Slyde

It's good to read that somebody is getting satisfactory service. Your chill suggestion would make sense except that this issue was simply ignored. I waited 7 days before voicing my anger. The timing and obvious insult is a difficult interpersonal reality to describe effectively. But my friend, when any friend or collegue writes to me 'I'm screaming pissed.' According to my golden rule book, that friend or collegue deserves a phone call regardless of whether his 29 yrs. of dues is putting food on my table. A Peace Prize within minutes of Bombing the Moon. Coincidence? "Beware the Military Industrial Complex." You GO Ike!

Thanks Jack, Your question is a popular one. "What's wroung with background checks?" I don't mind a background check either. But many, many folks do not wish to be scrutinized by Uncle Sam. Unnecessary government intervention in our aviation activities SHOULD be avoided at every opportunity. Tweaking a tiny parameter on a website for that purpose AND thereby removin the bias against skydivers - whether intentional or inadvertent is a WORTHY cause. And it could be an easy fix. A Peace Prize within minutes of Bombing the Moon. Coincidence? "Beware the Military Industrial Complex." You GO Ike!

Oops got side tracked and left out the first message to the board: Ain't time an odd thing? Today I complain to you. Tomorrow I cast my ballot. This is a complaint about our new employee Randy Ottinger. I am sorry I cannot be brief. But I will try my best. I first met Randy in 1979 when we partied like kooks off Ottley's kranium; all three as members of Pelican Skydivers. Each encounter with Randy - say 10 or so - since that time has had the warmth and feel of reunion you might expect. I was delighted when I learned Randy had assumed Ed's position. I was flattered if not flabbergasted when Randy told me by phone just days after assuming the post a story of his first briefing on the job wherein Ed began with something like: "Now I gotta warn you about this guy in Texas ... " "Don't you worry about a thing ... " Randy said Randy said. He said this during the first of THREE times Randy has called me during business hours as Director of Government Relations to seek my opinions on FAA matters. That too is flattering. Last week TWO very important FAA matters were brought to my attention from the field. The first, an issue that will seem so trivial as to be laughable, seems to me - AND PERHAPS to me alone a VERY clear discrimination by FAA against lowly, pesky skydivers. I was "screaming pissed." I wrote to my ... uh, friend Randy instantly. The second matter - later that same day - had to do with an NPRM I had not heard about. I wrote again and received a very quick and very competent reply from Randy within minutes. Turned out the Fed named De Silva from Ft Lauderdale who told me about the NPRM had said "above twelve five" when he should have said "over 12 thousand 5 hundred pounds." Case closed. Randy and the industry were already all over it. All I needed to know. But by the end of that day I heard not so much as a peep out of Randy on my first issue. Not a peep. The issue, I must add, is one that I believe can be fixed in a flash by a simple change of 1 tiny parameter on the BETA site all aviators are forced to use in obtaining TSA Sporting Event waivers. To make matters worse, more infuriating, the issue is one about which I have challenged TSA on my own many times since 9/11 with satisfactory results. It is ONLY NOW that FAA has assumed the final vetting of applications for Sporting Event waivers that I can no longer win my point. I'm omitting the details for now. It will save your time I hope. So I waited. After some time as my heart sank and my blood boiled I wrote again to Randy and voiced my disappointment at being ignored after all. Here is his curt reply: Mark, If you'll send me a letter, detailing this issue and requesting my help, I will reply. Please include specifics, so that I might begin to understand this issue from your perspective. Regards, Randy Ottinger Director of Government Relations United States Parachute Association 5401 Southpoint Centre Boulevard Fredericksburg, VA 22407 540-604-9740 540-645-1129 C OK. Now I get it. Thanks a lot pal. Call me anytime. I'll be glad to share my feelings. Ladies and gentlemen, if those feelings don't show through here, I have failed. The times, they are a bear for some. But y'all are free for the foreseeable to consider me a bull in Randy's china shop. If this is the way my horn shall be tooted by my organization in Washington then I will blow this sax loud and hard till the snow flies on the equator. May I be more crystalline? Love, M~ "I don't shit where I eat." RO, 1980 Mark Schlatter today begs to differ. A Peace Prize within minutes of Bombing the Moon. Coincidence? "Beware the Military Industrial Complex." You GO Ike!

