ccq

ccq, I guess I wasn't one of the apathetic, but rather one of the paranoid, since "yes" I remember the proxy fight of a few years ago and "yes" I was one of those who voted against it... although I'm still unsure if it was even "legal" for the board to have the membership vote "yea" or "nay" to change the rules in that manner... anyways, if y'all are going to "try again", what do you pose be done to cure the "apathy" problem and get the membership involved and disspell the "paranoia" that its just a "power grab" on part of the BOD? I was not on the Board at the time, so I can't speak for specific motivations, etc. I think if we try again, we probably need to specifically set out what we want to do and try and make a case for it with the membership. If I recall correctly (it's a little hazy), the folks who were against it were worried that the measure gave the Board very broad and non-specific authority to make changes in the way the whole process works. Although I think the Board's intentions were good, it was not perceived that way. Typical! Perhaps by being more focused and concise we can make it happen? My worry is that we still may not be able to get the sheer volume of votes required. Although we haven't seriously discussed it as a Board, my initial feelings are: 1. Extend terms to three years (to save time and money). 2. Lower the requirements to get on the Board (either by reducing the number of signatures required or some other method). 3. Potentially enacting term limits. We shall see at the next meeting who is on the new Board and if there is significant motivation to try and get this done. Cheers, --Q ----- Chris "Q" Quaintance ccqquaintance.com D-23345

Hi All- Let me start off by saying that I am speaking for myself, not for the USPA Board. Period. I am compelled to reply here as I just returned from our final Board meeting of the 2005-2006 term. The meeting was held in Fredericksburg, VA. I am the Pacific Regional Director and am what you would consider your basic weekend skydiver. I do have some ratings and regularly "work" for a specific DZ, but I have no direct interest in any skydiving business. I decided to run for election to the Board for a number of reasons: 1. I am passionate about skydiving and I wanted to help out the sport. 2. My specific concern was with Safety and Training (versus Competition or some other facet) as I had been actively instructing for a while. 3. I felt that the average jumper was not adequately represented on the Board (too many DZO's, etc). 4. I had the time. 5. I wanted to repeatedly hit myself on the head with a 2x4. Ok, just kidding on that last one! But the list above should give you an idea from where I was coming. There is the perception that the DZO's on the Board have only their business interests at heart, have a conflict of interest, have turned USPA into a trade organization, etc. From my first hand knowledge, I believe those perceptions to be patently false. I was VERY pleasantly surprised by my first meeting as I got to know everyone and we talked about lots of issues. The DZO's on the Board are doing the best they can for what they think is best for the sport. While I may not agree with each person on the various issues, I believe they are not looking at the bottom line with every decision they make but rather what will serve our membership. The conflict of interest rules also bar any Board member from contributing to the discussion or voting on any issue that has an impact on their bottom line. Those rules are regularly exercised at every meeting. Now, why are there a lot of DZO's on the Board and not that many average, weekend skydivers? I believe it boils down to a few reasons: 1. "It is because being a regional director is a dirty thankless job." Well put, peckerhead. 2. It does cost the Board member money out of their pocket to be a Director, but USPA does pick up the airfare and hotel for our semi-annual meetings. 3. It is unpaid work that can take up a lot of time. That time could be better spent doing myriad other things (skydiving, for example!). 4. Most weekend skydivers just want to jump and not be bothered with the mechanics of things. Fair enough. 5. DZO's are, in general, passionate about the sport. They are optimistic enough to try and make money at this thing, so it should come as no surprise that they have the motivation to volunteer their time and try to make the sport better. I suppose you can turn around that last one and say, "Well, therefore, they must only be looking at the bottom line!" Horse-poopy. I've been there, I've seen it. A couple of other thoughts. I believe that we should have more turnover on the Board. I think many of my fellow members would agree. I wish it were easier to get on the ballot, but it is not. Remember that proxy fight of a few years ago? The election process was one of the things the Board wanted the authority to change and the membership was too apathetic/paranoid to give them that power. Bummer. Maybe we can try again at some point in the future. As has been said before, if you want to change things, get yourself elected! I know it's not easy, but it's not that hard. Even if you can't get elected, show up to a Board meeting. Almost all of the meeting is open to members and your input is highly valued. Go to the committee meetings and talk. Get something on the agenda and have it changed. Do something besides sit around and complain! Ok, off my soap box. Enough for now. Cheers, --Q Pacific Regional Director PS: Krisanne, see ya at the Prairie?!?! ----- Chris "Q" Quaintance ccqquaintance.com D-23345

I can't put into words what is going on in my head right now. But I wanted to at least share a couple of pictures I found. Shannon, you were a beautiful presence in my life. You will be sorely missed. Bob, my heart goes out to you along with my love and support. --Q ----- Chris "Q" Quaintance ccqquaintance.com D-23345

What is this eBay of which you speak?? Anyways, someone already claimed them via a PM. Cheers, --Q PS: Shannon, you snow whore, are you going riding again soon? I'm out tomorrow at 5am for Sugar Bowl dawn patrol. Yee haw! ----- Chris "Q" Quaintance ccqquaintance.com D-23345

