beezyshaw

I've been wanting to post for days now, but I've held off since I still haven't gotten around to getting my own user i.d. It was ok for me to post under Beezy's when it was about him, but now it's a different story. I apologize to any that I may freak out or offend. I promise as soon as I'm finished with this post, I will set up my own. If someone could p.m. me the artwork for the patches that were made in Beezy's honor, I would like to use that as my avatar. Unfortunately, Beezy didn't have life insurance either. When you're a skydiver, especially a professional skydiver, you read the fine print on each and every insurance policy and realize that you won't be covered if you die doing your job. Beezy and I both thought, "there's no way I'm going to pay on a policy that isn't going to pay out in the end." How foolish to think that skydiving would be the only way one could die. Cancer, car accidents, senseless acts of violence... There's a whole big world out there and so many things out of our control. Please, don't read the fine print guys. Cover your family, and then cover your ass by skydiving smart. I am so sorry that Brandy has joined our widow's club. We were not accepting new members at this time. I have written to her privately and spoken to her posse daily, and she knows that I'm here or there for her anytime she needs. Guys, there has to be some really incredible stuff going on in heaven, if Beezy needed his camera man this soon. -Tracie Shaw

Finally! A friend of ours has been slaving diligently to try and post Beezy's ashdive on YouTube. Evidentally, it was too large and had to be divided into 2 parts. I won't go into all of the crap he had to go through (separating video & sound, etc...), but it is finally done! Go to YouTube and search for Beezy, then sort by date to find parts 1 & 2. One of you other talented people might want to post a direct link here for others. We're in the process of trying to put it on HiPerUSA's website as 1 file. However, I've had more than my fair share of PM's, so I wanted to make it available as soon as possible. Thanks so much to all that participated! Some came from far away, some cancelled plans (Lee), and all helped to create a festive occassion, as Beezy would have wanted. Thanks to everyone for helping me celebrate my husband's fantastic life. Tell his stories for years to come. -Tracie Shaw & Family

Ryan, I would love to extend an invitation to you this weekend to come to Skydive The Farm for my husband's memorial ashdive. Unfortunately, Kristi Martin will not be able to make it. We spoke at length today, and the grief of losing her husband and one of her best friends so closely together is more than she can bear. However, I will be there and would love to talk with you. As was said, Beezy knew more about it than anyone... except his wife with whom he shared everything. Please come over and celebrate Beezy's life with us. If not, at least look towards heaven at sunset tomorrow and do a litlle soul searching. Mrs. Beezy Shaw

The ash dive is scheduled for November 17, 2007 at Skydive The Farm. Come one. Come all. And, bring your stories with you. His ashes will be scattered on the sunset load, and eulogies (bullshit stories) will be given in the hanger immediately following. Tracie Shaw

I just wanted to let the entire skydiving community know how much Beezy cared about you. You were family as much as I and his children were. As the wife of a man who has been a professional skydiver for 35+ years, you must somehow prepare yourself for the possibility that someday you might get "that" call, but cancer is all together a much more dangerous opponent. My husband was a huge safety advocate. He mentored many a newbie, and counseled many a "sky god". Our daughter, Elsie, and I loved going to the dropzone with him. We took her to her first boogie at 6 weeks old, and she's loved it since. She terrorized many a skydiver in her Barbie Jeep, going out to the landing area to see if anyone needed a ride. She made her first skydive with him last year on her fourth birthday. He second guessed himself about posting photos, because he didn't want people to think that it was ok to take a child that young. Its NOT, unless you're Beezy Shaw. His older children, Erin, Bryan and Sunny also ran around the dropzone from the time they were in diapers. He fought so hard, didn't give up and he never complained. The last thing that I whispered to my husband is that he's my hero. I've never known a more courageous man in my life. My best friend has passed away, and he has gone to fly with the angels and look over all of us. So listen hard, and you can here him whispering in you ear, "don't be stupid man; try this; don't chop it yet; too low for a hook-turn; live to skydive another day", etc, etc, etc... http://www.mem.com/Story.aspx?ID=2111440 Tracie Shaw P.S. Please check out Chuck Blue's announcement under the "General" category for funeral arrangements or you can visit[url]

Take a piece of spectra and make two marks 10 inches apart. Now finger trap a piece of spectra inside the first one the full length of the line between the marks. Now measure the distance between the marks. You think it will measure 10 inches? It will measure about 8 inches.

