mfrese

I'm using a Sigma harness with a Vector II or Eclipse tandem system, and if I have a choice, they climb on the plane with the harness adjusted properly and ready to exit. Doctor I ain't gonna die, Just write me an alibi! ---- Lemmy/Slash

Shit! My first repost! That means I owe beer! I hate you even more now... Doctor I ain't gonna die, Just write me an alibi! ---- Lemmy/Slash

Sorry it's so late, but... I DO! I DO! What a dick...he didn't even tell me not to do downwind 90 hooks on my demo Velocity. I could have gotten hurt. Plus, he's forgotten all about Clubfoot Kitty, and never pays him any attention at all. And to top it off, he's starting to look and sound like the attached picture, so maybe we should put him to sleep or something...jeez, I hate that guy! Doctor I ain't gonna die, Just write me an alibi! ---- Lemmy/Slash

Hey Randy! Glad to hear you're up and about, amigo. I heard you had the replacement done, but have been real busy and haven't had a chance to get over to SMB to see how everyone is doing. Keep us posted, and I'll try to get Lynn and I over there in the next few weeks to catch up. Take it easy! Mike Doctor I ain't gonna die, Just write me an alibi! ---- Lemmy/Slash

Hey, Timmae and Brittany: OK, I'm over the shock of the frame grabs, and I ain't jokin' around this time: Nice job, both of you. Brittany, good call. Tim, you's one lucky fucker...glad you're both here to show us the video later. I'll buy you both a beer, any time, any where. Blue Ones, Mike (and Lynn) Doctor I ain't gonna die, Just write me an alibi! ---- Lemmy/Slash

Hey, fucker...no more of that impromptu CReW stuff, OK? I have many questions regarding cross-braced flight for you next time you're in H-town, so no auguring yourself in before that. Brittany, you're just gonna have to start hanging out with a better class of skydiver, hookitt is doing shit like this all the time... Seriously, perhaps the ugliest wrap I've ever seen, props to you both for handling this well. Doctor I ain't gonna die, Just write me an alibi! ---- Lemmy/Slash

I was gonna ask if you'd seen this before, Scotty...then I figured I'd just change my question to "which one is you"... Doctor I ain't gonna die, Just write me an alibi! ---- Lemmy/Slash

Quit whinin' and count your blessings...and that dog can't do anything but chew on yer goddam ankles, anyway, so STFU! edited again to add: Besides, at least YOUR wife doesn't make you haul meat all weekend and then keep all the money for herself... Doctor I ain't gonna die, Just write me an alibi! ---- Lemmy/Slash

OOOoooooohhhhhh! Come down to H-town Iwan, so we can bow towards you in awe! Serious congratulations! And you didn't even have to buy Egon beer to do it! Doctor I ain't gonna die, Just write me an alibi! ---- Lemmy/Slash

OK, no flaming, good question. Here you go: exit weight from 225-240 Sabre 190 - 400 Stiletto 150 - 500 (roughly) Vengenace 135 - 250 Velocity 120 - 6 At about 750 jumps, I "upsized" quite a bit by getting a tandem rating, but started jumping Icarus Tandems almost immediately, so most of those I almost consider "high performance" canopy flying. I'm seriously thinking about a Velocity, but need to get another 10-20 jumps on it before I'm sold. I'm an old fart skydiver now (47), and I'm not entirely convinced that I need the thrill of a cross-braced. Time will tell... Doctor I ain't gonna die, Just write me an alibi! ---- Lemmy/Slash

Ours was "Best of Both Worlds" by Van Halen. Followed closely by "Spy in the House of Love" by Was/Not Was. What can I say, it was the end of the Eighties... Doctor I ain't gonna die, Just write me an alibi! ---- Lemmy/Slash

Yep. 21 years together, married for almost 15, and I love Lynn more than ever. It's WORK staying together that long, but anything that's worth having is usually going to take some work to get. I wouldn't trade her for anything...then again, she offered to trade me for two 24 year olds, so I'd probably do the same with her. Doctor I ain't gonna die, Just write me an alibi! ---- Lemmy/Slash

