jeffallen

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Posts posted by jeffallen

  2. Jraf, sorry you had a bad experiance at Titusville. This is my home DZ since I started jumping over 4 years ago. As far as I know there are no rules about how low you should deploy, but I will tell you this, If fellow jumpers or staff see a concern with a fellow jumper, someone will step up and express their concerns, right or not, you should feel good someone is trying to look out for us. We have a good mix of students to very experianced people, and we all look out for each other, even visitors.
    I have been to most of the major DZs around Florida and not found one to be perfect in every way, including saftey issues, staff attitudes and other things,INCLUDING TITUSVILLE.
    The Manifest lady you are speaking of is a friend of mine, a fellow jumper, and a hell of good person.I do not think the "large" comment was necessary to get your point across.
    One point you are right on is Tandems and students make more of a profit for the DZ. If this is what it take to keep a fast King Air going to 15 and 18K, keep them comming.Most people I know have a good time at Titusville, some do not. Sounds like it may not be the right place for you. Stay safe, Jeff

  5. Jeff, here's my opinion,
    1. camera- 399$ and up
    2. camera helmet- 200$ and up
    3. box for camera- 175$ and up
    4. wide angle lens- 50$ and up
    5. mini dv tapes- about 6$ each
    6. distraction and frustation level- PRICELESS
    It can add up very quickly even with the lower end products. As far as experiance, that is up to each individual. Your instructors and experianced jumpers should be able to give you some advice on that. My advice, wait as long as you can before flying with a camera. Jeff

  6. This weekend I am going to borrow a friends Velocity 79, with my new camera helmet, participate in a five way head down jump, do a 270 front riser turn and swoop my ass off. Who can stop me? Why should they? I have 498 succesful jumps? I have a license. I can do this. Who will keep me from getting on the plane?
    I have read responses from my original post that each individual can keep themselves safe and regulate themselves, this is simply not true. The USPA is our governing body as far as I know, the SIMs, and BSR is only a guideline to follow, lets not give the government any more reasons to regulate us, and set RULES. we can and need to take care of each other, It only looks "cool" until someone gets hurt or killed. It can be a safer sport. Just my opinion, Jeff
    By the way, I have no intentions of flying anything smaller than a 150 anytime soon, just trying to make a point.

  7. My original post was focused on just the camera part, but I do agree there are a lot af skydivers that are progressing a little too fast for their own good not only camera flying, but downsizing their canopies as well, high performance landings, etc. In my short time in this sport, I have had three good friends hurt themselves to the point they may not ever be right again. I AM NOT in favor at all for some "bigger power" to come in and regulate our sport for us when I know we can police ouselves. DZO's, instructors, and fellow jumpers should be able to help each other when we decide to take it to the next level. We all progress at differant speeds in skydiving, but each individual should be able to evaluate his/her own abilities with a few general guidelines/ rules, whatever you wish to call them. We need to take care of ourselves a little more, or I am afraid someone else will step in and do it for us. Just my opinion, Jeff

  8. Under 500 jumps? Ready to buy a video camera and mount it to your helmet and shoot video? You may want to wait a little longer to do so. Just wanted to pass along my expeiance for saftey reasons.
    29 months in the sport, 498 safe skydives other than a few out landings, I consider myself to be very observant and safe. I did six jumps this weekend with my new camera helmet setup. The point of this post is to share that having a camera can and will make you focus on the camera more and focus less on saftey issues, inside and ouside of the aircraft. No matter how much I tried forgetting about the camera an my head, i could not do it. It is a major distraction to include in a already distracting enviroment. I see a lot of people with very low jump numbers jumping cameras these days. Just because you can afford it, you should also make sure it is the right time. By the way, I have some nice video of blue sky, earth, and the occasional skydiver that happened to get into the frame. Just my opinion, be safe out there, Jeff

  9. I am not a TI nor a DZO, and I would have to assume you are not either. In my opinion tandem jumps are a great way for people who want to experiance skydiving without the investment. As far as tandems being a flawed concept, I do not understand that statement. Ask anyone who has had theirs vidioed how silly it looks, I think they will disagree with you. Plus it is a great way to keep loads going up on slow days or us fun jumpers would be on the ground, can not send a twin turbo up with just a few fun jumpers on it. Also it is some peoples job to do tandems and video. Most DZ's could not make it on fun jumpers alone. Just my opinion, everyone has one. Jeff

  10. Try Skydive Space Center on the East coast in Titusville. Free bunkhouse for jumpers,(i think it is free, ) 17$ to 15K, fast planes, nice view, friendly people. Rent a car and it is only a about 2 hours to Z-hills, 1.5 hours to Lake Whales, and a little over an hour to Sebastaian. Try them all, they are all great DZ's. Jeff

  11. Although the equipment we use keeps getting safer and more reliable, it is the people that are using it that keep pushing the limits and hurting or killing themselves. I have not saw the list but I would bet most of the injuries are under good canopies, due to low turns(hookturns). You can not stop people from pushing it past their limits. I'm sure some would be considered accidents, but a lot of them could be avoided. This is a unforgiving sport, be careful! Just my opinion, Jeff

