kjarv

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Posts posted by kjarv

  1. Quote

    I heard that The guy had closed up shop???? anybody care to clarify?



    CAVEAT - I was there THREE years ago, so my information is very stale....

    When I left, Chuck was looking for new ways to take Da Kine rags. He had some really great ideas, but I know that he might have to do some down time while he implemented them. Perhaps he's now in a lull to get some of his ideas working.

    I'm positive that someone at Pacific Skydiving/Skydive Hawaii would know what he's up to.

    I hope he hasn't quit, I think his jumpsuits are creative and unique...I'm glad I've got one...

    -kjarv

  3. it would be awesome if there were a simple fix.
    There are so many issues--- to name a few more:

    1. Parachutes are expensive in both money and time
    - yeah, our sport is expensive, we all accept that, but we all want our own equipment and want our investment to last

    - you can say 'buy used' when you're learning, but that means (as an example) you'd have to FIND a 190, buy it, fly it, maybe decide to continue to downsize, then FIND a 170...etc.

    - wouldn't it be cool if someone offered a 'downsizing to the canopy you want' program. Front the money for the VX you hope to own one day and the manufacturer 'loans' you a 190 until you can prove you can fly it, then a 170, then a 160... probably unrealistic from a financial point of view, but creative buyback or upgrade or maybe even canopy leasing schemes could make it viable.

    2. There is no canopy 'checkride' process in place.
    - no one makes sure you can 'fly' your current canopy before letting you 'upgrade' --- I'm not saying the FAA has it right, but if you wanna change aircraft complexity (fly on instruments, retractable gear, multiengine), you have to prove you have the skill.

    3. Who takes time with lowtimers/unskilled/beginners?

    - Though I'm far from good, and have really low jump numbers, am not a coach, but consider myself safe and conservative. I keep an eye out for people just off aff/the new guy hanging around the DZ and do a 2-way with them, they learn, you'll learn, it's fun and you'll probably make a friend. You shouldn't have to be able to fly a 4 way headdown and land a Katana to make friends at the DZ.

    4. It's hard to express the risks and skills required to fly a small canopy/swoop
    - my mother once commented, "Why don't you land like that" after watching a load of 'swoopers' come down at skydive AZ.... I said "It takes a long time and a lot of dedication, skill, and currency to pull that off, I don't jump enough to do that---I'm very happy to land somewhere near the DZ and not go to the hospital"
    - Maybe it's old age, maybe its my one hospital trip, maybe a combination of both, but I find it fascinating that the rest of aviation tries to get everything as slow and predictable as possible when it comes to landing. I'm sure it would be thrilling for a cessna pilot to come in steep at redline speeds, engine idle, flair and glide otu a landing, but they don't do it (probably because of regulation, but reg came because it is generally recognized as unsafe despite pilot skill).

    -kjarv
    "I don't want an assignment to South Korea, do you know there are no DZ's there!!?!"
    -- Statement to Air Force Personnel Center Assignments Officer

  4. Quote

    First of all, I don't think that raiding the Women's Forum for material and bringing it here was the best of all possible ideas, especially when you don't know the whole story.



    Only quoted it as that's what generated the thought, and and felt it would seed discussion, hence the caveat for not knowing the whole story---no harm intended.

    /edited to fix markup/

  5. Was trawling around forums, and although I'm sure there's more to this particular story, the reasons given for leaving a marriage was:

    "I left my husband last Wednesday. I got tired of the broken promises, me working hard bringing in the only income, and him playing his computer games all day, and basically doing nothing around the house"

    I thought the vows were:
    "For richer, for poorer,
    In sickness, and in health,
    For better or worse
    Until death do us part" or something roughly equivalent.

    Somehow, I don't think the reasons given qualify...

    If marriage has changed this much, why not change the vows as well to something like
    "until death, or one of us is unhappy, or one of us becomes fat, or someone younger comes along, or one of us changes sexual orientation, do us part"

    I kinda like this idea http://divorcesupport.about.com/gi/dynamic/offsite.htm?zi=1/XJ&sdn=divorcesupport&zu=http%3A%2F%2Ffred411.com%2FNews%2FFLS%2F2002%2F062002%2F06092002%2F627306

    -kjarv

  6. At what point of disassembly/assembly is a firearm simply just a bunch of metal parts?

    Is it possible to break it up and ship the pieces? e.g. Barrel (blue steel metal drinking tube), Scope (monocular magnification device), firing pin (metal earwax remover), wooden stock (firewood - but I'm not sure you can have firewood in people's republic of california anymore)

    -kjarv

  9. Viper,
    Have YOU learned the native language of all the all the countries you've been deployed to? ;)

    How well have you learned their language? Conversationally fluent is extremely difficult. From my travels throughout the world, I gotta say, it's americans who are the least patient with people trying to speak english.

