freakyrat

Hey Dave What about this one and it applies to straight or gay. A gay couple or a straight married couple have 401K programs at work. If either the gay couple wants to leave theirs to the surviving partner or someone else or either one of the straight couple want's to leave theirs to one of their children or someone else who is not ones spouse the IRS takes a 10% cut upfront. Goes for a single person to. Talk about unfair. Also for employees of the federal government or many state governments, any hope of achieving equality in the form of domestic partnership benefits for the gay couple would be out the window if a constitutional amendment would be ratified defining marriage. Hospital visitation rights, health insurance benefits, benefits for adopted children and the list goes on and on. A lot of private Fortune 500 companies already provide these benefits to their gay employees because they feel "it's the right thing to do" . Al this would be in jeopardy if a constitutional amendment is ratified. I personally feel we can provide equality for all without destroying the institution of marriage or getting religion involved. Chris

"I think they might go for a tandem" Good a little education goes a long way. Chris

My Mirage is in a nondescript kitbag that meets the airlines size requirements. I pack my RW suit along side of it and put my helmet in the right hand corner. My freefly suit goes in the top pocket along with my logbook and my USPA credentials, package of rubber bands etc. go in a pocket inside this one. I use the Aero Tech Products (Deland, FL) kitbag which is nondescript and meets sizing requirements. I'm amazed how well everything fits. Zipping off the front pocket that also serves as a backpack makes this very convenient for travel. The main bag fits under the seat in all aircraft or in the overhead. The main bag has fit in the overhead of regional jets and also Saab340 aircraft. The whole bag also fits sideways under the seat of RJ's and also ATR's and Dash8 aircraft. Separating the two bags makes it convenient for the small overheads of RJ's etc. I usually take my helmet in a separate helmet bag except when I fly on AIRTRAN which has a strict one bag limit. Then it's not been a problem as the 717 overhead has large bins. Happy travelling Chris I always travel with my rig in a kitbag.

Lawndart You'll be happy to know that TSA finally has procedures in place for screening our gear at airports. The exact procedures are classified information but USPA has the pertinent data published on their website. This should alleviate some of the problems. Chris

TSA has finally put procedures ito effect so carrying on your rig should be no problem now. The news in the USPA website. Chris

I think the TSA just doesn't want to give a potential terrorist any ideas while keeping things Ok for us and keeping us as inconspicuous as possible from the other airline passengers. The same reason that we can obtain a copy of the regulations governing parachutes for transport on Southwest Airlines from their counter supervisor but these same regulations are not published in their reservations computer or on their baggage rules on their website. They choose to make this sensitive information for our sake and the safety of other passengers. Chris

Actually I had some of this information on August 13th in my conversations with the Deputy TSA Director of the Palm Springs, Ca airport. I had a minor problem clearing security with my gear last January. He was going to Fax me a copy of the directive but he didn't. Now I know why since it was sensitive information and I can understand that. I called Ed Scot the next day and he wanted to get a copy of the TSA data if they did Fax it to me. I think the hassles should be over with if we follow a few simple rules contained in the USPA info. However I don't thnk putting your jumpsuit, gloves, pull-up cords, stow bands, helmet, audibles. and altimeter along with your USPA credentials in your kitbag is going to arouse any more suspicion from the screeners. i have a nice Aero Tech Products kitbag that fits my Mirage G3 MT sized container along with all of the above and still meets the size requirements etc. Some of the screeners must have also had this info before the WFFC because the Bloomington-Normal airport screeners seemed to know what rigs look like etc and I just breezed right on through Chris

Kevin The TSA regulations ref: transportation of parachute rigs were issued to the TSA Airport Directors for each airport a couple of weeks ago. This was what the USPA and TSA and others have worked on over the past year or so. Happy to see it finally making it to the screeners. Which airport were you flying out of Hobby or IAH? I flew out of Hobby to the WFFC with no problems and also out of Bloomington-Normal returning with no Problems. When I got back there was a message on my answering machine to call the Asst. TSA Director at PSP (where I had a problem last Jan.) I called and he gave me the scoop on the new procedures which were posted in this forum several weeks ago a part of which you encountered at one of our Houston airports when the TSA employees followed the correct procedure with no hassles. I might ad, Cypres has a new card that is issued with the Cypres2 that shows exactly in living color what a rig and Cypres looks like through the X-ray machines. The card explains each part of the AAD. Another part of the cooperation that has been going on between them, The USPA and TSA to make our flights a little more hassle free. Chris

