winsor

I have a real police baton! Yup, I keep it under the seat in my truck for self defense... was cleaning out my wife's car one day not long after she bought it used, and found it hidden under the rear seats which fold down to an opening to the trunk... So... Nina has a police car, freeflir29 has handcuffs, and I have a real baton... what next? Well, I could ARM a pretty sizeable police department, complete with Tactical Squad and SWAT team - and then some. All things considered, I have more firepower than does the average Police Department. I no longer have any vehicles that will outrun a Highway Pursuit vehicle. I got rid of my last 255 km/hr (150+ mph) motorcycle as a matter of survival, and the E-type Jaguar cost more to run than does the airplane. In any event, if you're going to have a fast car, it pays to have a sleeper - a Camaro is one of a thousand in the area, but a Lotus is THE only one around. The Florida State Highway Patrol used to sell off their old cruisers, and high school students could get ahold of a Fury III with the Interceptor suspension package and 426 Hemi for cheap. Those suckers were mind-boggling. These days if I want to go fast, I want some altitude with which to play. Doing 140 mph, I have been told to SPEED UP by a representative of the U.S. Government. I love it. Blue skies, Winsor

There is some merit to the sentiment in a tangential kind of way. It all comes down to attitude. Some years back, Dave DeWolf had a group in his rigger's class who were all fun and games. They progressed well enough with the technical skills, but were vary cavalier about the whole thing. One of the instructors finally had his fill, and read them the Riot Act. He pointed out that people's lives depended on the execution of their duties as riggers, and that the attitude they displayed was unprofessional and inexcusable. Apparently the message got through, and they did beautifully thereafter. In the military, it is customary to pick one of the rigs packed by a rigger, hand it to him, and say "you're jumping this one." This has the effect of making it clear that every time they assemble a rig, someone's life depends on it - and it may well be theirs. There is a big difference between a parachute jump from an aircraft in flight, and stepping into dead air at three (or two) digit elevations. A reserve deployment that could be salvaged to a safe landing might amount to a BASE opening that guarantees disaster. So I agree that one needn't be a BASE jumper to be a good rigger, but I sure would prefer to know that my reserve was prepared by someone who packed it as carefully as a BASE rig than someone with the attitude that goes with packing the average skydiving main. Blue skies, Winsor

For those of you who have never driven a Ferrari, be advised that its looks are but a minor part of the equation. A Ferrari is a singularly idiosynchratic machine, and any resemblance between a replicar and the real thing disappears when you start the engine. I heard a description of Ferruccio Lamborghini's creations that is apropos of the Ferrari, in that speed becomes an abstraction. 200 km/hr is simply twice 100 km/hr, and so forth. A Ferrari is happy at speed. Loafing around the streets of Brussels at 100 km/hr was effortless, and letting it stretch its legs when clear of town was anything but the white-knuckle experience of a lesser machine. I submit that anyone touting the Replicar would change their tune forever after an hour behind the wheel of a GTO, Testarossa, 308 GTB or anything that legitimately wears the Ferrari logo. The difference between a Ferrari and lesser machines is hardly skin deep. Blue skies, Winsor

Like Enzo, I love the song of a twelve. I've driven a mess of Japanese vehicles, and my share of Ferraris. I'll take even a sleeper Ferrari hands down. Blue skies, Winsor

That's a personal attack. I've banned you from Speaker's Corner. Actually, if you read the exchange carefully you will note there was no attack involved at any level. The response was facetious, but made direct reference to the question posed. Ask a semanticist if you think otherwise. A tongue-in-cheek answer - and that is what it was - is hardly a personal attack. Blue skies, Winsor

I suppose so. It really depends on what you're doing, and you want the people jumping with you to be on the same page. Your instincts to go over it with your instructors are sound, so they don't wonder what you are doing if you start reaching for your handles at odd times during the skydive (it can be a bit unnerving if they don't know what are your intentions). Since over 90% of the time that you deal with an emergency you will have something out (line twists, lineovers, tension knots, hung slider, etc.), it is most important to ensure that your handles are clear and reachable in general. If your harness fits properly, a full gear check before boarding and a final check before exit tend to suffice. The only time I pulled silver at terminal was when I couldn't find a deployment handle, so the location of the cutaway handle was immaterial. Having checked the reserve handle's position before boarding the aircraft, and again before exit, it was no problem to find it. I consider it a sound practice to drill your handle location and emergency procedures very regularly; if you then find yourself with an unlandable canopy overhead, you need only to make the decision and the process itself is automatic. Again, talk it over with your instructors, regardless of what any of us say here. Blue skies, Winsor

