Threat to Sabotage PAC750XL at MRVS

[Gato 0]

This was posted by Ray at Action Air in the Events forum. This is not intended to be an inflammatory post. This is absolutely real, no b/s.

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ATTENTION MID WEST SKYDIVER
Today I received an anonymous phone call for some guy threatening to sabotage the PAC 750XL if we took it to MRVS this weekend. I do not know anything about the local politics and don’t want to know. But this LOW LIFE is threatening me, my aircraft and every skydiver that gets in it.

I am making this public because every skydiver in the Mid West should be enraged by this. The local Sheriff’s department has been notified as has the FAA. I am asking you all to step up and see that nothing happens to the airplane and in turn the skydivers jumping from it. And if anyone knows about this, tell the authorities. Help us ensure that whoever this low life is he is stopped.

My goal is and has always been to provide fast, efficient and safe jump planes for skydivers. If you have any information please contact the authorities or me at [email protected]

T.I.N.S.

[Morrison79 0]

How many different places are you going to post this?

[Gato 0]

Sorry. My previous post was too emotionally biased so I killed it. I'm done.

Again, my apologies.

T.I.N.S.

[mcordell 2]

Looks like weather may prevent any jumps anyhow so hopefully there isn't any need to be concerned about it. I can only hope this is a prankster and not someone who would actually endanger the lives of the jumpers.

www.facebook.com/FlintHillsRigging

[Gato 0]

We had a somewhat similar forecast last weekend, and we jumped.

Never underestimate the ability of the Midwest's weather to change in 5 minutes.

I agree, we hope this is just a prankster with a grudge.

T.I.N.S.

[Cutaway68 4]

This is NOT funny. I truly believe that WHEN this asshole is caught that they should be banned from every DZ in the world. I also feel that their USPA membership should be taken away for life.

It's one thing to boycott, and something completely different to even think about threatening the safety of everyone that could be on that plane.

Bad juju on this person.

Don't Pull Low... Unless You ARE!!!
The pessimist says, "It can't get any worse than this." The optimist says, "Sure, it can."
Be fun, have safe.

[Cutaway68 4]

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How many different places are you going to post this?

As many places as is needed to alert as many people as possible that this could even happen.

Don't Pull Low... Unless You ARE!!!
The pessimist says, "It can't get any worse than this." The optimist says, "Sure, it can."
Be fun, have safe.

[wmw999 2,123]

Good answer.

That's worse than a gear thief.

Wendy W.

There is nothing more dangerous than breaking a basic safety rule and getting away with it. It removes fear of the consequences and builds false confidence. (tbrown)

[riggerpaul 1]

Even without jumping, wouldn't the ferry pilot be at risk?

So, weather forecast notwithstanding, and hoax or not, I hope they find the person who made the threat.

[JohnDeere 0]

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How many different places are you going to post this?

As many places as is needed to alert as many people as possible that this could even happen.

+1 This is complete BS for someone to threaten! I hope they catch him and hang him by his balls!

Nothing opens like a Deere!

You ignorant fool! Checks are for workers!

[mr_music11 0]

Wow!... Am I missing something here? What does this guy have to gain from sabotaging ANY aircraft, and in this instance, a craft ferrying skydivers? And now on to my personal note.. that PAC is one that probably/may services Skydance in Davis,CA- WHERE I JUMP-Endangering people I know and respect! *!* YIKES *!* So, umm yeah... catch this nut bag and string him up by the short ones!

If flying is piloting a plane.. then swimming is driving a boat. I know why birds sing.. I skydive.

[Gato 0]

I believe this particular PAC is bound for Skydive Twin Cities, or some other DZ up north - not to say it wouldn't be out where you are.

I wouldn't worry too much about the pilot and the plane - there are a few folks around who will be watching out for anything or anyone weird. And most likely, the asshole who made the call lives in or around Kansas City.

"HIM HIM FUCK HIM!" -- We're going to have a great weekend of jumping!!

I don't think Homeland Security is going to let him slide on this, though.

T.I.N.S.

[mcordell 2]

Unfortunately by the time I showed up for some rigging, the jumping was over. I brought my primary rig just in case but didn't get a jump in.