Sorry guys I didn't read the list fully. I'm glad they include Stevie Ray. Chris

Geez Johnny, I had one similar on my Stilleto about two years ago. I was making a freefly jump with Larry Simmons (crazylarry) at Skydive Dallas. I didn't stow my right brake properly and the right toggle keeper got ripped from the riser on opening. The canopy started to go into a hard right spin but I grabbed the left rear riser and brought the canopy .back over my head and released the left brake and toggle and the rest of the flight was uneventful. Needless to say Larry, being a rigger, severely chastised me when we got back upstairs as he was repairing the riser with a new toggle keeper. I learned a valuable lesson from that one. I had an opening on the same canopy about three months ago that it tried to go into a left hand dive on opening and I brought the canopy back over my head with the right rear riser. I had about 5 line twists after that and I started kicking out of them. By the time I got out of them my Stiletto had taken me about a mile and a half east of the DZ. Since I opened at a comfortable altitude I still made it back. Haven't had a problem since. Always make sure your brake lines are stowed properly. Give a tug on them above toggles to make sure. Leave enough line in the container per your manufacturers instructions and things should go a lot better on deployment. Also use the small rubber bands to hold the stows. They seem to keep everything tight and in place and give a good even deployment. PD sells the ones they furnish with their canopies when you buy one and they are very reasonably priced and a big bag will last close to a year. Best of luck down the road. Blue Skies Chris

THose eliptical cuttaways are sure entertaining. Sounds similiar to my experience several years ago but different canopy Chris

Scot Just did a search on the TSA website. Mr. William Hall is the TSA Security Director for JFK. Address your letter to him. Chris

American Airlines has a policy in their Sabre computer system under Baggage Sports Equipment that allows Sport Parachute rigs to be transported as long as they are not containing dangerous materials. It seems that lately some of these TSA screeners are making up their own rules. I would ask who the TSA Security Director is for JFK and write him/her a long letter and include your skydiving credentials and also support documents form the USPA website and also support documents from SSK ref. Cypres being unregulated and non-hazardous. The USPA and TSA have agreed un a solution to this problem and it is presently out in the field to the TSA directors for comment. The solution was posted in another part of this forum and Jimbo has posted the links in the above post. Incidently the Deputy Director for the PSP airport in California never did send me that FAX on this subject. Chris

I've had no problems flying out of Midway on Southwest with my rig. In fact I flew out of Midway on Southwest after Roger's funeral with my rig and no problems at al. The line wasn't even that long at the x-ray machines. I think the TSA at Midway have it in for Mayor Daley and that's where some of the problem lies. Chrisl

Delta has a blurb about parachutes in their baggage regulations posted on their website. Chris

TSA has a draft copy of their agreement with USPA out to the field for comments. The TSA Director for your airport probably has a copy of it. It has not been made public to the skydiving community as of yet. Most airports are no problem. There is also a new Cypres card that comes with the Cypres2. It shows what a complete rig looks like under the CTX5000 scanners that most airports are using and describes the assembly in detail. This is all part of the work that USPA is doing with TSA. Andyman posted a copy of it here in another thread. I was supposed to have a FAX from the Deputy TSA Director of Palm Springs Airport but have not received it yet. It is a draft copy of their agreement with USPA and contains the guidelines from Ed Scott of USPA that Paul Quade posted here in another thread. If you fly Southwest they have a blurb about parachutes and Cypres in their baggage manual that a counter superviser can get for you from their computer. It's listed under Baggage-Parachutes. Most of the TSA screeners are up to snuff on pararchutes now. A few like to make their own rules it seems, like the ones did at Midway in Chicago recently. For what it's worth I flew through Midway with my rig recently with no problems whatsoever. Chris