Hi Kids- The Spring cleaning has begun in earnest. For some reason, I have kept just about all of the Skyidving and Parachutist magazines since roughly late 1997. They are headed to the recycling bin unless someone speaks up. -You pay postage -All or nothing, please no specific magazine requests. Cheers, --Q ----- Chris "Q" Quaintance ccqquaintance.com D-23345

I just had my eyes done (LASIK with Intralase) in November. I had great results and am really happy with my decision. I took one weekend off from jumping and was back in the air 10 days later. It wasn't that big of a deal, frankly. Get yourself some tight goggles *without* vents, and go for it. I used the simplest pair of goggles I could find (the kind we give our students) and cranked them down, and was good to go. Good luck with your surgery. And when they ask "Would you like a Valium?" beforehand, the correct answer is: "Absolutely!" Cheers, --Q PS: I had previously spoken with my doc about skydiving and she was cool with it in that timeframe. ----- Chris "Q" Quaintance ccqquaintance.com D-23345

I'll be organizing the annual naked Otter load, by the way. We'll shoot for sometime Saturday, late morning. Giddyup! Yes, there might be video. But the videoflyers have to be naked, too. And that video is classified except for those on the load. No whining. Just get naked and jump. --Q PS: Swooping the crowd is highly encouraged. ----- Chris "Q" Quaintance ccqquaintance.com D-23345

Fine, I guess I'll show up. Damn boogie. --Q ----- Chris "Q" Quaintance ccqquaintance.com D-23345

1. The old (then current) standard was 50% and it was not codified anywhere in the IRM. The new passing score is 75%. 2. The point here was to get candidates to do the reading and take the test before showing up at a course. Based on Course Director's input, many candidates were showing up totally unprepared. 3. This was an administrative cleanup to be consistent across all of the courses. 4. This was the result of HQ's desire to clarify the paperwork requirements. Hope that helps. Cheers, --Q Pacific Regional Director S&T Committee ----- Chris "Q" Quaintance ccqquaintance.com D-23345

Hey Paul! Hope you are doing well. Good memories, indeed. This Sunday marks three years; can you believe it has been that long? Peace, --Q ----- Chris "Q" Quaintance ccqquaintance.com D-23345

*ahem* What happens in the Prairie, STAYS in the Prairie! For the record, *I* did not show anything untoward in the bar. Others may have temporarily disrobed me, but I take no responsibility whatsoever for their actions. --Q ----- Chris "Q" Quaintance ccqquaintance.com D-23345

Ok, I guess I'll go this year. I'm not quite sure I've had enough fun the last few years, so I'll try again. Also, the USPA BOD has created a committee to monitor the quality and volume of beer consumed at skydiving events around the country. As a charter member of the ABQA (Adult Beverage Quality Assurance) committee, it will be my official duty to verify taste and quantity metrics each evening. Key question: Will the mandarin hefe make an appearance this year??? --Q ----- Chris "Q" Quaintance ccqquaintance.com D-23345

I just have to prove you wrong! But thanks for the good birthday wishes... --Q ----- Chris "Q" Quaintance ccqquaintance.com D-23345

I hate to put on my official USPA hat because it makes me look funny being decorated with many golden stars and magic lightning bolts, but I can probably help here. I had a situation in my region where I had to inquire about this issue specifically. What came out of the S&T Committee and USPA Headquarters is that tandem jumps with students are classified as student jumps and thus prohibited from occurring at night (per the below BSR). Nothing in the BSR's specifically addresses the case where a licensed jumper is on the front of the tandem, thus it is technically "legal." Tandem demos are whole separate ball of wax with the requisite BSR waivers and other such fun. Hope that helps. Cheers, --Q Pacific Regional Director Then how about those special demo at night/dusk tandems we've seen done? That was my point about the "special cases." ----- Chris "Q" Quaintance ccqquaintance.com D-23345

I have some comments addressed to the original poster as well as the poster above. I am, by no means, an expert. But, these are my opinions. For what it's worth, I respectfully disagree. I think the Velocity can be made to glide extremely flat if so desired. Yes, it takes a little work, but that is what comes with such an extreme range in modes of flight. I believe I can get more glide under my Velocity rather than my Stiletto in most wind conditions. YMMV. Of course, it wants to go like hell in full flight. There is no doubt that the parachute has high performance openings. It definitely requires adult supervision. That being said, my openings are generally tame (knock on wood). I've had no slammers to speak of and the few instances of line twists have been remedied with immediate kicking and screaming like a baby. Do not attempt to over-control the openings. It will bite you, big time. It is common procedure around my DZ to replace the lines at 400 jumps regardless, with steering lines even more often. Trying to "get" more jumps out of a lineset seems to be a bit foolhardy, IMO. I feel the same way. To echo what I said in an earlier post: The biggest challenge is you, not the parachute. You need to be 100% focused and in the game from the moment you pitch the pilot chute until you've come to a full and complete stop. Other canopies may afford you the chance to be somewhat lackadaisical about certain aspects of your parachute descent. You simply cannot do that with the Velocity (or other highly loaded, cross-braced parachutes). Requires adult supervision!

