TaeKwonDoDo

I'm going to phoenix next week on SWA and will be bringing my rig. The thread w/Q's on the effect of 911 made me think I should ask if there are any issues with bringing my rig onto the plane... Do I check it in? Can I carry it on? (Can you see the look of the faces of the people around me looking at me as I put my rig in the overhead?) Do I need to declare that my cypress (has an explosive charge) is with me (if I get it back in time from its service). Sure there aren't too many issues I need to worry about, but if I don't ask and show up at the counter, I'll guarantee there will be at least one (I'm the guy in the checkout line at the grocery store you DON'T want to be behind). TIA, - Jeff "That's not flying, it's falling with style."

I've always wanted to do it but never had the time to take it seriously - and my wife complains that I take my hobbies too extreme whatever they are (fly fishing, TKD, snowboarding, etc ...). So, its a few days before my daughters (#2) 18th BD and I ask her what she wants... Destiny "I don't know" Dad (semi-joking) "How about skydiving?" Destiny (not skipping a beat) "Sure!" We did AFF1 Ground on a Monday, then got fogged out and came back and did Jump 1 on a saturday... We were only going to do the one jump... Really - just one (I promised)...and $2000 later we were enrolled for AFF Jumps 2-7. My wife was right - Now I can't stop (I bought 50 JTs when we were having a $16-to-16K day). Should get my "A" (Beer) tomorrow. My daughter went off to college right after jump 8 - so I'm flying out to SD-AZ next week to meet some of this gang and get her in the "continuing education" program there... Doing my best to prevent AIDS (Altitude Induced Divorce Syndrome) . - Jeff "That's not flying, it's falling with style."

Had one last week on my Third pack-job - Just about lost a testicle (if the harness was 1" more over I would have) and the insides of my thighs hurt like piss the rest of the day. Not sure about how far I rolled the nose or tucked in the slider but I payed attention to that on the remaining dives that day... and will continue to do so from now on. - Jeff "That's not flying, it's falling with style."

Do you have a number to call? I just gave mine to the DZO and he's sending it in for me... TIA, - Jeff "That's not flying, it's falling with style."

Thanks... I was hoping to get it back before I head over to SD-AZ. Doesn't look too hopeful as I turned it in last Friday (and leaving next friday). So - since I'll have my A license by then, should I jump without it??? (JUST KIDDING!!! - Let's NOT start ANOTHER cypress philosophy thread). Geeezzzzzz..... - Jeff "That's not flying, it's falling with style."

Had my DZ ship it in for batteries and the 4yr check - how long does this normally take? I want to jump my new rig and WANT to jump it with the AAD in it. TIA, - Jeff "That's not flying, it's falling with style."

Hmmmm.... Money is involved, and lots of it. If my wife got to keep the money regarless of the outcome - I'd seriously think about it. I'm still covered for a significant amount (Life, AD&D) anyway but not $100M (but enough for me to think about keeping my chure hidden from the wife ). Who comes up with the $100M? Is this funded by a tax on the rich? Can we raise taxes on Cigs and Alcohol, or just Beer only so the SD community can "voluntary" contribute... Or do we hold a lottery/raffle and when the pool is large enough the winner gets to jump? Let's figure out where the money comes first, then I might solidify my answer . - Jeff "That's not flying, it's falling with style."

I'll ask when I'm at the DZ Saturday - As I like to joke, but this one was for real. And it had some skydiving in it too. Stay tuned. - Jeff "That's not flying, it's falling with style."

I would like to check out some DVDs with cool skydiving in it so I can share with my kids (ages 7 and 10) what it is daddy does all day every saturday. Although I didn't mind the SD DVD/Video I saw at our DZ... you know, the one with the fake boobed girls in bikinis washing the plane while covering each other in suds - and then make a trip to a steamy all-girl hot-tub fiesta to "wash" each other off later... I mean, I can "tolerate" this, but this generally isn't something I want to be sharing with the kids (gee daddy - what is THAT! What is SHE doing to that other GIRL!!!). Rather than just renting/buying something first without knowing, and then trying to explain to my boy what that girl is doing with the hose - is just something I would like to avoid. Any recommendations? TIA, - Jeff "That's not flying, it's falling with style."

My wife calls all sorts of things "thingy" (no, not that... ok, well sometimes) and it often gets us into trouble as she's referring to one thingy and I think she's talking about another thingy... So - what thingy are you referring to - I check the lines for cross-overs and tangles, but maybe there is another check I've never been shown... TIA - Jeff "That's not flying, it's falling with style."

