CSC eNews Update | 1-800-404-JUMP - jet fuel, fuel savings, festi, amanda, stunt junkies, andy boyd, frank bennett, hinckley skydiver, memorial service, mechanical problem, mexico city airport, atlanta hartsfield, rich and brenda madsen, whirlyball, paul piccolo, lifetime fitness, playstaion 3, dekalb county

It's been nearly two months since our last update and plenty has been happening. We continue to have the strongest business we've ever seen through the winter months with gift certificate sales and gear orders. Now that spring is showing signs of arriving, it's time to get ready for the 2008 season. We are scheduled for an official opening day of April 5th, but the PAC will be flying on Friday April 4th for those of you who just can't wait!

Yes, the PAC 750XL is returning this year and we are very excited to have it back. With oil prices on the rise, the PAC is helping keep our jet fuel costs under control. Keep in mind that the PAC burns less than 50% of the fuel per load than the Super Otter. The result of this arrangement is reduced maintenance costs on the Twin Otter, substantial fuel savings, and much busier weekdays due to small load minimums. An 8 minute ride to 13,500' isn't bad either! Come out and enjoy!

While we had record "buy-in" sales this winter, we are still offering a chance to lock in your 2008 jump prices. The prices below are available until April 4th. If you're thinking about buying gear this season, a "buy-in" is a must for you. The more you put down, the cheaper your jumps - it's that simple. Buy-in prices will increase on April 4th. Please note that our current retail jump price for experienced jumpers is $24.00/jump. If fuel prices continue to rise, another price increase could be expected.

For those of you who are in need of rigging services before or on opening day, Festi and Amanda are due in town later this month. To schedule your rigging services, please contact them directly via email.

Keep an eye on the events calendar as we are getting ready to add some great events. We have been working very closely with our great team of load organizers and we are very excited about the events they are putting together. On a sad note, Andy Boyd will be out for the first half of the 2008 season with a broken ankle. He slipped on his driveway last month. Skydivers get injured in the strangest ways!

A bit of more sad news, our long-time friend and skydiver, Frank Bennett, passed away recently. Frank has been a loyal Hinckley skydiver since the 1970s. His smile and energy was a big part of this dropzone and he will be missed by many. Frank asked for a memorial service to be held at CSC on Saturday, June 21st. We're are very proud to be hosting an event for our old friend.

I am writing (most of) this update on an airplane on my way to Mexico City. I wish I could say I was heading down there for the Puerto Escondido Easter Beach Boogie! Instead, we had a mechanical problem with the Otter last Sunday afternoon, so we scrambled to get the necessary parts, tools, and mechanics down to Cuautla to address the problem. Time is critical as we needed 2 - 3 days to do the job and the boogie is just days away. Everything was going as good as could be expected until a small nut was stripped while putting the engine back on the airplane on Thursday evening. Tom called me and said "guess what...". I knew it was not going to be a good "guess what". I got up first thing on Friday AM to locate a replacement part and get it shipped to them by sunset on Friday, but none of the couriers I contacted could get it to Mexico City Airport before customs closed at 6:00pm. So, here I am - on a flight to Atlanta Hartsfield to pick-up a $105.00 part and then onto Mexico City. With a newborn and a wife at home, I think I'll do the smart thing and head home on Saturday or Sunday versus skydiving for 10 days. Not to mention, there is plenty to do at home to get things ready for opening day. Special thanks to everyone who pitched in this week to get N901ST back in the air. We couldn't have done it without your help.

Saturday was another CSC (Chicagoland Social Club) outing. This event started at the downtown Chicago Whirlyball location. With over 25 people in attendance, everyone had a great time on the court followed by an evening at Paul Piccolo's new restaurant Tore's Italian Beef & Pizza. Special thanks to Lisa for setting up the event and Paul for supporting it. We are looking at a bowling night later this month. Stay tuned to the events page on the website for details. In the meantime, if you would like to learn more about our Chicagoland Social Club events, contact Lisa.

Some people have been getting together to rock climb at Lifetime Fitness in Warrenville. Let us know if you're interested in joining in.

CSC is going full-time this year! From Memorial Day to Labor Day, we will be open 7 days a week. We are very excited about this change and hope that many of you take advantage of this extra day of jumping. Before Memorial Day and after Labor Day, we will still be closed on Tuesdays. Please note that we will be closed on Monday, July 21 & Tuesday, July 22nd for our annual staff retreat.

Speaking of getting ready for the 2008 season, check out what CSC Rhythm has going on. They have been busy all winter long with tunnel camps and meetings to help others learn more about competitive skydiving. If you're interested in learning more, visit their website.

We are in the midst of some changes here at CSC. As many of you know, DeKalb County discovered that the Hinckley Airfield is not properly zoned for some of our activities. We are still trying to establish exactly what needs to be changed or removed, but it is very likely that we will no longer have RVs on the airport. On top of that, we may have to get rid of the PROshop and the Cafe. Trust me, we are working hard to get these issues resolved, but these problems are between DeKalb County and the airport owners. The one thing that we can tell you is that our ability to jump out of airplanes is in no way jeopardized. We will keep you posted on the changes and ask for your patience as we deal with this matter.

Blue Skies!

Douglas S. Smith

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Chicagoland Skydiving Center
1-800-404-JUMP (Freefall University Skydiving School)
815.286.9200 office
815.286.9902 fax
http://perfectlygoodairplane.com
customercare@skydivecsc.com

$1,000 Buy-In			$2,000 Buy-In
Jumps	Slot Price	Average Price	Jumps	Slot Price	Average Price
1 - 100	$22.00	$22.00	1 - 100	$21.00	$21.00
101 - 200	$19.00	$20.50	101 - 200	$18.00	$19.50
201 - 300	$16.00	$19.00	201 - 300	$15.00	$18.00
301 - 400	$13.00	$17.50	301 - 400	$12.00	$16.50


$3,000 Buy-In
Jumps	Slot Price	Average Price
1 - 100	$20.00	$20.00
101 - 200	$17.00	$18.50
201 - 300	$14.00	$17.00
301 - 400	$11.00	$15.50