goobersnuftda

More pictures. Some all of us have seen before, some new. Acquired through emails or wherever... not really sure.

Contour2+ all the way. Awesome camera, awesome quality with many resolution options and you don't look like a dork with that square lego block snag hazard mounted to your sphere. Sure the GoPros are cheap and you can pick them up at Costco but I have never liked the notion of GoPro's for skydiving. They never mount properly.

Hey who are you calling illiterate? I know who my parents are ..... :)

Remember the old Sony PC-1 and PC-5 days? Man O man, you paid big $$$ (like high $2,500) when they first came out and they were tape. We are all used to quick - fast - cheap now. On the other end of the spectrum, here is a prime lens I've been dying to have but is stupid expensive, even more than the camera body its self. No competition against it and though the fish-eye thing is neat, I get real board of that effect by picture #8 :) [url "http://www.usa.canon.com/cusa/consumer/products/cameras/ef_lens_lineup/ef_14mm_f_2_8l_ii_usm"] Prime Lens[url]

I'm editing from multiple sources from a tropical boogie and in an instant I can see which clip is from that glorious CX-150. The Contour2+ is second with that dorky looking Go Pro third. Nothing is the quality like that CX-150 with built in ring adapter for screw on wide angle. OOOh must shoot at 120 fps..... yea but there is a compromise, for everything else there is After Effects ..... :)

Single digit sleeps now .......

You are correct on all that info. On our 206 (even less STC mods available for that) we were about to go down the L-STC route. Flight testing, engineering drawings etc. had the bill start at $10,000. If you happen to know of someone else who has the same model plane that you do and they have already done the L-STC approval, approach them and for some compensation $$$ you can use the same AME/AMO engineering drawings and apply that to your plane. Approval process is much easier if the exact same drawings have already been approved for someone else and you are applying them to the exact same aircraft. Why forge a brand new path when someone else has already done it before ..... thats my way of thinking :)

Looking for help in acquiring jump ship mods for a Cessna 182P. I've researched it to the following points: -yes I know about the USA 337 form. They are not only clamping down on them in the southern US but are absolutely useless anywhere else. -yes I know about the true blue STC from the guy in Texas. Talked to him directly and the STC is only valid if you fly the plane down to him there and he does the mod himself. Says he is a one man show so if your pilot can stay the week and help him hold tools and such, he can have the mod done in 6 days. Yea, not interested. -searched the internet for pictures of 182P door mods and when I tracked down the tail numbers it has always been in some country that has real out there laws that don't apply to North America. The crazy issue is that this plane is too new (1972) and no one has a real STC or even a limited STC for it that I can find. All the jumpship mods come to an end at the N model. If anyone knows of someone who has been able to modify a Cessna 182P with even a L-STC, please let me know. I would love to find the AME company that got those mods approved and would help compensate the $$$ you had to put out in order to secure that L-STC.

Our DZ started with a 182 then moved to a 206. Here are our results. 182, wing tip extensions, STOL kit, IO-470 with Norland Conversion (230hp upped to 260hp). By far this is our performer and quickest ride to altitude 12,500 ASL. Began to have more and more students over the years. Bought a P206 (P-passenger, door opens like a 182, step and usual strut). IO-550, 3 blade prop, wing tip extensions. This is the bus to take the kiddies to school. Unless you put a turbo charged engine in a 206 once you get to 10,000 ASL the climb rate sucks as the manifold pressure drops. Turbo engine gives you more hp all the way up and doesn’t drop off. The 182 is our tandem ride. Yes there are only two tandems per load but the turn around is much much faster. The only time the 206 goes to altitude with two tandems is if people get out at 10,000 ASL. Takes way to freaking long to get 3 tandems up and with the burn rate on a IO-550, taking that extra tandem really isn’t worth it (and the TM complain on how long they have to sit there to get to the top floor). The 206 is the bus to take all the IAD's to altitude. With 6 slots available, the JM has one with 5 students. The biggest money maker by far in per hour by dispatching IAD’s. What to watch out for. The 182 is like a Ford truck. There are STC’s everywhere for them. The 206 is virtually nonexistent for jumpship STC’s mods unless you go down the expensive road of L-STC’s. If you live in America land you can play the 337 form game but even at that, the silliness of the past years is clamping down on that. People have migrated their forms away from the southern US up to places like Montana where the FAA offices have not seem to have received all the “clamp down hard” memos yet :) We run the 182 and 206 and by far that is the best combination. Keep the tandems happy, keep the student IAD’s happy in being able to jump and it keeps the regulars happy that there are slots. It takes a bit more organization so planes don’t sit idle on the ground waiting but in the past few years our student numbers have got (x3), yes three times. Extra profits we built a new hanger and bought a replacement 182 and retired our old girl. There is no such thing as a perfect skydive plane in the Cessna world because they are built differently. Once you get to the $1M plane turbines like a twin otter, PAC or Porter then you must have the people to service that capacity and away you go. In the mean time the best clubs you can have in your Cessna golf bag are a 182 wood and a 206 iron. PS, watch out for buying a too new 182 though. A 1972 182P is a hard bugger to get STC's for. Whoda thought?

