DiverMike

I agree and it proves your point that as you make a system more complicated it becomes more error prone. Current AAD's are passive - they don't add any more connection points between the closing pin and the container. I would think they should remain that way. An additional sensor that detects some object is passing under the cutter is better than nothing, but not much. For the same reason I jump off a perfectly good diving board.

Damn - and I fell for it. I want my troll food back! For the same reason I jump off a perfectly good diving board.

Since you are a student with 16 jumps, make sure you film all this on your helmet mounted GoPro Are you that bored with skydiving already that you have to listen to SlipKnot while doing it? For the same reason I jump off a perfectly good diving board.

Wrong - properly designed it would yield a safer rig, albeit a more expensive one that may falsely identify a problem thus grounding a perfectly good rig. Airtec has marketed that the CYPRES has never failed to activate when called upon to do so. In this incident, it activated exactly as the manufacturer intended. I imagine they could produce a product that would notice the lack of a closing loop routed correctly through the cutter. The additional cost to add something that senses the presence of a closing loop does not seem a sound decision based on the highly unlikely possibility it wouldn't be routed correctly and in the history of AAD's it appears to have happened only one time where it could conceivable have saved a skydiver and didn't because of human error. Airtec has made a fine product that if used correctly saves lifes. Nothing on this planet can be made idiot proof. My sympathy goes out to the family of the skydiver and to the rigger who might have made an honest human mistake. For the same reason I jump off a perfectly good diving board.

Textbook example of "ad hominem" - you are attacking the person and not the facts he is presenting. An AAD correctly installed and functioning would have a high probability (>50%) of preventing death if the skydiver does not pull. Historically, the statistics show this to be true. On a separate note, I highly doubt any lawyer is being encouraged or dissuaded to pursue legal action by this thread. Discussing it is not letting the cat out of the bag nor offering aid and comfort to the legal profession. I only wish frivolous lawsuits would go away if we didn't discuss the incident - but they won't. For the same reason I jump off a perfectly good diving board.

Do the folks brought in have social security numbers and do they pay all applicable payroll taxes? If they are paid in cash, they would have to be paid between 30-40% more by check to get the same take home pay and that would be added to the cost of the tomato. For the same reason I jump off a perfectly good diving board.

The main person who was negligent in this was the rigger who didn't route the loop through the cutter. Chances are, he doesn't have deep enough pockets to sue. For the same reason I jump off a perfectly good diving board.

Illegal workers are bad when they 'steal' jobs, but what about jobs that are below minimum wage? Do we make eveybody pay $5.00 a pound for tomatoes so the tomato pickers get paid minimum wage? The socially correct anwer is 'Yes', but good luck with that. For the same reason I jump off a perfectly good diving board.

Wow. A completely original thought that never occurred to me - Comparing cruxifiction to DUI orange vest trash pickers. I never saw the connection - but now I do. For the same reason I jump off a perfectly good diving board.

Not sure I agree. With the Argus flaming and Cypress conspiracy bashing, this thread would probably have to be moved out of Gear and Rigging into Speakers corner. I personally use a Vigil because I am cheap. I also bought used gear off DZ.COM. When I tell wuffos I spent as little money as I could for skydiving equipment, they think I am even crazier. Where do you comfortably draw the line between spending as little as possible and being as safe as possible? For the same reason I jump off a perfectly good diving board.

It must have a higher opinion of you. It thinks I'm just a standard guy. For the same reason I jump off a perfectly good diving board.

I also always wear gloves. Fingerless in the summer to get the best of both worlds -protecting the palms when hanging on risers and complete tactile feedback for little stuff like RSL if needed. For the same reason I jump off a perfectly good diving board.

+1 The forums are an excellent source for gaining knowledge about regulations and general safety ideas. Specific freefall skills that can only be learned by attempting them and getting the appropriate feedback from an instructor who witnessed the attempt, are not. For the same reason I jump off a perfectly good diving board.

Thanks - your interpretation makes the most sense to me. I guess I would summarize it as: If a private pilot wishes to take jumpers up and let them jump out, it is perfectly legal, as long as the pilot pays for the flight, no commercial activity occurs on the flight, and the pilot is not compensated by trade, cash or barter. I have a private ticket and wouldn't mind paying for the plane and letting people jump out while I build hours if I got something in return (lessons, coaching, pack jobs,beer around the bonfire, etc). I clearly can't do that. Sorry for stealing the thread - back to demos For the same reason I jump off a perfectly good diving board.

I'm not sure that is completely true and I'd appreciate any other pilots chiming in, but I feel if any commerce occurs during the flight, you have to have a commerical ticket. That would include coached jumps, AFF's, Tandems, and anybody using rental gear. Further splitting hairs, how about the reserve pack? What if the pilot was also a rigger who was paid to pack the reserve, but only has a private ticket. Could he fly any jumper with his reserve packjob? Taking it further, anybody who doesn't pack their own reserve is engaging in a commericial activity by skydiving, so 99% of skydives could not be flown by a private pilot. For the same reason I jump off a perfectly good diving board.

I would argue under very specific conditions you only need a private ticket. Those conditions would basically be nobody is paying anybody any money for any part of the the skydive. A rigger who packed his own reserve and main doing a solo jump not using rental gear would qualify. Other than that, your are probably engaging in commerce. For the same reason I jump off a perfectly good diving board.

My mistake - I thought I was debating with someone who acknowledges supreme court decisions. You can't yell "fire" in a crowded building and call it free speach. You can't lead a prayer as part of a Public High school commencement and call it free speach. You are boring me with your lack of knowledge. I quit. For the same reason I jump off a perfectly good diving board.

+1 If part of the definition of Demo is "principally for the benefit of spectators" and there are no spectators, how can it be a demo? For the same reason I jump off a perfectly good diving board.

Way to cut and paste something that doesn't pertain to the circumstances of the event. You might have been more accurate to cut and paste from the same ruling: An invocation at a graduation ceremony is not protected by the first amendment. For the same reason I jump off a perfectly good diving board.

The student starts giving thanks to a god at 1:20 in the video and asked people to bow their heads a 1:58. There was plenty of time to tell her to stop, if they were so inclined. They obviously were not. For the same reason I jump off a perfectly good diving board.

I usually find your posts to be well researched and bullet proof, but this post doesn't address the legal standard for tripe. It just mentions that tripe with milk must contain at least 65% tripe and 10% milk. It doesn't indicate the legal standard for tripe. For the same reason I jump off a perfectly good diving board.

That makes sense. Why believe your own eyes by watching the video of the event when you have a newspaper article from which to quote. Saying that it is removed but allowing it to happen is not removing it from the event. It is not at all disimiliar to "I'm not going to cum in your mouth" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zaD8iQFaw7I For the same reason I jump off a perfectly good diving board.

Did you see the video? The prayer was not removed. Those in charge let the prayer happen. It was an excellent lesson of civil disobedience to high school graduates. For the same reason I jump off a perfectly good diving board.

golf clap see everybody - this is how you call somebody an ass without getting banned. For the same reason I jump off a perfectly good diving board.

It would annoy me a little, but try not to let it reduce the effect of the good karma you generated by donating in the first place. Someone is benefitting from your generous act. That is probably the most important aspect. Edited to add: I meant the charity. Taking stuff for herself was totally wrong. For the same reason I jump off a perfectly good diving board.