tombuch 0
BEWARE!!!! BEWARE!!!! The Media is very much HERE on our website!!!
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Sky diver made others feel safe
Novices who shared 'Gus' Wing's last jump and colleagues recall his tandem passions.
By Stephen Hudak | Sentinel Staff Writer
Posted April 25, 2005
DELAND -- Megan Trombino's first jump from an airplane was probably her last.
Eager to experience the thrill of free falling from 12,000 feet, yet anxious, she and her boyfriend found the money to sky dive more easily than the nerve -- until Albert "Gus" Wing III greeted them at the DeLand Airport on Saturday morning.
Wing, 50, a legendary aerial photographer, had been jumping from planes for 30 years.
"He just had the biggest smile on his face," Trombino, an 18-year-old Stetson University education major from suburban Chicago, said in an interview Sunday. "It's a scary thing to go jump out of an airplane, and he made us feel instantly safe."
But as Trombino drifted to the ground, something horrible happened.
The wise-cracking photographer, whose work has been featured in movies and magazines, floated into the path of the Twin Otter aircraft from which he and 14 other sky divers had leapt.
The collision sheared off his legs at the knees, but witnesses said he managed to maneuver the parachute and land. He died at Halifax Medical Center in Daytona Beach.
The Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board were summoned to investigate the fatal accident, the second this year at Skydive DeLand.
"Investigators are still gathering information," FAA spokeswoman Holly Baker said Sunday.
Wing's helmet-mounted camera could hold key clues to the cause of the accident involving the Longwood photographer and the veteran pilot of the plane, William Buchmann of DeLand.
Baker said investigators have not disclosed whether Wing was filming when hit.
The camera had been rolling on Trombino's boyfriend, Stetson student Casey Steelman of Naples, who had jumped seconds after Wing.
"I was waving my arms and screaming, going nuts, and he was waving back," Steelman said Sunday. "He had this big smile on his face like he really loves to do his job. Everything seemed good."
Like Trombino, Steelman had barrel-rolled from the aircraft tethered by a harness to a parachute instructor, who pulled the rip cord and guided their 10-minute tandem fall to the ground.
"I was just looking down like 'Wow,' " he said. "I started to relax a little bit in the air."
Steelman said he and the instructor then suddenly noticed the plane buzzing closer to a sky diver floating under an open parachute. They intersected. The chute seemed to buckle, as if it were failing.
"Then everything straightened out and seemed perfectly fine," Steelman said.
But sirens were wailing when they touched down.
Steelman's instructor unbuckled the harness and sprinted off.
"We knew something bad had happened," Steelman said.
News of Wing's death spread quickly over the Internet, especially on Dropzone.com, a Web site for sky-diving enthusiasts, some of whom had jumped with him and others who just loved his acrobatic photography.
"He was totally passionate about his art," said Norman Kent, a sky-diving photographer from Flagler Beach, whose friendship with Wing began with a rivalry: They competed for the same jobs.
"In the air, it's very different," he said. "It's a world of one minute. You've got to fly into position [to take the photograph] with all the elements you need, and then you've got to save your life."
He and Wing worked together on Drop Zone, a movie starring Wesley Snipes.
Kent described his friend as a person who cared more about art than money, often forsaking the business side of his work. He only recently arranged to set up a Web site for his photography.
Dawn Suiter, a Tennessee woman who was helping Wing create the site, said he enjoyed photographing new jumpers as much as he relished creative shots of clouds and horizons.
"He always had a camera in his hand or on his head," she said.
She said he was re-energized seven years ago when he married Lydia Wing, who is also a sky-diving enthusiast. "Most of his non-working pictures were of her," Suiter said.
Lydia Wing would not comment Sunday from the couples' Longwood home.
Gus Wing photographed world-record attempts and other major sky-diving events around the world.
"If it was an important sky-diving event, Gus had a personal invitation to be there," Suiter said.
Skydive DeLand was open for business Sunday, but the mood was somber.
Mike Johnston, the general manager, said he could not explain the accident, which involved two of the most safety-conscious men he knows. "I can't really say which was wrong," he said. "I don't want to speculate."
