gemini

Not enough interest. We had some really great 20+ jumps though. Blue skies, Jim

Saturday and we're on a weather hold again! Low clouds, small holes, and some wind. Sun is peeking through the clouds, so better than yesterdays rain. Everybody is anxious to get this done... Blue skies, Jim

The bigway will take all aircraft approximately every 2 hours for 40 minutes. Fun jumpers will be able to use all 7 aircraft for 2 hours then pack, visit, eat, watch the big way for 40 minutes, repeat. Blue skies, Jim

It was a great event made possible by Limbs of Love and Skydive Spaceland. Due to very high winds, most of the veterans did not get an opportunity to jump. But John Sansone came to the rescue and booked the vets into hotels and held the charter buses over till Sunday. Skydive Spaceland opened very early Sunday morning and, even with a heavy regular tandem schedule, got all the vets airborne. Up to 3 planes were running most of the day so even with 140+++ tandems there were a lot of fun jumper loads! Thanks Steve, Eric and the magnificent ladies of manifest (and Stevie) for handling 200-300 people so professionally. Blue skies, Jim

Here are the first two points. Roster to be published soon. Blue skies, Jim

I used to listen to him when I was in college in 1970! Always enjoyed his show. Blue skies, Jim

Planes are in the air at this time 3:55 and sky looks good. Keep your fingers crossed that they can get it in one jump! Blue skies, Jim

Grrrr.... (1) Idiots who stop in the middle of a busy commerical doorway, entrance, exit, hallway, stairway, ramp, etc. to talk, look at receipts, fiddle faddle around and make the rest of us stand their with our groceries or luggage, etc. and wait for them. This really drives me up the wall... (2) Parents who are oblivious to their kids actions or noises! Kids crying when Daddy puts them in their baby seats, but quiet when he holds them. So he puts him in the baby seat, puts earphones on, and playes the airline video game. Where's mom? Reading a book with her earphones on! That was a long flight to Hawaii... Kids throwing food in restuarants... Kids screaming at each other in adult venues... (3) Parents who leave kids in cars in the summer... (4) People who mistreat kids and animals... (5) People who criticize and have never accomplished anything in their miserable lives but making the rest of us miserable too. Blue skies, Jim

Yep, it is sometimes quicker/safer to get back to the dz by flying away from the dz. "Get Homeitis" has injured more than a few jumpers. At least you landed with the cows. They get curious, but usually leave you alone. Horses however freakout and stampede away from you till they get to the fence and then stampede back toward you! I landed East of Spaceland one time, did a downwinder into a stable's pasture, got the stampede, and cussing from the owner all while covered in horse sh#t. I walked away though so can't forget that! Blue skies, Jim

Looks like a bunch of military accuracy guys to me with their container flaps showing. Got anything better to do than bitch about something at Spaceland? Blue skies, Jim

One thing I forgot to mention, however, is the frequent misunderstanding of the jumper's actual radial from the base which often leads to trackers crossing other radials and going over and under each other. For example if a jumper is docked at a 45 degree angle from the base, he shouldn't turn 180 degrees to start his track unless specifically directed by an organizer. Usually his turn is 135 degrees from the base so that he would be tracking in a straight line directly away from the center of the formation. The 45 degree difference would throw him significantly off his radial. When the dock is at a substantial angle, it is easily seen and corrected by the jumper. The dangerous ones seem to be those that are 5-10 degrees off so the jumper does not notice and tracks off at a 170-175 or a 185-190 degree angle. The larger the big way the smaller the tracking lanes become. Blue skies, Jim

Let's reiterate the basic procedure when you are low on a big way just to make sure everyone is clear. There are two parts consisting of (1) low, but recoverable, and (2) low and irrecoverable. (1) If you are low, keep working to get back to the formation. Do not fly under the formation. Get off to one side, turn 90 to the formation, turn your head and while watching the formation use all the techniques you have to get back. Never give up and never lose sight of the formation and where you are relative to the formation. When low you become part of the first break-off wave. You break off with the first wave and track through the first wave designated deployment altitude giving an extra 300-500 feet. This insures that you are horizontally out with the first wave, but slightly below them. They can better see you if you are in front and slightly below them when they wave off. 2. If you are irretreiveably low your break off changes dramatically. But what is irretrievably low? We have all seen jumpers below us who disappear into the ground clutter. Regardless of their efforts to slow their fall rate, they get further and further away. If the jumpers above you can't see you when they turn to track, you are a hazard to them and yourself! How do you judge being irretreiveably low? If you lose sight of the base and don't know where it is, you are not getting back! In this case, immediately locate the formation and turn 180 and get out of the area. You must locate the formation in order to track away from it. Jack mentioned the guy racing around under the formation. The same thing happens to trackers who don't know where the base is. We have all had trackers go under us at 40/60 degree angles from the base! And remember, track all the way though the first wave deployment alititude. When low you are always part of the first wave. Make sure you know the first wave break off and deployment altitudes during the dirt dives just in case you need them. It is better to have a long walk back to the dz than a helicopter ride to the hospital. Blue skies, Jim

That's inexperience. Next to hook turns, I have assisted more injured jumpers due to landing off/bad spots trying to get back than any other incident. As others have said, plan early, plan everytime. We lost a very experienced jumper once because he elected to fly over a swamp with no outs and couldn't make it to the dz side instead of running downwind away from the dz to a clear field. Blue skies, Jim