Sorry there Shane, the Thai Sky Boogie is now one of legend and no more. I think the last one was in 2008. Unfortunately that C-130 Herc Boogie was the last Herc boogie in the world and it too has gone the way of some of the great boogies of the world like Belize. I was fortunate enough to go there twice and for a 3 week jump event (jump tickets, accommodations & breakfast) it was a skydiving mega event not to miss. I think it cost me $1,800 for the 3 weeks and I barely event spent $200 in extra spending cash (air miles to get there). Anyways thanks Shane for the memories. I thought I burred it way back there as one of the forgotten great events in my life but its back again but with a smile on my face. The only other true "tropical" boogie I know of for the winter is Cabo reEdit: Now that I've read the post, I must add that you are from Austrailia-land and your seasons are backwards. Winter is Dec-March and that is what I meant as winter tropical boogie. It's so funny and beyond my comprehension to think of JULY as the winter month where there is 2 feet of snow when it should be NOW.

Yes, switching the sensors was the first thing I told the wrench monkies :) All came back OK.

I am looking for some information from those that may know about cylinder temps on an upgraded IO-550. PM me if you wish instead of being scrutinized here :) Just recently upgraded our Cessna 206 from a IO-520 to a IO-550 (two blade up to a 3 blade as well) and are still in the break in period for the engine. There were no modifications done for the cowling, just take the old one out and Lego block plunk the new one in .... if it were only that easy. The issue we are having is that #6 gets warm like right now. Simply taxing to the end of the runway it is very warm. #1 stays very, very cool on descent. To the point that the pilots are backing off on their descent rate. All monitored through the new electronic temp gauge that can select each cylinder head temp individually. PRM and mechanics have checked everything out and it seems fine. Temp probes test good. #1 reads lower because it is different from the rest. Its just a washer under the factory installed probe. Fuel pressures tested normal. The backward rules for aircraft are that you need to have functioning original gauges in the plane then you can have the fancy new electronic gauges as extras if you wish. If when the aircraft was certified back in 1965 it had a spindle mounted hamster driven gauge, that is what must be working and installed before you can add whatever else you want. Have (x5) fuel gauges if you wish but at least one of them must be the original working format even though the new 2012 electronic system is much more reliable. This is why #1 cyl temp system is a washer with a probe attached to it to sense the temperature instead of replacing it with 2012 technology that is not only more reliable but dead on accurate. My question is, what can be done to make the new engine perform like it should without making things go "boom"? Pilots are backing off because of hot/cold temperatures and the only real issues with the engine is #6 being hot while #1 is really cool. P.S. yes we know #1 is at the front that gets all the air first and #6 is at the back by the firewall but the old IO-520 flew awesome without this great temperature differential. Fly so #1 doesn't get shock cooled and #6 will take care of it's self.

Pic set 2 of 2 There was lots of other pool side shenanigans but I'll let others post those :)

Pic set 1 of 2 Sure there were winded out days but at the all inclusive resort (including booze), eat and drink to be merry. Your own private rooms (complex was massive), and when you could not skydive there was: -quad on the beach or into town (with bar stops, try that one at home) -surf, body boarding -tours into towns or cities -volcano sliding (yup, $5 toboggan rental to slide 75 km/h down the side of a real active volcano) -lobster is the local food -tons of sun and pool side fun There may have been more skydiving but this was the usual awesome get together with everyone you know, have a tropical vacation and do some skydiving.

Maybe I should have stated my full case more clearly. I've been married for over a decade now. Christmas was on a Thursday, married on the Saturday. Everyone had the holiday season off on that weekend without using up vacation time. Family was home for Christmas anyways and everything was great with an indoor event (-30 outside), catered meal and full bar. More holiday festivities inside where everyone wanted to be anyways. Now that the other half of the family tree has been combined, there are many branches where family members think it is OK to get married on a July weekend. Spend a day traveling to get there, the event day, the next day to travel back. Not cool and in no way possible to get out of unless I don't want to see another decade of marriage :) PS for those smart people who came to our wedding, the day after Christmas was all the boxing day specials. Some pretty good kick ass prices on some awesome wedding gifts were had.

