All Pilots Are Swimmers

[Slyde 0]

As a skydiver, do you consider yourself an aviator or aviatrix? I believe that you should. The Random House College Dictionary defines aviator as “a pilot of an aircraft or other heavier-than-air craft.” Is your gliding semi-rigid airfoil a “craft?” Or should we continue calling it a mere parachute? How about your jumpsuit? Are you flying when you pilot your jumpsuit? Is your jumpsuit then a “craft” as well? You do fly, don’t you? Or are you only falling as non-jumpers seem mostly to think?
Here’s another important question. Have you ever detected an air of condescension in the face, the tone the inflection or the demeanor of an aircraft pilot, a sailplane pilot, a dirigible pilot, a balloonist or a rotor-wing pilot when they looked at you the skydiver? Have you felt inferior? Have you felt looked down upon? Have you felt disrespected for choosing to fly your own way? Which of them can fly like you fly? Or do you merely fall?
The condescension in pilot’s regard for jumpers was described by Pat Moorehead when he was sent to the Riviera Resort and Casino in Las Vegas more than 20 years ago by your national organization (if you are American). USPA believed then that demo jumps were desirable as tools for marketing exposure. The marketing exposure they thought would increase participation – growth – for sport parachuting. They believed that air shows were the preferred venue and they scrounged up the funds to send Pat Moorehead to the International Council of Air Shows convention as an official representative to promote skydivers’ performances at American – no international air shows.
Pat’s report back to the board of directors was a dismal unhappy report. In figurative terms, Mr. Moorehead came home with his tail between his legs. He reported that skydivers are held in very low esteem by the air show industry he had just sampled at Las Vegas. He reported that jumpers, even though they are traditional and popular acts at almost every air show on earth, are regarded by industry as necessary evils, annoyances, even nuisances. Those pesky skydivers!
This season (2008), it was my pleasure to perform in Canada with a guest jumper on my team. The lady from Ann Arbor is Cindy Irish. Cindy is well known and attends the Las Vegas ICAS convention regularly with her all-woman team Misty Blues. During our 4-hour drive to the Toronto venue where we performed together, we discussed Pat Moorehead’s findings at ICAS in Vegas back in 1985 or so. “Nothing has changed.” She said. Nothing has changed in 22 years!? This needs to stop ladies and gentlemen. We are not Orville’s and Wilbur’s step children. We are aviators too. But WE are the ones who actually fly.
“Falling” (shortened to ‘fall’) is defined in Random House twenty four different ways. Each of the 24 definitions has some connotation that can be perceived in a negative light if the thinker (you or any other aviator) so chooses. The twelfth definition is an exception. Fall: to pass into some physical, mental, or emotional condition. For example: to fall asleep. For the remainder of this article we are all aviators like actresses are all actors nowadays. This is a wakeup call. Falling is perceived as a negative experience. We fear it. Roosevelt was on to something when he said: “We have nothing to fear but fear itself.” That was Pearl Harbor. This is skydiving.
Parachutes and or the concept of parachutes have been around since the earliest thinkers began to conceive of the possibility of flight. Then why is it that skydivers are so disrespected by our fellow aviators? Why is it that we allow ourselves to be looked down upon as persons not deserving of the title aviator? We are older than all of them. Are they afraid of us? Yes, me thinks. They are afraid of us. If we take a lesson from George Bush (and I’m not saying that is a good idea, necessarily) we should now capitalize on that fear.
If operating a powered craft in flight is flying, then it follows that operating a powered craft afloat in a denser H2O medium called water should be swimming. It follows therefore that all pilots are swimmers and I believe we should reciprocate the respect and esteem they showered upon us during all these recent 11 decades. Let’s tell them they are no better than pesky skydivers. Why? Because it is true. We ARE created equal. We went to the picnic with our dads. We went home with our mothers. All pilots are swimmers!
We need to speak up, speak out and stand tall in the world of aviation. When we meet a pilot from now on, let’s say “Ah ha; a swimmer, eh?!” I CAN fly sir or madam! Can you?!” Pilots, air shows, the FAA, and all other persons, committees or entities need to stop hiding behind their fear and look upon the skydiving community with respect and admiration. We deserve it. Let’s prove it.
We are not afraid of dying. We are afraid of not living. So whenever anybody asks “Are you a swimmer?,” the correct answer shall be: “I can fly as well. Can you?” It will be up to you to choose whether the swimmer deserves enough of your time then to explain that the nearby approaching planet is irrelevant but for only the nearest future.