Johnston said that in 1.2 million jumps during the past 13½ years there have been 13 deaths at the facility. In January, Jan Kadic, a 28-year-old Czech parachutist, was fatally injured during a hard landing at Skydive DeLand. He died with injuries that included two broken legs, a broken hip and an injury to his face.
Tom Buchanan, a pilot and sky-diving instructor, posted a possible explanation on Dropzone.com.
He said sky divers often can't see an airplane approaching from behind and can't hear it until it is very close. He said the parachutist also cannot turn quickly or drop faster to avoid a collision.
"Even if a jumper sees an airplane, there may not be time to avoid it," he said.
Buchanan said pilots have their hands full. "With so much happening, it can be difficult to identify a threat as small as a parachute when you're trying to land," he said.
Many of those weighing in paid tribute to Wing, offering condolences to his family and "blue skies" to Gus.
Erin Cox of the Sentinel staff contributed to this report. Stephen Hudak can be reached at 386-851-7915 or [email protected]
http://www.orlandosentinel.com
Novices who shared 'Gus' Wing's last jump and colleagues recall his tandem passions.
By Stephen Hudak | Sentinel Staff Writer
Posted April 25, 2005
DELAND -- Megan Trombino's first jump from an airplane was probably her last.
Eager to experience the thrill of free falling from 12,000 feet, yet anxious, she and her boyfriend found the money to sky dive more easily than the nerve -- until Albert "Gus" Wing III greeted them at the DeLand Airport on Saturday morning.
Wing, 50, a legendary aerial photographer, had been jumping from planes for 30 years.
"He just had the biggest smile on his face," Trombino, an 18-year-old Stetson University education major from suburban Chicago, said in an interview Sunday. "It's a scary thing to go jump out of an airplane, and he made us feel instantly safe."
But as Trombino drifted to the ground, something horrible happened.
The wise-cracking photographer, whose work has been featured in movies and magazines, floated into the path of the Twin Otter aircraft from which he and 14 other sky divers had leapt.
The collision sheared off his legs at the knees, but witnesses said he managed to maneuver the parachute and land. He died at Halifax Medical Center in Daytona Beach.
The Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board were summoned to investigate the fatal accident, the second this year at Skydive DeLand.
"Investigators are still gathering information," FAA spokeswoman Holly Baker said Sunday.
Wing's helmet-mounted camera could hold key clues to the cause of the accident involving the Longwood photographer and the veteran pilot of the plane, William Buchmann of DeLand.
Baker said investigators have not disclosed whether Wing was filming when hit.
The camera had been rolling on Trombino's boyfriend, Stetson student Casey Steelman of Naples, who had jumped seconds after Wing.
"I was waving my arms and screaming, going nuts, and he was waving back," Steelman said Sunday. "He had this big smile on his face like he really loves to do his job. Everything seemed good."
Like Trombino, Steelman had barrel-rolled from the aircraft tethered by a harness to a parachute instructor, who pulled the rip cord and guided their 10-minute tandem fall to the ground.
"I was just looking down like 'Wow,' " he said. "I started to relax a little bit in the air."
Steelman said he and the instructor then suddenly noticed the plane buzzing closer to a sky diver floating under an open parachute. They intersected. The chute seemed to buckle, as if it were failing.
"Then everything straightened out and seemed perfectly fine," Steelman said.
But sirens were wailing when they touched down.
Steelman's instructor unbuckled the harness and sprinted off.
"We knew something bad had happened," Steelman said.
News of Wing's death spread quickly over the Internet, especially on Dropzone.com, a Web site for sky-diving enthusiasts, some of whom had jumped with him and others who just loved his acrobatic photography.
"He was totally passionate about his art," said Norman Kent, a sky-diving photographer from Flagler Beach, whose friendship with Wing began with a rivalry: They competed for the same jobs.
"In the air, it's very different," he said. "It's a world of one minute. You've got to fly into position [to take the photograph] with all the elements you need, and then you've got to save your life."
He and Wing worked together on Drop Zone, a movie starring Wesley Snipes.
Kent described his friend as a person who cared more about art than money, often forsaking the business side of his work. He only recently arranged to set up a Web site for his photography.
