2 Dropzones in MO need your help!!!

[Superfletch 1]

The city of Mount Vernon, MO is considering to NOT grant new leases to, two skydiving companies on the Mount Vernon Missouri airport. Due to litigation that one dropzone has against the city for a 1.25 Million dollar lawsuit, the city feels that it is in it's best interest to not grant anymore commercial leases and suspend all commercial operations at the cities airport. WE DO NOT AGREE! Not knowing much about our sport or the economic ramifications of having skydiving in their city they would rather sweep it all under the rug and just be done with it. Regardless of how they came to this decision or who may be at fault for bringing it on, I'm asking that anyone interested in skydiving anywhere please take a moment and drop a line to the city and let them know that it would be a shame to remove skydiving from their city, for whatever the reason.

If you have ever skydived at Freefall Express Skydiving or visited their Hillbilly Boogie, or if you have ever skydived at Skydive Missouri or simply if you would like to have the opportunity in the future, I implore you to take a moment out of your day and drop an email to: [email protected] and ask that she please forward your concerns on to ALL of the city council members and the mayor. It will only take a moment and could help save these two dropzones.

Bryan Wolford, the DZO of freefall Express has written a letter calling out to all skydivers or even simply those interested in it. There is a link on the Freefall Express Facebook Group page that can be found here: http://www.facebook.com/notes/bryanlyn-wolford/please-read-and-forward-to-all-skydivers/2129711759081 so you can read his call out directly. Please take a moment...

Thank you for your time.

Gary "Superfletch" Fletcher
D-26145; USPA Coach, IAD/I, AFF/I
Videographer/Photographer

[JohnRich 4]

Curious: Why is one dropzone sueing the city?

[Krip 2]

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Curious: Why is one dropzone sueing the city?

Hi JR

At one of the Z-hills. THE DZO sued the city for the return of the fuel tax $$$ he had been paying. Not sure if he won.

But SDC was born a couple of yrs later.
Money & LEA (lawyer employment act). Lawsuits Can be challenging for both parties since they both have to hire lawyers.

No disrespect to lawyers, they have to eat & and can't afford to work for free.

Ex Ka-MO club member 70-71.

R.I.P.

One Jump Wonder

[Superfletch 1]

Lawrence County Case Number 08LW-CC00094

https://www.courts.mo.gov/casenet/cases/searchCases.do?searchType=caseNumber

As near as I can tell it looks like one dzo and one of his lawyer skydiver buddies is looking for a free hand out. I've tried to read through all the court house documents myself but there are literally thousands of pages. (It's a stack of legal pages over 6" tall). They are claiming that the city of Mt. Vernon likes one dropzone better than the other and provides them with certain amenities creating a failure to compete in the marketplace. Of course this is all crap. They sight the reasoning as we put in a fire pit, playground equipment and bathrooms, basically, on the city's property and the city allowed us to without upping our rent for some sort of ground lease. Plus our bathrooms are run off the city electric and water. The city told us that since we're only a weekend dropzone our electric and water use didn't exceed the minimum payment they had to make anyway so they didn't charge us more, even though we offered to pay.

Basically, their dropzone sued our dropzone and the case didn't go anywhere so then the other dropzone went after the city instead looking for deeper pockets.

However, none of that matters to me. After speaking to the city council members they have pretty much decided that they are tired of this lawsuit (it's been going on for about 3 years) and basically, when it's done and to keep it from ever happening in the future, they believe their best course of action is to deny all commercial operations at the airport from here on out. They are sorry that, basically we are getting swept up in the mess, but they want him out and the only way they see that happening is to get rid of both as to not be discriminatory and open themselves up for further litigation.

We have had our dropzone here for over 15 years and have always maintained a GREAT relationship with the city and we just want them to reconsider. We're hoping if enough people write them, maybe they will. Both ours and the other dropzones hangar leases are up during the middle of August so we are running out of time.

Gary "Superfletch" Fletcher
D-26145; USPA Coach, IAD/I, AFF/I
Videographer/Photographer

[Krip 2]

Hi Super

Thats a very sad story.

The town of Mt Vernon has a population of 4k, two police cars with a response time of 2 minutes.

Deep pockets After three yr's of litigation the towns liability insurance is probably going up and up.

The bully DZO Hmmm.

One Jump Wonder

[PhreeZone 15]

I would contact the flight school at the airport and the AOPA also to let them know about this. There are some FAA items that need to considered if they start denying access to the airport but have accepted the federal funds to maintain the airport. The city might be on the hook to repay all of the funds they received.

