freakyrat

Some of you guys are making a big issue out of not much. Cypres is allowed period. USPA has a letter on therir website stating this. Southwest's Director of Safety, Mr. John Andrus was istrumental in getting them approved. Also in ref. to an eirlier post about Delta. I've flown them in and out of Atlanta with my rig with no problems. If you get hassled by the TSA people at security ask them to do and EDS wipedown of your rig and it will pass. It only takes a few minutes and You'll be on your way to the gate. I fly Delta, Continental, Soutwest and Airtran with my rig all the time with no hassles. Chris

Dan Enjoy that Stiletto and be safe. I jump a 120 Stiletto and just wouldn't have anything else because I just don't want to go any faster. I've had one cutaway on the canopy when I only had twenty jumps on it. Turned into a Spinetto and was very entertaining. I enjoyed the PD143R reserve ride and am still jumping the 120. It has tried the Spinetto routine once more due to I feel my changing my packing technique but I got on it real quick and was able to kick out of the line twists. I went back to my old packing technique and the canopy has opened fine scince. Chris

It's not weird at all. I can fly in a plane, skydive etc and it doesn't bother me. Long time ago I was on the roof of a tall building in my hometown watching a fireworks display and couldn't stand getting close to the edge. It just made me feel creepy. To sum up, It seems perfectly normal for me. Some base jumpers need to chime in on this one. Chris

Southwest's Director Of Corporate Safety, Mr John Andrus is the person who got Cypres approved in the first place and is quite familiar with the situation as are all Southwest agents. Chris

ASTROGLIDE

I had some minor problems in Palm Springs which I wrote about in an earlier post. I wrote the TSA security director at Palm Springs after I got home. He was a former ATC specialist. I gave him a litle bit about my bacckground in aviation and skydiving and enclosed the info that was posted below from the USPA website and also the DOT approval letter for Cypres that was on their website. We talked over the phone before I mailed the data to him. He sent me a nice letter back informing me that he would make sure the entire screener workforce was familiar with parachutes and the DOT Cypres approval and would take it up with the TSA training department. TSA incidently should have new guidlines in place regarding parachutes and Cypres as per the tests they conducted with USPA at NAFEC in Atlantic City. Chris

XP Home Edition Chris

I got pulled over several years ago while driving to Mullin's place in TN. It was in Moscow, TN. Though I was already out of town and accelerated too soon. Officer was nice though and I just mailed the fine in. Chris

Patrick I can't post the letter here because it exceeds what can be posted in a PDF format but it essentially said that He would make sure that all screening personnel at Palm Springs are aware of the cooperative effort between USPA and TSA to educate the screener workforce with respect to Cypres equipped parachute rigs NOT being classified as Dangerous Goods (DG). In addition , on a national scale I can remind the TSA Training Directorate that more information specific to traveling with parachute rigs and devices may benefit all parties. I might add that the TSA director at Palm Springs has an extensive background in aviation as I do with both of us having been Air Traffic Controllers in the military and him being a former Flight Service Specialist with the FAA a job that I still hold. I just think it is all a matter of basic communication and the more that gets out there the eisier it's going to be for everybody. Chris

I flew out of Palm Springs this past January. TSA does the wipedown of your bag right in front of you at the ticket counter and the hands the tagged bag back to the airline. Nice and convenient. My rig was a different story however when I went through security. I had to spend some ten minutes explaining it etc. Finally a TSA supervisor who was familiar with skydiving gear got me through etc.. When I got home I contacted USPA and SSK (Cypres). I went to the TSA web site and found out who the security director for Palm Springs was and I called him and wrote him a long letter stating the facts concerning my experience with security and received this nice letter back from him I'm sending a copy of it to the USPA and maybe SSK. It's all about communication and TSA is suppose to have guidelines for parachute rigs issued within the next two weeks. This should eliminate the hassles.

Gotta Love the Thousands Standing Around. Remind's me of when I flew Airtran from Hobby in early December. They have the only gate on Concourse B. My flight was a full B717 (117 pass.) They had 11 screeners on the concourse. That's 1 screener for every 11.7 passengers. Go figure that one out. Chris

I sent mine in on December 7th by Fedex Overnight and got it back on December 26th Chris Skydive Houston

Hey you guys, They were ignorant a little bit with me in Palm Springs, CA last weekend but I still got my rig onboard after one of the TSA supervisors said to let me through as the parachutes are OK and that Cypres is non hazardous and airliners have plug-type doors etc. These people (X-Ray Screeners) did not want to see all the paperwork I had from the USPA and Cypres. I called the TSA security director for Palm Springs on Tuesday. He said that after the work that USPA has been doing with TSA guidelines for transporting parachutes are coming form TSA withing the next two weeks. End of Story. Chris

I managed to book a reservation in the Days Inn in Champaign as the Super8 in Rantoul is full. Also for those close to an Airtran city Airtran flies to Blomington-Normal which is a lot closer than Midway. If the Convention were in Fayettville, or Blytheville, AR I can drive. BLytheville is an old Air Force Base with huge runways for the 727 etc. Something to think about. Chris

I had a conversation yesterday with Mr Thomas Anthony the TSA Security Director at Palm Springs. In our conversation I relayed to him my recent experience when going through security at Palm Springs. I read his Bio off the TSA site before I sent him the letter and called him from work. Turns out he's a former Air Traffic Control Specialist and has worked the same job I do but at the Los Angeles area FSS so we were on the same page. He informed me that TSA has the x-rays that were done on rigs with USPA at NAFEC in Atlantic City and will have guidelines in regard to parachutes to issue to their screeners in about two weeks. This should alleviate the ocassional hassle we go through at the airports as soon as all the screeners in the country are on the same page. That was good news. He still wanted me to mail him my letter explaining what happened to me so he could take some positive steps in the training department so it wouldn't happen again. Chris

