tipping for recovered chopped canopy

[bigbearfng 9]

OK, this is a pet peeve for me.....
I made it a point to find out who found it and have tipped numerous jump tickets for a neptune that I lost and it was returned to manifest by another jumper.
If my chopped canopy is recovered from unknown parts I absolutely will tip at least 15% the replacement cost of that thing!
Don't we all (ok most) even tip 15% in a resturant?
I realize if it drops 50ft from me and someone picks it up and hands it to me then no.
But if a bad spot driver hauls ass to track it, risks a ticket from the cops and gets it off a rooftop, then you damn sure bet he's gettin a big tip from me!!!!!
Come on, figure even a used canopy is at least $1,000.00 that he just saved your sorry ass!
OK end of rant.......

[Remster 24]

I dont get this monetary drive people have...

If I spend time looking for a canopy, its probably for a friend, or at least someone I like enough to spend the time to look for their gear. I dont expect to get money for that. I expect that this person would do the same for me.

A couple of cold ones wouldnt be turned away though...

Remster

[AllisonH 0]

I've only helped find one chopped canopy so far. It landed in a corn field, and I followed it long enough to see where it ended up (without landing in the corn field) and was able to find it immediately. Several of us then went roaming through the field looking for the freebag. I was both very surprised and very happy when I found out the owner had put a jump on my account - it was unexpected, but a nice gesture which I appreciated. I didn't help look for it because I wanted money, but because I was taught that (when it's safe to do so) following down a cutaway is the nice thing to do.

I agree with Remi though, I would probably only spend a great deal of time looking for a canopy if it belonged to a friend. In that case I wouldn't expect anything except the same favor in return should I need help finding my stuff some day.

[bigbearfng 9]

Quote

I dont get this monetary drive people have...

If I spend time looking for a canopy, its probably for a friend, or at least someone I like enough to spend the time to look for their gear. I dont expect to get money for that. I expect that this person would do the same for me.

A couple of cold ones wouldnt be turned away though...

Not meant as a "monetary drive" at all. I would consider myself rude if I didn't offer.
And if it's someone I didn't know I'd consider myself beyond rude if I didn't offer.
And yea if it was offered to me and I was the one recovering it I would turn it down and just take a beer.
But maybe it's just the way I was brought up?

[GaryRay 0]

i honestly never thought of giving or receiving a tip for tracking down someone's canopy, i figured i would do it for someone the same as they would do it for me, i have done the driving crazy speeds before looking for the canopy. i havnt had a chop yet so take my words for what they are worth.

JewBag.
www.jewbag.wordpress.com

[monkycndo 0]

I think it's cool you would offer a tip/reward/etc for the effort.

I have chased down or helped look for many a canopy/freebag/handles. Not always successfully.

I would never expect any type of compensation. An offer of a cold frosty one is always appreciated.

I just hope that I have same offer of support when I have to chop and then look for gear.

50 donations so far. Give it a try.

You know you want to spank it
Jump an Infinity

[councilman24 36]

Quote

Not meant as a "monetary drive" at all. I would consider myself rude if I didn't offer.
And if it's someone I didn't know I'd consider myself beyond rude if I didn't offer.
And yea if it was offered to me and I was the one recovering it I would turn it down and just take a beer.
But maybe it's just the way I was brought up?

The way you were brought up? To offer the tip or to not accept it?

The idea of tipping someone $100 or more is just not part of the skydiving I know. Some of us work harder to get back a canopy than others. But we do it because its the right thing to do and I'd like help when I need it.

Beers, even a bottle, usually quickly shared with all, is fine. Even a ticket. But cash? And a lot of it? Naw, don't even offer it to me.


Here's a real tip for recovering a canopy.

Canopy in a tree out of reach? The hardest part is getting a rope on it. Use a wrist rocket type sling shot, a lead fishing weight with a hole in it, and a light strong line like heavy fishing line. All available at a Walmart or other similar store for under $20. Makes it easy to get the light line on the canopy to pull up a heavier line and pull the canopy down. Last time I just donated the equipment to the DZ.

Now there's a tip!

I'm old for my age.
Terry Urban
D-8631
FAA DPRE

[monkycndo 0]

Or talk some monkey into climbing the tree to get it.

50 donations so far. Give it a try.

