Trevor 0 #26 January 27, 2003 I am a dedicated prankster, but in this case, I agree with Chris and Bill wholeheartedly. My airline misrouted my luggage to Wash, D.C. this past weekend, so if my javelin was not in my carry-on, I would have been sitting on my ass in Sebastian. I'd rather try to break down stereotypes about skydivers- whether it's the TSA inspecting my rig and scrutinizing my cypres, the crew on the plane, or the passengers around me. God help us all when a skydivers rig and a few misinterpreted moves get a plane evacuated and the whuffo 11 O'clock news eats it up. It may only take ONE incident to get rigs put on that restricted item list. I, too would find that guys nervousness funny, but I would have used it as an opportunity explain that I carry a rig on board because of it's monetary value, not to bail out. I'd explain that airline emergency exits don't open when the cabin is pressurized or Al qaeda would book exit row seats and leave knives/bombs at home. If he was interested, I'd show him some skydiving footage off my PC100 and maybe my rig's safety features. I'd much rather talk the dude into doing a tandem, and support the sport, than risk hurting it by screwing with him. Definitely smart to route the chest strap around your reserve ripcord- I'd also recommend putting white masking tape marked with your destination on the side of your luggage if your travelling thru Charlotte! just 2 cents, -Trevor Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Zenister 0 #27 January 27, 2003 QuoteMy airline misrouted my luggage to Wash, D.C. just wondering how you got it since this is supposedly not allowed to happen? luggage cannot travel without its passenger.____________________________________ Those who fail to learn from the past are simply Doomed. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
billvon 2,400 #28 January 27, 2003 >luggage cannot travel without its passenger. That's supposedly correct with respect to passenger flights; however, there's nothing that says you can't leave without your bag, and there's nothing wrong with throwing it on a later cargo flight. In reality I suspect they just throw it on the next passenger flight, since it's hard to predict whose bag will get left behind (and thus save oneself from a bomb in one's luggage.) Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Trevor 0 #29 January 28, 2003 QuoteQuoteMy airline misrouted my luggage to Wash, D.C. just wondering how you got it since this is supposedly not allowed to happen? luggage cannot travel without its passenger. After Pan Am 103 they adopted the rule where they will take your bag off a plane if you don't board it...but they sure aren't going to fly me to wherever they banished my luggage just so I can accompany it back. This is all probably less of an issue since jan 1st, 03 because now they are required to scan every bag that is checked. And that pan am 103 rule didn't suicide bombers, either. Anyway, they put an "expedite baggage" and a sorry note on my bag and I had my stuff about 24 hours later. A pain in the ass, but I had a great weekend in Sebastian anyway. -Trev Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
LouDiamond 1 #30 January 28, 2003 Actually, the Pan AM Flite #103 luggage in which the bomb was placed was introduced in Germany by Air line personel who were actually Libyan intelligence Officers who used official luggage tags from the airline to circumvent any security and introduce/route the luggage into PA flight #103s cargo hold. There is actually a very long and drawn out story how everything came together before the suitcase was even introduced into Germany, but I won't get into it. However, as a result of that incident connecting flights luggage must be linked to a passenger that is actually on the flight and all luggage is now pressurized or taken to "altitude" before it boards the aircraft hold in an attempt to cause barometric activated devices to detonate.Which is how they initially thought the device on 103 was activated. After further investigation it was discovered that it was not activated in that manner but rather by a series of electronic timing devices, which are no longer manufactured and were only made by one swiss company at that time. The components recovered from the wreckage were traced using company records and show they were sold to the libyian Gov't's department of interior."It's just skydiving..additional drama is not required" Some people dream about flying, I live my dream SKYMONKEY PUBLISHING Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
happythoughts 0 #31 January 28, 2003 I have traveled with my rig in carry-on quite a bit. Other passengers have never really been that alarmed, only interested. The scared/nervous passenger isn't that realistic. Most of the time, other passengers will sit and talk to you about skydiving and the possibility of jumping a jet. They are surprised to discover that it has been done recreationally. Flight attendants deal with nervous passengers a lot more than skydivers. They can probably figure out who is being an alarmist and sort things out. The world isn't going to end because one passenger is nervous about your rig. The FAA isn't going to think "my, oh my, skydivers are scaring the others". When the cypress issue came up, everyone quit flying Southwest Airlines and the USPA went to work. The issue was straightened out. I do not think that one Nervous Nellie could screw up the whole carry-on process. I'm not going to spend my whole flight coddling someone. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
billvon 2,400 #32 January 28, 2003 >The FAA isn't going to think "my, oh my, skydivers are scaring the others". No, but the airline just might. They've got no reason to allow parachutes, only reasons to prohibit them. All it takes is one true apocryphal story about how three people freaked out and they had to land the plane because a skydiver was messing with them. Why risk an expensive event like that just to carry some dangerous (to them) articles on board an airplane? And as has been stated several times before, the TSA doesn't even need a good justification to do whatever they want. Enough skydivers piss them off, and they will just ban rigs from flights to avoid having to deal with the issue at all. And they're not accountable to anyone. >I'm not going to spend my whole flight coddling someone. How about just common courtesy? If someone objects to your singing, don't sing. If they're afraid to fly, don't recount NTSB accident reports. If they seem nervous about skydiving, don't stick your PC9 in their face to show them videos or play with your rig. It doesn't take much, just some courtesy to those around you. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
dave610 0 #33 January 28, 2003 Quote How about just common courtesy? If someone objects to your singing, don't sing. If they're afraid to fly, don't recount NTSB accident reports. If they seem nervous about skydiving, don't stick your PC9 in their face to show them videos or play with your rig. It doesn't take much, just some courtesy to those around you. Well said Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
diverdriver 5 #34 January 28, 2003 QuoteHow about just common courtesy? If someone objects to your singing, don't sing. If they're afraid to fly, don't recount NTSB accident reports. If they seem nervous about skydiving, don't stick your PC9 in their face to show them videos or play with your rig. It doesn't take much, just some courtesy to those around you. Just to add.....Airlines have banned certain groups from ever flying with them again. One story comes to mind where a marching band (this one time, traveling to band camp) all ran to the back of the aircraft and almost caused an upset in cruise flight. That probably wouldn't have been recoverable had they actually stalled. The airline banned that school from traveling on them. And they have every right to. You think you're different? Think again. Menacing the passengers will not be tolerated. And if you do it on one of my flights and I hear about it I can assure you that if we haven't taken off you won't be making that flight. If we have taken off, I'll give you one chance to knock it off and then we divert to the nearest suitable landing area where you will be "deplaned". And it won't be a place where you will find many rental cars or services. You'll see me close the door. And jet right on out of there. Find your own way home. I was jump seating once and a skydiver in the back was making remarks to the Flight Attendants about service and how he was going to report them since he was with the NTSB. I got asked if I had any friends in the back. I said that I knew some people on board. They asked if anyone was with the NTSB and I said not that I was aware of. The CA of the flight was about to send a message to ops to have this person arrested apon landing for interfering with a crew member. I was able to get everything settled down and apologised profusly to this United crew for the skydivers behaviour. You think it's a joke? Don't be surprised if you have coffee with some "Blue Suits" instead of taking a flight or heading to the DZ. It's no joke. Don't mess with the other passengers or flight crew members. Period. ChrisChris Schindler www.diverdriver.com ATP/D-19012 FB #4125 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