Back on topic however, why would someone not want the pac to come to MRVS? Is there some sort of history I don't know about?

www.facebook.com/FlintHillsRigging

[diverdriver 5]

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Unfortunately by the time I showed up for some rigging, the jumping was over. I brought my primary rig just in case but didn't get a jump in.

Back on topic however, why would someone not want the pac to come to MRVS? Is there some sort of history I don't know about?

Got about a good weekend sitting around a campfire to listen? It'll take that long.

This shit just never ends in KC.

Chris Schindler
www.diverdriver.com
ATP/D-19012
FB #4125

[CSpenceFLY 1]

I would think that with something this serious the Feds would get involved and track that phone call. I would hate to be on the receiving end of that shit storm.

[Krip 2]

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Unfortunately by the time I showed up for some rigging, the jumping was over. I brought my primary rig just in case but didn't get a jump in.

Back on topic however, why would someone not want the pac to come to MRVS? Is there some sort of history I don't know about?

Got about a good weekend sitting around a campfire to listen? It'll take that long.

This shit just never ends in KC.

Do a forum search (KC area dropzones or something)

There has always been a very minor about of trash talking about the "other" DZ all over the countrry. This KC crap has taken trash talking to a new level.

Stupid bad boy, stupid bad girl, the Feds may come after you for trash talking. Better burn your computer, Burn your cell phone, and hope someone doesn't rat your ass out for talking stupid shit.

One Jump Wonder

[format 0]

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Stupid bad boy, stupid bad girl, the Feds may come after you for trash talking. Better burn your computer, Burn your cell phone, and hope someone doesn't rat your ass out for talking stupid shit.

Too late I hope

What goes around, comes later.

[pirana 0]

So let me get this straight. Some whacked out immature asshole threatens to sabotage a jumpship because . . . ?

Because it is visiting a drop zone they do not go to?

The lack of logic is only matched by the level of stupidity it takes to make that threat via telephone. Shouldn't be too difficult to find them.

" . . . 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

[Fast 0]

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I believe this particular PAC is bound for Skydive Twin Cities, or some other DZ up north - not to say it wouldn't be out where you are.

I wouldn't worry too much about the pilot and the plane - there are a few folks around who will be watching out for anything or anyone weird. And most likely, the asshole who made the call lives in or around Kansas City.

"HIM HIM FUCK HIM!" -- We're going to have a great weekend of jumping!!

I don't think Homeland Security is going to let him slide on this, though.

This kind of stuff can't be tolerated in Skydiving.

~D
Where troubles melt like lemon drops Away above the chimney tops That's where you'll find me.
Swooping is taking one last poke at the bear before escaping it's cave - davelepka

[diverdriver 5]

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This kind of stuff can't be tolerated in Skydiving.

This kind of stuff has been happening in KC for over a couple of decades. I was on the receiving end of anonymous calls to the FAA to get them out and inspect our operation constantly. Sadly, what was claimed was also easily verifiably found false.

Chris Schindler
www.diverdriver.com
ATP/D-19012
FB #4125

[JohnRich 4]

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This kind of stuff has been happening in KC for over a couple of decades. I was on the receiving end of anonymous calls to the FAA to get them out and inspect our operation constantly. Sadly, what was claimed was also easily verifiably found false.

Don't you mean "Gladly", instead of "Sadly"?

[Skydivesg 6]

Chris, what DZ were you affiliated with when you were in the KC area?

Be the canopy pilot you want that other guy to be.

[virgin-burner 1]

whats happened to the good old yankee tradition of taring and feathering!?

“Some may never live, but the crazy never die.”
-Hunter S. Thompson
"No. Try not. Do... or do not. There is no try."
-Yoda

[Gato 0]

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So let me get this straight. Some whacked out immature asshole threatens to sabotage a jumpship because . . . ?

You don't need an entire night around the bonfire to know about this.

Though I was not a part of the skydiving community at this time, I will recount the events that i think led us to where we are now. Again, this is all second-hand information, so if I get the details wrong and you know better, feel free to correct me - but do it nicely - I'm not the enemy.