You know you want to spank it
Jump an Infinity

[councilman24 36]

Sometimes there just isn't a monkey around when you need one.

And my canopies always end up in the highest, loneliest tree around.

I'm old for my age.
Terry Urban
D-8631
FAA DPRE

[Superfletch 1]

Quote

I dont get this monetary drive people have...

If I spend time looking for a canopy, its probably for a friend, or at least someone I like enough to spend the time to look for their gear. I dont expect to get money for that. I expect that this person would do the same for me.

A couple of cold ones wouldnt be turned away though...

If I see a chop coming down, the first thing I do is locate the reserve... when I've determined that the person under it seems to have their faculties about them and will *probably* land safe, I run to my vehicle (if need be) and chase down the chop and the freebag. Lots of times I can even find the handles. Why do I do it? Cause I would hope someone would do if for me. Would I accept a tip? Absolutely not... ever... Would I drink your beer. Absolutely, but then I'd do that if I didn't return with your canopy either.

Now, if my main was missing for a few days and some farmer found it while he was plowing or something and brought it by the dz... I'd probably try to tip that person something to show my appreciation that they recognized that this was something of value that was probably lost.

I'm old school I guess and "Thank you" still carries a little weight with me.

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

[blacksha 1]

I think that's a great gesture...

On a different note, I'd like to ask if anybody ever found Alon's main near The Ranch because he's been looking for it forever ... Alon maybe you need to announce a tip offering and it will be found?

[Squeak 17]

Totally different culture to tipping here in OZ.
But 2 people help me find my canopy when it was chopped we spent 2 hours looking for it.
when we got back i gave each of them a jump ticket, neither wanted it and were happy to help. I made them take them anyways.
2 hours in the West OZ summer heat deserves somthing.
I also bought them both beer that evening.

You are not now, nor will you ever be, good enough to not die in this sport (Sparky)
My Life ROCKS!
How's yours doing?

[lippy 771]

I've bought a lot of beer for both of my chops, but first it was celebration for the chop and the second was just for being happy to be alive.

Then there was the time that I landed two miles off chasing a free bag (the rest of the 182 load landed about a mile off) and I bought beer and gave money to the guy who's freebag I was chasing....But I did pack his main and the $$$ was for his repack

I got nuthin

[NWFlyer 2]

I sent JohnMitchell a ginormous fortune cookie after he helped me find my black canopy in pine trees last summer. I wanted to do something to show my appreciation that he took a bunch of time when he could have been jumping to tromp around in the woods trying to find that damn thing (which immediately activated all cloaking devices upon cutaway), even though I know he did it as a friend and fellow skydiver and expected absolutely nothing in return.

I was sneaky and had it sent to his house so he didn't have a choice.

"There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences." -P.J. O'Rourke

[beerline 0]

I was once given a decent chunk of change (well into the hundreds) for finding a chop. It landed in a bunch of woods that was mainly all palmetto bushes and thorny vines. The guy landed off and I picked him up, well away from the DZ (bad spot) we looked for about an hour to no avail. When we got done we were all cut up and bleeding. He said "fuck it Ill buy another" and I said "well looks like I know where to find my next canopy" I was joking. He looks me square in the face and says if you find it ill give you (enter large sum of money here). The next day I showed up in long thick jeans, heavy work boots and a long sleeve shirt in the middle of Florida summer. I spent about an hour looking for the dam thing and when I was ready to give up I called in a favor to the jump pilot and asked him if he could give me an idea as to where it would be, about 5 minuets later and a few radio calls I was on my way to the dz with the guys canopy and he was on his way with a unsigned check. All in all it was worth the loss of the shirt and jeans. Now if this happened again would I have accepted the money, no. But at the time I was in-between jobs and really needed the money. Next time ill be happy with a beer or 12.

[yeyo 1]

I like looking for chopped canopies. I have landed out a couple times following cutaways. One time I jumped with a friend and he had a chop and I saw him following the main and since I always jump with my phone, I went with him. We landed with his main in a swamp north of the DZ. Took us a little bit more than 1 hour to get back to a road, all wet and covered in mud. But we had his canopy. He gave me 2 jump tickets and I accepted them with the condition of making those jumps with him. Later that day when I went to pay for my jumps, they were already paid by him, 6 in total.
I do it because Im sure someone will do it for me.

