Lodi Aff

[PolinaVin 0]

My friend wants to learn to skydive and I wanted to find out about lodi. What type / condition is their student gear and rental? Have their aircraft maintenance issues been addressed? I would love to hear from people that have been there recently.
Thanks!

[PeteS 0]

Hi the student gear is all newish Javelins, all maintained by a full time rigger on staff with years of experience.
The A/C issues are in line with the FAA, they come out all the time. There are two full time mechanics on staff keeping things in order.

I have an independent rigging loft on the airport that serves many in the Nor-Cal region.

Let the flame fest begin, if you really have been there talk away. If not, get up to date before you go on old information

Have a nice day!

[rehmwa 2]

just go there and ask around -

first hand knowledge and meeting the crowd is really what a new student needs

find the DZ that matches you and that you feel like you belong - always better than a website of random strangers. Watch how the instructors interact with their students. Ask questions.

I've visited Lodi and always enjoyed myself. I've visited other DZs in the same region and ditto.

...
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

[OneJumpWally 0]

I have rented gear there. They're gear is top notch. They're gear was brand new. My rental was a very nice camo rig I was super impressed.

[Shredex 0]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IbE7pOJnw28

[Andy9o8 2]

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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IbE7pOJnw28

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Just to show how "old" the gear at the parachute center is.
This Dropzone has the best, newest, most maintain, top of the line gear possible.

I always wondered what they did with that money they saved on... you know, stuff.

[PolinaVin 0]

Thanks! I am aware of how rumors are in the skydiving community and I appreciate the up to date information.

[stayhigh 2]

I've seen their gear and I wish all dropzones has that kind of arsenal.

Aff is little tough one I've heard. You don't follow simple instruction and you are done.

Bernie Sanders for President 2016

[PiLFy 0]

W/all due respect, Pete. What good is new gear if the wings fall off the frackin plane? What Lodi did may never be able to be lived down.

[Shredex 0]

I don't care what they did. $650 for a block of 50 jump tickets! You can't beat that! I'm paying TWICE that here in FL!

[Highfluoro 0]

I did my AFF/A-license at the Parachute Center last March with Zac. I was extremely impressed with the instruction, and the 48 jumps in 6 days didn't hurt either

[Squeak 17]

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W/all due respect, Pete. What good is new gear if the wings fall off the frackin plane? What Lodi did may never be able to be lived down.

Not when trolls keep bringing it back up.

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?

[diablopilot 2]

How is it trolling when someone is simply sharing the truth?

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You're not as good as you think you are. Seriously.

[Squeak 17]

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How is it trolling when someone is simply sharing the truth?

the bolded part is the trolling bit.

and we already know you dont like the place, but fortunately many other people do. Moreover, some people are willing to allow the place to improve WITHOUT constantly dragging up the past.

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?

[diablopilot 2]

History is one of the key factors in making any decision. You want to suppress that?

Obviously it doesn't mean much to some people and they still choose to go there.

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You're not as good as you think you are. Seriously.

[Squeak 17]

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History is one of the key factors in making any decision. You want to suppress that?

Obviously it doesn't mean much to some people and they still choose to go there.

Dude do you ever think about what you type, with that sort of mind set you allow NOTHING and NOONE to ever move forward and improve.

you make it sound like Bill intentionally goes out of his way to injure or kill people.
We get you dont like him or the DZ. try to move on.

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?

[StreetScooby 5]

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History is one of the key factors in making any decision. You want to suppress that?

What aircraft incident are you referring to at Lodi? Does this mean you won't jump at Perris, either?

We are all engines of karma

[ChrisD 0]

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History is one of the key factors in making any decision. You want to suppress that?

What aircraft incident are you referring to at Lodi? Does this mean you won't jump at Perris, either?

Here is a nice link to a non-usa .gov site that list's the AD's for the DH-6. The FAA upon reviewing the aircraft in questions' maintenance log book was unable to find a log entry for a required visual inspection. If you examine the ad list you will also see that many of the "required" ADs' have been cancelled! The FAA usa list has more than this overseas list it's just that this site is more understandble...

http://services.casa.gov.au/airworth/airwd/schedules/ad_display.asp?sched=under&toc=dhc-6

Anyone is free to do a search for FAA actions, I reccommend anyone who is interested do same, as compared with speading misinformation and inuendo...

