chuckbrown

Care to share some more information on this?

CReW Dawgs call this piece of material a "cross connector." Sorry. Seriously though, it's not used to turn but to secure another jumper's feet when flying a "planed" formation. I'll see if it works for turns and let you know.

As far as Europe goes, I think it's because they see us as arrogant in that we assume they are jealous. So in other words, they're mad because we know what their problem is?

Without getting into a debate about who is or isn't fit to be CinC. Both the right and the left seize on a candidate's military record, i.e., combat service, as a litmus test for their suitability to command the armed services. This ignores the fundamental position of the Consitution which is that a CIVILIAN is to be in charge of the military. This is a separate issue from being an Officer in Charge of a military unit. Obviously we want someone of experience to lead troops into battle, i.e., react cooly, calmy and professionally when being shot at. Those same traits are not necessarily required of a President, whose job is to make political decisions regarding the use of force as a matter of national policy. Clinton dodged the draft, but I don't blame for that. I blame him for not giving our troops in Somolia armored vehicles. But on the other hand he did bomb the shit out of Saddam and tried to save the situation in the Balkans. I'll give him some credit. Bush I had an enviable combat record, but he was a pussy in dealing with Saddam the first time around. Reagan had no combat record, but I think did an admirable job of leading the rebuilding of our armed forces and winning the Cold War. Carter was an officer on a combat vessel (submarine) but pussed out in Iran. Ford had non-combat experience and did the best he could give the times. Nixon the same. He got us out of Vietnam with some semblance of dignity (Christmas Bombings and mining Haiphong). He was a supply officer in the USN during WWII. LBJ won the Silver Star in WWII but he fucked up beyond belief with the use of military force. JFK too was a decorated combat veteran, but he too fucked up with the use of force, e.g., Bay of Pigs, Vietnam, Laos. So my point is combat experience doesn't mean you're fit to lead the nation's armed forces. Find some other reason to hate GWB, and I'll find another reason to hate Kerry. The war record doesn't cut it. Nor should it.

As much as I dislike Kerry, his Vietnam record is a big non-issue. The fact of the matter is he went and exposed himself to hostile fire and the possibility of getting killed or seriously wounded in a tremendously unpopular and divisive war. People tend to forget how Vietnam almost tore this country apart. Kerry's direct combat experiences certainly eclipse every US presidential candidate's since Teddy Roosevelt. Eisenhower never got shot at and JFK couldn't see a destroyer in the middle of the ocean. I think Kerry's a twit, but not because of his war record. Edited cuz my gremmar sux.

Find some curry paste & coconut milk and you pretty much can't miss.

What she said.

Sprinkles .... DD by far. The coffee rocks.

Not to defend Lay, but the article had nothing that could be considered evidence against Lay. The tapes only are incriminating against the specific traders. Lay isn't in jail because the prosecutors (obviously) feel that they don't have sufficient evidence to convict. While US Attorneys are appointed by the President, the day to day operations of all US Attorney offices are handled by career prosecutors who don't care about who's buddy they're after. The US Attorney would have to approve any prosecution of Lay, but you can count on alot of publicity if the US Attorney were to overrule the career prosecutor on any decision regarding Lay's prosecution. I'm sure Lay knew something about what was going on, but until the prosecutors can get the evidence they need, Lay stays a free man. BTW, Alex Grass the former head of Rite Aid corporation was also a big contributor of Bush. He's now getting ready to serve 8 years in federal prison for his part in the Rite Aid accounting scandal. Politics gets you in the door. It doesn't keep you out of jail. Edited cuz I wasn't done.

People are getting wiped out in this sport because of highly loaded canopies. You're absolutely correct in restricting the WL on low-timers. If somebody thinks you're holding them back, let them go someplace else and possibly get hurt. I think the DZO's wife was nuts for giving a 1.3 Stiletto to someone with 90 jumps. PD used to refuse to sell Stilettos unless a jumper had at least 600 jumps. That should say everything. While different people progress at different paces, do you want to be the one who makes a mistake and gives a HP canopy to a novice who you thought could handle it, but couldn't in the end. IMHO, this exact issue is the biggest problem in skydiving today --- and the biggest killer. Hat's off for taking the tough stand. You're doing these guys a favor even though they don't know enough about the sport to know that. Edited to add: I knew someone who went around PD's 600 jump limit for Stilettos and bought a used one when he had 300 jumps. He promptly killed himself turning low to avoid obstacles when he landed off DZ.

