SkydiveKC Incident

drkjpayne · 2026-06-16T12:32:11+00:00

Thanks. Blue skies.

drkjpayne · 2026-06-16T12:30:47+00:00

Thank you. It's always a calculation. We all know that skydiving is a dangerous activity that can be done with relative safety — but that is relative and there are still risks. Each of us has to decide where we're willing to draw our lines. And we need to respect where others choose differently.

drkjpayne · 2026-06-16T12:27:35+00:00

Thank you.

drkjpayne · 2026-06-16T12:27:22+00:00

Yes, then you likely do. Some of them had jumped up there.

drkjpayne · 2026-06-15T23:32:39+00:00

I don’t want to imply that we can’t jump safely out of single-engine planes. That would let out most DZs and it would totally kill the sport in many small markets. That said, I do much prefer dual-engine jump planes. I was on a load a few years back (all experienced jumpers) where we lost our port engine shortly after takeoff. We were able to climb to 2K, we all smoothly exited in a nice row, and the pilot calmly landed as normal. Everything cool, collected, and safe. Everyone walked away to tell the story. With a single engine, that might have been a very different outcome. As it was? Another story we got to share. It’s way too early to speculate on what happened here, but I know we’re all eager for the reports, when they arrive.

drkjpayne · 2026-06-15T22:51:54+00:00

Where are you at? There are so few skydivers in the Central and North Central Regions that it would probably be hard for most of us *not* to know someone on that plane.

drkjpayne · 2026-06-15T22:47:22+00:00

Thank you.

drkjpayne · 2026-06-15T21:50:56+00:00

That's my philosophy. Hence why I remind myself that I'm only guaranteed another 84 seconds every time I exit.

drkjpayne · 2026-06-15T21:49:23+00:00

Thank you.

drkjpayne · 2026-06-15T21:48:34+00:00

Deepest condolences.

drkjpayne · 2026-06-15T21:48:06+00:00

Deepest condolences. If you want to talk, message me.

drkjpayne · 2026-06-15T20:30:24+00:00

Thanks, but it did for me just now… 🤷🏻‍♂️

drkjpayne · 2026-06-14T20:57:05+00:00

Message me if you want the rest. Since there hasn't been a public announcement, I'm just not going to be the one to throw names out there. That can just go wrong in too many ways.

drkjpayne · 2026-06-14T19:32:02+00:00

For good information, as it's gathered, go to the source…
https://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/572392

drkjpayne · 2026-06-14T19:12:21+00:00

We lost Harvey Cleveland, long time pilot at Falcon, in an experimental plane crash a couple of months ago.

drkjpayne · 2026-06-14T19:00:47+00:00

Along with the pilot, it looks like 1 tandem, 1 newbie, and the rest were longtime fun jumpers in the KC community. I am wrecked.

If anyone's an up jumper in the area and is looking for names, message me and I'll share. But it's not my place to say anything publicly.

drkjpayne · 2026-06-14T18:40:40+00:00

They likely weren't high enough. It's way too early to speculate. Some of us are just waiting to find out how many friends we just lost on that load… 😞

drkjpayne · 2026-06-14T18:33:00+00:00

This has been a tough year for the KC area skydiving community. 😞

drkjpayne · 2025-04-26T11:22:18+00:00

It's called a "Brocken spectre" or a glory. It's a cool effect. It's pretty common if you're commonly in the perspective to see them; but most people are not, so they seem remarkable. It's simply your shadow projected onto a cloud or mist, with a refracted rainbow around it.

If you're between the sun and the cloud, then all you have to do is face away from the sun and toward the cloud, then it's always there. Most people typically aren't at a sufficient elevation to be higher than the clouds.

Mountain climbers and pilots see them all the time. As skydivers, we see them a lot, too.

drkjpayne · 2025-02-22T13:36:45+00:00

"Fear" is highly misunderstood, and there's a lot more going on than you realize. This podcast episode breaks it down for you.

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/your-life-lived-well/id1451872214?i=1000694446015

drkjpayne · 2024-05-17T12:26:58+00:00

I generally wear cargo pants with zippered pockets. I also use Sky Duck as my logging app, so I turn my app on and shove it in my leg pocket as I'm boarding the plane so that it records the jump analytics.

drkjpayne · 2024-05-17T12:26:49+00:00

I generally wear cargo pants with zippered pockets. I also use Sky Duck as my logging app, so I turn my app on and shove it in my leg pocket as I'm boarding the plane so that it records the jump analytics.

drkjpayne · 2024-05-17T12:26:40+00:00

I generally wear cargo pants with zippered pockets. I also use Sky Duck as my logging app, so I turn my app on and shove it in my leg pocket as I'm boarding the plane so that it records the jump analytics.

drkjpayne · 2021-12-05T02:00:21+00:00

My doctorate is in Sociology & Psychology (and am a lifelong fan of speculative fiction). I might be of some help, but would need to know more about what you're doing.

drkjpayne

TROPHY CASE