Staso

it was a good shit !!! :) but i think being skydiver it kinda ruined if for me. there were some people there that were terrified. my wife who was in the jump pod with me was almost crying just seeing me getting ready :) i was excited, but i wish i was scared which would highlight my experience. i wish i did one more jump right after to get a better taste of it, but it was pretty expensive. overall, i'm glad i did and if it were free i'd do it everyday :) also i was surprised how little pull does the bungee exert. i thought it would be noticeable point where it goes from slack to stretch but there was almost none. this place is in New Zealand and it's second highest in the world. the highest one is in Hong Kong. maybe i will try it if i have a chance :) -- it's not about defying gravity; it's how hard you can abuse it. speed skydiving it is ... Speed Skydiving Forum

quick follow up :) -- it's not about defying gravity; it's how hard you can abuse it. speed skydiving it is ... Speed Skydiving Forum

bring back the thread I started some time ago. it looks like there are several ways I can go about "removing" regular HDD from my hybrid camera. 1. replacing HDD with SSD. seems like many people tried that and it worked. some people warn that it might result in camera being inoperable with costly factory repairs/reset. cost 32GB $100-$115, 16GB $75 2. CF to ZIF 1.8" adapter ($20) + 32GB CF card ($70) / 16GB CF card ($30) cost 32GB $90, 16GB $50 3. Sony memory stick pro duo - this is the card that this camera takes and I can set up the video and pictures to use it as the only media which should eliminate the use of HDD. ideally I would want to pull the HDD out and leave it at home so it doesn't get damaged. but I'm afraid that the camera will not work without HDD even if it doesn't record to it. anybody knows if this is true? cost 32GB $100, 16GB $40-$50 so it looks like if I decide to go for 16GB (5 hours, 20 mins) it would make sense to go with 2nd or 3rd option and for 32GB (10 hours 40 mins) I would go with SSD being the most reliable option. but I would like to know if the camera would work with HDD and with memory stick only ... Re: "especially if you're gonna buy equipment to keep you alive at north cole" - that's the reason i don't want to spend to much money on this since i'm paying a lot for "equipment to keep me alive at north col" :) -- it's not about defying gravity; it's how hard you can abuse it. speed skydiving it is ... Speed Skydiving Forum

that's close to where i'm going :) but i will be 2 camps up from BC - ABC and NC -- it's not about defying gravity; it's how hard you can abuse it. speed skydiving it is ... Speed Skydiving Forum

North Col of mount Everest. It's a ridge that connect Everest with its neighboring mountain Changtse. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_Col -- it's not about defying gravity; it's how hard you can abuse it. speed skydiving it is ... Speed Skydiving Forum

Lou, Thanks for your quick response. I'm going to be outside for a month with temperatures ranging from 60F to -20F, but without big temperature jumps - it's all ambient temperature. Altitude will be up to 23k. I will restrict the use of HDD during the coldest part, so I think I might be ok. Batteries are easier - i have two sets, one of them will be on the camera, another one under layers close to my body so it should stay warm. And I can cycle them if needed. LCD is a problem and I didn't even think about it. Camera works without the LCD, but filming is almost impossible without any visual reference. So I guess I should see if i get lucky. Another issue is if I should keep the camera outside all the time while using it or bring it under my down jacket and only have it exposed for breif moments when i need it. The problem with the latter is condesation when it goes back under the jacket. Not sure if neoprene cover will help since I will be outside all the time without any heat source and the camera doesn't have its own. So there is no heat to retain. -- it's not about defying gravity; it's how hard you can abuse it. speed skydiving it is ... Speed Skydiving Forum

this is not exactly skydiving related, but I thought there might be someone here who might have an answer to my question. I have Sony handycam DCR-SR45 hybrid camera. it has an HDD and it also accepts a memory stick. I can select media for both video and photo. I'm planning on an expedition next year that will bring me to a very cold and thing air places that are definitely outside of manufacturer's recommended temperature range. my concern with this camera that HDD will simply freeze there. so for the coldest part of the expedition I want to use memory stick exclusively. I contacted Sony and ask them if there is a way to disable an HDD in the camera and if selecting memory stick as proffered media for video and photo would effectively do that. they told me that it's not recommended to use the camera under such conditions. after I confirmed that I take responsibility for my actions and would like to know the answer, they still told me that "it's not recommended to use the camera under such conditions". now I wonder if anyone here has some experience/knowledge with this subject who can tell me if it would work for me like that or not? thanks a lot! -- it's not about defying gravity; it's how hard you can abuse it. speed skydiving it is ... Speed Skydiving Forum