Yesterday is history
And tomorrow is a mystery

Parachutemanuals.com

[Feeblemind 1]

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I would contact the flight school at the airport and the AOPA also to let them know about this. There are some FAA items that need to considered if they start denying access to the airport but have accepted the federal funds to maintain the airport. The city might be on the hook to repay all of the funds they received.

http://www.uspa.org/AboutUSPA/USPAinAction/USPAWinsandUSPAAirportAccessWins/tabid/550/Default.aspx#21694

This Part 16 just took place, I would send the info to the city folks if it is a federally supported airport like most are.

Fire Safety Tip: Don't fry bacon while naked

[JohnRich 4]

Thanks for that explanation. What a mess. All it takes is one asshole to mess it up a good thing for everyone... I can understand the city wanting to throw out a bad tenant. It's a shame they want to lump you in with that.

Maybe you could offer to build them a bathroom if they'll drop the lawsuit. Sheesh!

[Scrumpot 1]

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This Part 16 just took place...

All well & good. However, (and this is a huge "however")... the city can certainly still "allow access to the A/P" for purposes of "not denying" access to it for skydiving activities - and remain in compliance with FAA Part 16, all the while still terminating (or simply by virtue of not renewing) any facilities (buildings, hangars, etc.) leases they like.

Most people seem to think that Part 16 is an all-powerful magic bullet, or a golden key just in of itself. In a way it is (it can allow "access"). But also practically, unfortunately it is not. just ask Jim Crouch and Westpoint Skydiving (STP) - who also has a very real, and very different from the Sacremento case referenced (which was instead rather, a successful over-turning of unreasonable/unattainable insurance provisions demand) experience.

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I would send the info to the city folks if it is a federally supported airport like most are.

I'm sure they're probably well aware of Part 16 already (how could they NOT be?), and probably why they are handling the over-all situation (making life simply "difficult" via the building leases - not "access") precisely the way they are.

TOTALLY SUCKS - either way, and in ANY case, for sure.

coitus non circum - Moab Stone

[Superfletch 1]

The city isn't denying us access. They have stated on multiple occasions that they have no problem with anyone skydiving out there. They just don't want to lease us the hangars anymore. They've even had discussions about removing the hangars entirely and moving them to different locations in the city to be used for storage. The problem is... they do not want to lease one individual a hangar. However, we are being told since they are a municipality they can't choose to lease to one individual over another. They really are at their wits end as well. I've been apologized to up and down and they simply say, that they don't know what else to do. The two skydiving companies are the ONLY commercial operations on the airport and there are only two other civilian tenants.

We're hoping that with enough public out cry that they'll just go ahead and re-issue the leases and hope that they win their lawsuit and that's the end of it. I believe the trial date is set for September 2, 2011. Unfortunately our leases are up on August 10 and 15. I'm quite sure the lawsuit will be won by the city. The city has addressed all his concerns by making us remove our firepit, and upping our rent to encompass our bathrooms and playground equipment and such... He really doesn't have a leg to stand on. It all comes down to the fact that he just wanted to stir trouble.

I asked him the other day what his end game was and did he want us all thrown out and he just smirked and said... He didn't think it would come to that and I should just wait and see. And that even if it did... He had another place to go already. He's very arrogant and this lawsuit he has is very, very petty. I asked him out right about sueing us for supplying our customers with bathrooms and he said that his lawyer said he had to. His lawyer by the way is Attorney Chrisopher Stark a skydiver from Springfield, MO. If I had to guess, Christopher Stark is filling his head with delusions of granger thinking he will end up getting him something for nothing. Skydiver Attorney Christopher Stark is NO friend to skydiving. I've heard his claim to fame was taking a case all the way to the Supreme Court, something about strippers being able to copulate dollar bills or something like that. He's a real shyster, snake in the grass, worm.

Just please... take a moment and write a quick little letter asking the Mount Vernon, MO City Council members and the Mayor to please come up with another solution other than suspending all commercial operations at the airport. Send it to [email protected] and ask that it be forwarded to all city council members. PLEASE!

Gary "Superfletch" Fletcher
D-26145; USPA Coach, IAD/I, AFF/I
Videographer/Photographer

[jumpwally 0]

Maybe you guys should try an arbitrator, city might go for that....

smile, be nice, enjoy life
FB # - 1083

[Superfletch 1]

There is nothing to arbitrate. He is suing the city for 1.25 Million Dollars. The city is pissed at him, win or lose and doesn't want to lease him a hangar anymore. They can't figure out how to lease to us and not him and they say that they definitely won't lease to him so they're so sorry for us.

That's about how it's going.

Gary "Superfletch" Fletcher
D-26145; USPA Coach, IAD/I, AFF/I
Videographer/Photographer

[chuckakers 370]

Not sure it will help, but I had some contention from city officials on a few issues that involved improper restrictions under the federally-funded airport thing when I owned a DZ on a muni here in Texas.

