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Why does the Ranch have dirty bathrooms? You say this like it's cool...what's cool about dirty bathrooms?

Oh, you're taking the word in so the wrong context.

Stay dirty,
Mike

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Thats just plane wrong. You should confrony that person.

Whow is doing this to you? If i can help i will.

This is him, the sicko photographer!!
Look at what he does!!!
He doesn't even try to deny it!!!!

--Mike

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They are just trying to wake you up to a serious situation.. I'm sick of seeing people just "sleeping around the dropzone" ... I just dont wanna see one of my friends waking up to find himself naked with obsinities written all over him / her, seen it too many times already

Look, last year I had an accident. I drank some skunked beer and woke up in the peas, uh, let's just say not quite as manly as I had previously been.

Since then I've toured several micro breweries, and am currently reading The Boston Bartenders Guide, which is really helping me to understand my liquor. I'm a good drunk now. A safe drunk.

It's true, sometimes I like to nap around the DZ with my underwear around my ankles. But before I lie down I am sure to take a look around and make sure that there aren't any suspicious looking strange men around. I am 1000% sure that I am not going to be violated as I slumber. I'm a good naked, public sleeper. A safe naked, public sleeper.

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Mabey you should correct what it is that got you on the list, figure out who put you there and see if they have any recomendations for "stay awake pills" so that you can get off of it.

I will continue to sleep naked at The Ranch. I'm doing nothing wrong. Next time though, the violator will find a surprise in there.

Stay safe...and away from my bottom,
Mike

THere is a sicko photographer going around my DZ. He sneaks up on people who are napping, lies on top of them and then takes his photo with them.

On The Ranch Forum, he is using one of these photos as his avatar.

I am in this photo.

Since it's been up, strange men keep approaching me and propositoning me.

This past weekend, I unpacked my overnight bag and found that someone had slipped in a jar of Fisting Cream.

I demand this sicko gotta stop, so he got to, right?

What can I do about this.

Thanks.

Mike


Is this legal?


P.S. I'm on the list.

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And sometimes we try to steel other ranch jumper's girlfriends.

Jesus, Grouper. Is your boyfriend still pissed about that?

Stay safe,
Mike

Looks great!

Be safe,
Mike

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The Ranch, a troubled dropzone. Although I have never actually visited this dropzone in person, I have been made aware that I am on their so called “death list”. At first I assumed the list was for newer jumpers who have yet to witness a skydiving fatality.

Now I find out that I’m on this “death list” because people want ME to die!

I was shocked. Who would want me dead? I went to my rig and unpacked the main. To my horror, I found that my slider had been tampered with. Someone from the Ranch broke into my house, unpacked my rig and collapsed half of my slider then repacked it without me even knowing.

It is a good thing that I am so diligent, a compliment to my impeccable safety record.

To those at the Ranch who doubt my skills, I’d like to send this special shout out......

Don’t fuck with me! We’re a new breed of skydiver. We learn things quicker, and we aren’t afraid to downsize. We only act cocky because we have more skills in 300 jumps than those who have thousands. You are all just jealous! Yes, I have been injured before in this sport but that is all ancient history. I'm not a weakling groveling for sympathy and I will not die so easily.

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Please ignore 99.9 percent of the crap these guys are dishing out at you. If you really want to piss off this dropzone I would type up a review and post it in the dropzone section. Anyone who looks up The Ranch will see that you have given them an unequivocal THUMBS DOWNS.

Please, go right ahead and write the review yourself. Really. And don't forget to tell everyone how dirty our bathrooms are, too.

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When you type the review, tell everyone about the death list and how unfairly they treated you. This is the only way to teach them a lesson.

Please!!!! Do you know anything of The Ranch??!!
Again, go right ahead and tell everyone yourself about the death games, dirty bathrooms, and unfair treatment of skydivers at The Ranch. Though I can't imagine that anyone has missed all of that in this thread.

Jeez, next thing you know we'll end up in the Jeers section of T.V. Guide.

