Airline Update

[Zennie 0]

Since I'm gonna be travelling a bit over the next few weeks I decided to get the first-hand scoop on their policies Re: rigs on the plane.
Continental had it right on their website. "Continental accepts sport parachutes and parasails in lieu of one piece of free baggage. A parachute or parasail taken onboard the aircraft must meet carry-on size restrictions for placement underneath an aircraft seat. When checked as baggage, all excess, oversize and overweight charges will apply."
Southwest had no such mention on it's website so I called 'em up. The lady on the other end seemed flummoxed, especially when I mentioned the AAD. She called around and confirmed that as long as it fits under the seat or in a storage bin it was OK (as was the AAD).
So my rig is going to Indy over July 4 and maybe to Dallas next week. Woohoo!
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Blue Skies!
Zennie

[Jessica 0]

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So my rig is going to Indy over July 4 and maybe to Dallas next week. Woohoo!

Bad ass! Are you coming to SDD? Whenwhenwhen?

[Zennie 0]

I've got an Oracle conference I'm gonna be attending next Mon-Wed.
Looks like Monday would be the only day I could do it, since y'all are closed on Tues/Wed. Depends on when the Monday session breaks. I might skip out a tad early and head up for a jump or two.
Indy I'll definitely be jumping.
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Blue Skies!
Zennie

[Jessica 0]

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I might skip out a tad early and head up for a jump or two.

Doooo it! I'll probably be out there Monday afternoon. I'll be the blondish chick in cutoffs! Find me! Say hi! We'll jump!

[Grogs 0]

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I've got an Oracle conference I'm gonna be attending next Mon-Wed.

Sorry to hear that Zennie. I'll send some flowers to your Widow after you die of boredom.
And I'd definitely try and do the SDD thing. Definitely a nice drop zone from what I saw when I was there. Just make sure you have a good map to the place and a rental car, 'cause it's a pretty good ways from Dallas.

[Zennie 0]

My bad. It's next Monday.
And here I am gounded in this swamp formerly known as Houston. I was kinda looking forward to getting a jump or two in.
Anyhoo, I'll still prolly bring my rig up. When does the evening load usually go up on Mondays? I'll be down off of LBJ so I'll need to time it so I can get up there in time for at least one jump.
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Blue Skies!
Zennie

[kevin922 0]

Zennie -
Funny you should post this. I was going to be taking a trip to england this summer on Delta so I called them. The lady had to put me on hold to talk to her supervisor about it (she had never heard of such a request) when she came back she said it would be okay (if it met all the carry on space requirements of course) but I could not sit in an exit row... (for real, they said this)
:-)

[Zennie 0]

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but I could not sit in an exit row

OMG that's hilarious! What, are they trying to even the playing field in case of emergency? Seriously, I wonder if they think other passengers will freak if they see a guy sit next to the exit carrying a rig.
Like I could get my rig on if the things was going down anyway (not that I wouldn't try -- heck maybe I'd just Greg Gasson it). *Shrug*
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Blue Skies!
Zennie

[pyke 0]

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but I could not sit in an exit row

No shit, this happened to me as well. Coming from NZ I specifically asked for an exit row for the leg room and when I joked with the agent that I was a sport jumper and would have my rig on board, she not only refused to let me sit there, she had to give me an "official speech" about how serious it was to sit in an exit row in the case of emergencies.
JESUS people...lighten up! A door opens (or part of the plane comes off) at anything higher than 25,000ft and you will most likely black out until the air thickens, so you won't be doing more than a hop 'n pop anyway! HA!!
anyway, yeah, these gov't agencies really need to pull that dead thing out with some decent sized pliers!!!
Kia Kaha,
Pyke
NZPF A - 2584

[kevin922 0]

Well someone even made a post about a crazy nut trying to open the emergency exit while in flight but couldn't due to the pressurization (sp). So even if I wanted to jump (and was in the emergency exit isle) I am not strong enough to depressurize the cabin.
At any rate, I was reminded while taxing and looking at the rears of 747s (with their stairs down) of not only the 7?7 jumps in quincy but also the whole robbery that took place years ago (can't recall the guys name) does anyone know what it takes to make it so those planes can open those stairs while in flight??
Kevin

[n2skdvn 0]

i went to puetro rico a copula years back and took my rig
(flew delta )had no problems just a few strange looks from
passengers cool thing it was a 272 3 months befor quincy(kept going to the rear exit and wishing)
have chute. will fall.