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

[billvon 2,476]

>Have you felt inferior? Have you felt looked down upon? Have you felt
>disrespected for choosing to fly your own way?

Nope.

>All pilots are swimmers!

I think you're on to something here! And all joggers are truck drivers. All bungee jumpers are skydivers. All airline pilots are skydivers. All race car drivers are bicyclists, both of which are the same as being a bulldozer operator. With enough effort, you could redefine things enough so no one at all knows what you're talking about!

[Slyde 0]

Quote

With enough effort, you could redefine things enough so no one at all knows what you're talking about!

Ah communication! Ain't it just a dandy thing!
I'll snap to it.
Me thinks it's been arrears a while.

Rule 53!
eDo onward
luv,
m~

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

[Ryno118 0]

Who cares about lables? Just shut up and jump!

Live hard, Live fast, Die broke.
D.S. 118118

[DSE 3]

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With enough effort, you could redefine things enough so no one at all knows what you're talking about!

I don't think it took much effort, and "Mission accomplished."

[rdufokker 6]

I think a great actor said it the best.

"That's not flying, that's falling with style" Woody from Toy Story

At least I thought he was a great actor, but maybe in this surreal conversation he was a vacuum cleaner. No wait, he was made of wood and floats, he must be a warlock. Burn him!!!!!

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

[lippy 790]

Good read, but I have to ask.....Are you by any chance high?

I got nuthin

[JohnMitchell 14]

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Roosevelt was on to something when he said: “We have nothing to fear but fear itself.” That was Pearl Harbor.

Nope, that was the Great Depression he was talking about in that speech. Pearl Harbor was "a day that will live in Infamy."

Yes, we are the red headed stepchildren of aviation. We have more fun for less money than anyone else in aviation. Our licenses are cheaper and easier to get than a pilot's license, and a lot easier written tests, too. We have all the hot chicks hanging out with us at the DZ, and all those old boring pilots know it. That's why they are jealous.

Now, if you're a pilot, you can someday fly for the airlines, a very cool job. If your just a skydiver, you will never someday skydive for the airlines. You cannot hop into your parachute and fly three states away to visit people. That is very cool too. So pilots do have some things going their way too.

I think skydivers look good at airshows, but they are not as exciting as the Thunderbirds or Blue Angels. Can you have an airshow without them? Hell, yes. Sorry, but that's the truth. So do the shows you get, be professional, and forget what the pilots are saying about us. Remember, they're just jealous 'cause skydivers get all the women.

[LongWayToFall 0]

Yeah but nobody knows a single pilot's name from the blue angles, or thunderbirds. If they were flown by remote control nobody would give a crap. They just want to see american air power, and hear the engines.

Skydivers are a human being. With nylon. Its all about the person and the danger, with skydiving. (Although I still don't think people will remember our names, but at least we get thought of as "that guy" rather than "that airplane").

Pilots are just bitter that we get the babes.

[DanG 1]

Um, your metaphor is backwards.

Skydivers are swimmers. Pilots are boat captains (also known as pilots).

- Dan G

[pchapman 262]

No respect at ICAS?

Well I can see that a team with $6000 parachutes looks pretty cheap compared to guys with $300,000 aerobatic aircraft or $30,000,000 jet fighters. Skydivers don't tend to get a lot of respect from pilots.

I would have hoped that it would be better for some of the really professional skydiving teams -- they can go beyond just dropping a bunch of people over a field. Just doing a few turns under a parachute and landing such a simple aerial vehicle isn't going to impress pilots any more than doing turns in and landing a Cessna 150.

[regulator 0]

That reminds me of demitri martin. He said that high diving is basically showing off whilst falling. Guess the same thing can be said about skydivers...especially since we get to show off for signifigantly longer than high divers.

[Baksteen 84]

Excuse me, but air is not denser than an H2O medium. Therefore piliots are not swimmers.

'Sides, Why should pilots consider skydivers to be aviators? *I* don't either.
Is a bird an aviator an avian or an aviatrix? Or possibly a swimmer?

"That formation-stuff in freefall is just fun and games but with an open parachute it's starting to sound like, you know, an extreme sport."
~mom

[skybill 19]

Hi Sly,
"Now why would anyone want to jump out of a perfictly good airplane???"

"Because I AM a perfictly good airplane!!!!"

Bartender, bring us a couple of cold beers please.

SCR-2034, SCS-680

III%,
Deli-out

[DBCOOPER 1]

If I was a greenie I would throw this thread right in the bonfire.

