Douggarr

There are a number of good big-way primers on the web. Just google to find them. The bigger you go the more you need to know. SCR-442, SCS-202, CCR-870, SOS-1353

SmokinJoeKS, I had a 25 year long layoff. I came back at 59, and I've been active ever since. I'm flying a Spectre 170, mainly because of the incredibly gentle openings. I'm wingloaded at 1:1. No heroics. Just get down softly at my age. Also, I'd like to direct you to the Facebook page of the Skydiver Resurrection Award. If you friend me (Doug Garr), I'll get you on. It's for skydivers who returned after at least a 10 year layoff. No dues, no hassles, just 187 skydivers who made comebacks. We have a hoot. Good luck, and blue skies.Quote SCR-442, SCS-202, CCR-870, SOS-1353

When I was at Perris last April, I was told the engines needed an overhaul. This is expensive, as you can imagine. The jet must be passenger rated, which means an annual inspection that runs about 100K for a DC-10 (so I'm told). So, I'm guessing that they never want to say never, but a jet jump is probably somewhat off in the future. And I really want to make one, yes. SCR-442, SCS-202, CCR-870, SOS-1353

I've both checked my gear bag and carried it on. There are pros and cons to both. I've found that airports near big-time DZs where TSA agents are accustomed to seeing parachutes will wave your through pretty quickly. At other airports, where they haven't seen them, they look at the AAD card, compare it with the X-ray screen, and have a team meeting while you try to convince them you're legit. Frankly, it's easier to just check it. Tape all your handles tightly if you do. If they want to inspect it, they must ask you to observe the inspection. Usually, they will open up your gear bag, insert a card saying they checked it out, and that's it. SCR-442, SCS-202, CCR-870, SOS-1353

This is a piece that should be read by every S&TA at DZs with high-capacity loads and multiple aircraft turning.

Rich Winstock, a USPA board member, now is a co-owner and operator of this DZ. If you're in the New York area, it's a must to get some jumps here in your log book. The staff is first-rate (I know them all -- refugees from another DZ). And if you're looking to do a tandem, I highly recommend Sussex because of the staff's experience.

First, it's bad form to step on any suspension lines in the packing area. SCR-442, SCS-202, CCR-870, SOS-1353

It would be interesting to break down the price of a $25 jump ticket now to see how much goes to liability insurance. As with skiing, this has increased dramatically as the years have gone on, in part due to ambulance chasing tort lawyers. Bill Booth has said that he's spent tons of cash defending lawsuits. And I think most skydivers will agree that his innovations have saved many, many jumpers from their ash dive. I'm wondering how many of those attorneys could prove that his designs were flawed; likely, there was negligence involved in using the gear and not the manufacturing of it. SCR-442, SCS-202, CCR-870, SOS-1353

No, I'm not saying the rules are written with a "wink and a nod." The key to my last two posts was "voluntary compliance," which is how the rule of law generally works in the free world. Skydivers are always going to find a new way to kill themselves. Prudent rules are usually welcome. If they're not any good (like Prohibition), then the public will howl. That said, most skydivers I know jump with AADs and RSLs because they save more skydivers than create problems that kill them. Many people wore seat belts in cars before they were mandated. And yeah, there was always someone who said, I was in an accident and some guy couldn't get out because he couldn't unhook his belt. And he died. This guy is never going to wear a seat belt and there's nothing you or I could say that will make him. Same goes with the pull altitude. SCR-442, SCS-202, CCR-870, SOS-1353

The rules are written for voluntary compliance. And when they're not that sensible, people will stretch them. Think about the speed limit. Cops allow the traffic to flow 5-10 mph over the limit, generally, because they know the roads are designed to be safely exceeded by a small amount. They go after extreme violators -- 85 mph in a 55-mph zone. When the national speed limit went from 65 to 55 many years ago -- ostensibly to save fuel -- the fatality rate immediately went from 50,000 annually to about 35,000. Think about that for a second. And yeah, who's going to know where you're actually deploying? The ones who were grounded for low pulls in the old days were egregious rules flaunters -- 1,000 feet on almost every jump -- and those jumpers everyone knew about. Just like the guys doing 80-90 mph on the highway. This whole thing may make a difference for the better. It may save the lives of 5 skydivers a year. Nobody knows. But for those staunch libertarian skydivers out there -- just think of it as lowering the speed limit 5 or 10 mph. And do what you damn please because nobody really cares. SCR-442, SCS-202, CCR-870, SOS-1353

I just want to respond to those who are worried that the next in line is the AAD requirement. I don't think this is going to happen. A few years ago, I did. But now I don't. The only DZ I came upon that "required" them was Pepperell. I jumped there for the first time in 30 years a few weeks ago, and I'll tell you. Nobody even inspected my gear. Just my packing card. So much for that. Jumpers have been pencil packing reserves for eons, and that will continue. Compliance probably increased when we went to 180 days from way back when it was 60. I didn't see the riggers' lobby go ballistic because they would have fewer I/Rs. If they pass an AAD requirement at some point, jumpers who don't believe in them will just have the picture window part of the unit for DZ check-in procedures and not bother with a working one. My point of this post is that those who are paranoid about rules changes designed for better safety do not have to worry. Just don't follow the rules. It's not that much harder in 2013 than it was back when I started in 1969 (when the BSRs were just "rough guidelines" anyway). SCR-442, SCS-202, CCR-870, SOS-1353

