Albatross

Are you jellous that we never take grips on you Paul? After all we did invite you to make some jumps in the formation at Nationals. Chris

Quade you are a bring guy you should be able to sing them while you watch from above. But I will tell you mine anyway A-It is the first one so it is unique B- Bairstep C- Crapy murphy flake (to many bad exit on point) D- Duan or Damn yuan E- MEEEEEEKer F- F'in New formation G- Gatachrod H- It kind of looks like an H J- Jelly donut K- hooKKKKKKK L- Ladder adder M- Murder at Bundy (I am from LA) N- CrannnnK O- SatOlite P- Peabody Q- Who knows but it is last. Now for the numbers Chris

From what I have been told, they will not let you jump with an audible until you are off student status bcause they need to beable to see that you are altitude aware. Chris

WOW, Lisa I hope to hell that this is no one that I know or anywhere I jump. We all have a responsibility to police our sport. The people who let him demo the 120 are Asses and need to take a good long look at themselves. Any person who is in a position of responsibility or authority should have their position pulled and rating revoked. I can't do anything to the IDIOT who would sell that person small conopy but I would shun them and would be likely not to jump with them (if they would do this what else would they do). That all being said they ultimate responsibility lies with the jumper himself (I assume it would be a guy no woman I have met would be that dumb). I know that when I bought my new canopy I test jumped several and looked at the sizes. I found the 120 Sabre2 to be great. However, when it was time to buy I chose the 135 because I could land it better in a bad situation. We must alwyas ask ourself not if I can land this in the grass into the wind on a cold day, but can I carve around the idiot that runs aross the landing area in a cross wind in the middle of the summer or off the DZ. Chris

Quade does cary that cell phone with him on the jumps and does not "turn off all electronic devices before takeoff". It is very funny to see him answer his phone while rolling down the runway. Chris

I really liked the service of PD. They did a full inspection and then did some little repairs and sent it back in time for my next training weekend. Chris

I agree with the point of trying to analyze why you brain lock. The concept of working though the brainlock on the ground is good as well. However, be careful of focusing on the point that you brainlock. If you have a brainlock on the ground review the transition in your mind so that yuo can see it happeneing over a nd over again. But make sure that you also insert it back inot the dive flow. I often find that peope have a brain lock on the ground then do fine on that point in the air but either lock the one before or just after because they were focused on the the middle on. Most often the brain lock occurs from poor distraction control or poor mental prep. For mental prep visualize the transitions from both the on level view and the camera view. Visualize the other peoples move as well as your own. For the distraction control folow the Airspeed PEDL philosophy. Plan on the ground, execute in the air, debreif on the ground, then learn. If you try and debreif in the air mistakes happen. Fianlly don't get flustered if you are last into the formation. SOMEONE is always last even if it is just by a heartbeat. It is better to be last into the formation than to get flustered and mental try and play catch-up and then rush. As you can tell I have brain locked quite a bit and thought about it a bunch. Chris

It is funny how the blocks become simple to build and do but the randoms are very complicated. There are many ways to turn the blocks and that is part of the team continuity plan and how you turn the block will determine how you build it. It will also infulence how the block finishes in shap. The randoms will get tweeked and warped to be faster and may not look anything like the formation drawings. The basics are try to keep the point and tail on a line moving in and out on the line and rotating. The centers do the same and you look for the shape that has the smallest move. Bottom line is find someone who has experience and is good at it. Somepeople are really good at seeing these things and others are not. Remember that all you need to do is have the correct grips everything elese is up for grabs. Chris

I does sound like your IC is way to ar inside the plane, which would cause some of the rotation that you are talking about. I also head jam the Tail slot on the meeker but it is a comfort thing not a need. WHen I say Airspeed style it is just that I have gotten a bit of PD Blue coaching and their exit style tend to be a bit of a peel or flow exit where they expect the exit to turn like 30 deg and that is what they plan fo . Airspeed tends to "bloosom" the exit up and down the line of flight. I have found that the Airspeed exit requires a more dynamic exit for the OC and better timing to be prefect than the PD Blue style. Just my thoughts. Chris

On a Javelin or Infinity the flap comes down over the pin and then a tuck tab goes back up under to keep it closed. Some people add rubber grip tape to the tab to create more friction of the tab against the main compartment to keep the tab from slipping out. It shouln't be needed if the container fits the main. Chris

I have tried this and it does help me especially when I was flying point. What you do is use your hand to represent your body and put them in the air on the angle you would have it on the hill. For example, on an Airspeed meeker exit the tail is parallel to the ground pointing towards the plane, point is parallel facing out.... It can help you see where the other people are going so that you can see the exit picture and know where you need to be to help it. That being said. IC must get their hips down into that hole to lock the exit in. to do that tail must get away from the plane and the OC must get their hips out to create that hole. AHHH the joys of an exit. Chris