The emails were sequential and incremental for the most part. Here's the text from an early message sent to the full board. Several we sent to the full board and a few board members replied that they are restrained by the Bylaws from being involved with headquarters staff decisions. So then I turned my focus upon the Executive Director who has made this choice I find so weak at Gov't. Rel. First, here's a sample of working com that preceded this explosion: From: Mark Schlatter To: Randy Ottinger Sent: Wednesday, June 11, 2008 9:50 AM Subject: FYI Giving 'em Hell Mornin Randy, I referred Reno FSDO to you in the attached letter faxed 1 hour ago. I doubt if you will hear from them, but just in case. I got the "my-guidance-says-you-gotta-give-us-45-days" spiel from a hostile and low quality Fed by phone yesterday. In touch, MS NEXT: Here's where the problem started: REMEMBER: TSA had already agreed with me THREE times before on the issue of pilots who don't penetrate. From: Mark Schlatter To: Randy Ottinger Sent: Thursday, November 13, 2008 12:07 PM Subject: Screaming Pissed Kerry Flemming at FAA 202-267-8185 is breaking the law and refuses to correct the matter. I'm on a fuggin rampage starting this minute. A pilot who will NOT penetrate a TFR does NOT need a waiver. A SKYDIVER is obviously BENEATH citizenship because he CANNOT get a TFR waiver unless his pilot gets one too! SOMETHING IS REALLY WRONG HERE!! AND next: Work seems to be getting accomplished on other matters the same day: From: Mark Schlatter To: Randy Ottinger Sent: Thursday, November 13, 2008 3:27 PM Subject: Re: NPRM?? Ah ha! I obviously misinterpreted his repeated use of "above twelve five" in that call. He hasn't yet responded to my request for more info. Thanks, m~ ----- Original Message ----- From: Randy Ottinger To: Mark Schlatter Sent: Thursday, November 13, 2008 1:31 PM Subject: Re: NPRM?? http://www.uspa.org/NewsEvents/News/tabid/59/Default.aspx#4737 On 11/13/08 1:31 PM, "Mark Schlatter" wrote: Will do. Stand by for more on TSA Waiver issue. M~ ----- Original Message ----- From: Randy Ottinger To: Mark Schlatter Sent: Thursday, November 13, 2008 12:28 PM Subject: Re: NPRM?? Never heard of it. My friend the AOPA airspace analyst has never heard of either. No search results found at the Federal Register. Please have your FSDO contact send a link. Regards, Randy Ottinger Director of Government Relations United States Parachute Association 5401 Southpoint Centre Boulevard Fredericksburg, VA 22407 540-604-9740 540-645-1129 C On 11/13/08 1:13 PM, "Mark Schlatter" wrote: Ft Lauderdale FSDO guy just mentioned a standing NPRM regarding positive control for GA flights above 12,5? Know anything about that? Says comment period ends soon with implementation by year's end. Also said AOPA and / or EAA are working for extension of comment peroid. M~ BUT THEN: From: Mark Schlatter To: Randy Ottinger Sent: Thursday, November 20, 2008 10:11 AM Subject: Axed. Your silence on the TSA discrimination issue has you axed from cc's on daily writings. Your silence indicates you don't give a flying fuck. That's OK Randy. I'm sure you're busy ... least I hope so. But your silence will eventually be worth mentioning to the entire board in writing. Still angry. It feels like discrimination. It feels like an unwarranted power grab by FAA. It feels like something that warrants at least the courtesy of a response from my so called Washington representatives. It feels like nobody sees what I see clearly. They will. When such an easy fix seems available - tweak the beta site - it's sad that this will waste so much time. M~ AND NEXT: From: Randy Ottinger To: Mark Schlatter Cc: Ed Scott Sent: Thursday, November 20, 2008 1:06 PM Subject: Re: Axed. Mark, If you'll send me a letter, detailing this issue and requesting my help, I will reply. Please include specifics, so that I might begin to understand this issue from your perspective. Regards, Randy Ottinger Director of Government Relations WHAT'S IMPORTANT: I had been detailing the issue and requesting help daily since the 13th via cc's on correspondence with FAA. SEVEN days earlier. He has responded professionally to matters he understood but simply ignored matters he could not comprehend. Rather than call, like he had done on three occasions to ask about things he knew I would understand, he elected to ignore this one completely. HERE'S an example of cc'd correspondence to several individuals in FAA, TSA and USPA. Note the date 7-days BEFORE the curt impersonal letter of Nov 20. From: Mark Schlatter [mailto:mschlatter@msn.com] Sent: Thursday, November 13, 2008 12:44 PM To: Ada Johnson Cc: Randy Ottinger; Ed Scott; Paul McCowan; Tony Baumgard Subject: Skydivers Substandard Citizens The person most sure at this moment we skydivers are not deserving of equal consideration under the law is: Kerry Flemming 202-267-8185 - FAA guy ----- Original Message ----- A Peace Prize within minutes of Bombing the Moon. Coincidence? "Beware the Military Industrial Complex." You GO Ike!

