Highradwarrior

That’s a major bummer! I had full intentions of making a trip there whenever I resumed skydiving again. From what I can tell, the view from altitude would have been amazing with the Chesapeake on one side and the ocean on the other, with rural farmland all around. If I had to guess, based on the location, business might have been too slow. Hopefully someone who was a regular can shed some light.

I've already explained my position, and summed up my feelings to most of your points. If you don't agree, no worries... everyone is entitled to their own opinions. The fact that I'm apparently worse than a racist, per your take on my opinions, means I have no credibility here... which means there's no point in commenting further, lol.

New to this forum, and haven’t jumped in a while, but I’ve been on this site for a few years. Tough crowd.... I honesty would like to respond to most of that, but there’s more to cover than I feel like typing. What’s a more consice version of your main issue with my stance? Everyone is offended by everything, and as someone who tries to take a reasonable, logical approach to life in general.... it’s frustrating to see everyone losing their minds over inconsequential shit. This is the reason why I tried to be impartial with what “I thought” Trump said. To be clear, racism is fucking dumb... but people still have that mentality. If someone is too narrow minded to judge a person by the color of a person skin, instead of the character in their heart... they’re probably too narrow minded to change their ways. It’s my “opinion” that by keeping the issue relevant, it only emboldens them to continue being racist. I’d like to believe most people aren’t narrow minded, and those that are, will fade away eventually.

I acknowledged in 2 separate post, that I was wrong for not reading into it more. I'll repeat it again in case you're unfamiliar with someone admitting fault on the internet/ or if you need to stroke your ego... I was wrong for not reading into it more. To answer your questions... 1) Yes/No 2) No 3) No Middle ground beyond racism would be people putting their differences aside, and moving forward together. That'll never happen will the SJW's and Right Extremists stirring the pot.

Yeah, like I said.... I was wrong, as the person above kindly informed me already. Only saw and read, the one article that came up on my news feed. That article only had the one quote, and I was under the impression he knew they came from this country. I FUCKED UP!!!.... No reason to get butthurt over my obviously flawed opinion. And yes, I can be extremely lazy, lol... but I also work 80+ hour weeks, so I choose to spend what little free time I do have not getting wrapped up with the hysterical left/right politics that has everyone frothing at the mouth these days. So sorry I offended you... please don't sue me!

Huh, I stand corrected... Never saw the whole “proclamation”! Like I said, I don’t follow politics closely. My impression was based on the one quote, and I myself had it out of context. Probably should’ve done some more reading before commenting, lol.

“Why don’t they go back and help fix the totally broken and crime infested places from which they came,” Firstly, I wanna say I’m way outta my lane commenting here.... as I tend to avoid political discussions. But my take on this topic is this..... If you look at what was actually said, I don’t believe it qualifies as racism. Depending on how someone feels about Trump, Republicans, or Conservatives... it can be inferred that is was meant with racial undertones..... this is the angle the media immediately pushes by cropping his words to “ Go back to where you came from!” If you take his words at face value, to me, it comes across as “ Instead of disparaging the work I’ve done on a national level , you should do a better job in the districts in which you were appointed.” Maybe his intent was to be underhandedly racist, but I try not to buy into that mindset. It also could be that I’m so tired of hearing about racism, that I’ve tuned it out. To be sure, racism in America is alive and well.... and it will be for quite some time. But, it’ll never fade away if it’s at the forefront of every discussion. I’m not saying racism should be a none issue, just that we need to leave it behind to reach a middle ground beyond it.

I too use a psycho packjob as well, and wouldn’t do it any other way! Watch all the videos carefully, and have an experienced psycho packer show you first hand. It works wonders on a new canopy, and cleans up the overall packjob. Everyone seems to have different variations of it, but there are a few necessary steps, one of which is making sure to get the bridle/ attachment point out, and off to one side to avoid friction burns. If you have the space at home, just practice whatever method you decide to go with until you feel confident. Then ask someone experienced (instructor/packer) watch you pack at the DZ before you huck it. Regardless of the method, it’s an pain in the ass when you’re new.... it just comes down to repetition. But again, I’m a stranger on the interwebs... talk to your instructors!

You may very well be right. I would only be speculating, but maybe it was a bad run of hardware, or an overlooked software glitch. It worked flawlessly until it didn’t, and has been hit or miss ever since. In all fairness, I never contacted L&B, and I’ve only ever heard good things about their customer service. Also, there are a lot more altimeters on the market now, and people are always looking to get the next shiny new toy, myself included, lol. Sun, Fun, and Blue Ones Respect Existence, Or Expect Resistance!