[n2skdvn 0]

it was d.b.cooper
and the thing that keeps the door from opening
is called a d.b.cooper latch at 80 m.p.h(i think)this little latch swings over the door or so i was told!!!!
have chute. will fall.

[luisvar 0]

guys, I am new in the sport and am clueless about "Quincy" . What the hell is that? and what happened with it, or at it?
Luigi

[PalmettoTiger 1]

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I am new in the sport and am clueless about "Quincy" . What the hell is that?

It's the biggest boogie in the world, held every year at an airfield in Quincy, Illinois at the end of the summer. There is no DZ at the airfield; skydivers only show up for this boogie. I don't know the figures but with the high attendance and huge number of jumps made, they can afford to bring in extremely rare aircraft like 727 jets and B-17 bombers, as well as "normal" boogie aircraft like helicopters, CASAs, Skyvans, etc. Check out http://www.freefall.com.
Blues, Squares,
PTiger
*insert sub-100 character sig here*

[pyke 0]

didn't know about the d.b. cooper latch "thingie-ma-bob" but I do know that Mr. Cooper was former Airborne and knew what type of plane he was getting on at the time (he researched the types of aircraft used and chose the one flight with that specific type) as he had jumped them in the airborne (or knew how to because of it - either way)
That has always been a big interest to me....did he make it??? Damn, I wish they would have found more proof!
Kia Kaha,
Pyke
NZPF A - 2584

[wingnut 0]

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about "Quincy" . What the hell is that? and what happened with it, or at it

the real answer is: what doesn't happen at it!!!!!!! it is skydiver paradise (well besides a shopping spree at square 1)

"if dreams are like movies, then memories are like films about ghosts"-counting crows

[mouth 0]

The plane was ia 727. They have stairs behind the rear jumpseat. You simply open the door that the jumpseat is on, look to your right (if I remember correctly) push the handle and you have stairs. I wouldn't think it would work in-flight if the cabin is pressurized but....
As for taking your rig on the airline they are all generally good about not giving you flack. SSK can provide you with a card to show airport security which is going to be your largest problem because the explosive device used to activate the opening shows up on their screen if they are looking. The card shows basically an x-ray of the cypres and gives an explaination of it's use. They will gladly forward you one. Their email is [email protected]

[PalmettoTiger 1]

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That has always been a big interest to me....did he make it???

Yes he made it. I found a pretty convincing article about three months ago; I'll try and locate it again.
Blues, Squares,
PTiger
*insert sub-100 character sig here*

[freaksister 0]

WON'T LET YOU SIT IN THE EXIT ROW??? LOL
I always sit in the exit row...but most of you know that already! I usually have the flight attendants and/or nearby passengers telling me that they are going to fight over who gets to hold onto me! I am like, yeah, whatever!! Catch me if you can, Mr. Bill!!
Sis
The road to hell is paved with good intentions-but sometimes,good intentions are all we humans have.

[wildblue 4]

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As for taking your rig on the airline they are all generally good about not giving you flack. SSK can provide you with a card to show airport security which is going to be your largest problem because the explosive device used to activate the opening shows up on their screen

whoa! no! It doesn't "explode" it doesn't "fire" it doesn't "cut" nothing "ignites" .... it's an electronic device that activates your reserve parachute if for some reason you are unable. That's all you need to say if asked, you start using words like "explosives" and "fires" around airport security, they get a little jumpy.