Just heard that the USPA raised the hard deck to 2,500 feet for C and D license holders at the summer board meeting. I'm waiting for the wave of protesters to weigh in. But I'm in favor of it, even though those who are against it will certainly ignore it. The ST&A can waive the requirement at a given DZ, I think. SCR-442, SCS-202, CCR-870, SOS-1353

10-way speed stars were typically made from lower altitudes as the teams became faster and faster. I recall that when 14-18 seconds were the "norm" we would practice from 7,500 feet. I have a bunch of low teens times in my early log books, and we were not even competitive on the national scene. SCR-442, SCS-202, CCR-870, SOS-1353

I've jumped about 25 different aircraft. The one I am sure I will have a lot of fun jumping is the Perris DC-10, if it's ever commissioned again. There is a rumor (circulated mostly by me) that they are going to overhaul the engines and get it in the air again. 13,500 in about what four minutes? I'll even fly coach. SCR-442, SCS-202, CCR-870, SOS-1353

This is a great teaching moment video. Without an AAD we would be scheduling his ash dive. I had a major debate with an instructor about this on FB. His position was that this incident began and ended with equipment checking. I said it only began with that. Altitude awareness begins with your first free fall and ends on your retirement jump. This video should be required viewing at Safety Day in 2014. And anybody who laughs, should be spanked. SCR-442, SCS-202, CCR-870, SOS-1353

Imagine seeing a sign like on the instrument panel of a airliner that read, "Have you checked your flight plan with ATC?" SCR-442, SCS-202, CCR-870, SOS-1353

Wow. I read this string with all of the toxic comments. There are clearly differing views on camera jumps and experience. I just finished writing an article on the early days of skydiving photography, scheduled for the Sept. issue of Parachutist. It was great talking to all the old guys who were still around (not Boenish, not Buquor) who were making camera jumps with um about 15 or 20 skydives. I'm an old far and conservative when it comes to risk. I want to be like Lew Sanborn and retire when I'm 83. Obviously, there are kid skydivers with 50 jumps who can handle a GoPro, and there are idiots with 500 who can't. So we have to draw a reasonable line. What it is? It's worth the debate. If I ran a DZ, it would be 200, firm. On the other hand, here's my view (this is satire, okay?): if we let first jump students all have GoPros, we can now document every single fatality and stupid mistake in perpetuity.... Boy, I hope if I ever go in it's not on YouTube.... SCR-442, SCS-202, CCR-870, SOS-1353

Many people don't know that Larry still holds the record for most landings on an aircraft carrier at night. It may never be broken. Some 1100 or so. When naval aviators have been studied by the slide rule set, they found that the highest pucker factor is on approach to the deck in the dark. So don't anyone ever suggest that this guy didn't have the right stuff. SCR-442, SCS-202, CCR-870, SOS-1353

Larry Elmore died yesterday in a skydiving accident in Florida. He was an extroadinary guy, terrific skydiver, 400-way world record holder, SOS plane captain on several world records. He was also an ex-Navy pilot and former airline captain. And one of the great people in this sport. If you got to jump with him, it was a special privilege and an honor. I'll miss him greatly as hundreds of others he shared the air with will miss him as well. BSBD, Larry. RIP SCR-442, SCS-202, CCR-870, SOS-1353

http://woodinville.patch.com/groups/police-and-fire/p/homicide-victim-identified-as-earl-cossey-of-woodinville This just posted on FB. We know that Earl was murdered. We don't know anything beyond this fact. The article did not say whether anything in the house was missing, which would indicate a robbery. So we can speculate all we want. No suspects apparently. SCR-442, SCS-202, CCR-870, SOS-1353

I've jumped with Peter, and I'm only qualified to talk about the 60+ SOS formation loads I've been on, but at least for that level skydive (under 100), I don't think tracking teams are necessary. One reason is that the organizers are very good at the sectional break-offs of groups between 6,000 and 2,500, so vertical as well as horizontal separate is also considered. In many ways I feel safer on a big way than I do on a typical twin turbo load where there are five different groups in the staging area and because there's only one pass, everyone's asking everyone else what altitude they're opening at. I'm wondering, when the first big ways up to 200 were organized, were there tracking groups assigned? If they are indeed necessary, at what number of skydivers in the formation would you suggest the threshold? SCR-442, SCS-202, CCR-870, SOS-1353

You want to know about tradition? Ask the old United Club guys what it was like to boogie with the Herd. In fact, ask a lady skydiver what she had to do to get initiated. SCR-442, SCS-202, CCR-870, SOS-1353

If you work for a Fortune 500 company, I'd suggest they buy a wing at the as-yet-unbuilt National Skydiving Hall of Fame. They need the money. SCR-442, SCS-202, CCR-870, SOS-1353

In the good old days a death rig was an old rig that today's riggers would have looked at (at that time) and said, "Not at this DZ, not in this plane." For whatever reason. When I first started, I took a reserve to PI at Lakewood, a 24-foot unsteerable twill, and the rigger refused to pack it because it wouldn't pass a tension test. He told me it could blow up on a terminal opening. Not sure if he was hyping -- buy a new one here, but I took it back before I could test his theory. That was a death rig, possibly, and I didn't know it. Yeah, we all jumped with sinkers and rubber bands just in front of the last pin on three-pin and four-pin containers so we wouldn't lose a ripcord on a malfunction. Then somebody went in because their handle wrapped itself in the lower suspension lines of his reserve, and then, well, we all took off the sinkers and rubber bands. Those were death rigs, too, and nobody knew it until somebody died. SCR-442, SCS-202, CCR-870, SOS-1353