Mr17Hz

Or, you can use a modern day replacement for JumpRun, RealDropzone http://www.realdropzone.com and pay only 1/2 of a % for each customer, instead of over 5%. Yeesh guys. I've had a tough time selling $0.95 per tandem. Good luck selling $10.00!!! Before anyone rattles on about marketing, take a look at what a GOOGLE or BING search returns for "Chicago Skydiving", and tell me how great of a marketing benefit Proskydiving is giving to Chicagoland Skydiving Center - 5th on the list. The first three, mind you - are websites hosted with RealDropzone (Skydive Chicago runs this product), legitimate search engine optimization at its best. Not convinced? Try some chicago based keyword variations. If you're interested in a full featured application to manage your tandem reservations AND manifesting, you don't need to wait for JumpRun 6 and lock yourself into over 5% for online reservations... You can use RealDropzone and pay only $0.95 cents per tandem AND it is available now. I'll be at the USPA's DZO Conference in Reno. See you all there. Matt Christenson [email protected] http://www.RealDropzone.com - A new breed of dropzone manifest software.

I can tweak RealDropzone to run as a hosted application which can be accessed via mac, you would need one PC server. Depending on your printing and other device needs you might also need a Citrix Metaframe license. Check out www.realdropzone.com, if your operation is small enough and you don't require some of the more advanced features of the software we could set up a hosted solution that would cost you less than the price of 1 tandem each month. Matt Christenson [email protected] http://www.RealDropzone.com - A new breed of dropzone manifest software.

I think this is most powerful for dropzones who have "Off Seasons" when they are still open but don't do much business. If gift certificates are sold in this quantity but are only redeemable March-May, it can help to snowball a new season of "word-of-mouth" marketing, as well as get your staff busy early in the year so that when the weather gets nice everyone feels like they are already mid-season. Also the cost to the dropzone is often less during this time because the planes are going up with empty slots on a daily basis... that 9th slot on a plane costs the DZ much less than the first 8! Many people introduced to the sport in this way will bring friends or come back again, and they will definatly be talking to ALL of their friends about the "killer" deal they got online to jump out of an airplane. Matt Christenson [email protected] http://www.RealDropzone.com - A new breed of dropzone manifest software.

I think you'll have a hard time coming close to what I've put together at www.RealDropzone.com, I just came back from an installation at Skydive Hawaii and I'm rolling out a new version at Skydive Chicago this week. The software is the only product out there that considers BOTH manifesting and a RESERVATION system around tandems as a single solution, both online and run locally at the dropzone. If you *really* want to put time into a solution, I would be happy to work with you to identify needs that RealDropzone does not yet cover, and help to integrate the product with your new ideas. How are you with objective C? I am considering a native iPhone application that jumpers can use to manifest themselves... If you want to turn this into more than just a hobby, I can also put you in touch with DZOs who have asked me for more but whome I have not been able to deliver a product at the desired price range, what are your specific ideas and what development platform are you looking to solve these problems with? Matt Christenson [email protected] http://www.RealDropzone.com - A new breed of dropzone manifest software.

Again, I don't make the rules I just digitize them, but just to ad some more insight to the conversation, the starting price for a tandem at this facility is $125, and they will never take anyone over 250... How many others have prices close to $125 for a tandem? I think it's an unfortunate product of local competition. Matt Christenson [email protected] http://www.RealDropzone.com - A new breed of dropzone manifest software.

Whats the reasoning behind the policy?. I can see a lot of people being upset at price differentiation because of weight. Ridiculous!!. Our DZ is 95 kg max. It makes absolutely no difference if the weight is on or below the limit. I don't know the reason. It may have something to do with the fact that on airports with multiple dropzones there are often major price wars when it comes to advertised prices. I don't even know how much or at what threshold. I don't make the rules I just digitize them! Matt Christenson [email protected] http://www.RealDropzone.com - A new breed of dropzone manifest software.

