gunsmokex

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Everything posted by gunsmokex

  1. Quite honestly I didn't have a picture in my head when I became a skydiver. I just knew after I made the decision to make my 1st jump that it was something that I would be doing for a very long time. Now I can't picture my life without skydiving and I'm kind of mad I didn't start 10-20 yrs ago. But that's just life. But yes I am becoming exactly the skydiver I have always wanted to be. For right now that is just flying on my belly. I plan on trying to get a 4 way team together, if I can scrape one together at our small club DZ. For me though it isn't just the skydiving, its the people that skydive too. I guess the skydiving culture and comradery is what keeps me coming back. Because of skydiving I'm going to make some major life changes that I probably would have never considered before I became a skydiver. Buying an RV and going to travel the US as a travel RN hopefully living on the DZ so I can jump after work and my days off I can jump as well..with some of the most awesome people in the world :)
  2. Thanks! Yes that Kodak Orbit looks pretty promising.
  3. I'll chime in since I jump a canopy that is known for its hard openings. I jump a Hornet 170 WL 1:1. After doing some research on this canopy I found out that the 2001 and later version had a much bigger slider to solve the hard opening issue. That said though they are still prone to them if you don't pack them right. I used to push the nose all of the way in, that is until I had a slammer opening and pushed my chin into my sternum. Now I simply roll the out 4 cells towards the center cell on each side every opening I've had since then has been great. I believe some people psycho pack them for better openings as well but I haven't quite moved onto that yet. Also I discovered that if I wrap the hell out of the tail I can get a super sniveling opening, too snivelly for me actually. I had let a friend pack it since I'm not the world's fastest packer by any means and he rolled the hell out of the tail. It was a good 1000' snivel so its a fine balance I guess. But the more I pack and fly this canopy the more I learn about it. Funny thing is though I had been pushing my nose in for 100 jumps or so and didn't have the hard opening until I got into air where the density altitude was higher. From what I understand the higher the density altitude is the more prone you are to having problems such as mine, or at least it will expose the imperfections in your pack job. I'm wondering if anyone else has had that experience as well? The other hard opening I had was on a hop and pop with a pilot chute in tow, I looked over my shoulder and then got whacked hard. Not sure what that one was but its the last time that I paid a packer to pack for me. I had no choice though as I was in a canopy course and we had to use packers that day.
  4. My suit is arriving next week, will let you know on the quality of workmanship and materials when it arrives. He is legit. Can't wait for my suit to arrive!
  5. I am curious now, is there a DZ near Albuquerque at all? I'll bet views would be amazing with the mountain range to the north and desert to the south. I loved visiting there! Great state. It was my first time big mountain skiing at Taos.
  6. I rarely check The Bonfire posts. I'm sorry that happened man :( Glad you guys could do the memorial jump and get some closure though.
  7. Tell Jordan thanks for putting the list together! There aren't any like it that I could find anywhere. Sorry I didn't include the link the other part of the canopy list. Like I said I just used the list as a determination of what is and isn't fully elliptical and is semi/non elliptical. Like I said I just used it as a guideline when I was buying my gear. Until I found this list I was about to buy a Flight Concepts Pro Series, no one at our DZ had heard of it before and I couldn't find a whole about it. I talked to the owner and he was like "yeah you are good" Good thing I didn't as its fully elliptical from what I know. Even if you look at the reviews on gear on dz.com here they rarely say if the canopy is fully/semi or non elliptical. Not to mention some of the canopies on Jordan's list aren't even in the reviews section. I realize some of them are quite old but its hard to find info on older canopies and easy to find info on the newer canopies.
  8. Here is one of the most comprehensive charts that I found when I was a student asking the same exact question. http://www.skydivesnohomish.com/Portals/0/Files/Elliptical%20Chart%202015-11-01%20JM.pdf I found it on Skydive Snohomish's website and I think a few canopies might need to be added on. There are some older ones but that doesn't mean they are by any means if they were well taken care of. I myself fly a Hornet which is very similar in characteristics to a Pilot and its been a great starter canopy for me. And no it really isn't a PISA sh$#, its actually a very decent canopy. I would talk to your instructors or ST&A about some of the canopies on the list though as some of them are F111 which is a different ballgame if you are used to a Sabre2. I did a lot of research here before making my purchase.
