chuckakers

Even if you can calculate where - give or take - the canopy might be, finding it in a heavily wooded area will still be a bitch. I suggest an air search with a small light plane like a cub. They are cheap by the hour and can fly really slow, maneuvering tightly to make passes at various angles efficiently over the area. One more reason to jump a brightly colored canopy I guess. Chuck Akers D-10855 Houston, TX

Let's try a new game for these posts.... Name the DZ and I'll personally call the DZO to get his response. If the DZ is USPA, I'll gladly conference the call with the head shed so we can discuss the BSR violation as well. Before we through the DZ/DZO to the wolves, is it possible this person is pulling your chain, or just plain Full of S^1T. I'd hate to see a good DZ/DZO be outed in a public forum based on the ramblings of a braggart. Good call not naming names. But, I would check out his story with the DZO.

Let's try a new game for these posts.... Name the DZ and I'll personally call the DZO to get his response. If the DZ is USPA, I'll gladly conference the call with the head shed so we can discuss the BSR violation as well. Chuck Akers D-10855 Houston, TX

Brilliant. Just like his abilities behind the stick. Chuck Akers D-10855 Houston, TX

Good call. Pass along an attaboy for me, Twardo. Chuck Akers D-10855 Houston, TX

It is a tool to help someone who has already built the skills and experienced needed in canopy flight to further refine their abilities. My Mark1Mod0 eyeball has saved my life on a number of swoops over the years. You have to build that site picture over time and no amount of beeping in your ear will save your life like your eye balls can! Ya might wanna listen to ol' Dave. He's got this sh*t dialed in pretty nicely. Chuck Akers D-10855 Houston, TX

I don't understand this. What exactly? You need some horisontal separation on deployment time between you and prev/next jumpers At this moment you and others are in Air not on the ground Separation prvided by traveling of the plane through the air in certain amount of time between jumper's exits Lets there be wind uphigh with speed 150 ft per sec and plane airspeed will be 150 fps too, so the plane actually doesn't move relative to the earth (groundspeed = 0) but if you exit 10 sec after prev. jumper despite 0 ground distance covered, the distance between you and prev jumper will be ~1500 feet, same as in no wind conditions but if your ground speed = 0 you can take as much time on exit as you want, without flying away from spot while with zero wind you'l get 1500 feet away with every 10 sec of waiting Your theory might work on paper, but in the real world it has one major error - it doesn't account for the difference between the speed of the winds aloft and the speed of the winds at canopy opening altitude. That difference IS the reason for giving more time between groups when facing into a strong headwind at altitude. When the winds aloft are screaming and the winds at deployment altitude are not, groups WILL BE closer together after deployment for any given amount of time between exits. Think of it this way - if the aircraft airspeed is equal to that of the headwind, the plane's ground speed is 0. That means no matter how much time jumpers put between exits, THEY WILL ALL OPEN IN THE SAME PLACE because they all GOT OUT IN THE SAME PLACE, assuming they stay in freefall for the same amount of time (more or less time in freefall equals more or less drift distance). If the winds at deployment altitude are as fast or close to as fast as the uppers, this isn't a problem because by the time the second group gets to that identical opening spot, the first group would have drifted away from that spot because of the wind. However, when the winds aloft are fast, but the winds at deployment altitude are not - as is often the case - it will cause the jumpers to be closer together at deployment because the first group doesn't drift away from that spot. It's not usually a good idea in skydiving to know only part of the equation. It can kill you. Chuck Akers D-10855 Houston, TX

I couldn't disagree with this more if you paid me. http://www.dropzone.com/cgi-bin/safety/detail_page.cgi?ID=754 If you need a f*cking beep in your ear to help you land your parachute, sell your rig before you hurt someone. Chuck Akers D-10855 Houston, TX

Mr. Kallend is absolutely correct. There is only one thing that can accurately determine proper exit separation, and that is time. Chuck Akers D-10855 Houston, TX

Mine works. Chuck Akers D-10855 Houston, TX

What am I supposed to do with that? USPA doesn't mention it in the BSR's. Sparky Read it. If there's no stated limit, then there is no limit. That's kinda the point. Chuck Akers D-10855 Houston, TX

http://www.uspa.org/SIM/Read/tabid/245/Default.aspx Chuck Akers D-10855 Houston, TX

