chuckakers

Unless I'm reading your post incorrectly, I think you don't follow the lingo here. "Hot" refueling refers to fueling while the engines ARE running. No, I understand the lingo perfectly. Read post 15. It's a pretty long rant that includes the phrase "Personally, I will not board any aircraft while the engines are running." I don't know if he meant during a hot refuel or not, but it reads (at least to me) that he doesn't even want to board the airplane at all while the engines are running. I wouldn't board the plane during a hot refuel. I wouldn't want to be on the plane during a hot refuel. But I'll board while the engines are running (but the plane isn't being refueled). That's been standard procedure the few times I've jumped out of a turbine. I would hope that the poster meant while the engines are running "during refueling", as I've never known of a drop zone that shuts the engines down just to take on the next load of jumpers. Not sure if it's been mentioned, but as a matter of safe ops jumpers should not be on the airplane during refueling whether the engines are running or not. Chuck Akers D-10855 Houston, TX

Unless I'm reading your post incorrectly, I think you don't follow the lingo here. "Hot" refueling refers to fueling while the engines ARE running. Chuck Akers D-10855 Houston, TX

If you are referring to setting the brakes deeper when the brakes are set for opening, that wouldn't be a good idea. The manufacturers test their designs extensively and put the brake settings where they are for a reason. Changing that setting could lead to extremely hard openings & even a catastrophic failure of lines and/or fabric, failure to open and all, or anything in between. We used to jack around a bit with the older F-111 canopies doing stuff like changing brake settings and modifying sliders to change opening characteristics (cutting holes in the center of the slider to speed up openings on old worn out canopies was a favorite), but making changes would not be advisable on today's higher performance designs and zero-P fabrics. The results could be devastating and I doubt you would get a dime back from the manufacturer when they learned that you did your own mods. Chuck Akers D-10855 Houston, TX

Good point. I've gotten into the habit of doing a traffic scan while my canopy snivels. Looking at the canopy isn't going to help anything or effect the opening, but looking around might certainly help out if you pick up on a traffic problem, you'll be ready to manuver as soon as the canopy becomes 'controlable'. The idea is that the skydive doesn't end when you track off. You might think you're alone, but there are still other jumpers up there with you, and you're not alone. Along the same lines, once open, I've gotten into the habit of scanning up and down the jumprun for the groups that exited before and after me. I'm looking to see that they are open, and not flying in my direction. You know the 'line' jumprun follows, and you should be able to spot those groups with no problem before beginning to fly your canopy along jump run. Along those lines, an area of specific concern is in the last RW group and the first freefly group to exit on a pass. In that case, the later exiting freefly group will pass the RW group in freefall and open before them. It's important for both groups to be aware of the differences, and mindful of them. The freeflyers need to hold back from flying back down the jumprun once they are open, or they risk flying right under the still-freefalling RW group. +1. Sounds almost exactly like my standard procedures. Chuck Akers D-10855 Houston, TX

Ryan left from the Houston area on October 11th with no explanation. His roomate/DZO Todd Bell said he believes Ryan took one of his pistols when he left. Ryan was seen later that night when he checked into a Texas hotel along I-10 west of Houston. From there he was never seen again. His SUV was found parked in the desert an hour or so outside Los Angeles a few days later with camping gear and his wallet inside. Since then there has been no sign of him. No use of bank cards, cell calls, etc. since he used the bank card to check into the hotel on the 11th. Facebook page concerning his disappearance at http://www.facebook.com/groups/275738415798622/ Chuck Akers D-10855 Houston, TX

Pitched at 1300 feet on an 94-way once to avoid breakoff traffic. Runway numbers comin' up fast. Of course that was on an F-111 7-cell sans AAD. Chuck Akers D-10855 Houston, TX

Yep, that's how it happens. A fine example of just how fast things go to sh*t when jumpers have inadequate separation. Chuck Akers D-10855 Houston, TX

The DB "solved" story looked a lot more to me like a DB "might be solved" story. Chuck Akers D-10855 Houston, TX

These have very limited side-to-side range if visibility and almost none downward. Look at skydiving-specific full-face helmets and you will notice the one thing they all have in common is chin covers that don't come up very high and how wide the side-to-side visibility is. A wide field of vision is absolutely necessary for skydiving and is one of the major considerations in choosing the right helmet. Chuck Akers D-10855 Houston, TX

Old Spice. Beats the hell out of High Karate. Chuck Akers D-10855 Houston, TX

The libs rely on most Americans to have short attention spans. You're blowing it for them. Chuck Akers D-10855 Houston, TX

That's funny. I thought you posted this in the General Skydiving forum. Now it isn't there. Chuck Akers D-10855 Houston, TX

I don't know the details behind the decision, but it appears that the USPA backed away from following through on a stupid decision they made. If that is the case, I would compliment them on listening to their members and changing a poorly thought out policy. Or you could complain about losing money on a booth rental deposit. It is a little like crying over spilt milk. I was just asking for my own curiosity. I am definitely happy that the board changed their direction on this. Whether it indicates that they listened to their dues-paying members, saw the short-sightedness of the idea, or both will likely never be known by anyone that wasn't in the (presumably) closed-door meeting. Either way, the backlash probably at least influenced the decision, if not completely caused it. The board would be wise to be more member conscious in all their dealings. This incident was a prime example of what can happen with an involved membership. Chuck Akers D-10855 Houston, TX