I never had a problem at Midway and recently flew out of there after Roger's funeral. I flew Southwest and went out about 4;30 PM in the afternoon on a weekday. The screener knew it was a parachute. My Mirage weighs about 18lbs. in a kitbag minus my other gear. My bag etc is within size limits. TSA has a new written policy that was worked out with the USPA and SSK on this whole issue and it is being released to the TSA Security Director's out in the field for comments. Maybe since the TSA has the ass for Mayor Daley they are taking it out on some of the passengers and you just happened to be this particular screeners target. Chris

Chris Agree with your comments about dropzone.com. I'm going to read my Fax when I get into work today and find some way to Mr. Gormans FAX up here on this forum. I may post the gist of it or copy it to a disc and post it as an attachment. Chris

My condolences to Pop's family and friends. Chris

When I got home last night there was a message on my answering machine from the Deputy Airport Director for TSA at Palm Springs-PSP. As you all recall from my previous posts, I had a problem getting my rig through security last January but in the end prevailed. Some good news. The proposed travel policy on parachute rigs and Cypres that was worked on extensively by Ed Scott from USPA and Cliff Schmucker of SSK , John Andrus of Southwest Airlines and others in cooperation with TSA and posted here is finally getting to the field for comments. Mr. Gorman who is the Deputy TSA Director for this airport remembered my correspondence with his boss and looked up my file and asked for my FAX number so he can send a copy of it to me for my comments. He was fully aware of all the efforts that were put into this and basically agrees with the proposal. I mentioned that Paul had posted it here and that I would take a look at it and as he requested to see that it matched up. I also asked him to FAX a copy of it to Cliff at SSK and Ed Scott at USPA We had a conversation on the phone about the new Cypres card that comes with the Cypres2, pictures of which were posted in this forum on a different thead. This is all part of this extensive communication effort to get the TSA screeners educated on this issue. He was fully aware of all this, The x-ray pictures that TSA has of our rigs pretty much match those on the new card. Incidentally I just travelled back from the WFFC through BMI-Bloomington-Normal on AIRTRAN back to HOU-Houston Hobby. The security screeners knew it was a rig an all it's components and I had no problems. I showed one of them the new Cypres card which they were aware of. Maybe it was that for the last two years they seen rigs come through there but I think all these cooperative efforts by some hard working dedicated people on our behalf have finally started paying off. I think it's just nice to get this feedback from the TSA, both in January and now. It shows that when people put in the effort and when skydivers are polite to the screeners, who have a hard job anyway, things do pay off. Chris

Add BMI- Bloomington-Normal IL to the list of go airports. No problems using that airport departing Rantoul. Chris

Just got a phone call from Lee Gorman Deputy TSA Director from Palm Springs. The policy on parachute rigs and Cypres as worked on by Ed Scott of USPA and Cliff Schmucker of SSK (Cypres) is now out in the field for comments. It essentially say's what quade posted here. He is sending me a copy of it form my comments since I was the one that had a minor problem getting through the security screening checkpoint with my rig in January but eventually I convinced enough people with enough documentation that it was OK. TSA will finally have a policy published in their screener training manual thanks to a lot of hard work by Ed Scott (USPA) , Cliff Schmucker (SSK-CYPRES) John Andrus (Southwest Airlines) and others. Incidently I had no problem travelling to the WFFC on Airtran at either end. Chris

I just got home from work and I picked up my messages from my answering machine. I got a call from the Deputy TSA Director at Palm Springs. (Airport where I had a minor problem travelling with my gear last Jan) Seems like a draft copy of the TSA policy in regards to parachutes and Cypres that was worked on by Ed Scott of the USPA is getting to the field. It essentially says the same thing that Quade posted here recently. The TSA directors got a copy of it for comments. (They also know about the new Cypres card etc.) He is Faxing this draft copy to me tomorrow to see what I think. They have my letters with Ed Scott's phone and Fax Numbers along with those of Cliff Schmucker from SSK (Cypres). I just got off. I advised him to send Ed and Cliff a copy. Lee (TSA Deputy Director< PSP) is sending me the policy to see what I think about it. Should be good for us finally to have a NATIONAL POLICY regarding travelling with our gear and not just some hit an miss thing at each individual airport. So looks like the USPA'S efforts are finally paying off for us. Chris

FUNNNNYYYYY

The DC-10 is actually an MD-11. great pictures.