Replying to: Re: Stall On Jump Run Emergency Procedure? by billvon

If the plane is unrecoverable then exiting is a very very good idea.

[brokenwing 1]

yea but all of em respect their rigger!!!

[billvon 2,476]

>yea but all of em respect their rigger!

But a rigger is just like a tailor, and tailors often works in clothing stores where they sell shoes - so you have to start calling your rigger a "shoeshine guy." That'll show them who's boss.

[zipplewrath 1]

billvon's condescension not withstanding, I understand what you are getting at. Unfortunately, I also suspect that much of your ire comes from trying to make money at this game. Otherwise, why would anyone care about what the airplane drivers think? Especially when it is about airshows, you're just trying to join "the cool kids". Only now you've figured out that it is almost easier to start your own clique. The Zen folks would suggest you just be happy with what you're doing and stop trying to please people. Donald Trump would just tell you to get another job.

[kallend 1,683]

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No respect at ICAS?

Well I can see that a team with $6000 parachutes looks pretty cheap compared to guys with $300,000 aerobatic aircraft or $30,000,000 jet fighters. Skydivers don't tend to get a lot of respect from pilots.

I would have hoped that it would be better for some of the really professional skydiving teams -- they can go beyond just dropping a bunch of people over a field. Just doing a few turns under a parachute and landing such a simple aerial vehicle isn't going to impress pilots any more than doing turns in and landing a Cessna 150.

A whole bunch of pilots know the Liberty demo team - from decades of opening the show at Oshkosh. I know they get a lot of respect.

...

The only sure way to survive a canopy collision is not to have one.

[airtwardo 6]

Quote

Quote

No respect at ICAS?

Well I can see that a team with $6000 parachutes looks pretty cheap compared to guys with $300,000 aerobatic aircraft or $30,000,000 jet fighters. Skydivers don't tend to get a lot of respect from pilots.

I would have hoped that it would be better for some of the really professional skydiving teams -- they can go beyond just dropping a bunch of people over a field. Just doing a few turns under a parachute and landing such a simple aerial vehicle isn't going to impress pilots any more than doing turns in and landing a Cessna 150.

A whole bunch of pilots know the Liberty demo team - from decades of opening the show at Oshkosh. I know they get a lot of respect.

Thanks Doc. ~ Yes I believe we do.

I was at several of the ICAS conventions Pat Moorehead attended, including the one Mark mentioned.

I was manning a booth and selling a skydiving act to some of the largest airshow venues in the country at the time.

I was/am fortunate enough to be a part of one of, if not the most successful civilian parachute demonstration teams of the 80 & 90's.

We were and still are looked upon by the pilots in the industry as an equal...yes, not every parachute team is ...but there may be a reason for that.

~Professionalism~


We wear suits & ties and speak the kings English, we conduct ourselves as businessmen in an entertainment industry.

We're selective on talent and innovative regarding the act.

Imitation IS the greatest form of flattery, virtually every popular act we showcased in the early 80's is copied today, some teams improved them, but I'm confident we planted the seed that pointed them in a direction.

We even were awarded the 'PAPA' Gold Pin of Excellence... (Professional Airshow Performers Association)
An award that went out to only one performer or team a year.

~I have formed many, MANY solid relationships with fellow airshow performers -Pilots- through the years, both business and social...hell I even married one!

Ask Pat sometime about the demo we invited his team to join us on...It was Oshkosh and it's regarded as the largest
airshow in the world, I'm sure he'll agree we were all looked upon as equals by the other performers and if ya ask him why ...I know what he'll say~

Professionalism!

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

[EvilEagle 0]

I have to start out by saying that I've been a pilot a LOT longer than a skydiver. (16 years as a pilot, only 2 as a jumper). I've been to a fair share of airshows in my time and I've never seen pilots looking down on jumpers. If anything, I've seen them show interest in jumping. As soon as I started jumping, all the pilots I fly with wanted to know all about it.

I think in the airshow arena, we are all performers, everyone is different. Is it harder to fly the F-15 demo or the Extra 500? I've never flown an Extra, but I bet its just as hard. People that don't jump will not understand the complexity of a great skydive, that's just part of this sport we love.

Belive me, I've been approached by too many people at airshows that want to talk about how cool flying fighter's is and how good they are at Falcon 4.0 - There are 2 sides to every coin.

Also, remember - all pilots look down on everyone that doesn't fly what they fly. We all hang out together and it'll be the jet guys against the fatty-drivers, the prop jockeys vs the helo's, single seat, multi-place, new, old, fast, slow, etc, etc... It's just part of aviation.