brofromanomo 0 #1 October 4, 2011 Well for all those apologists out there, the Parachute Center has yet again been handed a hefty fine by the FAA. Last year Lodi was handed what had to be the largest fine ever to a skydiving center ($664,000). This year they have been handed another monstrous fine for $269,000 (see press release below). How many fines does the FAA have to levy against this place before we as skydivers stand up and say “We are not going to tolerate business models that place skydivers (and the general public) at risk!”. These and other issues have been rampant at Lodi for countless years. From hot fueling with passengers on board the aircraft, to ignoring passenger restraint requirements, to frequent cloud jumping, to single-instructor AFF Cat-1 jumps, to skydivers with less than 25 skydives being allowed (and in some cases encouraged) to jump with others (read non-coaches), and countless other issues, the Parachute Center has flaunted its disdain for all rules skydiving. In fact in some quarters, it seems as if its part of its marketing campaign. Come skydive at Lodi, we're the “Pirate DZ”! Those few who dare shout a word of protest on their blogs or elsewhere, like Brian Buckland, are apparently quickly shamed into silence. How many aircraft under the responsibility of Bill Dause have to have major incidents before people start to wake up (for those of you counting its at least 8 major aircraft incidents since the mid-80s). Moreover all of this done while under the supposedly “watchful” eye of the USPA. And what has the USPA's response been? Have they pulled the two S&TA's who call Lodi home? Have they chastised the BOD member who lists Lodi as their home DZ? Have they threatened to pull Bill (and the instructor's) USPA licenses? Of course not, in fact when there was a death at the Parachute Center about a year and half ago, there was an interview with the USPA President who was skydiving AT the Parachute Center, assuring the general public that skydiving and the center are both safe. When the general public hears about these fines and associates our USPA with that kind of conduct, how do you think that makes the USPA look? Until we as a group, stop tolerating this kind of behavior, and say to both the Parachute Center and the USPA that this is unacceptable, the Parachute Center will continue to ignore skydiver safety in favor of their laissez-faire attitude. Apparently skydivers, with their instant gratification mentality, are too concerned with getting their $15 jump tickets to make a stand. Until skydivers with clout like Jan Meyer, who claim they are overwhelmingly concerned about safety, stop supporting and backing up this reckless operation and make sure that their ACTIONS match their rhetoric, nothing will ever change. Since nobody in the USPA has the balls to step to the plate and declare it an unsafe operation, I am glad the FAA has fined the Parachute Center again. It's time someone took a stand against the kind of callousness that causes major fatalities! ~~ Timmy ~~ August 29, 2011 FAA Press Release LOS ANGELES – The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is proposing a $269,000 civil penalty against The Parachute Center, of Acampo, Calif., for allegedly operating a DeHavilland Twin Otter on 41 flights when it was not in compliance with federal aviation regulations. The FAA alleges that The Parachute Center failed to comply with a 2009 Airworthiness Directive requiring repetitive inspections of the left and right front spar adapter assemblies to identify cracks that might threaten the structural integrity of the airplane. According to the FAA, the company operated the aircraft between November 2 and November 15, 2009, when it was out of compliance with the airworthiness directive. The Parachute Center has 30 days from the receipt of the FAA’s enforcement letter to respond to the Agency. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
robinheid 0 #2 October 4, 2011 QuoteWell for all those apologists out there, the Parachute Center has yet again been handed a hefty fine by the FAA. Last year Lodi was handed what had to be the largest fine ever to a skydiving center ($664,000). This year they have been handed another monstrous fine for $269,000 (see press release below). How many fines does the FAA have to levy against this place before we as skydivers stand up and say “We are not going to tolerate business models that place skydivers (and the general public) at risk!”. These and other issues have been rampant at Lodi for countless years. From hot fueling with passengers on board the aircraft, to ignoring passenger restraint requirements, to frequent cloud jumping, to single-instructor AFF Cat-1 jumps, to skydivers with less than 25 skydives being allowed (and in some cases encouraged) to jump with others (read non-coaches), and countless other issues, the Parachute Center has flaunted its disdain for all rules skydiving. In fact in some quarters, it seems as if its part of its marketing campaign. Come skydive at Lodi, we're the “Pirate DZ”! Those few who dare shout a word of protest on their blogs or elsewhere, like Brian Buckland, are apparently quickly shamed into silence. How many aircraft under the responsibility of Bill Dause have to have major incidents before people start to wake up (for those of you counting its at least 8 major aircraft incidents since the mid-80s). Moreover all of this done while under the supposedly “watchful” eye of the USPA. And what has the USPA's response been? Have they pulled the two S&TA's who call Lodi home? Have they chastised the BOD member who lists Lodi as their home DZ? Have they threatened to pull Bill (and the instructor's) USPA licenses? Of course not, in fact when there was a death at the Parachute Center about a year and half ago, there was an interview with the USPA President who was skydiving AT the Parachute Center, assuring the general public that skydiving and the center are both safe. When the general public hears about these fines and associates our USPA with that kind of conduct, how do you think that makes the USPA look? Until we as a group, stop tolerating this kind of behavior, and say to both the Parachute Center and the USPA that this is unacceptable, the Parachute Center will continue to ignore skydiver safety in favor of their laissez-faire attitude. Apparently skydivers, with their instant gratification mentality, are too concerned with getting their $15 jump tickets to make a stand. Until skydivers with clout like Jan Meyer, who claim they are overwhelmingly concerned about safety, stop supporting and backing up this reckless operation and make sure that their ACTIONS match their rhetoric, nothing will ever change. Since nobody in the USPA has the balls to