TaeKwonDoDo 0 #1 February 22, 2009 I'm trying to understand what the benefits are to an airport that hosts a drop zone... I mean why hassle with skydivers if given the choice? (except for the FAA/Funding threat)... I can think of a few... Patronizing the airport by buying fuel from the airport and using their (if present) APs... Do they get money for each take-off/landing of the plane? What other things benefit the airport? Thanks. "That's not flying, it's falling with style." Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DSE 5 #2 February 22, 2009 they pay rent. There may be a requirement that the airport rent/lease to an aircraft-related entity. They draw people to the airport, makes it easier to show taxpayers where their $$ are going. They provide services for other small businesses. Just this morning helped fuel and fill a cropduster that is seeding an island in the Great Salt Lake. We keep the public goodwill in most places. DZ's keep the airport active. They generate revenue on what is often a taxpayer-funded property. DZ's keep people coming to the community. This provides outside money for gas stations, restaurants, maybe hotels, and other community services/enterprises. They provide a recreational service that the county has nothing to pay into, only support. Our DZ provides security via an on-airport manager. Some DZO's also act as an FBO. DZ's have a lot to offer... The City of Eloy is effectively kept in business/alive because of Skydive Arizona, the tunnel, and military activity at the DZ. That's not the only story like that, but it's a big, and good story. The DZ employs locals, brings in a LOT of outside cashflow for local commerce, buys a lot of fuel, and pays a small fortune in taxes. Then there is the tunnel, which pays a mint in electricity, brings in thousands from around the US and local areas.... Skydive Arizona is the extreme, but all DZs are a micro-example of what SDAZ does. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
hackish 8 #3 February 22, 2009 At our DZ the funding from the gov't and the hours of the airport are determined by the number of takeoffs and landings. If we fly 40 loads in a weekend that's 80 takeoff/landing activities and that makes the DZ the highest runway user for our airport. For GA there just isn't a comparable amount of activity. -Michael Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
CSpenceFLY 1 #4 February 22, 2009 Lots of government funding comes partially from the takeoff and landing count. That's why you see the airports get real nice runways and hangers before they try to get rid of the skydivers. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Unstable 9 #5 February 24, 2009 We're on a small Kansas rural Airport with 4 hangers. Every Saturday the old men that run it sit in their chairs and watch us jump. We are the old entity at that airport buying fuel or paying rent really. They tell stories about flying in the good ol days and drink coffee from a gas station. I think we entertain them...=========Shaun ========== Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Andy9o8 2 #6 February 24, 2009 Quote We're on a small Kansas rural Airport with 4 hangers. .. http://www.stacksandstacks.com/image/73092_bu.jpg Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
michaelmullins 81 #7 February 24, 2009 Drunk, naked skydivers burning junk cars, couches, and anything else combustible. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
gearless_chris 1 #8 February 24, 2009 My home DZO says people would go out and get their pilot license, buy a plane, and fly it until the annual was due. Then they realized how much it really costs to operate a plane so they turn into hangar queens.The biggest users at our airport is us, an acrobatic plane, and the airports student planes."If it wasn't easy stupid people couldn't do it", Duane. My momma said I could be anything I wanted when I grew up, so I became an a$$hole. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
tkhayes 348 #9 February 25, 2009 fuel taxes - direct input into the local economy. Salaries paid to employees, further spent on the local economy. Rent paid to the airport/city/town Customers who travel to come to the dropzone, and spend their money on restaurants, hotels, gas, etc Ask any politician if any of this important. It is. Ask any Airport Authority/board/committee if this is important - sometimes they get it, sometimes they don't. Want to see the impact? Start marking your money with a unique stamp or whatever to show the locals where the money comes from that circulates in their town. You do not need the 'airport'. You need the community. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
CSpenceFLY 1 #10 February 25, 2009 Hey TK, Where do you get those canopy stamps? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Andy9o8 2 #11 February 25, 2009 QuoteWant to see the impact? Start marking your money with a unique stamp or whatever to show the locals where the money comes from that circulates in their town. Just be careful if you do, and be sure that you don't "render the [bill] unfit" for circulation, so as not to run afoul of the Federal statute prohibiting defacement of currency (18 U.S.C. § 333, for those who care...). I'd think a small, inobtrusive mark (or stamp) that is not directly on any of the numbers or words denoting the bill's value is probably ok. (As an aside, since I know you're all dying to know, if you light a cigar with a flaming dollar bill, that would be illegal.) Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
