eDo Onward = tauromachy

[Slyde 0]

In 2003, a company named JHE out of North Carolina produced a 100-way skydiving demonstration as a small part of it's glorius production to celebrate 100 years since Orville & Wilbur took off without wearing a rig.

Five guys were tapped to round up 20 skydivers each. Lots of empowerment was built in to the game plan. The plan let the 5 guys design their own components to the performance.

There were some crew dogs, some flagit, some belly flyers, some more belly flyers, a cranky dog or 2 ... lots of stuff.

According to several accounts, the whole thing was a very successful fiasco which enjoined many of the sharpest tacks from the troughs and the trays.

There were so many rules and regulations that were inadvertently broken by the band of merry pranksters that your fearless leaders found themselves catchin' and fetchin' like their asses were on fire. In multiple scrambles to bend, twist and spin, they apparently managed to keep the Feds from having TOO much explaining to do. And they kept their own embarrassment down to a point that the glowing red cheeks didn't quite shine visibly through their Gym trunks. But the glow was obviously there.

One lesson an introspective entertainer might ... might derive from the spectacle is that there is a bit of room for improvement in certain circles of self-proclaimed pundits.

WELL DUH!

There is ALWAYS room for improvement. Does anybody know where the Sigma comes from?
Me neither, for the most part. Ain't Greek. Never was.

I'm just an a-whole flagit nicknamed Slyde.

Six Sigma is a buzz-word now that evolves from an industry we brought home from Japan several years after we began to sprout a clue that our asses were being severely KICKED in automotive manufacturing.

The industry was actually delivered TO JAPAN BY US when American Auto-makers turned deaf ears upon a guy named Demming and a few other (I apologize for forgetting in this short writing their names.)

The industry of which I speak?

The QUALITY Industry. Six Sigma is a mathematical approach that uses statistical process controls that will, more or less, guarantee evolutionary improvements in quality at a maximized rate.

The demo at Kitty Hawk was all civilians for the most part and relatively few individuals actually know or understand how badly it was boogered up by the wizards at the helm.

The Golden Knights on a separate note, have changed their performances very, very slowly in decades of military-soldier-recruiting practice. If it ain't broke, don't fix it?

Well.

Maybe there is room ... maybe there is opportunity ... maybe there is need ... maybe there is desire ... maybe there will be growth ...

... and perhaps there can be quality ...

... in the civilian skydiving entertainment industry.

luv, slyde

let's moon these saxon dogs
What's plural for genius? Genii?

naaa prolly not us

Thank you Joe Smith.
Thank you Dave DeWolf.
Thank you Shorty Janousek.
and THANK YOU J.T. HILL!!!

A Peace Prize within minutes of Bombing the Moon. Coincidence? "Beware the Military Industrial Complex." You GO Ike!

[JohnRich 4]

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The demo at Kitty Hawk... relatively few individuals actually know or understand how badly it was boogered up by the wizards at the helm.

Why don't you tell us how you think it was "boogered up".

[WILDBILLAQR 0]

I'm making popcorn.... anyone want some?

----------------------------------------------
"Thats not smoke, thats BUCKEYE!!"
AQR#3,CWR#49

[MakeItHappen 15]

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The demo at Kitty Hawk... relatively few individuals actually know or understand how badly it was boogered up by the wizards at the helm.

Why don't you tell us how you think it was "boogered up".

Here's one way. The motion to get the waiver for the unlicensed pax was done that morning.

Winter 04 USPA Minutes:

Quote

XC Interim Action 12/17/04
The S&T committee recommended approval of the following Interim action:
Motion 12 Passed, 16/2/3 (Mr. Bangs)
“Move to waive SIM Section 2-1.J.3 for a tandem demo into Kitty Hawk NC Kill Devils Hills on December 17, 2003 for Paul Fayard and Bill Booth for non-licensed passengers.”

Richard then brought up how to approach Bill Booth and the under age Tandem. Richard will meet with Bill and determine at a later date if RD action is necessary.

Summer 04 Minutes:

Quote

4. As a result of the tandem demo conducted by Bill Booth and his at the time underage daughter Katie, Bill has written the following letter to the Full Board apologizing for his actions. (See Attachment B)

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Make It Happen
Parachute History
DiveMaker

[JohnRich 4]

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The motion to get the waiver for the unlicensed pax was done that morning.