Yes, I will elaborate. What I did to get thrown out was write more than 70 emails complaining with increasing audacity and ferocity about the behavior of the USPA headquarters staff, beginning with the new Director of Government Relations. Government Realtions is a service of importance to skydiving entertainers because we have allowed USPA to become recognized as the experts in the field and worthy of respect from the aviation industry in general and FAA in particular. Today I'm ashamed of that reality. I work with more than 30 FAA offices in an average season and have written thousands of documents and hundreds of letters to make the red-tape that come with skydiving performances easier for both the performer and the FAA safety inspector who must process the documents. Our previous Director of Government Relations knows this is true and knows of my wide raport with FAA wearing many hats including DPRE for more than 13 years. Undergraduate studies at Purdue taught me much about FAA. My BS degree is in Aviation Technology. I hold A&P and pilot certificates and was admitted to Master's Degree too at Purdue in technology teaching pursuits. The original issue that touched off this campaign is that TSA (Transportation Security Administration) has agreed with me THREE times that a pilot does NOT need a background check if he will not penetrate a TFR during a jump flight over a major sporting event. The jumper DOES need the check. No argument there. Last season, FAA took over final vetting of the TSA Waiver process. They did so rather clumsily with a new "BETA" website for applicants to apply. Clumsy means there was no transition between the established application process and the new "BETA" process. Beta means in general terms "almost ready for prime time but still up for review or repair." The new site is easy to use and the process efficient, BUT. When the new BETA system refused to allow my waiver without subjecting my pilot to a background check I SPOKE OUT instantly. Here we go for the FOURTH time on this issue, I thought. When I called FAA, I was scolded by a belligerent pair at FAA Security named Kerry Fleming and Brian Throop. Once scolded, I was angry and turned to USPA for help. Not only did the new director, nor his boss, nor any member of the board have a clue what the problem was, but the new director, a 30-yr. friend and peer in the industry replied but once in insultingly curt language and then immediately stopped all service or replies thereafter. Research will show this is not uncharacteristic for your new representative. We have a problem here. When so called industry leaders chose to ignore the most experienced and professional experts and then spend substantial resources and time - your dues money at work - to undermine and discredit the expert in order to mask their own ignorance ... well, we just aren't getting anywhere, gang. We are moving backwards. I flamed out on this guy and I will stop when he quits this job or gets a clue. It is the least I can do for the common good. We simply cannot play the way this staff plays now. We are a tiny, tiny swarm of gnats in the big aviation eco-system. Until we play nice and start sharing our crayons, using all the tools for productive progress, we will remain a spoiled bunch of cry babies who deserve to be regulated out of existence. Share your crayons, boys & girls. It makes a nicer picture. Child's play comes with temper tantrums. I have staged one for entertainment using grown-up straight-from-the-packing-area get-down-and-get-nasty call-a-spade-a-spade language. It is language we would scarcely notice with more than a guffaw on the DZ. When you get a new business card or a brass plaque on your desk, should you stop allowing your friends to treat you like they always would before? I think not. And please, tell your Regional Director that USPA needs all the help it can get. Tossing out a full-time professional skydiving entertainer who writes prolifically and who will have no choice but to spend the next few years explaining to dozens of FAA offices that the professional weakness of the USPA became unbearable ... well. Why NOT pay higher dues in this economy? USPA is voluntary. Do we have enough experts to form a recognizable splinter group. A think tank perhaps? A watchdog? Several have said "so what?" "Why not just check your pilot?" Try producing 75 performances per year? Then you will know. Try producing one 500-way performance. Then 500 of us will know. Today it seems, only me and a bunch of aviators who fly at big events can see how blind your leadership stubbornly insists on remaining. Something is really wrong here. A Peace Prize within minutes of Bombing the Moon. Coincidence? "Beware the Military Industrial Complex." You GO Ike!