I'm sorry, but I think you got those reversed... The smell of pussy reminds ME of perfume! Doctor I ain't gonna die, Just write me an alibi! ---- Lemmy/Slash

Just to clear up my "no helmet" comment in my first post. I don't mean to imply that you should change any part of your jumping routine or gear that makes you uncomfortable. I personally like the "wind-dead air-wind" feeling from a heli jump, so my personal preference is to go helmetless. Do what you're comfortable with, listen to the safety briefing and HAVE FUN! Doctor I ain't gonna die, Just write me an alibi! ---- Lemmy/Slash

Which is it you like? The butt, or the Levis, dude? Please say butt, or else...? In other weird news did a tandem with a guy with only one leg He was so happy Bought Sierra Nevada For the whole drop zone! Doctor I ain't gonna die, Just write me an alibi! ---- Lemmy/Slash

We miss you, Lizzie You should bring Zac out to jump And we can catch up Doctor I ain't gonna die, Just write me an alibi! ---- Lemmy/Slash

Talk to me some more this weekend, Jennifer. I AM an instructor (though not AFF rated), and can give you some different things to try on the ground and in the air that will help you determine the proper flare point for the canopy and conditions. One question: where are you looking when you start the flare? You should be looking out in front of you, about 45 degrees or more, rather than straight down. Looking straight down seems to promote flaring too high, which seems to be the problem you've had most frequently. Anyway, come on out (even thought the weather is sketchy), and we'll do some work with you. If it's raining, we'll have an early safety day! See ya! Doctor I ain't gonna die, Just write me an alibi! ---- Lemmy/Slash

Here's a few tips for maximum safety and enjoyment: - Don't wear a helmet! You'll love listening to the wind noise build up as you go from zero to terminal. - Make sure your gear is in shape, especially your BOC pouch. Be VERY careful climbing in, moving around in, and exiting the helicopter. Particular times to be cautious are climbing in, removing seat belts, and climbing out on the strut. - You'll probably be told to step off and not to push off, and will probably need to coordinate with the jumpers leaving the other side of the chopper. Relax, it's going to feel REALLY cool! - When you reach terminal, make sure to track in the appropriate direction, and keep an eye out for other canopies as soon as you open...there is often less exit separation depending on where people pull. Have fun, you're going to love it! And if these are at Space Center, tell Greg and Patti that Mike and Lynn from Hollister say howdy and we'll see them in a few months! Doctor I ain't gonna die, Just write me an alibi! ---- Lemmy/Slash

Thanks everyone for their comments... I agree, this is not a canopy you would want to use occasionally. It's either commit and learn it well, or don't bother. I'll wring it out a bit more and see what I think. And don't worry, Timmae! I am flying the fuck out of it. But I will spend a little time working braked flight some more just in case...I'm finding that since I have to start everything higher, longer, and more carefully with the Velo, I want to be sure I'm comfortable with slower flight modes, especially below a grand. I'd be pulling at 15 and riding the shit out of this little sucker, but Chris won't let me pull above 8... Thanks again, I'll post more after this weekend. Doctor I ain't gonna die, Just write me an alibi! ---- Lemmy/Slash

