Kbone

I would guess they make a lot more than that.

Then most people would do only half as many jumps as they are doing now. So in the end, the DZ earns the same amount of money regardless.

Another great point! If you don't live California or Florida, you may only have 1 or 2 places within driving distance to skydive. If people don't like the way they are treated, instead of going to another dropzone, they quit skydiving entirely. And the USPA wonders why most skydivers only last 2-3 years in this sport!

You just nailed it That is the point I was trying to convey with my original message! DZO's need to be thankful for every customer they have, not just the wuffos. edited to add: we all had to pay a considerable amount of money for both gear and training, we've earned that cheaper jump ticket.

The question had more to do with dropzones becoming overly dependant on a single training method. We all know Tandems are the quick buck. That has become very obvious in my travels. Thanks for your post.

Over the years, I have noticed the way Tandem Skydiving has become the backbone of the skydiving industry. They have become a financial crutch to many dropzones. I have seen many dropzones alienate their experienced jumper base in favor of Tandems. I don’t want to name the offending dropzones but we have all visited dropzones that send shivers down our spines because they have completely sold out their fanbase in favor of the “quick buck” Tandem. When I see a dropzone that fits this description, it makes me question what Ted Strong and Bill Booth were thinking when they created this jump method. Why on earth would anyone think it would be a good idea to slap two bodies together under a single harness? Where is the logic? It looks ridiculous on video and the landings look frightening to say the least. The drogue chute exists only as band-aid to fix the problems of hard openings due to faster than normal freefall speeds. Maybe this should have been the first clue that this type of skydiving wasn’t such a great idea. If tandems were outlawed because of their flawed concept, how do you think it would change the industry? What do you think would happen to Mega dropzones like Perris and Eloy? What would small dropzones do to survive with only AFF and S/L students? What would all the famous people do? God forbid we make them sit through a boring 6 hour class. We all know that celebrities like Leonardo DiCaprio are too special for that! Kbone

OH yes! have fun at your little tandem factory.

Does dog food count?

Maybe so, that still doesn't justify the sappy outpouring of human emotion. He bought her breakfast, and people act like he donated a kidney. Lighten up people!!

What was the old lady doing in an IHOP if she couldn't afford a cup of coffee? It doesn't add up. It sounds like a scam. Why was everyone crying?

I find that most of my grudges are based on how people have treated me in the past. It usually takes more than a single incident to trigger my reaction to cut a person or group of people out of my life. I don't want to be around people that make me feel low, so I avoid them. If that is a grudge, what is so bad about that? I just don't have the patience to put up with them anymore, does that make me a bad person? When a person repeatadly crosses the line, you owe it to yourself to protect your dignity and your sense of self worth.

I asked one of the riggers at Adventure Sports Loft a long time ago, I don't know the exact figure but I know it wasn't a lot!

I heard the riggers at Perris only get about $25 - $30 of that $70 fee for repacks. The Adventure Sports Loft pockets the rest. It is hard to say if the DZ is charging them an arm & leg for the real estate. I imagine it's not cheap to run a business out of there. So in the end, that rigger at Perris is actually getting paid less to repack your shit, than if you were to pay $35 to an independant rigger. If you ask around, there are plenty of independant riggers at Perris that will do it for less. In the loft's defense, there is a convienince factor with Adventure Sports Loft. They seem to have their shit together enough that I don't worry if my shit is packed right. Even though they don't seem like the happiest bunch!

You would probably recognize a lot of their music if you heard it again. Pantera had a very distinct sound with a guitar player that actually knew how to write guitar solos as well as keep a crunchy rhythm section. Although his band was not selling CD's like Pantera used to, he was still at a peak musically. He could play a solo more precise than ever. He surpased lesser guitar legends like Eddie Van Halen and Kirk Hammet of Metallica who are now basically considered a joke among musical circles. He never sold out and he never compromised his playing style to fit current trends in music. He was born a shredder and he died a shredder! STRONGER THAN ALL! edited to add: MTV did a great piece on him at http://www.mtv.com/news/topics/d/dimebag_darrell/ "Dimebag Darrell 1966-2004" If you don't know who he is, you should check it out.

I could tell it was Lake Elsinore, you could see the long skinny part of the lake near the landing area as well was the I-15 freeway stringing along the hillside.

I did a search on the internet about this and I think he made the skydive in question way back in 1996. They also talked in the article about Romeo and Juliet which came out quite a while ago.

I have something to add to all this..... It is rumored that the crazed gunman screamed at Dimebag accusing him of breaking up Pantera just moments before killing him. That is so unfair! If anyone broke up Pantera, it was Phil Anselmo. Phil basically gave Pantera the cold shoulder and would not return phone calls or book studio time with the band! Dimebag and Vinnie just wanted to cut another Pantera record but since they had such a dick for a lead singer, they chose to pursue music without him. DamagePlan was created to bring the music to the true fans. It wasn't about egos. They gave up the big arenas and amphitheaters to play shitty nightclubs for you guys, even though they were way too good to play small nightclubs. They didn't need the money. They just wanted to connect with their fans since Pantera was defunct. Dimebag sacrificed all of this what does he get for his commitment to his fans and his love for music? What a horrible waste. We truly do live in a world of shit. There is no way Dimebag deserved this! Rest in peace brother. You are in a better place now. Kbone

The rumor is that singer Pat Lachman was the other band member murdered in the incident.

The news has also been posted on MTV.com and VH1.com as well. I didn't believe it at first. I was hoping that it was a mistake. Dimebag was a guitar legend and really influenced metal in the 90's with Pantera. Nobody could do rhythm guitar and lead guitar as good as him. He will be missed. "Vulgar Display of Power" was one of the best metal albums of all time. I am so mad at Phil Anselmo for not doing another Pantera record. Maybe if he had, this whole disaster would have been averted. They would be playing for thousands of people in arenas with tight security instead of these shitty nightclubs with no security! Music has lost a legend!

That is fucking sick! I can't believe someone jumped up on stage and shot him! It sounds like someone killed the gunman afterwards which is awesome! Street justice!! I am in total shock.

Anyone know what dropzone it was? "California desert" sounds like Cal City? "Nobody should jump out of an airplane" I'm glad he said this on Oprah. Think about the demographic! Do you really want that crowd showing up at your local dropzone?

Thanks! I appreciate the info! It is funny how you hear about a dropzone but there is no listing on DZ.com and there is no website either. It's like these dropzones don't want people to know they are around. Sort of a fly by night thing. Kbone

What is Trident? So it sounds like a part time Tandem deal. I've heard of tiny dropzones in Hemmet and Palm Springs but nobody ever talks about those places, I don't even know if they are still around either.

So this "new" dropzone is at the same place as Skydive Southern California located at Brown Field. Run by an employee of the recently defunct dropzone? They are using the same Cesna 206 as well? It looks like they get some cool ocean views!

Hi San Diego skydivers! I was just in the area and I could not seem to get in touch with Skydive Southern California in San Diego. I ended up going to Skydive San Diego(otay lakes) instead. They are both very close together so I don't want to confuse anybody. This new dropzone that is less than a year old seems to have shut down? Am I wrong? -Their website is no longer online -Their phone is disconnected -They were suppose to have a Twin Otter but in their profile on DZ.com it says Cesna 206? Bummer if it's true! I was looking foward to trying out the new dropzone. What happened?