I found that in every case, a private one-on-one with the city attorney took care of the issue. When the "city guys" (councilman, airport board members, etc.) are out of the room, the attorney will actually speak frankly about threats vs. legal standing.

When I made it clear that I knew the law and that they were heading in a wrong and expensive direction legally speaking, the problem seemed to get instantly solved with a phone call or two to the appropriate city officials.

City officials and local - often "loco" - politicians talk tough, but the thing they fear most is legal action when they could lose. They also don't like to get procedurally spanked by the feds for not playing nice with a federal protected aeronautical activity. Looks bad on future grant applications.

Or you just burn down city hall. That would probably get the point across.

Chuck Akers
D-10855
Houston, TX

[CSpenceFLY 1]

I remember a bunch of shit going on in MO. a few years back. I wonder if this is some of the same ol' assholes involved?

[Superfletch 1]

YEAH... Basically, Skydive Missouri sued Freefall Express Skydiving. When that case went nowhere... He decided to sue the city of Mount Vernon. Same Asshole.

Gary "Superfletch" Fletcher
D-26145; USPA Coach, IAD/I, AFF/I
Videographer/Photographer

[Krip 2]

Quote

I remember a bunch of shit going on in MO. a few years back. I wonder if this is some of the same ol' assholes involved?

Hi Spence

Have yout tried using the search function in the upper right hand corner If you do that.

Google Mt vernon and check out the distance from the KC metro area. It way down in the south west part of the state. I think the first pissing contest happened in the KC metroplex.

BTW the KC metro plex is located in both Ks and MO, but doesnt extend to the Mt Vernon AFAIK.

One Jump Wonder

[Krip 2]

Hi SF

Quote

The city isn't denying us access. They have stated on multiple occasions that they have no problem with anyone skydiving out there. They just don't want to lease us the hangars anymore. They've even had discussions about removing the hangars entirely and moving them to different locations in the city to be used for storage. The problem is... they do not want to lease one individual a hangar. However, we are being told since they are a municipality they can't choose to lease to one individual over another. They really are at their wits end as well. I've been apologized to up and down and they simply say, that they don't know what else to do. The two skydiving companies are the ONLY commercial operations on the airport and there are only two other civilian tenants.

Quote

I think the tittle of your thread should be a DZ in MO needs help. IMO the other DZ deserves everything he is getting inluding the lawyers bill when/if he loses the lawsuit.

I know it gets hot in the summer and cold in the winter in the ozarks. It's not your fault that your Toxic bully DZO shit in his rice bowl, and you just got stuck with the shitty end of the stick.

Hopefully the other DZO will move on and you can continue your operation with the bare bones basics at the airport.

Old school the way it was "almost back in the day". At least you still have a paved runway and a LZ, and a airplane. You already know what you need to do to continue ops and how to do it.
As a old fart fun jumper who jumped in a farmers field in Edgerton KS "almost back in the day"
You'll have more than we had. A paved runway!!!

Personally I can not get to excited about helping the Toxic DZO out with a letter writeing campaign to the city. IMO they have no option but to treat both DZ's the same.

Hopefully the Toxic DZO will move on and continue with his BS someplace else.He is what he is and will continue to be a bully someplace else. THe bully can't help himself. Thats why some people get divorced.

I hope you continue to partner with the city after the Bully is gone.

R.I.P.

One Jump Wonder

[Krip 2]

Quote

YEAH... Basically, Skydive Missouri sued Freefall Express Skydiving. When that case went nowhere... He decided to sue the city of Mount Vernon. Same Asshole.

Hi Fletch

Everyone has neighbrors. Yours is just a little more extreme than most.

DZ neighbor is a bully toxic a-hole and wants to play deep pocket bully shit with the city. From what I read in your post the city will still allow you and the Bully to use the airport, just none of the nice stuff like a hanger, water electric etc.

One Jump Wonder

[CSpenceFLY 1]

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Have yout tried using the search function in the upper right hand cornerShocked If you do that.

Nope,don't care enough to.

[Krip 2]

Quote

Quote

Have yout tried using the search function in the upper right hand cornerShocked If you do that.

Nope,don't care enough to.

Hi CSpence

Don't blame you see our response above.

I've never been to one of your traveling boogies or whatever their called. I think you could make the situation in Mt Vernon with the conditions specified by the city.

Enjoy
R.I.P.

One Jump Wonder

[jumpwally 0]

is the same FreeFall Express thats doing the same BS down in Deland and Z-Hills ?

smile, be nice, enjoy life
FB # - 1083

[stratostar 5]

No, ones a dz in mo, the other is a company from NY, two very different owners...

you can't pay for kids schoolin' with love of skydiving! ~ Airtwardo

[mjosparky 3]

Both drop zones say they have showers?

