nael

There's always work available if you're in a city. Seriously, it may not be exactly what you want (and chances are you will hate it) but if it pays the bills it will tide you over while you continue searching for a job you want. I know it sounds cliche but when one door closes another always open.

Good luck with your search.

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i'd say fake, but if real its a fine example of a complete pansy who'd be dead without the firearm he bought in wal-mart...

I was thinking the same thing. What a waste of a life (both the poor moose and the hillbilly with the gun )

Pictures like that just frustrate me.

I cut down on a lot of drinking and partying when I started jumping. You also need to get used to living on a tight budget, I dont even have a spare $5 for a sandwhich anymore! This year I am doing a 4 way team which is taking literally every cent I have (plus some!) but we're going really well and I think it's worth it.

You just need to decide what it means to you. Where there's a will there's a way.

Didnt jump this weekend, finally started my open water certificate for scuba. Lots and lots of fun (although a little chilly!). Next weekend in the ocean we are going to freeze out butts off!

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If this person had practiced her EP's on the plane with her helmet on, she would have noticed that she couldn't see her handles with her full-face in place. Does this mean that she didn't practice her EPs on the plane with a helmet in place?

It appears just from this thread alone that a lot of people cannot see their handles with their full face on and don't worry about it, perhaps she was one of these people also.

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On Saturday I showed up early to learn more about packing. I'm sure several people got a chuckle watching me.

They only got a chuckle if they don't remember learning themselves... ... Its hard to master...

On the contrary! I chuckle because I remember learning how to pack. Everyone goes through it, and we're not laughing in a mean way, just a 'I know how you feel' way!

I've never jumped anywhere where a water landing was a big issue, but I've been told to loosen the leg straps prior to impact with water so that you can get out of them easier. Should you undo the chest strap too? Maybe that would be more dangerous than helpful, I don't know...?

I would never get implants. I used to do a lot of exercise - to the point I got down to an A cup and sometimes they still annoyed me when I was exercising and I wished they were smaller. I know guys like boobs, but I want to be practical too. Big boobs just wouldnt fit my lifestyle. I no longer exercise as much (health issues) and have gotten a bit bigger again, but I when I can exercise properly again I have no doubt I'll want them smaller.

:10:0

10 4 way jumps with the new team, my learning curve just went off the scale.

Trying to figure out how I can afford a full face so I can avoid being kicked in the face too many more times!

Going to owe a case in another 7 jumps for my D licence.... *sigh* more money.

Hey Dave - I think it's your birthday and my D licence on the same day, lotsa drinking the night before (but not too much of course!).

I dont know what the repercussions here are for jumping with an out of date reserve.

If I realised it was out of date when I was at the dz I would probably jump it that day and get the repack done at the end of the day. Having said that, I know when my reserve is due to be repacked (how hard is it to remember a certain month?) and my boyfriend is certified to pack reserves so I have it pretty easy.

I cant believe he got off again (no pun intended). I thought for sure he'd go down this time (again no pun intended).

Thank you all for your input. Our tutor suggested that we break off at 4.5k until November or so and then lower it to 4 so that we're breaking off at 4k at the nationals.

As for my track, I am usually pulling higher than the rest of the team after our track anyway, so my track cant be too bad. Maybe I am tracking too long, but I usually pull at just above 3k, which I guess is about normal. I'm just used to opening at around 2.9 or 3. We'll see what happens.

I get along well with everyone in the team, this is just a minor setback, I dont want to threaten to quit or make our tutor quit. I also dont want to cause stress in the team, I was just looking for other people's experience with this sort of thing.

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Keep in mind that the altitude the protrack give you is your "in the saddle altitude"...it is not your deployment altitude. If you are truly uncomfortable, insist on 4.5, but know that you are really only arguing over ~2 seconds. If you're under canopy at 2.3-2.5k, you are probably dumping at or just above 3k, which is pretty normal for 4way.

Yeah, I realise that the pro track altitude is the altitude when I have a canopy over my head. If I was dumping at 2.3 - 2.5k you can bet I'd be kicking up even more fuss than I am now!

