How bad is it out there

airplane mechanic. we do high end aircraft though and dont see much of a change. actually we are busier than ever right now. there is a general aviation shop next to ours though that is a bit slower now with the general public not flying as much. i think if our outfit wasnt on the airport we are at it would be deadsville there. out of the 20 some planes tied down outside and the 30 some in hangers maybe 5 fly regularly. so i guess our business is doing good but we do business with the kind of people that could care less if jet fuel is 3 dollars a gallon or 6.50 so thats good for us! for you airplane folk..... check out the latest project: http://www.onaircraft.com/ also im an instructor and pilot for skydive ems http://skydiveems.com/ we are out of skyhaven airport in tunkhannock. we also have seen a jump in first time jumpers this year. more people are doing things locally instead of going on big vacations so we see a profit from that. today, i was at the mine but heard we did 30 first time skydives today. next few weekends are booked up pretty good for them also, so thats good. i guess it can go both ways, its good people are doing things to support local economy but when theres businesses that require customers to travel, those are the ones that are going to be hurting.

Chris,
Does the skydiving club offer dope rope jumps (static line, not sure how old you are) or do you have to go tandem? Every now and then I get the bug up my butt to do that again.

we have strayed away from the ol doperope. thats how i learned too. we have been doing accelerated free fall for people that want to get into it, but recommend a tandem first for first timers. however we will not turn down someone that wants to make a static line jump and we will run them through the course that way if they wish. so to answer your question.... yes come up anytime and make a plummet..... ill be there tomorrow, its gonna be nice out, nice enough for a static line

All of my jumps were static line. Most of them at night, 700' AGL carrying 80lb of equipment from a C130, best time of my life. I don't know if I can get my old body to do a PLF again but I'd sure like to give it one more try.

hey chris, my dad just got his pilots licnese from seaman's, useually goes out at least once a week.

Duengeon master wrote:People in America don't know how good we have it. Try spending a month in the Philippines. Not at a five star hotel, but with an average family In town.

Try spending a day with Obama's half brother in Africa.

This thread started out bleak but i guess it really isn't all that bad after all. Big screen TV's, skydiving. But it is a leap year, isn't it.

i cant complain (well i guess i could but who would listen)

Any body who sells booze is doing REALLY well. I sell flowers and plants, and so far, so good. Problem is margins are shrinking and expenses are rising. You do not need to be a CPA to figure that one out.
There is still tons of money moving around, just where it is going has changed. Energy is the 900lb gorilla, (that is why we are all here ),that and health
care. So yes it is harder, no doubt. Some industries will get hit harder than others(boating/RV/Dining etc. ) There will be
survivors, and some will fall hard.
Some leadership from the gov. would be handy right now. But it is clear we will have to wait a bit for that. Times are
getting harder, but we have not seen real pain yet. Hopefully we will not. The rich for the most part will still be rich. Might shrink
their numbers a little, but most will stay comfy. Those on entitlement, or as I like to say, "free cheese", will hardly miss a beat.
The middle is getting the kick to the groin, and that is bad because the middle is the engine that feeds the rich and the
welfare. We go down, and it all falls apart. And that is why we are anxious and not spending. Everything is more, except maybe your pay check. Various policies have drained the middle class for short term gains for a very few. That has to change
and soon, or the pain will come. So yes it is pretty bad, but no where near the bottom .....yet.

How bad is it out there? well last saturday I broke my tibia on my right leg. It's so bad that I can't drive a stick shift until further notice. But I am taking percosett If I had to break my leg at least it happened at work falling off my truck. I guess not buying those $125.00 sneakers and drinking cheap beer instead of heineken, I have a couple of pennys in the bank. for a rainy day.

DM, sorry to hear that,, hope it is a 'clean' break and will mend quickly and you can get back to work soon..

Greg L.

I was at a big Collector car auction/sale last weekend, Kruse Auction, Auburn Indiana. The turnout was down from last years.. some prices are way up, no lack of people with serious money, several new record prices set,, but more cars passed [not sold, didn't meet reserve] than were sold.. Surprised me that there were not more cars/trucks for sale in the 'car corral',, usually when the economy is down, there are more personal project cars, and mediocre cars for sale,, but not this year.. I'll have to see what Hershey is like in a month..

The highway traffic was light for a Labor day weekend..

Greg L.

My business does alright in tough times, I sell used motorcycle parts. When gas prices go up my business increases as more folks start riding and fixing their old bikes more often. Also when the cost to travel anywhere is too expensive people stay home and work on projects. When the economy is good my business generally suffers, folks with nice stock portfolios ride newer bikes and buy new parts. When their paper is worth less they buy used. To offset higher living expenses I took up bowhunting and muzzleloading. More deer tags = more free food. It's also cheap to sit in the woods all day vs. driving around or using electricity at home.