Thank you Terry. "Hurting skydiving more than helping" Your mathematics are fascinating, sir. Thank you sir, may I have another. Didn't I see you in my basement once? You have worked hard surrounded by PIA. Thank you sir. It's hard work. We appreciate the worker bees. I'm surrounded too. Guess who cheers? Gimme a chance and I'll show you what is not seen from inside the exhibit hall. I'll never forget the speaker at ICAS who pointed out "this is fascinating, how we come here every year and spend all this money to convince one another how great we are." Or the parachute manufacturer who says: Why am I spending thousands every 2 years to go give awat all my trade secrets? As for "what the hell," are you suggesting Terry that Arab Muslims did not spawn the Transportation Security Administration? Come on councilman. Extremists, of course. Don't dilute the point. Arab Muslims are some of the most peaceful and loving people on earth, but do you suggest that our American TSA would not profile the legal flight I chose as an example? And your "BTW" clearly reveals your lack of awareness of routine aviation activities inside TFR's. You need to call me, Einstein. 903.UC1.SHOW I'm free all week. So why don't we grow, Terry? Why don't we grow? Are you suggesting that I in my activity disuade John Q some how? Or has a persuasive lawyer (bitter at his own ineptitude) merely colored your perception successfully? I've prolly got less than 50 more years to keep jumping. You still pounding them out? Hope so. A Peace Prize within minutes of Bombing the Moon. Coincidence? "Beware the Military Industrial Complex." You GO Ike!

Of course details are not all here yet. The initial response from USPA was a curt reply from Government Relations indicating that they might consider trying to understand my position on the illegal behavior of FAA. Translation: We have no idea what you are talking about. In the few weeks just prior, the Director of Government Relations CALLED ME three times to consult on matters relating to skydiving entertainment issues interacting with FAA. What angers? No call this time. Only a curt put-it-in-writing-and-we-might-think-about-it response. Then a COMPLETE non-response to frank, traditional, open anger expressed from the heart to my 30-yr friend and former Pelican club-mate. It is traitorous, cowardly behavior. It is characteristic of the individual. It is handwriting on the wall about our representation. It is a BIG BLACK FLAG my friends. We have a serious problem going forward. I would like to do the first 500-way demo in the states called MY iNDY 500. The chances are moving in the wrong direction boys and girls. It's not easy being green. But I SEE CLEARLY what I'm saying. I'm sorry that my message irks the blind, but blind they are on this one and they admitted it right off the bat. No pilot wants to be subjected to a federal background check. Some will just say nevermind. Why don't you get somebody else. One respondent to this thread has written exactly what FAA said to me on the phone about the pilot high above the restricted airspace. "Yeah. But if he's going to drop something into the TFR ..." Ladies and gentlemen, we are NOT "somethings." A vetted professional operating a nylon flying device is no less a free American and no less entitled to ply his trade inside restricted airspace than a certificated pilot. Don't let USPA assist FAA in misusing the Bush-style fear-mongering invasion on our freedoms. A thoroughly vetted and highly experienced entertainer deserves every right to enter restricted airspace. He does NOT need to inject the unpleasant breath of Uncle Sam down his pilot's back to do that. Keep our skies safe. Sure! No problem. But treat skydivers with THE SAME FREEDOM as ordinary humans. It's hard enough making the skydiving entertainment industry come into existence and growth, without USPA hiding from what they do not understand by tossing out angry Sphincter Brothers and assisting corrupt FAA officials in abusing the fear-based laws. "We have nothing to fear but fear itself." Roosevelt Fear has again become the governmental tactic for keeping you quiet. Crow a little. We can change the world. Let's do a 500 way demo. Got suggestions for MY iNDY? If you want gory details, please write to mschlatter@msn.com Thanks. eDo onward - it's a poem m~ A Peace Prize within minutes of Bombing the Moon. Coincidence? "Beware the Military Industrial Complex." You GO Ike!