Curious Twardo - any idea if USPA lost any of OUR money on the convention booth deposit or possibly the booth rental costs in total for the late cancellation? Chuck Akers D-10855 Houston, TX

Anyone know how the Demo team presence at the air show convention went? Chuck Akers D-10855 Houston, TX

Facebook friend/DZO is trying to identify a rigger from a seal number. FAA database won't allow a search that way. Seal is U62. Anyone know who that is? Chuck Akers D-10855 Houston, TX

That was my first thought, but in the vid caps a few posts down it looks more like the nose rolled under and it swallowed itself. One thing's for sure. I'd want to do a sh*tload of research before jumping it again. If that happened a bit lower there would have been a lot of paperwork. Chuck Akers D-10855 Houston, TX

How the heck did that happen? Chuck Akers D-10855 Houston, TX

Could be, but I'd be very surprised if a manufacturer wants to give me a canopy just because I've been around track more than a few times. And I could have been too quick to assume her motivation. I'm sure she's very nice, but she doesn't seem to care much for me. Chuck Akers D-10855 Houston, TX

There are an infinite number of possibilities,. The catapult was just one. Chuck Akers D-10855 Houston, TX

Agreed, but as we know, manufacturers are always searching for a better mouse trap. Fortunate for us, too. That's how we got many of the standards that make us safer today. Chuck Akers D-10855 Houston, TX

So John, taking that to the next logical step, are you or anyone else working on a bridle or other devise the WOULD deploy a reserve bag. Wider bridle with more pockets? Heavier material for greater drag? Something completely different? Anything? Chuck Akers D-10855 Houston, TX

That's really awesome of you, and I'm sure your local dealer appreciates you being willing to do that for him. But I'm wondering why you even want to pay at all. I mean, you have 5000 jumps, you must be a really good skydiver. With a little effort, you could get a new canopy for 50% off or maybe even free. Worked for me for both a main and a container, and I'm far from a really good skydiver. Sorry, bytch. I'm way beyond any more futile conversations with anonymous, sarcastic wannabes. Butch up and back your words with identity or don't bother. I just hope you're single. I'd hate to think there's a guy or gal out there putting up with your sh*t on a daily basis. Lisa is anything but an anonymous wannabe. Surely, you've been around dz.com long enough to know that, right? I won't comment on putting up with her shit, tho! She's anonymous to me. I don't know her, didn't know her name, and she doesn't identify herself on her profile. If I don't know someone's particulars I have no idea how to take what they say to me. What might be a smartass remark when said by a highly experienced jumper might just be a statement out of ignorance if said by a newbie. She seems to enjoy trying to jab at me because she doesn't like my stance of local enforcement of common sense canopy progression and flying behavior, and got irritated when she couldn't budge me with her single-minded rant of forcing another BSR down our throats. She'll deny that's the issue, of course. Glad she's jumping a free rig and main, though. Similarly, I once gave a young lady a backstage pass at a major rock concert, but I'm sure that was completely different. Chuck Akers D-10855 Houston, TX

They wouldn't be sponsoring Airspeed at the World Meet. They would be sponsoring the US Team at the World Meet. Airspeed - and any other team that represents the US at the World Meet - would, by commitment, give up any "team" name for the purpose of representing the US. Want to represent the US at the World Meet? Then hang up your regular season nickname and put on your "United States Parachute Team" uniform and US Team gear. This is already done with team events at the Olympics. There are no Lakers, Celtics, or Mavericks on the team. They are the "US Olympic Basketball Team". Same with swoopers who are on teams. At home they represent as the "PD Factory Team" or "Alter Ego". At the World meet they are "US Team of Canopy Piloting". Regular season sponsors would simply have to understand that "their" team isn't "their" team during the world meet. It's the "US Team", belonging to USPA (who select and fund them) and the sponsors they attract. And why would they still want to sponsor the team before and after the World Meet? Because once the world meet is over, they can go right back to having "their" team back. Do you really think no one would sponsor Airspeed, XP, etc., just because they were going to wear something else for 2 months? Big time teams WILL have regular season sponsorship. If one company doesn't want to play, another one will. They may not like not getting the extra exposure of the World Meet, but where there's a national champion, there WILL be a sponsor. And the reason a gear maker would want to sponsor the US Team is pretty simple. It is THEIR gear on the backs of the US (and possible World) champions instead of the other guy's. Is the concept essentially double-dipping into the sponsorship game. Damn straight it is. And it would work. Chuck Akers D-10855 Houston, TX

That's really awesome of you, and I'm sure your local dealer appreciates you being willing to do that for him. But I'm wondering why you even want to pay at all. I mean, you have 5000 jumps, you must be a really good skydiver. With a little effort, you could get a new canopy for 50% off or maybe even free. Worked for me for both a main and a container, and I'm far from a really good skydiver. Sorry, bytch. I'm way beyond any more futile conversations with anonymous, sarcastic wannabes. Butch up and back your words with identity or don't bother. I just hope you're single. I'd hate to think there's a guy or gal out there putting up with your sh*t on a daily basis. Chuck Akers D-10855 Houston, TX