Also, 2 seconds in freefall is a lot of time under canopy, and that's my point. 2 seconds in freefall is nothing, so might as well be more comfortable and have an open canopy by 2.8 - 3k right?

I used to work as a vet nurse and believe me, vets are not raking in the money! Some of your money would have been for the consultation, cheaper areas have cheaper fees, maybe look at going to a different vet in a cheaper area. As for meds you can also get variations on price from different vets but they dont tend to differ as much as consult fees do. What did you spend the $220 on exactly?

I've just joined a team and we were told to break off at 4k. I thought this would be fine (although I'm used to breaking off at 4.5k) and decided to go with it - no big deal. Upon checking my pro track though, it seems I am only under canopy at 2.3 - 2.5k regularly now. That's too low for my liking, I'm a new jumper with no cutaways yet and want all the time I can get. My hard deck is 2k, that doesnt give me very long to evaluate a situation.

The problem is when I suggested we break off at 4.5k I was told that since we have to break off at 4k in competition we should keep it that way all the time instead of introducing new factors to the dive during comp. I dont see that as an issue, I'm not happy with 4k break off but I have no choice during comp.

Then it was suggested I dont track as far as everyone else, which I am also not happy with because I dont want to get into the habit of doing a short track, and I quite enjoy having separation from other jumpers on opening!

In fairness the only person who doesnt think 4.5k break off is a good idea is the tutor, the others are fine with it either way. Has anyone got any experiences with these sort of team differences? I dont want to cause problems with the team, but having a canopy over my head at a height I am comfortable with is the most important thing to me (weird huh ) Also, if I'm over reacting let me know too!

My mum found a dog locked in a hot car a few months ago. First she called me because I worked at the RSPCA for 2.5 years and she asked me what to do. I told her to call the cops straight away. She'd already been there for 40 minutes with no sign of an owner. As she was on the phone to the cops the owner turned up and she got into an arguement with him. He was a stupid old man. Mum put him on the phone to the cop who tried to put him in his place but he hung up on her and argued some more with my mum and left.

The cop called my mum back about 10 minutes later to make sure she was ok. Stupid people annoy me. You should have called the cops for sure. If I ever see a dog in a car close to death I'm breaking windows left right and centre.

EEK! I wonder if that sort of stuff gets overlooked often. Bet he wont be in a rush to do another tandem now!

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I supose my only point was simple - the answer that many people are giving - landing with a stuck toggle - is a lot more complicated than people are admitting.

I havent had to land with a stuck toggle yet, but this thread has got me thinking that you are right by saying this.

I dont have a lot of jumps but at my level thought I would probably give landing on rears a go. But then assuming only one toggle is stuck (as I guess happens more than both being stuck), you would need to take a wrap of the unstowed toggle to fly straight. Fine. But then wouldnt attempting to flare on rears with (essentially) your breaks stowed aswell change the stall point of the flare?

Correct me if I'm wrong anyone, this really only just occured to me now and I'm just trying to make an informed decision on what I would do in this situation.

I think you did the right thing. I never try to talk my friends into doing a tandem for the same reason, they could die and if that happens I want to be sure it was their informed decision that led to that, not me influencing them.

Winter is not much fun to jump in, although we still do it here in Australia. I've been told you lose 2 degrees celcius for every 1000 feet you go up, so as you can imagine when it's cold on the ground it's literally freezing at height. Some places are colder than others, hense it's safer (and smarter) not to jump then.

I'd highly recommend this course, I did it a few weeks ago (in Australia) and learnt so much. Everyone on the course learnt something, whether they had thousands of jumps or were just off AFF. I'll probably be doing it again next time he's in Australia.

24 (last year)

There's a DZ in australia that gives free tandem jumps if you go naked. Ring around, you might find somewhere like that - only if you want to go naked of course!

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turn and track at 5K pull around 4.5K

How do you turn, track and pull in around 2.5 seconds??

On the main topic, I dont pull low, I still like breaking off at 4.5k and find myself pulling at around 3 - 3.5k. That's how I plan on keeping it for a long time. If that excludes me from jumps that's cool, when I'm more experienced I may pull lower and get on those jumps, or not, we'll see.