chuckakers

I mentioned this in the thread about the "Championship Team". I believe the easiest way to fund a US Team would be to solicit sponsorships from very same entities that already put their dollars into team sponsorships. There's no need to spend big bucks and countless hours of effort doing demos hoping to attract sponsorships when there are companies ready to write checks today. The fastest way to the money is to simply follow the money. The vast majority of all sponsorship dollars in the sport today come from within the sport. It only makes sense that inside dollars would be the best starting point for future dollars. The big dogs - PD, UPT, Airtec, etc., already beat the doors off competitive teams' bunkhouses to put gear on their backs, so it only stands to reason that they would do the same thing to back the US Team representing the USA at the world meet. What manufacturer wouldn't want to say the US Team jumps THEIR stuff???? The concept is simple. Athletes that are invited to join the US Team would be required to shelf any current sponsorships for the duration of their US Team season, and would be allowed to take back up those sponsorships once their US Team commitment is completed. In the meantime they jump the sponsor's gear and the commitment comes with an endorsement deal that pays the athlete for advertising representation, personal appearances, etc. An exception (or a "no sponsor rule") would be in place for disciplines that rely on specific equipment as a part of the athlete's performance, such as canopies for swooping and CReW. We - loosely speaking - keep looking for outsiders to spend money on us, but we simply don't have the broad-based appeal needed to attract those dollars. That's why numerous generic-brand sponsorships (Coors, Bud, Coke) have been short-lived over the years. If USPA wants to capitalize on "Champions", it seems to me that the easiest pitch would be to companies that have already demonstrated their willingness to support them - and even those who are in the "wannabe" category. There are a variety of ways to make it happen. If big-time cash doesn't work, USPA could sell a package that puts gear on the athlete's that can be sold after the season is complete. A full set of gear retails for $6K plus these days. That gear could be marketed as "US Team gear" at the end of the season and the proceeds would more than cover the cost of the athlete's trip to the world meet. Creativity could also be employed to hold an auction that could gross much more than the gear is even worth. Those possibilities are endless. BTW, those sponsorships could also be pitched to DZ's, energy drink makers, hotel chains, and other industries that DIRECTLY benefit from our teams and our industry. No need to reinvent the wheel. Big bucks are being spent on teams now. Take those bucks to the next level and leave our for-profit demo teams alone. Chuck Akers D-10855 Houston, TX

Or a decent price and great service, a few dollars are of no concern to me if the service is there. local riggers reply to my question when he could pack my reserve: "4 weeks, maybe!" rigger 2hrs away, me (pretty much every time i need him) "dude, can i bring my rig tomorrow, and uhm, could you like pack it straight away!?" him: "no probs mate, just gimme a couple hours, i promise you can still make a load or two that day!". which would you bring your buisness to!? I too have great loyalties to my local resources that provide service. In this case I am buying a new canopy that will require zero local resources or local service. What advantage would buying local give me? Having my dealer box it up to send it back to the factory if there's a problem rather than doing it myself? Please. You would say my local dealer deserves my business because of the helpful service he provides in other areas, and I would agree with you - in those other areas. If you've NEVER ordered something online, choosing a local retailer EVERY TIME instead, even though the product would cost more and you had to pay sales tax, then you have a valid argument here. Otherwise you are talking out of both sides of your mouth. You may not like my calling out the double standard of the "buy local" argument, but it is what it. As I said before, I will gladly buy local, assuming the local guy gives me the best price on the very same product that every other dealer sells. Chuck Akers D-10855 Houston, TX

The only person I loan my gear to is my son. He says my Velo flies like a truck. Chuck Akers D-10855 Houston, TX

Really? How is supporting my local dealer any better than supporting someone else's local dealer? well if you don't support your local dealer , you might not have one for long... and need to go looking further away... Dude, you're still living in Mayberry. In case you haven't noticed, I'm looking further away already - and getting loads of replies. And I do support my local dealer. All he needs to do is earn my business with the best price. Chuck Akers D-10855 Houston, TX

Really? How is supporting my local dealer any better than supporting someone else's local dealer? Chuck Akers D-10855 Houston, TX