Gang - There is a huge debate in the Gear and Rigging forum on the Need/Wants of a Cypress - I'm sure someone here is reading it. If not, check it out - This accident makes the case for having one if any ever did. It's ironic that this accident happened and was posted almost simultaneously 1/2 way through this debate. Not the moderator - but I don't think we should continue the debate here... the one in gear and rigging is pretty entertaining... - Jeff "That's not flying, it's falling with style."

And to: I think what you are pointing out here is that there is a complacency that the cypress give some to push the edge - especially people of the "cypress generation". Another way of interpreting this is that there ARE those that become significantly MORE agressive because they have one....because they think they can. I hope they are nowhere near me. - Jeff "That's not flying, it's falling with style."

Makes sense to me. Yes. Ahhh, there is the key word - I may have missed how you were applying it before: "NEED". And I agree - If I thought I NEEDED one, I shouldn't be doing this. The word NEED in this implies in your context that said person will be one of those who pushes the limit and believes this is his safety. Now I see where the term "RELY" is being applied. Fully agree. If he NEEDS it, ground him. I "WANT" one for the simple fact that I AM new to the sport and WANT the added security that one gives. Do I NEED it? Setting the spousal agreement aside, no, as I am new enough to not be complacent as a go through a fall and watch the clock religously, and even more-so as it swings by 6AM. I hope I am as dilligent at 200 or 2000 jumps checking the watch as I am now. As for the Cypress? I still WANT it - but not as an altitude awareness tool. "That's not flying, it's falling with style."

Thanks - sounds like this might alleviate the suffering. I'll give it a try - to re-cap: Fold the top down first and stuff it in the bag, then s-fold the front half and stuff it inbetween the fold that's already in the bag. Yes? Also, someone mentioned psycho-pack.... what's that? TIA, - Jeff "That's not flying, it's falling with style."

Hmmm - don't agree with that line of thinking... First off, having a cypress save to allow me to go play golf, or whatever, is the point. Without it, no more golf (at least for a while - but my golf sucks anyway ). Putting in the cypress was as conscious an act as pulling red-then-silver. Call it a safety maneuver that I did pre-mal - as the red/silver gets done at mal. Both can be argued as "back-up" safety equipment. Do I rely on all safety aspects of the equipment I use? You betchya. As stated, If I thought there was not enough safety measures then the Wuffos are right. Do I hope I ever have to get to the point where I use any of them? God, I hope not - but the odds are pretty high that there will be a reserve ride or two in my future - Does a reserve save count as much as a cypress save? Do I still get to play golf or do I play dead. Do I think I'll ever get saved by a cypress? Again, hope not - but I will have the piece of mind that it is there in the event I do something extremely stupid and phuck-up (unconscious in a docking impact, lose alti awareness, whatever). And if the point that is trying to be made: Should we push ourselves to the limit because we can count on our cypress to save our sorry ass? Anyone with that attitude/thought process doesn't belong in the sport (or won't enjoy it very long - we all know what that means). - Jeff "That's not flying, it's falling with style."

No I understood what you were saying - and we're on the same page. And I like your line of thinking on preparing for each pull being a mal - didn't realize till just now that each time I look up after a throw that I am suprised (especially now that I'm packing my own) that it does open, that I'm essentually preparing for a mal. Now I can make it concious. My comment was to get across that of all of our main/back-up systems we have to assume that at least one of them will work, or the Wuffos are right! Nothing is wrong with increasing the odds for the success of a dive - AAD does this (at least for me). Actually, I'm suprised they're not mandatory for all divers (ducking now). - Jeff "That's not flying, it's falling with style."

Well, I voted... and I think we all rely on our mains working, and if the main doesn't doesn't work, I will (haven't had to... yet) rely on my reserve. I view the AAD as another device that increases the safety of a sport that is both: a) not very forgiving or, b) not good at giving second chances at said forgiveness The agreement I have with the Control Tower (my wife) is that I won't jump without one - and that if I'm renting a student rig while my AAD is out for service, I call it $20 of "additional" insurance per jump. - Jeff "That's not flying, it's falling with style."

That pretty well describes it. My wife was watching the first time I "S" folded it and couldn't get it in - she (wisely) left for the second go-around. Thanks, - Jeff "That's not flying, it's falling with style."

My hop-n-pop is next saturday... Contemplating on using my own pack-job for that one... heck, to my amazement, pack #s 1,2, and 3 did actually open (#2 damn near castrated me though - now I know what a hard opening feels like and to roll the nose better). Heck, if shit happens on thee H&P, there's always red and sliver, right? - Jeff "That's not flying, it's falling with style."

Go to "Gear and Rigging" and read about pack-job #2 on this same canopy. - Jeff "That's not flying, it's falling with style."