My goodness, a post to which I can actually respond and add (a little) insight. I made a very similar switch about 18 months ago. At the time, I weighed in at +/-235 and had been jumping a Stiletto 150 for a while. I had over 500 jumps on that canopy, probably more. I had maybe 1700 jumps total. I decided I wanted to try out the Velocity and got a hold of a demo 120 (put me at about 2.15lbs/sq.ft). While that was on the way, I did do a couple of jumps on a Stiletto 135 and a Cobalt 120. I was overloading the Stiletto and thus past the power curve in terms of landing speed and lift. The Cobalt just wasn't to my liking (felt a lot like my Stiletto 150). The Katana wasn't yet available and I didn't see any other options, so I hooked up the Velocity, jumped, and hoped for the best! Fortunately, I had the advice (and consent) of a fair number of very talented canopy pilots who were also Velocity jumpers. After a jump or two of high openings and very conservative flight, I knew immediately that this was the best canopy I had ever had over my head by a long shot. Two words: CRACK PIPE! Do not demo the parachute unless you are ready to buy it. I have since put ~700 jumps on Velocities and it has only gotten better and better. I lost some weight a few months after the initial switch and downsized to a 111 (which is what I'm currently jumping). I weigh 215, so I'm still at about 2.1. My advice: --Talk to experienced pilots and get some advice. Listen! --Maybe try a Katana 135 or even 120? --Take it slowly and be conservative. Full altitude hop and pops are your friend! --Have your credit card ready! I've found the biggest learning curve problem is not with the canopy itself. It is with your judgment, spatial awareness, and traffic pattern management. You will be going so much faster relative to other traffic, that all the rules you thought you knew about the pattern will change. You need to be thinking MUCH further ahead in terms of traffic, setup, etc. in order to be a safe, competent pilot. Play nicely with others for your safety and that of those around you. Enjoy! If you have any more questions with which I can help, drop me a line! --Q ----- Chris "Q" Quaintance ccqquaintance.com D-23345

Goddamn, JP. You da man. What a day, what a day! We had more fun than should be allowed. Hell, I'm still grinning ear to ear. Those first two rocked, plain and simple. Next time, we get you to arch less on the first one and we've GOT to make the two stack for that second one. Add in a few AFF's, a couple more freefly jumps, and some suit and no-suit relative work, it made for a banner 10 jump day on this end. I hit for the cycle! No CRW, though. Will have to do some more Velocity CRW soon. You up for getting some stills?? See ya after the Playa. --Q ----- Chris "Q" Quaintance ccqquaintance.com D-23345

Nope, safely home. The 802.11g connection from C83 to RHV seems to be spotty at best when at 3,500 feet and 130 knots. Mmmm...Cherry Garcia! --Q PS: Missed the chance for a spin in the pattern; will do it next time? ----- Chris "Q" Quaintance ccqquaintance.com D-23345

How did you get safely home??? :) --Q ----- Chris "Q" Quaintance ccqquaintance.com D-23345

I'll be there! It must be birthday-o-rama or something. Shannon's on Sunday, and Anita's and mine on Monday. Probably some more in there, too. In fact, I'll be spending the night Sunday evening so we can get an early start on the Hop 'N Pop 'N Swoop Fandango at Byron on Monday. Shannon, you should hang out and get your birthday swoop on. Minimum 30 hop 'n pop loads will be going up. All are invited! 8:00am start time Monday morning. Cya! --Q ----- Chris "Q" Quaintance ccqquaintance.com D-23345

Big thanks for putting this together from this newbie tandem instructor. I'll take all of the knowledge I can get at this point and this certainly helps! Cheers, --Q ----- Chris "Q" Quaintance ccqquaintance.com D-23345

I happen to have both eyes functioning, so I can't speak from personal experience. I am a private pilot, however. Our pilot at Bay Area Skydiving (Byron, CA) only has one functioning eye and I have spoken with him about that. Basically, you will not pass a regular FAA physical exam. You need to schedule a ride with an FAA person that will test you (thoroughly) on your eyesight to make sure that it is good enough to pass flight standards. Assuming you pass, you will get a "Statement of Demonstrated Ability" from them. Then, you can use that to go to your regular medical exam and it is like a free pass for the vision portion of the regular test. Or, at least, I think that's how it works! --Q PS: Try AOPA if you need help. They have folks who can help you through the whole process. PPS: From the AME (medical examiners) guide: http://www.faa.gov/avr/aam/Game/Version_2/03amemanual/WEB/Chapter%203/3.23-24.htm PPPS: http://www.aviationmedicine.com/eyes.htm ----- Chris "Q" Quaintance ccqquaintance.com D-23345

In other news from Byron today: Velocity CReW kicks ass! Don't try this at home! Photo by Bolt. --Q ----- Chris "Q" Quaintance ccqquaintance.com D-23345

Let me help. You know, the more Wings' on the load, the greater chance for success. Everyone knows that! You can fly your slot better if you are revelling in the superior fit and comfort of your Wings Harness and Container System. --Q PS: This being my pre-second post, can I now get on the damn jump? ----- Chris "Q" Quaintance ccqquaintance.com D-23345