If you finger-trap the line BEFORE tying the overhand knot, no tacking is required, as the line is captured within the knot and cannot come out. This is by far the best way to do this. It just requires a little trial-and-error to get it firgured out so it ends up the right length after you form the loop with your knot.

First, all the above advice is correct unless your lower control lines are dacron; if you have the bigger dacron control lines, the knot will be so huge there are better ways to attach toggles. But, assuming you do have spectra or some other small line as your lower steering lines, maybe this will help... First, remember that whenever you finger-trap excess line inside itself, you will be making the finished length considerably shorter. So, if you have a factory mark that is the recommended distance from brake loop to toggle, you will need to make a new mark (or "imagaine" one) about an inch lower than the factory mark if you are going to finger trap several inches of excess. And secondly, remember this mark should be visible just above the toggle (towards the brake loop); it should not be in the loop or the knot you tie. If you finger-trap your excess before you form the loop and tie the knot, the knot will capture some of your finger-trapped excess line so no tacking will be required. The knot itself will secure the excess and it can't be pulled out if you do it this way. Conversely, if you finger-trap the excess after forming your loop, you'll have a little bit of exposed line that can be pulled out unless you tack it as mentioned by someone previously. And remember the whole reason for attaching the toggles in this manner is so you can easily change your knot in order to adjust the toggle distance to your personal preference. With most canopies, at full flight (with brakes released and toggles against the guide rings) there should be a slight bow in the control lines, and it should take "about" 4 inches of toggle pull to cause the tail of the canopy to begin to show deflection and start a turn.

yes

I'm guessing you have Vectran lines, because that fiber turns grey over time. The natrual color when new is tan. The grey does not mean the lines are dirty, that coloration comes from wear against the slider grommets during deployments. Don't bother trying to wash Vecran lines, as it won't return them to their tan color. It probably would not "hurt" them, per se, but just forget about.

Here's Webster's definition of skill: (1) the ability to use one's knowledge effectively and readily in execution or performance b: dexterity or coordination especially in the execution of learned physical tasks (2) a learned power of doing something competently : a developed aptitude or ability __________________________________________________ I'm not clear on what you're trying to tell me here. Whatever the case, I suggest that you may be confusing "skill" with "ability". The person that collided with you may have great ability, but they certainly were NOT demonstrating "skill". I was at the Dublin boogie and I also was on many, many skydives for many years with Danny. While he indeed had no lack of ability, on numerous occasions he clearly demonstrated a serious lack of skill. I say that because "skill" includes a level of competency that Danny, and obviously the jumper that almost took you out, did not demonstrate.

Chris, I think I'd rather carry a big mouse arrow around on my shoulders

The Japanese have finally revealed a mystery for you. How does the small mouse arrow on your computer monitor work when we move the mouse? Haven't you ever wondered how it works? Now, through the miracle of high technology, we can see how it is done. With the aid of a screen magnifying lens, the mechanism becomes apparent. Click on the link below and you will find out. The image may take a minute or two to download and when it appears, slowly move your mouse over the light gray circle and you will see how the magic works. Make sure you give your mouse a good test… roll around a lot and don’t forget to test your “click”. Turn up the volume on your speakers to hear the mouse working. http://www.1-click.jp/

I've read most of this thread, but by the time you filter through a couple of hundred posts and opinions, it all gets to be hard to decipher. (Plus this stomach flu I've had all week doesn't help my mental state much either) But, nonetheless, there seems to be two main branches of thought here; One group thinks that a BSR, in whatever form may finally be agreed upon, is a good idea and a step in the right direction to reduce canopy collision accidents. The second group, however, seems to think a BSR is unecessary, and that a better approach to the problem is jumper education and the increased skills under canopy that would be the result. My take on this (at least at this juncture) is this: Why can't there be improvements at the USPA level that address both at the same time? For instance, in order to progress through the license and/or ratings system, better canopy skills and traffic management understanding could come into play. At the same time, a new BSR (and in my opinion "option 3" the best of what's been thrown out so far) could help make sure that all group member dz's have and enforce a canopy traffic policy that addresses this issue? I'm sure that getting down to the nuts and bolts of writing doctrine that will do the most to improve this safety concern will be a very difficult task, and so I do realize my suggestions are very over-simplified. But to address "the rules" without furthering individual skills would be nothing more than adding a layer of bureaucracy, and at the same time, what in the world could the harm be in a BSR that states that gm dz's shall have and enforce a traffic management system that they tailor to their own situation?

