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I went home today. Hop and pop from 6k with my awesome hubby. Almost got blown off the plane because I forgot about the prop blast. Perfect exit, perfect deployment, almost perfect landing. If only the winds hadn't gotten all weird, I'd have done at least one from full altitude. But that's okay. There's always next weekend. Life is good again.

Linda left us last month, at home, apparently in her sleep. She was known here as hottamaly. One of the best load organizers for low to mid experienced jumpers that I ever jumped with. She wouldn't key the next point until everyone was smiling. She had the greatest smile too. Fly free Linda.

I recently managed to extract GPS data from my GoPro hero 7 footage. I was in the market for a Flysight unit but I think I might reconsider now. The (crappy) GoPro Quik app used to tell me my footage hadn't recorded any GPS data for lack of satellite fixes. That doesn't seem to be true as there actually is data attached to the mp4 files. Use https://tailorandwayne.com/gopro-telemetry-extractor/ to extract data from the mp4 file Export to .gpx file Import in baseline.ws, or Flysight viewer, or whatever gpx interpreter app Now for the nerdy part. I've never owned a Flysight unit, nor analyzed any data coming from one. But according to the specs, it seems to output data at a ~5Hz rate, whereas the GoPro GPS chip writes ~18Hz worth of data. That's more than 3 times the rate of a Flysight. There seem to be a few outliers here and there, but overall I'm pretty impressed with the GoPro's GPS feature. I wouldn't have bet on this level of accuracy. Especially coming from a device that freezes out from time to time, or chews up a whole battery while powered off. Here are a few acro lines (Funk 3): https://baseline.ws/tracks/d91e5f18-fc01-4b7f-9a6b-581dfd8ae8ea https://baseline.ws/tracks/87a4aed6-ed70-4605-8fc6-a604ad2d29e9 https://baseline.ws/tracks/2ca462ea-6173-4610-b5c0-8e20be9c62e1 And a Freak 2 (heli skydive) line over the swiss Alps: https://baseline.ws/tracks/8afcce5a-ef26-48e4-bf69-ebef01ccd157 Flysight nerdy users: what's your take on this? Does the data from my GoPro seem reliable? Are there too many outliers compared to a Flysight?

Sure thing, I'll add it to the original post. It's an automator script, so OS X only, and you'll need ffmpeg installed on your machine for it to work. It does exactly the same thing as this website : https://tailorandwayne.com/gopro-telemetry-extractor/ extractgpx.zip

Those making statements that are not based upon scientifically verified information.

I don't know of anyone who thought that "shovel ready" meant that people would use shovels, and/or that all the money would go to people using shovels (or laborers using similar tools.) It meant that the work was ready to go. And a lot of it was, although not as much as was promised.

Are we trying to figure out who's lunatic fringe has the biggest penis?

You could always put him on your 'ignore' list. You certainly wouldn't miss anything of substance.

Indeed. All through human history. That's where religion comes from.

And thanks to things like Planned Parenthood that rate is declining. https://www.usnews.com/news/data-mine/articles/2018-03-21/abortion-rates-where-and-why-theyre-falling https://www.guttmacher.org/news-release/2017/us-abortion-rate-continues-decline-hits-historic-low

Update to my original post after jumping: This thing is awesome... Complete altitude awareness. It's like a 6th sense.

Got this a couple of months ago, but just got to jump it last weekend. I had to do some AFF recurrency evaluation jumps for some instructors. I had been using an old single tone Ditter and an Optima with different profiles for AFF student, AFF eval and regular jumps. I sold my Optima after five jumps with the VOG. Having altitude count down was not annoying. Not having to check my wrist mount for altitudes was great. The voice used IS annoying to listen to on the ground, but just right in free fall. Easy to hear, very clear. Much more precise than tones. The app is straightforward, it charges pretty quick, changing the settings would be easy, but why would you need to keep changing it? I kept my old ditter for a “stupid low save my life” alert. i would recommend this to every jumper.

Don't get too hung up on a major or specialization. My experience is that if you are an engineer you are an engineer. What you study in school is just a starting point. You will grow into what ever industry you wind up in. Example, I'm working for a rocket company. We're rocket scientist. The head guy is an electrical engineer. My boss who does the engine development and got put in charge of recovery systems came out of the petroleum industry. I'm not sure about his degree if he has an engineering degree it's probable in mechanical? Another is just a blue collar guy out of the air gas industry. He does all of our cryogenics and most of the construction on the rocket. There is a contractor that is a dynamacist that I'm sure has aerospace degrees. But I think I might be the only person here at the shop that was an AE, aerospace engineering major and I'm the seamstress. Maybe that should tell you some thing about the viability of that degree path... If I was to actually give you advice, I'd tell you to study your math. Maybe even get a minor in it. Regardless of what your paper says, some thing general like mechanical engineering or EE or some thing more specialized like AE, there will be a place for you in what ever industry you presue. But just as an example. I'm working for this company as their parachute rigger. Thinking back on what I've used from school. Alot of my work with pattern sets and design uses a lot of protective geometry and differential geometry. Unrolling sections of surfaces out of 3d space in to 2d to form pattern sets. Reentry models goes back to my AE courses. I cracked an old Thermo text a couple of weeks ago looking at a problem we were having with our pressurization system. Analyzing INU data from drop test. People say that you will never use what you learned in school, I've found the exact opposite. Particularly the math. But more than that I find the things I studied in school just generally inform me of how things will behave. And I never actually finished my degree. Some time I wonder what else I would have learned. It was invaluable but it was also just a starting point and nothing more then a foundation upon which to start building your experience. What you learn afterwards is what your career is built from. Lee

Post hoc, ergo propter hoc. (Not)

There is no evidence of god. None. There is only faith, and faith (in the context of religion) is a choice to forego evidence.

Just got one. Pairing with my iPhone was absolutely flawless. The app is so important when products features "connecting with phone" to the point that I check app reviews to gauge the product. And when you look at the Android app store, the app has a very high rating. The app is simple but it JUST WORKS! It connects so quickly! First impressions are really, really good. Build quality is excellent - feels like the Airpods case (but slimmer). No instructions included, unlike L&B's instruction sheet nightmare. But, I didn't need instructions! Super simple - plug in to charge, download app and get going. There's no buttons on the device. I would like to see some things: a) Simulated mode to test b) Small instruction sheet, highlighting where to get the app, wireless charging, etc. Or at very least help page in the app. c) Micro USB cable included, with charger. d) Online USA store to order from e) More fun stuff in the box - pull up cord?? Also the box needs a redesign. The audible is not secured in the box. It fell out because I opened the box wrong side up. I'm really excited to see more features, like logging other than just a jump counter and more extensive settings/options/features (loud warning tone or "Pull, Pull Pull!" if you're travelling above a certain speed below a certain altitude?) I will post an update after jumping tomorrow...

I jumped and used the tunnel there, last year when I was training for the USPA National Speed Skydiving Championship, and plan to return to Krutitcy this year around July. Great facilities, great staff, the rental gear is in great shape, etc. They also have some bungalows, and the nearby town is big enough to not lack any of the basics. The drive from Moscow sucks a little, but the skydiving experience more than makes up for any other shortcomings. Cheers to Yuri, Nataliya, and Nastya (with the gear/apparell store) -- everyone made me feel super-welcome :* <3

SWS do pin-type risers