At one time, there were 4 DZs within a half hour or so of KC, and they were located in Independence, Harrisonville, Lexington, and Butler. Some years ago, there was a crash at Independence that yielded multiple fatalities, and operations shut down soon after. Around that same time, maybe after, maybe before, there was either another crash or fatality(s) at Harrisonville, and it shut down as well not long after.

About 5 or 6 years ago, an individual whose initials are P.E., who was trained at Skydive Kansas just a few years before, attempted to open and run another dropzone at Harrisonville. It is known that he operated for at least 18 months under a Cease & Desist order - one of my friends did 3 tandems and got screwed out of a $300 AFF jump before coming to jump at my home DZ.

At any rate, during P.E.'s ownership and operation, a cutaway canopy landed in the town power station and knocked-out power to part of the town. There were safety concerns related to proximity to a major highway, as well as the Life Flight helo service on the airport. In fairness to P.E., the city manager, I think, did have it out for him and his operation, and attempted to slap him with a million-dollar insurance requirement if skydiving operations were to continue - something not many DZOs could ever afford.

Here's where things get dicey. The Harrisonville city council holds a meeting with P.E. in which they invite 2 other DZOs from the area, Chris Hall from Butler, and Tom Dolphin from the Lexington facility. I'm not sure how long Chris had been around at that time, but Tom's DZ had been in his possession for 25 or so years. Let me repeat: the Harrisonville city council INVITED them to come and give their opinions on the matter.

I'm not 100% sure what was said in the meeting, but it's a matter of public record, I think. What was said is less important than the aftermath - there were legendary bouts of accusations, bad-mouthing, name-calling, and general adolescent bullshit behavior. Both Tom and Chris were accused of walking around Harrisonville passing out flyers door-to-door, telling people to vote against the DZ or not to support it, or whatever.

Basically, what we have in Kansas City is a group of people who are convinced that the their dropzone is gone because of Tom and Chris. It could not possibly have anything to do with P.E.'s business practices. After all, he ran the perfect operation, and could always be counted-on to have a plane running, with the appropriate people on staff qualified to conduct legal tandem and AFF jumps, and he also kept his plane in tip-top condition. People. Please.

I'm going to get a little bit personal now, because I have been around the sport for about 3 years, despite the number of jumps I have.

I visited all 3 of these dropzones before I began skydiving - I ended up earning my license at Lexington and learning from some really great people. From my perspective, at the time, I would have been fine with going to any of the 3, but Tom's place was where I met people I felt the most comfortable with - that's also where I saw the best landings, but I WAS a full-of-shit noob.

What I DO know is that if you spend 10 minutes talking to Tom, it will be abundantly clear that he could give less than a shit about another DZ opening-up at Harrisonville, or anywhere else, for that matter. Also, Tom has a badass limp, so the idea of him hoofin' it around Harrisonville passing out flyers is just ridiculous. It just wouldn't fucking happen.

I've met and talked to Chris Hall, and he's a standup guy, and I think he's got a good operation. I doubt he had anything to do with any flyers, either. In fact, passing out flyers is a bit of a political thing, and sounds more like something some farmer McNasty or servant of the city manager might have done.

I've said before that I don't give a shit about what's happened before. All I know is what I've experienced, and my experience in this sport has shown me that there aren't very fucking many of us. It's shown me that we all want the same thing - to safely do what we love without somebody breathing down our necks.

I tried this before, and it didn't work, so I don't expect it to work this time, but I officially extend my hand in peace to any KC-area skydivers - can you not let the anger of the past go? Can you not see what this grudge is doing to us? I want to meet you and jump with you - but one of you is still so mad that he threatened to sabotage an airplane to kill me and my friends - because of who taught me to skydive.

Let's put this shit behind us, guys - whether we like it or not we are in this together, and all we have is each other.

Peace. Love. Good happiness stuff.

(Edited for grammar, punctuation, and class.)

T.I.N.S.

[stratostar 5]

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he also kept his plane in tip-top condition. People. Please.

So are you now not trying to imply that Sue Ireland (jumper85) dosen't maintain or take care for her leased aircraft?

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