  9. From the very 1st post I was pretty sure that this is some jumpers at the DZ making up a dz.com profile and posting shit like this this just to get flamed. Pics or it didn't happen! Good joke though
  10. http://www.nursetogether.com/list-of-nurse-license-compact-states Arizona Arkansas Colorado Delaware Idaho Iowa Kentucky Maine Maryland Mississippi Missouri Montana Nebraska New Hampshire New Mexico North Carolina North Dakota Rhode Island South Carolina South Dakota Tennessee Texas Utah Virginia Wisconsin
  11. Mostly burnt out because of the management I guess. Its definitely been building up but once they started with my vacation hrs I'm just done I love doing what I do but lately I'm more stressed about management than my actual ICU job. Basically we are a 6 bed ICU in a small hospital, mostly just basic med/surg kind of stuff nothing too intense but the typical kind of stuff like sepsis, ARDS, CHF, detox, ESRD, ES liver stuff like that. But yeah I might look into the west coast states just not sure on the licensing because with my South Dakota license I have 24 other states that recognize it with no problem at all. The other I'm sure I need to get going on some CEU's or whatever they require. But yeah ideally I'd like to just find 1 or 2 month contracts with the option to extend because I still would like the liberty to be able to head home now and then as I'm going to keep my 19 acre farm. I did head up to Seatlle for a week though visiting a friend, very cool area but I didn't get out to explore it much as she was kind of a city girl. But yeah I wouldn't mind getting back up there sometime again.
  12. For those of you that are or have been travel nurses. I'm thinking of making a bit of a career change, I've been in the same ICU for 14 yrs now and its time for a change, I'm burning out and I feel like I'm stuck in a job prison :( I'd like to get into travelling and just wanted to find out what companies are decent, its been a lifelong dream of mine and there is no better time than now. I need a change of scenery and what better way to work and then jump at some great DZ's on my days off :) Which cities and dropzones have worked well for you etc? I still have to figure out the details but I'm pretty determined to do this. I still haven't quite decided if I will just buy an RV or take the typical housing that most of the companies offer. Thinking of maybe taking my dog with me but its not a deal breaker but it sure would be nice to have him along. Any advice would be much appreciated feel free to PM me. I'm mostly looking to stay in the Midwest/Western states, I'm open to ideas though, but I guess I'm somewhat limited at least for now to the 25 nurse licensure compact states since I reside in South Dakota. Anyways let me know your experiences and advice if you have any. Thanks and Merry Christmas!
  13. I seriously just saw a free helmet on the FB group Skydiving Gear for Sale and Wanted. Parasport Z1. As for the jumpsuit, someone mentioned being able to try on the jumpsuit which is great advice I was able to do just that. I had been looking at spending around $400 on a new TonySuit but wound up with a great well fitting used one for $75. Anyways search dropzones, friends, branch out and get your feelers out there and you will find something for sure. You don't have to spend $600 on new stuff.
  14. Save your $$ and buy used. Search the classified here meticulously and join all of the used gear facebook groups. Unless $ isn't an issue. I got a great helmet for $40 and a used jumpsuite for $75 that I'm perfectly happy with.
  15. I've read a lot of everyone's downsizing and was looking the trends. Most everyone follows the one size rule 190->170->150->135 etc. I have a concern with a fellow jumper (200 jumps) that he might be getting encouraged to downsize too quickly and will going from a Pilot 170 to a Pilot 135. Granted he's a good canopy Pilot but looking at some of the checklists out there I know there is a lot more to be learned on the current canopy. Or at the least maybe just go down to a 150 first. When exactly is skipping a size wise? I have talked with some of the senior jumpers and they are like "yeah he'll be fine" which he may well be but all I'm seeing is an inflated ego whenever he talks about his new 135 that will here soon.
  16. Hmm either they suck or they are too expensive lol.
  17. I'm curious if anyone has any experience with this camera? http://www.nikonusa.com/en/nikon-products/product/action-camera/keymission-360.html If you haven't seen it before it records video in 360 degrees. Here is video clip with a few 360 degree shots https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5OhDe7fm8GQ Eventually I will be looking at getting camera and I'm curious if anyone out there has used these? I think this this camera could immensely beneficial since being able to record what is behind and ahead.....well the possibilities are truly endless. I know Nikon cameras are very high quality but if someone out there has used this before and its junk that might change my opinion but I'm almost already sold as a lot of the times I have wanted to see the other direction and this camera would allow that. I honestly think this could be very revolutionary.
