starkmtn

Hi all,

I'm looking to get a new Odyssey and was wondering if anyone has gotten one with the new SPYN system who can comment on how it feels under canopy vs. the regular padding? (I mostly do CRW so am way more concerned with the way it feels under canopy than in freefall - I have a different rig for freefall.)

Thanks!

Is there an agenda available yet?

Gary, I was reasonably certain that the main question I wanted to ask (namely, what, if any, action USPA is taking regarding the incident with Rich Winstock) was not going to get answered in the GMM but was going to be the topic of Executive Session. I look forward to seeing a report out of how USPA decided to handle that, even if it's "The matter was discussed and no action was taken," in the name of accountability to its membership.

diablopilot

***Diablo,
It is virtually impossible to vote by name on every vote or motion based on the fact it would slow things down, but with that said, myself and a good majority of directors voted by name on any important issue. I would be happy to share my vote on any topic and my rationale for the vote. You may not agree with me on some of them but I can honestly say I try my best. As I believe most if not all do the same.

Pardon my french, but horse shit. I've been to far more meeting than you and it wouldn't cost time at all.

Yeah, I'm calling BS on this too, as someone with experience on two different boards, one of which I'm still on. Now, we meet 9-10x a year, so we don't ever have as much on one agenda, but it's pretty damn easy (and I say this as one who served as secretary of my current Board for several years) to record who the ayes, nays, and abstentions are. Has it slowed things down by a few seconds each vote sometimes? Sure. But it's been worth it for the transparency, because we have vocal shareholders who demand it. Maybe if more of us demanded similar transparency from USPA, it would be done.

And Para5, I don't doubt that you personally would be glad to share your views. But not everyone is. With as many directors as there are on USPA's board, it's a huge barrier to put up to ask each individual member to email every director to ask how they voted rather than to just publish the votes in the minutes. For example: I wrote to every single director about an issue that was on this March's agenda and was important to me. I got _six_ replies, only three of which actually indicated their own inclinations as far as voting would go. So even if a member is able to take the time to email all the directors, they aren't in any way guaranteed the information. Plus, that's a LOT of email to ask directors to answer. Why not just make it very easy for members to find out how the directors voted and what got said by whom in meetings (_including_ committee meetings, which is where the meat and potatoes are)?

chuckakers

***The Board should be _setting policy_ and trusting the staff they chose to enact it.

Trust?

The board should set policy and INSURE the staff enacts it.

Chuck, I think we're agreeing to agree here. They _do_ need to trust their staff, or they run the risk of micromanaging, which is a poison to any organization.

Of course, if they are given reason not to trust that the staff will enact policy, the staff needs to be changed. That said, I don't think that's the source of the problem with this current issue or many others that seem to be putting the interests of business ahead of those of the jumpers.

NWFlyer

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it shows how far down the "we will do anything to keep the gear manufacturers happy" trail the BOD has gone

As one board member is now calling it, it's the USPIA.

Assuming they meant it as an indictment, can you share that name, if only privately? I'm making a list of who will definitely get my vote next time around, and this person just went on it!

Thanks everyone for the help! :D

topdocker

To make a BSR (S meaning Safety!) which has nothing to do with safety and everything to do with litigation is just ridiculous! The BOD is just showing how much they are willing to give into the manufacturers. Every time they have asked the BOD to do something, the BOD has eventually caved and its total BS. The BOD passed this once before and it was repealed because many BOD members became uncomfortable with the ramifications after the vote. What has changed? USPA is no more responsible for keeping manufacturers or DZ's from getting sued than they are preventing heart attacks at soccer games.

Members should start emailing their Regional Directors that this vote is totally screwed, too many of the BOD members have direct links to the requesting manufacturers for there to not be a conflict of interest.

Since electronic voting is working so well for USPA, maybe we should just put in a rule that all BSR's must be approved by a quorum of members. This will let the BOD go back to the business of running operations and allow the membership to dictate safety, not the manufacturers.

top

Craig,

I'm in agreement with all you wrote except for one important point I'd like to make as a veteran of two different boards (one of which I still sit on) - the BoD should _not_ be in the business of running operations - that is the job of the staff. The Board should be _setting policy_ and trusting the staff they chose to enact it.

Eli

So let's start writing to our RD's and the ND's and asking for streaming of July's meeting!

I'm glad someone has finally mentioned the fact that many magazines have been offering a (cheaper) digital option for years. Any analysis of the cost of lifetime membership that doesn't take into account this trend in publishing is, IMHO, flawed. If a lifetime membership could be had for the old price and a digital subscription to Parachutist, that would eliminated a big chunk of the cost of said membership. Did anyone bring this up at the BoD meeting?