As I was once told there are 2 major parts to the exit: Timing and presentation. The kink in the sidebody and the rotation of the Meeker could be lots of things. It could be the Point launching out instead of placing himself on top of the formation. I could be the Tail not getting his right side down and away from the plane. It could be the IC being higher thatn the OC. It could be a timing issue. It might just go away with practice but you might get a fast solution by looking at the timing, presentation and placement on video with a knolegable 4-way coach. BTW where are you trying to put youselves on the launch? Chris

My experience before fedralization was that you could always apeal to the airline and ultimately the pilot. Chris

I have the same problem in my Mindwarp and it is mostly due to the alignment of the holes and the padding. make sure that the sound has a clear shot at your ear. Chris

Oh boy here I go again. Viking I think that Shark is right as are several of the people when they say get coaching or someone who is going to fall straight down and can observe exactly what you are doing in the air. As for your legs remember that this is a giant physics equation. Not only is the length important but so is the surface area. Your legs might be only partly extened or your chest might just be deflecting nearly as much air. Your shoulders might be cupped or a number of other things. Now on to other debates. I will grant that I love to fly 4-way and that I think that it is the absolute greatest thing on or above the planet. However, when people say that there are other diciplines they are only half right. Sure you can fly big ways wiht a box man body position and do fine. However, what Weird is saying it the gospal. If you want to fly your body better, in any orientation, you need to have a good body position that allows for maximum range in any direction and that is the "mantis" for belly flying. The 4-way guys on the 300 way were most certainly flying with their booties in the airstream and their heads up. That is a nut shell is the mantis. Now if you are suggesting that Craig Girard was flying wiht his hands above his head and back I think that you had better look again. All the 4-way gods are looking for mor efficient ways to move and to fly their bodies. Being able to fly your arms and legs in the only thing that matters when you are trying to fly better. There are other ways to get the job done just none as efficient. Chris

It is kind of hard to do relative work without someone to be relative to. You an work on body position, altering fall rates, and stability but the rest is going to be very hard. Chris

Isn't there already a NSL competition in the camps? Chris

Quade is right. In the begining it is a good idea to get a few basic exits down so that you can launch them (meeker, sidebody, staristep dimond). Then you can trasition to the first formation. If you have limited time and experience then this is a great method. But taking a shot at launching the formations intact is also a good idea. Some will work with your group and some will be difficult. Once you have a few that you can launch you can always go back and launch what you are good at in competition. Chris

I think that Eloy has a packing "union" you have to pay to pack there and get approval. Chris

Oops, my bad. I guess I am just dreaming about jumping on a monday. Sorry Chris

Someone would have to fly with you, but from the in air pictures I have seen of you, it might be your body position. You have a mega arch and with you legs and chest so high you might not be getting the change in body pitch that you need to move agressively forward. As much as we talk about using your legs to move you forward, part of it is that extending you legs pushes your legs up and your body pitches forward like what Weid was describing. THAT will really get you moving forward. Also while you say that your arms are in your chest and shoulders are a much bigger surface and might be cupped and catching air and slowing your movement. Chris

Lots of us will be there. Quade and I will be training with our team so you will likely see us on the creeper pad. Jim will take great care of you. He is honestly one of the nicest people I ahve ever met. It is incredible that someone with some many jumps, who does it for a living still is all too happy to go out and do a two way with someone just off student status. Chris

It is my first Nationals and the first time that I have appeared on a DVD, SO YES. Besides it can serve as a good training tool. Chris

Break down of the Schools and DZs: Elsinore has by far the best view and ahs some great staff. The atmosphere is casual and friendly. Good place to hang. Due to the size and staffing you might have a longer wait depending on the # of people. Perris Valley has the largest and most experienced staff I have seen. It is a very professional well run operation. You will get trained and up in the air quickly. Due to their volume you might not get a lot of time with you tandem master. Jim Wallace is sort of the middle. The staff is very friendly and does a great job with videos and has agood personal touch. They are smaller and you might have to wait. As for the facilities Perris has a better physical plant witht the bombshelter for food and drinks, the pool and more aircraft. Elsinore has a snack bar, a great view and a great DZO(Drop zone owner) who might be on your plane Chris

To add to what Quade said. Big ways can be alot of fun but they can also be very scarey. Airspeed, Kate and Tony and i am sure several more organizers are great. Do camps and workshops with them and you will have a great and safe experience. Getting on the load with the local LO who has lessexperience or on a group with insufficient skills can be very scarey. From personal experience all of the Big ways I have done with the above people, Rodger Ponce and John Hammilton were well planned, fun and safe. I always had sufficient room to open and never felt in danger. The only other time I have been on a 20+ jump it scared me to death. It went to &&( and 2 people from the base and me and the other last diver ended in a 4-way, broke high and looked down and up to see the other 16 people not tracking, not on level. That was the most tense track I have been on since AFF. Chris