Dawn Suiter, a Tennessee woman who was helping Wing create the site, said he enjoyed photographing new jumpers as much as he relished creative shots of clouds and horizons.
"He always had a camera in his hand or on his head," she said.
She said he was re-energized seven years ago when he married Lydia Wing, who is also a sky-diving enthusiast. "Most of his non-working pictures were of her," Suiter said.
Lydia Wing would not comment Sunday from the couples' Longwood home.
Gus Wing photographed world-record attempts and other major sky-diving events around the world.
"If it was an important sky-diving event, Gus had a personal invitation to be there," Suiter said.
Skydive DeLand was open for business Sunday, but the mood was somber.
Mike Johnston, the general manager, said he could not explain the accident, which involved two of the most safety-conscious men he knows. "I can't really say which was wrong," he said. "I don't want to speculate."
Johnston said that in 1.2 million jumps during the past 13½ years there have been 13 deaths at the facility. In January, Jan Kadic, a 28-year-old Czech parachutist, was fatally injured during a hard landing at Skydive DeLand. He died with injuries that included two broken legs, a broken hip and an injury to his face.
Tom Buchanan, a pilot and sky-diving instructor, posted a possible explanation on Dropzone.com.
He said sky divers often can't see an airplane approaching from behind and can't hear it until it is very close. He said the parachutist also cannot turn quickly or drop faster to avoid a collision.
"Even if a jumper sees an airplane, there may not be time to avoid it," he said.
Buchanan said pilots have their hands full. "With so much happening, it can be difficult to identify a threat as small as a parachute when you're trying to land," he said.
Many of those weighing in paid tribute to Wing, offering condolences to his family and "blue skies" to Gus.
Erin Cox of the Sentinel staff contributed to this report. Stephen Hudak can be reached at 386-851-7915 or [email protected]
http://www.orlandosentinel.com
skymama 35
My point is that most of us talk on here like we are talking to our friends around the bonfire, forgetting that others may be reading it too. I would certainly talk differently to the media (more guarded) than I would my friends.
If reporters are "allowed" to quote us without our consent because our full names appear in our profiles, then we might want to edit them. That way a reporter would have to contact us directly instead of just pulling quotes of the forums, if that is what is happening here.
If reporters are "allowed" to quote us without our consent because our full names appear in our profiles, then we might want to edit them. That way a reporter would have to contact us directly instead of just pulling quotes of the forums, if that is what is happening here.
She is Da Man, and you better not mess with Da Man,
because she will lay some keepdown on you faster than, well, really fast. ~Billvon
because she will lay some keepdown on you faster than, well, really fast. ~Billvon
tdog 0
Quote
If reporters are "allowed" to quote us without our consent because our full names appear in our profiles, then we might want to edit them. That way a reporter would have to contact us directly instead of just pulling quotes of the forums, if that is what is happening here.
#1 - that article above your post was one of the best articles I have read about a skydiving incident. Honest, fair, and respectable. It probably would not have been that way if reporters did not talk with a few great skydivers to get some "education" before writing an article.
#2 - as to reporters being "allowed" to quote from here... Legal friends, help me here... If the website had a disclaimer all non-members had to click thru, and all members had to agree too when signing up, that said:
“The comments posted to this site are owned by the website owners and the original poster collectively. They may not be reproduced without the express written consent of the owners. This clause applies to the media/press too.
Further notice to the press. Freedom of speech is fundamental to our society. It is your obligation to the general public to report the facts of incidents and/or newsworthy events in a fair, accurate and honest way. The skydiving community is very small and everyone seems to know everyone. The comments made on this site, by the users of the site, are sometimes said with great emotion or great sarcasm, and in context of a skydiver talking to skydiver. Sometimes a comment is designed to get an argument or debate going and is not even the view of the poster, but someone playing “Devil’s Advocate”. A comment can be a joke and even other skydivers don’t realize it until further information is posted.
Quoting a post from these forums without talking to the original poster will yield inaccurate results, will be out of context, and be a disservice to your customers. It is highly recommended that you contact the poster you wish to quote to receive more information should you desire to attribute their name to the comment. If they don’t get back to you in a timely manner, please do not quote their post verbatim or attribute their name to the comment.
rasmack 0
QuoteSky diver made others feel safe
Novices who shared 'Gus' Wing's last jump and colleagues recall his tandem passions....
