chuckakers

Joe's jump might have been a military operation, but it was also the world's highest, fastest, and longest skydive in history, and one helluva balls-out jump! Joe's skydiving records have stood for 50 years. You wanna hold that guy out of the Hall of Fame?? Chuck Akers D-10855 Houston, TX

Not bust your bubble, but that is a laughable statement. Even NFL linemen don't weigh in at 420, and most of the 300+ guys are 6'5" or taller. Chuck Akers D-10855 Houston, TX

How true. I load a Velo at 2:1 and still make myself an observer in most winds above 20mph. Breaking hurts, and fixing is expensive. I can always drink beer. Chuck Akers D-10855 Houston, TX

Sounds like you're upset that some of your buddies are heading to San Marcos for the Labor Day weekend. Business is business. There's no "screwing" of a DZ here. It's business owners trying to compete. SUAJ (shut up and jump) Chuck Akers D-10855 Houston, TX

There's a pretty big blind spot above and behind, which is exactly where the person pulling a 270 or spiralling in the pattern will come from. You are absolutely correct about that. I can't see what someone directly above me is doing, but I do everything I can to identify everyone in my group and other groups within striking distance. Beyond that, there is indeed a blind spot, but knowing - not guessing or assuming - where others are gives the jumper real pieces of the pattern puzzle to work with. It's a simple matter of anticipation. Anticipation keeps the jumper ahead of the curve. Knowing where the others jumpers are helps the jumper anticipate what they might do. Knowing where the other jumpers are and not simply knowing that they're out there removes the jumper from the list of those on the load that DON"T know where everyone is. The most potentially dangerous thing on any skydive is losing sight of others in the air with you. If EVERYONE on the load load knows where EVERYONE ELSE is, it's a pretty good bet they won't collide. But using your "270 from above" scenario, my original point stands. I wouldn't be able to see it coming, and the knucklehead that hit me obviously wouldn't have seen me - at least not soon enough. Chuck Akers D-10855 Houston, TX

While that's a common answer, I wonder how common it is to actually do. Where do you put it? Sit on it in a back pocket? Uncomfortably in the way and covered by a leg strap in a front pocket? No space for it in some small jump ticket / earplug pocket on the arm or inside the chest of a jump suit? Afraid to take one's fancy smart phone along and crack the screen? Maybe some people have solutions but it just doesn't seem like a simple thing for everyone to do. Yes it can work out, if say you have a large exterior jumpsuit pocket with a really secure closure. Or if you happen to wear cargo pants with big leg pockets under the jumpsuit, as I did a couple weeks ago when carrying a Blackberry. Carry it in the inside chest pocket with the screen facing your body to avoid a direct strike to the display. Or hitch hike back to the DZ. Sometimes you meet the most interesting people. Chuck Akers D-10855 Houston, TX

Kick yourself in the ass for not bringing a cell phone along. Chuck Akers D-10855 Houston, TX

According to most people who live through collisions, it's because someone failed to see somone else. We can, and have at great length, discussed patterns, wing loading variables, high performance landing techniques, and any assortmant of other things that may contribute to or guard against collisions, but the only common theme in nearly all collisions is failure to see and avoid by at least one person. That's why I pay a lot more attention to where other jumpers are than any other single aspect of canopy flight in crowded skies. I don't rely on others seeing me. I keep my eyes on them - constantly. Chuck Akers D-10855 Houston, TX

Yeah, but that's because you smell funny and drool. Geez i crack myself up. Chuck Akers D-10855 Houston, TX

That's an interesting question. Here in Texas, the courts have ruled that a parent cannot sign away the rights of a child (thereby invalidating the waiver), but I don't know of a specific case where a DZ was successfully sued using that ruling. I would also like to hear from a lawyer about USPA/PIA wanting to carve a minimum age into stone. I, for one, think it would only define "acceptable" parameters as decided by pinheads at the head shed. It might protect the organizations legally, but that's not a good reason to institute such policies when the purpose of those organizations is to promote the sport. That decision should be left to the individual businesses to make. I would also be interested in hearing about such lawsuits against companies that rent sailplanes to 14-year olds and powered aircraft to 16-year old. Chuck Akers D-10855 Houston, TX

From the OP Are you going to buy it for him? Everyone says they don't have money to buy gear - until they do. Yes, until they do. At a later date when they have saved money. Guess you don't get it. I get what you are trying to imply. What you don't get is some people truly can not afford to spend several thousand dollars to buy a new rig. Some people don't have that much saved and others don't use their credit cards so frivolously. So using a credit card to purchase gear is frivolous? Sure are a lot frivolous skydivers out there. Chuck Akers D-10855 Houston, TX

