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Showing content with the highest reputation on 02/19/2019 in all areas

  1. 2 points
    Hi Tim, We lost a very important big-way relative work pioneer on August 23, 2016. Jim Dann was originally from Texas. He joined the Marines at age fifteen and served on a Navy ship. He moved to Burbank, California and worked in an aircraft overhaul facility where he met Bob Buquor. Jim was one of Bob's few skydiving students. I met Jim at Burbank Airport on October 17, 1964. A mutual friend had organized a 10,000 foot Saturday morning one-way adventure headed north in a C172 with the door on. We jumped into a little DZ just past the Grapevine outside a small agricultural town named Arvin. I had twenty-two jumps. Jim and I both lived in Burbank and began sharing expenses driving up to Arvin on the weekends. We'd also attend Brian Williams's Music Appreciation, Wine Sipping and Parachute Packing Society meetings on Tuesday nights. We would wind up moving into the guest house of his mom's new place in Burbank. Listed below are some of Jim's early accomplishments: First seven-man star: Arvin, CA. Early 1965. Bill Newell and I witnessed it from the packing tables. First eight-man star: Arvin, CA. October 17, 1965. First ten-man hook-up: Arvin, CA. February, 1966. First ten-man baton pass: Arvin, CA. May 15, 1966. First nine-man star: Arvin, CA. May 29, 1966. The last weekend of the Arvin DZ. Stunt jumps for, "Don't Make Waves," the Tony Curtis, Sharon Tate movie filmed by Bob Buguor. Bob drowned on one of the camera jumps on July 27, 1966 off Malibu Pier, CA. First ten-man star: Taft, CA. July 2, 1967. Yearly big-way demo jumps into The Stock Plane Air Races at Shafter, CA Original member of The Arvin Good Guys speed ten-way team. Please feel free to make additions and/or corrections as needed. Fly Free Jim Al Paradowski SCR 002
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  3. 1 point
    That thing needs to be one of the centerpieces for USPA's museum.
  4. 1 point
    Or perhaps, just maybe, the people who have already answered you have told you the truth in good faith. Maybe they are not conspiratorial liars like you seem to think. Just maybe.....
  5. 1 point
    Good question. Maybe this is happening more than any of us would like to think it is? I dont know.
  6. 1 point
  7. 1 point
    TLDR version - expensive to get someone that might only be a short term employment In order for a company to sponsor a non-citizen they have to show that there is a lack of citizens that have the correct skill set to fill the job openings. This is a long drawn out process where they have to establish the need, show that they have tried to get people for the position and that there is no one able to take the job for a certain length of time. This might mean they have to be seeking someone for 9 months and show that no one has been qualified for the position in that length of time. If they then want to sponsor someone they then have to find the person, get a work visa (lottery system with only limited numbers per year) do the paperwork, be able to get them a work permit, pay the fees and then have the person come over to work for them. Most times this involves signing longer term contracts since they have a large investment in the person at that point and the last thing they want is for that person to come over and then leave 2 months in since they don't like it anymore. Most DZ's do not hire employees but instead hire independent contractors - aka freelancers that are not on a contract and can quit/leave at any time and have a lot of other things for taxes that the DZ's do not have to cover. With all this being said a DZ might have to spend 5-10+ thousand dollars to sponsor someone to come from overseas or they can just find a local for free. With most DZ's that need staff are in a seasonal location that means they might be paying a lot of money for someone that might only last 5-7 months before the DZ shuts down for the winter and then that person decides to go somewhere warmer and then will have to get that person to return to them in the spring. If the sponsored person decides not to go back or leaves the country then its potential legal bills to sue over the situation or writing off the costs of it. It has been done for the right people - high level coaches, specialists like videographers with movie level experience and others that have skills and personal relationships with DZ's that make the investment worth it for them. When a Tandem Instructor only makes say 40k USD in a year paying out another 10K for a non resident alien to come over to get the job is usually not an investment that DZ's are willing to make unless its for someone with extraordinary skills or abilities that has the potential to recover those costs and make the DZ more money. Think of a high level coach - DZ's could make their money back and it promotes the DZ with all the teams that the coach will bring to their DZ that they would not have had otherwise. Tandem instructors and AFF instructors are just not lacking enough for the most part to show the need to the US government that they need to allow lots of nonresidents to come over to fill the need.
  8. 1 point
    Back when he was just wanting to learn to swoop.
  9. 1 point
    Well, we did it. Bob was one spectacular guy and we gave him a mot fitting spectacular send off. The weather at Perris was threatening; in fact the airport was flooded and shut down on Thursday & Friday. But then Barb Swovelin talked to Bob and ask him to kindly clear the skies and part the floodwaters. On Saturday we had mostly-clear skies, that is until we geared up for the ash dive and were shut down with a weather hold. But Bob was just teasing us. Anne Helliwell fly us to altitude, hoping for a hole. But then the clouds parted to perfectly blue skies, and Bob made his final skydive right over the assembled family and friends. The jump went very well, but the best part of Bob's Life Celebrations was the people; so many family and friends came to share stories and photos of Bob. The energy generated by all that love jammed into one room was a testament to Our Boy Bob; he touched the lives and the hearts of so many people and they are all better for having known Bob.
  10. 1 point
    Spike and I use to talk about the cost of operating our Twin 18's. After comparing operating expenses we both agreed that it was a break even operation. Spike just loved flying that 18. Although I fly only turbine aircraft now I would give anything to fly 18's and 3's again. Spike had stopped by Yolo to say high just before. After the accident I examined the airplane. As with the Helio my opinion as to the crash was different than the NTSB's. My opinion was based on 3,000 hours in 18's and a A&P, IA. And I new Spike.
  11. 1 point
    I can't believe you just tried to lecture a diabetic about their own disease while you clearly don't have any idea what you're talking about. I'd like to think a diabetic would know if they were T1 or T2. The two are very very different. -Michael
  12. 1 point
    Jim Dann is lower left, Bill Newell, Tommy Owens, & Tim Harrris over Arvin, CA 1965. SCR-21
  13. 1 point
    Jim was a cool guy with a high beam smile. Tim Harris SCR-21 SCR-21
  14. 1 point
    RIP Jim. Thanks for the good times. My idea of a fair fight is clubbing baby seals
  15. 1 point
    We still celebrate SCR's here in Texas and always make sure our recipients know and respect its history. RIP Jim Dann Chuck Akers D-10855 Houston, TX
  16. 1 point
    Can't help but a classic name from the old days. I'm old for my age. Terry Urban D-8631 FAA DPRE
  17. 1 point
    Anyone know of this team or members that were on it? A friend used to jump in Cleveland Ohio area at Gates DZ in Parkman Oh. He was wondering if a Karen Christan was still around, I think she was on the team. He wants to make one for his 60 B Day thanks Brew waving off is to tell people to get out of my landing area
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