Goodnight.

Stay safe,
Mike

Edited to add: Oh yeah, we also belch and fart at The Ranch. Sometimes there's nudity. People get drunk sometimes. Sometimes I forget to comb my hair. Maybe a few of us sweat in the heat and give off an offensive odor. Sometimes there isn't enough pizza for everyone to have a slice.

Oh, as for kiting your canopy. Please don't do that anymore.

I know you think that your head is on a swivel and that you see everything 360 degrees in three dimensions all the time, but accidents still happen. Take a look at the incidents forum and find out how many people with way more experience than yourself have 'missed' noticing someone else either in the air or on the ground.

As for jumping last so it's safe...Hah!!!

Take it from someone who almost always jumps last; you can still land with other people. I very often find myself landing with groups of people from the load following mine.

Even when the loads are spaced in such a way that it seems you can't possibly encounter traffic, it's still a risk.

People do low passes. I've been in CReW formations on level with people doing 5k hop 'n pops a lot of times.

Someone on your load may have had a premature deployment.

Stop and think, Yuri.

Be safe,
Mike

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I do love to kite my canopy after landing if and only if I know it can't possibly, ever endanger anyone else. I keep my head on a swiwel well before and after landing and know where other canopies are and put the canopy down if there's even slightest chance of someone landing close. Now that I mostly jump wingsuit and land last, it's absolutely safe to kite the canopy (again, I make 1000% sure I don't put anyone in danger by doing that). There's 100x more dangerous stuff going on at the Ranch all the time than my simple landings and canopy kiting.

Yuri,

The issue of trying to make trouble for one of my most favorite people on this planet -- though I am tempted to address it -- is really not a matter for DZ.com.

Whatever may be true or lies regarding why you ended up on the list, you're out of your mind making the type of accusations that you've made here.

The list is posted at The Ranch.
Upon request, any person on the list is told who put them there.

Ask yourself why the list is public and why the bettor is NOT anonymous.

If you don't like it, too bad. It isn't going away.

I've spoken with you several times, and found you to be friendly. I've never had a personal issue with you.

Everyone messes up. Think about what you've done and why. Maybe you'll come to the conclusion that you've got an apology or two to make. Maybe you'll just drop the issue. Whatever.

Sad as it is, you may not find The Ranch to be the welcoming place that you have up until now. People don't like being attacked. People dislike even more when their friends are attacked and accused in the manner that you have.

Like I said, everyone makes mistakes. The issues now are, are you going to consider that you have, and if so, how will you deal with it.

Be safe,
Mike D. Ennis
Cofounder of Black Eye CReW and Nylon Sodomy

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I'm not sure who trained her for her first CRW jump, but I know how to handle wraps and entanglements is in any first CRW jump brief I've ever heard.

I am one of the two people involved in Bubbles' initial training. We were both very thorough and clear regarding situations and emergency procedures, and they were discussed regularly. Whatever happened in Ohio was not a result of any deficiency in her initial training.
Bubbles, I am glad that you weren't hurt more than you are, and I hope that you heal fast.

Best,
Mike D. Ennis

Scott Miller will be conducting three one-day Essential Skills Courses (canopy piloting) at The Ranch in Gardiner, New York.
The dates are June 17, 18 and 19.

There are a few slots available.

If anyone is interested, please e-mail me at [email protected], or PM me.

Stay safe,
Mike

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With an exit weight of 170, I would reccommend a 126 or a 143. At that weight, a 126 would be perfect as the reccommended wing loading for lightning crw is between 1.3 and 1.4 pounds per square foot.

Calvin, just something to think about;
a 126 might put you at the perfect WL for typical CReW, but remember, a 1.3 - 1.4 WL might not be be the best choice for your current experience level / currency.

Though you will be somewhat limited with regard to the size and complexity of the formations that you'll be able to participate in...as well as you and your coaches maybe having to work a little harder...you can still learn the basics and have a great deal of fun with a slightly larger canopy, and you'll enjoy a slightly greater safety margin with regard to landing.