Though I do agree with your comment, in my particular case it is not friends but rather family. Not direct close family but just far enough down the tree that if I were to stand my ground and assert my authority with my wife, it would be a very lonely patch of land that I would be claiming :)

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I've stared a -tongue in cheek- on line petition for people like us. The reason for starting this is that I am a victim of such an incident and though there are times that I feel my life is but as a warning to others, maybe I can make a difference in the world and make it a better place for all of us. Let's see how far this goes :) Clicky

Call the USPA office. They own many STC's to make skydiving easier to accomplish. I'm sure someone there will be able to help you out.

Not at CES but still out there Clicky At least it doesn't look as dorky as that GoPro :)

Your example of the "Poor Guy vs Rich Company" is exactly how our system is set up here in Canada and in Austria, Australia and a number of other countries (loser pays). There is always a compromise in life and that is one of them. In the US you have dumb asses spilling hot coffee in their lap while in the drive through and they get $10M. People who sue their doctor because the appendectomy they needed had the incision left-to-right instead of right-to-left. Costs $50K to defend the frivolous suit but settle for $20K just to make it go away even though you did nothing wrong. Dr. insurance premiums go up. A prime example of how the USPA deals with this.... only $50K in 3rd party insurance. They admit if they had the $2M coverage like Canada has for CSPA, it would attract all the lawyer flies who sue for fun in the US. I like our set up. I keeps all the scum at bay and if you are a poor person and you find a lawyer, the lawyer must have some honest ability to see it is a winnable case because he would more than likely loose out if he could not be paid. We have the king of class actions lawyers here in Canada. He takes all kinds of class action suits. He offers no charges at all when you register, nothing, no bill at all. All he does is take somewhere I'm guessing like 50% of the setlement if he wins:) Check out how many he has on the go right now. Lawyers, gotta love em Clicky

I never, ever check my rig. Airlines have a small limit as to the maximum they will pay for lost luggage and in no way does it even come close to the price of a complete rig. Even if my home insurance does cover the loss, how long do you think it will take to replace the custom rig? The skydiving trip you would be flying to will also be ruined. Even if you check it in and it arrives at the other end do you really want the baggage monkeys tossing it around? Buy an industry standard carry on. The kind with the roller blade wheels and the extendable handle. Just by looking at it anyone in the airline industry knows it is the type that will fit in their test setup at the ticket counter for it's dimensions. Mine is tight enough that the pilot chute can not be in the BOC. Wheels are a MUST because some airports are looooong.

I have a link for probably the cheapest form of insurance, FREE. Sure it doesn't really cover you for injuries but the Canadian Government does one thing for you if a natural disaster strikes. Clicky Ever wonder how when a natural disaster hits that within about 3 hours the news starts reporting exactly how many Canadians are in the area? Sure some is a guess but for those travelers who entered their Passport # and travel information, they know you are there and if an evacuation is in order, your name is on the list. So what you say? How about that Tsunami in Thailand. They use to have a boogie there you know. New Orleans had their flooding issue, Lebanon was a bad place to be in when the neighboring country had enough of the rockets being launched at them and the order was given to level Lebanon down to the 2 foot level. Sure Canada only has one plane to bring its citizens back and forth with but when all hell breaks loose and I show up at the airport (or the dock for the ship from Lebanon), I want my name on the list first instead of all the other people there waiving their passports in the air NOW trying to get on the list :) It's free. If family or some emergency needs to get a hold of you they can use the people working for Canada in that country to find you in person. PS, the wankers who work federally to maintain the gov't web site are morons. They simply love to phutz with the links and they constantly move them around. Not enough brains to leave a redirect link in the empty directory when they move the data around so don't be surprised if the link goes dead in a month or two. Just search for the keywords through Google and you'll find it.

Do you have real pictures you can post or email? I really would like to see it but there are always times when you rely on the play toy parts of the internet that it fails. :)

My very first camera helmet was a SkySystems Sidewinder. I think it was a Sony PC-10 or something like that. Anyways, there was no way to mount a site around the visor as it was just a blank point and shoot system (much like the GoPro is now :) I took one of those clear type vinyl oil change stickers they put on the windshield of your car and cut out the center only leaving the thin red border around the edge. Simple water and I stuck it inside the visor. Had to move it once or twice to get it centered right but there was absolutely no blocking of vision for the left eye at all. Visor worked as it should and it was a great system until I moved up to a D-SLR and had to change the helmet for more top real estate room.