Actually I think this is a fair and respectful piece of writing. Very unusual unfortunately...
HF #682, Team Dirty Sanchez #227
“I simply hate, detest, loathe, despise, and abhor redundancy.”
- Not quite Oscar Wilde...
“I simply hate, detest, loathe, despise, and abhor redundancy.”
- Not quite Oscar Wilde...
QuoteBoth TK and Spence were quoted in the Orlando Sentinal article. Their quotes came from the threads about Gus. I'm assuming they must have their full names in their profiles and that is why they might have gotten quoted. Maybe they can tell us if they gave direct permission or not.
Folks, this is a public internet site. If you don't want your comments quoted in various media sources, you may want to edit your profiles a little.
I was contacted directly.What they printed was all a had to say to them.I was also contacted,through a very strange chain of people,by the Today Show.I declined comment with them.I thought this was getting out of hand.
Also it's not only the media that is here it is the Wuffos also.I hope HH will hunt them down and delete them
gjhdiver 0
QuoteIf you only knew the number of journalists who've emailed me today...please guys...BEWARE...and be more than careful IF you talk to them that they document your exact words. I dont trust them and have responded that they need to seek elsewhere for their "story" about Gus and my relationship/feelings about the loss..let the skydiving community grieve for God's Sake
..we've lost a Legend in our sport.
Please Orlando Sentinal...I know you have a job to do...but give us our space to grieve.
I doubt they will. They have a job to do. When I was running Z Hills, we just had a prodecure for dealing with it. All press comment had to come from one person. The worst thing to do is to clam up, as they are going to fill the column inches with something, and if they don't get it from you, they'll get it from someone else who is probably way less informed.
Hey, folks. We are all posting to a public forum open to anybody who wants to access it. Our thoughts, impressions and feelings become public once we choose to publicize them by hitting the "post" button.
The media do have a tough job. Most of these reporters are not skydivers. Don't you all think they'd have a difficult time figuring out who is who and what is what with regard to these incidents?
Personally, I was heartened to hear that reporters are taking steps to contact the posters and taking further steps to verify credentials. I'd rather the media speak to Tom Buchanon than me - he's got a lot more insight to offer on the topic. Eyewitnesses also have a lot to offer.
There has been very little factual information posted on this site about the events of this incident. That is either because people do not know what exactly happened, people don't want to talk about it due to the shock, or people do nto want the whuffo press to spin their statements. I got more information on what happened from the Sentinel article than I have so far on these boards.
I am, however, forced to conclude from the article that the dealings with the press are improving in the last couple of years. Beware of the media, but don't hide the facts. Why not be open about how you feel? I never knew Gus Wing and neither did the reporters. But you all have humanized him so that he isn't some crazy guy jumping out of planes. He's a human who had a passion for his sport that affected those who were quoted.
Tom - great job giving background. Tandem students who were quoted - great job talking about what you saw. Norman Kent and Dawn - great job talking about the man. Mike Johnston - great job stating you don't want to speculate.
And to the reporter, Mr. Hudak - great job of laying this out in an objective way. If more reporters do it like you did the skydiving community would be more trustful. (Caveat - I'm basing that statement from what I read in your article)
My wife is hotter than your wife.
The media do have a tough job. Most of these reporters are not skydivers. Don't you all think they'd have a difficult time figuring out who is who and what is what with regard to these incidents?
Personally, I was heartened to hear that reporters are taking steps to contact the posters and taking further steps to verify credentials. I'd rather the media speak to Tom Buchanon than me - he's got a lot more insight to offer on the topic. Eyewitnesses also have a lot to offer.
There has been very little factual information posted on this site about the events of this incident. That is either because people do not know what exactly happened, people don't want to talk about it due to the shock, or people do nto want the whuffo press to spin their statements. I got more information on what happened from the Sentinel article than I have so far on these boards.
