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1) And they are legal in some states, so USPA should not be putting themselves in the position of restraining trade. Not their job, not their business. 2) Then teens shouldn't be allowed to drive, snowboard, get piercings, or orthodontics. 3) Doesn't effect the ski or snowboard industry one bit, kids die on the slopes. They die in cars, they die flying in airplanes. Heck, they get killed at Disneyland! Should we raise the minimum age to ride a rollercoaster to 18 so there are no "emotional issues?" USPA should stay out of the liability issues and get back to safety issues. New USPA motto: Safety third! top Jump more, post less!

I think one is left out. You became a TI on your 511th skydive because you thought it would be cool. 2000 tandems later, you know the DZO, every packer, the other staff members, and two fun jumpers. You don't own any rigs because you never fun jump. All your jumpsuits have the ass end blown out from sliding in all the time. The thought of dragging your ass to the DZ for one more weekend sickens you to no end. You just stop coming out one weekend and get a job as the assistant manager at Taco Bell. top Jump more, post less!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7hSCb0Hvdto&edit=vd BSBD, brothers. top Jump more, post less!

Hey troll! How's the bridge you are living under? Or is it a rock? top Jump more, post less!

Unlike the police/sheriff/FAA, USPA has no ability to hold evidence, question people, or compel someone to discuss an incident. Everything in any incident report is voluntary. And really there is NO way some USPA guy is going to point out a manufacturing defect in the gear! Not with the current group on the BOD being PIA lackeys (not all, but many). And for the most part, by the time the local police, the FAA, the DPRE assigned by the FAA to look at gear, the police again have finished "handling" gear, any real evidence is probably gone. top Jump more, post less!

Yeah, we got old by being smart enough to listen or tough enough not to. top Jump more, post less!

Yeah, I've been on the internet long enough to know that, thanks. Doc said three months on meds without a repeat and I can drive again. If I can drive, I can jump. This is doable. The no drinking part is gonna suck though. I was just looking out for our friend.... Carry on. top Jump more, post less!

Lots! USPA raised the minimum pull altitude in response to PIA lobbying efforts so the AAD manufacturers could change their arming and fire altitudes. Only that has not happened! So rather than fix all the "small problems," PIA has chosen a shotgun method of making everyone pull higher. How about PIA does some housekeeping and asks its members to make sure their gear really works according to the law. It also seemed like the minimum opening altitude BSR change was a good benchmark to see if PIA had enough pull to change the minimum age for skydiving. What is PIA going to ask USPA to change next? top Jump more, post less!

Please consult with the prescribing physician and those involved in your treatment. They know much more about you and your condition, and while they are probably lacking in specific skydiving knowledge, will have information as to other "high risk" activities. You may not like what they say, but they are trying to keep you from killing yourself and those around you. Shopping for medical advice on the 'net is a "high risk" activity.... top Jump more, post less!

Huh! Not what I was thinking when it happened to me! top Jump more, post less!

Pffft! You left out CRW! You will learn a whole other set of things you don't know... like how to really fly a canopy, or how to sort out three tangled ones if you haven't figured out the first one. And a whole new awesome set of words and phrases... top Jump more, post less!

Are you joking? A surprising number of "coaches" use a camera as a substitute for the ability to observe and remember what happened on the skydive. The camera is a great tool, but if the coach can't remember what happened on the jump without watching the video they just shot, then they aren't qualified to be a coach. That's a separate subject and not altogether true either. I don't know a single instructor (let alone coach) that sees everything on every jump or even everything on most jumps, and a jump with video debrief is as effective for the student as several without. Let's not forget that a coach rating is an entry level rating. They can't and shouldn't be expected to see or recall everything that occurs. A coach should have a fairly good recall of his/her jumps but any rating holder's debrief will be more accurate and detailed after video review and a student's learning curve will almost always be steeper with the use of it. Besides, the coach had to demonstrate some ability to recall details to get the rating in the first place. If a coach doesn't have at least adequate recall then the problem isn't with the coach, it's with the trainer that approved the person to hold the ticket. If we have a consistent problem with unqualified coaches we need to take a serious look at the ratings process. I "only have a coach rating." I don't consider it entry level, but the level I currently want to work at. I don't want to do AFF or tandems, but working with newer jumpers appeals to me. I sometimes use a camera, but mostly so the student has a video of their dive, not because I need to remember something. Also, I wish more Instructors (AFF, SL, IAD) would video landings, because that is often forgotten in the debrief. top Jump more, post less!

That is an awesome read! Thanks for posting that. top Jump more, post less!

I can probably sell you 16 used Expresses of various sizes, cheap! Way better than a Pursuit! The Pursuit was the benchmark back in the day, and solid as a truck. Not sure it would be a good selection for a 16 way diamond... awfully floaty on the edges and difficult to control quickly. I like the fact that you are building stuff, though! top Jump more, post less!

I'm a dentist who does work in the TMJ field. PM if you want specific advice. top Jump more, post less!

I wonder if USPA or the PIA is going to demand this commercial be taken off the air. It obviously shows an underage tandem being done in this country! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jk0PG7BzrY8 top Jump more, post less!