I got my rig this weekend and did my first ZP pack-job... Getting it in the bag was a little tight, but otherwise it was a piece of cake! Well, it didn't have an AAD (out for service) and I'm 2-jumps away from my A, so I let one of the instructors jump it to check it out. Well, I got to re-pack it later that evening at home and... It turned into the packjob from hell. I just couldn't seem to get what seemed like 10lbs of shit in a (deployment) bag I know was only meant to hold 5 lbs. Somewhere I was picturing with greater understanding why childbirth is a unidirectional manuver. At one point, I must have been getting delusional because as I could of swore I heard the fabric laughing at me when I left the room. Somewhere off in the background I hear "those lips sure do look purdy" and banjos strumming. This sucker was Alive! Anyone see the movie "The Blob"? How it was really small and it grew to a massive size? So I can remain sane - can someone give me their pointers with putting a ZP into a really small deployment bag? Thanks, - Jeff "That's not flying, it's falling with style."

I got my new rig this weekend, but the AAD was OOD and needed to be sent in - and I'm still a few jumps on my yellow card before I get my A - so the S&TA tells me that I'll have to wait till I get the AAD back or finish my yellow card. OK, NP (except I have to continue renting gear at $20/pop now). So, I had the rigger do an I&R, and then I packed the main - My 4th or 5th unsupervised pack-job, and my first packjob ever on ZP (I can use the F word here but this time it didn't count cause I couldn't jump it ). So I'm putting on the student gear and the S&TA walks up to me and says "I love those old Sabre's, how about I jump your rig and check out its trim for you".... I then mentioned that not only did he not observe me pack it, but it was only my 4th or 5th unsupervised pack job on a canopy and fabric I'd never packed before - he said "not a problem", gave me a wink, then said "I trust you". Long-story-shortened: It opened (whew) and smoothly. I would have felt real bad had I looked below me seeing my white reserve opening and my Sabre gently floating away! When he came down he swooped under canopy next to me (100' away) and then landed - Tells me its an awesome canopy and I got a killer deal. Just rambling... - Jeff (my first ZP pack was easy, second (repack) was the pack-job from hell) "That's not flying, it's falling with style."

I looked for almost a month in the classifieds and looked for a full-set with an AAD that had some life left on it. I looked at building a rig from parts, but it seemed too much of a hassle and I don't have the knowledge to do that well (yet). The big problem was that most sellers (believe it or not) would not send to my DZO & Rigger prior to me paying for it - don't do a person-person deal unless they agree that your rigger at your DZ inspects it for your fit and that the equipment is in good condition. I made three offers and no one wanted to send it so they most likely sold it to someone else - cavet emptor? Anyway, I finally found a rig on Ebay that had the size/loading I thought would be fun for 200-300 jumps or so, and then I'll pass it on/sell it back to another newbie and size down - This seller was hesitant about sending it as well, until he realized he knew my DZO from a boogie a couple of years back. The biggest problem I had was finding something my size (I'm 190 lbs) that my DZO and instructor thought I can handle and be interested in for quite a while - and a good percentage of what I found was wayyyy over where I wanted to go in wing-loading at my experience level (I want to stay around 1.0/1.1 for now). The rig I found is a Sabre 190 which puts me right at 1.1 - I've been jumping a rental PD210 right now and I have every intention of getting training flying it before I jump, maybe talk to the DZO about a radio on this jump, and plan on pulling very high (as high as the DZO will let me) the first couple of jumps to get some flight time and familiarity of it. It got to the DZ today, I'm checking it out tomorrow. Oh, and no matter what, no last minute turns. - Jeff "That's not flying, it's falling with style."

My wife will do well of if I burn in... My personal life coverage is really big - Term insurance with USAA that I got years and years ago... there was a questing in the application that asked me if I planned (in '94) to do any skydiving/scuba/etc... within 6 months of signing the contract. The only real exclusion was a suicide exclusion that expired in '96 so even if the grind doesn't look accidental she'll still get paid... Also, I checked my Life and AAD at work, and both cover "risky" sports, including skydiving. Should the unthinkable happen, my wife will do very, very, very well. Note to self: Hide gear at home from wife... - Jeff p.s., anyone notice that the forum's spell checker doesn't recognize the word "Skydiving"... "That's not flying, it's falling with style."

It's better to chop and be wrong, then to not chop and become an active thread in the incidents forum... Nice Job! Oh, and... BEER - Jeff p.s., no chops yet, but jumping my first pack-job this weekend. , and practicing handel pulls in my mind all week ... I know... BEER. "That's not flying, it's falling with style."