chuckakers

What'd you do to your arm? You healing? Doc sez I blew up part of my bicep. Surgery Thursday. sux. . Chuck Akers D-10855 Houston, TX

Hey Texas and Gulf Coast Skydivers - LET'S SKYDIVE!! The Ballunar Lift Off Festival 2003 is coming up August 22 - 24, at the Johnson Space Center (NASA) in Clear Lake Texas, near Houston!! This is the 10th year for the event!! Disciplines represented: RW CReW Freeflying Wingsuit (new this year) THE JUMPS PERFORMED AT THIS EVENT ARE DEMONSTRATION JUMPS!! ALL PARTICIPANTS MUST HOLD A USPA "D" LICENSE, JUMP AN IN-DATE SQUARE RESERVE, AND ABSOLUTELY MUST BE APPROVED TO PARTICIPATE BY A TEAM CAPTAIN, GROUP CAPTAIN, OR EVENT ORGANIZER. With that said, if you meet the above requirements and would like to join in, read on. The Ballunar Lift Off Festival is a longtime Texas tradition and very unique. The event is part demonstration, part competition, part boogie, and a very cool experience according to everyone I know that has participated. One of the biggest attractions of the event is the variety of aerial disciplines represented. Ballunar Lift Off is Texas' largest balloon festival (see www.ballunarfestival.com ), and also features, powered parachutes, hang gliding, rockets, gyro-planes, static displays, etc. There's also vendors of art & crafts, lots of food and drink, live bands, and other cool stuff. So as jumpers at Ballunar, we are also part spectator, making the experiences at the event as cool as the skydiving. Well, almost. The event runs from Friday evening the 22nd through the afternoon of Sunday the 24th. There is also on optional "safety meeting" Thursday evening at a local watering hole, just to make sure we start off on the right foot, if ya know what I mean. We meet up Friday evening for a steak dinner, catered on the NASA grounds. Just after sunset, the balloons - tethered - all fire up their burners for a "night-glow". The beer flows and we announce the RW teams, selected before the event "sandlot style". We usually dirt dive that evening to get ready for the meet. A cool start to a cool weekend. Jumps both Saturday and Sunday run on a strict but easily maintained schedule. We ride air-conditioned luxury motor coaches to Ellington field, about 10 minutes away. Buses are equipped with video review so teams or groups can watch their last skydive along the way. We arrive with plenty of dirt dive time, then board the CASA...yes, a CASA. The jumps are then made over the festival, with landings directly onto the festival grounds right in front of crowds totaling 100,000 throughout the weekend - ala demo!!! Jumpers are encouraged to mingle with the crowd on their way in, of course. As a participant, you will be performing 6 six jumps throughout the course of the weekend. Between skydives, the other aerial demonstrations happen, while we are on the ground to watch! As you can see, this event is not a jump-yer-ass-off event, but that's not the point. For RW folks, these jumps will be competitive 30-ways. These are low-key dives...depending on your point of view. Freeflyers, CReW dogs and Wingsuit jumpers will be sharing the CASA between RW loads. This will be the first year for wingsuits! Last year we resurrected the pool party and everyone loved it. Soooo, this year we're going to make it bigger and better! Beer, jello shots, and the Booooze Luge will be on tap Saturday night after jumping. The pool party this year is destined to be talked about for a while. Don’t miss it!! We’re soliciting sponsors, so I’ll take this occasion to thank Scott’s Grips for their generous sponsorship already. Who else is in? Sunday's schedule is a copy of Saturday's, with lots of beer and an awards ceremony held at the end of the RW meet. For those that don't have flights to catch, there's also the Sunday evening dinner/tortilla fight at a local Mexican place, just to make sure we end in style. Let me remind that... THE JUMPS PERFORMED AT THIS EVENT ARE DEMONSTRATION JUMPS!! ALL PARTICIPANTS MUST HOLD A USPA "D" LICENSE, JUMP AN IN-DATE SQUARE RESERVE, AND ABSOLUTELY MUST BE APPROVED TO PARTICIPATE BY A TEAM CAPTAIN, GROUP CAPTAIN, OR EVENT ORGANIZER. Cost is only $25 registration fee, and $15 per jump!! For that, jumpers get event T-shirts and hats, a goodie bag, steak dinner, free soft drinks all day, beer, attendance at the pool party (bring friends too)and passes to Space Center Houston!! Be part of a Texas tradition - The Ballunar Lift Off Festival! For an application, e-mail [email protected] Chuck Akers D-10855 Houston, TX

