Are People Jumping Right Now?

Just got this email from Skydive San Diego:

"Hello Fun Jumpers!

If you are a current USPA member, an experienced SDSD jumper, and can jump your own equipment that is in date then you are formally invited to come and jump with us May 23-24! Slots open!

This opening period will be strictly invitational and by reservation only.
For access to the reservation link and detailed instructions email [email protected]

To abide by City and County health rules, all social distancing and mask wearing will be strictly adhered to. If the local Sheriff’s department decides to make a surprise visit, we need to ensure we are following the required guidelines to avoid any adverse recourse. If the management feels that the guidelines are being abused unnecessarily then the individuals involved will be asked to leave the property immediately.

Also, no cameras of any kind will be permitted for usage on the property, either on the ground or after takeoff. Only a limited amount of jumpers will be permitted on the property at any given time with that number being at the discretion of the management. No spectators whatsoever, jumpers only. The loads will be half of what you are used to and therefore the price for a solo jump ticket will be $50.00 per skydive.

If for whatever reason your account remains in credit once you have finished jumping your balance will be carried forward for the future. Unfortunately we are unable to honor block jumps or past Burble Account credit, yet.
Please understand that the price quoted also covers all associated operational costs without profit. We reserve the right to refuse reservations or service to anyone for any reason.

Blue skies!
Love, Your Dropzone!"

4 hours ago, PlaneFun said:

Just got this email from Skydive San Diego:

"Hello Fun Jumpers!

If you are a current USPA member, an experienced SDSD jumper, and can jump your own equipment that is in date then you are formally invited to come and jump with us May 23-24! Slots open!

This opening period will be strictly invitational and by reservation only.
For access to the reservation link and detailed instructions email [email protected]

To abide by City and County health rules, all social distancing and mask wearing will be strictly adhered to. If the local Sheriff’s department decides to make a surprise visit, we need to ensure we are following the required guidelines to avoid any adverse recourse. If the management feels that the guidelines are being abused unnecessarily then the individuals involved will be asked to leave the property immediately.

Also, no cameras of any kind will be permitted for usage on the property, either on the ground or after takeoff. Only a limited amount of jumpers will be permitted on the property at any given time with that number being at the discretion of the management. No spectators whatsoever, jumpers only. The loads will be half of what you are used to and therefore the price for a solo jump ticket will be $50.00 per skydive.

If for whatever reason your account remains in credit once you have finished jumping your balance will be carried forward for the future. Unfortunately we are unable to honor block jumps or past Burble Account credit, yet.
Please understand that the price quoted also covers all associated operational costs without profit. We reserve the right to refuse reservations or service to anyone for any reason.

Blue skies!
Love, Your Dropzone!"

And? Just go to Elsinore. They are operating and charging the usual price instead of double. Anyway, half of the DZs in the country are already open or will be open within the next two weeks. At this point DZs opening is not new news in any regard.

For Skydive San Diego:

Quote

Also, no cameras of any kind will be permitted for usage on the property, either on the ground or after takeoff.

What's that all about? Afraid of bad publicity if one person out of a load pulls their mask off for a minute?

Can freefliers even jump without something on top of their helmet to tell them which way is down?

1 hour ago, pchapman said:

For Skydive San Diego:

What's that all about? Afraid of bad publicity if one person out of a load pulls their mask off for a minute?

Can freefliers even jump without something on top of their helmet to tell them which way is down?

I suspect that's about doing 10 way exits.

Skydive Perris' Reopening Video:

Message from SKYDIVE ELSINORE

JUNE 2020

WELCOME BACK TO THE SKIES

FROM THE MIND OF JOSH HALL
DROP ZONE MANAGER 

Starting on June 1st, we will be back to normal operations seven days a week. This will include tandems and AFF first jump courses.
Please contact the office for bookings.

This will be the last weekend for the free ground portion of recurrency training. You still need to pay for the jump with an instructor.
Slots are limited so please contact the office in advance.

Make sure to bring your face covering because it is still required to enter the office and when you come up to manifest. Otherwise, since we’re an outdoor activity, it has been decided that face coverings are now recommended but not required. Physical distancing whenever possibly will continue to be recommended. Please be responsible and respectful of others.

Thank you and we look forward seeing you all soon!

On 3/27/2020 at 7:32 PM, 20kN said:

I assure you there is a rather large group of people who are of the opinion that the virus is nothing worse than the flu and it's not a threat at all. .

Those people are ignorant of the science of epidemiology.

They should visit a hospital in Manhattan NY to see if it is "not a threat at all".

Ignorance is NOT bliss.

Craig

I'm going for a bike ride

Now that we've been out of lockdown for over a month, I'm wondering who all has returned to jumping and who is still sitting it out?  