    OTOH, I've been very impressed with the patience of the Thai's, Koreans, Germans, French (yes, THEM), and the Italians who have all smiled patiently as I fumble with "Hello", "Thank You", "Where's the Bathroom", "Beer?" and "Where is the place that lets people jump from the airplanes?"

    Hell, I've been deployed to the UK and am still wondering why they call "soccer" "football" :)
    -kjarv

  14. If you're ever in Las Vegas, you can actually get a tour of the Nevada Test Site, and of the large crater---it's very impressive up close and personal, and is still technically 'hot' (I don't remember how much over background radiation it was)

    http://www.nv.doe.gov/nts/tours.htm

    The large crater is the 'sedan' crater. They were testing the feasibility of building Canals using nuclear weapons.

    Nukes are amazing engineering feats, remember weapons don't kill people---people kill people.

    -kjarv

  15. Hello all,
    As lawyers continue to destroy all that is good, the internet is slowly falling victim. I'm a U.S. citizen currently living in Italy, and have fallen victim to both dvd 'region' hell, and now...internet problems.

    It seems if you live outside the U.S., some websites won't let you see content from there website and their claim is always 'copyright, or export law' or some other garbage.

    I mean, for christ sake, I'm a U.S. Citizen, the trons coming out of my computer are not going to violate anyone---if I can get it in the U.S., why can't I get it here in italy, or wherever I happen to be--- if it violates 'local' laws, then leave it to local law enforcement.

    Anyway, does anyone know a good way to 'fake' my IP, reverse lookup, have a proxy I can connect to, or any other idea so that I can surf to U.S. websites and pretend my ISP is not in italy? I've tried web 'anonymizers' and have had some luck, but I haven't found anything that works everywhere...

    thanks!
    -kjarv

  16. I'm callin' bullshit on your buddy--- lets see some video, or lets hear his details on his Spanish Skydiviing experience (aircraft, DZ, dates, , who he jumped with). I'm sure with your level of experience you should be able to interrogate him to the point where you can call BS on him---have fun, and report back;)

    I guess it is possible, that he did some AFF jumps in spain, and is trying to convince you that they just 'let him jump'--- perhaps left that little detail out when regailing you with stories of his innate skydiving skills :)
    5 jumps, 3 years since last jump (best case 1 year if he managed to take it as a firstie), God must be watching over this kid (maybe all that religion training the zoo's gettin in trouble for these days is workin' out okay for him:P). The number of things that could go wrong are just spectacular, new EP's, going from 10-sec delay to full freefall, new deployment system, probably a new type/size of canopy (what size/type main are they jumping at the zoo now?)

    I love stupid lieutenant tricks...:)
    -kjarv

  17. Every place I've been in Europe (Spain, 3x DZ's in Italy) have ALL asked for complete documentation to include my USPA number/Card, logbook, and reserve repack card.

    Is your Zoomie buddy an ex WOB guy, or just a 5 jump survivor of USAFA's summer program?

    I imagine that a zoomie that just did the summer AM-490 program would get 'caught' quickly, as he would be very unfamiliar with 'regular' skydiving equipment and procedures. I'm sure you can find your favorite differences by reviewing the AM-490 Syllabus here:http://atlas.usafa.af.mil/rotc/ops/490lessonplan.doc

    I think your buddy is tryin' to bullsh!t you on skydiving in Europe.

    Finally, if your buddy IS skydiving/base jumping without proper training, be sure to inform him that when he hurts himself (and he will if he doesn't have the proper training) that Uncle Sam is going to do a Line of Duty Determination on him. What the guys who do the investigation will look at (amongst other things) is whether or not he has not informed his commander of his participation in a high risk activity AND/OR whether or not received the proper training for the activity. If he didn't do all the right stuff, the Gov't WILL NOT pay for his injuries, they will come after him to repay any time he owes the AF if his injuries cause him to seperate, or, if he burns in, they won't pay off his SGLI.

