slotperfect

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Everything posted by slotperfect

  1. Skydiving Hall of Fame Class of 2020! https://skydivingmuseum.org/news/congratulations-hall-fame-class-2020
  2. So sorry to hear of Gary's departure. I had so many great conversations with him at PIA Symposiums, often early in the mornings after he returned from his walkabouts. I most admires what I call his "respectful skepticism, which led to so many great chats. Rest easy, Mate.
  3. Word on the floor is that we do indeed have a digital copy. The keeper of those files is at Oshkosh this week, but I will see if he can pull it remotely and send it my way. More to follow.
  4. Put one crab in a pan, it can easily climb out. Add more crabs to the pan, and when one begins its escape, the others pull it back into the pan. From the Wikipedia article on "Crab Mentality:" 'The analogy in human behavior is claimed to be that members of a group will attempt to reduce the self-confidence of any member who achieves success beyond the others, out of envy, resentment, spite, conspiracy, or competitive feelings, to halt their progress.' Strangely, I never experienced this to any significant degree in my skydiving career (professional and personal) - perhaps because of its military origin. I did, however experience this to the nth degree with a serious life decision I made a few years ago. Countless "friends" and acquaintances called, emailed, texted, stopped by to tell me why it was a wrong decision. I can't think of a single one of them that I am still in touch with. One good friend warned me that was going to happen (we are friends to this day). Two others asked me - once - if I had taken the time to think it through and if I was sure. My affirmative response was good enough - they supported me completely after that and we remain the closest of friends. Strong opposers likely do not understand the sport or the motivation behind your participation. In may opinion, you don't owe them and explanation nor do you have to defend yourself. Acknowledge the risk, place high value on training and methodical progression, currency, proficiency, and mitigating the risk. We all know that across the bridge of risk lies a great reward - it's different for everyone, but I applaud your choice to seize it. It will be a shame not to be able to share your experiences with those who have already called them to question, but you can always share them here Blue Skies, Fair Winds, and Safe Arrivals, Mate.
  5. Awwwww MAN! So sad to hear. She was an absolute JOY to deal with when I was a military end-user of Bonehead products. I even got to meet her in person a time or two - genuinely a great lady.
  6. Meso is the spam-blocker software guru, but as a *former* Moderator I can say from my experience that the a non-technical strategy against spammers is: A strong roster of Moderators who are regularly attentive to the forums and are spread across time zones. In other words, the goal is to have an attentive Moderator who is awake and available around the clock & around the world. It doesn't always work, but we were pretty close at one time. Delete/Block - easy day. Forum Members who PM Moderators to make them aware of spam in a forum. A quick PM with the link and bada bing/bada boom.
  7. I no longer see a way to hide the Forum Descriptions? Did I miss it somewhere? Those of us who have been here for a while don't need them and it makes for less scrolling . . .
  8. 1) Click on the drop-down menu arrow next to your Profile photo in the blue banner, top right 2) Click on "My Adverts" 3) Click on the ad you wish to delete 4) Scroll down past the ad and the split blue banners 5) Click on the "Advert Actions" drop-down menu 6) Choose "Delete" Note: There may be an "Are You Sure?" step after this - I didn't want to delete my own active ad trying it. If you just want to *edit* the ad, follow steps 1-5 above, but choose "Edit" from the "Advert Actions drop-down menu. Make your edits and save using the button at the bottom.
  9. Having used the new format since day one . . . I love it overall, it has been long overdue. I visit the forums mainly from a desktop, but the occasional need for Smart Phone visits are FAR easier for my old eyes than the previous web page view. The only two things I haven't gotten used to yet: I am routinely clicking on the "Dropzones" link from the banner looking for the Forums. I think that must have been the previous position for the Forums link. I make a conscious decision to "Mark Forum As Read" and have to go through the "Are You Sure?" pop-up, which is always redundant for me. It gets in the way of moving on to the next Forum to read. Highlight for me is the classifieds, which are LIGHT YEARS better than they used to be. I also like the new Q&A Forum, although I haven't gone full-immersion there yet.
