Deisel

The silence from the BOD on this is deafening... At a minimum there should have at least been some kind of press release saying that we're looking into it, etc., ,etc. I understand the reasons for confidentiality of investigations and they are valid. We all have a right to protection from slander and due process. But in a high profile incident involving a board member there is also a fiduciary duty to the general membership that must be addressed. As an organization, we do not have adequate transparency on this. Someone needs to be a leader here.

Nah, of course not. The BOD doesn't discuss CG matters in public. And that's (mostly) a good thing. I'd love to see that change WRT sitting BOD members. Their cases should be made public IMO. My question was more for the OP. And we all have to keep in mind that regardless of how many facts offered, even the OP doesn't know what actually happened in committee. More likely a good dose of speculation about the CG's motivations and reasoning. But your question is a valid one.

And how did any of this come in front of the board in the first place?

Just saw it. Mind. Blown. If you are an aviation enthusiast, and all of you on this site are, you have to see this movie. This might be the best action ever put on film. Holy shit. I don't want to give out any spoilers, but the flight scenes in this film have never been seen before. And the actors are actually flying the planes! I have so many questions about the physics of what I just saw. I watched it with a bunch of my USMC active duty pilot buddies, and they were just as blown away as I was. And if you're a fan of the original, there are a slew of very well done homages to the source materiel. Everything from Maverick's Kawasaki to the beach volleyball scene. Val Kilmer's Iceman is superb. Well done Tom Cruise. I think I just developed a man crush... GO SEE THIS MOVIE!!! D

Is there anyone tracking this 'officially'? I've confirmed that USPA does not. So I'm looking for a website or something/someone that's keeping score.

Yeah, this is worth looking into. I won't be able to get to it until later in the summer though. I'll be in touch.

It would be great if somebody would pick this up. And as they say - I am somebody! And I'll be retiring soon. This may go on the short list... Louis

Still figuring out how the attachments work.

Bill, I was literally in diapers, a newborn actually, in 1970. This photo is from the wrong timeframe - it's 2014 during one of Tom's examiner courses. But feel free to use if it's helpful at all. And thanks again for all you've done for our sport. I'm truly grateful for my time in Deland learning from the masters. Can't wait for the book. Louis

Does anyone remember the young lady that used to maintain a list of boogies? I recall that it was an excel spreadsheet that listed all active and current events around the country. It was quite useful, way better than USPA or DZ.com calendars. I've looked around but haven't been able to locate any trace of it.

Looking for opinions of the most beer drinking people I know (virtually anyway). So I keep my beer bottles laying flat on the shelf of the fridge. For some reason, every time I grab one it explodes all over the counter when I pop the cap. At first I thought I'd set in down a little rough when extracting a frosty one from the box, so I started paying attention. I set it down gentle as a lamb but no change. Beer everywhere. I've never seen this before, and I've opened a few beers in my day. Has anyone else encountered this or am I having some twilight zone shit happening in my fridge? FWIW - They're Stone IPAs which are quite tasty and I would like to stop pouring half of every bottle down the drain. Help... 2E7FA916-524E-4A90-B0C8-6BF6C5E1DA8A.heic

So Luke has admitted to his transgressions and says he withheld the FAA denial from the team.

Before advocating for change, I always ask myself - what problem am I trying to solve? So I ask here - what's the actual problem?

Maybe less feelings and more data. So whose rep would be cut? Why those people? Who would stay and why? It's true that some jumpers don't give a shit about the BOD. But it's also true that some of us do.

Chuck, Is there a way to bring it back? Maybe take a general interest poll of some kind and see how much folks would be willing to spend. I always considered it a bargain at 20 bucks. It was full of large format and high quality photos. A cost bump wouldn't be crazy.

Oops - meant 2022... Thanks for the update Chuck. Sad news indeed. I've been collecting those for quite some time now.

Where's it at? I checked all the gear stores online and nothing. It's usually available right about now.

This really isn't about safety. EVERYONE will have to get current when this is over - not really up for discussion IMO. This is about how we administer the process. The FAA and ICAO are currently allowing commercial flights to be flown by pilots with expired medical exams. A 'no exceptions' style policy could potentially cripple the industry and is wisely being avoided. To me, this is a show of flexibility under very unique circumstances. And if the people who regulate the safety of the worldwide aviation industry can do this, why can't USPA? And actually USPA will grant extensions and waivers if you get hit by a drunk driver. RDs, Ron Bell, the S&T committee and the BOD regularly work with individuals who find themselves in unique situations and figure out ways to get them back in the game. It's just not publicized but ask your RD and I'm sure they can provide recent examples.

So Mike Wadkins (who I trust with my life) and Ron Bell say that they don't see an issue with ratings expiring - yet. This is of course dependent on how long the lockdown goes. Not sure I agree. My issue is the renewal requirements after you expire and significant. A 60 day extension would allow plenty of time to get current. Wondering what others are thinking...

I have to say that I'm disappointed in USPA's response. I've read the USPA email blast and it does not address instructor ratings, only medicals. Tom Noonan has released a definitive statement saying that UPT will not change any TI rating requirements. The 90 and 180 day currency rules will still apply. For USPA instructor ratings one day late equals a year late, which costs time and money to get current. Guess I'll have to take it up with the BOD directly.

USPA BOD - please take note. The AOPA is taking action advocating on behalf of the GA pilots they represent. What's USPA's plan? Let's get out in front of this rather than react to whatever happens. https://www.aopa.org/news-and-media/all-news/2020/march/18/baker-urges-faa-to-lift-impossible-compliance-barriers

If the IRS can push back the tax filing deadline, i would think that USPA should be able to find some flexibility as well. All I'm saying here is that there isn't a chapter in the governance manual that covers pandemics. And this is happening right in the middle of our pre-season. Right when lots of folks are typically getting ready to get back in the air.

Has there been any discussion of rating renewal extensions? Some of us haven't jumped all winter and can't get current due to the virus lockdown. It would make sense to me to push the deadlines a few months until this thing is under control.