I have the same issue.... doesn’t zero without resetting it, and sometimes that doesn’t work. I never got around to contacting the manufacturer because I also have a Viso (plus I’m lazy and the king of procrastination)... and haven’t jumped in some time as well. I’ve heard of a few others with similar issues and L&B replaced it, charged just shipping and handling if I remember correctly. Sun, Fun, and Blue Ones Respect Existence, Or Expect Resistance!

I typically pro pack up to the point of laying it down...from there, I open the rolled tail and requarter the slider, and make sure it firmly against the stops. Then depending on the jump I plan on doing, let’s say tracking, I roll the nose cells inward individualy towards the center cell on both sides. I also like to open the center cell and slightly tuck those rolls under the spread out center cell. The tighter you make those rolls, the slower the opening (to a degree). From there, I pull the bottom corners across to make the triangle, fold the edges up, and roll it up.... making sure to keep the bridle off to one side (to avoid friction with the canopy). Bag it while holding the roll between my legs, and flip the d bag over to take out the line twist before you stow the lines. There are a few more steps compared to a pro pack, but I find it easier to get the air out by putting a knee on each bottom corner of the triangle, and an arm up by the stops while using my free arm to push out the air. End result is a more even distribution of the fabric for a less lumpier rig when it’s all done. I can’t even begin to tell you how many people stop and watch me pack, claiming it’s “Black Death”, lol. Sun, Fun, and Blue Ones Respect Existence, Or Expect Resistance!

As always.... consult with your instructors and packers, and plenty of practice. I learned to “psycho” pack as a way of avoiding the s-fold. The name gives it a bad rap, and I’ll probably catch a lot of flak for even mentioning it, but I’ve found it to give me better openings then I was getting from a “pro” pack. There are a few things to watch out for (remembering the half line twist, proper placement of the bridle to avoid friction with the canopy), but I like having the ability to change the speed of my opening by varying the way I roll the nose. Having a few different experienced jumpers talk you through their pack jobs was extremely helpful for me as well. Sun, Fun, and Blue Ones Respect Existence, Or Expect Resistance!

I had this same idea as well. One of the ideas I considered was a custom t-shirt with the question.... then bust into a sit when the time is right. Sun, Fun, and Blue Ones Respect Existence, Or Expect Resistance!

There are a ton to choose from... might get a better response by including your ideal location. I did mine at Cross Keys in New Jersey a few years ago. There is a new tunnel that's in close proximity as well. Sun, Fun, and Blue Ones Respect Existence, Or Expect Resistance!

When I did AFF there, I knew from the start that I wanted to get licensed. I did 3 Tandems in one day, came back later that week to take ground school, and took a packing lesson a few days later. All the while, learning as much as I could from many different sources, including here! It definitely helped build a strong base of knowledge that made learning from the instructors easier. (It's important to note that what your instructor tells you should be the final authority during your training!) After that, you wear your own rig and there are several levels to go through. Each level adds progressively more responsibilities with less instructor assistance. Provided you pass every level on the first attempt... the 12th jump overall is the first where you leave the plane all on your own. The 13th is a Hop N' Pop usually from about 4,000 feet. After that.... your considered an unsupervised student. You will still need to do some coached jumps and 25 total to get your A license. Sun, Fun, and Blue Ones Respect Existence, Or Expect Resistance!

They actually do a good job of explaining the options available to continue further in the sport, and are usually willing to answer whatever question prospective students might have. My guess is most people are still buzzing to the point of either not hearing, or not remembering the post jump conversations as it might seem like a whirlwind of emotion and adrenaline, lol. I had a chance to speak with the OP prior to his jump and after. For someone new to the sport, there is a lot to take in during a single conversation. My advise to him was to talk to as many people possible and do as much research as he could to help inform himself going forward. I'm glad to hear he has decided to continue. Sun, Fun, and Blue Ones Respect Existence, Or Expect Resistance!

I hope you're trolling! I really don't have the experience to be commenting here, but it sounds like an unwise choice, lol. Not saying it couldn't be done with some degree of safety, but why put yourself in that position. Might as well use a Peregrine to terrain fly at Brevent. Sun, Fun, and Blue Ones Respect Existence, Or Expect Resistance!