step to the plate and declare it an unsafe operation, I am glad the FAA has fined the Parachute Center again. It's time someone took a stand against the kind of callousness that causes major fatalities! ~~ Timmy ~~ August 29, 2011 FAA Press Release LOS ANGELES – The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is proposing a $269,000 civil penalty against The Parachute Center, of Acampo, Calif., for allegedly operating a DeHavilland Twin Otter on 41 flights when it was not in compliance with federal aviation regulations. The FAA alleges that The Parachute Center failed to comply with a 2009 Airworthiness Directive requiring repetitive inspections of the left and right front spar adapter assemblies to identify cracks that might threaten the structural integrity of the airplane. According to the FAA, the company operated the aircraft between November 2 and November 15, 2009, when it was out of compliance with the airworthiness directive. The Parachute Center has 30 days from the receipt of the FAA’s enforcement letter to respond to the Agency. Passionate prose, fact- and reading comprehension-challenged though it may be... Let's start with "major fataltiies." Unless I'm missing something here, Lodi's accident rate compares favorably with other drop zones of similar size and, if I recall correctly, imposed a 90-degree-landing-turn rule years before most other big centers. And then there's this, on which you base your claim that the Parachute Center "has yet again been handed a hefty fine." August 29, 2011 FAA Press Release LOS ANGELES – The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is proposing a $269,000 civil penalty against The Parachute Center...] Oops. And for what, BTW? A crash? A fatality? A "major" injury? No, it missed a routine inspection by 13 days. You also assert that "(l)ast year Lodi was handed what had to be the largest fine ever to a skydiving center ($664,000)." Passionate prose again, inaccurate though it may be; last year the Federal Aviation Administration proposed a $664,000 civil penalty against The Parachute Center. I don't know its current status, but I do know that one poster with knowledge of FAA practices in this area said that in most cases the difference between the proposed fine and actual fine paid is significant. Finally, you denounce as improper the fact that USPA's president and another national director jump there when, in fact, you should it take it as a hint because there's a lot more where those two came from; some of the most accomplished and experienced parachutists in the world jump there, come from all over the country and the world to jump there. And then there's you. Hmmm...SCR-6933 / SCS-3463 / D-5533 / BASE 44 / CCS-37 / 82d Airborne (Ret.) "The beginning of wisdom is to first call things by their right names." Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
brofromanomo 0 #3 October 4, 2011 Actually it is you who seem to have reading comprehension problems, but I have found this tendency in your previous posts. You started your condemnation of my post by taking issue with my supposed mention of major fatalities. Look at my post a second time, but this time actually try reading the words appearing on your screen instead of the ones you imagine in your head. I never once mentioned fatalities in my post...where did you read that? So perhaps you should read a post twice before you start accusing other people of reading comprehension issues. Actually me thinks you doth protest too much, My guess is you actually know of the fatality issues they do have. Sooooo, since you seem to want to get into that issue, the Parachter Center has nearly a 1 death a year rate for the past 20 years. Not all fatalities have made it onto this site...I would be more than happy to post my info (I will admit that some were possible suicides/i.e. not necessarily related to safety measures). This is still a high number considering they although they are a very busy DZ, but it's not like they're as busy as Perris. As for the latest fine...do you really think the FAA casually hands down multiple six-figure fines in a year's time for anything other than good reason? If so you are as delusional as your post. As for your semantics with PROPOSED fines...it's just that, a clever word trick. You are too smart to act this stupid Mr. Heid. Plain and simple, last year the FAA gave/handed out/proposed (whatever you want to call it) the largest fine ever to a skydiving center and it was the Parachute Center that received it. That was the main point I was trying drive home, and you can't dodge that point no matter how hard you try. Just like you can't dodge the number of plane accidents that have occurred with aircraft under his control. Yes that $664k number might eventually be decreased, but to my knowledge it hasn't as of yet. Last time I spoke with my contact in the FAA (admittedly a few months ago) Bill was still dodging it and refusing to meet with the FAA's arbitrator. If he really didn't have anything to hide (Heid), he would face the charges head-on and declare his innocence. That the the USPA muckety-mucks tolerate what are obvious safety issues, does not negate the safety concerns, it merely impugns their impartiality. The fact of the matter is that many of the USPA staff-members are good friends with Bill and wouldn't do anything to him even if the wings of his plane fell off killing a plane-load of skydivers. It's funny how you complain about the old-boy network in the park service that prevents base jumpers from jumping off of El Cap and yet you refuse to acknowledge that the same problems exist in the USPA. Old friends refusing to say that their friends points of view are dead wrong. I am not the only one who complains about the safety measures at Lodi, I am just one of the few with balls enough to actually voice my concerns. That way at least when something catastrophic does happen I can at least begin to live with myself and say I tried to make the situation better and didn't bury my head in the sand. I can say I tried to point out and make a difference, despite all of the apologists like you who refuse to acknowledge the dangers and support Bill and his reckless ways. Thank you so very much for proving my point! You, and people like you are the problem! People who tolerate lack of safety maintenance in any degree or capacity! How can you with a straight face condone a repeated lack of Airplane MX? If you answer no other question answer that one, Mr. Apologist! ~~~Timmy~~~ Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
cpoxon 0 #4 October 4, 2011 http://www.dropzone.com/cgi-bin/forum/gforum.cgi?post=4183934Skydiving Fatalities - Cease not to learn 'til thou cease to live Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