Hey Texas and Gulf Coast Skydivers - LET'S SKYDIVE!! The Ballunar Lift Off Festival 2003 is coming up August 22 - 24, at the Johnson Space Center (NASA) in Clear Lake Texas, near Houston!! This is the 10th year for the event!! Disciplines represented: RW CReW Freeflying Wingsuit (new this year) THE JUMPS PERFORMED AT THIS EVENT ARE DEMONSTRATION JUMPS!! ALL PARTICIPANTS MUST HOLD A USPA "D" LICENSE, JUMP AN IN-DATE SQUARE RESERVE, AND ABSOLUTELY MUST BE APPROVED TO PARTICIPATE BY A TEAM CAPTAIN, GROUP CAPTAIN, OR EVENT ORGANIZER. With that said, if you meet the above requirements and would like to join in, read on. The Ballunar Lift Off Festival is a longtime Texas tradition and very unique. The event is part demonstration, part competition, part boogie, and a very cool experience according to everyone I know that has participated. One of the biggest attractions of the event is the variety of aerial disciplines represented. Ballunar Lift Off is Texas' largest balloon festival (see www.ballunarfestival.com ), and also features, powered parachutes, hang gliding, rockets, gyro-planes, static displays, etc. There's also vendors of art & crafts, lots of food and drink, live bands, and other cool stuff. So as jumpers at Ballunar, we are also part spectator, making the experiences at the event as cool as the skydiving. Well, almost. The event runs from Friday evening the 22nd through the afternoon of Sunday the 24th. There is also on optional "safety meeting" Thursday evening at a local watering hole, just to make sure we start off on the right foot, if ya know what I mean. We meet up Friday evening for a steak dinner, catered on the NASA grounds. Just after sunset, the balloons - tethered - all fire up their burners for a "night-glow". The beer flows and we announce the RW teams, selected before the event "sandlot style". We usually dirt dive that evening to get ready for the meet. A cool start to a cool weekend. Jumps both Saturday and Sunday run on a strict but easily maintained schedule. We ride air-conditioned luxury motor coaches to Ellington field, about 10 minutes away. Buses are equipped with video review so teams or groups can watch their last skydive along the way. We arrive with plenty of dirt dive time, then board the CASA...yes, a CASA. The jumps are then made over the festival, with landings directly onto the festival grounds right in front of crowds totaling 100,000 throughout the weekend - ala demo!!! Jumpers are encouraged to mingle with the crowd on their way in, of course. As a participant, you will be performing 6 six jumps throughout the course of the weekend. Between skydives, the other aerial demonstrations happen, while we are on the ground to watch! As you can see, this event is not a jump-yer-ass-off event, but that's not the point. For RW folks, these jumps will be competitive 30-ways. These are low-key dives...depending on your point of view. Freeflyers, CReW dogs and Wingsuit jumpers will be sharing the CASA between RW loads. This will be the first year for wingsuits! Last year we resurrected the pool party and everyone loved it. Soooo, this year we're going to make it bigger and better! Beer, jello shots, and the Booooze Luge will be on tap Saturday night after jumping. The pool party this year is destined to be talked about for a while. Don’t miss it!! We’re soliciting sponsors, so I’ll take this occasion to thank Scott’s Grips for their generous sponsorship already. Who else is in? Sunday's schedule is a copy of Saturday's, with lots of beer and an awards ceremony held at the end of the RW meet. For those that don't have flights to catch, there's also the Sunday evening dinner/tortilla fight at a local Mexican place, just to make sure we end in style. Let me remind that... THE JUMPS PERFORMED AT THIS EVENT ARE DEMONSTRATION JUMPS!! ALL PARTICIPANTS MUST HOLD A USPA "D" LICENSE, JUMP AN IN-DATE SQUARE RESERVE, AND ABSOLUTELY MUST BE APPROVED TO PARTICIPATE BY A TEAM CAPTAIN, GROUP CAPTAIN, OR EVENT ORGANIZER. Cost is only $25 registration fee, and $15 per jump!! For that, jumpers get event T-shirts and hats, a goodie bag, steak dinner, free soft drinks all day, beer, attendance at the pool party (bring friends too)and passes to Space Center Houston!! Be part of a Texas tradition - The Ballunar Lift Off Festival! For an application, e-mail [email protected] Chuck Akers D-10855 Houston, TX