I am preparing to buy a new custom main canopy. Since I know exactly what I want, I am looking for the "best deal". I know dealers won't generally discuss what discounts they give publicly (nor would I ask dz.commers to) so I'm just asking for ideas on who to call for the cheapo deal. Private messages are fine. Thanks! Chuck Akers D-10855 Houston, TX

That cannot be counted on, please see starting at time 3:50: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SAqiuruC09Y Point taken. Now cue in to 5:20 where Bill says the bridle will deploy the bag if the jumper assists it in leaving (as demonstrated). The bridle attachment point on reserve bags is at the top, possibly giving the jumper access to it by reaching over either shoulder to give it a tug. Certainly better than doing nothing at that point I suppose. The more important question: is anyone working on a reserve bridle that will actually deploy the reserve under these circumstances? Bill? John? Sandy? Chuck Akers D-10855 Houston, TX

Nor did I suggest that. Which brings us to the next logical question. Is there a bridle as yet invented that WOULD do the job? Chuck Akers D-10855 Houston, TX

Another reason not to cram canopies into the smallest possible container. Chuck Akers D-10855 Houston, TX

That cannot be counted on, please see starting at time 3:50: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SAqiuruC09Y Which is exactly why I said in my reply.... "Will it work every time a reserve entangles with a horseshoe? Probably not." However they do sometimes work and wasting time futilely trying to collect a horseshoed main is always a bad idea. BTW, the video you linked to is ancient. My Voodoo has extra pockets on the bridle that create a lot more drag than the one in that video. Not sure if it would work any better, but it certainly wouldn't work any worse. Chuck Akers D-10855 Houston, TX

I wasn't saying that the reserve lifting you vertical and slowing you down keeps the mess from getting bigger. If the reserve has deployed cleanly, the problem is pretty much solved. I was saying that the longer you stay in freefall with your main bag and lines flopping around on your back, the more lines & risers will come unstowed, possibly even the bag locking stows - all casusing the mess to get bigger and bigger, and creating a greater snagging hazard when you do finally dump your reserve. As for trying to clear the mess before dumping, I don't think that's a great idea. Spending more time at terminal as the mess grows isn't on my calendar. Maybe if I could see that the crap is reachable I might give it a (quick) try, but I think the odds of making things worse are also there, and the altitude you would lose during the effort may be the altitude you need to get a clean reserve in the event of an entanglement with the malfunctioning main. Reserves are outfitted with free bags and extra wide bridles (and in some cases even drag-inducing bridle pockets) that are (hopefully) capable of deploying the reserve in the event of an entanglement with the main or with you. That's why they are designed the way they are. Will it work every time a reserve entangles with a horseshoe? Probably not. But spending the rest of your life screwing around with the crap on your back isn't a good option. You'll likely end up as an incident report using that logic. Just out of curiosity, what was your "nasty incident" and how did it happen? Chuck Akers D-10855 Houston, TX

A move from a square F-111 210 to a 170 ZP elliptical is pretty big, especially at 65-years old. At 51, I admit that we don't heal like the youngsters, and I believe that has to be considered. Even if your handling abilities are 100%, elliptical canopies can require a pretty brisk "run out" under certain conditions, so unless you are prepared for that, you could find yourself butchering otherwise normal landings. Assuming you are looking for a stronger flare without going overly hotrod, you might want to consider a Sabre II over a Stiletto. The performance difference between that and an F-111 canopy will be impressive, yet the Sabre won't have the dramatically different flying characteristics of the fully elliptical Stiletto. I have made over 1,000 jumps on a Stiletto loaded at around 1.5:1 and really like the canopy's all-around abilities, but unless you are specifically looking for the performance - desirable and otherwise - that comes with it, the Sabre may be a better choice. Be advised that elliptical canopies can line twist MUCH more readily that squares, and when they do they often spin at a rate that necessitates a cutaway. They also require a different mindset and flying strategy because of their ground-hungry nature in and after turns. I won't say that they can't be "sunk in" because I have done it many times, including on my Velocity at 2:1. However, moves like that require a lot of experience to be done well. Personally, if I was in your shoes (unless you are specifically trying to accelerate your performance substantially) I would look at a Sabre 190. I think you would be impressed with the faster overall speed, much snappier turns, and much improved and deeper flare, yet it would handle in a more familiar fashion. By the way, PD has a terrific demo program that will allow you to check out various canopies before you buy. One last thing. The best advice I (or anyone else) can give you is to direct your questions via phone to the folks at PD. They REALLY have a grasp on listening to their customers' wants and needs, and matching them up to a canopy that will make them happy short and long term. Chuck Akers D-10855 Houston, TX