Yes you leave the hooknife at home. I always have a checked bag with my clothes and I put the hooknife in there. Chris

Hey Zenister I'm the one who started this thread and I just recently returned form Perris via Palm Springs, CA. I was attending a convention of pilots Private and Airline. I flew America West and America West Express. No problems going from Houston through Phoenix. Returning was a different story though. I put up with about ten minutes of hassle at Palm Springs. They really didn't object to the Cypres. It was the rig. I had all the Cypres paperwork form the Airtec website and the USPA paperwork from their site. I also had the Cypres manual that clearly states that the AAD is a Non-Hazardous item. The guy running the x-ray machine was a problem. The lady at the x-ray machine didn't even want to read the paperwork that I had. She used tha lame brain excuse that it was printed from the Airtec and USPA website. She didn't even look at the second page I printed from the USPA website that dealed with USPA and the TSA. The young Palm Springs cop on duty also was an ignoramous who used the excuse that" Why shouldn't I check it" I insisted that the gear was worth to much money to do that and I firmly stood my ground. I finally got a supervisor and the lady explained to all the other "inherently governmental" TSA screeners at the machine that look "he has all this paperwork the doors on the sircraft are plug type that open inward and cannot be opened in flight and that parachute rigs are OK and that the Cypres is non-explosive. Hurray Huray for someone who finally new her stuff. I thanked her for her knowledge about skydiving and went to my gate.time and went to my gate and the rest of the trip was uneventful. I believe in safety of flight etc but after flying a lot this past year I beleive we have created a monster in this TSA agency and that's why people aren't willing to put up with the real hassle to fly. I could say more like the Airtran flight I took to Atlanta several weeks ago (Houston Hobby) that had 11 screeners for one 117 passenger Boeing 717 aircraft with their's being the only gate and airline on concourse "B" . The palne was full so that makes a screener for every 11 passengers. Or the return flight out of Flint, MI where five ederly grandma's in wheelchairs were thoroughly gate searched whis delayed the flight 15 minutes. It is just cosmetic overkill and does nothing to improve safety period. I plan to follow up my Palm Spring's experience with Ed Scott, from USPA tomorrow along with Cliff from SSK. I may also write the TSA Security Director for the Palm Springs, Airport but on second thought that's the Ed's job at USPA. The skydiving at Perris this weekend was just great with great weather. Chris

Funny. I flew Continental to Atlanta in November from Houston IAH and had no problem with my rig at either airport. I flew Delta last summer to Midway (WFFC) and had no problem in Houston, Cincinatti, Midway or Atlanta. Chris

TSA (Thousands Standing Around). Most of them TSA people have already been educated about our gear but some airports just hanen't got a clue yet. I took some pictures of my Cypres when it was out of my Mirage for it's 4-yr maint. and also took one of the pilot chute. I'm flying to Palm Springs next weekend on America West and I'll let everyone know how it go's. I've never had a problem and don't anticipate one. Chris Skydive Houston

Brett Take the letter from the SSK website showing Dot's approval for Cypres along with the USPA"s recent letter explaining USPA's contacts with the TSA reference this. also at your next reserve repack take the Cypres out and take pictures of the various parts. The Card is practically useless. Sound's like the TSA people at Orlando were overly ambitious. The Spirit people really were clueless also. Also call Ed Scott at the USPA so the USPA can handle this with officials of Spirit Airlines just as they got this resolved with JetBlue. Chris

If you can't find an AME also try and Ear, Nose and Throat specialist (ENT). I had something very similiar a couple of months back when I would tilt my head to the drinking fountain etc or look down and up quickly I would get a little dizzy. My general practitioner doctor found that I had a small amount of fluid buildup in my right ear from maybe a sinus infection etc. After the fluid dried up I'm fine. It took about 2 months to clear up though Chris

When Don Kirlin opened the door leading to the removed stairway the sound of that center engine was really LOUD. Exit was like getting sucked out. It was nice making a speed star. We made an SCR for a jumper and me and him and his brother just dogpiled on top of each other on exit and formed a base just below the plane. The dive was really cool after that with bodies suddenly tracking up to us and some diving down we had a 13 way with one out and when we went thru a cloud layer that had moved over the airport we were right over the Quincy terminal building. The spot couldn't have been better. It is still one of the coolest skydives i've made. I hope Don can finally secure one for us again so as to give some of you folks who haven't jumped it an experience. Chris

Paul Let's just hope the rain and the mud stops before the MLK holiday weekend. I have some business in Palm Springs that weekend with a pilot group and I plan to bring my gear anyway and probably jump on Thursday or Friday of that weekend. Chris

Check my earlier posts about Travellin with your rig. The USPA and TSA have done tests with a variety of rig and AAD combinatiions at the TSA's lab in Atlantic City, NJ. NO test has set off any alarms on any of the machines. The data is on the USPA website. I also have the attachment posted with my original post. Also I personaly took pictures of my Reserve Pilot Chute and Cypres Components while my Cypres was out for 4-yr maintenance. www.pia.com/SSK also has the DOT letter posted on their website. Yeah this subject has been beat to death, Chris

Hey Paul I was a Perris last Easter and was doing a RW dive in the early morning. I came in for a swoopy landing on the grass with my Stletto 120 and at the last minute my jumpsuit booties got a little slick and my feet slipped out from under me and I slid a little bit on my ass. Didn't get any stains on the rig at all but I laughed my ass off about it cause it happened so suddenly. Chris