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From: wmartin@brl-smoke.ARPA (Will Martin )
Newsgroups: net.rec.skydive,net.aviation,net.tv
Subject: Re: Skydive into the Rain Forest
Message-ID: <1678@brl-smoke.ARPA>
Date: Mon, 10-Mar-86 11:09:56 EST
Article-I.D.: brl-smok.1678
Posted: Mon Mar 10 11:09:56 1986
Date-Received: Fri, 14-Mar-86 06:45:45 EST
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I watched this program, and I must say that I would interpret it as
being the most "anti-skydiving" thing I've ever seen -- not from bias or
editorializing, because I think all involved were in favor of skydiving,
but in the facts reported. Two critical members of the exhibition were
severely injured in the skydive landing; one (the only woman) had such a
smashed leg that she was permanently crippled. She was evacuated by
helicopter. If they could get a helicopter there to lift her off, there
was no reason to skydive to that site in the first place (at least that
was never explained -- I started out by assuming that there were few
heilicopters in the region, or the site was out of the flight range of
what there were, but this cannot be so, since at the end, they were all
evacuated by helicopter when the government cancelled their permits!).
It was never clearly stated why they *had* to skydive to this place
instead of being helicoptered to it.

My general impression, after watching the program, was that the whole
exercise was a waste of time, pain, and money, with little or no
scientific benefits gained to recompense for this cost. Maybe this is
not true, but that is what this viewer gathered from watching the
program and not having any other info about the whole thing.

Will