I am editing my manifest management software to accomidate student weights in a more advanced way. Part of the requirements for this dropzone is that they charge extra for each pound over a certain threshold. I am wondering how common this is? How many dropzones would benefit from software that would be able to calculate prices automatically by customer weight? Thoughts? Suggestions? Thanks! Matt Christenson [email protected] http://www.RealDropzone.com - A new breed of dropzone manifest software.

I sure am, My office number is currently in limbo, I'm having a hard time getting it transferred from Vonage. You can reach me on my cell phone at 630.688.7911, and you can email me at [email protected] Matt Christenson [email protected] http://www.RealDropzone.com - A new breed of dropzone manifest software.

JumpRun 4.0 and 5.0 use nearly the same architecture, just different code and dataschema. It's likely only the installation application itself that is not allowing the install to take place because there is no reason why the jumprun binaries should not run on windows 7. If you're technically savvy you may try manually registering the required dlls. Just curious, are you using the 32 or 64 bit version of Windows 7? This is an entirely different issue. Other options include running JumpRun on a server and then using remote desktop or citrix to connect to it on a windows 7 machine, or setting up jumprun inside a virtual machine. You could also, of course, consider moving to a more modern manifest application, like the product described at www.realdropzone.com Matt Christenson [email protected] http://www.RealDropzone.com - A new breed of dropzone manifest software.

Other DotNetNuke websites include: http://www.SkydiveChicago.com http://www.SkydiveHawaii.com http://www.SkydiveRadio.com I have some training videos up on http://www.realdropzone.com (also running DNN) that show how to use a number of DotNetNuke features, click on the "Content Management" Category. Check out www.snowcovered.com for a bunch of third party modules for DNN, they do cost money but are extremely reasonable. I've build and developed modules for another dozen websites that are not in the skydiving industry using DNN to include some very high volume news/publishing sites. You can check out www.alldnnskins.com for a number of skins that can start you off with a templated look and feel. I started a site a number of years ago to contain some DNN knowledge at www.makenukehappen.com however it never really took off (lack of invested time); there are however a few articles on there that you might find interesting. Matt Christenson [email protected] http://www.RealDropzone.com - A new breed of dropzone manifest software.

www.RealDropzone.com Matt Christenson [email protected] http://www.RealDropzone.com - A new breed of dropzone manifest software.

Define "soon". Seriously... If the settlement happened out of court and part of it means you can't talk about it, the least you could do is say that you can't talk about it, so we don't all keep our hopes up for closure. Matt Christenson [email protected] http://www.RealDropzone.com - A new breed of dropzone manifest software.

You're way off here. "meth", is methamphetamine, which is not the same as amphetamine. Adderall is effectively a variety of amphetamine's of different forms. it's generic name is "amphetamine salts". The "meth" in methamphetamine comes from the chemical name "methyl". The chemical Methamphetamine is composed of an amphetamine molecule with an additional methyl group attached to it's nitrogen (amine). A methyl is one of the simplest atomic groups which can be added to a molecule: it is a single carbon atom with a set of 3 (usually) hydrogens. The Methyl part of methamphetamines DRAMATICALLY changes the way in which the body absorbs this chemical. It effectively increases both the rate and amount which is absorbed. If you don't have ADD and want to experience it, stay up 30 hours in a row, and then take a 1 mile run. Now, try to function at 100% without getting distracted or forgetting what needs to be done. It will be difficult because parts of your brain have shut off because they are "tired" This is effectivaly what ADD is, a condition in which parts of the brain stay "asleep" when the body wakes up. Adderall, and other amphetamine drugs, are a safe form of releasing a steady supply of amphetamines into the brain at a safe rate for those who have chemical producing brain deficiancies that cause certain parts of the brain to "Sleep" when they should be awake. Matt Christenson [email protected] http://www.RealDropzone.com - A new breed of dropzone manifest software.

