…dangit) The top three teams in 20-way and 10-way will gallop home with hardware worthy of hangin’ in the ranch house, and everyone will take a limited edition TeXXas “COMPETITOR” T-shirt back to the coral with them too! Your rodeo fee also covers judging too! (pig roast cost separate cuz not everyone will want a hog dinner and bottomless keg) Bring a team or let us help ya gitcher self on one. Contact chuckakers@comcast.net for all the help ya need! Chuck Akers D-10855 Houston, TX

Skydive Spaceland - March 31-April 1 Big-ways organized by Chuck Akers NO REGISTRATION FEE, cost is price of jumps plus 3 bucks per jump for formation loads, extra altitude, and video slot 2 Super Otters, jumps from 15K Attend 1 day or both Approval required to insure quality of group Contact Chuck Akers at chuckakers@comcast.net for questions and approval Chuck Akers D-10855 Houston, TX

Be a better big-way jumper! Spend a day learning from the best! SKYDIVE SPACELAND - JUNE 7th This is a 1 day, jump intensive camp run by SCOTT LATINIS - member of Arizona Airspeed champion 16-way team and one of the leaders of P3 and the upcoming Dubai 500-way!! This is an incredible opportunity to learn and hone skills needed for big-ways, taught by one of the top big-way jumpers and teachers in the world!! This event will also kick off TeXXas 20-way/10-way weekend!!! Teams will be forming onsite for those without a team commitment, so come for the camp and stay for the festivities!! Camp is just $20 plus jumps! PRE-REGISTRATION REQUIRED - SIGN UP THROUGH THE DROP ZONE! For questions, contact event organizer Chuck Akers at chuckakers@comcast.net. Chuck Akers D-10855 Houston, TX