chriswelker

Be careful, these guys play rough. Carey is some type of computer know it all, FYI. Chris Welker

There have ben a lot of good ideas to make this "thing" go away; however , you need something with some impact. Three words, USPA Group Membership CODE OF ETHICS. The guys that own Skyride also own Group Member DZ's in Georgia, Alabama and Penn. Enact some type of policy and I would bet money these guys would be breaking it before the ink dries. FYI Mike Mullins tried to pass a code of ethics motion for the Group Membership program, but it was not passed. Chris Welker

13th Annual Halloween Boogie and Costume Party Huge number of Sponsors, Raffle, and Door Prizes 13th Annual Halloween Boogie and Costume Party October 30-31, 2004 (King Air will also be available Friday afternoon, October 29th) $17 Registration includes buffet dinner, beer, soda, Jell-O shots and 2 raffle tickets. Costume Party and GIGANTIC Raffle Saturday night. Best Costume wins a free weekend of King Air jumps at West Tennessee Skydiving. Freefly organizing by the Mullins Boys: Joel, Jeff, and Zachary. Jumps are $18.00 to 14,500'. Early bird loads manifested before 8:00 AM just $10.00. Mullins Super King Air, 14 jumpers to 14,500' in 7 minutes, guaranteed fastest jump aircraft in the country! HUGE quantity of raffle and door prizes donated by our sponsors: Aerodyne, Alti-2, Altitude Concepts, Bev Suits, Birdman, Inc., Tony Suits, Bonehead, Cazer Paraloft, Flyaway Indoor Skydiving, Icarus Canopies, Sunrise Rigging, Jumper Sportswear, Kroops, Performance Designs, Larsen & Brusgard, Mirage Systems, Para Publishing, Precision, Relative Workshop, Rigs & Things, Velocity Sports, Sky Systems, SSK, Strong, Sun Path, Windline, and more! NEWS FLASH: Mirage, Performance Designs, Precision, Relative Workshop, and Sunpath will be on site with Demos. You should be able to try just about anything on the market. If there is a specific size CANOPY that you would like to DEMO please contact Chris Welker at [email protected]. West Tennessee Skydiving now Air-Conditioned! 75 degrees year around With the addition of 8 tons of air-conditioning to the packing area, West Tennessee Skydiving is now fully air conditioned. We are the only skydiving facility in the world that offers a fully air conditioned facility with a shaded aircraft loading area immediately adjacent. Blue Ones, Chris Welker

Minimum container opening altitudes above the ground for skydivers are: 1. Tandem jumps--4,500 feet AGL 2. All students and A-license holders--3,000 feet AGL 3. B-license holders--2,500 feet AGL 4. C- and D-license holders--2,000 feet AGL Just enforce the USPA BSR's and suspend the USPA member for a period of 30-60 days. Chris Welker S&TA '05

I have just recieved a BOTTLE of 63% Overproof Rum that will be in some of those Jell-O Shots Chris "Jell-O Shot" Welker

1-863-679-9444, or 1-863-679-9009. Talk to Angela, Billy. Chris Welker

I will see what I can do. Chris Welker

Tandems $25 for a regular tandem $30 for a tandem progression jump $10 to pack a tandem AFF $50 for first student in FJC, $25 for each additional student $25 per jump on reserve side $35 per jump on main side S/L & IAD $10 per student in FJC $5 per student I put out Coach jumps Varies between nothing and slot plus $15 Quote The law of supply and demand tells me that you should demand more money. Chris Welker

Sweet!! i would love to go for a 3rd one!!! I would really like to do a birdman HALO!!!Quote You would owe major beer on that one, Kevin. Chris Welker

Kevin, Kevin Holbrook has donated a 30,000 ft. halo jump for the BOOgie,want to go for 3rd one? Chris Welker A/C Rocks!

