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DBCOOPER

Support for the Skydiving Museum with USPA membership funds

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From the beginning of the Museum and Hall of Fame project all agreed NO financial burden would be on the USPA Members. The Museum and Hall of Fame would stand alone financially from donations and charging admission.
Building cost started at $5,000,000 on FREE land next to USPA HQ in Fredericksburg Virginia. Now it $16,000,000 on land that’s not FREE in a second location in Orlando.

Know the facts before voting. See the attachment !

I Jumped with the guys who invented Skydiving.

USPA BOD 2018 number 14.jpg

USPA and the Rip Off.jpg

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My recent letter to Parachutists mag now has some of my friends upset with me.
. I think it would be great if Jim McCormick would post their official museum plans and projected costs here for a better informed membership.

A museum is a great idea, but not with USPA $$$. IMHO
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I never wrote the Land in Orlando was free, the land in VIRGINIA was.
Ifly is donating storage space, that’s all.
The issue is USPA Members Dues being used to keep the boondoggle propped up while they find multi million dollar donations somewhere.

At the July USPA BOD meeting nine members voted NO !

Just the facts please.

I Jumped with the guys who invented Skydiving.

USPA BOD 2018 number 14.jpg

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Building cost started at $5,000,000 on FREE land next to USPA HQ in Fredericksburg Virginia. Now it $16,000,000 on land that’s not FREE in a second location in Orlando



Wow. Is there some resource I can go see to better understand how or why the project costs ballooned to +3x of the original proposal? Obviously moving the location from Virginia to Orlando made a difference, but what caused this major price increase?
=========Shaun ==========


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Really smells like an out of control government project doesn't it? That info isn't available because it doesn't exist. Everything about this is a "We think it's gonna be this much..."
Questionable research for how many will visit this, as of right now, no firm plans for the final concept, still rallying for funds for an unknown, disorganized, pipedream that has been a total failure for almost 40 yrs. If this project has ANY chance to succeed as real entity, we need real clarity and a real, doable plan. Today, none of that exists....

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Question I have is since its going to be located in an iFly tunnel is the intent to have the museum own and run the tunnel and have a profit center with revenue off the tunnel to justify the building cost of the tunnel or is this more of a case of iFly is building a tunnel and this is going to be an annex building to the side where the museum is open to visit for anyone that comes to the iFly tunnel to browse?

If the total funds are covering the building cost of the tunnel and the additional buildings then the business plan of the tunnel should be able to cover the construction costs of the tunnel on its own and this project is only needing to raise the expanded building costs. If the business plan is too weak to be able to do a tunnel on its own then I would question the survivalibity of the tunnel and therefore the entire project since if the tunnel is operating in the red for too long then how will it stay open? If the tunnel is not able to stay open then what happens to the museum? Granted none of the iFly projects until now have failed but that is not to say that they will never have issues in the future. iFly does a lot of business research into exactly where they open a tunnel at for most profitability - you don't see them popping up in tiny towns for a reason. Does North Orlando actually have the ability to support a tunnel on its own with iFly already having a double tunnel facility in the middle of tourist area and then the tunnels in Tampa and Ft L? Tunnels are primarly first time flyer driven for profits - is there enough in this location to cover the operation of the facility? Skydivers are at a much cheaper profit margin so if the tunnel is banking on skydivers to pay the bills then it needs to be considered in terms of what the draw will be for skydivers. Tunnels like XP have the size and coaches to draw in large training camps, Utah has cheap prices, etc. What will be the draw for this tunnel? Is it just its proximity to Deland and Zhills?

If iFly is not chomping at the bit to get going on a tunnel in this location already then with all their market research efforts that should be a massive red flag that this is going to be issues in the long term.

If the intent is for the museum to buy and operate the tunnel on their own independent of iFly then the business case should be pretty public if they are asking for donations for what will be used to start a business of tunnel operation. What is the plan for the profits that come out the tunnel? Is the Museum going to take on the liability of the tunnel operations, the training of staff and other day to day aspects or is that all yet to be determined?
Yesterday is history
And tomorrow is a mystery

Parachutemanuals.com

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3331


I never wrote the Land in Orlando was free, the land in VIRGINIA was.
Ifly is donating storage space, that’s all.
The issue is USPA Members Dues being used to keep the boondoggle propped up while they find multi million dollar donations somewhere.

At the July USPA BOD meeting nine members voted NO !

Just the facts please.



So the USPA will have a total financial burden of just under 300k$. with over half being contributed over the next 6 years. At the end of 2017 there was about 39k USPA members.

Soooo....yeah, I'm ok with the USPA taking ~1.25$ of my dues every year (total averaged 6y) to help promote skydiving over the long term. Really since 112,200$ has already been spent I am 100% OK with the USPA using ~ 0.75$ of my membership fee (66) each year for 6 more years to go towards the museum.

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Once again this comes back to the question of - is this location only going to work if a tunnel is built there and is iFly really looking to move forward at that location? If that's the case then why not just build near an existing tunnel if that is the goal.

