NoShitThereIWas

Hey ZigZag, good to see you on here too! You are correct, I did my first two jumps back at CalCity in March '96. You are probably right about the rig. Frankly, I don't care that much about the canopies. I am just in love with my Mirage G4. It is like Mine/made for me. And it seems not so bad. I really won't know until I tear everything apart and inspect it all how bad it really is. Yes, the insurance did pay for it but I lost more than the total claim amount with everything in there. I am not in any real rush to get back in the sport so time isn't a factor. It just seems like a harness is so much stronger and durable than canopy fabric. I don't know what I will do with it, but if there is any chance of it being unairworthy after I inspect it and/or send it to Mirage I won't put it back in the air. I would just really like to salvage it. I guess I am super attached, she was my baby... Roy Bacon: "Elvises, light your fires." Sting: "Be yourself no matter what they say."

You will find cocky, arrogant people in this sport. And you are right, there are many other wonderful things about it to look forward to and experience. Also, the tone of someone's voice does have a large affect on what they say. This guy may be a complete asshat. Or he may be someone who like others mentioned is working with a low-timer on skills. When you are focusing on one person and another low-time skydiver enters the dive, the coach has more to deal with and cannot focus on both. They may have already also planned their skydive. Once someone has planned a dive and you weren't included beforehand, it is kind of bad form to ask to join the dive, especially if he was working with a newbie. All that aside, you will encounter those "serious jumpers" who are all about perfection who don't want you screwing the skydive up, you will have arrogant Aholes who think they are better than you not only as people but as "SkyGods" and then you will have another 100-200 jump wonder who is also experiencing the same thing looking for a buddy to jump with. My advice is, find one of those people, make good friends and jump with more experience whenever the opportunity presents itself and try not to let your feelings or your ego be hurt when someone says no. Roy Bacon: "Elvises, light your fires." Sting: "Be yourself no matter what they say."

Thanks for all the noteworthy advice from the riggers. I remember my Master Rigger mentioning Woolite, washing and rinsing but I can't remember the order of what I was supposed to do first. I know when we would wash rigs, we would spray them down and saturate them with Simple Green, gently brush in a circular motion and then do consecutive rinses a wash/rinse tub I think having Woolite in it and then a freshwater rinse in another tub followed by a wash cycle and air dry. Would this be an OK method? I am just fuzzy on the details. Thanks for the Poynter's Reference and also the notes about the hardware, inspection of the rig and manufacturers suggestions. All of the stainless steel looks good on the outside, no rust, corrosion, etc. but isn't that what stainless steel is supposed to do? I do need to check the cable housings and reserve ripcord. When I take it all apart I will visually inspect everything. It didn't look that bad... It was inside my gear bag which was nylon and did provide a little protection at least. But eventhough it doesn't look that bad, my rig is black and purple so I may not be able to see the real damage. What kinds of testing would be done if I send the container to Mirage? Do they do a strength test on the entire harness and how do they assess damage from mold or mildew? Thanks again. Roy Bacon: "Elvises, light your fires." Sting: "Be yourself no matter what they say."

Thank you Jerry, that answer is more along the lines of what I was hoping for. Any other riggers with any other ideas or comments please suggest! Roy Bacon: "Elvises, light your fires." Sting: "Be yourself no matter what they say."

Um, that isn't what I am asking. I don't think that is relevant. If I can get the container airworthy for myself that is what I am trying to accomplish here. Thanks. Roy Bacon: "Elvises, light your fires." Sting: "Be yourself no matter what they say."

Hello, I have not been in the forums for a while nor the sport but am hoping to get back into the sport this winter/spring and had some questions for the riggers. I was storing my G4 containing my Stiletto and PD Reserve in a storage facility and there was a hole which allowed water to leak in. Two winters ago, we had a lot of rain which unfortunately saturated my rig, jumpsuits, etc. and the result is a smelly rig full of mildew. It sat like that for a good year. Luckily my renters insurance paid for it but I want to salvage the container. My Stiletto had thousands of jumps and I don't think I would want the reserve in there even if it was considered airworthy by PD but I am trying to salvage the container. It has been a while since I have rigged so I forgot the formula for mildew. Can anyone help out? Also I do love the main so if there is a chance of saving it, it has lines on it with less than 50 jumps. It is a shame but the lines smell like and have mildew/mold whatever it is on them too. Thanks! Roy Bacon: "Elvises, light your fires." Sting: "Be yourself no matter what they say."

