tjm, you might want to get your information for a better source than your so called "feds" contact.
I am a member of the ground crew that worked that demo. None of us have been banned from doing demo jumps what so ever!!!! We have not even been contacted by the FAA or anyone concerning this NON-ISSUE. I almost got in a car wreck a couple of months ago, because someone pulled out in front of me…should I have my driver’s license taken away??? THERE WAS NO INCIDENDT!!!! Actually I think our jumpers should have been commended for the way they reacted to the amount of field they had to land on.
Let me explain what actually happened at that demo. Instead of going by what your friend heard you cousin’s, dog groomer told the trash man. The day before the demo we contacted the person in charge of pre-game events. We instructed them we needed at least 60 yards of the football field, not including the end zone. During pre-game, we were in contact with the person in charge and the band director. We again confirmed with them that we would have the required landing space. They agreed. Our ground crew was in place, the band was in there designated place, and our time window had come, our jumpers exited the aircraft. Seconds after they exited, the band started marching down the field, into our landing area. We turned to locate the band director, he was nowhere to be found. We started trying to get the band leaders attention to divert the band, by then it was too late and they were completely in our landing area. The band started marching back to the other end of the field. When the last band member crossed the 10 yard line, heading away from our landing area, that was when our first jumper landed on the field, right on the side line, between the band and the side line crowd. He did an amazing job with what he had to work with. As far as you saying due to some guy taking out one or more band members, please let inform you what ACTUALLY HAPPED. I was no more than 15 yards away from where he landed. The second jumper touched down 15 yards behind the band and slid 10 to 12 yards. His canopy fell down in front of the band member in the last row. That band member was never contacted by the skydiver and never fell down. She had to step over and go around the canopy and lines that fell around her. The remaining jumpers landed with plenty of room. Actually they landed with less room that we initially started out with, because the band leaders on the field, were standing at the 50 yard line. We had plenty of ground crew in place at all four corners of our landing area, plus 3 to 4 other roaming around. Next time, we will place one ground crew member with the band director and one with each of the band leaders on the field, preventing them from marching into our landing area. We have jumped into this stadium dozens of times, with no issues. The second skydiver to land has been jumping into this stadium since the 70’s.
You also said, “Due to the above incident we are being crutinized even more.” Why would your so called “feds” contact “crutinize” or scrutinize you all for a demo that we put on? Why were you all given grief and not the actual DZ that legally filed the paper worth with the FAA month prior to the demo? They had our name…they had our contact info. We were never contacted…maybe that’s because nothing really happed.
