skydived19006

The NOTAM points out three areas pilots are to avoid because President Obama will be there and to maintain an altitude of at least 3,000 feet when over these areas. Here is what happens if you do not read the NOTAMs: News item - " Pot-laden plane blows into Obama's air space" Two Air Force F-16 fighters intercepted a privately owned Cessna airplane that entered the same Los Angeles airspace as Marine One on Thursday as the helicopter was ferrying President Barack Obama. Police discovered about 40 pounds of marijuana inside the plane after it landed at Long Beach Airport. Fulano checked around. The pot-laden plane was a Cessna 182, registration N8873X. It is owned by a David W. Major, who lives in Grover Beach, California. Fulano did some more checking and found that David W. Major does not have a pilot's license. He does have an old expired student pilots license, a mechanics license to work on aircraft, a flight engineer's license, and even a parachute rigging license. He just doesn't have a pilot' s license. It probably doesn't matter now. I don't think he will have need to check any more NOTAMs. Experience is what you get when you thought you were going to get something else. AC DZ

The terms that I'm familiar with are, hanging, step/poised, V, and in the door, or last. When launching, nobody truly hangs, that guy will have one foot on the step, one arm on the strut, and one grip. Experience is what you get when you thought you were going to get something else. AC DZ

Anyone know anything about this airplane? Seems that the government is selling it. A Western Region skydiver, David Major, busted an Obama TFR in it, maybe not all that large of a deal in of it's self. But, he also had 40lbs of cannabis on board. It has a jump door on it. Experience is what you get when you thought you were going to get something else. AC DZ

Miami Sewing seems like it may be the Mecca of sewing machines. Literally thousands of used and new machines. http://www.miamisewing.com/specials/single,doubleneedle&zigzag.htm I was somewhat surprised that a search in this forum for "miami sewing" didn't return any results. Experience is what you get when you thought you were going to get something else. AC DZ

I like the Bernina/Chandler 217. With the decorative stitch hardware and the right cam, it'll do a 308 stitch pattern. Experience is what you get when you thought you were going to get something else. AC DZ

Now just to find one. Experience is what you get when you thought you were going to get something else. AC DZ

Correct! There are two different makes of Singer machines with the 457 numbers. The household version and the industrial version. Just to be clear I still was speaking of the industrial version. The industrial versions came from about five different plants. Here are three examples them: 457G from Germany 457W from West Germany 457U from the UK MEL Cool, thanks Mark Experience is what you get when you thought you were going to get something else. AC DZ

I haven't been receiving email notifications. Experience is what you get when you thought you were going to get something else. AC DZ

My mistake, the 457 is a residential machine. The 457G1 is a commercial. I'm looking at the commercial/industrial. Experience is what you get when you thought you were going to get something else. AC DZ

Anyone have experience with a Singer 457 zigzag machine? I've seen a couple advertised, and need something that I can do zig zag with. Martin Experience is what you get when you thought you were going to get something else. AC DZ

Compared to an IO550 at 300 hp, or a TSIO550 at 350 hp, with 450 hp it'll climb like a homesick angle! And, it'll come out of the sky like a 500 lb skydiver too on the way down! Experience is what you get when you thought you were going to get something else. AC DZ

I think I'd seen it in this thread earlier. What do you plan for the ultimate HP number? Experience is what you get when you thought you were going to get something else. AC DZ

Sweet! When you get to it, I want to see video of a max performance take off and climb out! Experience is what you get when you thought you were going to get something else. AC DZ

I have it as a PDF. If you need a copy, drop me an email/pm, and I'll send it. I did contact parachutemanuals.com, should be up there as well eventually. Martin Experience is what you get when you thought you were going to get something else. AC DZ

That could be useful information at some point, and possibly others, good to know regardless. I do have a few spare handles, and for the most part, we just don't throw em away. All malfunctions have been low speed, so plenty of time to think about what to do. Experience is what you get when you thought you were going to get something else. AC DZ

Also as an aside, it is interesting to hear your experiences in this & other posts. Plenty of jumpers have time to waste on DZ.com, but few DZO's bother with all the crap, to come on here and discuss things from a DZO perspective. Cool, I'm off and on with dz.com. I get burnt out on it, and can go months without opening it. It's winter in Kansas right now though, so I'm only working one job. Another fun "little guy DZO story" for ya. The first year I owned the DZ, the airplane was taxing back, two tandem students ready, Mark and I geared up. Mark couldn't find me, so started looking around. Finally located me in the restroom, geared up ready to go, working the plunger on a full toilet. That evening over beer he related to me "That's the moment I understood what it really means to be DZO." Experience is what you get when you thought you were going to get something else. AC DZ

