Airman1270

...Says the man who doesnt have to go three months between blowjobs... _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Hmmm... Three months? Damn shame. I don't usually feed the envy monster, but I've been waiting nearly 15 years. Who's bitching about three months? Wait, never mind, I guess I don't need to know. (Breathe slowly and repeat: I love my wife...I love my wife... I love my wife...I love my wife...sigh...) Cheers, Jon

...You're missing out on some excellent - and free - learning opportunities by not being at the dz when the weather sucks. Same goes for post-sunset activities... _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ This is true, but... Count me among the people who jump out of airplanes, but who recently learned they are not really skydivers. Several reasons, none very hard to understand: In my early years, it was that 3-4 hour drive home that needed to begin shortly after sunset. Later in life, it was a non-jumping wife and young children "demanding" that I assign them some priority. A number of years ago there was a couple who seemed to be at the DZ every weekend, both days, sunup to beer light. After more than a year I learned that they had young children. Where were they parking the kids every weekend? Pre-teen kids need to be with Mom & Dad regularly! Nothing wrong with fitting the DZ into your life, but if you're trying to fit the kids in during your "spare" time you're not doing your job. I don't care how many logbooks you can fill in a year. Even though I usually average just a few jumps per month, and don't often stay after hours, I still can't shake this feeling that I really AM a skydiver, and have been one longer than the majority of people I ever share an airplane with. On those rare occasions when I can camp overnight and make at least three jumps in a weekend, I enjoy every minute of it. I don't often have social contact with other jumpers, and I can't describe that feeling of being surrounded by people who have been there, who understand. However, I don't have to because if you're on this site, you already know what I mean. Cheers, Jon

Twice. Was kicked off the Long Island DZ (NOT the turbine DZ currently operating at Calverton) for political reasons 20 years ago. I was a new graduate from an upstate DZ; they were helping me out. I asked for a pin check and a guy said that if I was going to jump there I had to learn to "take care of myself." This made me nervous. (In fact, the whole atmosphere was rather intimidating.) I didn't want to cause any trouble so I sent a brief note to USPA describing the situation and asking for advice. I did not identify anyone. Instead of answering me privately, they published my letter in PARACHUTIST. That got me screwed over big time. I'm still paying for it. During these years in exile I was kicked off the DZ at Woodstock, CT for a low reserve pull. (VERY hard ripcord pull.) The DZO was, in part, nervous about me because I only showed up once in a while instead of every weekend like the other jumpers. That damn three-hour drive really slowed me down. I moved to another state after making 200 jumps in nine years. Things are a little better now. I learned a valuable lesson: If you send anything to USPA, expect to see it in the magazine unless you specifically ask them not to print it. Cheers, Jon

Yo Peanut: I hear you guys have a picture of my 800th landing back in August. Can I have a copy? I'm getting a repack this evening- looking forward to blowing the cobwebs off Saturday. Bring Freebyrd. Cheers, Jon S.

If God didn't intend for us to eat animals, why did He make them out of meat? By the way Billy, anchovies rock, but I do enjoy the looks I get when I order them. Cheers, Jon S.

Last year I "downsized" to a Triathalon 220, and am very pleased with it. This main does everything I need, such as open comfortably (almost every time ), float in the sky so I can enjoy the view while waiting for everyone else to land, and land softly. I can sink it into a tight spot if necessary, and it won't kill me if I misjudge an approach or drop a toggle on the flare. Of course, it would put Ian, Shannon, and the other super swoopers to sleep, but is this really a bad thing? (Old man: "Why, I remember back in the days when water was considered an obstacle." ) Cheers, Jon S.

I'll bet there are people who have a running bet going as to how soon I'll speak up here... Yes, my Wonderhog is in great shape. I've been using it since 1990; before then I had an even older, more worn-out 'hog. Only last year did I finally get a new rig, promoting the 'hog to second rig status. I removed my Star-Trac and took the Strato Cloud out of storage for a completely classic set up, and jumped it twice this past summer. The 'Cloud is much heavier & bulkier than the 'Trac, making packing near impossible and resulting in a rig that weighs about 40 lbs. So far I just do hop 'n' pops, but I could use it to go base on a big-way. When you jump an old rig as a novelty, people think it's kinda neat. When it's your only rig, they think you're an asshole. Last year someone gave me grief, comparing my rig to the Wright Flyer. I think a better analogy is the P-51: Long since outclassed in every way, but the best of its type back when it was introduced. (Of course, the analogy begins to unravel at the seams when you bring up the subject of resale value.) And, with about 700 jumps on the H/C system and about 300 on the main, there's plenty of life left in her. Anyone wanna borrow it? Cheers, Jon S.