(RE:Staso) Now-a-days Prosthesis can be amazing. I have seen a lot of amputees who are far better athletes than I can ever hope to be. well, then maybe that person needs to let someone else who really needs that spot park there. -- it's not about defying gravity; it's how hard you can abuse it. speed skydiving it is ... Speed Skydiving Forum

at my old gym i used to see a hummer with a handicap sticker that had a bicycle on its rack ones and then a kayak. go figure. -- it's not about defying gravity; it's how hard you can abuse it. speed skydiving it is ... Speed Skydiving Forum

full face helmet -- it's not about defying gravity; it's how hard you can abuse it. speed skydiving it is ... Speed Skydiving Forum

well, luckily for me, my rigger has that rating. but i don't think it's on my card. i will check tonight -- it's not about defying gravity; it's how hard you can abuse it. speed skydiving it is ... Speed Skydiving Forum

i don't think you need to have the fact that your RSL is disconnected noted on the packing card. i don't remember if the RSL was ever put on my rig. I bought it new and i think it came without RSL on it and it was never put there. but i could be mistaken - it was in 2002 -- it's not about defying gravity; it's how hard you can abuse it. speed skydiving it is ... Speed Skydiving Forum

speaking about ankle vs body harness. i had ACL done in my of my knees couple of years ago. is there a good pull on the knee doing ankle harness jump? -- it's not about defying gravity; it's how hard you can abuse it. speed skydiving it is ... Speed Skydiving Forum

for what it's worth, i had crossfire2-139 in j1k and it fit just fine. but smaller then that would be loose. -- it's not about defying gravity; it's how hard you can abuse it. speed skydiving it is ... Speed Skydiving Forum

i had a custom D-ring cutaway handle made for my odyssey. makes cutaway/reserve pull a breeze with 2 hands. i had two cutaways, first one with the regular handle and the second with the custom. really like the custom one :) sorry for the pic (it's the only one i have here at work). -- it's not about defying gravity; it's how hard you can abuse it. speed skydiving it is ... Speed Skydiving Forum

I'm going to NZ in November for my honeymoon and I was thinking about doing some bungee jumping. I'm not sure if one gets to choose how to jump, but if that's the case I was thinking about falling backwards off the platform to make it more exciting. But then I was thinking that doing it regular way will yield some better visuals and maybe some ground rush. So now I'm undecided :) Does any who did it have an advice for me? -- it's not about defying gravity; it's how hard you can abuse it. speed skydiving it is ... Speed Skydiving Forum

very cool picture -- it's not about defying gravity; it's how hard you can abuse it. speed skydiving it is ... Speed Skydiving Forum

it's really easy to kill the speed. i slam it from full dive transitioning into a full track. take a look at the attachment. in 10 seconds i went from 294 mph at 5k to 83 mph at 3k. you can see how straight the braking part is. building speed up take forever, slowing down is a different story. lots of speeders are big dudes. and they fly tight vinyl suits and still manage to slow down. well, my fast days are over :( as of this july i retired form skydiving at the jump 1001. i jumped for competition and it fueled my desire to jump. with majority all the meets taking place in europe it gets real expensive to travel and compete. i organized several competitions in the states but the discipline never took off. so i somewhat lost it ... but i'm moving on to my next adventure - climbing North Col of Mount Everest in may next year with summit climb expedition (summitclimb.com). i'm still going for the altitude, except i'm doing it hard way :) by the way, if there is any interest in that expedition - let me know ! :) -- it's not about defying gravity; it's how hard you can abuse it. speed skydiving it is ... Speed Skydiving Forum

There is no need for "extra" time - the next group is the biggest RW group on the load - and they take forever at the door. i go right on the cut, so i don't slow them down at all and still have enough time before they exit. going short is not a problem for me either - with luxury of 10 seconds of super fast track i can get back anywhere i want. before you say that i would go back towards the next group, i would say that i go at the angle and my dz landing area topography allows that i go back where i can land safely and still not get close to the next group. now, if we need to argue if having a speed skydiver on the load adds additional risk, i would agree with you. but i think it's manageable risk and it's a low risk. but putting speed skydiver somewhere else in the order lineup rather then first would add to that risk significantly. if you think about freeflyers, they also add risk to RW flyers. being faster fallers they have potential to fly into RW group airspace altitude wise. the risk is mitigated by putting them after RW groups. so having that additional discipline (freeflying) adds to the overall risk as opposed to having all people do RW. but we accept the discipline and manage that risk for the sake of growing number of disciplines in skydiving. the same goes for speed skydiving. yes, it's dangerous, yes it complicates the exit order. but the way we do it i believe we minimize the potential risk the best we can. how long did it take to accept that free flyers go after RW? it was odd for a while and many DZ were stuck with the freeflyers going first for the longest time and some still do it! now it's common practice that they go after RW. you have a lot more years in skydiving and a lot more jumps then i do and i respect that. but i spent last 6 or 7 years doing speed dive on every load i was. comparing these jumps with one or two "other" jumps i did per season i can tell you that canopy flying wise being first out and doing what i do was the safest combination. on some occasions i would be landing and seeing 2nd group break off. i never had that much separation on other jumps. Mine doesn't turn, because I'm looking at the ground for reference, and controlling myself so that I stay straight. well, trust me i can be very stable in my dive. but that's not the point. there is a saying that you might cringe at - "if everything is under control, you're not going fast enough". the purpose of speed skydiving is not being stable and is not being on heading it's flying on the edge of your stability to achieve the fastest speed. if you're stable, you're falling too slow. you have to push it to the limit, otherwise there is no reason for it. while pushing hard you might accidentally turn 90 degrees, and by turning back on heading you would apply some control against the air stream around you and lose the precious speed. please don't take it personally, in no way it's targeted at you. i just want to show that speed skydiving can be done safely without additional risk to others. some people question that and question the whole discipline. i had way too many questions about why do i do speed skydiving, the say it seems so boring. for me it's always the rush and intensity of the freefall at that speed. it's like a drug :) and i guess it's like explaining to non-skydiving people why we skydive :) -- it's not about defying gravity; it's how hard you can abuse it. speed skydiving it is ... Speed Skydiving Forum

