swoosh 0 #26 April 22, 2004 How do the odds change if you drive at 130 MPH????? The Sky is NOT the Limit, the Dirt Is!! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bomb420 1 #27 April 22, 2004 bbarnhouse What were some inaccuracies?HYPOXIC Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
katiebear21 0 #28 April 22, 2004 An article that actually used the f-word??? It was actually a good article. Painted a good picture of the faces we know and love!!!Sorry, bets, that there was some fabrication involved, but the conversation with Ash definitely sounded plausible. And, the descriptions of you, Omar, and Amy seemed right on. I mean that in the only way possible - good! Katie Get your PMS glass necklace here Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mcrocker 0 #29 April 23, 2004 Quote The national driving fatality rate is 1.56 per 100 million vehicle miles, as listed in “2003 Injury Facts” compiled by the National Safety Council. That number is based on 2002 data. NSC also reports a driving fatality rate of 15.7 per 100,000 population. The national skydiving fatality rate is 25 per 2 million jumps, as reported by USPA for 2003. That’s 1,250 skydiving fatalities per 100 million jumps. USPA data also shows 25 jumpers died among 32,628 USPA members, giving a fatality rate of about 77 fatalities per 100,000 population. Hrmmm. check my math 1.56 deaths / 100,000,000 miles = 0.0000000156 deaths per mile I drive 34,000 miles per year so. 34,000 m/y * 0.0000000156 d/m = 0.0005304 deaths per year of driving 25 deaths / 2,000,000 jumps = 0.0000125 deaths per jump I jump 100 times per year so 100 j/y * 0.0000125 d/j = 0.00125 deaths per year of jumping Looking at my rate of exposure, I'm 2 times more likely to die while skydiving than driving. If I jumped more it would raise the exposure & risk obviously 32k skydivers doing 2M jumps/year = 61 jumps/year I am a bit above average. I can live with that (pun intended) Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Zenister 0 #30 April 23, 2004 QuoteQuoteFound this while surfing Yahoo tonight, comments?? Man I wish I was back there again...Eloy, I miss you!!! Painted blue across my eyes And tied the linen on And I'm on my way Looking for the paradigm So I can pass it off Is it on my side Is to the sky Looking to the sky and down Searching for a ground With my good eye closed If I took you for a ride Would you take it wrong Or would you make it right Looking for a pedestal That I can put you on And be on my way Is it to the sky Looking to the sky and down Searching for a ground With my good eye closed Stop you're trying to bruise my mind I can do it on my own Stop you're trying to kill my time It's been my death since I was born I don't remember have the time If I'm hiding or I'm lost But I'm on my way____________________________________ Those who fail to learn from the past are simply Doomed. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Auryn 0 #31 April 23, 2004 Quote I know a lot of enthusiastic young people who would love to skydive but as the sport has evolved they have been priced out of it. That's a shame. Wish we as a community could figure out a way to bring costs down. CDR I have to disagree with you. I made my first jump at the end of my 18th year, and I was licensed 4 months later. I was a high school drop out doing room service at a hotel, paying my own rent and car payment at the time. I still made it happen, paying about 1400 total for my training. I sacrificed other things, mainly dating I never once considered it cost prohibitive, moreso a when there's a will there's a way sort of thing. and now, I do have a job at a dropzone, but only because I would rather make my money doing something associated w/ what I love than anything else. and so now, after I get my associate's degree in 2 weeks, I am going to cut away for the summer and live at the DZ ! I could not be happier, albeit somewhat aprehensive about the change. Blue Skies ! Bryan D27808 Coach Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bbarnhouse 0 #32 April 23, 2004 Quotebbarnhouse What were some inaccuracies First off, Skydive Arizona did NOT have 6 fatalities in a year. In the course of 4 years x 140,000 jumps per year we have had 2 fatalities. (you can do the math) To say that 6 fatalities in a year is an acceptable level is ludicrous, even given the volume of jumps. ANY fatality is unacceptable. Sorry but the instructor comments didn't happen, some of the quotes by me were never expressed. Furthermore if you see the guy naked ...that didnt happen either...he was wearing a speedo. I could continue to list the discrepancies, but that would take more time than I currently care to invest in regard to that article. B2 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
sdgregory 0 #33 April 23, 2004 ***Hrmmm. check my math 1.56 deaths / 100,000,000 miles = 0.0000000156 deaths per mile I drive 34,000 miles per year so. 34,000 m/y * 0.0000000156 d/m = 0.0005304 deaths per year of driving 25 deaths / 2,000,000 jumps = 0.0000125 deaths per jump I jump 100 times per year so 100 j/y * 0.0000125 d/j = 0.00125 deaths per year of jumping Looking at my rate of exposure, I'm 2 times more likely to die while skydiving than driving. If I jumped more it would raise the exposure & risk obviously *** This is all fine and dandy but it fails to take into account a few things. 1.) How many of the deaths in automobiles are caused by equipment failure vs. in Skydiving? 2.) How many deaths in automobiles involve drugs or alcohol vs. in Skydiving? 3.) How many automobile deaths involve the death of a person who did not cause the accident vs. in Skydiving? 4.) How many deaths in an automobile were caused because the person was thinking they could push the extremes vs. in Skydiving? 5.) How many deaths in autombiles occur because of natural disasters vs. in Skydiving? The list is endless but these are important concepts that actuarians(sp?) take into account when they determine risk for insurance companies. We can oversimplify things all we want and we can make the numbers say whatever we want but there are so many variables that come into play that I have never seen considered in this topic each time it comes up that no answer is truly accurate or complete. So to say you are only 2 times as likely to die skydiving vs driving may not be acurate. It could be more, it could be less. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