Hey Chris! Where's my royalty check? That's a picture of a NITRO on the left rear quarter panel on that baby!! (Edit to add pic)

This gospel tune rings true as a brass bell... http://www.hiperusa.com/TheHand.mp3

My observation, and in response to Paul's comments about damage to slider grommets, is that this would probably not be a good idea for use with brass grommets, but stainless grommets would be impervious to damage from the rings on the slinks.

Here in Tennessee we regularly jump from a C-195; whereas the standard 195 sports a 300hp radial, and a 190 (which came later) had a 240 hp (I think?) round engine, our jump plane is a "Super 195" sporting a Pratt R985 with 450 hp! What a creampuff; we've got a nice slide-up door and handles/step, and she climbs very respectably all the way up to altitude thanks to the supercharger. I've owned a couple of twin beeches back in the day, and I still think the radial engine is the sexiest thing in all of general aviation. Below is a favorite of mine... DEDICATED TO ALL THOSE WHO FLEW BEHIND ROUND ENGINES We gotta get rid of those turbines, they're ruining aviation and our hearing... A turbine is too simple minded, it has no mystery. The air travels through it in a straight line and doesn't pick up any of the pungent fragrance of engine oil or pilot sweat. Anybody can start a turbine. You just need to move a switch from "OFF" to "START" and then remember to move it back to "ON" after a while. My PC is harder to start. Cranking a round engine requires skill, finesse and style. You have to seduce it into starting. It's like waking up a beautiful and classy mistress. Treat her right and you're in for a thrill. Abuse her and you'll regret it!!!! On some planes, the pilots aren't even allowed to start the engine... Turbines start by whining for a while, and then give a lady-like poof and start whining a little louder. Round engines give a satisfying rattle-rattle, click-click, BANG, more rattles, another BANG, a big macho explosion or two, more clicks, a lot more smoke and finally a serious low pitched roar. We like that. It's a GUY thing... When you start a round engine, your mind is engaged and you can concentrate on the flight ahead. Starting a turbine is like flicking on a ceiling fan: Useful, but hardly exciting. When you have started his round engine successfully your Crew Chief looks up at you like he'd let you kiss his girl, too! Turbines don't break or catch fire often enough, which leads to aircrew boredom, complacency and inattention. A round engine at speed looks and sounds like it's going to blow any minute. This helps concentrate the mind! Turbines don't have enough control levers or gauges to keep a pilot's attention. There's nothing to fiddle with during long flights. Turbines smell like a Boy Scout camp full of Coleman Lamps. Round engines smell like God intended machines to smell.

There is a product that attaches to a garden hose that is a rubber balloon-like device that expands to seal the drain pipe while shooting a very powerful stream of water through the pipe. When every method ever known to man failed, this thing works like a charm. Of course you have to remove the trap and shove it in the drain pipe downstream of it.

The arrangement of lines of a 9 cell elliptical with normal cascaded lines goes like this... Front riser group, from outside to inside, is rigged ab5, ab4, ab3, ab2, ab1 Rear riser group, from outside to inside, is rigged c5, c4, cd3, cd2, cd1 This numbering system is calling the center cell 1 and the end cell 5. A "semi elliptical" will have a cd4 instead of just c4, and a "square" 9 cell will have cd5.

