Dean358

1.07 www.wci.nyc

Lots of great advice in this thread. One additional suggestion: plan your pattern turn altitudes on the ground and then compare them to your actual turn altitudes in the pattern. E.g., if your plan is to be directly across from your landing spot at 800 feet, turn base at 600 feet and then final at 400 feet glance at your altimeter before each turn and see how that compares to your plan. You can then adjust your plan on the next jump based on this data. Even though the wind may be a little different it's still a good way to dial in your landing pattern skills. A digital altimeter is helpful for this as it will be easier to read small differences in pattern altitude than on an analog altimeter. And, at the risk of stating the obvious, don't let this distract you from keeping your head on a swivel watching traffic. Have fun! www.wci.nyc

Tnx Jimmy and great to hear from you my friend. Hope you've been well and look forward to seeing you at The Ranch soon! Cheers www.wci.nyc

Your analog altimeter doesn't actually read altitude. Instead, it reads barometric pressure. As you change altitude the barometric pressure changes, e.g., the pressure drops as you go up, which moves the needle on the display. This means you need to calibrate it to read "zero" on the ground before you jump. You should do this before every skydive. This is because as the weather changes during the day the barometric pressure changes. The greater the weather change the more the pressure change -- as much as a few hundred feet on the altimeter display if a cold front is moving in. Talk to your instructors about developing a standard pre-flight procedure that you execute the exact same way before every jump. Among the things this might include are: carefully inspecting your gear (also in the exact same way every time), practicing emergency procedures, checking the winds, discussing the landing pattern and of course, setting your altimeter to zero. And have fun! www.wci.nyc

I've been using a Digitude since I started jumping, but pretty much everything I fly has analog gauges in the cockpit. I don't feel there is a significant difference in time to read either of them. IMHO the big advantage of using a digital altimeter skydiving is how much more information it provides to help you fine tune your landing patterns. To be clear, one should never rely on any particular instrument -- your eyes come come first. But being able to check your numbers, e.g., "I planned on being 800 feet AGL across from the peas on downwind, I glance at my Digitude and see I'm actually at 900 ft" is really valuable training. Hard to get that level of detail from analog. www.wci.nyc

Something else to consider is how good it will feel to pay off any debt related to your divorce and get all of that crap behind you. Much to be said for starting the new year with a clean slate on that front. As for taxes, while you must file your taxes on time you don't need to pay them on time. You can always file for an extension to delay paying what you owe. I believe the IRS offers a 120 day extension with zero interest or a longer installment plan or extension with a modest penalty. Not sure what the options are for your state taxes. (I am NOT an accountant so do check your specifics.) Details here: http://www.irs.gov/uac/Extensions-and-Payment-Options/ If it was me I'd pay off the unsecurred debt right now and be done with it, even if that cost a few pennies more in the long run. And good luck with the debt free plan Tink -- thats' an excellent way. www.wci.nyc

All great suggestions above. If you enjoy (or at least have a tolerance for) textbooks, here are two excellent free downloads from the FAA: "Pilot's Handbook Of Aeronautical Knowledge" http://www.faa.gov/regulations_policies/handbooks_manuals/aviation/pilot_handbook/media/FAA-H-8083-25A.pdf "Risk Management Handbook" https://www.faa.gov/regulations_policies/handbooks_manuals/aviation/risk_management_handbook/media/risk_management_handbook.pdf www.wci.nyc

+1 (Yo!) www.wci.nyc

Link to a NYT article about this: http://www.nytimes.com/2014/06/25/nyregion/district-attorneys-office-showing-no-leniency-in-two-manhattan-daredevil-cases.html www.wci.nyc

If what cleavland.com is reporting is accurate then this seems to fit a familiar pattern: "I've got mad skills, so the rules don't apply to me." Check. "This was successful which proves it was safe." Yup. "I've made n-thousand jumps without so much as a broken finger nail, and I was only promoting the sport of parachuting in a positive manner." True. It's not like he's the chair of the USPA "Safety and Training" committee and took out a spectator or anything. www.wci.nyc