Consider trying to get your hands on something larger than a 126 for a little while. Working a little harder with the larger canopy will help you to be even more of a kick-ass pilot when you're ready to downsize to the 126.

Just another perspective.

Stay safe,
Mike

About a year ago I asked somebody this same question. The answer I got was that while the airlocks would help make a collapse less likely, they would also make a canopy less likely to reinflate following a wrap / collapse.

I don't have any personal experience with --and have very little knowledge of-- airlocks, so I can't offer any educated opinion on this, but for what it's worth, that is the answer I received and it came from a very experienced and well known CReWDog.

Stay safe,
Mike

Scott is going to be at The Ranch in Gardiner NY Saturday Sept. 11 and Sunday Sept.12.

Due to formation and freefly league meets and a big demo both days, there are three slots currently unfilled.

These are one-day Essential Skills Courses (Beginner / intermediate...NO hook turns!).

If you're interested in participating, please either PM me or e-mail me at [email protected] for more information.

Stay safe,
Mike

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As a plus, the meet only cost $200 this year, including jumps! Hopefully, next year the weather will cooperate better and we will have first priority as competitors. People came from as far away as Brazil, Florida, California, Washington, and Hawaii for this meet and it absolutely sucked to get stuck in that Cessna.

I understand that Sunday was a difficult day for the competitors, and you've got every right to express that.
Before I go any further, I'm going to insert one of these...
Though some of this has already been pointed out...
The Tandems and students received priority.
Like a lot of DZ's, The Ranch suffered a miserable season last year due to weather and the economy. The students, and particularly the Tandems, represent the income that keeps three Otters and other various aircraft available and running for everyone. And let's not forget all of the Tandem and AFF instructors and video guys and girls who rely on Tandems and AFFs for food and rent money. After an extended slow spell and a washout Saturday, I can't hold it against the club or the school for giving the students priority. There were over 95 Tandems booked, plenty of AFF and the usual walk-ins.

One of our Otters was offline for scheduled maintenance and the other had been damaged the week prior to the meet. This wasn't poor planning, it was poor timing and bad luck.

Everyone did the best they could.

Billy cut short his vacation and flew back so that he could fly chopper loads.

Kenny spent the entire day without a break flying the Cessna for the competitors and later for the fun jumpers.

Despite the bad weather Saturday and the bad luck with the Otters, on Sunday over 95 tandem jumps were made, lots of AFF students progressed, ALL of the comp rounds were completed and a handful of fun jumpers had some awesome skydives.

When you...or at least I...stop to consider all of this, I don't see it as having sucked. I see it as having overcome adversity.

And I think it was closer to 11 Cessna loads for the comp, not 33.

Again man, not bustin' your balls, just putting forth a different perspective of the event.

Congrats to all the competitors, and thank you all for not getting hurt
Stay safe,
Mike

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I highly, highly, highly recommend against doing that. Dive loops allow the pilot to keep the toggle securely positioned over some fingers while using the others for the dive loop.

Depending upon how you're approaching the grip, I can see how this could be a problem.

When I grab my front riser(s), my hands are fully through my toggles, and releasing the blocks requires only the most minor movement of my fingers. At no point are any of my fingers at more than a 90 degree angle to the palms of my hands, less in fact. And, my fingers are curling downward, acting a hooks on my toggles.

When I'm using my CReW setup with the big-ass toggles, I'm actually through the toggles up to my wrist with the control lines above the toggles routed between my middle and index fingers.

I'm not arguing that the possibility of what you pointed out happening isn't valid...it sure as hell is...just that there is a 'correct' way to approach this technique.

Thanks for pointing that out
Stay safe,
Mike

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The rigger on the dropzone, and another instructor felt it would help, but from my understanding, OEM lines on Triathlon actually have the canopy braked, stock. So i dont know how this adds or changes the control characteristcs of flight.