I am, however, forced to conclude from the article that the dealings with the press are improving in the last couple of years. Beware of the media, but don't hide the facts. Why not be open about how you feel? I never knew Gus Wing and neither did the reporters. But you all have humanized him so that he isn't some crazy guy jumping out of planes. He's a human who had a passion for his sport that affected those who were quoted.
Tom - great job giving background. Tandem students who were quoted - great job talking about what you saw. Norman Kent and Dawn - great job talking about the man. Mike Johnston - great job stating you don't want to speculate.
And to the reporter, Mr. Hudak - great job of laying this out in an objective way. If more reporters do it like you did the skydiving community would be more trustful. (Caveat - I'm basing that statement from what I read in your article)
My wife is hotter than your wife.
QuoteActually I think this is a fair and respectful piece of writing. Very unusual unfortunately...
my thoughts exactly. A very thoughtful piece of writing. I'd like to thank the author if he sees this.
Skymama et al,
Ummmm......this is something I never gave much thought to (quoting somebody from a web thread), but it is certainly something I am going to bring up at work today.
I work at one of the largest news web sites in the nation (given where I jump, I'm sure you can figure it out). I've never run across this type of journalistic question....but personally I know I'd NEVER quote somebody from a web thread and take it as gospel. That's highly unethical, and I'm willing to bet that I'll find out today at work that it's "illegal," so to speak. There are all sorts of communications law problems associated with that.
I think the Sentinel reporter wrote a nice piece, looking at it as a fellow journalist and fellow (newbie) skydiver. I'm certain there have been past incidents that reporters have handled poorly. Unfortunately, as much schooling and training we get as journalists, reporters' personalities (human factor) frequently muck up the whole thing. All it takes is a few bad apples...
I was very sad to hear of this, and being a newbie, it scared me. When I heard, I immediately called my roommate, who has been jumping for over 10 years. He is sure he had jumped with Gus in FL a few years back.
Blue skies and prayers to all involved.
Magoo
Ummmm......this is something I never gave much thought to (quoting somebody from a web thread), but it is certainly something I am going to bring up at work today.
I work at one of the largest news web sites in the nation (given where I jump, I'm sure you can figure it out). I've never run across this type of journalistic question....but personally I know I'd NEVER quote somebody from a web thread and take it as gospel. That's highly unethical, and I'm willing to bet that I'll find out today at work that it's "illegal," so to speak. There are all sorts of communications law problems associated with that.
I think the Sentinel reporter wrote a nice piece, looking at it as a fellow journalist and fellow (newbie) skydiver. I'm certain there have been past incidents that reporters have handled poorly. Unfortunately, as much schooling and training we get as journalists, reporters' personalities (human factor) frequently muck up the whole thing. All it takes is a few bad apples...
I was very sad to hear of this, and being a newbie, it scared me. When I heard, I immediately called my roommate, who has been jumping for over 10 years. He is sure he had jumped with Gus in FL a few years back.
Blue skies and prayers to all involved.
Magoo
Well said, Tom. Reporters are human beings as well. They get it right. They get it wrong. But if you treat them like the enemy, the odds of getting a fair and accurate account of the story probably don't go up any. And believe me, they will write a story. Even if it's just something like "I have no comment" or "witness refused to provide information" And that's even worse. You need look no further than the Kapowsin story.
When dealing with the media...
Be honest and courteous and chances are they will reciprocate.
If they contact you, call them back, even if you don't have any information to share.
If you are in a leadership position (DZO, S&TA, etc.) be proactive and contact them first. They will be more likely to be sensitive to the situation.
If you are contacted by the media and you choose to provide them with information, and I cannot stress this enough....TELL THEM THE TRUTH! And only tell them what facts you know. Don't make up a story or fill in the blanks. Even if you might be right. Statements like "It was blanks fault because blank shouldn't have been under him" only make things worse because you weren't there !.
These situations are where a drop zone owner earns his pay. Dirty business. Drop zones should have a plan to address media issues, both good and bad. As an individual, you are under no legal or moral responsibility to "toe the company line" but it's a good idea to know who to direct the media to for more complete information. Call your DZO and ask him personally. And do it NOW, before it happens at your drop zone. And it WILL happen at your drop zone sooner or later.