I landed wrong & broke my ankle on my first jump in 1982. (Static line T-10, brain fart on the PLF.) Sat in the field, watched my friend land in the next field while waiting for the staff to find me. Stared at the sky thinking "WOW that was so cool..." Spent three months on crutches, couldn't wait to do it again. Made my second jump about ten months later and did an excellent PLF. Stood up and said "You mean it's that easy?" Hope you can fly again soon. Cheers, Jon S.

Ivan's jump occurred on April 3, 1988 at Raeford, NC. I believe that was Easter that year. I saw the video on the evening news a few days later. He was filming an AFF jump. The news anchorman said something about a fatal accident; I watched the student deploy and the instructors track away, wondering what the problem was. Moments later the camera jerked back & forth a bit, obviously as he was reaching for a pilot chute and having trouble finding it. Then the left hand came in, then stopped as he realized there was no ripcord. The ground continued to get big, then the last few moments of film broke up due to damage incurred during impact. If he was filming AFF he had probably climbed out and was floating as the student got into position. The instructors were focused on the student. I never did buy the suicide theory, as nobody would expect to board the plane without a rig, ride to altitude, and jump without somebody noticing. If he had been suicidal, he'd probably wear the rig and not pull. Cheers, Jon S.

Airman1270> Nothing wrong about pulling "a little low" as long as you know where you are and are making the decision for such safety-related reasons as you described... Hey, I agree with this, but my instructors don't, so I have to listen to them or go someplace else... _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Yes. My comment was simply a general observation. Of course, while you're still a student do whatever your instructors tell you to do. I agree, but I am also aware of the arguments surrounding them. At this point I always jump with one because I'm jumping the DZ's gear, all their gear has AADs, and the gear checks are thorough enough that having it shut off would get noticed... _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Yes. Nothing wrong with an AAD, and I have no quarrel with the requirement that they be used on student rigs. I wore an AAD on most of my student freefalls. There were times, as a student, that I did not have an AAD but I did have more than 40 jumps and it was no big deal. I do remember this being on my mind as I exited the plane for a 30 second delay, watching the ground get big and knowing I'd hit it very soon if I didn't do anything. It was a milestone of sorts, a real feeling of accomplishment. This was also the first time I wore sneakers instead of jump boots. (Anybody remember jump boots?) Cheers, Jon S.

QuoteI was just wondering...is it hard (physically) to pull your reserve handle?... _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ It can happen. It happened to me in 1988. I described it in a recent letter to SKYDIVING. Tight pack job. Very low opening. Since that incident I always checked the pull force before the first jump of the day by grabbing the ball end of the ripcord and gently pulling to make sure the pins moved. My last malfunction, a streamer, turned into a routine, piece of cake "plan B" with both handles sliding effortlessly from their housings. One guy described it as a "textbook cutaway." Riggers rock! Cheers, Jon