I jumped a couple of times shortly after reopening, on weekdays when there were fewer people at the DZ, but now that infection rates are climbing again I've once again grounded myself.  My wife is immunocompromised, and the way I see it, I'm not okay with risking her life just to jump.  

Fortunately my home DZ looks to be as busy as ever, which is awesome for them.  Unfortunately I just have to wait a while before I can join in the fun.   

On 7/7/2020 at 9:00 AM, bdb2004 said:

Now that we've been out of lockdown for over a month, I'm wondering who all has returned to jumping and who is still sitting it out?  

At this point, is anyone else still keeping away from the dropzone?

As much as I want to get back to jumping, my partner is high risk and I'd hate to be responsible for making her ill. It doesn't help that a lot of the photos and videos I have seen on social media include jumpers in the packing area not distancing or wearing masks.

2 hours ago, robac22 said:

At this point, is anyone else still keeping away from the dropzone?

As much as I want to get back to jumping, my partner is high risk and I'd hate to be responsible for making her ill. It doesn't help that a lot of the photos and videos I have seen on social media include jumpers in the packing area not distancing or wearing masks.

Well, I am. For now anyway.

I was going up a fair amount until about a week ago. My schedule allows alternating weekends, and the local 182 DZ was also doing a lot of Friday afternoons. 

The hangar was open with good airflow. I wasn't getting too close to anyone, but nobody was wearing a mask (including me, and I wear one anytime I'm inside in public). 
They started wearing them on the plane, at the request of the pilot, a couple weeks ago.

But we've seen some huge spikes here in Wisconsin in the past week or so, and I'm in one of the 'hottest' areas (Northeast WI, near Green Bay). Statewide has seen daily new cases up in the 3700 range. Positive tests in the 25% range. 

So I'm pretty much done hanging out at the DZ. Probably done for the season. The lowest jump count since I started.

Oh well.

9 hours ago, robac22 said:

At this point, is anyone else still keeping away from the dropzone?

As much as I want to get back to jumping, my partner is high risk and I'd hate to be responsible for making her ill. It doesn't help that a lot of the photos and videos I have seen on social media include jumpers in the packing area not distancing or wearing masks.

I am.  No one in my family is immunocompromised, but people I see at the grocery store may be.  And my elderly mother comes over to visit my toddler once a week.  I haven't jumped in over seven months and miss it a lot, but right now it just doesn't seem to be worth the risk.  (And if anyone wonders why I go the grocery store then, the answer is I need food.  I don't need to skydive.  I want to skydive.)

13 hours ago, wolfriverjoe said:

The hangar was open with good airflow. I wasn't getting too close to anyone, but nobody was wearing a mask (including me, and I wear one anytime I'm inside in public). 
They started wearing them on the plane, at the request of the pilot, a couple weeks ago.

 

just curious, why don't you wear a mask to the dz if you wear one everywhere else?  the only place i go is to the dz, since my s.o. does the shopping and pays the bills, and i wear a mask every single time i go someplace, except the dz.  i try to stay away from folks, not the 6' recommended, except in the 182.  i justify it by thinking that the mask is for others and not yourself, so if they aren't wearing one to protect me, why should i wear one for them?  just wondering what your reasoning was, not judging, that's someone else's job, not mine.

Good question.

Mainly because of the spacing and the airflow.

Inside the hangar, I don't get too close to anyone for any length of time.
I try not to get really close to anyone at all, even outside, but I'll get closer outside, where the breeze is better.

The hangar isn't all that big. 
The doors have been open.

The breeze flowing through has been pretty good. Even though it's "inside", it doesn't feel like it.

Even on the 182, the two 'nozzle' vents have been open, along with the pull out ones over the windshield.
Again, the airflow is pretty good.

Most of what I've read on the virus indicates that infections come from being exposed to it for a length of time, usually indoors. 
There have been a couple examples where someone inside sitting upwind of the infectious person didn't get sick, while someone downwind did (looking at the airflow from the HVAC system).

I have to admit that part of it is probably 'Covid Fatigue'.

The DZ has always been a refuge from the real world of sorts.
I wear glasses so masks are a pain. 

Some of this is probably cheap rationalization of unsafe behaviors. 

On 10/18/2020 at 12:31 PM, robac22 said:

At this point, is anyone else still keeping away from the dropzone?

As much as I want to get back to jumping, my partner is high risk and I'd hate to be responsible for making her ill. It doesn't help that a lot of the photos and videos I have seen on social media include jumpers in the packing area not distancing or wearing masks.

This is exactly my experience as well.  My wife is high risk, so I am very, very careful about where I go and what I do.  I really miss skydiving.  More than that, I really miss going to the gym.  But both of those are out because of videos and photos I'm constantly seeing on Facebook.  Meanwhile, I've got plenty of other things I can do for fun and that can keep me in shape until a vaccine is finally ready to go.