Howdy Ya'll, We have this little ol' skydivin' thing down here in Houston every year or so, and we wuz jus' wondern' if ya might wanna join us. Ya see, it's like this. Every August a bunch of us jumpers mozy on down to NASA for a few hops and a reeeeaaaaal good party. You know NASA, the big ol' command center for that there rocket program we got. Well they put on a festival that includes a heap of balloons, skydivers, hang gliders, rockets, and a bunch of other stuff. There's live bands, food and drinks, craft makers, and more things than you can find at the county fair. Over 100,000 Texans (and some other fine folks) will be there this year!!! Now I know it sounds like yer doin' a demo all weekend, cuz ya are. That's why you gotta have one of them there "D" licenses, a square reserve (in date dangit) and USPA membership (even though the varmits dont deserve it). More important - we're kinda picky about which cowpokes we'll take on this here aerial stampede. Since there's so many whuffos around (yep, we call 'em that down here too) we gotta be reeeeaaaal careful 'bout screwin' up. If ya wanna ride, ya gotta git ok'd by a posse boss. Well anyway, this year were doin' it August 22nd thru the 24th. This dang thing gets better every year. This year we're invitin'… Formation skydivers (that's RW fer you ol' guys) doin’ 30-ways!! Freeflyers (that impossible fer you ol' guys) doin freeflyer stuff CReW (fer you crazy guys) doin’ that CreW stuff And here's the best part - the whole dang thing is only $25 registration and $15 CASA jumps! Yep, I know yer sayin' "ain't no way I just read $15 CASA jumps", but ya did!!! Fer yer bucks, ya git dinner, beer, passes to space center houston, a goodie bag filled with goodies, event t-shirts and hats, prizes, and a bunch of other stuff. And here's the really best part - the pool party Saturday night will buck ya right off yer high horse. Jell-o shots, the "cowboy booze luge" and a whole bunch a barely dressed bodies...some even worth lookin' at!! And here’s the really really best part. Since it’s a demo with lots of people around, the 10 second rule will be in effect, YEEEEEHAAAWWWW!!!!!! Now before I go any farther, let me tell ya somethin’ partner. This little ol’ thing ain’t fer you “gotta-jump-my-chaps-off” types. In fact, we’re only gonna rustle up half a dozen jumps per cowboy all weekend. No sir, it ain’t about that. This here weekend is all about gettin’ together as a big ol’ skydivin’ family, puttin’ on a great show for thousands of folks, partyin’ yer asses off at the pool, and generally enjoyin’ the most…well…enjoyable parts of jumpin’. Just ask anybody that's rode with us before and they'll tell ya - this is one skydiving event ya don't wanna miss!! So if yer interested here’s watcha do. E-mail me and request an application. Include yer experience, license number, discipline, etc. Remember, every cowpoke must be approved by a posse boss. If yer accepted, we’ll send ya a form to sign up!! And don’t ferget to pass the word around. Seems every year we have a couple empty saddles and cowboys that find out too late to join the rodeo. We’re gonna have a reeeeaaaal good time, so come ride with us!! Chuck Akers Posse Boss [email protected] 281-960-7120

