PilotMike

Doesn't Condoleezza Rice sound like something you'd order at some sort of European restaurant? -------- Benefitting from the 'free capture of verticality.'

Skydivers ripping stuff off the plane is the reason small plane jump pilots wear emergency rigs. If I ever had to use mine, I would be tempted to get a nice freefly in before deployment. I've heard a round deployment at terminal isn't the nicest thing to go through though -------- Benefitting from the 'free capture of verticality.'

Move -------- Benefitting from the 'free capture of verticality.'

I think you owe BBQ Dinner instead of beer... -------- Benefitting from the 'free capture of verticality.'

what did he think he was gonna do with it anyway? -------- Benefitting from the 'free capture of verticality.'

Multiple people have requested wearing a belt. I agree that it's a good idea. But make sure to not have much excess belt loose beyond the buckle. I now have a packing rubber band on my belt to secure the excess after a jump about a year ago. The extra part was just the right length and somehow aerodynamically inclined to whip me in the jewels repeatedly and VERY HARD! We were supposed to be doing a 3-way but all the other guys knew was that I was grimacing and covering my nuts before I flipped over and spent the rest of the dive on my back. It's funny now, but it hurt for the rest of the day... -------- Benefitting from the 'free capture of verticality.'

I was watching "Family Guy" (cartoon on Adult Swim on the Cartoon Network). Stewie got into a space ship and started going through checklists. The space ship was responding to his checks. It was like "Engine Status - Optimal Fuel Supply - Full Air Supply - [cheesy 80's music]I'm all out of love, I'm so lost without you...[cheesy 80's music]" He starting kinda dancing and singing along, it was hilarious! -------- Benefitting from the 'free capture of verticality.'

I've heard they make nice little electric trimmers for that sort of thing. Even plain old scissors has to be better than PULLING Just writing about it is making my eyes water! -------- Benefitting from the 'free capture of verticality.'

Shedding Togas is the best part of a Toga Party! -------- Benefitting from the 'free capture of verticality.'

that's hilarious, I like when every flips on its' side -------- Benefitting from the 'free capture of verticality.'

25 miles is 132,000 feet! How do you like the glider with a wingspan of 40 feet that only weighs 30 pounds?! It'll be interesting to see where that lands vs. where the balloon lands. -------- Benefitting from the 'free capture of verticality.'

I am re-posting this pic and re-classifying it. This is from like 6 pages back. It was MY Birthday, Jill just happens to have the same one! ---- Microchristie = hottie -------- Benefitting from the 'free capture of verticality.'

This pic is from our Padre trip (we're having one next year too!) I'm the one about to get licked by our "manifest b*tch." (She's not a b*tch) Pablito is in the back with a whuffo's ass in front of him. ---- PS - Sunnydee mentioned Pablo giving good hugs, but I'd vote for her hugs over his! -------- Benefitting from the 'free capture of verticality.'

I will second the "huh???" -------- Benefitting from the 'free capture of verticality.'

That's a good call... I was making a balloon jump last year and planned to land in an open field near the road that the chase car was on. Two of us exited and quickly realized the winds wouldn't allow us to make the field we agreed on. He chose 6' tall corn and I chose a dirt road leading from the main road with powerlines (that I saw) to a farmer's house. I had 6' corn on one side and 15' trees on the other. I made a nice straight in approach and stopped short of the lines and road just as the chase car was pulling up. They opened the door and said "Holy shit, didn't you see the powerlines?!" I said of course I did, why do you think I landed short of the road like this? They pointed above me and I saw a stray line coming diagonally off of the main road direct to the farmer's house. I passed underneath it on my flare. That was eye-opening, I can't say that I realized that lines had offshoots like that until that day. Some knowledge that somebody else might find helpful... -------- Benefitting from the 'free capture of verticality.'

He's lucky it was parts of his canopy ripping/breaking and not parts of him... -------- Benefitting from the 'free capture of verticality.'

Okay, you talked about drinking piss, I know it was fake, but I have a story about the real stuff. I went to a movie with my friend, John, and his younger brother, Chris (we were all in high school at the time). John and I had to piss before the movie so we sent Chris to go get seats. In the bathroom, there was a mostly empty fountain drink sitting on the counter. John thought it would be funny to piss in it and offer it to his brother. I said it would be funny too, but I wouldn't help him fill it. I also said that offering it to him might get us in trouble. The plan was to keep the drink between us and pretend to drink out of it throughout the movie. At the end, I would say to him, "I don't want the rest, do you?" He would say, "No, just leave it." And maybe Chris would ask to drink it. Well, long story short...the plan worked. Chris made one of the weirdest faces I've ever seen when he took a sip. John and I had a good laugh and told him that it was not our fault. We never offered it to him or even told him that it was coke. Let's just say he was "pissed" at us for a long time after. Pun intended. -------- Benefitting from the 'free capture of verticality.'

Less than a month!!! -------- Benefitting from the 'free capture of verticality.'

I think Blahr was correct about the difference in acceleration. It's a matter of inertia that will make it feel like your stomach is coming up into your throat. When cresting a hill on a rollercoaster, if released, your body (and every organ inside you) would continue upwards for a little. The harness actually pulls you down faster than gravity. Turbulence (or a daring pilot) can give you the same stomach drop if the plane goes from a climb to a rapid descent or even just from straight and level to a descent. It's the negative G's that really create the weird internal feeling. I'm glad he jumped and loved it, we've got another one! -------- Benefitting from the 'free capture of verticality.'

I had a hard opening pull both shoes part way off once. They were tied tight enough that only my heels came out of them. I was hurting for a while, but at least I didn't have to land in my socks. -------- Benefitting from the 'free capture of verticality.'

There actually is a technique used at high altitudes with pressurized oxygen masks that takes a little getting used to. It's called Pressure Breathing. On the ground, you relax your lungs/diaphragm to breathe out, when pressurized, you have to force the air out and relax to breathe in. I've got about 450 jumps and the first time I noticed any trouble breathing in freefall was actually at Rantoul this year. I was in shorts/t-shirt arching to stay with a newbie sitflyer. I went into some industrial haze (cough)cloud(cough) and it was like I got the wind knocked out of me. I was probably looking down too, but I thought it was the strangest feeling and I just relaxed, looked at my friend and consciously took a deep breath. My advice is the same as everyone else's. Relax, keep your chin up, and take a couple deep breaths before exit to keep you calm. -------- Benefitting from the 'free capture of verticality.'

Saw a special on skydiving when I was about 10 years old. The majority of the show was freefall with some canopies landing at the end. (I thought they were just floating there until they decided they were done). Told my parents I wanted to do it. They said you've gotta be 16. First jump was the weekend after my 16th birthday, that was 7 years ago... -------- Benefitting from the 'free capture of verticality.'

vaguely remembered doing topless body shots on the Caddyshack bar the first night I was there. I think I saw the Rodriguez stuff going on and mentioned to the bartender that it looked like fun. She told me to order a shot, then she took her shirt off... edited cuz i can't spell -------- Benefitting from the 'free capture of verticality.'

whoa, i'd hate to be in the "practice makes perfect," "learning from my mistakes" phase of that... -------- Benefitting from the 'free capture of verticality.'

Your most vocal part... -------- Benefitting from the 'free capture of verticality.'