...And if "safety" is the sole justification for this, why don't they simply ban all canopies under 150 sq.ft.? Same reason they don't ban freeflying or AFF or Raven reserves. They think all those things are safe enough. If you disagree, you can always find another DZ... _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Raven reserves? There's a story here, but I never got the fax. A few years back they seemed to have an excellent reputation. What went wrong? It's easy to say "if you disagree, you can always find another DZ" but in practice this is simply not an option. How many of us are fortunate to live within an hour's drive of several DZ's? Where I live, north of Atlanta, there are two DZ's fairly close by. There are two others a bit further away, about a two-hour drive. If they all decided to mandate AAD's I'd be out of the sport. Many people don't even have one DZ within easy driving distance of home. This mandatory AAD nonsense has already resulted in people not becoming skydivers because they can't afford it. I am living proof that one can safely enjoy this sport even if one does not have the time, money, or inclination to turn this hobby into a lifestyle. I make a few jumps each month without sacrificing other priorities and cutting too deeply into family time. There's no way I can simply write a check for $1300-ish in addition to the portion of household income I already spend on this sport. I used an old rig for many years and put up with the steady stream of curious and occasionally hostile comments because there was always something more important to do with the money. I watched students graduate, buy brand new gear, and, within a few years, surpass my skill level because they could spend unlimited time & money at the DZ. I never complained because I couldn't meet such a schedule. I just enjoyed my turn in the sky, confident that I'd be back in a few weeks to do it again. I take this "AAD nazi" thing seriously because this is the one single trend in the sport that will literally force me out. In another thread you referred to the woman who failed to set her cypress properly and went in without pulling her reserve. It appears she'd still be alive today if she DIDN'T have an AAD. I was a student with 13 jumps, doing 10 second delays, when I had trouble locating my ripcord. Even then I knew enough to pull the reserve. The fact that there are, among us, brain dead idiots who won't even try to pull the silver in an emergency is no justification for forcing us to become reliant on a prohibitively expensive piece of hardware. Of course, I don't really believe small canopies should be banned. The point is that people die every year because of them. If these DZO's want to be consistent, they'd require larger canopies. Last year I downsized to a 220, which is plenty fast enough for my skill level. The fact that I don't have, or want, an AAD does not make me a high-risk skydiver. Cheers, Jon S.

I have endured a remarkable array of obtacles in this sport, including long drives, being grounded at two DZ's (one over politics, the other after a low/hard reserve pull), medical bills as a student, job changes, and a wife who complains about the time/money I spend at the DZ even though I don't even make 50 jumps a year. None of this has forced me out. But if the local DZ's required AAD's, that would be the end for me. Some people are defending mandatory AAD use by noting that DZ's which implement such policies manage to survive and "people still skydive." Meanwhile, Chris Needles wrote anout essay about declining membership figures. How many people would skydive, but don't because the cost has been artificially forced out of their reach? Do DZ's that require AAD's also require that they be turned on? What annoying procedure to they employ to verify this? And if "safety" is the sole justification for this, why don't they simply ban all canopies under 150 sq.ft.? Cheers, Jon S.

Quote>do we REALLY have to encourage the use of insulting, >everybody-already-knows-that advice? Yes, because some skydivers really don't know that. Unfortunately, we need warnings on wingsuits not to land them, and warnings on cypreses that they are no substitute for emergency procedures. Because history has shown that if you don't tell people over and over that the cypres is fallible, they will start to believe it's infallible... _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Interesting, but isn't the purpose of these disclaimers simply an attempt to deflect ridiculous lawsuits, rather than an effort to inform? Unfortunately, I believe you're correct when you say that someone, somewhere, would attempt to land a wingsuit... Cheers, Jon

You're doing very well! Be discouraged, for a brief time, but stay with it. As previously observed here, you're level of awareness in relation to your modest experience is above average, and your experiences are so typical they're not newsworthy. The fact that your friends were 1)"your friends", and 2) relieved you came back shows that nobody thinks you're not cut out for this. Be aware, also, of cultural attitudes which mght affect your thinking way out of proportion to their importance: Tunnel time can be helpful, but you'll learn this sport and do just fine if you never even drive past one, let alone buy the time... Nothing wrong about pulling "a little low" as long as you know where you are and are making the decision for such safety-related reasons as you described. Many AFF graduates begin their jumping careers with a well-nourished fear of being in freefall at 3000'. Those of us who began on static line at 2800' find this amusing... AAD's serve a useful purpose. Buy one if you want to, but don't ever reach the point where you're afraid to jump without one, and support no effort to make the damn things manadatory. Due to such factors as time, money, four-hour drives to the DZ, and medical bills (broken ankle on my first jump w/no insurance), It took me over two years to complete my student training with 53 jumps. The funny thing is I did just fine, with few minor setbacks. I took to this sport as a natural, and even pulled my reserve on my 14th jump shortly before the AAD would have fired (couldn't find main ripcord.) Going several weeks between jumps was not a problem, and back in the early 1980's we weren't being constantly preached to about ridiculous currency standards that assumed you'd forget everything if you hadn't jumped in two months. Let us know when you graduate, and fill in some more details. Meanwhile, I haven't jumped in a month, my reserves are out of date, things are slow at work, and my wife will not be pleased when I decide to get a repack and get back to the DZ. It'll be at least two more weeks before I fly again. But at least I don't own property in New Orleans. Cheers, Jon S.