I miss his cute smile too. Everytime I stand my bike or a motorcycle up, I think of him because he taught me. Roy Bacon: "Elvises, light your fires." Sting: "Be yourself no matter what they say."

I am so sorry to hear of this news! Mike was a great person and Gold Coast is such a fun place to jump! It has been years and Leanne, if you are reading this sweetie, I am sending you cyber hugs!!!! Call or write anytime! So sorry to hear of your loss! Roy Bacon: "Elvises, light your fires." Sting: "Be yourself no matter what they say."

Probably because that is the only kind of "job" you get? Roy Bacon: "Elvises, light your fires." Sting: "Be yourself no matter what they say."

Roy Bacon: "Elvises, light your fires." Sting: "Be yourself no matter what they say."

Man, I have not been on here in a while and all I can say is the biggest reason is because of idiots like this one. What a shit distruber this "warpedskydiver" is. Fitting name. Oh and BTW, I couldn't help but notice your post on John Kallend being either dimented or suffering from Alzheimers... because you did not know what team he was on at Nationals... I was on both teams with him at Nationals in 2002, 10 Way and 16 Way so you should publicly apoligize to him on that forum. It would make you look like less of an ass. Not much, but just a little Roy Bacon: "Elvises, light your fires." Sting: "Be yourself no matter what they say."

Same here, I never knew Larry but you are right about his smile. When I see those pictures of him and his daughter it makes me sad to know they are without their father. My daughter lost her dad at 3 so I know how hard it can be. I think of what a shame it is that these things happen. I hope at the very least you are able to get some peace in closure by knowing and understanding what happened to Larry and why. As I wrote you in a PM, as part of a huge family of skydivers, I'll be here if you ever want to talk about anything. Roy Bacon: "Elvises, light your fires." Sting: "Be yourself no matter what they say."

I hate to admit it, but I have plenty of friends who are riggers who drink, smoke pot, whatever. When I started rigging, I used to think, not such a good idea to mix the two! Now, after knowing a couple riggers who drink and smoke pot... There are a couple of them and a couple packers too who I wouldn't trust to pack for me if they were sober. I know it doesn't sound right but it is true and they are damn good riggers/packers. (Yes, flame away ). Now, would I take my reserve to someone who has a history of f-ing up and has a problem? NOT. And there is one rigger I know of who was a total stoner and we later found a rig under his ticket that went through not one, but two repack cycles with a molar strap left attached. This person was one of the reasons I chose to get my ticket, I am just not willing to take the chance of having my last chance of survival dependent on anyone else. Well, there is one other rigger I would entrust my gear to and he is the one who taught me. I would also most likely trust my DPRE. Other than that, no one except for myself. Roy Bacon: "Elvises, light your fires." Sting: "Be yourself no matter what they say."

I think it is very bad form to anonymously post in the Incidents forum. Especially when you are accusatory without any proof or reason except to try and get ahead in your own business by casting ugly shadows on those individuals who are in competition with you. It takes the family comradery right out of the sport. It is about time someone mentioned this point, I hope more DZ.com readers come across this post and understand that there are just some with bad intentions and no factual knowledge. It's one thing to remain anonymous because by coming out with the truth, your job may be in jeopardy. I have known and seen some people do that or they maintain a second identity when posting on contraversial topics. But nonetheless, I find that much different from the apparent trolls who continue with their attempts to stir the pot. Roy Bacon: "Elvises, light your fires." Sting: "Be yourself no matter what they say."

Hey Kelly, I want to play but am not registered on PokerStars. If I can get on I will join in the fun too. Roy Bacon: "Elvises, light your fires." Sting: "Be yourself no matter what they say."