I've never seen a tail gate up close, but from what I've read about them, I'd agree. It seems to be the same general principal.

I blame Bush. The idiots in his administration have been very public about increasing the supplies in the Strategic Petroleum Reserve. Considering that the spike in prices is due partly to increased demand, but also because of fears of terrorists disrupting supply, the U.S.'s program of publicly increasing the SPR only gives credence to oil trader's fears that supplies are in danger. F***ing idiots (the administration). BTW, I voted for Bush & hate Kerry, but Bush is becoming less attractive all the time. Edited because I didn't proofread.

I get tired of hearing the whining from the right Cheese for ALL to have with their whine. Vinny, I'd like to know where you heard Kerry served in Vietnam? I hadn't heard this before.

I've probably done over 500 jumps using this set up with no problems at all. I know other people who use this set up with thousands of pack jobs and no problems. I'll try to take a picture, but it's really simple: just grab all the brake lines and make a bight from below the attachment points and stow them in the rubber band that you attached to an inner brake line. The double wrap is because a single wrap is too loose. My rubber band is attached on the innermost brake line on the left side at the attachment point, but I don't see why you couldn't attach it on the right.

Good thing you're very heads up because this could have been really bad. I've seen damage from body/canopy collisions range from tearing off topskin to cutting a canopy in half. Hopefully, you can find a way to tactfully tell the other jumper they should have done something to avoid you.

Did the other jumper even try to avoid you? If he yelled he should have had time to move.

A trick I've learned is to put a rubber band on one of the innermost brake lines (at the attachment point) and then use that to stow all of the brake lines together with a double wrap. Brake lines aren't going anywhere.

I read somewhere that the only groups to sell 10 million albums for 5 different records were the Beatles & Led Zeppelin.

OK, here's the scoop. We are exiting at our normal altitude over "our airspace". By the time we are out of our area, we are low enough to be out of everybody's way. We are then flying under VFR conditions. You don't say how your jump pilot is telling ATC that you're under canopy off DZ. When you're exiting over your DZ, both ATC and the aircraft sectional maps give other pilots a heads up to expect parachutes in the air. When doing x-countries, the ATC will be made aware of your opening location and altitude and flight path and can advise other aircraft accordingly. When you open over your DZ and fly 7-13 miles away, you're taking a big chance that other aircraft won't see you because ATC doesn't know where you are and other aircraft won't be expecting you. How low is low enough to be out of everyone's way? 500 feet? 1,500 feet? Considering that 500 feet is the miminum cruising altitude for aircraft, you're exposed until you're setting up to land. My .02 would be to calculate the winddrift and file a NOTAM for where you intend to land. Either that or have the jump plane fly around you until landing; he can be on the lookout for other aircraft and advise them of your presence. Still, these sound like fun jumps and excellent training for off DZ landings.

No photo, but from what I've heard they don't grab their toggles until after they've pitched the PC. Exit, dump, grab, steer through the opening.

Great read. There was an article on the Old Guard in the WSJ this week. They are also charged with meeting the remains of our fallen brothers & sisters at Dover AFB. A very solemn duty.

Just don't send him to Abu Ghraib.

In a very slow and painful way.

I'm not naming names because the DZ that owns it is one of the best I've ever been to, and I wouldn't want to say anything to keep people away. But their Otter climbs as slow as a 182 (and the local jumpers are the first to admit it). You'll just have to go to all the Otter DZs to find out where it's at.

QuoteAre you joking? Jumping from a cessna means you have to: - Lean forward on take off Quote I want the plane not to crash Quote- wonder if your gear has caught on anything/anyone, on the ride up Quote Not that big a problem Quote- sit on the floorQuote And you've NEVER sat on the floor of an Otter, King Air or Skyvan? Quote- wonder if your legs will move because they have fallen to sleep on the ride to altitudeQuote Well, you've got a point there. QuoteAND MOST IMPORTANTLY: -get out 3 thousand feet lowerQuote I've gone to 15,000 in a C182 Quoteaw twin otters are the place to be Quote I've flown in Otters that climbed no better than a 182. Now that I'm done sticking up for the trusty 182's. I'd rather jump out of an Otter.