posted May 25th, 2020 - It was in 2001 when I touched a very sensitive nerve last time. 9/11 had happened to America and to the world, and it affected everybody's life, directly or indirectly - skydiver or not. I tried to take it lightly by then, as I do now. I knew by then that it was tragic, people were dying and suffering, and it is the same now. How can you take it lightly?

Well, first of all, I don't take it lightly, as I follow all orders and notices and recommendations, and I isolate myself - whether I like it or not. I don't take it lightly now, as I did not take it lightly by then, in the most traditional way. I am mourning with and for every loss of life, and I empathize with everybody who has to suffer through the hardships, as many of us have to.

However, I am not helping anybody by falling into a depression, being frustrated about the situation and draining off my own energy. I am a very happy and proud father of three Gaebelings (18 - 20 - 22) who like the same elements that I enjoy. I want them to be happy and healthy, and I have always been trying to be a role model, as much as I was able to. I never thought that it would be helpful to be frustrated and depressed in the position of a role model.

So I am trying not to be frustrated and depressed, or let dark clouds hover over my head, especially not in bad times, in a crisis, like 9/11 or 2008 finances or corona virus. In fact, fatherhood has been a very educating, inspiring learning opportunity and experience. You have to be encouraging, motivating, with a positive outlook on life if you want to rear happy and healthy children.

Fortunately, I did not have to fake too much, as my nature seems to be on the brighter side of life (I love "Life of Brian" - watch it, as we have plenty of time for movies now...) I am very grateful for that. Very! It surely makes things a lot easier as a parent and when you have to deal with a crisis.

TURNING POINTS – IN THE MIDDLE OF CRISIS MANAGEMENT

Okay, so in 2001 I indicated with the NSL News how the impact of the tragic event would hit our little skydiving world, as well. I did not explain first how I felt with the victims and how sad it was. I tried to stay away from the actual event. However, it was not well received by some in the audience when I mentioned that the flight restrictions stopped skydiving and events for a while.

I learned from it and kept my mouth shut when the next crisis in 2008 hit America once again, this time in a very different way. Our little skydiving world suffered again, together with everybody else.

Now, here we are almost 20 years after 9/11 and 12 years after 2008, and a new crisis is shaking the fundamentals of all societies. People are dying and suffering again, all across the planet, and I am a part of it. I said earlier that I am trying once again to take it "lightly", and I just want to make sure that there is no misunderstanding this time. I am mourning with and for every loss of life, and I empathize with everybody who has to suffer through the hardships as many of us have to.

However, I am still the same father of my three children, and I have close friends who I care for very much, as much as I care for my neighbors and fellow human beings on this planet. My understanding of my position in this crisis is yet the same: I can only be helpful and productive if I am encouraging, motivating, with a positive outlook on life. So please forgive me if I continue to cover whatever is left of our sport while many of us are suffering. I don't know if this is "politically correct" or not, and I am only following my instincts, as I have done as a father. I see that the Gaebelings are still happy and healthy with this approach, and I am hopeful that my tiny little contributions to the skydiving world will have a positive effect, too.

It is tough enough to wake up in the morning and look up. Yes, i have always looked up into the skies first of all, since I was a little child, together with my lovely mother who loved skies and clouds just as much (she never made a skydive). I found clouds and the unlimited skies fascinating and dreamed about flying like a bird.

Now I go outside in the morning, and there is not a vapor trail in the Florida skies. They usually criss-cross the area between Miami/Orlando and the northern routes for air travel. For breakfast and the first work shift I usually hear the sound of the first jump plane taking off at Skydive DeLand. None of that now. The impact of the corona virus is tangible here, and Kolla and Lara at Blue Skies Mag can probably say the same.

No, I cannot hear the sound of a wind tunnel firing up, sadly not, even though there were plans for building one in DeLand many years ago. Nobody can hear jump planes or wind tunnels anywhere now, with very few exceptions. I don't know yet how long I will be able to do what I do with the National Skydiving League, which is all I do. The impact is tangible for me in professional ways, too. In fact, most of the "professionals" in skydiving have to find new ways how to survive for a while. I am talking about the pilots, AFF and tandem instructors, packers, manifest and office staff, even the skydiving industry and the multiple small-business entrepreneurs in the sport.

We often tell skydivers to keep their daytime jobs when they are thinking of going full-time in the sport and "living the dream". It's hard enough to make a living without a crisis, whether it is 9/11 or a financial crash of the economy or a corona crisis. Yes, it is great fun, and I don't regret a tiny little bit of it. But you gotta be ready for some more frugal living style at times.

Okay, enough of all this, and back to the normal Turning Points, even if everything is still related to the current crisis. Nobody is turning any points at the moment, with only a few exceptions in wind tunnels, as far as I know. The big question is when it will happen again, turning points I mean.

Drop zones and wind tunnels across the planet all came to a shutdown at some time in March, as it seems. The Calendar of Events at SKYLEAGUE.COM is showing the links to the latest scores, videos and stories end at different times last month. The same big question makes me think about the time when Formation Skydiving competition will come back to us.

The spread of the virus across the planet happened gradually, and the end of it will most likely follow a very similar pattern. It will not happen at the same time for each country. The world has not been very well coordinated in dealing with the disease. It seems to be getting better, while it is still very unlikely that life will go back to normal everywhere at the same time.

In other words, and related back to Formation Skydiving training and competition, countries will probably reopen business, including drop zones and wind tunnels, to normal operation on completely different timeframes. Teams in China might be able to train much earlier than teams in the United States, as just two examples.

Then there is the FAI World Championship of Formation Skydiving in Tanay, Russia, which is now rescheduled for August 2021. How do you level the playing field for any events? Is it fair enough if some teams were allowed earlier than others to train on their home soil after the corona crisis? What are the athletic implications? Well, I guess I have to save this for the next Turning Points. We will probably still be in the middle of the crisis by then... :-(