redshift

Members
  • Content

    26
  • Joined

  • Last visited

  • Feedback

    0%

Community Reputation

0 Neutral

Gear

  • Main Canopy Size
    190
  • Reserve Canopy Size
    225
  • AAD
    Cypres

Jump Profile

  • Home DZ
    SkyDance Skydiving, Davis, CA
  • License
    A
  • License Number
    43551
  • Licensing Organization
    USPA
  • Number of Jumps
    105
  • Years in Sport
    2

Ratings and Rigging

  • Pro Rating
    Yes
  1. A friend is interested in AFF and is considering Santa Cruz Skydiving. Anyone have any experience with their AFF program?
  2. I think this would make an ideal jump ship: http://i.space.com/images/i/18940/original/super-guppy-nasa-crew.jpg?1341007082
  3. I second that. I had to land with rear risers a few jumps ago when a brake line snapped. I landed it ok (I'd done quite a bit of practice flares and stalls up high with rear risers, and the landing conditions that day were perfect), but all in all I would've been more comfortable if I'd had some practice landing on rear risers before it happened.
  4. Also try the "French roll" described in
  5. Even better: supposedly, some test pilot back in the X-15 days forgot to put his landing gear down, bellied it in, and then decided to lie and say that he thought he'd put it down. So to support his story, he flipped the gear-down switch... whereupon the plane climbed up on its gear like some huge insect getting to its feet. Nice hydraulics, if true.
  6. Get a GPS-enabled cell phone, attach a teeny drogue chute to create a bit of drag, drop it from exit altitude, and monitor its position via phone (might need a little code here). When the vertical coordinate stops changing (i.e. it hit the ground), you should have all the data you need to figure out correct separation. Now you just need to find the phone. Er... does GPS even report altitude? Better strap a Neptune to that puppy.
  7. Sounds right. Ok, that's obvious (now that you've pointed it out!) I have no idea, I don't look up that soon, since I'm wanting to stay in a flat, symmetrical position until inflation begins. On the main, I don't actually know. At least 500, I'd say, maybe more. Clay's checked out the main and the lines (etc) and figured both are about halfway to replacement. I don't use the very last stow, there's not enough line. For you d-bag designers out there... this all makes me wonder if having two sets of stows, one on the left for the left set of lines, another on the right for the right set, would help solve this problem, the theory being that the bag, being under tension at both ends simultaneously (instead of alternately) would tend to stay oriented correctly.
  8. Down the sides. I use small bands on my bag, single-wrapping the first two (center) bands, then double-wrapping the outers, because they're always a lot looser for some reason. Maybe I'm packing so that the main is fat in the middle and making the bands in the middle tighter? It's a somewhat small pilot chute; 23" for a 190 Triathlon. Lots. I'll do that, but don't know why that would cause line twists.
  9. I know the subject has been recently discussed, but I'll ask again anyway. I think I'm packing my Triathlon pretty consistently, but I got two unpleasant line-twist situations in a row yesterday. So far, the reasons I've heard are: - bad body position - not enough free line between risers & d-bag - different sizes of rubber band stows For jump #2 yesterday, I had about 14" of free line between risers & d-bag, and I think I was in a good, symmetical position during deployment (but don't remember clearly). Result: 2 line twists. For jump #3, I left about 24" of free line, and was very careful about body position on deployment. Result: 1-1/2 twists. I hate line twists and would like to prevent them. Any more ideas?
  10. 1. Take up a relatively safe sport that your spouse isn't interested in. Do it long enough that he/she gets used to it being just something you gotta do for/by yourself. 2. Next, take up a moderately risky sport like scuba diving. Do that long enough for your spouse to realize that it's not that dangerous if done well (remember to do it well). 3. Then start doing something that's definitely risky, like motorcycle riding (or even racing). Do it until your spouse's fear diminishes (if you get injured or killed, you'll have to start over from the top). 4. Finally, take up skydiving. If your spouse's response is "yeah, whatever...", congratulations. If not, rinse & repeat. This is only partly about dulling your spouse's interest in your well-being; it's also about your credibility as to the real risks involved. So don't lie.
  11. Let me rephrase: "Dude - you missed the point - whether the Nazi's ascension to power was a far-right initiative when it started out is no longer important. A coup d'etat is a hostile take-over by a faction without the people's involvement or consent. This is clearly not the case here; no, The Nazi party came to power democratically, with the full backing of a populace looking for strong leadership bearing simple, comforting answers to fears about the economy and the influx of foreigners". Don't think it can happen here? Neither did they. Do you think this is really about the popular will? Don't make me laugh. It's a cyncial manipulation of the public's insecurity and ignorance. Do you think Schwartzenegger is going to be the one making policy? Please... why do you think he met with Ken Lay already? And don't misunderstand me... the historical Nazi analogy has nothing to do with Schwarzenegger's national origin.
  12. What in the HELL are you talking about? California Republic? It's a state of the union, bound by the Constitution, which says that recalls are reserved for cases of criminal wrongdoing. Ok, fine, throw in some cheap ad hominem attacks. Let me know where you live, so I can make some crude generalization about your politics.