You are correct TK. It is the same Mark Schlatter who hand made your giant flag for the Florida Department of tourism and the same who trained your long-time staff rigger Kerry Smith and your long time staff videographer Tony Hathaway. We all should always hope honest people will remain available to answer the juries' questions truthfully in the world's best legal system. Being an expert is CLEARLY more fun when we don't work for the dark side. But telling the truth is not a crime. Unless you're scared of what mirrors contain. Gangsters disuade testimonials. I fear fear & pain; not courts or juries or narrow minds and eylids. It's all good in Texas. A Peace Prize within minutes of Bombing the Moon. Coincidence? "Beware the Military Industrial Complex." You GO Ike!

Jan, I'm scanner-challenged at the moment to E hard copies. Regional Director's emails are ready for public display at the asking, per my current concerns. Sherry wrote the 1-page Certified Snail Mail delivering my sentence. (She abstained from the Executive Committee Vote, however.) A Peace Prize within minutes of Bombing the Moon. Coincidence? "Beware the Military Industrial Complex." You GO Ike!

I pray it will not be necessary to "train" USPA again so soon. They are most certainly eligible but again, already. A Peace Prize within minutes of Bombing the Moon. Coincidence? "Beware the Military Industrial Complex." You GO Ike!

In very frank, often vulgar, sometimes cryptic, and most importantly VERY OFTEN email language I spoke to my 30-year-so-called-friend at head quarters about his cowardice and insulting LACK OF RESPONSE. He is the new ... uh ... Director of ... well ... director of something. I have lost my understanding of what it is exactly he thinks he is ... uh, ... "directing." Gradually, I enjoined FAA and others in the rant. A Peace Prize within minutes of Bombing the Moon. Coincidence? "Beware the Military Industrial Complex." You GO Ike!

The USPA Board's Executive Committee has revoked my membership and ratings for conduct unbecoming a skydiver and or likely to bring unfavorable attention upon the organization. I am Mark Schlatter. I have made 5500 skydives since 1975. I have launched the careers of many, many professionals in this industry. I continue to do so. I have teaching in my DNA. Recently, I complained LOUDLY to FAA Security about their abuse of our freedom via their abuse of the Transportation Security Administration's power to demand Federal Background Checks for aviators who operate within 3 miles and 3 thousand feet of major sporting events. A jump pilot at 4500 feet is not subject to Federal Background Check. TSA agrees. (I won that argument THREE separate times, with Reggie Rhodes and Ada Johnson.) FAA has overstepped their authority with a new BETA website that will not allow YOU to get a TSA waiver UNLESS your pilot - who will NOT penetrate the TFR get's a Federal Background Check. Note: It is LEGAL to take any Arab Muslim you befriend and fly a properly equipped light sport aircraft at 3100 feet above a NASCAR race, but FAA says you cannot drop a thoroughly vetted and highly experienced skydiving entertainer from ANY altitude unless you are scrutinized by Uncle Sam. I asked my old friend at USPA for assistance. I SCREAMED when he revealed his positions. Now I appeal to the FULL BOARD OF DIRECTORS to please RECONSIDER what your executive committee and headquarters staff have enacted. If you really want Mark Schlatter out, this you shall remember. USPA is voluntary. I pray. still & always, m~ A Peace Prize within minutes of Bombing the Moon. Coincidence? "Beware the Military Industrial Complex." You GO Ike!