Don't know about CA but Skydive Danielson in CT has $14 hop n pops on Wednesday. Best price in New England.

Don't know about CA but Skydive Danielson in CT has $14 hop n pops on Wednesday. Best price in New England.

Don't know about CA but Skydive Danielson in CT has $14 hop n pops on Wednesday. Best price in New England.

Is a LTM considered property that be left to your kin in a will? Hardly. "Lifetime" means YOUR lifetime. When you die, the lifetime membership dies with you. What if I wanna be cryogenically preserved and brought back later? Would they renew my membership when I wake up? Would old magazines be piled around the canister? top Jump more, post less!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_rose_by_any_other_name_would_smell_as_sweet Maybe the USPA should have some additional rules. Such as Basic Operational Rules - BOR's. So what if it isn't a safety issue; it is needed or it is not needed. Just my $0.02 worth, JerryBaumchen They have some rules for DZ's for AC and ops, but we as an organization are now charged with protecting the assets of another association (PIA) and its members as a Safety Issue. Not every manufacturer is a member of PIA, not every manufacturer is in the US, but now all the rules that apply to US manufacturers are going to hinder ALL. I think that is the real driving force behind this BSRule, the manufacturers in the US fear that a company from Yougaria may start making tandem rigs (or buy the rights to manufacture a system), and that gear would not be subject to any age restrictions, because who is going to sue a company in Yougaria? Or get a judgement? So foreign gear was starting to look more attractive to DZO's as there were less punitive restrictions (and implied threats if they felt you misused the gear). So, you get USPA to make it impossible to have any advantage by making it a SAFETY issue, rather than make it look like you are restraining trade. top Jump more, post less!

Craig, I'm in agreement with all you wrote except for one important point I'd like to make as a veteran of two different boards (one of which I still sit on) - the BoD should _not_ be in the business of running operations - that is the job of the staff. The Board should be _setting policy_ and trusting the staff they chose to enact it. Eli Agreed. The Board sets policies and lets staff run the operations. My error. top Jump more, post less!

This issue was brought before the BOD when I was on it several times. It lost every time because the basic argument was it was not about safety therefore it could not be a BSR. That has not changed. The second point is that in several states, waivers for minors are enforceable in court. To hold DZ's in those states to a standard that is unnecessary is ridiculous. It is any more risky to take a minor in those states than any other age group. That has not changed. What has changed in the few years since the last vote? Some BOD members and this was a BOD meeting held in conjunction with (and purposely held way later than normal) the PIA convention. Very convenient. Maybe PIA will next ask USPA to have every member to sign a release of liability form for the manufacturers with every new membership or renewal. Wouldn't shock me one bit. top Jump more, post less!

So, lets discuss the real problem here, not the BS distractions about insurance or bankruptcy. Those are external factors that we have no control over. How can the USPA Board pass a rule that is unprecedented in any industry? And not consult their own attorney? And not listen to the attorney who is on the BOD who says its a very bad idea? How come with all the Robert Rules of Order sticklers we have on the BOD, no one called the question on conflict of interest? How can Board Members who receive direct and indirect compensation from manufacturers vote in good conscience and how can the other members allow it? The entire vote reeks of cronyism and back-door politics to benefit entities outside USPA at the expense of the membership. The entire vote is illegal and immoral. Look carefully at the members on the Board. Many of them directly make their money buying, selling, and using the very equipment whose makers they are protecting. The USPA Governance Manual Section 1-2.3 Board of Directors C.Responsibilities 4. Identifying, reporting, preventing, and eliminating financial conflicts of interest on the board a. A financial conflict of interest occurs when a board member compromises, or appears to compromise, his or her duties in carrying out USPA policy because of an external relationship that directly or indirectly affects the financial interest of the board member, any family member, or any associated entity. b. Board members may not make or participate in the making of a decision or vote on any matter if there exists a financial conflict of interest. Since the question was called before any discussion was allowed, this was circumvented. Purposely. If you cannot imagine how a Board member could be influenced by a manufacturer, I will spell it out for you. Remember, it doesn't have to happen, but just have the "appearance" of a conflict. A DZO owns five tandem rigs, but wants to expand to ten for the season, so they would like a discount on the rigs from the manufacturer. Since they don't sell enough gear to be a "super-duper dealer" of 40%, they only get the "regular Joe-Bob" discount of 30%. But after this vote, they suddenly get the "ultimate buddy" discount of 50%, a huge savings on 5 rigs (several thousands of dollars), plus now they can sell some sport rigs with a bigger profit margin. Hey! Our profits on gear sales are way up this year! funny how that works.... Some will say that almost every BOD member has some financial interest in skydiving. That may be true, but some are way more financially tied to gear sales than others. Those that make money selling gear had an obligation to recuse themselves from this vote. By voting on this BSR they have violated the rules of the organization and our trust. The question is, which Board members are going to realize this, save face, and rescind this BSR like the last time it was passed? I wonder if a member can contact the New York Attorney General as to the fiduciary violations by the Board? top Jump more, post less!

Is that Calamity Chris flying it?? Well, then any bloke could jump it! top Jump more, post less!