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I spoke with Chris Dales (Parachute Systems owner) yesterday afternoon for over half an hour, and here is the latest on Parachute Systems and their product line and service. The factory in South Africa is closed. Negotiations are ongoing with a possible new manufacturer for the Vortex harness/container that would be made here in the US (thus removing one of the bigger reasons given by US jumpers for not buying the Vortex). However, COVID-19 has greatly slowed the negotiating process. Chris hopes to have Vortex production resumed in the US by year's end but nothing is certain due to the uncertainties of COVID-19 and the negotiating process. There are no current plans to resume Volt and Hurricane main canopy production, at least not in the US. There's a slight chance of production resuming in South Africa at some point in the future but those plans have a lower chance of panning out compared to the resumption of Vortex production. If canopy manufacturing does resume, odds are that the Parachute Systems Decelerator reserve canopy will not be produced - only the Volt and Hurricane main canopies. Their crossbraced canopy was discontinued a couple of years ago according to Chris. Some good news - regarding support for the Vortex and canopies, Chris still has the equipment and materials needed to support spare parts which include but are not limited to reserve free bag and pilot chute, main cutaway, reserve ripcord, and line sets for the main canopies. Presumably this is why their website is still up despite the factory being closed. Later this year I'll try to get an update and if so will post the latest info. Hope this helps.

If it's not even fun doing non-work jumps, it might be time to take a break. Don't sell your gear right away though.

Dear Biggun, Police near my home town profiled ... er ... banned motorcycles from main street for good reason. For the last half-century, certain groups of motorcycle enthusiasts who prefer not to be mentioned in public dominated the drug and prostitution business in the Province of Quebec. Different groups killed each other and even killed rogue members of their own gangs. One group bought a club house near where the city limits of my home town abutted the city limits of a neighbouring city. There was only one road (paralleling a river and railway line and a steep wooded hillside) between the two towns, so police banned motorcycles from Wellington Street. When I unintentionally violated that law, a city police constable politely told me about the law and suggested a route off Wellington Street. He did not hassle me because my cafe racer had out-of-province license plates and did not even vaguely resemble the rides preferred criminal motorcycle gangs. Since I was clearly from out-of-province, he even talked to me in English.

I'm not going to comment on your situation but can provide my own example. Many years ago now I herniated my L4/L5 disc, which resulted in massive tightening in my lumbar region and I had a lot of pain for anything requiring back flexion (bending forward). However I found back extension, (bending backwards) was no issues at all. I was training with an 8-way team at the time and decided to push on, and I personally had no issues and did quite a few jumps over the training camp I had to get my teammates to help me in and out of my rig as I had limited movement, also couldn't run out any landings so was doing a bit more sliding but was otherwise OK. Moving in the plane was also difficult but my slot on the team put by right be the door, so I didn't have to crouch down and go a long distance in the plane. My only real worry was a hard opening would hurt but I knew my canopy was not inclined to hard openings. However bare in mind that at the time I was already an experienced jumper with over 1000 jumps so was aware of what I was putting my body through. I also checked with my doctor and physio. Only you and your doctor know your personal situation. Personally as someone that has recovered from a bad back injury, you only have one back and skydiving will still be there in a year.

To all you Brits, https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-13118290 She meant so much to your country when you really needed her. I still enjoy listening to her sing. Jerry Baumchen

He (Simon Esler) is the best kind of con man. He's Canadian!!! https://poddtoppen.se/podcast/1458666262/journey-to-truth/ep-54-simon-esler-worlds-within-awakening-journey-spiritual-warfare-qanon-tactics Not much info on him yet. He is still young but bound to make a splash. His acting career failed, but now he has a new gig fooling stupid Americans.

I don't know how it is where you are, but around here they show up with black fatigues with large white lettering "Gang Task Unit." Cause you know, nothing says I'm here to help more than - I'm here and you must be in a gang. Several states have passed an Anti-motorcycle Profiling Bill - “The primary responsibility of this legislation is to help manage and improve the relationship between law enforcement and the citizenry,” Heider said. “Profiling is unconstitutional. The principles have been established judicially, so codifying these principles legislatively ... clarifies, strengthens and solidifies these concepts.” https://apnews.com/d40ba23c87f942468fc8a029c036f634#:~:text=In December 2018%2C the U.S.,— period%2C” Anderst said. So my questions are these: 1. Why in the fuck does it need to be for motorcycles specifically. 2. Why can't it be anti-profiling - period. 3. Why in the hell do we need laws to prevent profiling AT ALL. The cops really need to be told this?!?!? <Bigun steps off his soapbox>

I have free time to discuss and debate. THE same reason were all here.

Perspective from a true fun jumper, THIS is why I keep business and pleasure separate. I've thought long and hard on how to turn this passion into a money maker, and at the end of day, it just isn't worth it (for me...) I personally feel like you need MORE WINGSUIT in your life!

