raftman

7) Some people don't even log their jumps and have no idea how many they have.

I don't have a beat IN my car. But my car is a beater!

Jeeez, can't they ever get the terminology right: It's "Airgasm" not "orgasm"!

I sell VW parts. My rigger drives a VW. Guess what? We have a deal. He doesn't sell any VW parts and I don't do any rigging...........or something like that. You get my drift. I DID buy him a bottle of his favorite vodka on my only reserve ride. And will again if needed. Bad vibes if ya don't.

"I said i'm not dead!"

It's all about Style & Accuracy: Style is lookin good on the way to the plane. Accuracy is getting on the right plane. The best skydivers wear the ugliest jumpsuits. If they fuck up everybody can tell who it is. At my DZ most jumpsuits are either black or white, some with colored trim or grippers. After a big way someone will ask "who went low?" "I don't know, the guy in black!?"

The altis in the raft can read off, have a wingman in the front give the breakoff signal. It's also very quiet, the rafters can almost wisper to each other!

I used to be Schitzophrenic, but we're better now!

Ya, the raft has a burble like a battleship! Have the wingmen wear gloves too. If a hand gets wrapped just peel the glove off.

It's all about the EXIT. Don't know about a boat, but a raft will fly itself once launched. It's a ring with the rafters createing a perfect arch in the middle. Make sure all the rafters exit the raft together by holding onto the rig in front of them with the front man giving the signal. Don't want to leave anyone behind. The wingmen should have already broken off and tracked away. Once cleared of the raft, have one jumper pull and follow it down. Have a ground spotter w/ a pickup and cell phone. I would'nt pull with it, can you say LINE TWISTS! Have fun and be safe!

We did them from 14,000 out of the casa.

Ya, i was holding the hoop on that dive. We'll be doing hoop dives out of the casa at the Boogie on the Brazos at Eagle Flight and the Skyfest Boogie at Spaceland, join us and you too can get your SCSA!

Don't forget the SCSA: At least 8 people thru a hoop held by 2 build an 8 way or bigger and hold for at least 5 seconds. Hoopmaster Brett, SCSA#337

I remember reading about it in Parachutist. He was a crewdog, and accomplished acrobat and juggler, and was known for his stunts. I'll look in my back issues when i get home.

"Hook your feet up with your heels inside your front risers/line group. You'll be upside down, facing backwards and still have both hands in the toggles. Don't extend too much while inverted as it raises the COG of the wing and causes it to oscillate more." Didn't some guy die trying this 6-7 years ago when he couldn't flip back right side up before landing? As i recall he had done this many times but on this jump couldn't get righted for whatever reason and landed on his head.

Back in '96 i was a 40 jump wonder still on rental gear. Pulled too low 1 day and the FXC fired the reserve PC into the still inflating main without extracting the reserve. I was able to pull the PC down and tuck it between my legs till landing. Man, did i catch hell for that. First from my instructor, Mark Androsky, who witnessed the whole thing from the ground. Then in the hangar from the DZ rigger, ol' Lee Fairbank! Learned a VERY valuable lesson that day!

I dunno, that would be hard to do if the 4 ways gave proper seperation. Breakoff would be a concern too. And you'd have to get video, maybe have him follow.

Sounds like fun to me. It's expected of newbies just off student status to flail about. Front flips, back flips, barrel rolls. See what they can do with thier bodys in the air without an instructor flashing hand signs in thier faces. Have some fun while you can. You seem very aware. Soon you will start jumping with others and the fun just increases.

Welcome to the sky. It starts with the little stuff: you quit buying CDs, expensive lunchs, ya know impulse buys. They add up to jump tickets. Later when your TV or VCR and AC goes on the fritz, do you fix it? Hell no! You order that new container. Need a new car? Yeah me too. But first, i'm gettin that new canopy. Computer or camera helmet? Camera helmet wins. Be prepared. You'll sell your soul too. Family and whuffo friends, you'll never see on weekends. Mum will call "You ARE coming to easter dinner this Sunday aren't you?" "UHHH sure, Mum, if the weather is crappy". Pretty soon they quit calling. But the DZ is always there. The bond with your skyfriends is diffrent and stronger than most. Some stay in the sport for a lifetime, others for a months or years, then they move on. Have fun and keep your mind open. It is a truely awesome sport. Blue skies............and all that other stuff

The wonderful and beautiful women of SDD get together every other month or so at a local restaurant or watering hole for a "Girls Night Out". My GF is an organizer, so i've heard the stories and seen the pictures, and i can assure you they have a BLAST! Sometimes 20 or more! Like they don't get in enough gossip at the DZ. LOL She doesn't post here and won't see this, so send a PM for a link to the email list if interested.

You know what they say, "If ya gotta ask how much........................." Just be sure and bring $$$$$!

Yeah, the phones were rotory too. It would take like 30 seconds to dial a call.

HELL YEAH! All those new fangled conviences are making kids soft these days too. We used to drive around in cars without seat belts (gasp) or airbags (horrors). And we survived. There was no bottled water either, we drank right out of the garden hose. And we survived. When we misbehaved we weren't given a time-out, we got our asses whooped. And we survived. In school there were disagreements and we met out back after to fight (just our fists) noone thought about guns or knives. Metal detectors were something old men used to find coins at the beach. And we survived. You young whippersnappers got it MADE!

I'll be there fer sure. Have talked to quite a few people from SDD that are going as well. This boogie should be a REAL BLAST! Am looking forward to it. Hmmmmmm..........maybe I'll bring some rafts!

I say get 'em so you'll look cool carving your reserve down the beer line. Just don't ask me to help look for your cutaway shit!