ChrisD2.0

How the hell are these people trained?? This is what can happen when nearly everyone is armed and the police need to be afraid. In other countries bar fights don't feature firearms so bouncers don't have to be armed. THAT is an excellent point. Private security runs from untrained and heavily armed machine gun totin guards with no experience to plain clothes "detectives" at the mall to deter shoplifters. We actually have machine gun toten guards at the entrance to our building, they stand right there next to the detectors. They have absolutely no experience whatsoever. Nor are they ex-military. I know of a mall cop who is retired from over 40 years of local law enforcement, and she is instructed to run, or walk away from any situation. And if she were to carry any firearm she would be fired. What yo fail to mention was that the bouncer had a firearm in his hand pointing at the guys head. Bouncers are not trained security guards. Trained security guards aren't even ever trained. Even when they say they are. Cops don't wrestle with people with a gun in their hand, nor do they sit there on someone with a gun pointed at someone's head. (If they can help it.) The police officer in this case will be exonerated. The public will go nuts. And people of color will go even more ballistic because they have lost the ability to reason. The media will frame this depending upon the demographic which are their customers. And the only real looser is the ever increasing gullible public standing there waiting to be told what to think. The only other real looser is the poor parents of these children with guns. On all sides. Are the cops afraid as someone points out???? The cops are scared shitless, it's gone way PAST just being afraid. The cops are more like what you all saw in the first few mad max movies. It's a real us V them world right now. Can't wait to read Joy AM,... can't wait for the gun discussion to start either. bottom line: this is a result of failed liberal policies in our society. You want America to be like Montreal? Start with a responsible and self aware populace, otherwise everyone is just wasting time. No wonder the Canadians think the way they do,...cause they are right. Brett Bickford Did Not Commit Suicide. He is the victim of ignorance and faulty gear. AND as in the movie: "12 Angry Men," of an ignorant and callous jury.

The manufacturer takes liability very seriously. That's a far, far bigger issue than safety for them in this case. Non-airworthy gear is commonly used as training gear. Either for jumpers (hanging harness, EP trainers, ect) or for riggers. Care needs to be taken to make sure nobody mistakes it for usable, airworthy gear (ask DB Cooper about that one ). But it's common practice. I'm goanna disagree with this one Joe. I started jumping in 1972, its been a long standing policy since then that old, suspect, discarded gear bee cut in half and or placed in the circular bin. And this is everywhere, from PI in the 70s' to DeLands manufacturers row where more than one person has been caught dumpster diving. Which is why what goes in the dumpsters is destroyed before it gets there. I can remember heated discussions about used gear on E Bay, to fights about what should be done with surplus stuff for man caves for the last 20 years. Other places like Eloy, DeLand, Perris, it has been my experience that used or non airworthy stuff is butchered beyond belief if anyone even attempts to use it under the guise of training. I have seen the 3 large gear riggers in this country refuse to give away rain damaged and or suspect gear as compared with cutting it to pieces. Some people were killed because of this a few years back. Many of us still remember. So ya, theeers more than the liability of the (20 give or take) manufacturers in DeLand behind this. This is an issue that's been around the block and back for years. Time for someone to post the pictures of the actual dummy rigs, covered in spray paint, unusable because of things sewn to them, and the harness cut in strategic places, before you make a comment like this is a common practice. Brett Bickford Did Not Commit Suicide. He is the victim of ignorance and faulty gear. AND as in the movie: "12 Angry Men," of an ignorant and callous jury.

You illustrated my point very nicely. The manufacturer doesn't want to touch this. As you point out. But then you ask that the manufacturers experience be disregarded for your personal desires. The manufacturer takes safety seriously, they have been doing this longer than you. YOUR desire to: "I should be able to convince people " is denied. Brett Bickford Did Not Commit Suicide. He is the victim of ignorance and faulty gear. AND as in the movie: "12 Angry Men," of an ignorant and callous jury.