The drop zone, or whomever it designates as media liaison, should contact these media outlets after the fact, to correct inaccuracies, to clarify a position or just to give an update on how things are going for the 'survivors', which is all of us. It's the right thing to do and they might be even more sensitive and contact that media liaison the next time there is a situation.
The media are not our enemies. I am convinced that if you are open and honest and RIGHT. Things will work out for the best.
Be good, be honest, be helpful. Hey, we're SKYDIVERS, man!
Rest In Peace, Mr. Wing and say hi to my dad. You'll know who he is.
Brett
When dealing with the media...
Be honest and courteous and chances are they will reciprocate.
If they contact you, call them back, even if you don't have any information to share.
If you are in a leadership position (DZO, S&TA, etc.) be proactive and contact them first. They will be more likely to be sensitive to the situation.
If you are contacted by the media and you choose to provide them with information, and I cannot stress this enough....TELL THEM THE TRUTH! And only tell them what facts you know. Don't make up a story or fill in the blanks. Even if you might be right. Statements like "It was blanks fault because blank shouldn't have been under him" only make things worse because you weren't there !.
These situations are where a drop zone owner earns his pay. Dirty business. Drop zones should have a plan to address media issues, both good and bad. As an individual, you are under no legal or moral responsibility to "toe the company line" but it's a good idea to know who to direct the media to for more complete information. Call your DZO and ask him personally. And do it NOW, before it happens at your drop zone. And it WILL happen at your drop zone sooner or later.
The drop zone, or whomever it designates as media liaison, should contact these media outlets after the fact, to correct inaccuracies, to clarify a position or just to give an update on how things are going for the 'survivors', which is all of us. It's the right thing to do and they might be even more sensitive and contact that media liaison the next time there is a situation.
The media are not our enemies. I am convinced that if you are open and honest and RIGHT. Things will work out for the best.
Be good, be honest, be helpful. Hey, we're SKYDIVERS, man!
Rest In Peace, Mr. Wing and say hi to my dad. You'll know who he is.
Brett
At last count there are now 9 threads regarding Gus Wing's death and the surrounding circumstances. Conversations are getting extremely fragmented and losing their effectiveness.
This thread started as a result of Gus' incident, but is more general in nature, so it stays. I and the other Mods have locked all but three specific threads, including this one.
I have four requests:
1) Please don't start any new threads - contain our conversations to these three:
For discussions regarding the details of the incident itself only:
Incidents Forum Thread
For condolences, memories, prayers, and other expressions of goodwill:
General Skydiving Forum Thread
For general conversations regarding the media using information obtained from dropzone.com:
(This thread)
2) Please don't speculate. Facts are being gathered and will be released as they always are, when the facts themselves have been properly and responsibly applied to the investigation itself.
3) Please use good judgement when you post any information or opinions you have. Posting in anger or casting blame from a position outside the inner circle of this investigation does not contribute to conversations regarding this issue.
4) Gus was well-loved and widely known. Please remember that his family, friends, the media, and anyone involved in the investigation are reading these posts. Post responsibly. If you have information that you feel would be helpful to the investigators, call the DZO at Skydive DeLand and tell the DZO you have specific information about the incident.
This thread started as a result of Gus' incident, but is more general in nature, so it stays. I and the other Mods have locked all but three specific threads, including this one.
I have four requests:
1) Please don't start any new threads - contain our conversations to these three:
For discussions regarding the details of the incident itself only:
Incidents Forum Thread
For condolences, memories, prayers, and other expressions of goodwill:
General Skydiving Forum Thread
For general conversations regarding the media using information obtained from dropzone.com:
(This thread)
2) Please don't speculate. Facts are being gathered and will be released as they always are, when the facts themselves have been properly and responsibly applied to the investigation itself.
3) Please use good judgement when you post any information or opinions you have. Posting in anger or casting blame from a position outside the inner circle of this investigation does not contribute to conversations regarding this issue.
4) Gus was well-loved and widely known. Please remember that his family, friends, the media, and anyone involved in the investigation are reading these posts. Post responsibly. If you have information that you feel would be helpful to the investigators, call the DZO at Skydive DeLand and tell the DZO you have specific information about the incident.
