JumpHog

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Posts posted by JumpHog

  3. Quote

    BSR Sec 2 J 3 - - -"Demonstration jumps into Level 2 areas require a D license with a USPA PRO Rating for all jumpers, including both tandem jump participants." Sorry. The passenger wasnt a D.



    First, you're probably not going to get a lot of credence on here coming on and posting anonymously. Second, I highly doubt this golf course was a Level 2 landing area, which are the smallest and most crowded of the FAA's list of landing areas. A jump into a Level 2 landing area also requires approval from the FAA by filing an FAA Form 7711-2. Unless they were jumping into the 9th green at the Masters, surrounded by 50,000 spectators, this isn't going to apply.

    Nonetheless, it is always unfortunate to hear when a tandem is injured. I wish them a speedy recovery!

  4. Skydive Snohomish operates within the Seattle Class B airspace. From a pilot's perspective, the only thing different than operating anywhere else is getting a clearance once airborne to climb and descend through the Bravo. Skydive Kapowsin also operated in the Seattle Class B until their move to Shelton.

    The Kansas City Skydiving Center also operated within the KC Class B. All told, it took about two months and several meetings with the FSDO and Approach Control Supervisor to get off the ground.

    With a proper amount of planning and open communication with the appropriate agencies, starting a DZ inside Class B is not much more difficult than starting once outside Class B airspace.

  5. If you really want to be exact, you can use Google Earth's "Ruler" tool. Find the nearest VOR, select that as your reference and measure the distance (in nautical miles) from there to your demo site. It will also show you the bearing to that site, which you can use to figure the radial off the VOR. You will have to figure in the magnetic variation (which is printed on your sectional) to convert the true course from Google Earth into a magnetic course which is what the VOR radials are based on.

  6. Quote

    Verdict: Real photo.



    I'd second that. Very cool photo by the way! Coincidentally, I've been the subject of two slow-speed intercepts in the past month. A few weeks ago, I was intercepted by Spanish Mirage fighters while flying a Diamond DA-40 at about 115 knots IAS off the coast of Majorca. The jets were probably doing about 15 knots faster than me, but it was quite easy to follow them with the video camera and fly the airplane (that one was coordinated over the radio ahead of time).

    Then again, a few days ago, I was intercepted by an F-16 on the Pakistan/Iran/Oman border while flying a Piper Archer. I was doing about 95 knots IAS and the F-16 couldn't have been going more than about 30 knots faster. That one wasn't pre-coordinated so I'm afraid I didn't get any video (I didn't see him until just a few seconds before he came up beside me).

    So, I have no doubt that an F-16 would have no problem hanging out with a Caravan in flight.

    Once again, great pictures!


  7. April Fools? Your a fool for not going out and getting one of these high tech pieces of equipment.



    I've already ordered 3! Lew's new handcam innovation may very well revolutionize the sport as we know it. The large mounting plate give you all sorts of flexibility. Speaking of Norm Kent, here's a top-secret picture of his new LewCam setup.

  • With all of the various options out there, let's hear what your current /preferred handcam setup is. What glove/camera/lens/accessories are you using and what are the pros/cons of the various items? If you could change anything, what would it be?

    Please post pics of your setup and/or stills from the camera. Thanks!

  • Quote

    Raoul Gravell, around 2001/2002 in Cross Keys. Hit a King Air tail with his camera helmet IIRC when exiting on jump run.



    I was just thinking about that today. I was there the day it happened. It was actually from a Grand Caravan. He hit the tail hard enough to break the carbon fiber bone on his flat top pro helmet. Fortunately, he made it out with only a concusssion.

  • Quote

    To the original poster... no need to ask anybody. Opening a dropzone is easy and profitable. You'll make about $200 per tandem and $25 for fun jumpers, so all your expenses will get paid off after a few weekends and you'll be rolling in money in no time, like all the other dropzone owners. AND, DZOs jump for free as much as they want. Low paid staff pretty much takes care of everything, so you'll have all the time in the world to just jump and enjoy the DZO lifestyle.



    Dave nailed it right on the head. I would go into more details but my jet is waiting to take me to my private island in the French Riviera.

    If you want to know more about how to make it big as a DZO, send me a check or money order for $2500 and I'll teach you the first lesson in being a DZO (get ready to write a lot of those checks).

    On a serious note, be sure that you absolutely love skydiving, because you will do nothing but eat, drink, and sleep it. Running a DZ is not a 40 hour a week and then you go home job. It takes a lot of work, a bit of money, and plenty of determination. With that being said, in the end it is incredibly rewarding and sure beats working a 9-5.

    Best of luck in your endeavors!

  • Quote

    I have the middle version of the FTP. Ratchet style latch recessed into a plastic mounting piece w/o the release cover plate. I plan on making/installing the plate myself. It doesn't have the cut away, but that will be added as well.