If iFly has ran the numbers and sees the location is not that great and the profitability of the tunnel is questionable does that mean if they don't decide to build one for another 10, 15 or even 20 years in that location that this project is in a holding pattern until then with the USPA kicking all the member money into a bank account with no project plans committed? Has iFly even committed to building in this location in a given time frame? What is the plan if they move forward with the HOF and museum and the tunnel never happens?

Does this also mean the project is really about a $25+ million dollar project since iFly states their tunnels are a 12+ million dollar investment when they build one. If iFly is putting in $12-14M and the Museum and HOF is projection at $16 million now is that really what this is looking to run?
Yesterday is history
And tomorrow is a mystery

Parachutemanuals.com

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In 2002 the USPA BOD wanted to make sure that USPA Rank and File Members would not bear any cost of building or operating or maintaining the International Skydiving Museum.

At the last BOD meeting Nine members voted NO to any donations.

I Jumped with the guys who invented Skydiving.

USPA BOD 2018 number 14.jpg

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3331

In 2002 the USPA BOD wanted to make sure that USPA Rank and File Members would not bear any cost of building or operating or maintaining the International Skydiving Museum.

At the last BOD meeting Nine members voted NO to any donations.



It's 2018 and 13 of them voted YES to donations. What's your point?

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Point is, 13 BOD members chose to vote against what had been a precedent in the past. Why? That we don't know and may never know. They cude come on here and explain their reasons but, haven't done that. Perhaps they have a good reason for supporting a failing operation that has not materialized in almost 40 yrs.
As of rite now, there is:
No site selected.
No plan for the building
No firm budget
No completion date
No explanation where funds are being directed and for what
And the best part is, they are still inducting former and current BOD members into a non existent Museum and imaginery Hall of Fame. A bill of goods are being sold as a promise in the future after what can only be called, a pathetic failure in the past. Don't know a single skydiver that doesn't want the museum, we just don't want the continuation of history. Get it together and put a plan in place.

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baronn

Point is, 13 BOD members chose to vote against what had been a precedent in the past. Why? That we don't know and may never know. They cude come on here and explain their reasons but, haven't done that. Perhaps they have a good reason for supporting a failing operation that has not materialized in almost 40 yrs.
As of rite now, there is:
No site selected.
No plan for the building
No firm budget
No completion date
No explanation where funds are being directed and for what
And the best part is, they are still inducting former and current BOD members into a non existent Museum and imaginery Hall of Fame. A bill of goods are being sold as a promise in the future after what can only be called, a pathetic failure in the past. Don't know a single skydiver that doesn't want the museum, we just don't want the continuation of history. Get it together and put a plan in place.



I can tell you there are costs that ad up fast that go into figuring all of that out.

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LeeroyJenkins

USPA's commitment is 300K Doesn't matter what the cost is.



Yes it does. If the project is not viable then there is no reason to commit 300K of membership dollars!! The overall cost is a big part of the viability of the Museum/HOF.
"The restraining order says you're only allowed to touch me in freefall"
=P

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thirtypack

Why would they locate a museum next to a tunnel when flying in a tunnel isn't skydiving. Why not locate it close to a dropzone and promote real skydiving instead of promoting pretend skydiving.



'Cause dropzones are all located out in BFE. A museum should be located in a more accessible area, to get people who would not want to drive all the way to a dropzone.
It's flare not flair, brakes not breaks, bridle not bridal, "could NOT care less" not "could care less".

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Sad. Ours is a sport that doesn't forgive ignorance or cynicism...they can kill you. We invest hundreds of hours and thousands of dollars into initial jump training, airworthy gear, our respective disciplines, chute packing, etc. But then many of us turn a blind eye to the goings on within an organization that the FAA has legally authorized to oversee our sport? Maybe you don't care, but you SHOULD.

And by turning a blind eye, you made an unwitting choice to condone whatever it is that the USPA chooses to do. Sooner or later, the USPA will make a decision that does affect you that might not have been made had those in a position of responsibility known they couldn't get away with it.

-JD-

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skyfox2007

Sad. Ours is a sport that doesn't forgive ignorance or cynicism...they can kill you. We invest hundreds of hours and thousands of dollars into initial jump training, airworthy gear, our respective disciplines, chute packing, etc. But then many of us turn a blind eye to the goings on within an organization that the FAA has legally authorized to oversee our sport? Maybe you don't care, but you SHOULD.

And by turning a blind eye, you made an unwitting choice to condone whatever it is that the USPA chooses to do. Sooner or later, the USPA will make a decision that does affect you that might not have been made had those in a position of responsibility known they couldn't get away with it.

-JD-



Not sure what exactly you are replying too. But if it was my comment that most skydiver do not care or even know, I stick by that comment.

Personally I pay attention but I also do policy analysis so it’s kinda my thing. Do I care that a few of my dollars are going towards an attempt at a museum? No. I don’t.

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