From the OP Are you going to buy it for him? Everyone says they don't have money to buy gear - until they do. Yes, until they do. At a later date when they have saved money. Guess you don't get it. Chuck Akers D-10855 Houston, TX

Someone here actually puts himself forth as an expert and testifies AGAINST drop zones... Wasn't aware of that, John. Who might that be? Chuck Akers D-10855 Houston, TX

"I know about these things...". Yeah, and I know about murder trials because I went to traffic court. Attorneys are in the business of telling people they need them. Saying any more on the "lawyers know best" issue is a waste of words. Mike, you are missing MY point. When a governing body issues an opinion, it gives blood-sucking plaintiff attorney's a line in the sand that you and I know is crap. My 2 kids grew up on DZ's. They could have safely started jumping at a younger age than they did (16 and "legal") and been perfectly safe. You know that. There is no "age" when skydiving is acceptable. Hell, the Mullins boys are proof! What is for sure is that if USPA, PIA, or any other governing body draws that line, it will only serve to be a weapon FOR the lawyers. Legal ambiguity is skydiving's best tool AGAINST lawsuits. Listening to the people who claim to protect us from the same people they go to happy hour with brings new meaning to the term stupid. 107.5 radio? What is that?? Chuck Akers D-10855 Houston, TX

Presumably it would get a guilty verdict against the DZ but would protect USPA if the DZ did not follow the rules. So it's in the best interest of skydiving to throw a DZ under the bus with a subjective rule that protects the hierarchy? How about we - as a sport - protect THE SPORT, instead of taking positions that pass the liability buck? Thought we were all in this together. Apparently some of us aren't. Think about it. Chuck Akers D-10855 Houston, TX

That one won't even get you off the bench at the freshman debate club season opener. The Sunpath case has nothing to do with the age argument. Neither does Mark Schlatter testifying or whether or not he lied. I'm not even sure how you know the plaintiff lied about her body position during her reserve deployment, but that goes way off topic, so screw it. Lawsuits won't end whether PIA and USPA take a position on the issue or not. Taking a position on the issue will only serve to get a guilty verdict if a DZ chooses not to follow "the rules" and someone gets hurt. Chuck Akers D-10855 Houston, TX

If a manufacturer is worried about losing a lawsuit to an underage jumper, they need only to placard the rig accordingly. Manufacturers easily win suits everyday when the equipment they sell is used outside the parameters they set. PIA/USPA should stay away from this one. Chuck Akers D-10855 Houston, TX

From the OP Are you going to buy it for him? Everyone says they don't have money to buy gear - until they do. Chuck Akers D-10855 Houston, TX

+1 Chuck Akers D-10855 Houston, TX

Buy gear. Chuck Akers D-10855 Houston, TX

What the hell reputation do you have at 64 +/- jumps? Did you stand up your last 5 landings? Turn 4 points on a 4-way, maybe? Who the hell taught you to skydive????????????? You can't teach wisdom nor outlaw stupidity. Chuck Akers D-10855 Houston, TX

Nope. Walt used to put his Triathlon into viscious deep stalls over my DZ and thought it was funny to ride them down to a few hundred feet. Bet you can guess what he did when he was told to stop or be grounded. Chuck Akers D-10855 Houston, TX

I've had 7 cutaways, 4 under highly loaded spinning mals. All but one I pulled with one hand on each handle. On the most recent, my hand slipped from the cutaway handle on the first try, so I used two hands on the second try. As expected, the cutaway was easy with two hands (my hand may have just slipped on the first effort), and a barrel roll and single-handed reserve pull later I was under my reserve. I don't think it's all that important which technique is used, rather it's important to have a plan and train accordingly. As a point of reference, I was taught and spent many years teaching one hand on each handle, with a plan "B" of using both hands if the handle can not be extracted. Oddly enough, that's exactly what I did. Plan, train, and execute when needed. Chuck Akers D-10855 Houston, TX

No one is free to put a scar on a DZ's safety record or the sport's image because they decide they want to be "riskier" than others. The right to swing your arm ends where the other guy's nose begins - Ben Franklin Chuck Akers D-10855 Houston, TX

Old time rule my ass. I've been jumping for 25 years and never heard about this f*cked up technique until a couple years ago. It may be "old time" to newer jumpers, but I can assure you something as ill-conceived as the "45 rule" didn't come from the true "old timers". Math didn't slip past us old guys. Time from exit to exit is the only sure-fire way to achieve proper separation, and that will never change. Physics has served us well...so far, at least. Chuck Akers D-10855 Houston, TX