tbrown

Names man. Names! Bill Newell's Starcrest website lists Michael Eisner - the former Disney CEO - as having earned his SCR at Pelicanland in 1976. there is a young guy in the first row of this pic who looks suspiciously like he could be a young Eisner.....anyone who was there care to check it out ? Your humble servant.....Professor Gravity !

But I made 7 static lines. I remember being told when I got to 15's that I had to buy an altimeter -- they wouldn't let me progress past 10's without one. Wendy P. Me too Wendy. I made 5 static lines, the 3rd, 4th & 5th were with practice pulls on a dummy handle, then got my first freefall the same day as my 5th S/L. Then for some reason I wasn't able to get back out to the dropzone for 2 or 3 weekends, so they had me do another practice pull and then my second freefall. I had worked my way up to 10 second delays, but when I visited another dropzone, the DZO insisted I make another S/L with practice pull before he'd allow me to freefall at his place. So the grand total is seven. You reminded me about the altimeters too. Up to a 10 second delay (from 3500 ft) we'd just count out the 10 seconds. But beginning with 15 second delays at 4500 ft, we had to start using an altimeter. I was able to rent one for a while, but bought one of my own that summer, for $40, used. The 20 second delays from 5500 ft are where we learned to make - and stop - turns, then on 30 second delays from 7200 we learned backloops and spotting. A jumpmaster followed me once to check out my turns and backloops, then I was turned loose forevermore ! Your humble servant.....Professor Gravity !

One was a 26' Guardian and the other was a 26' LoPo Proof once again that round reserves save lives ! Saved mine a couple times. They open faster too. I'll stick with my PD, but the old wives' tales about round reserves are just so much bellywash. Really enjoyed this video, haven't seen such exciting skydiving in ages (probably a good thing...). Your humble servant.....Professor Gravity !

I think you made out just fine. You got a great rig, great canopies, and a premier AAD (even if I'd personally have got a Cypres2 myself, but I think it's good there are two good brands in competition). For your experience level and size (I took the liberty of adding in another 30 lbs for gear, shoes, helmet, jumpsuit & various items of clothing), I think you'll do just fine loading at 1.07. Get yourself into a good canopy control course as soon as possible and learn everything you can under this very sweet canopy of yours. If you don't learn it all now, it will be a lot harder later on under smaller canopies, where the added speed can make it too scary. Don't let ANYONE tell you your canopies are too large. Eventually, you probably will want to downsize, but if your container was sized correctly, you should be able to move down at least one size and maybe two without a main being too loose in the container. Your reserve's a bit smaller, but just remember it's not ZP and you should give it a full single stroke flare when you land it. And put your feet & knees together just for luck. Better yet, see if you can't put a jump on a demo model at your next boogie. You probably could've saved some $$ starting out with a used main, but you've got a nice rig, so go on out and use it. Your humble servant.....Professor Gravity !

As stated by Supreme Court Justice Noah Haynes Swayne: "All persons born in the allegiance of the king are natural- born subjects, and all persons born in the allegiance of the United States are natural-born citizens. Birth and allegiance go together. Such is the rule of the common law, and it is the common law of this country…since as before the Revolution." United States v. Rhodes, 27 Fed. Cas. 785 (1866).(reply) Anti-immigration hysteria has been a repeated theme throughout American history, and next to slavery and the genocide policies against American Indians, they are yet another national disgrace. The same sentiments used to be raised against the Irish, Italians, Jews, Russians, Poles, chinese, Japanese, Vietnamese, and Cambodians. Now they are being raised against Mexicans, Central Americans, and Haitians. When will we EVER learn that all of these people contribute so much more to our national character, let alone our diet ? Americans have ALWAYS been a self selected group of people who were willing to do what it takes to better their lives ? These immigrants are NO different. If all we wnat are educated white people from Europe, then let's just knock down the Statue of Liberty and melt it down for bullets. Your humble servant.....Professor Gravity !