airgord 1 #34 April 23, 2004 those two girls hung around all day and most of the night, I would send them an email to protest. Humorous story though, Omar skydiving "ace", can't wait to call him that. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bbarnhouse 0 #35 April 23, 2004 Quotethose two girls hung around all day and most of the night, I would send them an email to protest. Actually, they came out on their own 3 week-ends in a row. As to the email....Gordo is there any doubt as to my response? LOL xoxo B2 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
slotperfect 7 #36 April 23, 2004 Note to self: Don't fabricate stories about the Pixie Arrive Safely John Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
airgord 1 #37 April 23, 2004 everthing between the first sentence and the last. really too bad as we treated the reporter and her coworker as one of us, we were duped. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
AndyMan 7 #38 April 23, 2004 Quote First off, Skydive Arizona did NOT have 6 fatalities in a year. You would do well to write a quite note to the editor. These are the kinds of mistakes that can give a dropzone a bad reputation, but more importantly, they're the kinds of mistakes that editors will publish "corrections" in a future article. The last thing you guys want is anywhere near the kinds of bad publicity thats been common up here in Chicago. I'd be quick to jump on any corrections necesary.... _Am__ You put the fun in "funnel" - craichead. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
swoosh 0 #39 April 23, 2004 You wanna know about bad press from Whuffo reporters?? Try jumping in Calgary!! The Sky is NOT the Limit, the Dirt Is!! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bbarnhouse 0 #40 April 23, 2004 QuoteYou would do well to write a quite note to the editor I assure you that a note is not what was sent Try a mini tirade novella QuoteYou wanna know about bad press from Whuffo reporters?? The reporter has made two tandems. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
CanuckInUSA 0 #41 April 23, 2004 QuoteYou wanna know about bad press from Whuffo reporters?? Try jumping in Calgary!! I will be seeing two whuffo Calgarians (my brother and sister) in a couple of weeks and I'm sure they will likely mention something about the inquiry currently going. Rest assured I will set the straight so that they know we skydivers must be responsible for ourselves up there and not rely on the Feds to be looking out for us (like the whole inquiry mess seems to be heading). As far as this thread is concerned. It's unfortunate if some critical information (like the fatalities) is wrong. But I enjoyed reading it. Having been just in Eloy less than one week ago, I really enjoyed reading about the different people at the DZ and comparing how they were perceived in the article with how well I know their characters. I got into Ricardo's who story (the guy who swore several times) because it was this time last weekend when he, myself and a few others were shooting the shit outside the Bent Prop one night and I can just picture him saying the same things he said to me to the reporter who interviewed him. So I enjoyed the article ... but I guess it's different if you have a closer relationship to the DZ like Betsy and Gordo do. Try not to worry about the things you have no control over Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mujie96 0 #42 April 23, 2004 OOH OOH OOH My dreams of being a groupie have come true.....my boyfriend is the unnamed DJ spinning techno on the 4th or 6th page...... Orgasms in freefall......sounds to me like a bad pick up line but I guess I could be wrong. Just keep swimming...just keep swimming.... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jumper03 0 #43 April 23, 2004 QuoteI assure you that a note is not what was sent Try a mini tirade novella LOL!! If you need knees capped - I do cheap work... JumpScars remind us that the past is real Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kelpdiver 2 #44 April 23, 2004 QuoteQuote I know a lot of enthusiastic young people who would love to skydive but as the sport has evolved they have been priced out of it. That's a shame. Wish we as a community could figure out a way to bring costs down. CDR I have to disagree with you. I made my first jump at the end of my 18th year, and I was licensed 4 months later. I was a high school drop out doing room service at a hotel, paying my own rent and car payment at the time. I still made it happen, paying about 1400 total for my training. I sacrificed other things, mainly dating I never once considered it cost prohibitive, moreso a when there's a will there's a way sort of thing. It's not so expensive that it is unreachable. It is expensive enough that most can't casually decide 'what the hell?' I did see a bachelor party once at the DZ where only the groom jumped, the rest paid $20 each for an observer ride. I suspect they were saving their money for the strippers. When I was 23 I bought a new toyota 4x4 pickup for some $19,000 on a $11/hr campus job. I could and should have have gotten something used and simpler. Insurance was 1600-2300/yr until I got a bit older. That would have freed up more than enough money to jump, but as a young guy I wanted the truck. Skiing costs per season are pretty steep - $50lift tickets, hotel rooms, and some gear purchases add up past $1000/yr. The first 4 scuba dives usually cost one about $500. So you pick your poison, or your Visa card! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
sundevil777 93 #45 April 23, 2004 QuoteI could continue to list the discrepancies, No suprise, the new times is a rag, has been since I picked one up in the early '80s. Be glad they didn't claim to see an outline of the devil in the dirt on the bottom of the pool.People are sick and tired of being told that ordinary and decent people are fed up in this country with being sick and tired. I’m certainly not, and I’m sick and tired of being told that I am Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Remster 24 #46 April 25, 2004 QuoteIt is expensive enough that most can't casually decide 'what the hell?' I dont think this is a bad thing either. Its expensive enough that some people will look into what they get for their money, what tarining is like, the different schools, etc... But its still now outrageously expensive enough that student can still participate.Remster Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