Interesting. They must have their business model based around the military side. Considering the inertia on the sport side, it's damn sure going to be an uphill battle. There are other tandem rig manufacturers around the world, and other than one flying some at Mullins' DZ, in order to get around the "age problem", there may not be another out there. Racer has had a tandem rig on the market for years, how many DZs use those rigs? [ramble] I ended up with Eclipse out of happenstance. I was working at a static line only DZ 80 miles North of Wichita. Another SL instructor asked me one day if I wanted to and get rated and go in on a tandem rig with him, . I honestly hadn't given it any thought, but sounded like a cool idea at the time. "The" local (Wichita area) tandem IE (Dennis Anderson) had met Shoobie at PIA. Dennis suggested that we check out Eclipse. We weren't invested in any particular manufacturer, other than that we didn't want to go with Strong. We talked with Shoobi, flew him out for a weekend when Mullins was at the DZ, he trained us, we ordered a rig, and were in biz. He left a no charge loaner rig with us for about three months until our new rig was ready. That situation lasted through the next season, then the DZ sold to a guy in Wichita. We worked for him for the next season, he wanted out so I bought him out. We bought another rig from Shoobi, though not a new one, had a few jumps on it. I bought the DZ in October 2001 ( not much after 9/11/01). It was an established DZ, but not much of a money maker. It generated enough revenue the first year to pay the bills, and pay for an engine (zero pay for me, but hey! I was havin' fun!) I picked up a third rig from a guy in AZ, the HC turned out to be a bit of a rag. I was going to buy a 4th rig from Jess Rodriguez, but thought I'd check references this time so called Shoobi. Shoobi said "I have a virtually new rig in the closet that I'll sell you for the same price." So that was rig #4. There was another H/C somewhere along the line that replaced "the rag". Then last summer I bought a NOS (20 or 30 jumps on it) rig from Jay Stokes. The largest issue with them being orphaned is handles. We can make, or have made drogue release handles, but cut away and reserve are like rocking horse shit. Though 5000 jumps on the gear, and the only lost handles are two or three drogue release handles. I think a total of three chops, one for me, two for Mark. [/ramble] Now, back to regular programing. Experience is what you get when you thought you were going to get something else. AC DZ

Interesting. I'm guessing that they may even write their own manual! I've heard that they may be certifying a new reserve as well. I don't imagine that it would be all that difficult to get an instructional staff going. Just transition for the most part existing instructors and IEs, and you're off and running. Doesn't really sound like they're using much if anything from Eclipse. Regardless, it may be a good rig to transition to for me if my reserves will move over without violating certifications. I'm also pretty sure that existing eclipse rig owners were not much of a concern in this project. I think that we're pretty few and far between any more. Experience is what you get when you thought you were going to get something else. AC DZ

I can't give this more than rumor status since my info is all third hand, though through multiple sources. I understand that George Galloway is in the process of putting a new tandem rig on the market. I suspect that if it's true, he's starting with the Eclipse TSOs. Considering that his main and reserve canopies were originally certified for that rig, he was involved in the certification, and wouldn't have to start from zero in the certification process. I am curious, if this is the case, a chain of half a dozen "ifs" there, if he's essentially putting an updated and likely renamed Eclipse rig back on the market. If the existing Eclipse IEs, and Instructors will be certified on the gear without further paperwork. Seems to me that the inertia of instructional staff would be a huge barrier for any new tandem gear. Also, the fact that Stunts/Eclipse rigs were orphaned, if a new guy would be perceived as a potential short lived concern. Though George Galloway and Precision Aero would lend considerable weight to the concern. George has certainly been around for the long haul. For those who don't know, I own Eclipse rigs, and run a small DZ. It may be an easy transition from my gear to the new Precision Aero rigs if this comes to be. Anyway, something to gossip about over the winter. Martin Experience is what you get when you thought you were going to get something else. AC DZ

We use newspaper, really cheep, easily obtainable, and biodegradable in 1 to 3 months depending on climate. I wad one sheet into a ball for the handle, then wrap in two sheets for the tail. I tie it off with a packing band. If you're concerned biodegradability, maybe go with something other than a rubber band? Cotton string should degrade in less than a year. Experience is what you get when you thought you were going to get something else. AC DZ

I'd have like to have simply seen this one! 2002 300 Eloy, Arizona, USA (1 Shorts Brothers Skyvan and 13 DeHavilland Twin Otters) Year Size Location 1973 12 Arantchi Tachkent, Ouzbekistan (Former USSR) 1974 28 Ontario, California, USA 1975 32 Tahlequah, Oklahoma, USA 1979 36 Muskogee, Oklahoma, USA 1980 40 Davis, California, USA 1983 45 DeLand, Florida, USA 1983 72 DeLand, Florida, USA 1986 100 Muskogee, Oklahoma, USA 1986 120 Quincy, Illinois, USA 1987 126 Koksijde, Belgium 1988 144 Quincy, Illinois, USA 1992 150 Koksijde, Belgium 1992 200 Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, USA 1994 216 Bratislava, Slovakia (unofficial - Registered in Guinness Book of World Records) 1996 297 Anapa, Russia (unofficial - Registered in Guinness Book of World Records) 1998 246 Ottawa, Illinois, USA 1999 282 Ubon Ratchathani, Thailand 2002 300 Eloy, Arizona, USA (1 Shorts Brothers Skyvan and 13 DeHavilland Twin Otters) 2004 357 Korat, Thailand 2006 400 Udon Thani, Thailand (5 Lockheed C130 Hercules) Experience is what you get when you thought you were going to get something else. AC DZ

It looks like the Sony AS15 would be a good candidate for hand cam with it's image stabilization. Lack of stabilization has been my primary complaint regarding POV/GoPro cameras for hand cam video. It looks like two, side by side, one vid, one stills would work nicely on a glove. But, the AS15 will only shoot stills in time lapse at 5 second intervals min. Could build a glove for an AS15 sitting next to a GoPro for stills.

