lewmonst

Thank you for that... Question though, is "8 feet" too much of an assumption? Or are you basing this on a focal range to cover most skydiving scenarios? When I used to shoot more manual focus, I would set my distance for about 3 or 4 feet for tandems, 5 or 6 for 4way and up to infinity the bigger the group got. I'm actually getting good enough results with my current lenses and AF AIServo that I haven't gone back to manual focus for a while now. Just wondering, thanks! Lew http://www.exitshot.com

You can get your A-license in a week anywhere... The reality of that happening is more dependent on weather and if planes are flying. If you're a SoCal local, why not stay here to get your A-license in Perris? You can go in the tunnel in between jumps if you want or need to. And there's jump insurance: If you do tunnel time with a coach, you're gauranteed to pass the next AFF level, if not, the repeat jump is free. There's no 2 tandem pre-requisite so you don't have to waste money on another tandem. 2 minutes in tunnel is included with the FJC. Save money on travel. Perris flies loads every day. The weather in Perris is the best in the country. And you get free debrief video on each jump from Level 4-8. There's a cheap bunkhouse on the dz if you want to crash close. Oh, and a restaurant, bar, pool, big gear shop... Why go to Texas? http://www.exitshot.com

Thank you. Ha... yeah, it was quite traumatizing getting my head wrapped. I was at Wes's shop by myself, and I could just barely breathe out of my nose. The rest of my head, face, chin and neck were wrapped so tight in the plaster I couldn't move my chin enough to swallow the saliva in my mouth. I kept telling myself to stay calm. Wes would disappear for 10 minutes, and I couldn't scream or anything. I wondered what if he didn't come back or what if my nose got stuffed up, as it often does, and I couldn't breathe. I forgot to wear my iPod like he suggested, so I was just sitting there in the dark for 40 minutes or so until he started sawing my head in half... Unique experience, hope I never have to do it again. I told him I was glad I didn't know how bad it was going to be going in, because I might not have done it. He said he's had a few well-known camera flyers freak-out and make him take the plaster off and start over... Wes had many funny stories... http://www.exitshot.com

Awesome! Can't wait to see your progress. I'm happy to have a Wes CCM. I think if anything ever happened to it, I'd like to try to make one myself. Let's hope I don't have to do that. I would certainly like to learn how to do it and get skilled with the fiberglass. Maybe someday be able to make them for others.... Good luck! http://www.exitshot.com

Why make it so hard? No drill, no dremel, no super-tack, no glue... just some 550 chord. http://www.exitshot.com

Yep, a little 550 chord goes a long way, and I didn't have to dremel, sew, or glue anything. Just make sure the knots won't come undone. Edit to add: Oh yeah, and, with my macgyver rigging, you don't see my arm in the video. Whereas you do with the specially designed gloves. http://www.exitshot.com

I was intentionally not explaining it, hoping those that cared would already know or make the effort to look it up. Probably set expectations too high in that sense. A "YES" vote would reject the new law and continue to prohibit same-sex couples from marrying. A "NO" vote would allow the new law to take effect, permitting same-sex couples to marry. The law was already passed, what's being voted on is the referendum to reject the law. So voting NO is a vote to reject the referendum, allowing the law and allowing same-sex marriage. I wonder how confused the voters will be based on how convoluted the text of the law and referendum are. http://www.exitshot.com

We've been using them for almost a year now as a "basic video" option. A rigger made gloves for the case, dremelling off the screw-hole mount on the bottom, but the gloves zippers have all broken and then you can't use all the included mounts for other things... I came up with this little macgyver rigging in a few minutes of getting the camera, and I've been using it without an issue ever since: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=142959&id=545871412&l=40f1f0165d http://www.exitshot.com

same sex marriage. (please excuse my poor slang spelling in the poll title) http://www.exitshot.com

might as well poll dz.c and see what percent are still bigoted... http://www.exitshot.com

I love the light on her lines in Hollie Sun photo. http://www.exitshot.com

How did you spend those 2.5 hrs? trying to call? It took me about 2 seconds to get this page: https://eservice.sony.com/webrma/web/index.do?SR=nav:service_support:electronics:repair:esup&ref=http%3A//www.sony.com/index.php which I've used frequently for sending a camera in for repair, without a problem. http://www.exitshot.com