Arrive Safely
John
John
jumper03 0
Maybe some of the media will see the skyride thread then. That could be a plus.
Let one of those "Call us if you have a problem" segment reporters get his/her teeth into that.
Let one of those "Call us if you have a problem" segment reporters get his/her teeth into that.
Scars remind us that the past is real
billvon 2,394
.thumb.jpg.4bb795e2eaf21b8b300039a5e1ec7f92.jpg)
>1) Please don't start any new threads - contain our conversations to these three:
I would also suggest that if anyone wants to discuss _general_ issues surrounding aircraft clearance issues, accident reporting issues, video issues etc to post in the appropriate thread in the Safety forum. There are several threads on such things going on now.
I would also suggest that if anyone wants to discuss _general_ issues surrounding aircraft clearance issues, accident reporting issues, video issues etc to post in the appropriate thread in the Safety forum. There are several threads on such things going on now.
Dear Media:
You suck. Eat a bag of shit, you ghoulish vultures.
Sincerely Yours,
DrunkMonkey
You suck. Eat a bag of shit, you ghoulish vultures.
Sincerely Yours,
DrunkMonkey
AndyMan 7
QuoteIf reporters are "allowed" to quote us without our consent because our full names appear in our profiles, then we might want to edit them.
IANAL - although I did stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night.
Under the copyright laws of the US and most of the industrialized world, copyright is automatically given to an author when they write something. Generally, if you write it, you own it. Under the terms of service of DZ.COM, HH gets the right to use some of the stuff you write, under certain circumstances. Even if that happens, you still own the rights to what you post.
Since you own the rights to what you post, it's against the law for someone else to copy what you write without your permission.
People can give permission for copying in various forms. Permission can be granted explicitly in printed contracts or in oral agreements. Sometimes those agreements are explicitly defined to grant permission, sometimes permission is buried in a complex document like the "terms of service" here on dropzone.com. Sometimes permission can even be implied, such as permission for another poster to quote you when they post a follow-up.
Usualy though, permission really does need to be explicit. This would be one of those cases.
Reporters tend to be very conservative when it comes to copyright, because they know that their newspapers could face a lawsuit if they were to break copyright laws. Less legitimate reporters of less legitimate newspapers can be less careful.
Generally, legitimate reporters who value their careers seek permission.
_Am
__
You put the fun in "funnel" - craichead.
You put the fun in "funnel" - craichead.
I received an email from Stephen Hudak from The Orlando Sentinel yesterday following one of my posts on the Incidents forum. He asked that I give him a call, and we spoke for a few minutes last night. Mr. Hudak was writing a follow-up story and wanted to quote from my post about how an accident 'could' happen. He understood clearly that I wasn't there, but that I could speak as a knowledgeable pilot and jumper.
As we spoke he confirmed that I was the person who wrote the specific post he was quoting, and he confirmed the spelling of my name, as well as my credentials. He asked for specific permission to quote from the post. He asked a few simple follow-up questions, then asked me about several other people he had spoken with, mostly as a means of confirming their identities and status within the industry. Throughout the conversation he was respectful and professional. I appreciated his willingness to seek out information about a local story, and to try and write an accurate report.
The press has a job to do. We all expect accurate stories, and good reporters strive to deliver that accuracy. Reporters, however, can't be expected to have the depth of understanding that experts have, nor can they be expected to detail a story in exact industry language within a general circulation title.
My hope in the case of the Deland accident is that the initial stories will define the accident as unusual, offer a few positive words about the character of the two people involved, provide a framework so whuffos can understand roughly what happened, and then report that the investigation is continuing. Follow-up stories can dig a bit deeper and provide more depth as the reporters involved speak with additional sources and gain an understanding of the industry.
We should all understand that dropzone.com is a public forum, and reporters do read our posts. That's not necessarily a bad thing. Likewise, when reporters do contact us, we should respect their needs, and their willingness to do research and seek out sources who have expertise. A professional reporter will strive for understanding and accuracy, and will work hard to serve his readers. Reporters are not the enemy.
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Instructor Emeritus
Comm Pilot MSEL,G
Author: JUMP! Skydiving Made Fun and Easy
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