Tandem Passengers Under the Influence?

[Andy9o8 0]

Letting anyone skydive under the influence of any alcohol at all is a really bad idea. The guy who hammered in NJ while twice over the legal limit was a fatality waiting to happen, and it did. Same goes for people who jump stoned. People, even experienced jumpers, who jump drunk or stoned shouldn't be tolerated. Even if the FAA "changed the rules" to allow a tandem customer to jump with 1 beer's worth of alcohol (not very likely), the DZ's legal liability if that passenger got hurt or worse on a jump would STILL be so high that it would take your breath away (and maybe take that DZ away). Many whuffos in local governments are hostile to dropzones for any excuse at all. What if the local town or county says you've violated zoning laws and tries to shut you down? And how are you going to be sure how much alcohol is really in that person's system? Because you only see "1 can"? That just means you saw the LAST can. Because they "tell" you how much they've had? As a DZO, or TI, are you willing to stake your legal liability or your ability to keep operating your DZ, or your TI cert on that? Also, some medications greatly enhance the effect of small amounts of alcohol, and vice versa. Are you going to give your tandem customers breathalyzer tests before they jump? Blood tests to see if they've taken meds that combine badly with alcohol? No, it's just too much of a risk. A tandem customer is a student skydiver, always -- not the same thing as a passenger on an airline. An airline passenger would have to gain access to the cockpit to do many things (ok, not all things) that might make the pilot wreck the aircraft; a tandem passenger is IN the cockpit -- for crissakes, they ARE the cockpit -- why take a chance that they're going to do something stupid or dangerous if whatever combination of chemicals that is in their bloodstream makes them unpredictable?

[obelixtim 100]

Well, You can live in fear of what "might" happen right through life if you like, I choose not to......All the rules in the world don't guarantee immunity from danger......

I prefer to manage the risks I can control and not worry about things that "might" happen..........its worked pretty well so far for well over 10000 first jumpers and well over 100,000 tandem riders I've been responsible for keeping safe.......

If I do my job properly then I have no fear of litigation......but no matter how good I am, an accident can happen tomorrow....if I was afraid of "maybes", I might as well quit now.....

Treating people as adults who appreciate their rights and responsibilities with respect and common sense has always been the way that works best for me........people aren't stupid.....

If you want to be consistent with your argument, we wouldn't get off the ground if stopped everyone who put legal drugs and chemicals into their bodies.......and what do we do with people who walk in off the street with mental problems....because there's lots of nutters out there who could be very dangerous indeed........

Its a responsibility (and risk), I'm willing to take on..........not many people are willing to, but if nobody did, we wouldn't have a sport......

My computer beat me at chess, It was no match for me at kickboxing....

[Andy9o8 0]

Ha! Are you suggesting most jumpers are nutters? Well, if you are, you're probably right!

Woo hoo!

Blue skies!!

[obelixtim 100]

Only on Thursdays!!!.....

My computer beat me at chess, It was no match for me at kickboxing....

[jumpwally 0]

MR. Russell and if some idiot runs you over after 1 beer you are ok with it? I'm not and i don't even know you! whats next? your Doc having a beer before Surgery or how about lets have the Pilot on any commercial airliner have a beer,,just so he's relaxed for takeoff,,right? Idiot shit i tell you. I can't believe I was stupid enough to get sucked into this thread.

smile, be nice, enjoy life
FB # - 1083

[obelixtim 100]

PM'd you, but just thought I'd point out that in 100 years time we are both gonna be equally dead, and how and when it happened will be unimportant and totally irrelevant...........

Can't see the point of worrying about it now...............I'm indifferent in fact, because its a stone cold certainty..........

A beer is of minor significance in the big scheme of things...........the reaper is always lurking.....

My computer beat me at chess, It was no match for me at kickboxing....

[oozzee 0]

first ..to jumpwally...

I cant believe that you even posted a response,,,,and ...therefore...let us all know you were 'tricked' into replying..

this thread has been running for along time..
I said my thoughts early in the piece...

here's some more!!!

There really is a big difference between a TM who has 150 tandems
,,,,(which is a lot!! dont get me wrong)..


and a dood with 4000 tandems under his belt.,,,and they are around!!!!

The tandem skydive has become so accessible to mainstream clientele...that the 'professional'skydiver is ever evolving and having to deal with more and more difficult clientele

Skydiving 20 years ago skydiving was pretty much a 'black death' crowd...Y
Hey,, Mahoney...no offence!!!
I love you guy's!!!


Today !!!!! It's it's a different story...


Today!!!!!

Everyone who can walk and talk ,,wants to skydive!!!!

TM's today are dealing with all aspects of society and challenging clientele...

The TM will make the judjement call....

Of course...if a jumper is obviously fucked up..no-one willl take them...
that can only be bad!!!

Let the TM make the call....
He is trained for that scenario....
It's part of the TM course!!...

To all TM's....BE CAREFUL!!!!!!!







Its a valid inquery....
and should be addressed...

[Swooopa-x 0]

(and to Oozee ) ... thanx and F@*^ 'n AYE .





to the rest,
c'mon guys...
" perspective!!! use it or lose it"

People dont care how much you know until they know how much you care.