freakflyer9999

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Gear

  • Main Canopy Size
    210
  • Reserve Canopy Size
    181

Jump Profile

  • Home DZ
    Spaceland Dallas
  • License
    D
  • License Number
    99999
  • Licensing Organization
    USPA
  • Number of Jumps
    500
  • Years in Sport
    30
  • First Choice Discipline
    Freeflying
  • Second Choice Discipline
    Formation Skydiving

Ratings and Rigging

  • Pro Rating
    Yes
  1. It was WFFC 97. I didn't get to jump it, but I saw it turning loads faster than Mullins.
  2. I just had the complete harness on an older Javelin replaced by SunPath. Their pricing is about $450 re-using the hardware from the old rig or about $100 more to replace the hardware. I actually had the harness updated to 4 rings for about $750. I've also done the same with an old Vector in the past.
  3. There are 4 pages of comments already on this topic. I'm only adding mine because I've been there done that. Yes it is possible for heavier people to skydive. I was 265 on my first jump. I didn't realize at the time that the DZO was allowing me to jump gear that wasn't rated for my weight. Skydiving did motivate me to lose weight and less than 6 months later I weighed 185 lbs. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to maintain it and even exceeded my original weight significantly over the years. I have made jumps weighing as much as 315 lbs + gear. Exit weight was really close to 350 and I was jumping a military rig with 350 sq ft canopies. Of course at that weight I flew base for the freeflyers and even they could have trouble keeping up with me. I did find that swoop cords were my friend and Tony Suits was able to build me a suit that slowed me down reasonably when I weighed in at the 230-250 range. I have again lost weight (gastric bypass) and though I'm not skinny, I'm not much different than many of the other jumpers out there. I've been surprised to hear some of the thinner looking jumpers tell me that they outweigh me now (215). Fall rate is still an issue though. I do own multiple jumpsuits and I'm actually planning on buying another slower one. To wrap all this up, it can be done. I wouldn't trade my 21+ years in this sport for anything. It has been a challenge at times, but it was worth every moment. If you can safely help a larger jumper get started then go for it. Yes, there will be obstacles and yes there are higher risks. I would suggest that you give the jumper an incentive before his first jump. Tell him, if he loses 25 lbs, you'll help. Maybe even make him get on the scales before every jump day and he must not have gained weight in order to jump that day. Just an idea, but give him some motivation to lose weight.
  4. There was one in the classifieds last week. Not sure if it is still there or not but do a search for Dolphin d6
  5. I'm not so sure that your problem isn't in your head as much as it is physical. I personally have never felt a falling feeling when exiting an aircraft, even on my helicopter and balloon jumps. If I unexpectedly step off of a curb while walking I experience a falling feeling, but the relative wind in skydiving seems to provide enough positive feedback to my senses, that I simply don't feel like I'm falling. I do have a slight sensation of going down a slide. Maybe this is what you're describing as falling. BTW, it is natural to experience fear when jumping out of a perfectly good airplane. We all have experienced it. When I was a student there were other students at my home DZ that had pretty severe cases of fear. One rode the plane down on his 7th or 8th jump and never came back. A female jumper cried before each and everyone of her student jumps, but she finished the program and stayed with the sport. I personally still get butterflies in my stomach on the way to the DZ and on occasion I have stayed on the ground when everyone else was jumping even after 20 years of jumping. Not necessarily because it scares me, but sometimes it just doesn't feel right and I take that feeling seriously when I experience it. As you yourself and several others have suggested, the solution may simply be to go jump. All most everyone I've ever talked to seems to agree that around 50 jumps the fears tend to go away. It is at that point that you develop confidence in your training, your skills and your gear. Some hit it earlier and some later, but 50 jumps seems to be the magic number for a lot of people. EFS
  6. If you are just reading what others have said, then any paper that you might write won't be your own but merely a summary of what others already have said. The only real way to research skydiving is to put a rig on your back, open the door and exit. If you just want to regurgitate what somebody else has said, then google Brian Germaine.
  7. Yes. I have been jumping one of Larry's pilot chutes for several months. Great quality. Works as it should.
  8. Just had a thread about this on Facebook. Apparently there is a group that jumps in Galveston on occasion, however, there isn't a regular DZ there. Skydive Spaceland in Rosharon is less than an hour to the north west. Just got back from a mini boogie there. It is a great DZ.
  9. Skydive 35 about an hour south of Dallas/Fort Worth does 17K jumps.
  10. I had less than 50 jumps when I did my first 27 way. I had no business on that jump, but some very experienced people put me in the base, and explained my slot to me including exit. I survived. 20 years later, I'm still hesitant to do 20 ways, because of a number of factors, but mostly because I primarily jump at a Cessna DZ and I'm just not used to that many jumpers in the sky.
  11. Come meet new friends n share air with old friends on a low key laid back traditional TEXXAS 20-way competition https://www.facebook.com/events/781101325257180/?source=3&source_newsfeed_story_type=regular Tony Albano is forming a 2nd team (his first team is full) to compete in the Texxas 20-way competition on June 14th. Practice jumps at noon on June 13th at https://www.facebook.com/spaceland2 Luke short from sunny California oldschool very competent organizer /skydiver will b Flyin in with his crew to captain this new 6th team of the competition.
  12. Skydive35 in Hillsboro, TX goes to 17,500 Call before you go to confirm schedule. Jump Prices for USPA license holders Top 2,500’ – 4,500’ AGL - $19.00 Up to 13,500' AGL - $25.00 Up to 17,500' AGL - $33.00
  13. Except maybe, you know, an enormous loophole in the laws requiring background checks. There is not a Federal law that requires background checks for private party transactions that do not cross state lines. There are a few states that have laws requiring them, but at the moment that is the exception rather than the rule across the US. I have bought and sold several firearms without background checks. I have also bought numerous firearms with a background check and as long as I maintain my Concealed Handgun License, there isn't a requirement for another background check when I purchase from a dealer or across state lines. I do have to complete the paperwork on those transactions, just the dealer isn't required to do the NICS check on me. BTW, I also admin one of those Facebook groups though not a nationwide one. Our members are in the local area.
  14. I've been trying to order one of those buttons all day. Nobody seems to know where to get one.
  15. Thinking more is better and with the cheap memory available I ordered my laptop with 16GB. Unfortunately, the software really doesn't take advantage of it. When running video editing software, memory usage rarely goes above 3GB on my system.