rocketdog 0 #1 August 26, 2005 is there a website or category under DZ.com that tells and/or explains # of skydiving fatalities? it would be easier than calling long-distance..... thanks for the help! ~hollywood see the world! http://gorocketdog.blogspot.com Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DrewEckhardt 0 #2 August 26, 2005 Quoteis there a website or category under DZ.com that tells and/or explains # of skydiving fatalities? it would be easier than calling long-distance..... And just as irrelevant. Nearly all skydiving fatalities result from the deceased doing (usually several) stupid things. People don't learn how to fly their parachutes, buy one that's too agressive for them, open at a normal altitude far from their dropzone, continue trying to make it back thousands of feet below where they should have known that was impossible, decide at the last second on an alternate landing area, decide to land into the wind which they don't need to do, make an unecessarily steep turn, don't pull out of it early when they should, and then die (that's a series of eight mistakes). A few come from some one else doing something stupid. Mid-air collisions do occur between jumpers. Very rarely we learn the hard way about ways equipment can fail. Dropzone policies and staff are almost never involved. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Elisha 1 #3 August 26, 2005 Visit several and develop your own comfort level. Ask people and get their opinions, but the final choice is yours of course. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
darkwing 5 #4 August 27, 2005 Visiting them is the only effective way. Asking about number of fatalaties is essentially meaningless. A very busy dz, that is also very safe can have more fatalaties over the years than a small, unsafe DZ. As said above, fatalaties have far, far more to do with the individual, than the DZ. Just go jump. -- Jeff My Skydiving History Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
rocketdog 0 #5 August 27, 2005 QuoteA very busy dz, that is also very safe can have more fatalaties over the years than a small, unsafe DZ YES i totally agree with you! it seems in my area (Ohio/Indiana/Penn.) the DZs all seem to be relatively similar in aircraft/# of experienced jumpers. Just wondering if there is a place where it is all documented. Thanks for the insight though! ~hollywood see the world! http://gorocketdog.blogspot.com Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
PhreeZone 20 #6 August 27, 2005 Better questions other then fatalities are: Aircraft issues. What is the maintence program like? How experienced are the pilots? How willing are the pilots to listen to spotting instructions? How much training do the pilots have? DZ issues. Any Farmer McNasties that will pull a gun? Any major landing issues like high power lines, fences, hills, other air traffic you need to consider? Clear wind indicators? Safety attitude. Are people watching canopies to make sure all the canopies make it back? Do they send people out to get those who might land off? Do people get talked to after making mistakes? Do they have people trained in First Aid there? Student Gear and training. Are they using modern gear? Is the gear in good condition and in date? Is the gear worn out and needing replaced? Do they stand up a lot of student jumps? Do they talk the student through the pattern and help them or leave them to make their own mistakes? Experienced jumpers. Do the jumpers talk about issues in dirt dives like break off and what happens if you go low/high? Do group sizes stay consistant with skill levels? Do they enforce and fly correct canopy patterns? Looking at the fatalities might make a DZ seem great since they never had anyone die, but they might have broken 50 legs last summer on their students. Or a DZ might be great but they might not care about thier plane and its liable to crash or blow up at any point. There is more to safety then just fatalities. If you want a snapshot of fatalities over the last about 10 years. www.skydivingfatalities.infoYesterday is history And tomorrow is a mystery Parachutemanuals.com Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SkyDane 0 #7 August 27, 2005 Thanks! That was very helpful Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
rocketdog 0 #8 August 30, 2005 Quotewww.skydivingfatalities.info hey thanks... that was kinda what i was thinking of. are these just compiled from fatalities filed in Parachutist?! good suggestions too! ~hollywood see the world! http://gorocketdog.blogspot.com Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
PhreeZone 20 #9 August 30, 2005 No, Craig and before him Berry compiled the reports off of many sources of info. For a while it was postings to Rec.skydiving, newspaper reports, TV news, Parachutist, Skydiving Magazine, national skydiving agencies reports and other places. I know you can also email him directly with listings. Currently Craig is running his site and Dropzone.com has a list located at http://www.dropzone.com/fatalities/ that is compiled the same way. The lits are compared and updated if needed. Something you need to remember is that neither of those lists include if people die in plane crashes. If you add that number in figure on 4-5 more at least and it really changes the safety picture of a DZ.Yesterday is history And tomorrow is a mystery Parachutemanuals.com Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