Any old-schoolers know what this would be for? Someone signed my logbook "GE [number]" and we have a friendly bet that I can't find out what it means. :)

I'm looking to get in touch with anyone who organized or knew about the para-ski event at Mad River Glen ahead of time. Please send me a private message if you have any info about this event. THanks!

I'm going to reiterate much of what Nightingale said. A stalker is looking for engagement, and yes, blocking IP's and changing your email address count as engagement. They send the message "I notice you, and I am changing my behaviour on account of yours."

I _highly_ recommend a book called _The Gift of Fear_ by Gavin De Becker. Here's a link:
http://books.barnesandnoble.com/search/results.aspx?WRD=the+gift+of+fear

Good luck!

One option is to be a volunteer while also holding another paying job for more money. The organization I ride with is a private one, and they paid for my EMT-B class and EMT-I class. The only catch is that you owe them a year after each class, which is a requirement easily enough met. I have to ride a minimum of 24 hours a month - I do two 12-hour shifts on alternate Thursday nights (so I only have to limp through one workday if I'm up all night). The EMT-B class is quite easy and should pose no problem if you got a H.S. diploma. It is alternately one of the most mundane and most rewarding things I do. You'll go to calls to lift old men and Fatty McFattys back into their chairs, but you'll also get to see babies enter the world and crack open cars to get people out. PM if you want more info.

Chris Gay is not yet on DZ.com so I am posting this on his behalf. Please post feedback (I'll collect and forward). Thanks!

***begin forwarded message*

Hello all,


During the past few years there has been tremendous
growth in the 2-way event on an international level;
however, at the US Nationals we are seeing a decline
in all CF events including the 2-way. This is a
problem that, if not corrected, will very likely lead
to the end of CF in the future, and certainly no
chance for anything larger than a 100-person
formation.


I would like to get some feedback on a possible new
division (working title: “Pro-Am”) that I am going to
lobby USPA to create. If we have enough response from
all you experienced dogs, then this new division may
be a part of this or next years US Nationals.


USPA has been reluctant to create a new division until
our numbers justify doing so. However, I believe our
numbers will not grow until/unless we have this extra
division. There would still be an Open class. The
goal of the Pro-Am division would be to have Open
class jumpers bring newer jumpers to the U.S.
Nationals to compete in 2-way CF.


Here are my ideas for the "Pro-Am" division, and I am
certainly open to any suggestions or changes to make
it better for all of us:


CF 2-Way Pro-Am


Team Composition:
Maximum 4 jumpers - Minimum 3 jumpers.
(2 jumpers turning points, 1 video person, 1
alternate)


Eligibility:
During each jump, at least 1 of the jumpers turning
points must be an amateur (as defined below). The
video person and the alternate may be either from the
Open class or may be amateurs.


Definition of amateur: (this is the tricky part)
An “amateur” shall be defined as a jumper who has
never medaled at the U.S. Nationals in CF or has not
been on a CF World Record.



As you review this proposal, please keep in mind that
we are trying to do this to INCREASE our numbers of
new jumpers.


Now I have two questions for the group:


1) Do you like this idea for a new division, or do you
have any other ideas for another division that would
bring more CF jumpers to competition?


2) If this division were created, how many Open or
non-amateur CF people from this group would bring an
amateur with them to compete this year?


Best Regards,
Chris J. Gay

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I have seen the US team practicing with their new canopies.

Custom built Crossbraced 7 cells, made by NZaerosports...

Which US team is this?

I'd say that it's hard to put a number of jumps on it, because I don't know you and don't know the quality of CRW coaches available in your geographic area.

I can give you some do's and don't's:

DON'T do microline CRW. Borrow a real CRW canopy with dacron lines if you plan to make contact. Microline is fine for flying relative, bumping end cells, etc. If you plan to put legs in lines, get hold of a dacron-lined canopy.

DO learn safety procedures for wraps and entanglements _on the ground_ from a qualified CRWDog and by learning the info on this site:
http://crwdog.servebeer.com/CRWdog/CRW%20Info.html
before taking to the air.

DO ask your prospective coach:
*how many CRW (CF) jumps do you have?
*how many total jumps?
*how many CRWbies have you taught?
*how many wraps/entanglements have you been in?

Answers less than 50, 250, 1, and 1 (respectively) would make me want to look hard at the other answers and at whether I wanted to learn from this person. I'm not saying these are automatic disqualifiers, but they might give me pause.

