JakGramley

Keith, Did I really? Forgive me if I don't remember the incident. I'll be at Perris this weekend. If you are there also, please say hi and refresh my memory. Hopefully I had a good reason, and whatever I did was appropriate. See you at Perris! Jack Gramley Computer Consultant

Bill, Technically, Pat and Melanie (brother and sister) own the operation, having bought it from their parents, Diane and Ben Conatser. Diane and Ben still own the airport and the facility, but Pat and Melanie own the skydiving operation. Jack Gramley Computer Consultant

One side note. When the doctor initially told my wife that during my operation he was implanting a bone stimulator she was ecstatic. Then she found out it would only work on the bone in my arm. She's never forgiven him for that.... Jack Gramley Computer Consultant

Be careful what you wish for. This one is riding on top of the muscle and causes some discomfort from time to time. On the positive side, I can usually pickup several radio stations on a good day. I just wish I had some sort of volume control! Jack Gramley Computer Consultant

I've posted this before, but I think it may qualify me as bionic, especially the electronic parts. X-Ray of right arm If you want to see how all of the hardware got there, check out: gory photos Cause: CRW 8-way speed team practice jump, partially formed, flying through a wind shear. Jack Gramley Computer Consultant

If you were truly a computer geek, you would let the world know! Jack Gramley "Rent-A-Geek"

Jim, Yeah, the base product drives everything, so you need to include it in the cost estimate. Make sure and size it only for what you need now, because you can easily upgrade later without much penalty. I have been using them for 5 or 6 years and have never been sorry. Their product is solid, they upgrade constantly, they have an easy migration path to enhanced features and they offer excellent support. Also, the way they scale their product, even a small business can afford the product. Hope it works for you. Jack Gramley Computer Consultant

You might want to look at MDaemon from Alt-N Technologies. http://www.altn.com/Default.asp I've used it for years and it has all the bells and whistles. Jack Gramley Computer Consultant www.MCCiLV.com

For those of you that may not have gotten the word, my 6 month long plans with the helicopter company fell through this last Tuesday evening. It seems that the company was recently sold and the new owners are not interested in skydiving activity. My sincerest apology to those of you that were counting on the helicopter to make this a successful event. Of course, any of you that want to receive a refund on your registration may contact Jana at the manifest office. My sincerest apologies. Jack Gramley Organizer Jack, Off to Perris Boogie

Jump TWO world class dropzones during the Jack, Off to Perris Boogie - January 9th through the 19th First off, I am deeply sorry to take so long to finalize things for the JOTP Boogie. For those of you that are regular attendees, I know how much this boogie means to you. I have always tried to make it the best winter boogie in the States. Several things have happened that have had a profound effect on this year's boogie. First off, Linda and I left Perris early this summer, moving to Las Vegas. I started another computer consulting business and it has occupied all of my time, making it difficult to spend the time necessary on planning the boogie. Second, Pat and Melanie have been working hard to bring a DC-9 to Perris. This was to have been the centerpiece of the boogie. Through no fault of their own, it won't be ready in time for the boogie. That leaves a big hole in our plans. I have never been satisfied with just having cheap slot prices and a few load organizers. In looking for something to replace the DC-9, I asked the Conatsers if we could revive an old concept of jumping back and forth from Perris to Elsinore. They agreed and I then approached John Hamilton at Elsinore with the idea. To make a long story short, this year, for the first time in a LONG time, you will have 3 days during the JOTP Boogie when you can jump TWO world class dropzones! On Sunday, January 11th, Friday, January 16th and Sunday, January 18th you will be able to take off from Perris and jump into Elsinore, then turn around and jump on a plane at Elsinore and jump back into Perris! We have also added a big BBQ and Beer party at Elsinore on that Friday (1/16) as well as our big banquet at Perris on Saturday (1/17). Hopefully this unique concept will make it worth your time to come back for one more Jack, Off to Perris Boogie. Because of the extra cost for the 2nd banquet and other considerations, the registration costs have increased to $45 for those registering prior to January 1st and $55 for those registering on or after January 1st. This registration cost includes both banquets, your t-shirt and discounted slot prices on all aircraft. As always, registering prior to the 1st will get your name on the t-shirt. To register, please contact the Perris Valley Skydiving mainfest office at (909) 657-3904. Additional boogie information and details can be found at http://www.JackOffToPerris.com. For more information please contact Jack Gramley by phone at (702) 254-5285 or by email at JackOffToPerris@aol.com.