  10. Excellent idea. No need to separate IMO, as many folks will just slap their question in a chosen forum arbitrarily.
  11. https://www.sskinc.com/UsedCypres2.asp Arrive Safely John
  12. The 30 Footer fits in all of our containers that were previously built for the C-9. It packs up just slightly bigger. We currently have two back rigs, one chair, and two seat rigs configured for this canopy. It has been popular with: -Pilots looking to upgrade from their C-9 -Heavier Pilots -Pilots flying in high elevation (e.g. mountainous) environments It is also standard in our rig made specifically for the L-39 Albatros. And thanks (about the opening). That's Paul from ZHills - he's awesome to work with . . . Arrive Safely John
  13. It is block constructed . . . Arrive Safely John
  14. This would be the new Strong 30 ft Lopo. I just installed one today in a mdl 306. Very impressive. It's rated for 300lbs @ 175 kts. I thought it would be a scaled up 26ft Midlite but it's got some interesting features. An extended skirt, and, when flaked out on the packing table it doesn't appear to be a true conical shape. There is camber, as viewed from apex to skirt. I wonder if this improves the inflation speed.? It is indeed a conical canopy (in-flight photo attached). The extended skirt, which modulates the opening forces, was also the key in being able to open quickly being both heavy & fast, and light & slow. Check out this video: https://youtu.be/EerdPfcUoIY Arrive Safely John
  15. Strong PN 946130 "Tape, Kevlar 1" Ty 6 cl 5, Break Strength - 1500#" [email protected] Arrive Safely John
  16. The Gun Glove - summer weight shooting gloves. They come in half sizes! https://www.thegunglove.com/pages/about-us#weights Arrive Safely John
  17. Call Don Mayer at The Parachute Shop in Pepperell, MA. If you would like to consider a TSO C-23f upgrade to the 50+ year old C-9 design, PM me your email address. Arrive Safely John
  18. You will have to playlist these, but: Rush "Fear" set: -Part I: The Enemy Within (from Grace Under Pressure) -Part II: The Weapon (from Signals) -Part III: Witch Hunt (from Moving Pictures) -Part IV: Freeze (from Vapor Trails) If you happen to use Google Play Music, PM me and I can share the playlist. King Crimson Larks' Tongues in Aspic set: -Part One (from Lark's Tongues in Aspic -Part Two (from the same album) -Part Three (from Three of a Perfect Pair) -Part Four, all three versions or the 13 minute digital melting pot (from The Construction of Light) -Coda: I Have A Dream (from the same album) -Level Five (from The Power to Believe) I haven't playlist these myself yet cause they are a little harder to find . . . Arrive Safely John
  19. Alan Parsons Project: Tales of Mystery and Imagination Quadrophenia - The Who Genesis - The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway Arrive Safely John
  20. IIRC the US Military's definition of HAHO includes openings above 6,000 FT AGL, and overall minimum opening altitude being 3,500 FT AGL. Thus, a HALO would include openings 3,500 - 6,000 FT AGL. You may also see "HAMO" which refers to openings (roughly) in the 8K to 10K range, but that's not an official term. Arrive Safely John
  21. "D.B. Cooper: The Real Story" Google Play Store; I heard it can be had through the Apple Store as well. Arrive Safely John
  22. I have met Carl Laurin and have talked with him at length about Walter Peca (Reca), and have seen some of the supporting documents and photos he has gathered over so many years. Last weekend my wife and I downloaded the new documentary - VERY well done, and quite telling. In our first two meetings, Carl subtly "tested" me by giving me just a little information about Walter Peca, who was in two photos in a Michigan Skydiving Team collage on my office wall. When he understood that I was not prone to dismissing theories about DB Cooper's identity, he shared more information with me - along with some incredible stories about wingsuit jumps in the 1950's and some of his aviation feats. Carl is the real deal - I believe his account. I leave the rest to you . . . Arrive Safely John
  23. In the late '90s, while looking for some skydiving clipart, I came across a website called "Sangiro's Synergy." There was other stuff there too, so I bookmarked it and made it a regular stop in those early "surfing days." Soon after, along came a link to "Dropzone.com." IIRC, I joined the forums in late 2000 - I was among those whose join date rolled back after a software update. I immediately enjoyed the camaraderie, the international footprint, and the information I was able to both gain and offer in this new-to-me online gathering. Amazingly, I made good friends despite having never met them in person. I connected in ways I had never experienced before. I tried to contribute while respecting the rules of the "house." I guess that worked, because Willem asked if he could turn my username green in 2004. At PIA Symposium 2005, invited to a Moderators' dinner by HH himself, I met or reunited with many other "Greenies." That would happen over and over again during my travels and theirs, and would include "dotcommers" other than green as well. Soon I discovered that peoples' online persona is either a 2-dimensional representation of their real selves, or an excuse to hide behind a keyboard to unleash whatever cobweb-covered bullshit they cared to unleash. Having several conversations with Willem that weekend and after, I (like many others) understood his vision for an online community. I did my best to support that dynamic for ten years. It was not an easy road, but I thought it was worth it. I still believe that. After retiring from my Army gig in 2008, my jumping ramped up significantly - both on the work and personal side. Those were wonderful years, but I realized later that skydiving was providing an external sense of joy that masked other things that were beginning to fade for me. I stepped down from moderation in 2014 when I took a job at Alti-2 in DeLand, FL - to prevent conflict of interest. I continued to visit regularly, as I still do, thus my response to this thread. It was during that time that my life changed. After 30 years, I was no longer a government employee; my kids were grown; I no longer had a North Carolina address; and I gave 50 a high-five on the way by. Most importantly, I found my Soul Mate. I haven't jumped in 4 years, but stay connected to both the sport and military communities through my new job at Strong Enterprises and visits to Skydive DeLand and the occasional event. I rarely travel anymore, happy to enjoy the beach (or the pool when a walk wins over a drive), the porch, and the birds who come by to pay us a visit. I have stayed in contact with many friends from here, and lost contact with others. Regardless, I am confident that our next meeting will show no change in friendship, and result in a quietly raised glass to those who we loved who left us too soon. Gone are Cornolio's Wednesday night MIRC chats, the auction site, post counts, and the like, but as social media becomes more of a flock of mosquitos, I think these forums may welcome back many who we have not seen in a while. Love and respect. Arrive Safely John
  24. Shoot me an email at work [email protected] and I will take a look on Monday. Arrive Safely John
  25. [hypocrisy] So . . . you got your Commodore64 running again? [/hypocrisy] Arrive Safely John