I’ve had Attention Deficit Disorder all my live, to a very extreme degree (with brainwave activity scans to prove it). It can be extremely dangerous to Skydive if you have severe ADD and are not able to control it with mental, dietary, or pharmaceutical means. The trick to see if you’re ready is this: • Make yourself a list of the things you want to do before and after a Skydive. • Keep a small sheet in your pocket and mark off things as you do them. • After two skydives, are you still remembering to fill out this sheet? If you can’t reliably do it physically you’re sure not going to be able to do it mentally. This isn’t a matter of laziness; it’s a matter of ADD, or “absent mindedness”. • If after your first two skydives of the day, you remembered to mark down every step – skydive the rest of the day keeping track of things mentally, for as long as you’re in the routine – but if you break the routine and return start up with your sheet again. This is going to sound overly simple and silly to a lot of people, but unless you’ve actually experienced uncontrolled ADD symptoms you can’t realize how hard it can be to function normally with the necessary thought patterns needed to prevent disaster in this sport, even though you look normal and capable to everyone else. People who are ADD are particularly susceptible to making poor spontaneous decisions that have a lack of thought behind them. Make sure that you don’t do ANYTHING that you have not first planned out. Hopping on a load at the last minute is when you’re likely to forget that really important thing. Take the time to go through your mental list and manifest for the next load. Don’t let peer pressure force you to make decisions too quickly. As soon as you’re in the skydive, this will no longer be a safety issue, because adrenaline released will cause full alertness (this is what medicines that treat ADD do… release a continuous stream of adrenaline.). You’re likely to find that your first skydive of the day works as medicine could otherwise, providing you with better clarity for the rest of the day. Also, on a personal note, if your ADD is severe enough, I highly recommend you find a doctor who is able to work with you to find a control mechanism that is right for you. This may be in the form of establishing habits, dietary changes, mental exercises, or medicine. If you’re thinking “I tried the medicine and it didn’t work”, you must realize that there are numerous medications available, and even something as simple as the dosages can completely change what a medicine does to you. Matt Christenson [email protected] http://www.RealDropzone.com - A new breed of dropzone manifest software.

There are 8 National Directors, and 14 Regional Directors. Plus, the Executive Director, and perhaps one other member from staff to help in the execution of everything... that's 24 people. It takes a lot of real cash to get 24 people from all over the country into the same place at the same. Airfare, airport parking, hotel stays, food, transportation, tolls, mileage, conference room rental... Even without actually paying the directors any money for their time, a lot goes into expenses. Matt Christenson [email protected] http://www.RealDropzone.com - A new breed of dropzone manifest software.

RealDropzone, the product, has been tested extensively in production. It's rock-solid and any critical errors that do come up with be resolved quickly and professionally. The forums at www.RealDropzone.com have been up for less than 2 weeks and I am purposely testing beta software because of its less-than-critical nature. Matt Christenson [email protected] http://www.RealDropzone.com - A new breed of dropzone manifest software.

Apparently you didn’t read my post. I’ll go back and put the part where it’s a free service in BOLD for you. Matt Christenson [email protected] http://www.RealDropzone.com - A new breed of dropzone manifest software.