As someone who has owned his own tandem rig for 10 years, as well as jumped at a many dropzones that have various approaches to this, here's my take on it... First off, let me say that in 10 years of tandem instruction and over 1500 tandems, I have never had a tandem malfunction. I've jumped tandem reserve canopies as mains, for testing, but never in an emergency. I'd just as soon keep it that way. Anyway, back to the point. Through experience and observation, I believe that there are several advantages to tandem pilots owning and maintaining their own equipment. Just watch who walks back to the packing area dragging the drogue and/or canopy and who makes sure everything is off the ground. Think about how most people treat a Hertz rental compared to their own vehicle. Next point is concerning packing tandems. I have NEVER jumped my tandem rig with anyone packing it other than me. NEVER. This is , in my mind, a very important issue. I think that while the FAR's do and should allow supervised packers, I think that the knowledge base of many packers is rather limited; there is way too much bad information and poor packing technique out there. It's not that packers don't care, it's more that what they have been taught is (_________) at best. I find that tandem passengers also get a sense of assurance about their safety when they're watching their tandem pilot inspect and pack the parachute before they make their first leap. (I welcome my next student to watch, but I always ask that they let me focus on the task at hand without interruption.) When a tandem instructor makes jump after jump after jump in rapid succession on different gear packed by different people, I feel strongly there is an increased level of overall risk and a decreased level of overall quality to the skydive. Now for economic considerations. I'm not sure about other places in the country, but for my circumstances the pay goes something like $35 for the tandem jump itself, $25 for use of my gear, and $10 for a packing fee, making my gross income per jump $70. If you take good care of your equipment, my estimation is that actual gear costs per jump come to something less than $25 per jump, maybe as low as $15 in certain dz environments. Of course desert dz's would be considerably harder on equipment than a nice grassy landing area and carpeted packing are. But point is, I do make additional money as profit by using my gear. If I can do 6 tandems in a day at my own pace, I bring $420 home for the day. $90 of that is for gear replacement/maintenance, leaving me an income of $310. If I were busting my butt using dz gear and made 10 jumps in a day, I would bring home $350. I might net slightly more money, but I've exposed myself to the additional stress of the mystery gear syndrome, the more hectic pace of almost twice as many jumps, and again I believe the experience for the student is safer and more fun when I'm not running at such a fast pace. Economic considerations from the standpoint of the dzo are the other side of this coin. One consideration is that the dz nets more money per tandem jump by owning and using dz rigs. This is certainly true, but my observations are that in many cases, the dz-owned tandem rigs are not maintained as well as tandem rigs that belong to the individual jumper. Often maintenance on dz gear is only to repair, rather than prevent problems. And this issue leads to another viable economic issue, that of dz rigs being out of service for repairs and the financial losses that occur from lost opportunity due to fewer rigs available for staff use. So whether the dz actually makes more money by having their own tandem rigs is questionable. I realize that not every tandem pilot has the recources available to purchase their own rig; I also know that many dz's insist that tandem jumps be made on drop zone equipment. Nothing will change these issues, I'm sure. But I do feel very strongly that I am a safer, happier, and better instructor in several ways using my own equipment.

>The point I would make is that Danny was not being conscientious on that landing. He was being as conscientious as any other swooper is. I am sure that had he survived, he would have claimed that he had checked his area and had thought he could pull off the maneuver safely __________________________________________________ As one who knew Danny for many years and observed his flying/landing style many, many times, Danny routinely went big in traffic and let his desire to impress the crowd get in the way of using good judgement. RIP, Danny, but you had a huge ego. To me the "watch this" mentality continues to be an enormous factor in many, many canopy collisions and other swoop-related incidents. So point is, he was absolutely NOT being as conscientious as any other swooper is. At The Farm I am very impressed with the degree of safety that is practiced among those that make the big turns. I very often hear canopy swoopers saying they aborted because of not knowing exactly what another canopy in the air might do or not do. No attitude, no scolding others for botching their swoop, just the attitude that unless ALL lights are green, you land without swooping. If the sport could just get this through everyone's head these incidents would probably disappear. __________________________________________________ I don't exactly know where my opinions fit into the debate about the policy at Eloy. But as I see it, when you do a 270 you are much more likely to fly your canopy right into your blind spot, whereas with a 180 or less you never have to do that. Even if you make a clearing turn just before initiating the 270, you still must fly into what is behind you and out of your peripheral vision. With a 180, however, you don't have that in the equation. And in my mind, at least, a 180 to double fronts can generate plenty of speed for recreational swooping. I don't know the answer, but I can see the argument for the restriction. However, we all know that no USPA bsr or drop zone rule can make people behave safely.

You are incorrect. That was before FAR Part 105 was revised a few years ago. Here is the wording of the current FAR 105.45 (tandem reg's): "(b) No person may make a parachute jump with a tandem parachute system unless- (1) The main parachute has been packed by a certificated parachute rigger, the parachutist in command making the next jump with that parachute, or a person under the direct supervision of a certificated parachute rigger."

Actually, Todd, in most cases the recovery arc of a nine cell will be faster than an equally loaded seven cell. The higher aspect ratio of the nine cell will generally plane out faster than a seven cell of the same size. Now of course canopies like Katana (which are built specifically to have a long dive/recovery) are the exception, but an example would be a Safire vs Omega; the Omega will not recover to level flight as quickly as the Safire. And an EXTreme FX will have a longer recovery than the same size VX will.

You're partly right, but not quite. Gelvenor Textiles has discontinued the non-slippery zp fabric that many canopies were made from for years, like the old Aerodyne canopies, the Atair canopies, our Nitro, and others. The currently available zp from Gelvenor is a silicon treated cloth similar to what is known as Soar Coat used by PD and others for a long time. Companies that used the old polymer treated zp from Gelvenor still use fabric from Gelvenor, it's just that now it resembles other zp fabrics.