Great points!!! IMO I would be careful about the income brackets. The increase in the "standard" is a big win for the low, low, income bracket. No doubt about that. A big win for them. "Rally big." As the pres would say. But there is a larger, much larger population of the middle class that will be hit hard by not being able to take the misc. deductions. As well as the damage done to real charities, and yes I know it's still a deduction but the public won't donate enough, en masse, for the charities to recoup. And ya, that's what some are counting on. It is a big pain to arrange tax returns. Simplification is not without victims, but your point is very well taken. For many the tax code is insane,...all in an effort over the years to be fair to everyone though. And your never going to please everyone. I love what yo have to say, but the media and public apathy and opinion will lump everyone into the same category. This is the issue about taxes. Each orator will advance their agenda and frame and spin a complex issue into their pet project. The public will vote with whatever sounds reasonable and how their are primed. My point is no matter how you slice and dice many issues, the ultra low income people, who actually need help, are unable to obtain the services they need. AND this as Mark points out constantly, ( and rightfully so) has been going on for years. Since the Johnson Administration, IMO. AND I place blame squarely on the liberals who created this very issue. There are severe unintended consequences for un-monitored and too liberal social programs. NIH, Dept of Agriculture, etc, etc, have noted this for years. It is distressing to actually see that well intentioned programs get so mistreated that the very populations they were designed to serve get ignored by those that continue to purportedly support them. These very liberal programs are creating more problems than they are solving. Throwing more money on the issue, makes them worse. This is the fact that the public just doesn't understand. Brett Bickford Did Not Commit Suicide. He is the victim of ignorance and faulty gear. AND as in the movie: "12 Angry Men," of an ignorant and callous jury.

IMO a little more specificity is req'd. There will be two 'runs' beginning soon: The run for the nomination, and then the run for the Presidency. It is very possible that they both may run for the nomination. I doubt that either will be selected. Jerry Baumchen Good points, IMO the Dems still are thinking about the Trump victory. Dillary only lost by less than 0.01% . With such a small margin, according to the information available from the demographic and research companies will all of their secret and proprietary algorithms, post election samples, etc., Dillary lost by a very small percentage of women who didn't vote. Their whole strategy was get the woman vote at any cost, stick to the talking points, incite fear in woman, incite fear abut woman's issues. With this strategy in mind I don't see any newcomers on the horizon, IMO, we are going to see a blitz which includes electing a woman, I don't see the dems as having any other choice. And with the short memory of things like Jay Peak,...I wouldn't count Bernie out either. The days of individuals running and loosing big, like the Goldwater election as an example, where the looser disappeared never to return are over. Recycling is in. It wouldn't surprise me to see Obama's wife enter the election. Remember that Kennedy was elected, by post election sampling, by his "good hair." With this in mind, and the Kavenhaw debackle , Amaeericia has lost its ability to think on issues and facts. Either way it will be entertaining. It won't be thoughtful or rational, it will be entertaining. You are quite right though, just like Bernie, I suspect the pre election activities will have more than a few data driven personalities fall on the sword for the party. Brett Bickford Did Not Commit Suicide. He is the victim of ignorance and faulty gear. AND as in the movie: "12 Angry Men," of an ignorant and callous jury.

Increasing the "misc. deductions" was and is a big win for many low income people. that said it is also a big loss to the middle class that depended upon these deductions to be considered the middle class. But your so spot on about how low income individuals and families is a matter of survival. The safeguards that so many point to and indicate all anyone has to do is just apply,...well many of these alleged social supports don't exist for large populations. Combined with the red tape and abuse inherent in these systems, and no debate whatsoever those in need frequently can not navigate the system designed to assist them. BUT remember this has been going on for years and is essentially a non-partisan policy. Except for Johnson, who's reforms went unnoticed because of a little skirmish in Asia, since the 60s' most all elected officious, except the early Maxine Waters, have reneged on their promises, to this segment of our population. So ya Mark, spot on about noticing that society itself has ditched the really low income population. It's not just the elected officios that are responsible for this one. It is not a societal goal to help those in the most need. It is a societal goal to blame others for the faux responsibility at the heart of this issue. any politician will do,...all that does is just shift blame, endlessly, from the real cause. Brett Bickford Did Not Commit Suicide. He is the victim of ignorance and faulty gear. AND as in the movie: "12 Angry Men," of an ignorant and callous jury.