So? The fact is, he got the waiver. They could have said "no". They didn't. Therefore the jump was legal.

I'm glad she got to jump with her dad. She had just been accepted to an Ivy League college. It was the same college from which Dad had graduated. It was a huge celebration of a milestone in her life, and Dad was understandably beaming with pride. So were the rest of us. Yes, I was on that dive, and on the plane with Bill and Katie.

But we all know how particular you are about technical paperwork procedures. After years serving on the board, being a stickler for parliamentary procedure was all they could think to say of your accomplishments, in your departure notice.

[MakeItHappen 15]

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The motion to get the waiver for the unlicensed pax was done that morning.

So? The fact is, he got the waiver. They could have said "no". They didn't. Therefore the jump was legal.

He got a waiver for the non-license part.
He did NOT get a waiver for the underage part.

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I'm glad she got to jump with her dad. She had just been accepted to an Ivy League college. It was the same college from which Dad had graduated. It was a huge celebration of a milestone in her life, and Dad was understandably beaming with pride. So were the rest of us. Yes, I was on that dive, and on the plane with Bill and Katie.

Me too. I even suggested that we give him a retro-active waiver. She was only a couple of months shy of 18.
On no - the EC members that were 'duped' were too pissed off at Bill. And they claimed it was a big embarrassment because Bill was awarded the Gold Medal the summer before.

So the BOD pissed and complained about Bill and told Richard to go figure out something.
While that was happening - get this - some TM in the midwest gets an 'emergency - retroactive underage tandem waiver' for a sick kid jump. The story line on that was that it was a high publicity jump and USPA wanted to save face for the TM.
You won't find this in the minutes, but I have all the emails.

Then the BOD lowered the age for tandems to 16.

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But we all know how particular you are about technical paperwork procedures. After years serving on the board, being a stickler for parliamentary procedure was all they could think to say of your accomplishments, in your departure notice.

Yes, USPA continues to take cheap shots at me. I made mention to HQ about that. It's been added to the pile of complaints against USPA. Time will tell and the story will become public - hopefully within my lifetime.

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Make It Happen
Parachute History
DiveMaker

[pirana 0]

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There is ALWAYS room for improvement. Does anybody know where the Sigma comes from?
Me neither, for the most part. Ain't Greek. Never was.

From the Greek alphabet. In the context of Six Sigma it refers to the 6th standard deviation (which I think is equivalent to about 1 part per million?). Can't remember for sure though.

I've also seen it used to indicate a summing operation, like in Exel.

Next question please.

p.s. - Interesting post, in an amusing way. Where you heading with this? Saying we should apply Six Sigma quality analysis to skydiving?

" . . . the lust for power can be just as completely satisfied by suggesting people into loving their servitude as by flogging them and kicking them into obedience." -- Aldous Huxley

[Slyde 0]

There is ALWAYS room for improvement. Does anybody know where the Sigma comes from?
Me neither, for the most part. Ain't Greek. Never was.

[BillyVance 34]

You should do an interview with Skydive Radio. You sound like a radio DJ.

"Mediocre people don't like high achievers, and high achievers don't like mediocre people." - SIX TIME National Champion coach Nick Saban

[jtnesbitt 0]

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You should do an interview with Skydive Radio. You sound like a radio DJ.

Forget radio it sounds like he needs a couple Xanex bars and a whiskey chaser

"If this post needs to be moderated I would prefer it to be completly removed and not edited and butchered into a disney movie" - DorkZone Hero

[JohnRich 4]

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Yes, USPA continues to take cheap shots at me. I made mention to HQ about that. It's been added to the pile of complaints against USPA.

Is this how you get your revenge, by dragging guys like Bill into the mud?

[skypuppy 1]

So the BOD pissed and complained about Bill and told Richard to go figure out something.
While that was happening - get this - some TM in the midwest gets an 'emergency - retroactive underage tandem waiver' for a sick kid jump. The story line on that was that it was a high publicity jump and USPA wanted to save face for the TM.
You won't find this in the minutes, but I have all the emails.