Hey West Coast Peeps, Just wanted to say Hi and that I have officially moved back to Southern CA. Celebrating XMas today witht he family in Riverside, CA but it looks like I will be living in Laguna Niguel so I will have a choice of like 3 awesome Drop Zones to go to at a minimum. I got a "real" job finally, (I guess it had to be done at some point in time) something a little different from teaching AFF and rigging but I think it will be a good thing. I am looking forward to seeing old Cali friends at the DZs and in the skies of CA and I am also looking forward to making new ones. I will also have another cohort along from Missouri, his name is Greg Anello. He is a tandem/AFF instructor and rocks in the sky. So you southern California DZs have just adopted 2 new DZ children. We look forward to the blue skies ahead. Hope everyone is having a Merry Christmas today and that you are all getting everything you want! Roy Bacon: "Elvises, light your fires." Sting: "Be yourself no matter what they say."

That was an interesting video and I am glad I watched it... That Reverend Whatever his name is is undoubtedly a crazy kook who has some serious issues with what he perceives as white power. I don't get that Obama shares his same extremism though in his ideas about the "Black Liberation Philosophy" or whatever they called it. I did not read much into any of the statements taken from Obama in their presentation. It seemed like a typical Republican ploy toward propaganda appealing to the fear of the American people and preying on the mystery behind the man; trying to convince us that we have elected a black, Muslim, terrorist, socialist, who is going to be wearing a black pointy hat on his head telling whites who their new slave owners will be. Come on, give me a break. I thought it was a little far fetched myself. Roy Bacon: "Elvises, light your fires." Sting: "Be yourself no matter what they say."

Well I tried to warn everybody back then before his first election and then before being re-elected. I couldn't fathom how he even stayed in office. It still bursts my bubble how the American people impeached President Clinton and held onto Bush. It boggles my mind, really does. Roy Bacon: "Elvises, light your fires." Sting: "Be yourself no matter what they say."

Here is an article from 1998 posted on CNN that proposed how Clinton was going to create a surplus (which he did) and achieve his objectives of how he wanted the money spent. Not only did he balance it but when he did enact taxation, he gave clear descriptions of where the $$$ would go and contrary to some's beliefs, the spending was controlled unlike Bush's fiscal philosophy which has had no control and increased our deficit by staggering amounts. Clinton Unveils His Balanced Budget WASHINGTON (AllPolitics, Feb. 2) -- Touting its zero deficit at every turn, President Bill Clinton on Monday unveiled his $1.7 trillion 1999 spending proposal for the federal government. "This budget marks the end of an era," Clinton said, "an end to decades of deficits that have shackled our economy, paralyzed our politics and held our people back. It can mark the beginning of a new era of opportunity for a new American Century." The budget contains no giant surprises. It is four volumes and 2,514 pages of legal language formally proposing the programs that Clinton has been talking about for weeks, and which he summarized in his State of the Union address last week. Major initiatives include a new $21 billion child-care initiative, more than $7.3 billion in new education spending, controversial new proposals to expand Medicare and a challenge to the states to aggressively sign up poor children who are eligible for Medicaid but not now enjoying its benefits. Clinton several times emphasized his State of the Union pledge to apply every penny of any surplus to bolstering Social Security, though many congressional Republicans are eyeing tax cuts instead. Clinton's budget also proposes roughly $25 billion in "loophole closers" -- otherwise known as tax increases -- including eliminating tax breaks enjoyed by banks, real estate investment trusts and multinational corporations. The new Clinton budget also envisions raising more than $65 billion over the next 10 years through a national tobacco settlement; that translates into roughly a $1.50-a-pack increase in cigarette taxes. Many of the president's new initiatives would be paid for from the proceeds of the settlement, which is hardly a done deal. "The whole budget is based on the tobacco settlement and ... I think it is fair to say when you talk to people on the (Capitol) Hill that the tobacco settlement is dead," Richard May, a former House Budget Committee staff director, told The Associated Press. The White House says it will find the money elsewhere should the settlement not pass. Budget director Franklin Raines says he is optimistic about the tobacco bill's chances. "We are quite confident that the majority of the American people want to see this kind of legislation to raise the cost of cigarettes," he told the AP, "and we believe that ultimately the Congress is going to reflect the view of the American people." Clinton's budget forecasts surpluses of $218.8 billion over the next five fiscal years: $8.5 billion in 2000; $28.2 billion in 2001; $89.7 billion in 2002; and $82.8 billion in 2003. "It is obvious that you can have a smaller government, but a more progressive one, that gives you a stronger America," Clinton said. "We've done more than simply balance the budget, more than just line up numbers on a ledger," he said. "We have restored the balance of values in our policy, restored the balance of confidence between government and the public. Now, we'll have a balanced budget not only next year, but as far as the eye can see." Clinton called for bipartisan cooperation in passing the first balanced budget since 1969, but his own budget is crafted with congressional politics in mind. Its proposed spending for defense and transportation, for example, is significantly lower that the levels favored by congressional Republicans. The White House deliberately earmarked funds for Clinton's pet programs and left transportation, defense and other areas to negotiations with Republicans. Clinton applauded the efforts of past and present Congresses that have voted for tough measures to bring the deficit down, and saluted the American people for staying the course. "For more than two centuries, Americans have strengthened our nation at every critical moment with confidence, unity and determination to meet every challenge," Clinton said. "For too long, the budget deficit, a worsening crime wave, the seemingly unsolvable welfare difficulties, they all seems to challenge our innate American confidence. In the past five years, the American people have met these challenges, and have moved to master them." Clinton's budget projections are based on conservative economic growth estimates. The administration is predicting growth of just more than 2 percent per year; annual growth in the last quarter was more than 4 percent. White House aides say their lower estimates leave room for a cushion in case the Asian financial crisis has a greater effect on the U.S. economy than now anticipated. Of course, increasing the growth estimates during budget negotiations would also open the door to higher spending and make it easier to bridge the differences between White House and GOP priorities. At the end of the president's presentation, Vice President Al Gore handed Clinton a ceremonial magic marker, and Clinton turned to a chart entitled 1999 deficit, filling in the blank with a bold "0!" CNN's John King contributed to this report. Roy Bacon: "Elvises, light your fires." Sting: "Be yourself no matter what they say."