Yes IMO belly is decreasing. Partly because of what is known as "dilution." All that means is more activities, math wise means less belly jumpers. The other part is it is actually harder to put 4 or more people in the air that want to jump together and progress. Face it you need others for big ways or 4 ways. With so much dilution taking place, all that is frequently left is pick up or random 4 ways, which generally don't last long. And can be very frustrating. Combine that with "Local groups." and many find the price of admission too high. Think "clicks." More than once I have heard, "were not accepting newbies or others," "we don't want to waste 30 bucks, if you blow the jump." Is belly and especially 4 way harder to learn, yes it is. Not putting FF or head down, down, but Belly in groups is harder. Other issues that come into play are the personalities and psychology, it does take effort to deal with each other in 4 way, something that just isn't that prevalent in FF. Combine this ability to get along with others and you can see why so many digress into solo and FF. It requires LESS communication and coping skills in the FF community. This is attractive to many, same applies to Wing suits. There is just less psychological demands placed upon the participants. Is it worth it? If you want to be the best in the air, 4 way is the only way. Fact is any competent 4 way member can switch and learn other skydiving disciplines, but it really doesn't work the other way round. Trips to Eloy for the 4 way and RW camps are a great idea if you have the cash. Many other places run them as well. Your certainly not wasting your time, small steps and persistence. Finding other like minded individuals willing to commit to learn and jump more often and together will help. Not getting frustrated. And winning the lottery all help. Brett Bickford Did Not Commit Suicide. He is the victim of ignorance and faulty gear. AND as in the movie: "12 Angry Men," of an ignorant and callous jury.

One of em is going to run either Warren or Clition. Personally I'm with Alex Trebeck when he recently expressed real concern for young men and the power of propaganda, ie: the me too movement. And the consequences of innuendo and malignant rumor, something of which I have noticed runs rampant here on this web site.

Cheers mate I'm not interested in tunnels, thank you though Did you ever get this link: https://aspa.ca/dropzones ? Looks like when I posted it the first time it got deleted. anyways , perhaps someday this might come in useful: http://www.landings.com/_landings/pages/skydiving.html Brett Bickford Did Not Commit Suicide. He is the victim of ignorance and faulty gear. AND as in the movie: "12 Angry Men," of an ignorant and callous jury.

I'm glad you found an A & P that is concerned. You might want to lend him / her to others. And I too am tired of hearing that this aircraft and or this guy is "the best." Point being not enough jumpers ever question the airworthiness of aircraft. Not enough jumpers know what their looking at. You will pay for doing the right thing. But at least you can sleep well at night, and sometimes that's enough. Brett Bickford Did Not Commit Suicide. He is the victim of ignorance and faulty gear. AND as in the movie: "12 Angry Men," of an ignorant and callous jury.

Perhaps I wasn't fully clear; The very minority that has been totally screwed over for hundreds of years, is taking great exception to being screwed over yet again by this woman's claims. and quite frankly so are a lot of you by continuing to politicize the point I'm trying to make. Again that being "Warren speaks with half-baked tongue." That's an Indian saying meaning that in the oven of life warren is undercooked, tooo white. The point again warren is exploiting perhaps the most exploited indigenous population in this country ever. And right in front of everyone's noses. AND once again so many liberal types and others turn a blind eye to this exploitation. No media coverage, no tv coverage, no interviews with indigenous native Americans, just a lot of political crap, and once again the people of this country are being ignored. It's a simple point,.... apparently no one here gives a shit about the respect due to Native Americans Brett Bickford Did Not Commit Suicide. He is the victim of ignorance and faulty gear. AND as in the movie: "12 Angry Men," of an ignorant and callous jury.

