jonstark

Horton and Sportsman (Stene) are wing leading edge cuffs that change the slow flight characteristics of the stock Cessna wing. Neither increases the gross weight of the a/c. WingX adds 12+ square feet and about 3 feet of length to the overall wing. The spars must be inspected and modified accordingly to perform the mod. This allows for an increase in gross weight. jon

Imagine your brain can take in information and process it like traffic on a freeway. As an AFF student all the "traffic" or stimulation you can really take is a single lane rural road. You are learning with each jump to perceive and process more and more stimuli. You'll soon be on two lane highway kind of input. Note that there is a LOT that you are missing every jump at this time. With time and experience you'll see, hear, sense and process more and more on each jump. An AFF candidate is close to sensory overload. That is why it is so important to thoroughly debrief immediately after a jump. A radio is a must to assure that the AFF student that is overwhelmed by the excess stimuli act under instruction just as when given hand signals by the instructors. Believe it or not -and- like it or not, YOU are missing A LOT of stimuli at your level of experience. Adding a potential hazard to your jump will use up some of your ability to pay attention to the things that you really need to survive. You do not, at this time, have enough attention to spread around on distractions like unfamiliar equipment, smaller canopies, different deployment systems, demos, jumping into your friend's BBQ, cameras, etc. jon

Have you found speed brakes for a 182?!?! I tried years ago but lost interest when the manufacturer disavowed all knowledge of such an animal. jon

Couple thoughts... If you plan to leave your boat sitting for any length of time at all I would strongly suggest you either use a fuel stabilizer or fill with premium fuel first. Trying to ask your boat engine to make full power with fuel that has lost it's octane is baaaaad and will cost you a lot when the engine detonates (knocks). If you go back and forth with a car from differing fuels you may get a "check engine" light due to the change in emission chemistry. More often than not it will be transient or go away next tank-up. I would expect and have not experienced any engine or fuel system problems going back and forth. Completely different in certified aircraft. NEVER use fuel with alcohol in an a/c. You may get away with it for awhile but it'll catch up with you sooner or later. jon

It is cheaper for the city and county there to haul and dump recyclables into the landfill than to implement any kind of recycling project!!! Looks like an opportunity to me for an enterprising entity with some drive to start a business. jon

Keep an eye on e-bay. There are always old rigs and canopies there. jon

I ran a rural DZ in Georgia. We figured about 5% would make it to freefall and 1% would stick around for more than 50 jumps. Sad but true. One thing we did was to close the DZ one weekend each month to go to a Boogie in Deland, Palatka, Fernandina, Z-hills, Barnwell, etc. Tried to show our students that there was more to skydiving than landing in a peanut field. jon

too skinny!

Two thumbs way up Harv! Thanks, jon

Easy enough to find out where the 180 is if you can remember the entire N#. jon

How about Notso and Nottoo, the Bright brothers. The Herd had to be about the most nic-named bunch of jumpers EVER. Fang, Soss, The Whale, Brain, Handsome Dave. The list goes on and on.

Please people! They are to be referred to as "background actors" now. Have some sensitivity for the little people. jon

Beaver Valley Skydivers 1974. I had a floating ripcord on my second clear and pull. Rather than waste time looking and grabbing around I just dumped the belly mounted, un-modified, 24" flat twill Switlick sans pilot chute and watched it snake out and blossom. I oscillated wildly but put the lines behind my shoulders to be suspended more upright then landed in Farmer McNastys woods. As I curbed the palpitations and calmed down I heard him coming up the hill towards me so tore the canopy out of the limbs and beat feet outta there. He was cussin' and swearin' his way towards me when I got to the barbed wire fence and made it over. A couple guys had run up the hill knowing that I'd landed in McNastys woods and came to assist rather than have to beg for the gear back later. jon

NEVER TALK ABOUT A NO-HITTER! jon

Why is it that I get these horrified looks when asked how high I plan to open and answer "two grand" ? jon

What I have found to shut them up immediately is to say... "I respect that. If you don't want to jump that's totally cool with me!". jon

Depends

Those are great! Real fun timewaster. jon

If you do not REALLY want to do this there is no reason to. Why would you put yourself into this situation with no real desire to be there? It sux to back out on jump run and there may not be any refund once in the aircraft. On the other hand there is no better way for your curiosity to be satisfied. You have to decide just how bad you want to do this. jon

Hey Sparky, It is obvious that there is a regulation that prohibits jumping out of an a/c without the right gear, reserve inspected/packed by the properly certificated rigger, under conditions also regulated by the FARs. What there is NOT is anything that regulates or mandates that the jumper or operator of the parachute perform any daily,weekly,monthly safety inspections or pre-flight checks. It is merely mandated that the reserve be inspected and repacked periodically by a rigger. Remember when we'd throw our bellywart reserves into the trunk with the side bungee through the ripcord handle so it wouldn't get pulled moving stuff around? We'd hand it to the rigger every other month for repack and get it back with a new signature. There was no inspection of the harness, capewells, hardware, etc. That was up to us. It still is ain't it?!?! Not because there is any regulation for us to. Just because it's the smart thing to do. Nothing has changed. jon

Have used one for demos. It's a bitch to spot, the door is small, the floor isn't flat. We only used it because it was the only a/c available for us locally for the few demos we'd do per year. Would NOT recommend it for a DZ. jon

. Do you know whether the "refunds" are free of any "fees"? Very early on when paid organizing first came into being there was some discussion of the transparency of the itemized bills. Seems that there were a number of separate "fees" listed as only that, "fee". Imagine getting a bill for dives, coaching, fee, party, entry fee, aircraft ferry expense, fee, etc. It got some folks' panties in a wad. The joke ended up being called a "fee fee". "Hey! We're not making enough here. Let's add another fee." jon

What????????? I don't understand a single thing you are trying to say with this post.

This is my point exactly! There is no regulatory requirement for the jumper to determine or ascertain airworthiness -ever- BUT Woe to those who do not do so every time they get on an aircraft with the intention of jumping out. jon

The operator has TOTAL responsibility for airworthiness! The person jumping it is THE ONE to say each and every time he straps it on whether, in his opinion, the rig is airworthy. The feds don't care whether we jump with bedsheets and kite string as long as the TSO'd harness and reserve are "re-certified" by a rigger as required periodically. Regulations be-damned. I still feel that I, the operator, am the sole party responsible for the condition and jumpability of my equipment. jon