QuoteI have came across people that have stated that they dont care to get more knowledge about the way gear is made/maintained/repaired b/c they dont plan on becomming a rigger.Quote IMHO, people with such an attitude are well advised to take up another hobby. If the pin setter at the local bowling alley hangs up, and you are unsure of how to reset it, it is no big deal. Pound down another beer while the management sorts things out, and you're back in business. In skydiving, ignorance can be life threatening on a personal level, but it puts the rest of our community at risk as well. I want people around me that are heads-up enough to tap me on the shoulder and bring it to my attention if there is something about my gear that is questionable, not people who don't know the difference. A lackadaisical attitude regarding safety issues is not acceptable, and it speaks of a level of personal responsibility that is incompatible with the demands of this sport. Blue skies, Winsor

Clarence Darrow is the Attorney who defended the teacher, Scopes, on trial for teaching Evolution. Darrow was as noteworthy a cynic as was Henry L.. Mencken (look him up if you're not familiar). If you are somehow working under the assumption that I am defending creationism or other mythical nonsense, you have not been paying attention. Blue skies, Winsor

QuoteAre you saying when you do your line check you do each line? That would take a lot of time. Quote Nice catch. Yeah, make that line group check. I do check every line on repacks and when attaching to risers. Blue skies, Winsor

huh. I thought that all plaintiffs had to be diverse from all defendants, and the amount in controversy had to be in excess of 75 grand for federal diversity jurisdiction....it would be difficult, because I know that this cybersquatting and copyright infringement has effected DZs in Georgia as well. I also was thinking that monopolistic practices might be a better platform for injured DZs to work from, because copyright issues are very difficult to prove (at least from what I remember from my property class). For monopolistic trade practices in Georgia, I think all one needs is the intent to expand one's business to the detriment of other businesses (an offshoot of McAvoy v. Medina), and a demonstrated loss. Lying about the existence (or lack thereof) of a DZ seems intent enough to me, so all one would need would be demonstrated damages (more difficult to prove). I was wondering what the lawyers on here think about this. Danny Page, where are you? Brie I have seen him jumping at ASC some time back. Blue skies, Winsor

Exactly. I was at a seminar with Orly King a couple of years ago. During his talk he remarked how important separation between groups is (and I agree, it is), then he went on to tell that using the "45-degree" rule is the best method for ensuring proper separation. As I was just a 200-jump chump at the time, I didn't speak up to correct him. Orly King is a hell of a freeflyer, but I'll get out of the plane after him if that's how he's doing his spotting, thank you very much. Point is, Vlad is a great jumper as well, and even the best can't have knowledge over all areas, or may have heard an explanation that seemed to fit and used it without checking into it further. Uh, I know Orly and I know Vladimir, and they are in no way comparable. Orly is World Class, coming and going. An Engineer he is not, and, even if he says "45 degrees," in practice he is using a Mark 1 eyeball to be assured that the preceding group is well clear. When gauging separation he is WAY safe. Vladimir was a mediocre Intermediate skydiver when he gave it up (look at the body position in the video - he doesn't even know enough to be embarrassed). The video was not about passing on knowledge - he has nothing of significance to pass on. It's about a source of income for Vladimir. Blue skies, Winsor

Vladimir gave me a copy, which I watched and returned. I consider it a waste of tape, and it was a waste of time watching it. I feel badly that Tammy's name was associated with the effort. Any Sophomore in a related filed could tell you the truisim that instability is the handmaiden of maneuverability. By Grad school you should be able to evaluate this concept by means of a variety of analytical tools. He does have a degree from an Engineering school in Belgrade, but does not work in the field. In the time I spent with him it was very apparent that he is weak in the fundamentals, and the tape simply demonstrates that fact. Vladimir had maybe 350 jumps when he hung it up (he may have returned to the sport, but I doubt it), so you should bear in mind that you are viewing the product of a low time jumper with a rudimentary technical education who set out to make some money. Since you have a copy of the tape to watch, it seems his goal was met - he made some money on the deal. The Vladiball is also a money-making venture. A crude solution to a niche problem, it is cheap to make and ensures a good profit margin. Whether it works or not, he makes money. Don't worry about the content of the video, it isn't worth discussion. Blue skies, Winsor

