peckerhead

You have proven my point. You want to get paid for a friggin two-way. Students SHOULD pay extra for supervision and gear. After they are off student statis (A license) They should get their more experienced brothers and sisters help and advice without having to buy their jump. It is called selfishness and it is a serious problem. I have no problem scratching off a big way to go jump with a novice. In fact I enjoy it. .

Posted in the May Parachutist by Chris Needles, and I quote: "Each jump with a coach will cost more than a solo, but in the long run it will save money, because jumps won't be WASTED on failed attempts to advance." Since when is ANY jump a wasted jump? You learn something new on each and every skydive and it does not matter how many skydives you have. This arrogant statement shows what is wrong with USPA and the attitudes they have. I remember the days when you paid extra for gear rental and instruction but once you were off student statis the experienced jumpers would jump with you , "coach" you and they did not expect anything in return. Now at USPA GM dz's experienced jumpers with a "rating" will not skydive with you unless they get paid. I have recently witnessed a skydiver with almost 100 jumps pay a coach to jump with him. I would have done it for free. I would have PAID to do it! If you can find a sucker to pay for your jumps then shame on you, I just can't believe USPA sanctions this. This is not the way I was treated when I was a pup and it sickens me to see it happen now. When USPA changed the title from jumpmaster to coach the question was "what is the difference?" A: Coaches get paid, jumpmasters have to pay for their slot on the load. Sorry if I posted this on the wrong forum, you have so many to choose from.

N/A

Do you feel safer just because a DZ is a group member? After reading recent uspa articles I feel like the smaller totally SAFE dz's are not getting the credit they deserve. For a small club trying to keep a cessna in the air the last thing they need is an incident so most of these folks have an incredible safety record. I know this may ruffle some feathers but the non-USPA members also have fun. .

182 180 172 170 206 otter beaver dc-3 bell jet rangers caravan waco bi-plane balloon skyvan twin beech twin bonanza cherokee 6

24 years in the sport and I have never witnessed a fatality or been present at the DZ when one happened. I did watch a guy ride a spinning reserve malfunction into a dense forest. I was the first one to find him, I thought he would be dead but the trees snagged his canopy on the way down and he survived with just a broken leg. 2 of my good buddies including a fellow instructor died in a 182 crash. The pilot survived as did the third jumper. I was supposed to be the 4th one on the load but I was unexpectedly called into work so I missed the load. They were waiting for me to show up and the DZO told them to go ahead with just 3, the plane crashed shortly after take off. The surviving jumper who was also a good friend shot himself a few years later. He suffered a head injury in the crash and was never quite the same. I have never known anyone personally that has bounced. Booze, drugs, drinking and driving, and health problems kills more skydivers than skydiving does, I have know several jumpers that went out that way. And yes, I do think driving to and from the DZ is more dangerous than skydiving. .

I fart in the airplane and blame it on the pilot. I can't remember the second thing.....

You are flying commercial airlines cross country with your rig, what is the method you would choose? ?

OK, I know this has probably been covered before but I am flying cross country Portland to DC with a layover in Phoenix, America west airlines. I will have one rig with a cypress to be installed before I leave. Carry-on or check-in? I have done both in past years with no problem but that was pre-911. I would prefer carry-on but I have heard about over-anxious screeners wanting to open the container for inspection..... There goes a fresh re-pack. Any suggestions or stories from recent travelers? Thanks! .

I remember back in the 80's the whuffos would always say " you jump out of perfectly good airplanes?" Or "what do you do if the parachute doen't open?" After reading ANOTHER year of skydivers mostly dying from crashing under perfectly good parachutes I wonder what the modern day whuffos will ask? " You fly perfectly good parachutes?" Or " What do you do when the perfectly good parachute opens and you suffer fatal injuries from a hard landing after a low turn?" The standard answer for the " what do you do if the parachute doesn't open" question used to be no problem. You open the reserve and land. What do we tell them now? .

Find a new home Drop zone in the mid-atlantic region. Make new friends Get my riggers ticket Have fun!

My picture is in the wings and things section, my two boys are also in the photo. (taken last summer) !

http://www.thespark.com/ I took the test and I got until 2043 at the age of 81. COOL! now I can take more chances! The funny thing is I went back and took it again only I lied about skydiving and "other" tobacco use. That shortened my life by twenty years. I guess I better keep chewing and jumping. !

What about king George Va? Real estate there seems reasonable, not to far from Fredericksburg Know anything about the DZ in Hartwood? ?

Thanks! Right now the county I live in is larger than some eastern states. I have never lived in such a poulated area before. I am self employed so I won't be commuting, my wife may be taking a job in downtown DC and that is the reason for the move. Great opportunity that we can't pass on. We were thinking an hour or so commute would be acceptable, mass transit of course. Doing interenet searches I can't believe how high the real estate is close in. I think a long commute is the only option. Might as well live closer to a DZ. There appears to be quite a few in the area. Out here you can get a new 3 br home on an acre or more for 150k or less, I can't even find a decent condo close to DC for under 200k. (mls searches on the internet) Mostly concerned about good, clean, safe schools for my boys. Thanks again for the replys, anyone else want to chime in? .

Take off is the scary time, after we get above 1000 and the belts come off every thing is cool.

I may be moving to the Washington DC area and I know nothing about that part of the country. Which would be a better state to live in, VA or MD? Of course it would be nice to have a DZ nearby but I am more concerned about quality of living, real estate costs, schools for the kids, crime, taxes etc.......Also I need to be within reasonable commuting distance to DC. I have never been further east than Colorado and the thought about moving to a big city is somewhat intimidating, looking for something out in the country with room for my big dogs. Did I mention it would be real nice to have a DZ not to far away? Thanks! .

"That's not very much freefall at all. I wonder how much it affects learning curve--for jumpers with the same number of jumps and same currency... " Actually it takes more skill to do it in less time. .

Can you imagine any other sport where you would have to go through this ritual? Like say, when you go skiing and you get to the bottom of the hill you have to put your skis back together......( I would love to make another run but I don't want to rebuild my ski so go ahead without me) Or maybe kayaking, (don't want to re-assemble my boat) Weird!

I should mention that I jump at a small drop zone and everyone packs. Students are taught early on. I just run into this when I go to big drop zones and boogies.

I think it is sooo sad that packing your OWN friggin parachute is considered UN-cool I got off a load and every toad wanted to "post-dive" and get ready to manifest.....I sez, " I will be right with ya after I pack. They look at me like I am speaking chineese or something..... You are going to PACK? What is wrong with you?!!!!! JUst give some kid 5 bucks and lets go skydive you ignorant twit!!!! We have more important things to do than PACK!!!!! I can't do it folks, go jump without me while I pack my own damn self, More later, Hoss

It is always night when you jump with your eyes closed. Crew at night has got to be the scariest thing I have ever done..... .

Come to Cline Falls ORYGUN We are going to skydive and have a bar-b-que It will be fun!

New AAD If you ask you will get e-mails

Me? 8 total, but my last one was in 1988. Almost 1200 jumps and no reserve rides in 15 years since then. In 1986 I had two in one day. .