  18. I usually ask them something to the affect of "Do you drive? or Do you ride motorcycle?" Then I ask them where their reserve car or motorcycle is for a 2nd chance? They probably still think I'm crazy but that ok I like them thinking that way I never wanted to be like everyone else anyways. Its all in ones perception just like your favorite band or style of music you will never convince someone if they don't like it.
  19. I think a lot of people forget the importance and purpose of toggle stalling your canopy. That's exactly how you find the sweet spot in your flare. I always see people posting flaring problems on canopies they've bought but have never bothered to do a toggle stall. You don't have to pay $$ and take a canopy course to do a toggle stall or even a rear riser stall. I guess I just don't really see the advantage of having improperly set brake lines (too high of flare or having to take wraps to get a flare). Just make sure before you try any stalls (toggles or rears) that you talk with one of your instructors and make sure you leave yourself plenty of altitude.
  20. I just read Parachuting: The Art of Freefall Relative Work http://works-words.com/NSM-WIKI/WP/wordpress/wiki/skydiving/skydiving-and-parachuting-books/parachuting-the-art-of-freefall-relative-work/ the other night at work. Someone had left a bunch of books at our DZ, I opened the cover and saw that Pat had signed it :) Its a great read! Thanks Pat! I love your website and reading about the history of skydiving. I will send you a PM
  21. Here is another one. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WKucHc9mZDg
  22. Pretty sure if you wanted to you still swoop the shit out of a Spectre, at these guys are pretty good at it :p https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N2Y_zkRjSNw From what I know its a great canopy though have only heard good things about it. The 1000' snivel well I'm sure that can easily be corrected by changing ones packing technique a little.
  23. Perfect man a case of beer goes a long ways! When I did static line and was learning I'll admit that there was a lot of shit going on in my head but the more I learned and read the SIM the more I was comfortable with everything that was going around me. Get a copy of the SIM online and start reading it, your instructors will point out what you need to focus on. Just get that 1st SL out of the way and I think you will do fine you have a good attitude! But yeah overthinking shit doesn't help, goes back to that ego thing I'm glad you understand what I'm talking about. I've seen a few that never could let of their ego and by doing that they could never succeed at becoming a skydiver.
  24. Here is my advice. My background: I learned the same exact way that you are, jumping from a C-182 and a C-206 on a static line at a different club. I read you other post about your tandem and here is what you need to learn TRUST You need to trust in 1. your instructors 2. your training 3. the equipment 4. the plane Reading your other post in my honest opinion you are overthinking every tiny detail that exists. The club that you are jumping with has been around since 1967 and if they are like our club and I'm pretty sure that they are they have been using the static line method the entire time for their FJC its the oldest method of teaching skydivers and its failproof. You are overthinking shit. Think about it why do you think they tell you to "get all the way out and hang" So you don't hit your head on the step! If you do your part right nothing bad will happen and you aren't going to hit your head on the step. You need to let go or ego and listen to what your instructors are telling you and do it. That's just one detail......everything that they are teaching you has been gone over with a fine tooth comb and refined every year for the last 54 years in that clubs existence, it happens every year they review the entire FJC every spring and look for improvements on every aspect to your FJC and how to make it rock solid safe. So in a nutshell here is my suggestion, sorry if I sound rash here but: 1. quit overthinking shit 2. TRUST in the aforementioned things and trust that you aren't going to get hurt or die, 10's of 1000's of skydivers have been trained using the SL method and 100's have learned at the club you are jumping at from the same exact method 3. Let your ego go because if anything that is exactly what is going to get you hurt, injured or killed. In the sky there is simply no room for egos. You gotta cut it all away man. And if you don't it just might wind up worse.... you might hurt or kill someone else. Also I'm hoping that even thought you didn't jump that you paid for your jumps. The club you are jumping with is a non-profit club and they are simply there for the sport to train skydivers. The next time you get out there just make sure you decide on the ground if you are or aren't going to jump or not. Do not go up in the plane until you have decided that you are or aren't going to jump. If you have even a doubt in your mind that you aren't going to jump then DO NOT get in the plane. Its not a carnival ride or a rollercoaster. If you think you aren't going to jump there is no harm in not jumping, take up bowling for a while and come back in a few years you just aren't ready yet if you can't make the decision to jump before you get in the plane. The time to be indecisive is not in the plane when you are up 3500' and there are 4 or 5 other people in the plane with you. Don't be selfish and put their lives at risk again.