Don't arch with your back. Arch with your pelvis and relax your back. Chuck Akers D-10855 Houston, TX

Do they require an anchor for swoopers? Chuck Akers D-10855 Houston, TX

Slyde is indeed missed. Maybe someday we'll check out a good Wang together again. 5 left and cut. Chuck Akers D-10855 Houston, TX

Well then by all means Bill, start yourself a thread! Chuck Akers D-10855 Houston, TX

Yeah, right; like that's a good thing. Remember girls in cutoff jeans and tube tops holding tension for you? That went out because of air conditioned packing. Hell in a handbasket. The girls will still hold tension for ya if ya ask just right. Chuck Akers D-10855 Houston, TX

Pay no attention to Bill, Keith. He's convinced only tandem passengers look at bumper stickers. The very tandems that paved the financial way to turbines and air conditioned packing, by the way. Chuck Akers D-10855 Houston, TX

You couldn't be further from right about me (implied) needing something to bitch about. I'm usually focused on constructive efforts when it comes to skydiving. I'm just calling 'em as I see 'em. It has nothing to do with what - if any - sticker I do or don't have on my car, but if that's all you choose to hear I can't change that. Chuck Akers D-10855 Houston, TX

If a sticker is gonna make the difference between whether they do or don't return to skydiving... I'm not a fan of the USPA marketing engine at all, but that said...I think this particular issue isn't one worth barking over. I disagree - as do numerous other folks I've run into in my 26 in the sport. Those old BIG, USPA stickers did indeed catch the eye and absolutely have been the "thing" that prompted a call to the local DZ or the headshed. Same thing holds true with well-designed DZ bumper stickers. I know because I've been on the receiving end of those comments during the many years I worked at and/or owned a DZ. Think what you want, but my real-world experience has proven otherwise. We know from experience that local DZ bumper stickers produce phone calls. Can you imagine a DZ making a bumper sticker that just read "Drop Zone, 65 Years"? Wouldn't garner many calls would it? And by the way, EVERYTHING USPA spends OUR money on is up for critique, including a worthless marketing redesign. The "old Coke" was working well. It wasn't broke, but someone at HQ decided they needed to fix it anyway. Typical bureaucratic horsesh*t. Chuck Akers D-10855 Houston, TX

Not so much... OP: "...my packet contained a sticker that can’t be recognized as having anything to do with skydiving from any further away than I can read a book. " A potential customer can't react to something they can't even recognize - but I'm sure that doesn't matter to you. When you're in the mood to disagree, you find a reason. Chuck Akers D-10855 Houston, TX

You're not selling to existing customers.... Actually "we" are. USPA is also in the business of retaining members, so any marketing efforts to recruit are also efforts to retain current members - and their money. And note that I said "anyone who has been a jumper", not "anyone who IS a jumper". There have been many former jumpers come back after seeing a USPA sticker and getting the itch to jump again. Chuck Akers D-10855 Houston, TX

I didn't say anything about tandems. Chuck Akers D-10855 Houston, TX

Thanks, man. It's that kind of thinking that will take our canopy collision issue in the right direction. Quick post-jump question: was the other jumper ever within striking distance had he/she made an unexpected move at the wrong moment? Chuck Akers D-10855 Houston, TX

Just renewed my USPA membership after deciding I needed fresh skyhoppin' reading material. In my renewal packet was the new USPA bumper sticker celebrating 65 years of PCA/USPA. Instead of the very recognizable LARGE round, blue and white logo with the very recognizable parachute and wings, my packet contained a sticker that can’t be recognized as having anything to do with skydiving from any further away than I can read a book. USPA blows it again. Those old bumper stickers were so easy to spot as skydiving stickers that I’m sure there were more than a few folks that made a call to a DZ or came back to the sport after seeing one and getting the itch. The new, sort of triangular sticker – measuring a whopping 2 7/8 by 3 1/4 - just says “USPA” (in difficult to read red letters on a blue background), and has the number 65 on it. USPA 65. That’s it. Outside of the sport, who the hell would know what that even means???? USPA claims to be all about growing the sport and the membership roster. Marketing fail. Try again. Chuck Akers D-10855 Houston, TX