Skydivers seem to be their own worst enemy.

Sparky

My idea of a fair fight is clubbing baby seals

[MikeWright 0]

Quote

YEAH... Basically, Skydive Missouri sued Freefall Express Skydiving. When that case went nowhere... He decided to sue the city of Mount Vernon. Same Asshole.

Gary, is this related to one of those lawsuits that you say is not going anywhere?

The real Skydive Missouri is using www.skydivemissouri.org, which is not the best domain name to use. www.skydivemissouri.com domain would be much better, but that does not seem to be available.


A lookup at GoDaddy produced the following:

Registrant:
BRYAN WOLFORD
Missouri 65714
United States

Domain Name: SKYDIVEMISSOURI.COM
Created on: 09-Jul-99
Expires on: 09-Jul-15
Last Updated on: 19-Jul-06
Registered through: GoDaddy.com, Inc. (http://www.godaddy.com)

Administrative Contact:
WOLFORD, BRYAN [email protected]
Missouri 65714
United States
4178304041

Technical Contact:
WOLFORD, BRYAN [email protected]
Missouri 65714
United States
4178304041

Bryan Wolford is the owner of Freefall Express. Someone should contact him to ask him why he has a domain name registered using his competitor's name, expecially when his competitor's name is a registered Service Mark with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office:


Word Mark,SKYDIVE MISSOURI
Goods and Services,IC 041. US 100 101 107. G & S:
Education services, namely, providing classes, seminars and workshops in the field of skydiving.
FIRST USE:19940819. FIRST USE IN COMMERCE: 19940819
Standard Characters Claimed
Mark Drawing Code,(4) STANDARD CHARACTER MARK
Serial Number,77030880
Filing Date,October 27, 2006
Current Filing Basis,1A
Original Filing Basis,1A
Published for Opposition,November 27, 2007
Registration Number,3380125
Registration Date,February 12, 2008
Owner,(REGISTRANT) Skydive Missouri, Inc. CORPORATION MISSOURI 14800 Highway H Mount Vernon MISSOURI 65712
Attorney of Record,Eugene J. Han
Disclaimer,NO CLAIM IS MADE TO THE EXCLUSIVE RIGHT TO USE "SKYDIVE" APART FROM THE MARK AS SHOWN
Type of Mark,SERVICE MARK
Register,PRINCIPAL-2(F)
Live/Dead Indicator,LIVE


Gary, is this related to one of those lawsuits that you say is not going anywhere?

If it hasn't gone anywhere yet, I think it eventually will, because evidence
seems to indicate that Freefall Express has stolen Skydive Missouri's name!

Are they going to put a web site there hoping to divert business from Skydive Missouri?

Maybe things like this are the reason that sometimes skydivers sue skydivers, and for good reason.

[Superfletch 1]

Skydive Missouri has been using skydivemissouri.org for a very long time. Bryan purchased skydivemissouri.com only several years after watching it lay dormant. I assume that skydive missouri was just too cheap to purchase it to begin with. If I'm not mistaken Bryan had to pay several hundred dollars for it or something like that. skydivemissouri.com would be a GREAT investment for ANY drop zone in the state of missouri. Yes, you'd be right in saying that skydivemissouri.com was part of the lawsuit against freefall express but they also dropped it too, and chose not to pursue it further. Probably because of it being so generic in the first place.

"skydivemissouri.org" was their first and only choice in domain names... just goes to show you how bright the idiot is.

Anyway, this thread isn't about the lawsuit that skydive missouri has against freefall express. It isn't even about the 1.25M lawsuit that skydive missouri has against the city of mount vernon. It's about the fact that the city of Mount Vernon is tired of dealing with Skydive Missouri and his croney skydiver lawyer Christopher J Stark, and is willing to sacrifice both drop zones to get rid of the one. We're just wanting them to reconsider their position. Sure, I would love it if they'd throw out the trouble makers and keep us, however, since they can't, I would just as soon settle for both companies being allowed to stay.

I didn't start this thread to squabble about the various lawsuits that Skydive Missouri and his ambulance chasing skydiver lawyer Christoper J Stark has initiated. I started it so that Skydivers would be aware that there could be one less airport to skydive on in the country and that perhaps emailing the city council might make a difference.

Being that your account was created today I can only assume you are connected with Skydive Missouri or his blood sucking skydiving attorney Christopher J Stark so I also have to assume you are quite aware of all that I've said and that the skydivemissouri.com website was part of a settlement offer that you guys turned down and ended up getting nothing.

**edited due to some incorrect statements**

Gary "Superfletch" Fletcher
D-26145; USPA Coach, IAD/I, AFF/I
Videographer/Photographer