DON'T downsize to too high a wing loading just to jump with your coach. Experienced CRWDogs are jumping at "expert" level wing loadings for competition and record-setting. A good coach will upsize for you, not expect the reverse.

DO pay attention to how you are currently controlling your canopy and landing, and be honest with yourself about your abilities. Do you biff in a lot? Are you sometimes oblivious in the pattern? CRW can help develop better awareness, but it also requires a certain baseline level of vigilance and awareness. If you're already heads-up, great. If not, work on being aware of other jumpers in the air, setting up a good pattern, and landing where and how you want to are good ways to build that awareness.

DO start as soon as you can - it's an amazing discipline!!

OK, first things first - YES, I did a search. Several of them. But this is a time-sensitive topic and many of the threads about cameras are from several years ago, and many recommendations are for side-mount helmets. So please bear with the fact that this question has been posed by many newbies before in varying forms. I just can't find much through searching that addresses my particular concerns. If you don't want to read another newbie question, move on. :)

I am probably about to get into videoing competitive CF. As far as helmets go, I want a top-mount that will be easy to release if I need it to go away fast. I'd prefer something with one of those nifty streamlined covers like I see on the side-mounts out there, if it exists. Any suggestions?

As far as camera:

I am a _complete_ newb with respect to what cameras are out there and what they do, and the threads I've read so far are somewhat confusing. For background, my current video camera that I own is a giant-sized 8mm from 1995. Apparently, "digital" has come and gone, or so I gather from other threads. So even though I'm not actually an idiot, talk to me like one, because I'm clueless.

And yes, I read the FAQ too.

Thanks a bunch!

"The data on the MiG are inaccurate."

The XC is not "the next generation of CRW canopies" so much as an all-around canopy that happens to also do CF quite well. It is not being marketed as a CRW canopy as that is not what it was primarily designed to do. I know that PD are NOT planning to call it "Lightning II" for just this reason.

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Hey Kevin, pretty cheap directing everyone to a interview with YOU in it.

Kevin Keenan double FUP

Publicity is tough to get. I have to take it where I can...

Kinda like your sex?

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Isn't Facebook like MySpace? Why have another one of those?

because myspace wasn't gay enough all by itself.

So you think it's because Myspace didn't attract a homosexual enough clientele? Or are you just using a word that describes a group of people as a negative slur? Would you consider using something else like "populated mostly by teenagers," or some other descriptive term to describe why you don't like MySpace besides using "gay?"

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Now we board the virtual plane(s). See who is with you in the plane and have a good look at the exit order. I personally prefer a plain stagger. That means the left and right echelons are mixed one by one. Sometimes wings and lockers are kept as pairs for the exit.

At the camps so far, the trend seems to have been keeping wings and the first lockup together, then staggering the rest of that wing team one-by-one.

While practicing being "in the plane," don't forget to coordinate delay times with the other people in your vicinity. You should be taking the same or longer delay as the person who exited just prior to you.

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Now the whole dive is being walked out...If you have any questions find time to ask them.

Also, don't be afraid to speak up about safety concerns. If a break-it-down is not practiced on the ground, ask if that can be done. If delay times have not been communicated among the jumpers in the same plane, make sure that happens.

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They land like shit because the recovery arc is very short and pendular action high.

They only land like shit if you don't know how to fly them. At the recent Australian nationals, Michael Vaughan and Robbie McMillan (both on the Australian swoop team) were doing synchronised 270s into switchblades (finishing with both toggles in one hand). Very cool to watch.

Topic for discussion:

True or false: Lightnings can land well if and only if you are willing to use your front risers on approach.

(I'm talking no- to low-wind days, now, not the nice ones where anyone can land tippy-toe...)

"Yes, that's right - spend it all on the schools, not the war...oh wait, my special translator phone is upside down. Disregard."

I'm so glad Johnny got to leave this plane the way he did - shortly after leaving a plane. Not many people get to die doing what they love.

He was indeed an institution at ZHills, and I can't imagine the place without him. Interacting with Johnny was always a highlight of my time there and my visits back there.

He used his humor to make people feel good, and I will never forget the way his irreverent rib-poking provided some rare laughs during a time of great personal pain for me. He also knew when a joke had gone too far, and was quick to let me know what was up when some other pranksters had crossed a cruel line. While he had, as someone has mentioned, the playful spirit of an 18-year-old, he had the wisdom that comes with as many years on the planet as he had accrued, and he would on occasion dispense that wisdom if you knew how to listen.

Johnny organized and rode tail on my 500th jump - a Magic Carpet Ride that went to s**t but was an absolute hoot - just like him.

Blue skies, Brother.
Muff #2323