I thoroughly enjoyed our conversation the other day while we were waiting for the load to build. And I was probably just as stoked for your jump as you were, lol. It's always awesome to see people realize their true capabilities, when they mentally push themselves past conventional fear. Really glad you had a good time! Give me a shout if you plan on coming back around to CK. Mark Sun, Fun, and Blue Ones Respect Existence, Or Expect Resistance!

I have an orange /black Aerodyne Icon Pro.... after two years, it seems to be holding up well with only minimal fading. Sun, Fun, and Blue Ones Respect Existence, Or Expect Resistance!

Never looked at it like that and good to know when sifting through the gps data. There was about a 15 second window near the end of the jump when I was adjusting my body to get a "higher tone"..... and got it by relaxing. The charts showed a small curve where vertical speed accelerated for 3 sec, followed by a sustained max GR and horizontal speed. The second jump (which I though was the better of the two) was not as good, as I was working to maintain what I thought was a good body position. Curious to know what kind of forward speed, GR, and total distance covered, other trackers have gotten using a Flysight.... slick or with a track suit. I thought I was killing it with my beer gut hangin in the wind, lol! Probably just wishful thinking on my part. Sun, Fun, and Blue Ones Respect Existence, Or Expect Resistance!

I think I might have been trying to dearch too much for the majority of the track. When I relaxed into a more natural position (ever so slightly pushing against the air) the GPS showed significant glide improvement. I also tucked my chin to look at the ground I was covering, lol. I use palms up because it naturally rolls my shoulders and the profile it gives me, works best to maximize the surface area of my body type. I also raise or lower my shoulders to change pitch without breaking from a solid configuration. All the other factors are up for experimentation. I've combed over tons of B.A.S.E. tracking videos to see what some of the best are doing. Just gotta get more jumps to test out the variables to see what works best for me. Like I said.... I believe taking it steep to build speed and slowly flatten out is the key to good GR. Just have to find the sweet spot where you don't go too flat and have the performance drop off. If you're like me and want to get the most out of your track.... snag a fly sight.... worth every penny! Edit to add clarification: When I mentioned my top speed... I was referring to pure horizontal. My verticle speed was high 90's with a combined flight path speed of 116. I've had my altitrack read low 70's for vertical speed before, but I believe that was just me falling slow! Sun, Fun, and Blue Ones Respect Existence, Or Expect Resistance!

Not really a silly question as it something I have been working on myself. I've heard of people in Track Suits getting that kind of freefall time. The problem is..... time isn't a real good indicator of how well you're tracking... could be that you're just falling really slow. I recently bought a Flysight for just this purpose. Only got to make two jumps with it so far..... the first being the best. Was pleasantly surprised by the results. Just jeans and a tee shirt...... max GR was 0.8:1 sustained for 12 seconds and topped out at 72 mph. More important in my mind was I covered 9/10ths of a mile in 66 secs from 13,500 to 3,800 ft. All the data spiked when I relaxed towards the end of the jump... probably due to the increased angle of attack. With some fine tuning, I should have no problem bolstering those numbers. Others who are more experienced may have a better answer, but I believe that you need to go steep to get that performance. Which will in the end.... result in a shorter freefall time than you might expect. Sun, Fun, and Blue Ones Respect Existence, Or Expect Resistance!

Is it safe or legal? Most likely not! But as other have said..... If all participants were aware of what was going to be attempted and were fine with such a stunt....... end of story! Adults or not, we are all accountable for our actions..... such is the way of life. If it were a tandem student, I hope that they would be informed of the possible complications! All decisions rest on the end user........... whether they decide to comply is another argument!!!! Sun, Fun, and Blue Ones Respect Existence, Or Expect Resistance!

LMAO, exactly why you're one of my favorite posters on this website! Sun, Fun, and Blue Ones Respect Existence, Or Expect Resistance!

Out of curiosity, did you take a packing class? That was mandatory for part of my AFF. Also, I psycho pack religiously, lol...... could never get the damn thing in the bag any other way when it was new. Granted, I only have around 40 pack jobs.... I have yet have an issue. And it opens so much softer then when I've had a packer help me make a load. Most people frown upon it when they find out that I pack that way, and I really get the stink eye when I tell them I learned to do it from a youtube vid, lol! Probably not recommended, but what the hell. Sun, Fun, and Blue Ones Respect Existence, Or Expect Resistance!