As some of you may know, I’ll be releasing a Dropzone management software product to the industry next month at the PIA Symposium, there is more information about it here: http://www.RealDropzone.com With a release version of the software completed, I’m beginning to look at what new services to offer in the second major release. Because the product handles flight manifesting, and because it is an online-connected solution; I have the capability to have jump information exported and used to feed jumps into an online jump log service. ( privacy will be managed at both the dropzone and individual jumper level ) I will be developing this online jump log service through the course of this year, it may not even be released before the end of the year, but like any project it won’t be finished until it’s been started. I need some help from everyone about what they would like to see. Some of the features included will be: * This will be an entirely free service. There may be ads and an opportunity to upgrade accounts to allow for more video or image storage, but the free service will include enough storage for the average jumper, and then some. * The ability to manage a jump log online, regardless of where the jumps were made. * Ability to associate uploaded videos with jump. * Ability to associate uploaded photos with jump. * Ability to identify who else was on your jump, and to see content they’ve uploaded as well. * The ability to share jump log information on other social networking sites, such as MySpace, Facebook, and Dropzone.com. * Ability to upload flight details from digital altimeters. * Ability to keep jump log private, public, or allow ‘friends’ to view. * Ability to ‘print’ entire jump log easily for personal storage. * Ability to update log entries from mobile devices such as an iPhone. Part of this will also allow skydivers to create personal profiles, where they can indicate their industry history, as what gear they one. This will help to allow malfunction and other gear related notes to each jump. I would also like to incorporate some sort of ‘digital signature’ technology that allows skydivers to ‘sign’ each other’s online logbooks so that it has the potential to completely replace written jump logs; however this would require the support of governing organizations. It would be great if I could get the USPA to manage the ‘licenses and ratings” portion of the skydiver’s profile so that accuracy can be maintained. While this will be a social networking like site, I am going to do my best to architect it in such a way that it is more ‘portable’ between different social networking sites, so that you may be able to manage jumps from within your favorite social networking portal – however as these standards and protocols are still being ironed out, I don’t have the complete solution envisioned… Just bits and pieces. Please help me to help you! Shoot as many ideas at me as you can, no matter how simple or complex they might seem… The best public services come from the best public brainstorming! **Edited to put the part about this being a free service in BOLD, so that ozzy13 can see it. Matt Christenson [email protected] http://www.RealDropzone.com - A new breed of dropzone manifest software.

You can view old websites by using the 'way back' machine at www.archive.org It's also a fun place to look at old versions of websites. Matt Christenson [email protected] http://www.RealDropzone.com - A new breed of dropzone manifest software.

Hi Bill I'm reading lots of doom and gloom about the safety record/practices at the non USPA DZ's. Can you back up what your saying with staticical facts?. Without naming specific DZ's or incidents how many US fatalities in the last year occured at non GMDZ's? R.I.P. This statistic would provide no relevance unless it was put into proportion against "Jumps made at USPA Dropzones" verse "Jumps made at non USPA Dropzones". Because the majority of jumps take place at large dropzones and the majority of large dropzones are USPA members, it would be expected that the number of fatalities at USPA dropzones would exceed those at non-USPA dropzones. Matt Christenson [email protected] http://www.RealDropzone.com - A new breed of dropzone manifest software.

I have a new software product being released in a few weeks at the PIA Symposium in Reno, NV. The product covers many capabilities that SkyWriter does not. In addition to well rounded flight manifesting capabilities it has very extensive capabilities for managing Tandem Reservations, Event Registration, and numerous online content management tools. The product is licensed on a per-jump basis, so that the price is scaled to the size of your Dropzone. The online marketing capabilities alone will pay for the product and then some. No other solution available to date has the ability to increase both new and recurring Tandem Skydiving sales while providing all of the time-saving capabilities that you would expect from a manifesting and reservation management product. You can read more about the product at http://www.RealDropzone.com On the product’s website you will find a cost-benefit analysis that demonstrates why the product will actually bring more dollars in new and recurring business than the product will cost to operate. By choosing to operate RealDropzone you’ll be using a small percent of your marketing budget and won’t need to touch your operational budget at all. There are numerous training and demonstration videos available to view online on the website. Please give the product a few hours research before you make any business decisions that will directly affect the bottom line of your business. If you will be at the USPA Membership meetings, DZO Conference, or PIA Symposium in Reno next month, I would be happy to give you a personal demonstration of the product and it’s capabilities. Blue Skies, Matt Christenson Matt Christenson [email protected] http://www.RealDropzone.com - A new breed of dropzone manifest software.

This is how it is already done. Larger DZ's with multiple planes/turbines have to pay more then a 182 DZ and they have to pay more then a club that does not own an airplane. Aircraft quantity isn't acurate enough. Many dropzones have idle aircraft during many months of the year. A fee based on number of flights would be more realistic and easy to calculate because dropzones are already required to keep these flight logs. Matt Christenson [email protected] http://www.RealDropzone.com - A new breed of dropzone manifest software.