Good advice in this thread. Here is a little more, courtesy of Bill Von: A VERY good guideline for deciding whether or not one should do a balloon jump is whether or not one is qualified to do a demo. Demos are off-DZ jumps, as are most balloon jumps. To do the simplest, most basic demo USPA lists the following requirements: USPA C license or higher minimum 200 jumps 50 jumps within the past 12 months five jumps within the previous 60 days using the same model and size canopy to be used on the jump That's from an incident thread regarding a jumper with 130 jumps flying a Saber 2 loaded 1.1-to-1. She misjudged when to exit the balloon (lots of trees in the Northeast) and in trying to land in a confined area she was very badly injured. Thread here: http://www.dropzone.com/cgi-bin/forum/gforum.cgi?do=post_view_flat;post=4160982;page=1;sb=post_latest_reply;so=ASC;mh=25; As others have said, perhaps it would be best to spend some time working on your canopy skills and overall airmanship. Enjoy that process (!) and make a balloon jump one of your future skydiving goals. www.wci.nyc

http://variety.com/2013/tv/columns/dear-duck-dynasty-fans-you-do-know-its-all-fake-right-1200980709/ from the article: "Amid the turmoil caused by the suspension of “Duck Dynasty’s” Phil Robertson in relation to an interview he gave with GQ, an outpouring of support has emerged from those defending the bearded A&E star. Which only prompts one to wonder whether these people really know whom exactly it is they’re defending. However real and natural it might appear, “Duck Dynasty” is a sitcom. Not all the dialogue is written, but as even the Robertsons freely admitted on the “Today” show, “They come up with ideas and we just get to be ourselves in the situation.” So while Robertson can be taken at his word that he’s a man of faith, the character that people know from TV is just that: A character……" www.wci.nyc

I seem to recall a few years ago there was someone posting here in the same semi-cohernt style. Anyone remember the name of who I'm referring to? Are you back, sir or madam, having just been released? www.wci.nyc

The non-Apple apps I use the most (no particular order): HopStop -- subway / train directions Pro HDR -- takes high dynamic range photos Stopwatch -- big display is handy when cooking, stretching, etc. and not wearing reading glasses 11C Scientific -- An HP 11C Calculator Video Space -- shows disk space needed for different video file formats / time AirWX -- aviation weather with METAR, TAF and Winds Aloft Dropbox -- file sharing between iPhone and my computers Uber -- hails a cab Jump -- remote desktop control / VNC BikeShare -- finds available Citibikes and places to drop them off (NYC only) NY Times -- (under "Newsstand") updates fast and then does't need net access so one can read the entire paper anywhere Also, since I too am pathetically clumsy with it, a case that offers great drop protection: http://eshop.macsales.com/item/NewerTech/IPH5KXDK/ Cheers! www.wci.nyc

Note the product placement shot at 1:16 for some stupid brand of shaving cream. Sure looks like a deceptive viral marketing video to me. *sigh* Nothing against commercials, mind you, but the levels of dishonesty in this shit is right up there with so-called "reality tv." www.wci.nyc

Seems to me that posting such a simplistic, "this is right and everything else is wrong" rant about a very complicated subject is the very height of arrogance, don't you think? And by quoting The Blaze? Seriously? I went to the link you posted and didn't see a single actual quote from the study, much less a link to it, contained in the article. Glenn Beck and his ilk make a fortune stoking a vein of anger in America by writing nonsense like that article under the guise of "journalism." Propagating such an arrogant, destructive form of "discourse" actually gets in the way of intelligently discussing this issue. To wit: all of our current energy sources have big downsides: Fracking requires pumping millions of gallons of very bad chemicals into the ground; nuclear has the possibility of a unrepairable global accident and generates tons of dangerous spent fuel we have no place to store; oil, as you point out, comes from countries that we might be better off not supporting; coal dumps massive amounts of pollutants into the atmosphere, wind and solar are not yet efficient enough to really contribute and their output requires some type of storage; and this isn't the crowd to talk to about energy conservation as we -- myself included -- like using lots of Jet A and megawatts of electricity (in wind tunnels) for our own amusement. I suggest we'll need to use all of the above energy sources in a balanced, safe manner until we can develop new technologies to replace them. A less arrogant and more meaningful discussion would be about the specifics of how to best use all of the resources we have available to get the best cost (meaning all types of costs, not just $) / benefit results. P.S. -- For context, here's what the Associated Press said about this study: ...."But DOE researchers view the study as just one part of ongoing efforts to examine the impacts of a recent boom in oil and gas exploration, not a final answer about the risks...." This is one of many studies being conducted on this topic, with the final report bringing all the research together due to be released for public comment in 2014. Here's a link to the site about the ongoing research into Fracking: http://www2.epa.gov/hfstudy www.wci.nyc