Military parachute exhibition teams are fairly characterized as "exotic" I believe, because they are so completely unlike the every day civilian performer. Every person making a demo jump is a performer whether or not she sees herself as such. You wrote of you attachment and experience with one of Uncle Sam's marketing devices at the Military Academy. That's all. Nothing personal from Texas, sir. I make no argument with any assertion that rehearsals are valuable to any type of performance. My objection is with the notion that practice jumps onto actual demo targets are realistic, practical, affordable or, for the most part ever necessary. For the most part, they are not. Furthermore, I'll add that persuing any change to this reality by promoting live practice jumps can be a ball and chain on a fragile fledgeling industry - entertainment skydiving. I'm picturing the scoffs and smirks I believe I would see on the faces of event producers I have worked with for decades if I were to suggest that practice jumps should begin happening as prerequisites to their event. What a spectacularly handy excuse for simply removing the pesky, risky, and ever tentative skydive from the script altogether. Please, please, please! Let's NOT make that any more attractive to our tiny client base than it is at present. Do the math you say!? I must say sir, Uncle Sam has you in the dark if practice jumps cost anywhere near a measily $500 in your world. Mine's a bit more expensive to say the least. I love math. Forgive me if I'm unclear. I see neither a "new problem" nor "old thinking" here. Quite the opposite me thinks. My appologies for looking up the name attached to your public profile and using it here, sir. I'll get busy forgeting that right away. I spend scant little time on these forums so my etiquette might suck. Sorry. And Bill might suggest this discussion move to a different forum. Heckifiknow. Demo Academics is my attempt to improve and enlarge the quantity and the quality of the numbers. The numbers are performances, AND performers. We need more of both. Lots more me thinks. In the wake, I believe changes you also desire will follow. As boats, all numbers will rise with the water level. This includes incidents. By managing the relationships between the numbers, we define our progress. Just imagine the day, Mr. inextremis when we can ponder the incidents per thousand. When can that be? Demo instruction is an investment, not a revenue stream. I doubt the payoff will really arrive during my career, sir. (The fun part is that it's exercising my MS training from Purdue designed toward a career in academia.) Time wise, I would need class sizes in the hundreds per year before this effort would approach the profitability of demos for a living. So far I've completed one class of ten candidates - for my investment of a few hundred hours. Worth every second, ladies and gentlemen. Please come see. A Peace Prize within minutes of Bombing the Moon. Coincidence? "Beware the Military Industrial Complex." You GO Ike!

I had lunch with Branch's attorney last week in Indy. Says Branch is retired, still living in Mooresville and still married to wife ... number 6 we think. He's 70 now. A Peace Prize within minutes of Bombing the Moon. Coincidence? "Beware the Military Industrial Complex." You GO Ike!

Parachutes & Associates was in Mooresville. Branch never went to jail. He was out drinking with the chief of police that night. Those were the days when jump ships made excellent 'disposable' cargo haulers. So most of the operators of DC-3's and costal twin-beeches had opportunities to haul questionable cargo. There WAS some truth to the refurbished airplane story. "I'll buy your airplane for $200 grand (in 1979 dollars) and sell one back to you next spring with new paint & tail number for $40." I think I'd take that deal too! A different DC-3 was busted at Mooresville in 1980 by US Customs or DEA. 4 grams of pot residue were vacuumed from inside. The pilot and co-pilot each served 18 months for contempt of court cuz they wouldn't answer questions before a Grand Jury with immunity. Many years later, after all the statutes of limitations expired, I finally heard the true story from the co-pilot. Pretty scarey! The DZ business shut down more than a year after the bust (end of '81 season) when the land owner died and left his property in probate. Neighbors were tired of Branch. Branch was tired of all of it. That's when I bought the DZ assets and moved to Frankfort for 13 years. MS A Peace Prize within minutes of Bombing the Moon. Coincidence? "Beware the Military Industrial Complex." You GO Ike!

