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From: hartsoug@oberon.UUCP (Mike Hartsough)
Newsgroups: net.rec.skydive,net.aviation,net.tv
Subject: Re: Skydive into the Rain Forest
Message-ID: <227@oberon.UUCP>
Date: Sat, 15-Mar-86 13:15:54 EST
Article-I.D.: oberon.227
Posted: Sat Mar 15 13:15:54 1986
Date-Received: Mon, 17-Mar-86 04:07:45 EST
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> 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

My thoughts exactly...additionally, they seemed pre-occupied with convincing
the viewer that "there once was a river here, 3000' above the jungle floor",
the only message they could provide...personally, I get the impression that
a bunch of skydivers wanted to make a jump onto the mountain, decided that
they could get PBS to fund it if they made it into something "scientifical",
and once there they all chickened out of the jump to the forest below, so they
called the cavalry (i.e. pistoleros in a helicopter) to come and rescue them.

What a joke.

  
-- 
	Michael J. Hartsough
	hartsoug@oberon.UUCP

It is to the interest of the commonwealth of mankind that there should
be someone who is unconquered, someone against whom fortune has no power.
			---- Seneca
That's why I'm here.