airman210

Thanks for all the fun, really good times. It is so cool to see that the organizers have as much fun as the we do.

vrw is dead. i quit. maybe the good times will be had by others.

Hey Joe, thanks for posting the video up. It was great seeing you guys over there, what a fun competition. We have started to train for next year already. Say hi to the team. Keith, I quit.

There really is no difference between this video and a video of someone living after a ridiculous low pull or hook turn. Sometimes you get lucky.... The idea of a controlabilty check is to ensure that a normal looking canopy flies normally. If it looks like shit, get rid of it. I had a cutaway from a bridle wraped around a brake line and d group. It flew okay but when you think about it, things could get bad low. So bye bye. If there is any question, altitude permitting, cut it. The reserve is a parachute too folks.

Hi everyone. I am a former teammate of Tims and current friend. I have probably partied with a lot of you and I have regretted some too. Tim has been a friend to me when I felt like I had none. He has spent countless days with me, flyng and coaching without allowing me to pay him.He would literally give you the rig of his back, so it sickens me to know that someone stole it. We have trained and travelled together, been through good times and bad. He flew camera for my AD test with the flu, after he tought me how to freefly. Is a kindred spirit to all skydivers, and unique spirit and I have been lucky to call him a best friend. I have attached a photo of our team. The rig that is missing is just like the gold one in the picture. Tim is flying the camera in the back. If anyone recovers this rig I will pay them $1000. $2000 with the theifs front teeth. Just kidding about the teeth. lov ya bro see ya in a week. Gorilla

Hi James. When I stated back flying I noticed I had an arch in my back, pushing my belly towards the top of the tunnel. This "de-arching" definitely caused the same instability that a de-arch would cause on your belly, potato chipping etc. I found it easier to have an a more rounded back. Very similar to an arch on your belly. Air flows around the body better. Also make sure that you hips and knees are at 90 degrees, as well as your arms and shoulder angles. Lift is provided by opening your hips and shoulders. Ray can really help in the tunnel so if you see him, see what it would take to get some coaching. He's a great tunnel coach. Keep your head back to control your stability, many people look at their feet and this causes instability, because the body folds up. You guys always seem to have so much fun, so don't be discouraged, the tunnel is whole new world. Thanks for fixing the boat. It works just great. See you at the dz and I will be calling about splitting some time in the tunnel (aka : backyard crackhouse) Paul

two cannibals are eating a clown, when one cannibals looks at the other and says "does this taste funny to you?"

Keith I think you are the best female flyer I know

This may be entertaining for some...

"You are not your job, you're not how much money you have in the bank, you're not the car you drive, you're not the contents of your wallet, you're not your fucking khackis. You are the all singing, all dancing, crap of the world." fight club

I think you put into words what alot of skydivers feel. I have 200 jumps in the last four months and I still think about it. Statistics comfort me. Don't do stupid sh*t, and your chances get better. Dont pull 360 hooks on your 75th jump. It is a true tragedy that most of our fellow jumpers that die, do so under fully functioning canopies. And it is not the experts, it is the rookies. People downsize without even learning to fully squeeze the performance out of the larger canopies. Do a "downsize checklist" (available in the forums). Anybody can make an arguement for or against the safety or non-safety of skydiving. But read the incidents, more often than not fatalities and injuries are from a multitude of mistakes, or just an oblivious attitude. When It is all said and done we will all die at some time. Don't fear death, fear the chances of life that you missed living afraid. Because beleive me, if you skydive or if you don't, you will most likely die from old age in a bed on your back thinking about the life you had and the life you missed. And you will not regret the chance you took, only the chance you missed. Blues. Be safe. Fly in the face of fear.

I would make sure you stand up, on multiple jumps in a row, before downsizing. When was the last time you heard of someone getting hurt because they had too big of a canopy?

Here'e some advice... Be careful who you get advice from. A large number of the folks posting here have less then one hundred jumps. Get professional coaching. A truly professional coach would not put you down for attempting to fly and land safely. The money you spend in coaching may just save what you would spend in, jump tickets and E.R. visits.

I've been back out a couple of times. Six to eight jumps each time. It feels pretty much the same, I am just more cautious of altitude, body position etc. We all know great skydivers, great skydivers come with many jumps. If you are going to do alot of jumps it will happen, eventually. It really does make you measure yourself against more experienced jumpers and ponder if you are cut from the same cloth. If there is no reason (read fear) to stop, why stop? After the first cutaway, you are in no more danger than you are now, just more prepared. It makes me wonder why a cutaway, is not part of the A license requirements.

thanks paul aka new chopper