I am aware of that, but anti depressants will also alter your decision-taking, and your thinking speed... I have to disagree. Having been on a number of antidepressants for the last 12 years, I know that current generation drugs have no such effects. I wonder if you have an incorrect impression of what an antidepressant does. They are not "happy pills" that make you feel wonderful 20 minutes after taking one. They're quite subtle and often take up to two weeks to even begin to have a noticeable effect. The only effects I've ever noticed is that I sometimes feel more detached emotionally and am able to view problems or an especially bad day more rationally. When I started taking them, it was nice one bad day to realize that I was not sinking into "the deep dark hole". If there is any unpleasant reaction, it generally happens when one is withdrawing from an antidepressant. The times I have gone off them I've experienced head rushes and dizziness after a few days without them. They can't be quit cold, it has to be done gradually. Your humble servant.....Professor Gravity !

I could actually see a bunch of knucklehead skydivers building one for cloudy/rainy/windy days. Probably know a couple dropzones that would let them too. God bless America, we're not afraid of having a little fun. (Though I'd hate to clean up the mess, especially if part of it was still screaming.) P.S. Did the pregnant chic get her turn on this ride ? Your humble servant.....Professor Gravity !

Is it you that feels like you're screwing up their dive ? Or are they telling you that ? It makes a difference. They should critique your mistakes, as long as they're telling you what you should be doing instead. But a lot of it can just be in your head as well. You're not going to learn to be a great skydiver - of any kind - overnight. This is weird stuff to learn. Believe it or not, things are much better these days. "Back in the day", the local gods wouldn't have anything to do with us, so all of us noobs hung together, flailing like crazy and picking up all kinds of bad habits. Talk about learning the hard way ! Nowadays I see a huge willingness among experienced jumpers of all the disciplines to take noobs along. When I jump with noobs I expect mistakes and have a good time anyway. and when I jump with the gods, I'm grateful they tolerate my mistakes and help me get better. Your humble servant.....Professor Gravity !

I remember. Went out there once, just when I was getting started in 1974. But the weather was too windy that day. Your humble servant.....Professor Gravity !

How nice, I think I'll have that inscribed on my toilet seat. Skydiving and mortality, wow, that is THE big question. I think one of the most dangerous things about the sport is that it is for the most part, pretty darn safe. I FEEL safer in freefall than I do in the airplane. If you want to look at the numbers, in recent years we've had as few as 16 or even 14 fatalities and even canopy related deaths appear to be on the decline. Pretty good I'd say. Unless you let those numbers and the warm fuzzy kind of feelings I get breed complacency. Nothing grabs your attention better than someone you know getting killed, especially if you're there to see it. Sparky said it best, "None of is so good - or ever will be - that we can't be killed on thenext jump". Your humble servant.....Professor Gravity !

Bicycle Day ! Thanks for the reminder ! Your humble servant.....Professor Gravity !

Only to you. Your humble servant.....Professor Gravity !

With a twisted ankle and a sprained knee - those guys WERE tougher than us ! Mrs. Pichardo sounds like a wild one too. Did it while her husband was away at sea. Probably did lots of things while hubby was away. Typical Californian. Your humble servant.....Professor Gravity !

"See the Eagles Dying" ??? Wow....I never realized we were such a bunch of murderous thrill seekers. Then again, there WAS that bum we took for an aff type skydive, nobody even noticed he's not around anymore.... Your humble servant.....Professor Gravity !

I'm not sure if the Cypres ever fired at all. I had heard that she pulled at the last moment, way too low. Should be simple enough to answer - was the closing loop cut or not. She lived in a beach town and turned the thing on less than 50 ft MSL. Your humble servant.....Professor Gravity !

Um, actually I did a search for it and missed it somehow. Sorry to ruin your day, but the other thread seems to have degenerated into a pissing match over secret lists, and conspiracies between the "evil" PIA and "spineless" USPA. I wish people at dramazone would grow the fuck up. Your humble servant.....Professor Gravity !