    I have (had) this same setup on my FTP. I would have thought that it was nearly impossible for it to get released inadvertantly, but I guess for me, my odds were only 1:5000. On opening, my right riser managed to snag the tension release, while my left riser pressed hard enough against the left side of my helmet to release the ratchet latch. The result can be seen below.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ie5dPjWunQ

  • Teacher Among 9 Men Arrested In Mall Bathroom Sex Sting

    VOLUSIA COUNTY, Fla. -- A high school teacher and a former city commissioner were among nine men busted in a sex sting at the Volusia Mall in Daytona Beach. Security officers at Sears called police after they witnessed several men engaging in lewd behavior inside a men's restroom.

    "What is scary is that these are people that we trust to be political leaders, we trust with our children," said Chief Michael Chitwood of the Daytona Beach Police Department.

    Police received a tip from mall security and the information was confirmed when they read several posts on Craigslist.org. Detectives arrested former Daytona Beach city commissioner Michael Shallow and David Behringer, a teacher at Sea Breeze High School, Thursday.

    The arrests came after a 10-hour stakeout of the men's restrooms at the Sears store in the Volusia Mall. A total of nine men are accused of lewd and lascivious behavior and exposure of a sexual organ.

    "This is a clandestine sub-culture event where there are certain signs that we wouldn't pick up on unless you knew what they were," Chief Chitwood said.

    According to undercover officers, the suspects would go into the bathroom as Sears and tap their feet or zip their zippers up and down several times and even look under bathroom stalls, seeking others to join in sexual misconduct. Police learned the men used the restroom as a place to meet from websites like Craigslist.org.

    "There was an incident that occurred on October 29th where security saw this guy doing his business. They kicked the door in and threw him out of Sears. That incident made Craigslist," Chief Chitwood stated.

    Police said two of the nine men arrested were registered sex offenders, including one who was previously caught masturbating in the restroom of a daycare center. All of them were booked into the Volusia County jail with bail set at $1,000.

    "We're coming up on the Christmas season. You're out there shopping at the mall. Your kid wants to run into the bathroom and you've got a bunch of sick perverts that are in there doing their thing," Chief Chitwood said.

    Sea Breeze High School teacher David Behringer resigned Friday after his arrest and the school district accepted his resignation.

    Eyewitness News found that the Sears bathroom is not the only store named online for sexual activity. Eyewitness News also found a Macy's and a JC Penney's bathroom mentioned. The list goes beyond parks and a few department stores, though. Skydive DeLand, the bathroom at a New Smyrna Beach convenience store and the parking lot at a Home Depot in Port Orange are named as places for men to hook up.

  • The House Ways and Means Committee has passed a bill advancing H.R.2881, the FAA funding bill endorsed by AOPA and the general aviation community.

    "H.R.2881 is the framework of the best solution for all of aviation, and we're delighted that the Ways and Means Committee concurred with the recommendations of the Transportation Committee," said AOPA President Phil Boyer. "This bill ensures that there will be more than enough money to pay for air traffic control modernization.

    "And the best news for GA — no user fees and no concessions to the airlines."

    The Ways and Means Committee, which has jurisdiction over taxes, voted Sept. 18 to keep airline taxes, including the airline fuel tax, at existing levels. Aviation gasoline taxes would increase from 19.3 to 24.1 cents per gallon (an increase roughly equal to inflation since the last fuel tax adjustment), and the Jet-A tax would go from 21.8 to 35.9 cents per gallon. Money from the tax hikes on GA fuel would be earmarked exclusively for air traffic control modernization. (The committee passed H.R.3539, which actually modifies the tax code. The bill becomes companion legislation to H.R.2881.)

    "We said from the beginning, take user fees off the table and we'll discuss whether there should be an adjustment in what GA pays," said Boyer. "General aviation is willing to pay more to improve the air traffic control system, unlike the airlines who wanted to change the entire FAA funding system to obtain a huge tax cut for themselves."

    The bill now goes to the Rules Committee and then to the House floor, with a final vote possibly within days. The Senate Finance Committee is expected to consider its version of an FAA funding bill this week, although final action in the Senate may be weeks away.

    The Ways and Means Committee also passed a short-term extension of the current funding authorization to allow time to complete action on new FAA funding legislation.

    "We thank Ways and Means Committee Chairman Charles Rangel (D-N.Y.) and Ranking Member Jim McCrery (R-La.) for their leadership in providing the money needed to maintain and improve our aviation system," said Boyer.

  • I was at the Sturgis boogie, as a videographer, tandem instructor, and "the pilot" who brought our Beech 99 up for the event. Although I think that everyone was hoping that it would be busier (myself included), this was the first year of a new boogie. Events like this sometimes take years to build up. It doesn't necessarily mean that it was run poorly or doesn't have any potential. I think that everyone who was there had a great time and most would probably come back next year. I got a chance to make some jumps over a half-million bikers and had an absolute blast! I think with a bit more work put into it, this could be one hell of a boogie.

    Lastly, while I was hoping that our airplane would fly a lot more while it was there, we were paid in full for all of the work that it did.

  • Quote


    Folks, this is a situation if you have to tent it, drag it, sleep in the car, or just bag it, DO IT! This doesnt happen often.



    Man, I think this has the potential to be one of the greatest boogies ever! Combining a skydiving boogie with one of the largest-attended events in the world has a great time written all over it (Oh yeah, and having a kick-ass jump plane certainly helps too ;))!