SStewart

The guy who makes 500 jumps in 3 years is more current because he actually made 500 jumps. The guy who makes 500 in 1 year really only made 100 jumps but he lies and says he made 500 because he wants people to think he is cool.

And there you have it.

So, last year the USPA bod discussed an idea to give free lifetime membership to members once they reach the 30 year mark. Seemed reasonable, after all these folks are old and have been paying dues for thirty years. They still have to pay for ratings so no problem right? Then there was talk about discounts or maybe 50% off. Blah, Blah.

So, this year I have been a USPA member for 30 years and I get this letter from HQ that I am now a free lifetime member!
Congratulations!

The letter says all I have to do is update my info and pay for my ratings.

Whoo-Hoo!

I am dancing around and loving life, FREE LIFETIME MEMBERSHIP! They listened! They love us! Yep, all those years of paying dues FINALLY paid off!

But then I get this email:

Dear USPA Members,
Last month, many USPA members whose Regular memberships expire at the end of December were erroneously mailed the annual Lifetime-member update, instead of the second notice Regular-member renewal form. (You should have received your first notice Regular-member renewal form in October.) The Lifetime-member update indicates that no payment is required to "renew." Please disregard the Lifetime member update form.

If you returned your first notice Regular-member renewal form, no further action is needed. We have your renewal and will be processing it.

If you haven't yet returned a Regular-member renewal form, please ensure that you return that form (or this form) with proper payment. (You may also renew with a credit card online, or at many DZs by providing them with a completed renewal form and payment.)

If you have already returned the Lifetime-member update form to USPA, thinking you were receiving a free membership renewal, we still need you to submit a Regular-member renewal form and payment. (You may also renew with a credit card online, or at many DZs by providing them with a completed renewal form and payment.)

If you returned the Lifetime-member update form with a partial payment for a rating renewal or donation, please call USPA at 540-604-9740 with your credit card handy and we'll arrange your Regular-membership renewal payment.

Turns out I was not so special after all, my 30 years meant nothing, I was just a random member who got the wrong letter.

Talk about the grinch who stole Christmas, Thanks USPA!

I had a Vector with a similar mod last year except the webbing attached to the pin went through a big ring on the right side and the cable did not go through a ring at all. In other words the guide ring was on the opposite side and it was an over-sized ring. It came form the North East US, there was no notation of the mod on the data card but I think it was done in the mid-90's judging by the last repack date.
I see your concern, the guide ring serves no purpose at all on the left side. Send a picture to UPT and see what they say.

Kevin, this is an older Vector that was modified for an RSL. The lanyard goes directly to the riser, all it does is pull the pin, there is no Skyhook.

kallend

It looks as though the adults in the Senate have finally decided that enough is enough.

So what will the GOP have achieved as a result of its right wing's tantrum in the House?

Among other negative "acheivements"

shropshire

******>I still don't get the hate for psycho packing…

Works for some people, doesn't work for others. Whatever works.

The ones it doesn't work for are doing it wrong

Depends how wrong ...... But I guess their rigger loves them .. what with all the repacks and all

Hmmmm, I am a rigger and no chops after 10 years of psycho packing. Come to think of it I don't remember any repacks after a save from psycho packing. But to be fair not too many people pack this way at my DZ.

The reality is once the canopy is out of the bag it makes no difference if it was rolled or folded.

billvon

>I still don't get the hate for psycho packing…

Works for some people, doesn't work for others. Whatever works.

The ones it doesn't work for are doing it wrong

They still make the Hornet, they just changed the name to "Pilot" Oh, and doubled the price.

This was the class picture from 2008, Jennifer on the far right.

Oh wow, that sucks. I saw the same thing on facebook, any word on the cause? I jumped with Jen and Chad at Kutztown, Maytown, and Chambersburg. We were both instructors at Dave DeWolfs riggers course. Very sorry to hear this, thinking of all my east coast friends and Chad right now.