...I don't think it would be that hard to put an asterisk in the ad, with fine print that says "always follow appropriate emergency procedures, including pulling the reserve handle if appropriate". And it wouldn't hurt to add "always consult your instructors for advice"... _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Aw, c'mon guys, do we REALLY have to encourage the use of insulting, everybody-already-knows-that advice? This is the same mentaility the demands our mains have those unsightly warning labels on the back end, reminding us that, if you participate in this sport, you expose yourself to risks you wouldn't otherwise have to deal with. Regarding the ad in question, have you noticed it's not to scale? If that really is 100', that guy would have to be about 15' tall. The skyhook might be a nice innovation, but I can't get past my fear of my last canopy deploying while I'm in an uncontrolled spin. (Remember that real neat photo of the skyhook system in action over Florida a year or two ago?) I prefer to get my main out plenty high enough that the added benefits of the skyhook, or even an RSL, won't be an issue. Cheers, Jon S.

I'd love to have the job, but I didn't apply because 1) I don't want to relocate, and 2) I'm not qualified. I've been enjoying the magazine since 1983 and have been mostly treated well by the staff, so I won't complain too much.There have been times when I thought my letters were unnecessarily over-edited, and I wasn't impressed with the silly little headlines they assigned to the letters. Regarding photos, I'm sure Rook and Melissa are very nice people, but the magazine would not suffer if they'd use more photos of people I've never heard of jumping at DZ's I've never known about. This situation reminds me of the late 80's, when nearly every other issue featured a shot of Deanna Kent. There have been times when people I knew snapped an interesting shot or two of goings-on at my home DZ; I suggested they send them in for consideration and was told there was no point in doing so because the chances of publication were nil. They seemed to have some experience with this stuff. Overall, I was not impressed when, about a dozen years ago, the staff decided to change the format for the sake of changing the format, period. They turned the magazine into the skydiving version of PEOPLE magazine, with cutsie-poo fonts & graphics and a "gee-whiz" mentality. And those DZ photos in the back, featuring happy beer-drinkers gathered around some guy getting an award, are so damn small we can't identify anyone in the crowd. What's the point? Still, I'm proud to be an American, where I can bitch about details of a magazine describing something I'm blessed to be able to participate in that almost nobody throughout recorded history has ever had the opportunity to do. Cheers & good luck! Jon S.

...WHY ARE THEY NOT DEFENDING THEMSELVES? Why hide behind the Brainwashed employees?????????????? _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ I've stayed out of this whole discussion because I have nothing to add that hasn't already been said. But this is a good question. When this issue began generating some publicity in PARACHUTIST and SKYDIVING magazines, I waited for a respone from Ben and/or Cary and was surprised they did not seem interested in explaining or defending themselves. I jumped a bit with them in Ellijay and have nothing unkind to say about them personally. In fact, I have a very rare photo of Cary when he had about 50 jumps. Both of these guys were on my 400th. By the time I got done packing he had close to 90 jumps. After I returned from the restroom he had 140 dives, and the following week he made his 1000th. I've always admired you guys who have the time & money to crank out the skydives at such a brisk pace. Seriously, this whole ASC/Skyride thing smells real bad. Damn shame. Cheers, Jon S.

All I have is my "A" license, which I purchased in 1987 when I had about 120 jumps. (I was traveling and stopped at a DZ in Virginia. Even though I was current, they made me do a supervised solo because I didn't have the license.) I've wanted to be an instructor since I was a student, but I can't jump often due to family responsibilities. Years ago my Dad offered to pay for me to become tandem certified, but I decided against it because 1) The only way I could be useful to a DZO would be by committing myself to the DZ from sunup to sundown at least one day every weekend, which is not a healthy lifestyle for the father of young children, and 2) Since I can't make more than a few jumps each month, I would have no business getting involved with students. I do enjoy working with novice jumpers, and have been "coaching" newbies long before USPA invented the stupid, useless "coach" rating. I might consider getting a PRO rating someday, but I don't understand why it must be renewed each year. There 's probably a reason for this but it seems that $omething $ound$ a little $u$piciou$ about this requirement. Cheers, Jon S.