Jump TWO world class dropzones during the Jack, Off to Perris Boogie - January 9th through the 19th First off, I am deeply sorry to take so long to finalize things for the JOTP Boogie. For those of you that are regular attendees, I know how much this boogie means to you. I have always tried to make it the best winter boogie in the States. Several things have happened that have had a profound effect on this year's boogie. First off, Linda and I left Perris early this summer, moving to Las Vegas. I started another computer consulting business and it has occupied all of my time, making it difficult to spend the time necessary on planning the boogie. Second, Pat and Melanie have been working hard to bring a DC-9 to Perris. This was to have been the centerpiece of the boogie. Through no fault of their own, it won't be ready in time for the boogie. That leaves a big hole in our plans. I have never been satisfied with just having cheap slot prices and a few load organizers. In looking for something to replace the DC-9, I asked the Conatsers if we could revive an old concept of jumping back and forth from Perris to Elsinore. They agreed and I then approached John Hamilton at Elsinore with the idea. To make a long story short, this year, for the first time in a LONG time, you will have 3 days during the JOTP Boogie when you can jump TWO world class dropzones! On Sunday, January 11th, Friday, January 16th and Sunday, January 18th you will be able to take off from Perris and jump into Elsinore, then turn around and jump on a plane at Elsinore and jump back into Perris! We have also added a big BBQ and Beer party at Elsinore on that Friday (1/16) as well as our big banquet at Perris on Saturday (1/17). Hopefully this unique concept will make it worth your time to come back for one more Jack, Off to Perris Boogie. Because of the extra cost for the 2nd banquet and other considerations, the registration costs have increased to $45 for those registering prior to January 1st and $55 for those registering on or after January 1st. This registration cost includes both banquets, your t-shirt and discounted slot prices on all aircraft. As always, registering prior to the 1st will get your name on the t-shirt. To register, please contact the Perris Valley Skydiving mainfest office at (909) 657-3904. Additional boogie information and details can be found at www.JackOffToPerris.com. For more information please contact Jack Gramley by phone at (702) 254-5285 or by email at JackOffToPerris@aol.com. Jack Gramley Computer Consultant

Oh yeah, the other thing we used to love to do was to abuse Dom. Can't remember what the event was, but Dom got his share of pies. Jack Gramley

Dom, You had to invite me into this, didn't you. Yep, we had some great times at Blue Skies! Here's a photo of Dom, Angie Gardner and Mike Kallian (right to left) killing time on one of the sofa's, waiting for the weather to clear. Jack Gramley

In April of this year, a skydiver named David Mason, a visiting college student from the UK, was at Perris. I took this photo of him on April 4th, 2003. He came over with a friend of his named Adrian Blair. While I am uncertain as to the name of the individual on the left, the one on the right is the one I knew as David Mason. At that time he was a student at the Royal Military College of Science, at Shrivenham, Wiltshire. Jack Gramley Computer Consultant

I think I am done posting photos for the weekend. Something like 300+ new photos at: http://www.perriscam.com/20030927a.htm http://www.perriscam.com/20030927b.htm http://www.perriscam.com/20030928a.htm http://www.perriscam.com/20030928b.htm I hope all of you enjoy them! Jack Gramley

I posted new photos of the swoop event and the big-way jumps. You can see them at: http://www.perriscam.com/pictures.htm More to come.... Jack Gramley

Jason, Most of the time, unless they have the metal detector set real high, I can squeek through without setting off the alarms. However, I still make sure that I am wearing a short sleeved shirt in case I do. After seeing all of the outside scar tissue from all of the surgeries, they tend to take my word that all that noise from their wand is not detecting something sinister. One other fun story. I was passing through an airport late at night shortly after 9/11. Very few passengers at that time of night and as I was heading through the security checkpoint I noticed a training class for new security guards. Having a few hours to kill, I asked if they had trained on internal hardware yet. The trainer looked up with a big grin and asked if I was volunteering. I spent the next 30 minutes with people waving wands over my arm, examining my scars and feeling the metal and other devices through the skin. Seems they rarely get the opportunity to see the real thing during training. It killed the time until my next flight. Jack Gramley

All that you see was installed after a CRW jump in February of 2000. Broke it while taking a CRW dock at 7,000'. Fun landing the canopy. One of my fellow CRW team members flew our two stack in until about 200' giving me a straight in approach to the grass at Perris. One handed flare to a tumbling landing. Almost lost the arm. Instead I gained some metal. Everything you see in the xray is still in my arm. I believe my ortho was formerly a bridge engineer. Makes security checks at commercial airports interesting since 9/11. Jack Gramley

I'll let you decide if there is any metal. The photos on this web page are not for the squeamish. http://www.teaminfinitycrw.com/jacksarm.htm Jack Gramley

The waiver was requested by Square One for their demo rigs. Having the combination of a LOT of canopies, containers and risers makes RSL's a safety hazard. The length of the RSL and location of the RSL connection to the riser (left or right) is dependent on the container and the configuration of the risers. If the RSL is too short, there is a danger of premature deployment of the reserve during opening of the main. Since all of Square One's rental gear have a Cypres AAD installed, they asked for and received a waiver for non-licensed jumpers to jump without an RSL. For more specific information you can contact Blue McGowan at the Perris Square One store. Jack Gramley