Maybe you should do it again. Should be a bunch of hand cam entries these days. I'm trying to work into my routine under canopy to do a funny face with the student at the camera. I haven't quite decided if I'm going to participate, making a face as well, they can't see me. Might be more funny if played as a little trick on the student. Experience is what you get when you thought you were going to get something else. AC DZ

Cool! My percentages are pretty much the same regarding 182 v turbine. The thing that I don't like about turbines is that when you get a bunch of 182 skydivers around them, all they want to do is something way larger than the skill level says is going to work. I'd rather do a solid 4 way and turn multiple points, than follow (I won't go out early when the skill isn't there) a group out and watch the combat from above. I'll sit on the ground and drink beer, or go work the tandem concession. How long till you hit 4k? Experience is what you get when you thought you were going to get something else. AC DZ

Oh, I see you were serious...... OK, assuming you are serious and that you actually wish to have a discussion: How many jumps as a tandem TI do you have? Me, I have maybe 1,000, maybe more. And I can tell you that tandem skydiving is THE most dangerous type of skydive an experienced jumper can make. You basically create a pilot chute in tow malfunction on purpose and carry a person that, at any time, can freak out on you and start grabbing things. They can swing their hands and hit you, they can smash their head against your head/face/neck (we just recently had a fatality where it seems the students head smashed into the TI and incapacitated him) and they can grab handles, bridles, drogues, your hands.... etc. There is the additional snag hazard. When you take two heads thinking different things, four arms doing different things, four legs doing different things, and a possibly tumbling ball of shit.... the last thing you need to worry about is a camera. Hell, even the TI wearing a handycam increases the risk and the TI has TOTAL control over where that camera is. We already have incidents where the bridle gets caught by the students or TI's arms, legs, head (yes head)... Adding to that that is not exactly a smart move. Finally, ignoring the snag hazard (which is HUGE) what happens if they drop the camera and it goes right through someones roof, dents their car, or god forbid hits someone? All this is with a person who has NO IDEA what they are going to do either. Yet they like to think they will get 'the shot'. They won't, they would be lucky to remember to turn the camera on. Simply put, the risks of a total unknown participant performing correctly is already there..... ADD a task to them and the chance of them performing that as well makes correctly performing EITHER less likely. Again, how many TI jumps do you have? I agree with everything you say here Ron. I'll add one or two thoughts, and experiences. First, for the first few seconds, which just happen to be the most critical few seconds of the skydive (unless shit goes to shit at some point!), a huge percentage (I'd throw out in excess of 75%) can't manage to remember to arch, or if they do remember, they can't get it right. Throw in another/second thing to think about and if they get either, it would more likely be the camera than the arch. Our practice in the past has been to allow students to take a camera along if they like, though it was always a still camera. That camera would be stowed for the freefall, and could come out under canopy. I allowed a student to carry a camera out in free fall one time years ago. Immediately off the airplane he had both hands stretched out in front of his face with the camera pointed back at us, and it would seem that his feet were "thinking" the same thing. Both legs bent 90 degrees at the hips and legs straight. That's the shit that you can expect to get when you put a camera on the student. Throw in the earlier opinion that there will be nothing worth viewing from that camera anyway. So, if we look at as a risk/reward equation. It adds considerably to the risk, with virtually zero reward. There's simply not much justification to allow it. Students tend to ask if they can take their camera along, primarily because they have virtually no understanding of what's involved in a tandem skydive. They also have no upstanding of how they'll preform on said tandem skydive. I have around 2500 tandems spread out over 13 years. I've seen quite a lot, some of it was pretty damn scary. We'll often have a feel for how any given student will preform, but most will surprise you. It's actually nice to leave the airplane and for the first couple of seconds thinking 'wow, nice arch dude.' We leave a 182 toward the tail, and let it flip. When we're back to earth in that flip, I generally repeat "arch" in the student's ear. Once in a while I'll say "Nice arch." And sometimes it's "ARCH!" Those of us with a TI rating and a few tandems under out belt will understand the irony in this. I generally will say to my students when I give them their First Jump Certificate "Thanks for not killing me." To which many will respond "Thanks for not killing me!" and my retort is "I trust me." Those of with opinions, but few to no tandem skydives should refer to my tag line. I'll repeat it for prosperity, in the even that it's changed at some point. "Ignorance more frequently begets confidence than does knowledge." Chuck Darwin Another reference that applies: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dunning%E2%80%93Kruger_effect Experience is what you get when you thought you were going to get something else. AC DZ