  12. Par, I think this is normal skydiver behavior. You must keep everything in perspective or risk loosing it all. You can have a wife, kid, and a full time job and still skydive every weekend. I just about lost it all recently due to being at the DZ all weekend and ignoring everything else(wife, kid, wuffo friends,etc).Kept working about 50 hours a week so I could afford it, but do the math, not much home time. It does get easier with time, but you can also have it all if you compromise. For me, exactly 2 years and 400 jumps, it is getting easier to go to the DZ on Saturday, do 4 or 5 jumps in about 5 to 6 hours and go home. Take it from the people that have been there, it is a lot more fun if everything is good at home, Good Luck, Jeff

  13. Skydive Space Center in Titusville is about 30 min. North. There are always people there willing to do some RW jumps. 15K every laod, 18K is available also. Nice veiw, nice planes, nice people. Sebastain is a little over an hour from there, also a good place. See you in Titusville, Jeff.

  14. In other words, do you trust your Reserve enough to ride it intentionally without a 3rd parachute
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    Yes I do. I don't think there is a skydiver out there that would leave the plane without that trust. But no, I would not ride it unless I had to. Jeff

  15. The DZ is owned by the same owner as Skydive Space Center in Titusville FL. They alternate the Grand Caravan and KingAir on the weekends. The DZ operates out of Herlong and the landing area is there also. They do not jump over Palatka. They are trying to get it up and running full time soon. I am not sure if the web site has been updated yet. Jeff

  16. Very cool story. I guess it is never too late to start anything. I enjoy jumping with buddy of mine I met since I started this sport.. Although he did start 40 years go, he is now 84 years young and is a regular at the DZ every weekend doing 3 to 4 jumps a day, with no plans of quiting anytime soon. Probably has already forgot more about skydiving than I will ever learn. What an inspiration. Keep on jumping JOE!!

  17. I have to say that the way I read this, it is not the guy on his second jump off AFF who is on the RW jump - the RW self proclaimed wonder's jump numbers are not given (may not be known) but he is the one who appears to be at fault...

    You may be right. If you read post #1 and post #4 it sounds like they may have been in the same group since THEY ALL planned on breaking at 4500 and pulling at 3000. Jump wonder sounds like he broke off and pulled high, puting him right over the group he was jumping with. If they were in seperate groups and were on top of each other, maybe not enough exit seperation. Anyway, someone with only 2 post Aff jump should not really be in much traffic anyway if he is last out and opening a little higher. Probably not enough info to really tell what happened. what looks close to some may not really be that close. Bottom line, don't spiral down into traffic. Just my opinon, Jeff

  18. I was thinking about this a little more and just wondering exactly how many people were in this RW group with a student on only his 2nd jump off AFF. Breaking at 4500 and tracking and opening at 3000 with such little experiance with a bigger group does not sound very good to me. On my 2nd solo jump I was still trying to make sure I was doing everything right by myself. maybee I was just not as confident with my capabilites at that time?? I do not believe the instructors where I jump would alow this just yet. Just my opinion. Jeff

  19. Just because he has more experiance than you does not mean he is any smarter than you. was the dive plan altered when he pulled high or was that planned into the jump? I am glad you were aware of what was happening and reacted to it in time. I think I would have spoken to him one on one after the jump and discuss what had happened. With only 2 jumps off AFF you may want to choose who you are jumping with a little better. From my short time in the sport, more experianced "low timers" tend to show off a little when they jump with less experianced "low timers" . Learn from this. Just my opinion. Jeff

  20. For people like myself who can only jump about 3 to 6 times one day of the weekend, is there any real need to have anything more than an A license? Not that I would not like to do more, or eventually get more ratings, I just do not see myself doing any more than what I am doing now. having a wife and kid and a full time job and other respnsibilities, I just dont see myself doing any more than this anytime in the near future, I feel fortunate enough even to get what I get now. Already had to slow down a bit to keep the peace at home. Just want to get a few opinions. Thanks, Jeff

  22. There are several good places within about an hours drive from Orlando, but I would make a point to try Skydive Space Center in Titusville. About 40 minutes east of orlando. Smaller DZ, great people, fast planes, the best scenery. Grand Caravan and a King Air. $17 to 15K every load. $22 to 18k. Maby we will see you there, Jeff

  24. If it is a electrical cable of any kind consider it a very big hazzard. Before or after the transformer does not matter, just determines how well done you will be if you get hooked up in them . If you have the option. hit the ones going from the pole to the house, they are better insulated than the ones between the poles. I would take a downwind landing on a paved street covered in broken glass if I had the choice. Be safe, Have fun

  25. landed off 3 times, 1st was AFF, the guy on the radio
    forgot I was there, all I heard at 2500 was "find an out" which I did and a great stand up and no one saw it.

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    I think I would be finding another place to get my training if my instructors "forgot" I was there. Every situation is differant when facing an out landing. Can I make it back? Maybe? Deffinately not? On the first load of the day not knowing exatly what the winds are doing, not being able to watch other canopies yet. a "maby" could be better than a deffinate no and having to land in strong wind in a very bad or unfamiliar place. Everyone should use thier best judgment at the time. I have five outs so far and they have all been very smooth. Decide early, commit to a good out and stay calm. Jeff