Creationism and alien-genesis are both forms of passing the buck. In both cases the underlying concept is that, since life as we know it doesn't seem a likely outcome of any permutation of the pieces of the puzzle we have on hand, the cop-out is that something outside our consideration put the pieces together, and that this something has properties that render it somehow unknowable. I call bullshit. Any of the arguments against terrestrial life occurring spontaneously apply equally to the deity or alien to which said life is attributed - only moreso. In each case, excessive complexity is explained away by postulating an origin many orders of magnitude more complex, and it just doesn't wash. If someone is comfortable with basis entities just kinda being there and creating life for no particular reason (OOH! mystical and magickal and so forth) it should be no more difficult to accept that life on our planet came about as spontaneously as the mythical deities or legendary aliens. I have heard enough true believers explain that all other true believers are wrong, but that they, alone, are in possession of The Truth to worry about it much. The one thing I accept is their assessment of each other - that they are all entirely out to lunch. Before you start seeking answers, you first have to figure out the questions. Blue skies, Winsor

If you don't do a line check every single time you pack, you are leaving out a very important step. I run the lines up, separately, from the links and toggles to the canopy before I sort out the nylon. It's fast and easy, costs you nothing, and it catches such things as misrouted lines, walk-throughs, and so forth. Blue skies, Winsor

It's the title of a category. It's a grammatical convention, and has no moral connotations. Blue skies, Winsor

Perhaps that would be an interesting diatribe if it related to much of anything. My remark was a distant variant to Clarence Darrow's comment "In the beginning, God created man. Man, being a gentleman, returned the favor." What leads you to suspect idiocy or gullibility, and how do you conclude that those are the only viable options? Blue skies, Winsor

I really don't give it an awful lot of thought, since I stay the hell out of CYPRES territory. If I have two out, my intention is to bury a toggle on the main and chop when they get clear. The shorter bridle on the pullout reduces the likelihood of entanglement with the reserve. There is the stray chance that they will get along. I don't recall coming across results from tests where radically different sizes were flown together. I do know that an EXTreme loaded over 2:1 was flown, at half brakes, in formation with me under an F-111 7-cell at 0.9:1. so there may be a chance that compatibility issues are not as grim as envisioned. In any event, I think the prospect of breaking every bone in my body trying to land a too-small reserve is a more compelling concern than preparing for personal CRW on undersized canopies. Blue skies, Winsor

Thanks for the heads-up. I have 10 Racers at present, and have a rough idea of how they work. As far as little reserves go, I doubt if anything anyone says is going to convince you to pick something that will give you some slack when you need it most. With any luck, you will use your little reserve as many times as necessary, and it will be entirely uneventful. You can then shake your head and wonder why people were being such weenies. OTOH, you may find yourself in a corner where having more nylon overhead would make all the difference in the world. Life is a crapshoot in general, and skydiving moreso, and I think it a real good idea to load the dice in your favor as much as possible. When you go to silver, you are betting the ranch on one pass. Blue skies, Winsor

Hell, I want to see a pic of the rig! They're Racer Elites. Here's a picture of them; it's a poor image and they aren't arranged in a photogenic display, but it gets the idea across. Blue skies, Winsor

Screw tiny reserves. I have a couple of 99 sq. ft. crossbraced mains, and both of them have 218 sq. ft. reserves. Why? Because I didn't have anything bigger on hand. CAN I land something smaller safely? Sure - if there isn't anything else working against me. Do I want to be under something loaded as highly as my main if I'm A) Under canopy low over trees or other obstacles? B) Under reserve because I'm too badly injured to open my main (broken collarbone, arm, etc.)? C) Unable to see from blood in my eyes (been there) or some other problem? D) Unconscious or insensate? E) Other factor I have yet to conceive? Hell no. I don't want my reserve to simply keep me from dying, and maybe require a Life Flight. I want to have a nice soft landing, grab another rig, and be on the next load. If having a big reserve isn't cool, that's just too bad. Blue skies, Winsor