Howdy Ya'll, We have this little ol' skydivin' thing down here in Houston every year or so, and we wuz jus' wondern' if ya might wanna join us. Ya see, it's like this. Every August a bunch of us jumpers mozy on down to NASA for a few hops and a reeeeaaaaal good party. You know NASA, the big ol' command center for that there rocket program we got. Well they put on a festival that includes a heap of balloons, skydivers, hang gliders, rockets, and a bunch of other stuff. There's live bands, food and drinks, craft makers, and more things than you can find at the county fair. Over 100,000 Texans (and some other fine folks) will be there this year!!! Now I know it sounds like yer doin' a demo all weekend, cuz ya are. That's why you gotta have one of them there "D" licenses, a square reserve (in date dangit) and USPA membership (even though the varmits dont deserve it). More important - we're kinda picky about which cowpokes we'll take on this here aerial stampede. Since there's so many whuffos around (yep, we call 'em that down here too) we gotta be reeeeaaaal careful 'bout screwin' up. If ya wanna ride, ya gotta git ok'd by a posse boss. Well anyway, this year were doin' it August 22nd thru the 24th. This dang thing gets better every year. This year we're invitin'… Formation skydivers (that's RW fer you ol' guys) doin’ 30-ways!! Freeflyers (that impossible fer you ol' guys) doin freeflyer stuff CReW (fer you crazy guys) doin’ that CreW stuff And here's the best part - the whole dang thing is only $25 registration and $15 CASA jumps! Yep, I know yer sayin' "ain't no way I just read $15 CASA jumps", but ya did!!! Fer yer bucks, ya git dinner, beer, passes to space center houston, a goodie bag filled with goodies, event t-shirts and hats, prizes, and a bunch of other stuff. And here's the really best part - the pool party Saturday night will buck ya right off yer high horse. Jell-o shots, the "cowboy booze luge" and a whole bunch a barely dressed bodies...some even worth lookin' at!! And here’s the really really best part. Since it’s a demo with lots of people around, the 10 second rule will be in effect, YEEEEEHAAAWWWW!!!!!! Now before I go any farther, let me tell ya somethin’ partner. This little ol’ thing ain’t fer you “gotta-jump-my-chaps-off” types. In fact, we’re only gonna rustle up half a dozen jumps per cowboy all weekend. No sir, it ain’t about that. This here weekend is all about gettin’ together as a big ol’ skydivin’ family, puttin’ on a great show for thousands of folks, partyin’ yer asses off at the pool, and generally enjoyin’ the most…well…enjoyable parts of jumpin’. Just ask anybody that's rode with us before and they'll tell ya - this is one skydiving event ya don't wanna miss!! So if yer interested here’s watcha do. E-mail me and request an application. Include yer experience, license number, discipline, etc. Remember, every cowpoke must be approved by a posse boss. If yer accepted, we’ll send ya a form to sign up!! And don’t ferget to pass the word around. Seems every year we have a couple empty saddles and cowboys that find out too late to join the rodeo. We’re gonna have a reeeeaaaal good time, so come ride with us!! Chuck Akers Posse Boss [email protected] 281-960-7120

This has to be an all-time classic... Summer of '92 - the "point break" summer. DZ phones are ringing like crazy, and one guy definitely saw the flick. "So how long is the freefall?" he asks. "About 60 seconds" I say. "60 seconds...hell in Point Break they were in freefall for almost 3 minutes!!" "Yeah, but in Point Break, they jumped from 7,000 feet." He seemed satisfied with the answer. . Chuck Akers D-10855 Houston, TX

Make that green cans - it's a pool party.

Sure can - bring beer!

uh oh, here we go.

The Ballunar Lift Off Festival is coming up August 22 - 24 at the Johnson Space Center in Clear Lake. For those who have played with us in the many past years, expect an invitation from Al Saylor in your e-mail box soon. Once again this year, the wife and I are hosting a POOL PARTY Saturday night (August 23rd) at one of the nearby hotels (to be announced). On tap this year are jello shots (of course) and we're even thinking about bringing out the ol' SUSA booze luge!! THE PARTY IS OPEN TO ALL (leave the kids at home, as we might be doing the Wharton Wave)!!!! YOU DO NOT HAVE TO BE PARTICIPATING IN THE EVENT TO ATTEND THE PARTY. We highly recommend wearing a swimsuit, as you WILL be swimming (or at least getting wet). Bring plenty of beer on ice (no bottles please). Bring munchies or take part in the collection. If you're interested in participating in the skydiving (30-ways, freefly, and CReW) contact Al Saylor at [email protected] For more info on the party, contact me! . Chuck Akers D-10855 Houston, TX

The Ballunar Lift Off Festival is coming up August 22 - 24 at the Johnson Space Center in Clear Lake. For those who have played with us in the many past years, expect an invitation from Al Saylor in your e-mail box soon. Once again this year, the wife and I are hosting a POOL PARTY Saturday night (August 23rd) at one of the nearby hotels (to be announced). On tap this year are jello shots (of course) and we're even thinking about bringing out the ol' SUSA booze luge!! THE PARTY IS OPEN TO ALL (leave the kids at home, as we might be doing the Wharton Wave)!!!! YOU DO NOT HAVE TO BE PARTICIPATING IN THE EVENT TO ATTEND THE PARTY. We highly recommend wearing a swimsuit, as you WILL be swimming (or at least getting wet). Bring plenty of beer on ice (no bottles please). Bring munchies or take part in the collection. If you're interested in participating in the skydiving (30-ways, freefly, and CReW) contact Al Saylor at [email protected] For more info on the party, contact me! . Chuck Akers D-10855 Houston, TX

