chuckakers

I'd be interested to hear what a lawyer has to say on this, but I think you get the discrimination thing wrong. It is not discriminatory to refuse service to someone on the grounds of safety. A race track company doesn't have to rent a car to a blind person. An amusement park is free to turn away someone who is not tall enough to safely ride certain rides. There are many, many examples of businesses legitimately limiting customer activities for safety reasons. This isn't about refusing service to someone because he's overweight. It's about refusing service to someone because in the opinion of the DZO it would be unsafe to let him jump regardless of the reason. Chuck Akers D-10855 Houston, TX

You're kidding, right? Chuck Akers D-10855 Houston, TX

Be super careful when boarding, moving around, and climbing out. You are used to the configuration of fixed wing jump planes with no seats or seats designed for jumpers. Most choppers are not modified to accommodate the dimensions of people wearing parachutes and snag hazards are typically not taken into consideration when preparing the bird for jumping. I have seen video after video of pin covers loose, pilot chutes partially extracted, etc. caused from movement in the cramped space. I have even seen a jumper with a chest strap snagged on protruding hardware on the landing pod! Check your gear after you board so any problems are identified before takeoff, be extra aware of your gear's proximity to and contact with interior components, and be as still as possible during the ride up. Check handles and pin covers before jump run. When climbing out avoid contact between your gear and the bird. Once you are in position for exit put the ride up and gear cautions behind you and have fun! Chuck Akers D-10855 Houston, TX

It already is. Go to the govt. SSDI website. I'm not sure the ADA discrimination thing is applicable when a person's safety could/would be compromised by forcing the business into the relationship. Can anyone "expand" on that? Chuck Akers D-10855 Houston, TX

Can't or doesn't? Chuck Akers D-10855 Houston, TX

Years ago I had a container that was built for a Raven III and by the time I got rid of it I had a much smaller canopy in it. We did exactly what you mentioned - tacked a slice of foam padding in the bottom of the pack tray. Not sure if it was legal but it worked just fine. Of course that kind of stuff wasn't dangerous back then. Chuck Akers D-10855 Houston, TX

They do in the US. Chuck Akers D-10855 Houston, TX

Skydive Spaceland Houston - absolutely 100% seatbelt use required and enforced. Chuck Akers D-10855 Houston, TX

As I understand it, the lack of seat belt use is longstanding at Lodi but it's very disappointing that it's being encouraged. I want to say it's only a matter of time before the feds crack down on it but it's been happening for so long and so publicly without an enforcement action that it seems nothing will ever be done. Chuck Akers D-10855 Houston, TX

Probably akin to the 3rd riser set-up I used to use. It allows the brake lines to remain further outboard than when the guide ring is mounted on the rear risers, so the brakes are pulled less "inward" and helps keep the canopy flatter. Notice on the attached screen shot the brake line never goes through a guide ring on the rear riser. Chuck Akers D-10855 Houston, TX

I'm not much of a gadgets and gizmos guy, but this thing seems quite useful in certain applications. It would be great for AFF I's to have accurate altitude feedback for students, and as a load organizer I would love having altitude data to better debrief groups. I guess it would also be pretty cool to see just how hard we get hammered once in a while. My neuro doc would love it! Chuck Akers D-10855 Houston, TX

I concur. I am a jumper of 30 years and have jumped RI products exclusively that entire time. Every RI rig I have owned has been awesome but the Curv with its Bio Yoke and Bio Curv take comfort to a whole new level. The Curv has confirmed once again why I stay with Sandy and Brenda Reid and family. Truly innovative products and service second to none. Chuck Akers D-10855 Houston, TX

boom Chuck Akers D-10855 Houston, TX

Opinions solicited on this claim - "Simply put, the SkySNATCH is the most efficient, stable, and symmetrical pilot chute available." http://squirrel.ws/skysnatch Chuck Akers D-10855 Houston, TX

While everything you said there is true, the increase in performance is negligible at light wing loadings. The truth is most jumpers will never gain a significant advantage pulling their slider down. Chuck Akers D-10855 Houston, TX

I doubt Larry's motive was to collect, rather just to shut down the unethical behavior. Chuck Akers D-10855 Houston, TX

Let's back up and ask, why do you want to pull your slider down in the first place? Chuck Akers D-10855 Houston, TX

I think you kind of answered your own question there. Chuck Akers D-10855 Houston, TX