lippy 918 #12 February 25, 2009 I bet sometimes they find a lot of beer on Monday mornings...Probably only the cheap stuff is left though I got nuthin Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
CSpenceFLY 1 #13 February 25, 2009 I thought that statute read something to the order of defacing currency for the purpose of defrauding Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Andy9o8 2 #14 February 25, 2009 QuoteI thought that statute read something to the order of defacing currency for the purpose of defrauding Well, here's the text of the statute: QuoteWhoever mutilates, cuts, disfigures, perforates, unites or cements together, or does any other thing to any bank bill, draft, note, or other evidence of debt issued by any national banking association, Federal Reserve Bank, or Federal Reserve System, with intent to render such item(s) unfit to be reissued, shall be fined not more than $100 or imprisoned not more than six months, or both. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
hackish 8 #15 February 25, 2009 I saw DeLand similarly marking their bills. When I bought gas on my way to Ft. Lauderdale I was surprised when I got a marked bill in my change. -Michael Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
CSpenceFLY 1 #16 February 25, 2009 QuoteQuoteI thought that statute read something to the order of defacing currency for the purpose of defrauding Well, here's the text of the statute: QuoteWhoever mutilates, cuts, disfigures, perforates, unites or cements together, or does any other thing to any bank bill, draft, note, or other evidence of debt issued by any national banking association, Federal Reserve Bank, or Federal Reserve System, with intent to render such item(s) unfit to be reissued, shall be fined not more than $100 or imprisoned not more than six months, or both. I wonder how they get away with making those machines that squash pennies. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Andy9o8 2 #17 February 25, 2009 QuoteI wonder how they get away with making those machines that squash pennies. That would be 18 USC §331: Quote § 331. Mutilation, diminution, and falsification of coins Whoever fraudulently alters, defaces, mutilates, impairs, diminishes, falsifies, scales, or lightens any of the coins coined at the mints of the United States, or any foreign coins which are by law made current or are in actual use or circulation as money within the United States; or Whoever fraudulently possesses, passes, utters, publishes, or sells, or attempts to pass, utter, publish, or sell, or brings into the United States, any such coin, knowing the same to be altered, defaced, mutilated, impaired, diminished, falsified, scaled, or lightened— Shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than five years, or both. The key word in the coin statute being "fraudulently", which does not appear in the statute dealing with bills. So with bills, mere destruction or rendering unfit for circulation (like lighting your cigar with one) is unlawful, without the need for a fraudulent intent. But with coins, as long as there's no fraudulent intent (like trying to alter a nickel to pass it off as a quarter), it's probably OK to squish 'em, turn them into jewelry, etc. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
tkhayes 348 #18 February 25, 2009 Para Gear sells them, small canopy stamps - we bought a dozen or so a while back Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
CSpenceFLY 1 #19 February 25, 2009 I knew the word fraudulently was in there somewhere. Thanks TK, I'm going to get some for my event in Fitzgerald. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kallend 2,026 #20 February 26, 2009 Quote Quote I thought that statute read something to the order of defacing currency for the purpose of defrauding Well, here's the text of the statute: Quote Whoever mutilates, cuts, disfigures, perforates, unites or cements together, or does any other thing to any bank bill, draft, note, or other evidence of debt issued by any national banking association, Federal Reserve Bank, or Federal Reserve System, with intent to render such item(s) unfit to be reissued, shall be fined not more than $100 or imprisoned not more than six months, or both. Does a parachute stamp render the bill "unfit"? I seem to recall reading that most used bills show traces of drugs (esp. cocaine) if tested.... The only sure way to survive a canopy collision is not to have one. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Andy9o8 2 #21 February 26, 2009 QuoteDoes a parachute stamp render the bill "unfit"? I seem to recall reading that most used bills show traces of drugs (esp. cocaine) if tested. That wouldn't be "unfit"; that would be "particularly fit." Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
hackish 8 #22 February 27, 2009 QuoteDoes a parachute stamp render the bill "unfit"? You may have to get your local rigger to certify it as spend-worthy. -Michael Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mnealtx 0 #23 February 27, 2009 QuoteQuoteDoes a parachute stamp render the bill "unfit"? You may have to get your local rigger to certify it as spend-worthy. -Michael Every 180 days?Mike I love you, Shannon and Jim. POPS 9708 , SCR 14706 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