    -kjarv
    USAFA '92

  18. Ya know, it really bugs me that the military has all these fancy aircraft, but only lets people jump from them under really sucky conditions. Those pilots need training time, and we need jumps, match made in heaven :)
    Lucky you're in Vicenza, there are 3 great DZ's nearby. I'm currently stationed in Naples and the closest DZ is skydive salerno, but

    ..my favorite DZ is Skydive Tortuga in Arezzo www.skydivetortuga.com, - it's only a 3 hour drive for you(easy to get to by train as well)... They are open and send loads up all week, with busy weekends. Also, really good odds of finding english speakers there. Friendly DZ, lots of funjumpers, great aircraft (porter/grand caravan)

    Also, Checkout BFU (Reggio Emilia) www.bfu.it only 2 hours away-- call to see if they are open during the week though, they aren't as busy as Arezzo during the week, but weekends are awesome. Not so easy to find english speakers, but broken italian is fine. Again, friendly DZ, good aircraft (porter, Twin Otter), great DZO, really good food.

    Finally checkout ravenna (www.pullout.it), again, only two hours from you. I've never been there, but my italian skydiving friends tell me it's nice.

    Finally, be sure to feel sorry for me, I have to leave wonderful Italy for stupid Osan Korea, and will be without a good local DZ for a year >:(. Sorry, but no amount of juicy girls and Soju will take away the sting of being unable to jump on great wx weekends [:/]Maybe I can convince MWR to startup a skydiving club[:/]

    -kjarv

  21. How/where was the neptune mounted?

    From the documentation: Metal backplates were previously issued with Neptunes. Do NOT use one of these backplates alone with the narrow wrist strap; this setup will crack the display!

    I have a neptune, and have had only one problem with it (the IR port stopped working, but they promtly replaced it for free). I only use it as an audible, I've never had the screen crack.

    I've found Alti-2 to have outstanding customer service, I'm sure they'll tell you why the screen cracked if you ask!

    -kjarv

  22. I'm not sure where I fall in this argument, I'm certainly nowhere nearly good enough to fly with a skyball, but it seems to me that not giving the recipe for a good skyball for someone who's determined to jump one makes teh situation worse.

    A responsible person, will seek out an instructor/ballmaster, use their ball, then once "proven" may construct their own.

    But, an irresponsible person, not freely being given informaiton on construction might take on the project himself, which is certainly more unsafe (too light, too heavy, detached ribbon, strange choices for weight)

    It's analagous to not telling someone techniques on landing small fast canopies, because if you tell them, their gonna run out and buy a small fast canopy---- share knowledge.

    Best way to go it seems would be:
    Find a ballmaster,
    This is dangerous,
    You could cost people their jobs if not there lives

    But, if you're gonna do it anyway here's how it's done, and why...

    -kjarv

  23. One neptune, one dytter--- figgered two companies might increase total odds that at least one would work

    -kjarv
    Pilots must insure that all surly bonds have been slipped entirely before aircraft taxi or flight is attempted

  25. Posting some 'different' logbook data.

    Everyone asks, "How long" and "How many jumps", but in my young 5 years in, and meager 351 jumps:

    10 Different Dropzones, luckily have not been run off any of them.

    165 Jump Days (avg 2.1 jumps/day man that feels like a low number and surely gives me an excuse for my less than stellar skills). It does mean that 9% of my days over the last 5 years were good days---well, except the broken leg day, but that was a good day right up until the leg broke, and the drugs were reallllly good, so it almost balanced out.

    Eloy is my busiest DZ almost doubling my avg daily rate with 3.94 jumps/day over 15 days :)
    Sadly, only .01%(5:48:51) of the last five years was spent in freefall

    I do have to count myself lucky as I've been spoiled by turbine jumpships with 92% of exit alts of 13k and above. :)
    Total freefall distance is 672.1 miles...far far above that of Annapolis or Westpoint. Almost three times higher than the ISS and it's meager altitude of 271.5 miles:P

    Why isn't there a place for 'beers' in my logbook...dammit, data lost forever.

    -kjarv
    Pilots must insure that all surly bonds have been slipped entirely before aircraft taxi or flight is attempted