A pre-election photo-op to pander to his base. "The Brennan Center, a think tank and advocacy group that has pushed for criminal justice reform, dismissed the executive order as making “only cosmetic changes when the nation is ready for law enforcement’s racism to be pulled out by its roots," noting that it “says nothing“ about racial disparities in policing. While the group called the order‘s reforms a slate of “welcome changes,” it said that legislation in the House was more comprehensive and would be more effective." There are 18,000 police departments in the US each with different training programs. During the Obama government there was 25 investigations opened up on LE departments and under trump one.The Collaborative Reform Initiative in its Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) has widespread support by police chiefs in the US. Under trump it was ended.

Someone posted something similar earlier this thread, but I thought it was still viable until I did some calculations. Assuming that freefall speed is 120 mph (54 m/s), and canopy speed is 14 m/s (30 mph - still pretty fast), if the opening takes 1 second (pretty hard opening) you'll get about 4 Gs. That doesn't sound very high until you realise the upright position is quite bad for this kind of acceleration. Let's assume it's even worse, say your canopy opens in 0.5 s, giving an 8G acceleration. If we were to completely absorb 0.5 seconds with an elastic stretching to bring it back to 4 G's, you'll need 10 metres of stretching since you're trying to get rid of 40 m/s (from 54 to 14 m/s). Even if you're just trying to mitigate the very worst case, say 0.25-second opening which causes 16 G's, you'll need 5 metres of stretching to bring it down to 8 G's. If your risers are stiffer and don't stretch 5 metres, they won't relieve the acceleration anyway. It would be like trying to use water to break a terminal freefall - it will feel hard as concrete when you get a hard opening. So as much as I wanted this elastic stretching idea to work, unfortunately it probably won't. However, what might work is if the risers break completely at a certain load - if the RSL or a MARD is connected, then the reserve might give you a second chance of not opening so hard.

We're lucky that in the UK you don't have to follow the manual anyway. Unpicking and then retacking a slink on very packjob is going to do more harm than good, fight me.

The police in Atlanta are calling in sick to protest the murder charges against the cop. Two thoughts: 1. Fuck 'em 2. Fire 'em

I didn't say it is Us vs Them. I said there is a recognition that people of different races are being treated differently. Not talking about that fact is exactly what is causing unrest. Morgan Freeman said that in 2005. It was his argument that we should all see ourselves as equal. Your demand that 15 years later black people continue to not talk about it, while over that same 15 years white people clearly have not treated black people as equal........is racist.

Burnout is a cunt of a feeling. In my 15+ years of doing this full time(year round, I followed the summer over the globe) I've had it hit more than once. On one occassion it was so bad I took six months off, had no job, and lived with my parents. Another occassion I flat out refused to do anymore AFF(I kept getting all the problem students 'cause for some reason people thought I was good at it). Other times it's workplace politics. Even if you get over this, be prepared for it to happen it again. Maybe for the same reason, maybe something else. And above all else, don't worry about walking away, even if it's only for a small time. The sport will be waiting for you if/when you come back. I started working in the sport doing tandem vids at around the 250 jump mark. From jump 1000 on it's been over 95% work jumps. Looking back I'm amazed that I've lasted this long, but I've been blessed to work at good dropzones with fucking amazing people. No one needs to work as much as you are doing. As a wise man from Skydive New England once told me(here's looking at your Mr. Pot).."even porn stars get tired of fucking everyday" edit: der spelling

I didn’t quit being a skydiver, I just quit jumping out of airplanes. I started in 1974. Fell in love with it that weekend. Paid a whole $99 for my first ten jumps. If anyone knows Norm Johnson he’s the guy that talked me into it on the way to softball practice one evening in Sturgis, Michigan. I loved the planes, the gear and the crazy friends I made. Got married two months later to someone I loved more than skydiving. Kept jumping. Raised four great kids. Jumped very sporadically during those years. Track meets, tennis matches, soccer games, little league. Loved it all. Had some pretty good years jumping after they left home. Now come the grandkids. Up to thirteen and hopefully still counting. Then last June at 60 years old my arms ached so bad I couldn’t stand it. A trip to the hospital, two stents later and I have to really think about not jumping out of airplanes anymore. After a lot of thought, prayer and discussions with my wife (who would never ask me to stop because she understands) I decided it was time. There are going to be more sporting events to attend and kids to help grow up. I had to act quickly. Stick an add on dz.com for my rig. Sell it to the first decent offer. Put my gear bag and other stuff in the closet because I can’t quite part with it all yet. I only ended up with around 500 jumps in all of those years juggling family and jumping and trying to do both well enough not to screw either up too bad. But that is 500 jumps more than most people on this planet make. But, I am still a skydiver. I look up at every plane that goes over and think, “what a waste of altitude”. I see a 182 or better yet a 180 and wonder it the door has ever been off or how hard it would be to take it off. In fact I have one of those doors in my garage that will soon hang in my basement rec room. Hope I didn't wax too poetic with this but it just came out. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Lord, let me be the person my dog thinks I am.