Then the BOD lowered the age for tandems to 16.
________________________________________________

Wait a minute, now. I thought this other tandem master was then forced to resign his position on the board because of this particular jump. Or was this another situation.

I sorta wish you guys would give a succinct recount of all the information instead of beating around the bush, so only those 'in the know' can be sure what's being talked about.... (Sorry Jan, I didn't mean that to be as snippy as it may sound coming across - it's just that for some of us who may not be in the US it can be kind of hard to follow the story when it's not spelled out.)

Personally, I lost a lot of respect for Bill when I heard about this fiasco a while back.

If some old guy can do it then obviously it can't be very extreme. Otherwise he'd already be dead.
Bruce McConkey 'I thought we were gonna die, and I couldn't think of anyone

[MakeItHappen 15]

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Is this how you get your revenge, by dragging guys like Bill into the mud?

Hey I was on Bill's side at the time and now.
I think USPA should have given him a retroactive waiver for the age rule.

Yeah, sure he probably did know about the rule (even though he denies knowing about the rule in his letter to USPA), but if it had been asked for in advance, it would have been most likely been given.
Some others on the BOD were pissed that he pulled a fast one.
Just another example of how some board members vote with their personal agendas and do not do what is right for USPA.

Here's a relevant email:
(note that GB reply does not have the > marks on my email, but I think it is clear enough who said what.)

Quote

From: [email protected]
Message-ID: <[email protected]>
Date: Tue, 24 Feb 2004 14:45:09 EST
Subject: Re: a possible solution...
To: [email protected]
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: multipart/alternative; boundary="-----------------------------1077651909"
X-Mailer: 9.0 for Windows sub 5100

In a message dated 2/24/04 2:05:44 PM Eastern Standard Time,
[email protected] writes:
The under-age tandem done by Bill Booth poses a serious embarassment problem
to USPA.

On one hand, one could say that Bill pulled a fast one on USPA.

On the other hand, one could say that the Board members present and making
decisions on behalf of USPA did not throughly research the situation or
follow proper procedure (by not consulting the S&T Comm).

On my third hand, if the Board members present had known that Bill's
daughter was underage, they probably would have also granted a waiver to the
applicable BSR. That BSR requires FB approval. My guess is that there would
be a majority of Board members that would have approved that waiver (a
priori at least).

Since we cannot change the past, we need to do something about this
embarrassing situation.

One would be to discpline Bill Booth. This is not a good thing to do, since
USPA just awarded Bill for all his contributions for tandem. Two incidents
of underage tandems in DeLand were ignored by USPA recently too. Double
standards will raise its head.

One would be to reprimand the Board members involved with this for not
following proper procedure or gathering enough information. This is not good
because it indicates a lack of confidence in the board members.

Another alternative would be to grant a waiver for SIM Section 2-1.D.2
retroactively. If we can do this - everyone gets off the hook, so to speak.
I wish I had thought of putting that motion on the floor at the BOD mtg. But
the whole thing was a surprise to me at the time.

Let me know what you think about this alternative course of action.
Maybe there is also another way to get out of this without USPA or Bill
Booth looking stupid.

I can also ask around to see if board members would have said yes to a
waiver of the age a priori - if they had been asked.
Then convince them that the 'best' way out is to do a retroactive waiver.

I do not know if we can do a 'retroactive-waiver'. It's sort of like a
pardon too.

Thanks
Jan,

You are right on all counts and it is a sticky situation.

The age was not the issue (at the time), and had I known that Katie was only
17, it would not have happened.

I don't think a retro active waiver is the answer, since it has already
occured and the jump is a done deal.

I will have a talk to Bill Booth this week, providing I can get to him or he
is in Deland, and see if there is a suitable alternative to this situation.

Glenn

Oh here is another email

Quote

Subject: RE: retroactive motion??
Date: Wed, 25 Feb 2004 12:02:03 -0500
From: "Larry Bagley"
To: "Jan Meyer"
Cc: "Chris Needels"

I know of no measure by which the action by the exec comm could be undone. And I don't think, based on what was said during the meeting, that the exec comm would have considered a waiver if they had been asked by Booth on site, so giving one now would be unethical. There must be some value in knowing that the committee was duped by Booth.
Larry B.