Think about landing off on every jump and have your plan firmly in your mind, just like practicing your EP's. Know where you are when you exit. If the spot is off, don't wait until you are under canopy to find out. Have multiple alternative landing sites selected. Remember the best alternative may not be between you and the dz. If there are obstacles between you and the dz, it may not be a good idea to try to fly over them. If the winds have increased or changed direction, you may not make it. Look behind you and make sure there is an alternative site you can get to if you need it. Know which way the wind is blowing and watch how people lower than you are setting up on final. There are no wind socks out there, but there are other clues like other jumpers, waves on water, dust and smoke. Watch out for straight lines on the ground. Only man made items run in straight lines. You may not see the wires or poles, but the taller grass growing around the poles or under the wires is a clue that screams STAY AWAY. Landing near roads is a good idea, but watch out for telephone and electric lines, fences and ditches which are hard to see from the air. If you land in a plowed or crop area, be respectful of where you are. Land with the rows if possible and when walking out, walk parallel to the rows. Remember to PLF. The ground may be very uneven, have ruts, stumps, vines. Landing safe and being able to walk out is much better than trying to look good! Don't wait to the last minute to make your out decision. If you are looking at a landing area and saying to yourself, "I think I can make it." you probably won't. Pick the area early, always be ready. Blue skies, Jim

Yes, my site lists Unofficial Records while USPA lists official records. Blue skies, Jim

Ok boys and girls, any new records from 2008 to post? See http://www.texasstaterecord.com/Unofficial_Records.htm for current listings. Thanks & blues. Blue skies, Jim

I loved landing near the bleachers. All the kids would cheer and clap, ask for autographs. Some of the jumpers started carrying small items in their jump suits for the kids (small flags, compass rings, jumper decals, etc.) It was some of the most fun I've had. Like doing a demo on every jump. Blue skies, Jim

OUCH!....that really hurts...lol Blue skies, Jim

***Well at least he had a VALID reason to not allow it as carry on, and was in fact doing his job properly.*** Well then...he's the only one since I've never had a problem with it before and that includes Houston Bush, Houstin IAH, Midway, Atlanta, Ontario, Tampa, John Wayne, LAX, San Antonio, Dallas, Toronto, Seattle, and Newark. Blue skies, Jim

Life in prison does not completely remove them from society. In Texas a lot of life sentences amount to 7 years and Texas has no "Life without Parole" provision. If you come from a "good" family you could get out in less than 7 years depending on the county and family. In the case of capital murder, most commonly the death of a person during the commission of another felony, or the death of a policeman or 2nd rape of a minor, the jury can give life in prison or death, if requested by the state. Fair? Nope, but that's what we have to work with. Blue skies, Jim

Only if you're caught! And everyone should note that if the wife killed the husband or the husband killed the wife, then they would be charged. A few years ago a dentist ran over her dentist husband in a hotel parking lot several times after catching the husband and his girlfriend checking into the hotel. The wife didn't go after the girlfriend, only the husband. Sad thing was their daughter was in the car pleading with her mother to stop. Blue skies, Jim

Last night at Orlando I was told I had to surrender my weight belt to the TSA. I have carried the belt all over the country without issue. I always place it in its own bin for scanning and push it through last so I can get to the other side and put my shoes on, put the computer away, and then answer the "What is this question?" At most it has been swabbed, but usually one of the other TSA folks says "It's a weight belt." and that's the end of the inspection. But in Orland, it was scanned twice and then pulled from the bin, folded up, and I was told "You have to surrender this because we can't see through it." I asked for it to be swabbed and was told "No". I asked for a supervisor and the guy said "I am the supervisor". Because I held my ground for a few minutes, he said "Well you can go back and check it." I asked him how they would see though it in my luggage and his reply was "Well there are different rules for carryon and checked luggage." He then handed the belt to another TSA person who told me as she escorted me back out to the ticketing area "Sorry about this. That guy is an ass!" I was a little surprised to say the least. Southwest found a box for me, but charged me $25 for the "third bag" since I had already checked my underweight gear bag and underweight clothes bag. As I went back through security, which in Orlando is an ordeal, as I waited for my shoes, bag and computer to come through the scanner, a TSA person said he had to examine my helmet bag which was strapped to my computer bag. He looked at the altimeter and protrac and asked what I used them for. When I said skydiving, he said he had always wanted to do that, but was afraid of the first jump. We talked for a few minutes, when "the supervisor" came over and asked "Is there a problem here?" The TSA agent rezipped my helmet bag and told him "Nope. Just his plastic helmet, gloves and jump log." Glad I didn't have to pay another $25 for something else. From no on I an throwing the weight belt in the clothes bag so they can sift through my dirty underwear! Blue skies, Jim

Shouldn't be bad in October! One of our most pleasant months. Blue skies, Jim

Here were the last 10 verified WW1 Veterans prior to March 2008: Name Age Nationality Choules, Claude Stanley 107 English Ross, John Campbell (Jack) 109 Australian Goux, Fernand 108 French Picault, Pierre 109 French Allingham, Henry William 112 English Hughes, Netherwood (Ned) 108 English Patch, Henry John (Harry) 110 English Stone, William Frederick (Bill) 108 English Babcock, John H F (Jack) 108 Canadian Buckles, Frank Woodruff 107 American Blue skies, Jim

ummhh...what about the US imposed blockade against Japan of strategic materials including oil prior to December 1941? Sounds economic to me when Japan was taking over countries to gain natural resources and we were in the way. Blue skies, Jim