More than 90% of skydiving rubber bands come from this place: http://www.keenerrubber.com/ If you leave soap on natural rubber bands that soap dries them out more quickly. There are some "natural oils," that prolong the life of rubber bands, but those natural products leave a residue on Nylon if improperly applied. That white stuff is a product designed to increase the life of those rubber bands. As well as keeping rubber bands out of the sun, hot and dry temperatures, and if they can be kept un-stretched, they will last longer. Even water dry's out and "crystalizes" natural rubber more than if they were left alone. The people at Keener Rubber are more than happy to answere anyone's questions. BTW. (and they do not recommend washing in soap to remove the dry powder) This is from the manufacturer. I'm not looking for a discussion about this. Do your homework. Brett Bickford Did Not Commit Suicide. He is the victim of ignorance and faulty gear. AND as in the movie: "12 Angry Men," of an ignorant and callous jury.

For anyone following the Native American news. Warren continues to disappoint. Latest from the "Nation" (Nov. 2018) is that Warren continues to avoid answering direct questions, is considerably more evasive than Trump, and continues to avoid Native Americans in public. If you want , if anyone wants, a first hand experience with this issue they are invited to the neighborhood just down the street from Z Hills and or adjacent to Disney World. I know for most of you this is too much to ask. But Warrens hypocrisy combined with the medias lack of coverage on this issue is very, very, hurtful to all Native Americans, everywhere. Some of you need to open your eyes to the motives of this woman. They are NOT honest, and all anyone has to do is just visit any tribal news or home to experience this. Their are many. Many right in your own back yard. Brett Bickford Did Not Commit Suicide. He is the victim of ignorance and faulty gear. AND as in the movie: "12 Angry Men," of an ignorant and callous jury.

Best of luck to you. It was fun to read what you wrote. No matter what life brings your way, I'm sure you will prevail. :) Brett Bickford Did Not Commit Suicide. He is the victim of ignorance and faulty gear. AND as in the movie: "12 Angry Men," of an ignorant and callous jury.

Didn't check the links, but here ya go: https://www.togglescience.com/topics/quizzes/uspa-license-quizzes/ https://startskydiving.com/uspa-license-exam-study-guides/ https://uspa.org/quiz https://www.flashcardmachine.com/skydiving-a-license.html https://www.reddit.com/r/SkyDiving/comments/6jse0a/c_license_test/?st=joefrpio&sh=0e6eb4ab http://www.parachutehistory.com/products/sg.html http://www.skydive-safety.com/Examination-USPA-C-License.htm https://axisflightschool.com/CCD_13.php And here is a good place to find even more information that all these fine folks at DZ.com seem to have forgotten about: http://www.landings.com/_landings/pages/skydiving.html Personally as I read I take exhaustive notes thinking about potential questions and or items like distances, what o2 mask at which altitudes, stuff like that, spend a couple of hours over a few days and you'll be in good shape. good luck and have fun (answered for anyone else out there with the same question.) Brett Bickford Did Not Commit Suicide. He is the victim of ignorance and faulty gear. AND as in the movie: "12 Angry Men," of an ignorant and callous jury.

I would recommend contacting the manufacturer. I do recall a conversation more than a few years back that selling non-airworthy rigs was really frowned upon, but I can't remember why. I'm sure if you contact them they can help you out. Good luck. You also might want to check out some of the published training requirements for each manufacturers certification. Brett Bickford Did Not Commit Suicide. He is the victim of ignorance and faulty gear. AND as in the movie: "12 Angry Men," of an ignorant and callous jury.

Reluctantly, the post was about 182s' , which I think you would agree as far as the bigger skydiving maintenance picture you would agree that all Cessna products can suffer from poor or deferred maintenance issues that Barron is trying to raise awareness of. good points BTW, you also mention the accessory issue with turbines. Good call. BECAUSE it is these "accessories' " that have brought down just about every Twin Otter in the business. The mechanical fuel pump, a few accessory gearbox and prop gearboxes. And once again were back to the original posts theme that knowing your mechanic is vital. Of course no one has raised the issue about who is paying the mechanic? And perhaps jumpers everywhere should take a bigger interest in their local DZs' aircraft, cause by looking at the statistics, there is a clear relationship between jump aircraft operation hours at larger drop zones as compared with smaller drop zones. The larger DZs like Eloy, DeLand, Z Hills, etc., just don't seem to have the maintenance issues other places have. Something to think about IMO. Brett Bickford Did Not Commit Suicide. He is the victim of ignorance and faulty gear. AND as in the movie: "12 Angry Men," of an ignorant and callous jury.