>>1. My only complaint after the jump was a nose or sinus "injury". I felt like I had to sneeze for the next three days, and had to take allergenic nose drops to make the feeling go away. I'm sure this was normal, but how do I keep that from happening again? Should I jump with a clothespin on my nose? Should I train by going to a gas station, driving up to the air compressor, drop a quarter in the slot, and stick the hose in my left nostril?>2. Should I get my own training chute, and if so, does the cost include the reserve and an AAD? What is the best? Lake Elsinore offers their own complete rental package which I am sure is excellent. Should I train and certify first, and then get my own chute?> 3. I watched Joan Lunden this weekend on A & E and her training with the Golden Knights. She was incredibly unstable in the wind tunnel, and I'm worried about my ability to be stable on my own with the AFF program. Should I opt for a program with a wind tunnel, or do these things work themselves out with the standard AFF program? I learn fast, I just would like to know your collective thoughts.

The cost of demo insurance (or any other) is in direct proportion to the cost of claims filed. It therefore stands to reason that if premiums are rising, so are the claims - either in quantity, cost, or both. I'll bet that the vast majority of claims involve infractions of FAR's, BSR's, or common sense, ei. high winds, insufficient skills, poor canopy selection, landing technique, etc. If I remember correctly, claims can (and should) be denied if the cause of the claim involves violations of FAR's or BSR's. Assuming this is true, maybe we should go to our insurance folks with a new deal. An example - require all claims to be investigated by a knowledgeable and objective third party such as a skydiving professional hired by the insurer. If it is concluded that any BSR'S, FAR's, or other restrictions (no hook turns, no wing loadings over a certain amount, etc.) were violated, the claim is denied. This would reduce the cost of claims for the insurer, which should reduce the cost of premiums. We've sat around for years watching dumbass demo jumpers make the news bouncing off everything from parked cars to parked people. It was only a matter of time before these idiots cost the rest of us money, and it looks like that time has come. . Chuck Akers D-10855 Houston, TX

QuoteYou should read Missy Nelsons safety tip on the chicago site. Now there's a bit of irony, eh? . Chuck Akers D-10855 Houston, TX

>>When I was jumping at a smaller DZ (4 canopies in the air), I used s-turns to burn off altitude quite a bit when flying my pattern. Now that I'm at a big DZ, I just don't want to do something people aren't expecting, both as a service to other jumpers, and to keep myself from getting hurt.

>>Here's the reality check situation: 4 canopies approaching landing area. Lead canopy performing irratic maneuvers on downwind at 800' forcing other canopies in the pattern to turn to avoid minor possible collisions.>Creates fixation on lead pattern canopy so other canopies do not notice canopies around them.

Please tell me that's a yes!?!?!?! . Chuck Akers D-10855 Houston, TX

What Chuck influence? In case you don't remember (and who could) most of the really good stuff happened after I had already left the DZ - at 4am. C'mon, I just ran the DZ and hosted the parties, so...uh....uh....oops - guilty as charged Your Mistress, heh heh. Reputaions Earned and Repeated as Necessary, . Chuck Akers D-10855 Houston, TX

*** >>I heard from Clint this weekend that some of our adventures almost kept another DZ from opening on that airport.

Quote Uh Oh!!!! I figured my jumpsuit needed washing and after the machine finished,,, only then did I realize that my Alti III was still in the pocket of the suit..... damn......( at least now the altimeter is clean ) damn.... what should I do..?.. Take up scuba? After all, you now own a depth gauge. Chuck Akers D-10855 Houston, TX

I'm not sure of the hard numbers but I do believe SUSA had a fairly high retention rate. I suppose one reason was the atmosphere and attitudes of the jumpers. SUSA was about the people and I think new jumpers felt that. Or maybe it was the killer parties and naked ladies! Chuck Chuck Akers D-10855 Houston, TX

QuoteWharton was the 1 DZ in Houston where it didn't matter if it was your 1st time there or you were a regular you felt the love. They really had that family atmosphere and was a place you knew when you got there you were with friends. Aw shucks Kelli, yer gettin' me all choked up.

How funny - I originally named SDH "Houston Skydiving Center", or HSC for short. Nice to see the name back in use. And nice to see Wharton back in use too. Best layout in the area for a DZ, especially for students. CA

whatcha think?

Jus' wonderin' if there's any chatrooms for us these days