That just relates to timing, not the reason behind the celebration. Wrong, that is precisely the reason. You weren't paying attention in class - Jesus was born in the Spring. The Yule festival, occurring at the Winter Solstice, was mutated into a Christian form for political reasons - retaining most of the existing rituals. The veracity of your beliefs does not change the origins of the festival. Blue skies, Winsor

but I have a right not to have to keep it out of sight. Just as I have to put up with the secular humanist. Even though the Lord God Almighty has seen fit to provide you with genitals, good taste should be the reason you keep them out of sight. I should hope you similarly cherish your religious beliefs enough to have the good taste to keep them to yourself. I'm not talking about rights, but good manners. Blue skies, Winsor

Uh, Christians usurped a perfectly good festivity - the Yule - and created a pseudo-holiday to supplant it - Christmas. Jesus was born in the Spring, closer to the Vernal Equinox than the Winter Solstice. Most of the traditions that we associate with Christmas come from pre-Christian cultures, and have nothing to do with Christianity at all. I don't begrudge people celebrating Ramadan or Kwanzaa or whatever they're into. I do get sick to death of having to put up with two months of Christmas-themed dreck every year ("Grandma got run over by a reindeer ?" spare me). I am indifferent to the "Merry Christmas!" greeting, and find it quaint in the sense of tribal tradition. I am used to the idea that True Believers (tm) of every ilk assume that whatever they do by dint of Blind Faith (not Clapton, Bruce and Baker) is Right, and anyone who finds it annoying is simply in need of The Truth (tm). I consider religion like genitalia. I think you have every right to hold it dear and feel that it gives your life meaning, but I think you should keep it out of sight and I surely don't want to hear about it. Blue skies, Winsor

In that they ARE Skyride, I expect so. I brought up the link, and went around in it trying to figure out quite what DZ "Skydive Illinois" was and where it could be found. I finally broke down and called the toll-free number, since that was the only contact information provided. The answer to my question regarding the location of "skydive Illinois" was to ask from where I was calling. Since I can't figure out how a DZ's location could be dependent upon my location, I did my very best to get the person on the phone to simply tell me quite where "Skydive Illinois" was located. The bottom line is that it isn't located anywhere. She apologized for my misunderstanding that their mission in life is simply to help me find DZs, and I didn't bother to point out that the website had nothing to do with what they actually had to offer. The impression I got was that of a Ponzi scheme pitch. Although the business model of Skyride varies greatly from a Ponzi scheme - it isn't a pyramid - there is an awful lot of the same something-for-nothing get-rich-quick in it, and their smokescreen is first rate. Not too long ago I ran into a wheelchair-bound person who told me he had made a tandem, and he spoke very highly of the people who took him up. He and his father also went to great length to voice their dissatisfaction with Skyride, detailing a laundry list of duplicity and deception they experienced when dealing with them. I am proud of the professionalism of the people who took this kid up, but I am ashamed of the treatment he received at the hands of Skyride. Over the years I have been aware of dealings within our community that were questionable at best, but Skyride takes it to another level altogether. I will be relieved when they can no longer do business as they now do, and they will not be able to continue for very long. Blue skies, Winsor

When you're in the basement, an altimeter is no longer of much use. Ground rush becomes the dominant reality, and making high-level decisions may take more time than you have. If you ever see the ground getting visibly closer FAST, it is imperative that you get something overhead immediately. I do practice pulls three or four times per jump, but I have only yanked silver six times for real. OTOH, I have deployed BOC throwout and PUD thousands of times, and can do so instantly. I don't jump anything that snivels in particular, and the amount of altitude burned up going for the reserve is easily greater than the difference between main and reserve opening distances. About the only time my game plan involves using the reserve when low is if the plane breaks right after takeoff. Below my cutoff altitude - which varies upon the main in use (EXTreme 99 FX or Raven IV?)and the venue (Eloy AZ or Lebanon ME?) - the plan is to unass the aircraft most rapidly (as instructed by the pilot - and I *have* been told "GET OUT OF MY AIRPLANE!" when one quit working) and pull the reserve when clear of the tail. Above the cutoff altitude, I go to the main as expected. If we're high enough, we turn points after the emergency exit (hey, altitude is altitude...). Blue skies, Winsor