Dead Mike Vederman... Holy shit! I was there when he frapped on the runway at Quincy. We all thought he was a goner and he did stop breathing in the ambulance then all of a sudden started seizing or something, and the crew hightailed it to the hospital. I don't know how many surgeries he had to fix up his face but goddamn it was a lot! He also had a website www.deadmike.com not sure if its still up but he chronicled his journey through the surgeries and rehab, and even created his own game "Land Dead Mike" where you run a bed out for him to land on. Dead Mike is a great friend and was a jumper at my drop zone when that incident happened. Tough sum' bitch to make it through all that. Mike still gets in the air today, although I think the daily pain limits his quantity. I see him regularly at Spaceland and he has a niece who is an avid new jumper here too. To this day all the old schoolers know him as "Dead Mike" and I have been known to explain his nickname to the curious while embedding a message about canopy collisions. Mike was taken out by a guy yanking a hook turn over the tarmac and he impacted from 80 or so feet in a "save myself" fetal tuck face first. Untold number of surgeries, facial reconstruction, and life-long pain. Mike is hangin' in there and maintains his clever sense of humor on display for all. Here's to Dead Mike. Chuck Akers D-10855 Houston, TX

John Sherman posts on here. I'm sure he would explain. Chuck Akers D-10855 Houston, TX

Not too sure about that one. We already have issues with the "go on green" mentality thanks to GPS. I don't think we need any new excuses for exiting without checking the airspace below for clouds and traffic. Focusing on a clock inside the plane makes it impossible to focus on the important stuff outside the plane. We would do better to simply teach people to count properly - out loud if necessary. Practice makes (nearly) perfect, so maybe some good ol' practice is in order. Chuck Akers D-10855 Houston, TX

Never confuse stupidity with ignorance. Chuck Akers D-10855 Houston, TX

I didn't know Van but knew of his history and influence on the sport. Condolences to family, friends, and the sport. Chuck Akers D-10855 Houston, TX

Radio can be tricky, but if you get everything just right it can pay off. It's expensive so it's all about demographics, reach, and saturation. At 30 spots for $1000 I assume it was a small market. Small markets don't typically pay off like larger ones. If you draw customers from a major market do your promotions there instead. You'll have to play the game in a bigger way, but the payoff is much better. Trade with stations can hit big but only in big markets where you are getting hundreds or even thousands of dollars in advertising and reaching hundreds of thousands of listeners per giveaway for the hard cost of a single tandem jump. Also, don't waste your time with stations that don't offer the right demographic of listeners. Stick with core skydiving demo's - rock, new rock, top 40, etc. Don't try to sell ice cubes to Eskimos. To minimize cost and maximize potential try these strategies: Conduct the promotions during times when the payoff will be bigger. Early December with a "Christmas gift certificate" theme, just before spring break and summer vacation, etc. The promotion will cost you the same amount of money regardless of when you run it, so stack the odds of success in your favor. Make the winner's certificates non-transferable. That way you get the advertising but folks who win the prize and decide not to jump can't give it to someone else. Be sure to have the radio station put the winners' names on the certificates so they can't be transferred. We provided the stations with a unique-colored pen to be sure we knew the winners' names were written on the certificates before they were given out. List a weight limit on the certificates. Same goes with age, of course. Place a reasonable expiration deadline on the certificates. Have the station give the jumps away along with other prizes. Often the winner has no intention of skydiving but wants tickets to the ball game or concert. Make the certificate part of a "prize pack" that includes discount coupons for the winner to bring friends, and if you use an AFF program offer a discounted "upgrade" for the winner to convert their certificate to an AFF jump for an extra price. During one promotion we gave away 30 tandem jumps and 2 people converted to AFF, went all the way through the program and bought gear. BTW that was in the late 90's and both of those winners still jump today! Are you anywhere near a large market? If so, which one? Chuck Akers D-10855 Houston, TX

I believe that has been done successfully. I seem to remember a DZO did it for the holidays many years ago and reported good results. Of course that was during a time of year when people are hungry for unique gifts so the results could vary widely. I would also think the results would have everything to do with the type of mall and the demographic of its clientele. Of course at $1000 per month in rent plus staffing it wouldn't take a whole lot of sales to break even. Here's a couple promotions that we used successfully when I ran a DZ near Houston. - bar and nightclub promotions. Club operators will often allow your promo crew (pretty ladies in DZ logo'd shirts, of course) to pass out discount coupons to patrons and discuss skydiving in exchange for a tandem for the DJ to give away (at midnight or even later as a way to keep people at the club). It helps to offer a second tandem to the decision maker to use as he/she wishes. Kickbacks really do work. - radio trade. This was one of our most successful deals. Give away tandem jumps on the air in exchange for air time. This is called "trade for mention" and can be very lucrative when done properly. Getting the most out of it takes some attention to detail so if you're interested message me and I will explain how we honed the program for maximum air time with minimum giveaways. Chuck Akers D-10855 Houston, TX