So a couple of us after reading something in another post that triggered much debate and searching we came up with the notion that Drop Zones everywhere do a real lousy job at posting when they actually are in operation. To me this seems like lost revenue. But lets face it can Drop Zones do better for visiting jumpers and out of town jumpers than just a phone number with, at best an answering machine at the other end, or a web site that posts generic information? The winter discussion for a big part of N. America and debatably, the summer issue for many southern DZ's really never gets answered. I mean if you wanted to go to a fun jumping dz in Canada, and it turns out there a more than a few that will put up an aircraft on a moments notice. You would never know. A brief sampling of about 50 DZs' web sites make NO MENTION of their days of operation, or whether they are a seasonal operation. I mean the locals know. But almost uniformly the advertising and updating of days of operation are very spotty. It is as if your a seasonal DZ and you close down in November, you could never tell by looking at the 24/7 websites and Facebook pages. I'm suggesting that not only does this lack of diligence hurt these individual operations , but this seems to be a trend that is actually hurting skydiving as a whole. The section here on DZ.com is great, but IMO sufferers from a rather noticeable lack of updating and notices of current events. This is clearly the responsibility of the many Drop Zones that for a better description seem to NOT Care about informing the people they allegedly cater to? IMO this issue needs more attention at the DZ conference than it has gotten before. For the sake of everyone. IMO. Brett Bickford Did Not Commit Suicide. He is the victim of ignorance and faulty gear. AND as in the movie: "12 Angry Men," of an ignorant and callous jury.

Good points. Yes "choose your mechanic carefully." IMO, mechanics over the years tend to either get better, take continuing education seriously, charge a fair price, communicate well or they service skydiving aircraft or are involved in skydiving activities , in the latter I have witnessed many atrocities and shoddy work. The war cry seems to be "it looks good to me." Your right to point out the value of a good mechanic. Except as your finding out you came to the wrong venue to do it. These people squeak by with the minimums of every argument known to man to justify their conduct. All your goanna here here is bitchen about cost, when what their really saying is mind your own business. This is a prime reason the FAA and skydiving aircraft are intimately linked. And most likely always will be. And my apologies to the few operators that actually care about their aircraft and maintenance. Like the new warning about fuel selector issues because of worn signage and labeling , etc, etc,...if you do what your supposta do, both legally and ethically, your 182 will last forever. It can be completely disassembled. Every worn part can be rebuilt, exchanged, and or refitted. Bottom line is 182s' engines don't have issues, never did. What is broken and needs fixin are those that continuously "defer maintenance." Bottom line is that if a Cessna engine had issues, it received bad or no maintenance or was neglected. In each and every case, again and again, not really a debatable point IMO. Good attempt Baron at fighting the tide though,... Brett Bickford Did Not Commit Suicide. He is the victim of ignorance and faulty gear. AND as in the movie: "12 Angry Men," of an ignorant and callous jury.

IMO, a "rating" is a rating. "Green" isn't a consideration. Any AFFI is ready to go to work right out the door, otherwise why would have someone given them a "rating?" That said: You make a sound argument though. IMO your highlighting the difference between experience, and the real world results. If you want some additional reading I suggest the lengthy and comprehensive IRM and the many pages outlining the duties of the reserve side AFFI. Basically with this BSR you have literarily ripped out pages of safety and procedures all designed and tested over the years to maximize performance and safety, in favor of opinion. IMO, just read all of what is required, or used to be required of any second AFFI and now all of that is "Optional?" Brett Bickford Did Not Commit Suicide. He is the victim of ignorance and faulty gear. AND as in the movie: "12 Angry Men," of an ignorant and callous jury.