Yes. He went on to say his rig has velcro applied to cover the velcro on his reserve risers. A Peace Prize within minutes of Bombing the Moon. Coincidence? "Beware the Military Industrial Complex." You GO Ike!

Thanks, Jim. Nice seeing you too and catching up! I spoke to one of the victims who thought the initial victim was in bad shape. How'd you learn? A Peace Prize within minutes of Bombing the Moon. Coincidence? "Beware the Military Industrial Complex." You GO Ike!

Anybody heard the outcome of the 3 PIA attendees who were mugged in the bathroom at Pat Thomas' chaired event. How bad were their injuries? Not permanent I hope. A Peace Prize within minutes of Bombing the Moon. Coincidence? "Beware the Military Industrial Complex." You GO Ike!

Post Script: Just received an email from a jumper whose writes: " I just got my Javelin back from SunPath Yesterday. They wanted to pack my reserve and would have been quite happy to without an RSL." Clear as mud. No? A Peace Prize within minutes of Bombing the Moon. Coincidence? "Beware the Military Industrial Complex." You GO Ike!

Right Cliff, nothing at all to get worked up about; unless you have not yet learned to understand how the muddy water remains stirred to minimal translucence such than none can see through with certainty. It's a lot like the muggings at PIA and the way PIA chose to respond ... or not. A Peace Prize within minutes of Bombing the Moon. Coincidence? "Beware the Military Industrial Complex." You GO Ike!

Investigating the John Appleton fatality, Dallas FSDO inspector Gene Bland (a Master Rigger with 8000 jumps) questioned whether the rigger could legally have removed Appleton's RSL as he had done. In an unsigned letter on Sunpath letterhead, Sunpath said they DO NOT recommend that the RSL be removed. Bland (now retired) sent the letter to me and I circulated it to local riggers around Skydive Dallas. I believe the rigger was NOT violated, only advised by FAA. Mark Schlatter (DPRE) mschlatter@msn.com You nailed the spelling Terry. A Peace Prize within minutes of Bombing the Moon. Coincidence? "Beware the Military Industrial Complex." You GO Ike!

This Brian Erler frame was USPA's calendar shot for July somewhere round about 1999. But T, I wasn't jumping in 1899. Were you? A Peace Prize within minutes of Bombing the Moon. Coincidence? "Beware the Military Industrial Complex." You GO Ike!

Full-cover = full faced. Enclosed, in other words. The boom microphone is the same used by auto racers for 2-way com. with their pit crews. I often speak to the audience, even in freefall. The boom and the mike need to be very stationary and protected from wind blast and noise. Looks like we'll have to customize something. A Peace Prize within minutes of Bombing the Moon. Coincidence? "Beware the Military Industrial Complex." You GO Ike!

Ok. I'll take that as a "nobody." Then can anybody offer any feed back on the Sidewinder. I hear they've quit making them. ParaGear still lists them. Assume I can find one somewhere. Or do I just need to go custom from the ground up ... so to speak? A Peace Prize within minutes of Bombing the Moon. Coincidence? "Beware the Military Industrial Complex." You GO Ike!

Who makes full cover camera helmets besides Skysystems? I'm setting up a PC350 for demo jumps and need full cover for interior microphone wind-noise protection. Thanks. MS A Peace Prize within minutes of Bombing the Moon. Coincidence? "Beware the Military Industrial Complex." You GO Ike!