Interesting discussion. I was PM'd yesterday asking for some input. I am sure by now that everyone realizes that I am out of the DZ business, and any opinions that I state are purely my own. I guess the one thing that I would ask is what the motivation would be for a DZ to participate in any changes in the GM program? By far, the majority of the new students come to a DZ by either word of mouth or from DZ advertising. The number of new students that come to a DZ by recommendation of the USPA DZ listing is very small. If an inspection program was instituted for GM DZ's, there would be a risk of not passing, and that could drive some jumpers away. Since the current GM program is really just a rubber stamp of what the larger DZ's want, it would be difficult to put any teeth into a program that would not be beneficial to the DZ's in the first place. Why do the DZ's participate now? Mostly because the USPA keeps the FAA off their backs. We are a self regulating industry. Better to have a friendly regulating organization (the USPA) than to have the FAA try to regulate our daily skydiving operations directly. Sure, we have certain requirements that the FAA mandates. Our aircraft and pilots have to be properly certified, along with our TSO'd gear. Our flight operations have to follow FAA guidelines. But it pretty much stops there. The USPA is a handy organization that keeps the FAA off the backs of the DZ's, allowing them to operate pretty much as they want. If the GM program changes, and DZ's fail inspections, it could force the FAA to look closer at skydiving in general, and that would be a bad thing for all concerned. Also, if the FAA were suddenly called upon to really get involved in skydiving accidents, we could expect some MAJOR changes to the way we skydive. Do you think that the FAA would allow 20+ fatalities and hundreds of serious accidents from low turns each year? Not a chance. And trust me, you would NOT like the way the FAA would try to solve THAT problem! The plain fact is that there isn’t enough of a motivation for changes in the GM program. Trust me, if the larger DZ’s don’t want something to change, it won’t change. It isn’t because they are directly controlling the USPA, but they are a HUGE lobbying group. The bigger DZ’s have a very large and loyal following. If a large DZ puts out the idea that a new change to the GM program would affect their skydivers, their skydivers will write letters, sign petitions and call their USPA representatives until the change is squashed. I have seen it in action, and it is amazing to watch. For there to be any significant changes to the GM program, the DZ’s, large and small, have to see a direct benefit to them, or they will resist it. If they resist it, it will not happen. Right now we have VERY successful DZ’s that are not members of the USPA, and they have no problem finding new students and experienced jumpers to fill their planes. Increase the GM’s dues, slap a bunch of inspection requirements on member DZ’s and they will simply say goodbye and drop their USPA membership. Think they would lose jumpers because of this? Probably not. Oh sure, some skydivers would make noises about leaving to go to a “safer” USPA DZ, but after a few $10 per jump boogies and a $150 all you can jump weekend, all is forgotten. Let’s face it, jumpers go to a DZ not because it is a USPA dropzone or the safest one around. They go there because their friends are there, because they like the way they are treated and because it is convenient. So, the USPA continues to try to please all of the jumpers and try to keep dropzones involved in their GM program. And in doing so they end up with programs with no real teeth in them. Do I like all of this? No, but it is reality. And I am not so sure that the way things are is all bad. Skydivers as a whole are generally independent thinkers and risk takers. We don’t WANT regulations that limit what we can and can’t do. DZ owners are the same way. So, we want regulations that help us, but don’t limit us. The USPA has provided us with regulations that allow us to pretty much do what we want, and to decide what is safe and what isn’t, provided we don’t go TOO far in ignoring safety issues. It provides us with enough of a regulating industry so that the government stays out of our lives. It provides a basic set of standards that is tight enough to protect those that don’t have enough experience to know what is and isn’t safe, and loose enough so that our independent spirit is not squashed once we DO have the knowledge and experience to make safety decisions for ourselves. Jack Gramley

Photos of Eric. http://www.perriscam.com/Images4/dsg56059.JPG In the blue jumpsuit http://www.perriscam.com/Images4/dsg55900.JPG Again, blue jumpsuit http://www.perriscam.com/Images4/dsg44980.JPG On the far left http://www.perriscam.com/Images4/dsg44221.JPG Eric is the best of guys. Always ready to help another jumper. Our thoughts are with him. Jack Gramley Computer Consultant

Here's more to show the extent of the mask. Really fun to be around as this was being shot. Scott looked SO much like JEJ from 20' away that it was creepy. Jack Gramley Computer Consultant

This may help explain the James Earl Jones mystery. Yes, Scott Smith was the man inside the mask and makeup. Jack Gramley Computer Consultant

For all of you that have been waiting patiently for the Perris Landing Cam to be fixed, your day has come! Thanks to Cruz Acosta, the landing cam is now back! The rotating cam now has 3 views, Manifest, Loading and Pool views. For those of you that are having problems viewing the cams, please make sure you are using Windows Media Player version 9. If you would prefer to use the viewer without logging in to the Perris site, please start Windows Media Player 9, go to Open URL and use one of the following addresses. For the landing cam, use: http://208.179.6.2:8080 For the rotating cam, use: http"//208.179.6.2:8081 We are still working out a few bugs, but for the most part you can now watch the jumpers land. Jack Gramley Computer Consultant