Deployed my p/c through a camera wing once. Ended up with my bag laying on the back side of the wing under tension from the p/c and stows coming undone. Thought for a moment about detaching the wing and hoping for the best, but decided against it knowing that it just might become a bigger mess and still not clear. Dumped the reserve into it and it cleared just fine. After reserve deployment, I cut away the main as the weight of the bag pulled the p/c back through the wing and it was deploying behind me. I've seen many horseshoes on video and one thing stands out. The longer it stays there in freefall, the bigger the mess gets. For that reason, I believe getting a reserve out FAST gives the jumper the best odds of a clean deployment and survival. Chuck Akers D-10855 Houston, TX

1. The moment I landed from my first jump. 2. Within days. Chuck Akers D-10855 Houston, TX

Find "Simon Bones" of Houston on facebook. He's chased just about everything in the sky and does so a on a regular basis. He can fill you in. Chuck Akers D-10855 Houston, TX

Your incident report will be self-explanatory. Chuck Akers D-10855 Houston, TX

Good attitude. Owning our mistakes is the second thing that makes us better skydivers. Chuck Akers D-10855 Houston, TX

Sorry, but that's lame. That's like saying you should be more concerned about tying your shoelace too aggressively when the sole is about to fall off. A plane that is properly maintained will not routinely experience mechanical or structural failure if flown within its appropriate limits. Just because it does sometimes happen doesn't make it a good analogy for saying that poor maintenance and gentle flying is somehow better than proper maintenance and something other than babying the bird like your grandma. Your friend's mechanical failure had nothing to do with "jerking" the plane around. Using that scenario as an example of pilot behavior over maintenance as a means of mechanical security is nothing short of absurd. A properly maintained aircraft can fail when taken outside its operating limits as readily as a poorly maintained one. A poorly maintained aircraft can and will fail regardless of how gently it is flown. Safety in aviation is achieved by maintaining aircraft properly AND flying them as they were designed to be flown. Chuck Akers D-10855 Houston, TX

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6b_Pd7V92uU I'm not disagreeing with your point in general, but there is is at least *one* documented case of a d-ring snag. Without even looking at the video I don't disagree, but as I said in my previous post, I don't believe there is any evidence that ring handles have any greater propensity to be snagged than pillows have to be grabbed. Maybe it's because we are subconsciously more careful to stay clear of reserve handles, but I personally know of many more accidental cutaways (myself included) than accidental reserve pulls. Chuck Akers D-10855 Houston, TX

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=botdmsQilnU Jus' sayin'. Chuck Akers D-10855 Houston, TX

People have been drilling into the "more men than women" crap forever. Did it ever occur to you (or them) that some things simply don't interest women as much as men? How come 95% of people interested in quilting are women? Or soap operas, or Tupperware parties? Men and women are different creatures with different interests. The more relevant question is why does that perplex some people so much? That not withstanding, some of the very finest skydivers I know are women. Better be in your slot, boys. Chuck Akers D-10855 Houston, TX

+1 Chuck Akers D-10855 Houston, TX

Sport death. Chuck Akers D-10855 Houston, TX

The "Unit" series came from the 1980's. F-111 9 cells that came in 4 sizes, if I remember right. Not sure what number equated to what size. Known for very slow openings. I rode a Unit IV for 2,000 feet once before it finally opened. Nice landing, though. Even if it was a mile from the DZ. Chuck Akers D-10855 Houston, TX

I'm still trying how to get my Spike Jones 78's to work in my Walkman...anybody can see they are way to big to squish into an iPod! Funny you should mention that. I do a morning radio show in Houston and we honor the Hawaiian culture every Friday with "Hawaiian Shirt Fridays". And of course we have to have a theme song.... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LQOXrMA4K0E (cut into about 1:06 to hear the edit we play) You'd be amazed how many people write and call to ask where they can get a copy!! Chuck Akers D-10855 Houston, TX