I'm surprised you didn't create a poll. My vote would go for Syncing Feeling. http://www.exitshot.com

The Xaos-27 is the best all around cross-braced canopy. It opens soft enough for me to trust it with a heavy camera helmet on thousands of jumps. It is very responsive, as any cross-braced canopy is, and fun to fly. My W/L is between 2.2 and 2.7. The openings are long, around 800ft usually, and soft. Sometimes there is a little bit of left-right shake as the cells inflate, but not enough to call it "rough". It opens better and more predictably in my experience than the Velo or Katana. It does not open as well as a Xaos-21 or Crossfire. I trust it for jumping camera. However, if you have a premature toggle release, it does spin up fast if you don't counter-input before full-inflation. It's trim is steep allowing for a lot of speed and long recovery arc, ideal for swooping. It stays in a dive, like a Velo, so swoops must be initiated high. Yet there is a lot of input on rear risers, for trimming it up and making it back from a long spot or to plane out of a dive exactly when you want to. The front riser pressure is lighter than a Velo, but not as light as a Katana. It's very responsive to harness input and easy to initiate turns and swoops with just harness.

You're welcome! Thank you for leading the training and saving our lives and our gear! http://www.exitshot.com

Here are some photos, including a completion shot: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=160989&id=545871412&l=47fa030801 http://www.exitshot.com

Tape is dead. Get a CX100. http://www.exitshot.com

I need to take a better photo of just the helmet completed by itself, but here's me in it. His website: http://home.earthlink.net/~rimworld/id3.html http://www.exitshot.com

So this urban legend is validated with video... nice. I'd heard the story, didn't even know it was on video. I know the instructor. I think that was his only jump as a TI. And, I think that was his first probation jump right after the course. And his last jump as a TI... This is many years old, at least 5+ http://www.exitshot.com

...(sigh).... Yes, it is beautiful. I feel so lucky I got one, and just devastated to think he won't be around to share this gift with other cameraflyers anymore... http://www.exitshot.com

I wrote this in the video forum, but it deserves to go here as well... This breaks my heart! I was fortunate enough to travel to Deland in April and have Wes mold my head for one of his amazing helmets. I just received the completed helmet a few weeks ago. It is truly a masterpiece. If you didn't know Wes, you'd never guess from seeing him just how talented an artisan he was. He had a gift. No one in the world made helmets like Wes... And no one ever will... Wow. I don't think he'd jumped in a while, but he loved to tell old skydiving stories. In my brief meeting with him and a plethora of emails, I learned a lot from Wes. He will truly be missed. This helmet already meant a lot too me. Now, I will cherish it that much more... Thank you for everything Wes... Blue Skies... Karen Lewis Attachment: the best helmet ever made... http://www.exitshot.com

His recent masterpiece... my treasure. http://www.exitshot.com

I clarified that for him... But it's true. Depending on what you're jumping. And do NOT do a hop'n'pop with Slider Down out of an airplane! You'll probably break your neck, badly. Maybe a balloon jump... Start here: http://www.basejumper.com/articles/ and here: http://snakeriverbase.com/ Don't die. Please. http://www.exitshot.com

Oh No.... This breaks my heart! I was fortunate enough to travel to Deland in April and have Wes mold my head for one of his amazing helmets. I just received the completed helmet a few weeks ago. It is truly a masterpiece. If you didn't know Wes, you'd never guess from seeing him just how talented an artisan he was. He had a gift. No one in the world made helmets like Wes... And no one ever will... Wow. I don't think he'd jumped in a while, but he loved to tell old skydiving stories. In my brief meeting with him and a plethora of emails, I learned a lot from Wes. He will truly be missed. This helmet already meant a lot too me. Now, I will cherish it that much more... Thank you for everything Wes... Blue Skies... Karen Lewis http://www.exitshot.com

In his honor, let us continue to pursue "The Cause Of His Life": http://www.newsweek.com/id/207406 and "end the disgrace of America as the only major industrialized nation in the world that doesn't guarantee health care for all of its people." http://www.exitshot.com