Not to tread upon already trampled ground, but this has to do with DZO's requiring AAD's. As a veteran who remembers T-10's, PC's, and FXC's or Sentinels for students, I cast my vote in favor of allowing individuals to decide whether they want the added expense and maintenance hassle of wearing an AAD. My question: If you are a DZO who requires AAD's, or are a jumper who agrees with such decisions, When did you make your first jump? My theory is that people who joined the sport no earlier than the mid-90's became acclamated to ubiquitous AAD use among experienced jumpers, as well as hyper-paranoid requirements regarding currency and other issues. ("What? You have 40 jumps but haven't jumped in six months? Back to ground school with you. This will cost an extra $....") Meanwhile, I used an AAD on many of my student freefalls, but did not have one on the used rig I bought the weekend I graduated. My last few student jumps were on this rig. The DZO simply reminded me that there was no AAD or RSL, and that if I had an emergency I'd have to be sure to pull the reserve. In addition, my student days stretched over two years, but it was no problem to pick up where I'd left off after not jumping for a month or two. I've always feared that people who got into the sport fewer than a dozen years ago are the same people who will one day become DZO's and impose all sorts of equipment and currency requirements because, in their limited experience, that's the way it's always been done. As a side note to DZO's, if you're really concerned about safety, instead of requiring AAD's, why don't you ban all canopies smaller than 180 sq. ft.? I apologize for the smart-ass nature of these questions. Thanks for your time. Cheers, Jon S.

Been playing guitar for 31 years. Used to play alone or jam with friends in my younger years. In the late 1970's I'd get home from my graveyard shift as my friends & family were going to work/school. Stayed home alone, party, and play for several hours a day... In recent years I've played guitar & bass with the church band, as well as operated the sound board. When I was younger I wanted to play in a band and tour bars & nightclubs, but by the time I was good enough I'd lost my desire to do this. Perhaps as a once-in-a-while thing, but not as a lifestyle. Playing in church is fun, but I never dreamed I'd one day be on stage in front of several hundred people and nobody's drunk. One morning one of the singers said "Jon, you're wailing on that guitar. How'd you get so good?" I replied "Drugs." Cheers, Jon

First, I paid too much money for a used rig sold to me by the DZO the weekend I graduated from the student course at an upstate, NY DZ in 1985. (NOT the Ranch.) The rig was in pretty good shape, but I learned the next day from other jumpers that it was not worth the money he charged me. A few months later, I broke a steering line and sent the main to Para-Flite for repairs. It arrived back home on a weekday and I hooked it up on the front lawn, checking to make sure the lines were on correctly. All looked good. I packed it. I had about 60 jumps at the time. I went out of town to the Boston area; on the way home I visited a DZ in Woodstock, CT, shook some hands, filled out some paperwork, and did a hop 'n' pop from the 182. Moments later I was looking up at a pilot chute. The main was open and flying backwards. Stupid main! I saw no reason to chop a good main and risk a possible reserve malfunction, so I rode it in, landing in a grassy field adjacent to the runway. Half brakes, no attempt to flare because I was disoriented and didn't want to stall the canopy at an inopportune moment. Tumbled more than 20 feet, leaving a path of trampled grass. Quickly removed my helmet and put it on backwards, then stood up and started gathering my gear as people ran up to me to see if I was okay. Cheers, Jon S.

With 800 jumps in 23 years, I know all about long layoffs. You'll do just fine. Do a solo or a small way with people who know the situation. If you're like me, you'll feel just a tad more nervous, but that's all. Enjoy! Cheers, Jon S.

"Oh sure, Lisa - bacon, ham, and pork all come from the same magical animal." (Moe, during one of Bart's crank calls) "Anita Hugginkiss - come on guys, I need a hug & kiss." (The funny thing about the crank calls is that there's always the same couple of regular customers at the bar, yet Moe receives the call and starts shouting for the person the caller is looking for.) (Apu) - "Please do not offer my god a peanut." Cheers, Jon S.

...congrats to our hairey scarey yeti man on his 800th,,WOHOO..hope to be able to send pics to ya soon... _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Thanks Lukky. If possible, try to find a way to send prints in the mail. Call Faye for my phone #, or look it up and call me direct almost any evening. It's listed, if you know how to spell it. (No internet at home, no answering machine, no cell phone...but I do have a lava lamp.) Hope to see you all again. High five to Freebird. Cheers, Jon S.