Don't learn to fly parachutes from the internet. Well said. richoH Considering canopy skills are not included in the USPA syllabus for Coaches and AFF Instructors. (Ya I know there their for AFFi's, but a good canopy class run by so many fine folks like Brian G, G. Windmiller, Flight One, to name a few are so much more comprehensive.) But I read this whole thing once again and my observations about what is missing is perhaps more important than many of the well meaning DIY comments. Point being many combinations of jumpers and canopies, if you pussy foot the flare instead of flaring,... you actually decrease drag, causing the canopy to , in some combinations really speed up. This can be very distressing to someone trying to flare using their rears with the mindset of backing out and using their toggles at the last minute. Remember hanging on your toggles / rears at altitude is the often forgotten method of returning from a long spot, depending upon conditions. For my 1.1 canopy hanging on the toggles just about 4 inches and I can feel the thing actually accelerate. Something to consider for anyone contemplating just trying out the rear riser only flare, close to the ground who isn't fully committed to flaring. Another possibility, suggestion, when practicing this essential maneuver is to go and rent something more in the larger sizes. More than once I've found myself in a student big boy rig, reading a magazine during the whole flare, knitting, answering phone calls etc., Point being big canopies take a long time to flare. ANYWAYS more than once I didn't even bother to flare using a rented big boy canopy when I was on a very soft field practicing plf's. And before many of you take my head off. Many students forget to flare and walk away, which is the point of some of those student sizes in the first place. Which means it's a great opportunity to practice rear riser stuff. Which many people I know have done in the past. Then working their way down to their "normal" canopies. This is one case where I support " downsizing." Once you have mastered the rear riser landings on a large canopy, life is easier. IMO. Brett Bickford Did Not Commit Suicide. He is the victim of ignorance and faulty gear. AND as in the movie: "12 Angry Men," of an ignorant and callous jury.

Some of the stress stuff in the CSPA comes from the hard work of individuals like Rob Laidlaw. I only mention that because this former Canadian can be found instructing jumpers and making great coaches down in DeLand FL if ever you are contemplating taking a trip in the winter to keep current or just interested in traveling. Sounds good!!!! BTW the Canadian stuff is a great and through interesting read for anyone interested in learning more. AND it seems to be more through and inclusive than anything the USPA has when it comes to instruction and many other issues and points. Good reminder about the CSPA manuals! Brett Bickford Did Not Commit Suicide. He is the victim of ignorance and faulty gear. AND as in the movie: "12 Angry Men," of an ignorant and callous jury.

So glad yo found something that you like. My only observation is to anyone who feels "they screwed up a Level" in their jumping progression. It pains me to hear yo say that. Not meeting a particular jump objective, only means you get to practice whatever again. Absolutely NO shame, or worries about having to "retake" a jump. They are all good man!!!! Everyone is different and an AFF program is never a race! Imo, yo will be better in the long run when you practice more and more! Again, glad you had some fun! Brett Bickford Did Not Commit Suicide. He is the victim of ignorance and faulty gear. AND as in the movie: "12 Angry Men," of an ignorant and callous jury.

My only concern with Facebook is their slogan: "Bringing the World Closer Together." As long as they make billions,... Seriously the issue with the slogan is that so many dolts just unquestioningly accept that kind of nebulous statement as a good thing. You really gotta ask if in fact that motto is a good thing or not? It reminds me of a funeral Parlor I visited recently: "We take care of you." Why do slogans from for profit companies get away with so much of the public just accepting what they see as a good thing. Seriously, no one questions the meaning or consequences of this Facebook model? That's my point,....no one thinks anymore. And how many of you out there have more than one "friend" from another country? Facebook was started to gather information. That's their business. Or is it? The power of advertising, and most of you out there don't even realize how your being manipulated. Brett Bickford Did Not Commit Suicide. He is the victim of ignorance and faulty gear. AND as in the movie: "12 Angry Men," of an ignorant and callous jury.