Unisyn

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Jump Profile

  • Home DZ
    Skydive DeLand
  • License
    D
  • License Number
    20515
  • Licensing Organization
    100082 USPA
  • Number of Jumps
    2200
  • Years in Sport
    13
  • First Choice Discipline
    Formation Skydiving
  • Second Choice Discipline
    Freeflying

Ratings and Rigging

  • AFF
    Instructor
  • Pro Rating
    Yes
  1. ROL was standard in the beginning but switched to BOC right before the G3.
  2. From someone who's been in your place Ward it sounds like your doing a great job. Keep up the good work and tell everyone I said hello. Bill
  3. I have flown camera only about a dozen times. My helmet didn't fit the way I would have liked and I quickly gave it up. He are my $.02. The two VERY experienced cameraflyers that I know that have jetisoned their helmet didn't have a pilot chute. (One the $1000 custom made to fit helmet door opened on opening and he watched as his $1000 helmet with $3000 work of camera get fell away to a spectacular landing. The other guy opened over lake Okachobee, realized that he had no chance in hell of making it to dry land. The helmet was going to get wet. SO.....he took it off and dropped it. Better to not worry about loosing the equipment and just get it over. Dealing with the more important situation survival.) The other reason that I could think of needing to get you helmet off is a line entanglement. That situation has a deadly consequence if you don't get rid of the helmet and fast. The systems that I know of require a pretty controlled situation to get a proper deployment of the camera pilot chute. I doubt that it could even be accomplished in a line entanglement situation. Bottom line. Don't worry about putting a pilotchute on you camera helmet.
  4. It's simple. Even with a waiver, people can still file a lawsuit. It costs money and TIME to defend. Even if the case is thrown out and you counter sue and win there you will never get back all the time and money that it cost you. When will our society understand that it is freedom that allows us to do the sports that we love. IF we continue to sue and countersue over understood risks then we will loose our freedom to do those sports. If was said before and I'll say it again. We need to learn that bad things happen that is out of your control. Learn from it and move on. Most of the time people sue for high amounts because they want someone else to feel pain. Trying to ruin someone else's life isn't going to make the pain and loss go away. When did we loose our common sense people
  5. Is it just me but don't most intelligent people understand the 9/11 situation. We have an organization that we know is performing terrorist activities and wants to attack the U.S. But we have NO idea of exactly when, where, or how they plan to do it. Once they do enact the plan it it happens so fast we have little time to prevent mass casualties. Why did it happen? 1. No one had EVER used aircraft as a suicide guided missile. So we didn't expect a hijacking to end with 3000+ people dead. 2. The cockpit doors were breached. We didn't understand the implications. because.....SEE #1 Had the flight deck doors not been breached at least on the plane and occupants as the maximum would have been lost. 3. FBI and CIA was not allowed by LAW to communicate all information to each other. Plus...SEE #1. Laws that where enacted after gross violations of powers from both organization on U.S. citizens. These investigation won't find a smoking gun. Even if they do what good is going to come of it. The President will have been out of office and publishing his memoirs. Terrible things happen. Learn from them and move on. There has been great efforts to Stop terrorism Terrorism isn't going to war with a nation. It's stopping someone who would rather die for their cause than live in their current situation. If someone doesn't fear death there is little to bargain or work with. The American dream isn't the same dream for the world. Thats why it's called the American Dream
  6. The jumper is 100% responsible for the replacement of any lost component. Hell the jumper is responsible for any damage that may occur while using the equipment. We are all adults. Adults make mistakes. Adults take responsibility for those mistakes. I do feel the jumper should have the option to pay for the exact replacement parts from either the DZ, directly from the manufacturer(s), or another dealer. Students are exempt. DZ's understand and must build into the cost of student jumps the maintenance of the student equipment. But once a jumper is cleared to solo, it is the jumpers responsibility. Where do you people get the hair brain notion that DZ, Gear Dealers, and Gear manufacturers make all of this excessive money!!!! Skydiving is expensive but not very profitable sport.
  7. I agree with what you are saying. It seems that we americans are made to walk on egg shells. If we do anything other than lay in bed and get fat we run the risk of getting sued for the slightest thing. Is it just me or was the whole McDonalds and the hot coffee suite that opened the flood gate to law suites. I love to do sports that are not in the main stream. I'm just seeing a grim future. Rafting and kayaking companies are required to carry liability insurance to run operations on waterways in public lands. Since navigable waterways are considered public domain it pretty much includes all land even if you own property on that river. I wouldn't take but one state to pass a law requiring insurance for skydiving opperations that use public airfields. These are the same airfields that 90% of the skydiving takes place. You can see where my mind is leading.
  8. There has been some recent threads that have addressed liability and the risks in skydiving. There is a push to require more [high risk] sports to carry liability insurance. Once there is an insurance company with deep pockets that people can go after law suites will follow. In gear and rigging there has been talk of riggers having customers sign waivers. We all sign waivers before we jump. Gear manufacturers change their name to reflect the lack of insurance. I.E. The Uninsured Skydiving Manufacturer I was just curious what people though about liability law suite. Bad things happen. Learn from it and move on. If you where at fault make it right.
  9. Sponsorship is a necessary evil. I believe the biggest problem in the industry is that it isn't necessarily what the sponsored jumper has done but rather who they know. Manufacturers MUST set specific guidelines. 1. Limit the amount of FREE gear 2. Give good reasons for sponsorship. I.E. National champions, 25 years instructing, etc. Nothing pisses people off more than finding out that you paid DISCOUNTED retail price and the local idiot swooper just got sponsored. 3. Be willing to revoke sponsorship when abuses occur. Don't continue to sponsor someone because of what they did. Sponsor them because what they are doing for you NOW!
  10. Thanks Freeflir29 Do you know of anyone that still lives down here? Bill
  11. When I was working at Mirage Systems there was an official Rush service. Guarenteed! It was NOT CHEAP. You could get a rig within 28hours if you had the cash. Quick deliveries haven't been a problem unless your Sunpath or RWS.
  12. You are exactly correct. While I was with Mirage Systems we "sponsored" instructor nearly automatically because of their influence on the new jumper. I.E. potential customers. The best way to get sponsorship is become influential. Once you are sponsored keep in contact and show the sponsor what you have been doing to deserve sponsorship. To of the best people Mirage Systems ever sponsored is Max Cohn and Chris Fiala. Both are active in coaching, organizing, and compete from time to time. They are extremely approachable. That is a very important feature. Mirage Systems sponsored some "big" names over the years but some of the jumpers were contantly training or just didn't want anything to do with inexperienced jumpers.
  13. What is your exact question? I couldn't understand. There are a few drop zones that have the RTS student equipment. Many of the Mirage dealers were contacted directly by Mirage Systems. If you are looking for more information I would be happy to answer any of your questions. PM me. Another alternative is contacting Justin Thornton at Mirage Systems factory. [email protected] Bill Hallett, Former marketing and sales manager for Mirage.
  14. Of course, I would vote for a Mirage G4.