Got a total of 6 jumps on a demo Velo 120, loaded at exactly 2:1 this past weekend...thanks to all who gave me input before jumping this monster. I'd post the rest under reviews, but I'm guessing I'll get better feedback here. So, my impressions: - First...FUCK ME PINK! What an awesome wing!! - OK...calm down...openings were very interesting after watching standard (i.e. non-crossbraced) openings...kinda searches for a heading, but never came close to opening off-heading or starting twists. Once open, it feels like you're flying under a plank instead of a parachute, very solid feel. - Very easy to steer with harness input with brakes stowed. - Slow speed flight is freakin' unbelievable. I tried hard to stall it, finally had to take two wraps on the toggles to get the stall started, recovery was weird, quite a bit of drift and correction needed. - Front riser pressure was indeed greater than my Vengeance, but not not significantly. I'm finding I lose a bit more altitude during front riser dives than I do on the Vengeance, due to the higher wingloading. - First three jumps were all straight-in approaches, no wind on the ground. Takes a little more toggle input to plane it out than the Veng, but I got maybe 150 ft. of swoop. Last three were with gently carving 90 fronts, and I got 200 ft.+ on all of them. Started these at about 300-400 feet, planed out with a little toggle. Overall, I'm incredibly impressed with the performance and handling of the Velo. Great openings, great flights, great swoops...what more can you ask? I'm not entirely sold on this as a day-to-day canopy (I recall one of the Airspeed guys saying, when they went back to Stilettos a year or so ago, that when you do a couple thousand jumps a year, every landing doesn't need to be an event, and I guess I agree with that), but it would surely be a blast to fly occasionally. I'm going to try and play some more this weekend before I have to send it back, mainly focusing on braked flight, traffic performance, and swooping. I'll post more in case anyone is interested... Doctor I ain't gonna die, Just write me an alibi! ---- Lemmy/Slash

OK, I guess that's the end of my "Hey, you're not homophobic, are you?" joke right before I tighten the laterals... Seriously, this is probably either a) money, or b) being chicken. I've noticed how amazing it is that people can get rid of "personal space" issues when they're sitting two feet from a plexiglass door in a plane when they're not wearing a parachute, so that's actually pretty rare. With guys that are really acting wigged out about it, I make sure to get all macho and make sure they understand it's just a job, nothing personal...in extreme cases, I'll introduce them to my wife, which seems to help both men and women relax. Either way, if they won't go tandem, let them know what their other options are... or find some friends with balls. Nah, just kidding...and for the record, my first jump was a tandem, and I had a female TI! (Thanks Beth! ) Doctor I ain't gonna die, Just write me an alibi! ---- Lemmy/Slash

What about the penguin/Yeti home run derby game? Didja love that? Didja? Well DIDJA?! Doctor I ain't gonna die, Just write me an alibi! ---- Lemmy/Slash

You are so sweet! But of course, you've only known me for a few weeks... You haven't been clued in to what an obnoxious asshole I really am, but stick around, we'll get there

We love Jennifer because she's smart and buys really good beer! (And she's pretty cool.) We love California in February, because it's 65 F and sunny enough that I'm wearing a T-shirt and shorts...to work. I love Anabel at PD, because they're shipping my demo Velocity as we speak! (I love Kolla too, but I'll stop that if she calls and breaks my heart again ) Doctor I ain't gonna die, Just write me an alibi! ---- Lemmy/Slash

I was going to suggest doing the part-time thing and writing using that as a basis to write off your other business expenses. Gives you a chance to get some experience, and still get some financial benefit as well. As for WHO you'll be taking, got a funny story about that one...I was working at Skydive Monterey Bay last summer, and had occasion to take a very petite, VERY pretty young lady on her 21st birthday. Someone was talking to me (in fact, I believe it was our very own Midget Tequila Monster, theAnvil) and said "Man, that's why I'd like to get my tandem rating." I walked him over to the briefing area, and showed him the 10 guys who were watching the Eclipse video. They ranged in age from 20 to 50, size from small to linebacker, and smell from fairly normal to oozing beer sweat and BO. I said: "Yeah...except you have to work your way through ALL these guys to get ONE like her." Seems to have knocked his enthusiasm down a notch or two... Seriously, just assume you'll get a wide range of sizes and people, and learn to handle every one. Of course, you may even angle for the "chunky money"; most DZ's charge a premium over certain weights, and that generally goes straight in the TM's pocket. Doctor I ain't gonna die, Just write me an alibi! ---- Lemmy/Slash