I never said anything of the kind, so please don't go putting words in my mouth :-( What I DID say is that there's a fundamental difference in the way square and round reserves deploy. Round reserves were not bagged, they were pulled out like a snake, with the p/c attached to the apex. Whereas square reserves are bagged and the whole bag has to come out at once. I also said the old diapered round reserves opened faster, which is based on my observations over the years. As to my friend who almost went in, his case was one of those unfortunate "cascade of events" that too often can lead to a fatality. He had a pull out p/c that collapsed in his burlbe. when he knocked the bag loose with his elbow, the p/c hitched around the lines causing a baglock. He found himself simultaneously pulling both his handles as he plummeted through 500 ft. His Pioneer Super 22 round reserve opened in time to give him about a 5 second ride to the ground and he walked away. With today's gear, he'd likely have had an AAD fire at 750 - 850 ft, which may or may not have cleared the baglock. Or without an AAD, and pulling both handles at 500 ft with today's rigs and a square reserve......I'm really not sure if he'd have made it. He never should have let himself get that low in the first place. But believe me, it can happen to anyone and it can happen in no time at all. Which is why reserves need to open just as low and as quickly as possible. Your humble servant.....Professor Gravity !

As a point of information concerning any and all rigs, I have a question. John Sherman would seem to be someone who could answer this. Aren't harness/container systems required to pass TSO testing for approval ? In addition to just the reserve canopies, I have been under the impression that the entire reserve system (harness, container, pilot chute, freebag, and canopy, etc.) are supposed to open in something like 3 seconds or 300 ft. of initial pilot chute release. Izzat so ? Is real TSO testing being conducted, or are the test results submitted just another "conspiratorial dog & pony show" ? Your humble servant.....Professor Gravity !

Caught this in my emailed USPA Newsletter yesterday. A recent trend in fatalities that seems to be occurring at about one fatality a year is reserves that aren't opening fast enough after activation has begun, whether by a manual ripcord pull, RSL, or AAD activation. These activations are from lower than desired altitudes, in most cases I'd guess from below a grand. But they "should be" high enough for deployment of the reserve. USPA is urging ALL members to perform a reserve drill at repack time, in the presence of their rigger. They are urging everyone to put on their rig, fully packed, and with the rigger watching, to pull both our emergency handles. The rigger is to observe p/c launch and then to manually extract the freebag from the container. Any obstructions, abnormalities, or problems at all with extraction are to be documented and reported to USPA, PIA, and the rig's manufacturer. Personally, my rigger has always insisted that I do this anyway and I've always thought it was a good idea. One has to wonder if rigs these days are getting a little too small, a little too tight, and a little too sexy looking. In the old days, round reserves weren't bag packed and they came out and opened like greased lightning. I'm not calling for a return to round reserves (no way - thank you very much...), but from what I've seen, square reserves do NOT open as fast as the rounds used to. I know at least one person who pulled both his handles at 500 ft and walked away from a 5 second ride under a round reserve. Not sure if he'd have survived with today's gear. There's something very basic at stake here and we may be taking way too much for granted. Your humble servant.....Professor Gravity !

In the last couple years I've taken two exceptionally hard head slams doing RW. the last one was just a few months ago and gave me enough of a headache that I didn't jump again that day. This month's Parachutist has the annual fatality report. Back in the seventies, with 30+ fatalities a year, "no pull / low pull" was the leading cause of death in our sport, with an average of 11 deaths a year. Of the total 14 deaths in 2009 (we ARE getting safer), NONE were caused by no/low pull. Most people will only ever need an AAD once, if at all. Trouble is, nobody knows in advance which jump they'll need it. As Sparky Owens has often said, none of us is so good, or ever will be, that we can't be killed on the next jump. Your humble servant.....Professor Gravity !

Sorry Paul, but the Soviet Film Bureau sort of went out of bidness. Still have a good copy of Eisenstein's "Alexander Nevsky" if you're innerested.... Your humble servant.....Professor Gravity !

There was a time when the A license wasn't required anywhere. You still needed at least a C to compete or make demos, so a lot of people waited and just got their C and then later maybe got their D. I only bothered with my D because I needed it for a permit application to jump El Capitan in 1980 (it was legal for exactly one glorious month). Nowadays of course the A license is like a basic driver's license, demonstrating that you've made 25 jumps without killing yourself or anyone else. Your humble servant.....Professor Gravity !

Bring a Koran with you and begin ever answer with "Allah willing....". Your humble servant.....Professor Gravity !

Do any of 'em skydive ? Your humble servant.....Professor Gravity !

So were you present at the birth ? Congratulations to you all, this is a wonderful event ! It's been 25 years already, but I still rmember our first born like it happened yesterday. Much joy to you all ! Your humble servant.....Professor Gravity !