Yeah and I would also go insofar as much to say that Clinton balanced the budget like he said he would, a far cry from anything Bush did except to get us deeper and deeper into debt with his "war on terrorism and weapons of mass destruction" Roy Bacon: "Elvises, light your fires." Sting: "Be yourself no matter what they say."

Well in my opinion, he sure as hell should. When I get to the point that I am almost embarrassed to call myself an American because of my association with the President, it has got to be pretty bad because I consider myself a very patriotic person. George Bush is a disgrace to the American people. I hope all the conniving Repubs who wanted to make such a disgraceful display of Bill Clinton can see how absurd a comparison Bill's actions were to Bush's. I am glad we have a half black President. Maybe if he does a good job like I think he will, people can learn to get over their racism and prejudice and learn to respect each other equally and fairly. Those are the nuts and bolts of our country and it's democracy anyway; equality and fair treatment regardless of race, religion or background. At first I wasn't wild about having a President named Barack Hussein Obama, before I knew anything about him I was like Geeez, you mean so closely after 9/11 and our entering Iraq and ostracizing Sadaam Hussein we were going to have a President named that??? I am happy for what Obama represents to the African American people. I would have liked to see Hillary get in there and would have liked seeing a woman do it first, but I'll take Obama anyday just after seeing McCain's campaign material. Although I have respect for McCain's love and respect for this country, I love and respect this country too but that doesn't mean I have the tools to make a good President. Roy Bacon: "Elvises, light your fires." Sting: "Be yourself no matter what they say."

Well I am glad to hear that because there are a lot of people in this country who are and it is pretty sad. Roy Bacon: "Elvises, light your fires." Sting: "Be yourself no matter what they say."

Ummm, I wasn't necessarily referring to yourself, moreso some of the people I have come in contact with in general. But considering your total defensiveness about my statement, are you one? Roy Bacon: "Elvises, light your fires." Sting: "Be yourself no matter what they say."

Thanks! BTW, just out of curiosity, what is a "thick" Brit??? Roy Bacon: "Elvises, light your fires." Sting: "Be yourself no matter what they say."

It is the best day ever because it is my Birthday