-----Original Message-----
From: Jan Meyer
Sent: Wed 2/25/2004 12:03 PM
To: Larry Bagley
Cc:
Subject: retroactive motion??



I was wondering if there is such a thing as a retroactive wavier that could
be passed in a motion?

I was thinking that the bod could pass a waiver to wave the age requirement
on Bill Booth's tandem jump at the Celebration of Flight.

This would get everyone out of an embarrassing situation.

I have no idea if we can do this. It would sort of be like a pardon too.

What do you think?

That particular BSR requires FB approval.

Can you think of any other mechanism that can produce the same result??

Thanks

.

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Make It Happen
Parachute History
DiveMaker

[MakeItHappen 15]

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Wait a minute, now. I thought this other tandem master was then forced to resign his position on the board because of this particular jump. Or was this another situation.

no this is yet another underage tandem and USPA action that happen in-between the winter and summer 04 mtgs.
This action should have been reported in the minutes but was not.

Quote

From: [email protected]
Date: Sat, 10 Apr 2004 23:03:14 EDT
Subject: Fwd: Waiver - Make a Wish
To: [email protected]
CC: [email protected], [email protected], [email protected]

Greetings Everyone,

Since this issue requires a response from the full BOD, the issue has been
approved by the S&T Committee and the Executive Committee, so it must now go to
the full BOD.

Yes, this is after the fact, and the jump in question has already been
accomplished, but the good will we can generate with an article appearing in
Parachurtist can only be positive for the Association, and can only happen with the
full Board's concurrence.

Please respond with your answer by Tuesday , April 13th at 5:00 PM EDT. The
short response is for a HQS deadline for the magazine to go to the printer.

Thanks in advance,

Glenn

In a message dated 4/9/04 11:25:48 AM Eastern Daylight Time,
[email protected] writes:
Hello Everyone, This is after the fact, but it involves a Parachutist
article, therefore the Exec Committee gets to make a retroactive interim action.
Please respond as quickly as you can.

In a message dated 4/8/04 10:43:46 PM
Eastern Daylight Time, MPRigging writes:
Move to waive SIM Section 2-1 D. 2. “For jumps using a tandem parachute
system, skydivers are to be at least the age of legal majority. (FB) for the
tandem skydive which took place on April 1 at Skydive San Marcos in Fentress,
TX performed by USPA tandem instructor Doug Jacques #43125. The tandem
student was 16 years old and suffers from terminal cancer. The jump was sponsored by
the Make A Wish Foundation
Blue Skies, Glenn

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Make It Happen
Parachute History
DiveMaker

[JohnRich 4]

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Hey I was on Bill's side at the time and now.
I think USPA should have given him a retroactive waiver for the age rule.

Yet you posted that jump as an example of how things were "boogered up". Hmmm. That seems a bit contradictory.

At any rate, I don't think anyone questions Bills competency for a tandem jump - he co-invented the system. Nor his right to take his daughter on a jump with him, just a few months shy of age 18. With all he's done for this sport, if anyone deserves a break from a nitpicky rule, for a minor transgression, it's him. Heck, Katie might have been at more risk flying to North Carolina with Bill in that funny-looking plane that Bill owns.

[stratostar 5]

You sound like a upstanding member of the "good ol boys" club. Where do you draw the line? So we should let Kip Lohmiller off the hook for his underage tandem while he was a RD and TI/E, S&TA, I/E because he forgot to file the paper work to a "nitpicky" rule?

If these guys get a free ride, then EVERY ONE gets a free ride to what the fuck they can do want they want when every way they want in regards to taking under age kids on tandems, fuck the BSR's and the full BOD and the USPA rules!

Let have a free for all then, IMHO. Every tandem rated insturctor in the USA is now free to take any age child for a jump without filing for a age waver for the age BSR ...... John Rich says it's ok.

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

[JohnRich 4]

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Let have a free for all then, IMHO. Every tandem rated insturctor in the USA is now free to take any age child for a jump without filing for a age waver for the age BSR ...... John Rich says it's ok.

As usual, when people try to put words in my mouth for me, they don't fit.

The daughter of a tandem master who is two months shy of age 18, does not equal "any tandem master" with "anyone's child", of "any age". For one thing, if she's injured, she can only sue her dad. That's different from a tandem master taking someone else's child. And a 17.8-year-old girl is different from a 8.17-year-old girl.