Here's a great aviation weather app that gives you METARS, TAFs, Winds Aloft and a bunch of other stuff very easily readable on your phone: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/airwx-aviation-weather/id284625154?mt=8 Downside is at $15 (used to be $10) it's a bit pricey for an app. www.wci.nyc

^ This. Yes, Exactly. www.wci.nyc

Hi Tetsuya, Very sorry to hear this. I have a broken L-1, six broken ribs and a a bunch of other less-than-fun stuff from a climbing / skiing accident a long time ago. I jump at The Ranch, albeit with less flexility than I would like. The main thing about these type of injuries, IMHO, is that they take a shitload of time to heal. I recall sitting in City Hall Park about one year after my accident, in a big brace, in pain, being very depressed about how long I had been like that. But it does get better, you just have to give it time! As you know, we have some jumpers with much greater physical challenges than you or I face and they still jump. To answer your second question: you need to take some time to heal. But, while you're doing that there are many other wonderful aviation sports near The Ranch: two sail plane (glider) operations, paragliding, ballooning, dozens of flight schools for airplanes, ultralights, helicopters and more. PM me if you'd like details. Of course, none of them are as much fun socially as The Ranch (but most things aren't) so by all means please don't stop hanging out. You might find it rather satisfying to go soaring with the hawks during the day followed by the bonfire / shenanigans at night (if you can come up on weekends). The sky will be there when you feel you're ready to come back. As for what precautions to take, rather than take advice from the interwebs I recommend you have that conversation with instructors Linda, Pete, or Kim. Bottom line: no question this is a tough thing to deal with but please give it time. And, if I may, one minor quibble with your post: ?????? Tell that to the Sportsman, 4-way teams or the cadets! LOL Feel Better, Dean www.wci.nyc

+1 Brian I think your videos are incredible and I really enjoy watching them. But please keep in mind that for many people -- even some of us with more than 1,000 jumps -- the mental workload of skydiving is pushing our limits of situational awareness. I think it's easy for those of you who do this full time to forget that. And while I would never argue with you about canopy aerodynamics, I personally prefer to focus as much of my attention as possible on what's going on in the airspace around me. www.wci.nyc

Before you can figure out what type of marketing weapons to use you must define what you're aiming at. (Sorry! Too much time spent reading the gun threads.) What are your firm's marketing / communications objectives? What are the strategies and tactics to meet them? Put simply, you need to define who you want to reach, what the message you want to tell them is and then -- most importantly - what action you would like them to take based on that. Only then can you (or your marketing committee) figure out how skydiving might fit into traditional / digital / social marketing campaigns and what the best use of your marketing $ is. Alternately, just buy everyone on dropzone.com free jumps. That'll work. www.wci.nyc

+1 www.wci.nyc

While law enforcement clearly overreacted put yourself in their shoes for a second: not familiar with aviation and there is a thing that looks like a drone - giant wings, no engine noise, flying very slow and low -- OVER a nuke plant. If it was my responsibility to keep that plant safe I might freak out too. Good advice from the SSA in the article: In its communication to members about the rules for flying near power plants and other infrastructure, the Soaring Society of America called on glider pilots to reach out to on-site security at local power plants and laboratories: “Open a dialogue and tell them who you are and when you may be in their area.” www.wci.nyc

But aren't all the rights granted by the constitution meant to be balanced between personal liberty and the needs of society? The first amendment gives us free speech, but we must use it responsibly, e.g. we can't yell "fire" in a theater, can't libel someone, etc. Didn't the supreme court establish this applies to the second amendment as well? If it's not black and white, what is the right balance? www.wci.nyc

You didn't do much better when you started out with "hunters, sportsman, and "Miscellanious."*** Ok, my (unintentional) bad. What do you find inappropriate about that and what language would you have preferred? I'm clearly not a gun owner, but I'm trying to understand and respect the perspective of those who are while also trying to figure out how we address the tragedy in Sandy Hook and others like it. If you have issues with what I posted I'm all ears, but might it be too much to ask to keep a civil tone to the conversation? www.wci.nyc