I'm having a little trouble with this statement. If you can wander in your dive, then what keeps you from wandering forward into the airspace below the group that exited behind you? I've been having trouble with this very thing. I exit after the RW and free-flyers, but before the tandems. And a couple of times I've ended up opening too close to the group that exited before me. I'm wondering if I'm diving past the point of being vertical, so that I'm actually back-tracking a bit. Theoretically, the other groups should be getting more freefall drift and moving away from me. But several times, that hasn't worked out right somehow. But the sure way to eliminate this problem, is to turn perpendicular to the line of flight as you start to dive, so that any wandering either forward or backward, does not take you into other groups up or down the line of flight. i understand your concern and it's a legit concern, however i think it's well addressed. the active phase of the speed dive is less then 40 second. the second group is usually a big RW group. they take a lot of time at the door. overall it gives you about 30 seconds extra time. tracking 10 seconds coming out of the 250+ mph dive gives you a lot of distance. i always spend these seconds tracking down the wind line and always end up a bit short and far away from the next group. again during this several years i didn't even come close on any of my jumps. it gets trickier when there are several speed divers and usually a separate pass required for that. turning 90 degrees on exit will not work. if you body is off a tiny bit you will turn. -- it's not about defying gravity; it's how hard you can abuse it. speed skydiving it is ... Speed Skydiving Forum

there is nothing real special about containers - they just have to be in good shape and be freefly friendly. the only modification i had on mine was a velcro sewn to pilot chute handle and matching piece on the bottom of the container. i also had a custom d-ring cutaway handle, but that was more as a personal preference. another thing that was a bit off - speed skydivers always go first. this kinda breaks the general order rule, but it's a lot safer this way. during speed diver one might wonder a lot horizontally being in a very steep but not vertical dive. going after another group would be dangerous. fortunately you have about 10 seconds to slow down and you can cover a lot of ground in a track coming out of the 300 mph dive. i did about 600-700 speed jumps at my dz always going first and i was never even remotely close to anyone under 3k. i would usually open, turn where i need to go, do my sliders, pump my brakes and then find the next group still in free fall and away from me. it's a fun discipline and can be done safely. -- it's not about defying gravity; it's how hard you can abuse it. speed skydiving it is ... Speed Skydiving Forum

exit and pull altitudes are the same. exists are actually have to be between 13 and 14k otherwise jump doesn't count. for slowing down, i used to go into track at 5k and dump around 2.5. so it takes about 8-10 seconds to slow down -- it's not about defying gravity; it's how hard you can abuse it. speed skydiving it is ... Speed Skydiving Forum

thanks! it's a fun discipline, but without competition it gets a little bit boring. unfortunately it's not very common here in the states and travelling to Europe gets pricey! i was fortunate enough to get a fully paid trip to Morocco for one of the world meets - it was all paid by Moroccan dept of tourism. that was pretty sweet :) but Marco took the gold there as well - he's a great guy and awesome competitor and he's really-really fast :) -- it's not about defying gravity; it's how hard you can abuse it. speed skydiving it is ... Speed Skydiving Forum

there will be some heli jumps @ Jumptown in September - check with them. -- it's not about defying gravity; it's how hard you can abuse it. speed skydiving it is ... Speed Skydiving Forum

hey! leave my record alone !! the numbers that are used for competition are not the maximum speed achieved, it's an average over vertical kilometer. the max speed is not very reliable. if you have your pro-track in your helmet it's even less reliable - it's easy to have huge spikes up and down by moving your head while in the track right off the speed dive. i've seen speeds as low as 20-30 mph on my in my track right off the dive. for competition we have 2 pro-tracks on both side of the rig and if the average between them is more then 30km/h (?) then the jump is disqualified. -- it's not about defying gravity; it's how hard you can abuse it. speed skydiving it is ... Speed Skydiving Forum