If you have an opinion on this, you're free to offer it. But don't do so by offering yours, while pretending that it's something that I said.

[airtwardo 6]

Thank you Joe Smith.
Thank you Dave DeWolf.
Thank you Shorty Janousek.
and THANK YOU J.T. HILL!!!

No coincidence that 3 of those 4 jumped on the same professional demonstration team.

Imagine the schooling I got... being the 'kid' in THAT group!!

~ If you choke a Smurf, what color does it turn? ~

[skypuppy 1]

The point is that Bill is the MAJOR person to come up with this rule, and then shows it's a definite case of do what I say, not what I do, by breaking it himself, and not for the sake of an underage child who may have a disability or terminal illness, and who would benefit, but for the ego trip of taking his underage child on a major demo, an ego trip for both him and her!

Don't get me wrong, as far as I'm concerned we should be letting kids jump as young as 14, at least, maybe even 12 on tandems. But Bill is the one pushing for the nitpicky rule of having a minimum age! And he and UPS have threatened to discipline tms that ignore the rule.

And any time you have a rule that is waiverable, then let's face it, it's no longer a rule. Unless you can show that even though it's waiverable, no one (or very few) ever got a waiver. The fact that you would allow a waiver means it can't be a safety issue, or no one would be allowed. So if so and so with X amount of experience can get a waiver, then the guy over there with the same or more can just do it safely anyway, no need of a waiver.

It's the same logic the board used when it quite rightly refused to grant the Red Bull guys a waiver on opening altitudes for demos. If it's a rule, it shouldn't be waived.

As for the daughter not suing the father if he's a tandem master, what about the mother? If the parents are estranged, the mother might not agree with the jump and could sue. Or she might say she agrees and change her mind once something happened. Or, God forbid, in some cases, especially if serious disability results, the state might actually step in for the disabled person and sue for money to care for an invalid for the remainder of their life, rather than placing that burden on the taxpayer.

I don't really care if you want to have a rule on minimum age or not, but if you have such a rule, there should not be any waivers.

Just my opinion.

If some old guy can do it then obviously it can't be very extreme. Otherwise he'd already be dead.
Bruce McConkey 'I thought we were gonna die, and I couldn't think of anyone

[MakeItHappen 15]

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Quote

Hey I was on Bill's side at the time and now.
I think USPA should have given him a retroactive waiver for the age rule.

Yet you posted that jump as an example of how things were "boogered up". Hmmm. That seems a bit contradictory.

Sure it is an example of how part of that HIGH PROFILE demo was boogered up.
The organizers did not vet the tandems soon enough.
The 3 USPA directors on site screwed up. They were the Prez (former Dir of S&T), Sec(former Chair of S&T, was then on the S&T Com) and COB(the longest serving BOD member)
Booth did an underage tandem.

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Make It Happen
Parachute History
DiveMaker

[rdufokker 6]

I started back in the good old days and had taken quite a few years off, now that I'm back I hardly recognize the sport. It seems to be OVER regulated like everything else in this country.. mostly because of lawyers, but partially due to the "common sense gene" being missing from a lot of people.

Regulating skydiving to the point of absurdity is like herding cats.

I remmember when Ma Death (anyone remember her) jumped with her very young son. He was challenged in some way I can't remember. Back then everyone supported her. It was an awesome thing for a mom to do.

Think about it, 18 was a STUPID age to begin with. You can get a private license at 16 and without receiving money, throw jumpers out of your plane. Hell, you can solo a glider at 14 (FOURTEEN).

For some reason all this makes me think of a Hells Angel's board meeting where they start discussing a bottle to throttle regulation.


BS

Irony: "the History and Trivia section hijacked by the D.B. Cooper thread"

[Zoso 2]

Tauromachy - bullfighting, a bullfight

(I had to go to my jumbo dictionary for that one, my regular dictionary didn't have it.)

eDo - oDe spelled backwards, DUH!

Slyde, the last time I heard someone talk (write) in your style was Billy Gibbons in a guitar magazine interview over 10 years ago. I decided he had created his own language!

[CReW 0]

Yea, I should have stayed in school.