SpectreDriver

I now own my own dz and find myself using Bob's quotes and advice quite often. When I'm frustrated I think "what would Bob do?". I was a very very green idiot fun jumper at his dz in Crestview back in 98. But with him around I never felt like one.... (an idiot, that is!). Thank you Bob.

Doesn't make any sense opening a competing DZ only 7 miles away in a state this size. In Hawaii, I suppose I understand... WTF??

Well, I'm gonna open myself up here and say I sorta see the guy's point. When I started in the sport (mid-90's), all you had to do was finish AFF and you were almost good-to-go at any DZ. Once I had my license (At 20 logged jumps and a signature. Period. No "coaching" was involved), I was good-to-go at every DZ I visited! This went on for 10 years with many 6-month layovers. However, as a pilot with lots of experience memorizing basic checklists/ Emergency Procedures and flying/ landing multiple aircraft, I found skydiving and canopy control quite easy from Jump #1. I can honestly say my lack of currency/ experience never put anyone at risk. At the 13-year-point with 350 jumps, I suddenly found myself jumping lots more because I started my own DZ-- I now have 1700 or so (mostly tandems) but still pray I can handle my first real "oh-shit" situation! Now, enough about me. My experience isn't necessarily a good thing for modern times. He's right about the "lowest common denominator" being the basis for rules and regulations. It HAS to be that way when you have a sudden surge of newbies joining a somewhat high skill-level (and high visibility!) activity as we've had over the past 6-8 years. Skydiving is becoming very mainstream and modern media is instantaneous when something goes wrong. Bummer this guy didn't join the sport 15-20 years ago, but guess what? He didn't. It's a new age for *everything* now and *everything* in society is more visible and thereby must be more regulated. If he's a "natural"-- like I was :) -- it sucks he has to deal with this. The solution for you, sir?? Get your logbook up to, say, 50 or 75 jumps instead of 15, have an actual *license* in your hand, and manifest will look at you with much less scrutiny in regards to currency. That is all.

I'd sure like to see an internal photo of the "up latch" mechanism inside that wing inspection panel. I'm very interested in such a device and would like to know who manufactures it. My email is: [email protected]

Oh boy I just realized what a sh!tstorm I started way back with my original post! I now have two of these drogues, love them both, and was considering ordering another. But I wonder if Simon will even speak to me after exposing him to this virtual bashing??

Only one guy has worked for me using this dual setup-- it was cool but the only problem I saw was the bottom camera always resulted in more of the instructor's arm than the student's face.... My other gloves are all singles and were made by a rigger friend. They have a bracket which stands the camera up off the wrist about 1.5 inches-- GREAT results. But the concept is only practical for one camera. :(

Good speech. Start paying some folks and the portion of this thread with your name in it will be deleted. Running a dz is pretty damn simple: money comes in (actually it pours in). Money goes out to the resources which make it happen. (yes it often pours in that direction too). Whatever's left over is yours. But it happens in that order. Otherwise you fall into one of the 2 categories previously mentioned.

That probably didn't happen in this case only because he uses Strongs!

As a TI and DZO, I'm going to let you all in on a little secret: Dropzones DO make money! And it's not rocket-surgery to turn a profit. If your DZO claims he has no money to pay you, he is either a Liar or an Idiot. I get real tired of hearing these sob-stories from staff leaving for the season and being unable to eat. Stop working for these clowns and they'll go out of business. If they're screwing you, they're screwing the customers too, which gives us all a bad name and hinders everyone's livelihood across the Industry. Which brings me to my first DeadBeat Dropzone: Skydive Great Lakes in Goshen Indiana. I'm up to 7 staff members (and still counting) who cannot seem to get DZO Nick Kant to pay them since they closed in October. He's a master bullshitter I must say.... And plans to change the name to Skydive Wasawee (or something) in order to escape the stigma he's built. Know a place which can't pay its staff, fuel bill, or airplane leases? List them here. It may not get you paid, but maybe so the next guy doesn't get screwed....

"THE CHEST STRAP: on men (as in the OP's example) I usually put the chest strap just below the sternum (breast bone). If the man has very broad shoulders or is generally a wide-body, it has to go a little higher than that to encourage the main lift webs to stay vertical. On the majority of women, I put it just under the breasts. On women with large, low-riding breasts, I put the chest strap directly on top of them. On both men and women, I reach around under canopy to loosen it and make the canopy flight more comfortable. I have a technique I use for women so as not to be invasive and remain professional." What he said. Think of it as a "sternum strap" instead of "chest strap" and the problem will disappear 90% of the time. (I'm assuming you're aware the strap slides up & down on the main lift web, right?)

So are they going to send out copies of this new waiver to all DZOs free of charge? Or do I need to add "Call UPT" to my 1000-item to-do list?

I was recently sold this new super-drogue by a friend at another DZ. (Apparently they are being manufactured by Simon Wade.) It appears significantly more durable and made of heavy-duty fabric throughout. I got home with it and realized the safety-pin was sewn to the wrong side of the bridle... I was told there was a "bad batch" of this error and am expecting a replacement soon. Point is: I've paid for this thing but haven't jumped with it yet. Anybody have any experience with them? Pros/ cons? Any opening differences?

A very experienced DZ Manager made these points to me the other day: 1- If you're showing the "manufacturer required" 1986 VHS video, and making your TIs do the "manufacturer required" handle checks and sign their "waiver addendum", is the manufacturer going to send a lawyer to help defend you in an incident/ lawsuit?? Hell No. 2- If you're not doing any of the "manufacturer required" items, is a representative from their company *really* going to show up to your door and "take your rigs away"?? Again: no. My takeaway was this: watch your asses, use common sense, learn from each other's mistakes, share tips and ideas and make it as safe as you possibly can boys n girls. Cuz when the shit hits the fan, you're on your own!

Perfect timing on this video, too. Right in the middle of Memorial Day weekend, one of my busiest. Sunday's tandems will be arriving in a few hours-- or not. As someone mentioned earlier, I think the exit had a LOT to do with this. By rolling OVER her he basically peeled the harness right off! Nobody's mentioned this TIs name?? I'd like to know. As would other DZOs who get a dozen resumes a year from self-proclaimed SkyGods we don't know from Adam...

This last page makes me realize folks are finally getting it. It would be GREAT to have old school DZs where there are few tandems, no USPA membership or BSRs, no specific "syllabus" or ratings required, just JUMPING! Funjumpers at a grass strip in the middle of nowhere partying it up every weekend. Such DZs would technically be perfectly legal, so why don't they exist?? Expense. Fuel, aircraft, gear, real estate. All are WAY higher than the 80s. So we're left with the business model, which requires all of the above "hassles" in order to provide skydiving to the masses. It's not socialism, just reality...