About a $1000. Chris Welker

Don't charge for my time on Coach jumps because this is my way of giving something back to the skydiving community. AFF ground school: $60 per student AFF 1-3: $35 each side AFF 4-7: $50 Tandems $75 if you use your own tandem rig $50 of you rent. Chris Welker

I just hope for all of you thrill seekers and heroes going below 2K , that your reserves will not open with line twists or other problems that you HAVE TO DEAL with. Chris Welker D-19678 AFF-I '04 S&TA

Not below 2000 ft agl. Below 2000 ft I have no friends. Chris Welker D-19678

Precision Aerodynamics has donated (2) 50% discounts to be raffled off at the BOOgie good for any canopy they make except tandems.Each certificate has a potential value of $1249.00. More to come. Chris Welker

Y knot? Chris Welker #121707 D-19678 S&TA AFF-I '04

Maybe John DeSantis had something to do with that? Chris Welker

There was a post in the "Incidents" forum that made the claim that:Accident implies death and incident implies injury. Let's clear this up. Accident: 1. a happening that is not expected, foreseen, or intended. 2. an unpleasant and unintended happening, sometimes resulting from negligence, that results in injury, loss, damage, etc. Incident: 1. likely to happen as a result or concomitant; incidental (to) 2. falling upon, striking, or affecting Fatality: 5.a death caused by a disaster, as in accident, war, etc. An example of how this is could be used correctly in a sentence: A skydiver was involved in a accident that resulted in her/his death. Or A skydiver was involved in a non fatal accident that required no medical assistance. To say that: 'Accident' implies a fatality 'Incident' implies an injury. is incorrect. There are fatal and non fatal accidents to be more correct. Have a nice day, Chris Welker

What do you teach them, Jan? Chris Welker

I have been a USPA member for 8 consecutive years. The 3 biggest reasons I keep my membership are as follows: 1) I am a USPA rated instructor and must join to keep my ratings. 2) 3rd party liability insurance. 3) Most DZ's require USPA membership to jump or instruct; however my home DZ is not a GM DZ and does not require it to jump there but does to instruct. What motivates you to keep your membership? Blue Ones, Chris Welker