B I N G O we have a winner!! The numbers are as follows BOD's create no revenue and cost the membership approx. every year. Group membership takes in $71,000 per year and costs the membership approx. per year. So where do you think that difference comes from? It comes from the regular membership. That's a difference. We pay for the program and we should have a say in what they do with our dues. Regular USPA members create approx $1,700,000 in revenue and we cost ourselves approx. leaving approx. a Million dollars left to feed the beast. HQ Mgmt PR/Marketing, General ops and info technologies take in approx. $153,000 and cost us approx. . Communications which includes "Parachutists" takes in approx. $550,000 and costs us approx. . $290,000 difference. If you want to look at cutting something(s) this must be looked at. Safety & Training generates approx. $237,000 in revenue with only approx. in expenses. Good job Safety and Training , keep up the good work because the loosing ass GM program needs your revenue to survive. Last and not the least is Competition they take in approx $19,000 in revenue and spend that's only a loss. Pay up or leave . You have a working frame work of the "SYSTEM" now. All of this information is based on the fact that I was a member of the USPA Finance and Budget committee from 2005 til 2006. Chris I don't think we should eliminate the GM Program, it provides value. I just think it should be restructured so that the value is funded by those who are benefiting directly. Matt Christenson [email protected] http://www.RealDropzone.com - A new breed of dropzone manifest software.

http://www.RealDropzone.com is no longer out of date and has been updated with an overwealming amount of information on the product, with more to come. Additionally, the product will in fact be public in February as indicated above, and I will be at the PIA Symposium in booth number 404, providing demonstrations of the product. Cheers, Matt Christenson Matt Christenson [email protected] http://www.RealDropzone.com - A new breed of dropzone manifest software.

I am not in any way saying that I do or do not feel that the USPA needs to raise rates. I am not informed enough about the budget. IF (notice the IF) the USPA needs to increase fees, I think it’s the Group Membership fees of only $400 per year that should be reconsidered. Consider that the USPA were to charge dropzones on a per-jump basis for group membership status. The 2007 Skydiver statistics posted on the USPA website identifies that 2,159,793 jumps were reported to the USPA. If the USPA decides to change group membership fees to a fee that can scale to the size of the dropzone, then no dropzone would have a fiscal advantage over the other in membership fees. Dropzone owners wouldn’t hurt in the operational price increase because all dropzones would incur the price at the same time, instead jump prices would be adjusted to accommodate the new fee. The overall benefit here is that money would begin to be coming into the USPA indirectly from tandem passengers, which both reduces the burden on the pockets of Skydivers and provides the USPA with more resources to work with. The USPA would then have a greater incentive to help to promote newcomers to the sport because they would see a direct financial benefit from it. At the end of 2007 there were 31,264 members. If membership fees went up by $5, this would mean extra revenue of $156,320. The USPA could see the same increase of income by charging group members $0.0723 cents per jump made at their dropzone. The price increase would then be spread out evenly between skydivers, dropzones, and tandem passengers. Also, this would help to keep the proper people interested in the success of the USPA as a whole. Consider the mentalities we have (as demonstrated by the voting turn out this year) - A skydiver who jumps 5 times a year doesn’t care enough about what the USPA is doing because they only jump 5 times per year. - A skydiver who jumps 500 times a year doesn’t care enough about what the USPA is doing because the $40/yr they’re paying just doesn’t seem like enough money to be worried about where it’s going. If the USPA turned into a tax based system using dropzones as a ‘tax collector’; and every skydiver knew that every time they made 15 jumps that they just gave another dollar to the USPA, I think that we would have more members interested in what the USPA was doing and thinking up better ways that these things could be completed. Matt Christenson [email protected] http://www.RealDropzone.com - A new breed of dropzone manifest software.