If you search the US FAA site, the manufacturer is Viking, not deHavalland or Hawker Sid..

But what do I know, "I only have one tandem jump."

[PhreeZone 16]

The "Canceled" ones are that way since this was assumed completed on the fleet as a whole, not because they issued them incorrectly.

Yesterday is history
And tomorrow is a mystery

Parachutemanuals.com

[ChrisD 0]

Another point worth mentioning about aircraft mait and AD's,...

Try focusing on the fact that the DH-6 and all of its various versions have about 200 AD's issued worldwide, various countries, various issues, +/-, many of which are visual inspections, the only requirment is a "strong light," that means the aircraft at Lodi had 199 entries in the maint log, that were in full compliance! Have you ever seen the mess that passes for a maint log? Including the hundred or so pages for all of the other required stuff? All of the w/b's and mods, and other stuff that gets stuck in there? Every nut and bolt that gets changed gets recorded!

Did you know the FAA dosent actually inspect the aircraft. They only inspect the log! (yes I know there are some things that actually get looked at, but in this case, this isn't the topic of disscusion.)

It really pays to understand this complicated process before you all start running around stating the wings are going to fall off...

You all got parachutes on anyways right??

But what do I know, "I only have one tandem jump."

[jf951 1]

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My friend wants to learn to skydive and I wanted to find out about lodi. What type / condition is their student gear and rental? Have their aircraft maintenance issues been addressed? I would love to hear from people that have been there recently.
Thanks!

lodi is a very controversial dropzone here on DZ.com as you've just found out.

go check it out and make your own decision, you'll get far too many opinions from people who have never been there on here

here are some facts about lodi though:

- they have the newest and best gear money can buy for both tandem and student sport rigs

- their head AFF instructor Mike Knight, does more AFF programs alone than most DZs do all together.

- YES, they did have some serious A/C issues in the past, but they've since rectified the situation. please look at the FAA reports your self.

Jump more, Bitch less.

[davelepka 4]

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YES, they did have some serious A/C issues in the past, but they've since rectified the situation

That may be true, but part of the problem is that aircraft MX is one of the areas where you place a ton of faith in the DZO that they are doing the right thing. As discussed ad-nauseam with regards to this issue, it's impractical or almost impossible for the average jumper to actually check the logs and confirm that they are complete, legit, and up to date. Based on this, it becomes an issue of trust.

One of my problems with the situation was the nature of the shortfalls. Failure to inspect the wing attachment pioints sounds like one of the dumbest things ever. It's more-or-less a 'free' inspection, in that the only cost is labor, and as I understand it, Bill has A&Ps on the payroll anyway. I get why someone doesn't do a six-figure hot section on an engine, but a simple inspection on a critical structural part is hard to understand why it was skipped.

(Along those same lines, skipping a simple inspection of a fuel pump is what lead to the crash of one of Bill's King Airs up in Cananda, you think he might have learned)

The timed-out contol cables is another sticking point for me, based mostly on the duration of the 'over time'. When the FAA busted him, it been over a year that he was flying on timed out cables, and I just don't see how you can excuse that. A week, two weeks, a month, maybe. Who knows, maybe there was a boogie, or the cables were on back-order, but to let that situation stand for over a year is hard to understand.

So coming full circle, to the idea that aircraft MX becomes an issue ot trust in the DZO, you can see why some people might find it hard to place that trust in a guy who acted in the manner described above.

[Morg 0]

Hi
I did my AFF there last year. It was fast paced and challenging as I'm sure any AFF is. I found the people who live at the DZ to be very helpful with getting my A license, learning to pack etc.. I loved my time there and plan to go back. I have only been to a few other drop zone's since but their equipment appears to be the best so far. Whats more their equipment hire is cheap and includes packjob's :).

[mr.walczak 0]

Doesn't DB Cooper run Lodi?! ... Had a lot of friends head down to Lodi and had nothing but good things to say .. Plus 5$ HnP and 13 dollar jumps you can't beat ..

[Andy9o8 2]

Nobody's listening to you, Dave. Look at these geniuses, even immediately after your post: "You can't beat these prices!!" - all they want is cheap jumps, instant gratification and no thought process. And, since it's virtually guaranteed that they're still young enough to be bullet-proof, they don't have to worry about what happens at 600 feet on the way up. Hey, they're wearing parachutes, right?