HISPA #93
DS #419.5

[Mustang69 0]

My only cut away landed beyond the runway at the edge of the treeline. I landed on target without watching my main one bit because I assumed correctly that somebody on the ground was tracking it and would be driving out to get it just like I would have had the situation been reversed.

However, if it had been deep in the woods, I had given up looking(that would have to be one really lost main), and somebody else sacrificed to recover it, I would have happily paid a reward. On the other hand, if I ever find someone else's main, I wouldn't expect or accept any cash. So many people have helped me my whole life I feel like I owe the world.

[piisfish 135]

paying your beers is ok, inviting the person on a jump with you is very good. Giving cash ? No f*cking way.

If teh person is a whuffo, invite him for an observer ride (with a parachute)

scissors beat paper, paper beat rock, rock beat wingsuit - KarlM

[VectorBoy 0]

I've caught alot and have landed out with gear in some very scetchy places. I do it for the challenge and a little for the karma. I've never expected anything for it. Once I landed out with a cut away main and had it back in the packing area before the jumper walked across the runway with his reserve and was given a jump ticket. That was never my motivation.

I have always paid my beer ( or what ever some one preferred) when it was my gear brought back or my ass bussed back. This included my few wingsuit students that can't seem to make it back. Always!

The exception is if there is an injury or two, as is the case in your example. Then there will be a delay in delivering the gratitude. The list of the responders is long in this episode, the gratitude more than a couple of fistfulls. The primary responder was not forgotten in fact I asked him what flavor he wanted and how much while we were out gathering gear and broken jumpers. Trust that there will be a reward!

Don't let yourself get peeved just yet....... although this is a good topic to bring up for some jumpers that take these things for granted and should be on the mind.

[piisfish 135]

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Don't we all (ok most) even tip 15% in a resturant?

do you pay your girlfriend 15% of what a professional would cost you ?

scissors beat paper, paper beat rock, rock beat wingsuit - KarlM

[rehmwa 2]

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I dont get this monetary drive people have.....

I don't understand it either, but this whole 'tipping' thing is an obsession with some people here. For that matter, 'tipping' in this case isn't even the right term, unless someone at the DZ is specifically hired to go chase canopies, then a 'tip' is the right term.

Skydivers should look out for each other. Maybe today, people are so self centered that we have to "pay" for everything instead of just giving back to each other.

Someone tries to tip me for chasing down their canopy? I'd be a bit insulted and wonder whether they'd consider doing the same for me if our positions were reversed - since they may not be guaranteed a couple bucks for just being nice.

non-skydiver finds my canopy - then maybe a reward is ok.


general comment - tipping is a great way for employers to get out of paying people a fair wage

Edit: Frankly? I think 90% of these tipping threads are plants by people that work for tips. Much like the "who has the best wind tunnel" threads in the wind tunnel forum, "I got great service from _____", "what kind of suit do you buy", "how much do you tip your TM/AFFI/coach" etc....

...
Driving is a one dimensional activity - a monkey can do it - being proud of your driving abilities is like being proud of being able to put on pants

[Jeff.Donohue 0]

Personally, I am a fan of good skydiving karma. A lot of times, when you have a cutaway, you have a horde of people looking for it. Only one of them is going to find it, but it might be luck. One solution is to just throw a party with the money you saved. Everyone has the opportunity to benefit, and hopefully all have fun. Just a thought.

[BIGUN 1,053]

Teamwork and camaraderie should not stop just because we landed on the ground. I've spent many an afternoon helping find someone's chopped canopy with no expectation of anything in return. It was my choice to help a fellow skydiver find an expensive piece of gear. I would hope that the favor would be returned when it is my turn for assistance.

Nobody has time to listen; because they're desperately chasing the need of being heard.

[micduran 0]

My main ended up at the top of a very tall tree in Deland. A staff member climbed that tree and got my main down without a rip or tear in it. His legs, chest and arms didn't fare so well.
I gave him $100 for his time and blood. It was well worth it to me.

Be patient with the faults of others; they have to be patient with yours.

[bigbearfng 9]

Edit: Frankly? I think 90% of these tipping threads are plants by people that work for tips. Much like the "who has the best wind tunnel" threads in the wind tunnel forum, "I got great service from _____", "what kind of suit do you buy", "how much do you tip your TM/AFFI/coach" etc....