The Group Member Program was established to foster a business and professional relationship between USPA and skydiving clubs, centers and schools in order to strengthen the unity within the skydiving community and to enhance the growth of the sport. The main beneficiary of this unity is the individual skydiver, who will receive better training, jump in a safer environment, and be better served by the association which supports the skydiver's interests. Drop Zones immediately benefit from Group Membership in many ways. Perhaps the greatest benefit to a DZ is the ability to make statements about meeting the standards of a national organization like USPA. Only Group Members are able to offer these credentials. And, only Group Members can offer the 45-Day Temporary Individual Membership which ensures that all of their jumpers are insured to cover costs of damage to your or your neighbors' property. Also, only Group Members may access USPA's online database of individual members to instantly check jumpers' memberships, licenses and ratings. Following is a full list of the benefits of USPA Group Membership: • Eligibility to sell the USPA 45-Day Temporary Individual Membership. This membership is a low-cost alternative to the annual membership and allows the DZ to offer the third-party liability insurance that comes with membership to all its jumpers, especially students and foreign visitors. • Eligibility to participate in the Voluntary Courtesy Inspection Program (VCIP). Participating DZs receive a complete on-site inspection by a USPA-contracted DZ inspector. DZs are expected to pay the inspection costs. • Affiliation with USPA. Group Members receive a certificate of membership signifying their pledge to comply with USPA's Basic Safety Requirements (BSRs), which include compliance with the Federal Aviation Regulations (FARs). This credential is meaningful to experienced and new jumpers alike. • Parachutist Listing. DZs are included in a monthly listing of Group Members in each issue of Parachutist. • Drop Zone Directory Listing. Group Members are provided a complete listing in USPA’s online Drop Zone Directory. The listing provides detailed information about the DZ as well as contact information and web links to the DZ. The information can be quickly updated. • USPA Logo Use. Group Members may use the USPA Group Member logo with the phrase "USPA Group Member" on any of their own advertising. • Online Database Access. Group Members may access USPA's online database of member credentials through the USPA website. This enables DZs to instantly check the status of jumpers' memberships, licenses, and ratings. • Government Relations Presence. Dues from the Group Member Program support representation at all levels of government by the USPA Government Relations staff and its contractors on issues of national importance to the sport and industry. • Government Relations Assistance. USPA assists Group Members threatened with government interference. In cases of regional or state challenges, USPA will provide on-site assistance, as resources permit. USPA maintains reference and legal case files relevant to DZ operations. • E-mail Reports. DZO Incoming and Safety & Training Newsletter. USPA reports on issues important to Group Members and their staffs via e-mail on a frequent basis through the DZO Incoming and Safety & Training Newsletter. • AAD Fund Use. Group Member DZs are eligible to apply for legal assistance with access issues through the Airport Access Defense Fund. • Participation in the DZO Conference. Normally held annually, the USPA Drop Zone Owners Conference provides an opportunity for DZOs to participate in sessions and seminars relevant to DZ operations. • Jump Pilot Orientation. Group Members receive a copy of the Flying for Skydiving Operations video jointly produced by USPA and the FAA, and useful for guiding prospective jump pilots. • Pilot and Airport Management Assistance. Group Members receive a copy of the Skydiving and Parachute Operations video jointly produced by USPA and the FAA, and useful in educating local pilots and airport management about safe DZ procedures. • Parachutist DZ Events Listing. Group Member DZ events and boogies are listed free in the "Main Events" department of Parachutist. In return for these benefits, each Group Member will pledge to comply with the BSRs, including FARs; require USPA individual membership (45-Day or annual) for all licensed skydivers; ensure all its employees and staff are appropriately qualified and rated in accordance with the Skydivers Information Manual (SIM) and (where applicable) hold USPA ratings and/or FAA licenses and certifications commensurate with their duties; and require that every skydiver sign a hold harmless release on behalf of USPA, consistent with state laws. Group Members also agree to support USPA promotional programs. Each Group Member pays an initial registration fee its first year of membership and annual dues each subsequent year. Group Members will be classified as: CAT 1 (skydiving operations that use military aircraft or clubs that are located on and use aircraft of an established skydiving center which is itself a Group Member; CAT 2 (small centers or schools that operate routinely with not more than two small aircraft, each weighing less than 6,000 pounds; or, professional skydiving schools which do not operate a DZ or own aircraft) and; CAT 3 (large centers that operate routinely with more than two small aircraft or one or more aircraft larger than 6,000 pounds). Foreign DZs are recognized as CAT 1 Group Members. The dues schedule is as follows: CAT 1 CAT 2 CAT 3 Initial (new) $200 $300 $600 Renewal $100 $200 $400 If you are interested in these benefits and becoming a USPA Group Member, please fill out and return the enclosed USPA Group Member Application. It will be forwarded to the appropriate Regional Director for approval and then processed at Headquarters. We appreciate your support of our efforts to keep skydiving safe and fun!

Quade, If you were wrong would you admit it? Chris Welker D-19678

Quade, You got to be joking, right? A GM DZ that signs a pledge(you might want to look up the definition of pledge in a WEBSTER'S NEW WORLD DICTIONARY OF THE AMERICAN LANGUAGE to help you understand the point.) then brakes that commitment has more respect for the USPA than a DZ that chooses not to follow a clubs rules that it isn't a member of? I have been to many GM DZ's where FAR's and BSR's were broken. Quade maybe next year the GM DZ's will subsidize our indivduel memberships since we have been doing it for them for so long. Chris Welker D-19678

Jan, How many Student skydivers in the past 10 years have died due to a lack of good instruction? Chris Welker AFF-I '04 Tandem S&TA

Jan, Who is go to evaluate the evaluators? Chris Welker