I have been looking for a copy of the Feb 1995 Parachutist. Also interested in the ones from 1999-2000.

phreeloader

The thread title says it all. I destroyed my ACL when I wrecked my motorcycle a month ago. I haven't been able to walk without crutches since, So tomorrow they're building me a new one.

I know a bunch of you guys have been thru this before, so on a scale of 1-10 how bad is this gonna suck?

In Jan 2012 I had a wreck working at Snowbasin Utah and I suffered a tibial platueu fracture and a torn ACL. After the initial trauma and recovery I still managed to make almost 400 jumps in 2012 (with no ACL) After all the hardware removal I had a hamstring ACL graft done 6 months ago. I did not start jumping until may but I have made almost 200 this summer. So far so good.

I am more concerned with skiing than skydiving. Skydiving is easy.

yoink

Not a bad idea. I don't want to be taken out by a drunk skydiver any more than I do a drunk driver.

Agreed! What if I jump in Colorado? or maybe Washington?

b. any drug that affects that person’s faculties in any way contrary to safety.

Why do we open cans of worms? what benefit is this to the MEMBERSHIP of USPA?

While we are at it, how about this new BSR?

-A new Basic Safety Requirement has been added as follows: No person may make a parachute jump or attempt to make a parachute jump if that person is or appears to be under the influence of—
a. alcohol
b. any drug that affects that person’s faculties in any way contrary to safety.

Great! now we can't pull low or drink and jump. The good news is that the SIM is now officially heavy enough to be used as a packing weight. It took years but we finally did it!

kallend

So who is in the air with a tape measure?

Exactly!

An extra 500 ft will cut off almost 3 seconds of my freefall time per jump. More useless nonsense from the BOD.

Ifly Utah is 5-10 minutes from Skydive Ogden.

If you kill innocent people with a home made bomb you are a terrorist.
If you kill innocent people with a hell fire missle shot from a drone you are defending freedom.

Makes sense? No it does not.

Quote

http://www.infowars.com/your-kids-belong-to-the-collective/

This is why we need guns.

Are you saying we need guns to protect ourselves from fringe lunatics like Alex Jones? Or are you saying we need to shoot people who work for MSNBC because we don't like what they say?

And who is this "we" you speak of?

Quote

>Naw. I think their solution to this event would be more armed guards.

Exactly. If someone else had had a gun and was competent in using it, he could have dropped the 4 year old before he had a chance to pull the trigger. The problem is that not enough people at the cookout were armed.

The only thing that will stop a bad 4 year old with a gun is a good 4 year old with a gun.

From the riser covers and the two pins on the reserve ripcord it appears to be a Racer.

Why would anyone jump out of a perfectly good airplane?
I mean really, you might want to think about this.

Here is a really radical idea.....

How about all votes are recorded and published in Parachutist magazine so the membership knows exactly where the BOD stands?

USPA represents us, this secret ballot nonsense must stop.

Thanks Tom! Keep up the good work!

I am glad to see that cooler heads prevailed on the WS issue.
This good judgement on the newly seated board is very encouraging.

All votes should be recorded and made available to the membership in the minutes. We have a right to know how our elected representatives vote and where they stand on the issues.

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http://www.utahsheriffs.org/USA-Home_files/2nd%20Amendment%20Letter_1.pdf

So how many others have the balls to say no to enforcing unconstitutional executive order laws?

I would guess not many, here in Utah the police violate our constitutional rights on a regular basis. Regardless of the letter I am sure many of the cops here would have no problem with it, especially the UHP which is known for being thugs and bullies.

It is a bit ironic that Jorge was the runner up at the last Pope contest. If they would have just picked him in the first place he would still be the Pope.

I think they all got together and said " Who was second place last time? Jorge? OK, Jorge is still kicking, let him do it"

Quote

My personal position is that they should do away with cutters and come up with a miniture "pusher"which has no posibility of "interfering with the normal operation of".

You mean like a pin-puller on the old fxc except a "pusher" instead?