I've had to lengthen the control lines on my canopies (2.5 inches on my Lightning and 3.5 inches with my Sabre2) to be able to fully use my front risers, and have had no negative consequences with regard to flaring. I don't know the Tri, so I wouldn't advise you regarding that.

However, have you considered going with dive blocks instead of loops?

I use blocks on the risers for both of my canopies. I have them positioned so that I can grab them less than an inch below the links / Slinks and it offers me a greater range than with loops, as well as pretty much eliminating any possibility of missing them or getting a finger snagged.
Also, I prefer the blocks because I feel that I'm more directly coupled with the risers and I can 'feel' more of what's happening.

Everyone prefers different things, and I'm not dissin' loops, just thought I'd share my feelings with you

Stay safe,
Mike

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Maybe you can ask if you are allowed to stall on rear risers? Its a more violent stall, but its easier than toggles on my Spectre.

Rear riser stalls happen more abruptly and with less warning, but they are a very docile stall. You can actually continue steering the canopy while stalled with rear risers.

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Toggle stalls were pretty wild. Canopy folded right back until the end cells basically touched.

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Sounds to me as if it went well beyond stall.

Depending upon who you ask. There seems to be a difference of opinion as to what a stall is.
If you talk with Scott, he'll describe a true stall as when the canopy creases down the center and the end cells fold back and touch eachother. This is somewhat violent...and fun.

As long as you have stalled the canopy symetrically, keep your body position good and let the canopy reinflate slowly and symetrically, there usually aren't any problems.

Think of it as a 2nd deployment!

If your instructors have told you not to take a wrap, listen to them.
I always have to take a wrap to get my canopies to stall, and have never had any problems. When you're more experienced you might decide to try this, but again, for now, listen to your instructors.

Stay safe,
Mike

Edited for spelling

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When calculating my reserve wingloading, I subtract the weight of my main, 'cause dude I'm chopping that biotch.

Unless for several possible reasons your main doesn't lift out of the container.

Stay safe,
Mike

In Firstime's defense, while I don't know the details, I jump at The Ranch, this guy is here and he's creating quite a stir.

At The Ranch, the student area is well separated from the experienced area so I personally haven't met this guy, but his reputation has become well known around the DZ.

Again, I don't know the specifics so I won't attempt to ellaborate, but this guy does have some serious issues.

Second hand info is that while the school (which is a completely separate entity from The Ranch Parachute Club) is training him, his money will be worthless 'on the other side.'

Nobody is trying to flame anyone here, which is why this person's name hasn't been posted at this time.
And I don't have any desire to instigate or perpetuate rumors et cetera, but Firstime's concerns have a strong foundation in reality.

Stay safe,
Mike

The Ranch---Same price, cash or credit---$16.50

Stay safe,
Mike

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Nearly everyone on the jump has made many many jumps together. Only one person on the jump that I had never jumped with.

Not bustin' your balls, but that wasn't the point.
The point...I think...was that it sounds like few if any of the participants had any experience being part of that size skydive.
You didn't mention the experience level of the other jumpers, but if less than 50% of them were able to get in to the formation, I can't imagine that there was much experience on that dive, and there was some serious disaster potential.
On a more positive note, great job being heads-up enough to check the air above you. You probably saved two lives.

Stay safe,
Mike

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my feeling is however...after i say a thousand different ways that i realize i might die skydiving and won't sue the dropzone or anyone if i die...... and pay the money the dz wants for teaching ad letting jump......i find it bizzarr that i can't jump how i wanna jump. i just agreed that i am responsible for my own actions and blah blah blah.....and i can't be responsible for my own actions

I understand that perfectly, and I agree with you. I'm not for making Tandems mandatory, I just get a little irked when people imply that a tandem isn't a "Real" skydive, or that it's cheating et cetera. It's just different.

As I said in my other reply, other than that one tandem comment, I agree with everything you're saying.

Have fun and stay safe,
Mike

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WoW -- better get the boxing gloves out!

That's it...Fight Night 2004 at The Ranch

Sorry for the meaningless post.

Stay safe,
Mike