Tonto

Cool man. Stick with that GTi for a bit and it will make you a great pilot later. My GF's best times ever were in her GTi before she moved to bigger (faster forward) suits. t It's the year of the Pig.

Thanks for the pics, Scott. There are some amazing shots in there! t It's the year of the Pig.

Congratulations and welcome to the flock! t It's the year of the Pig.

That day again. t It's the year of the Pig.

What are the dates for the event? t It's the year of the Pig.

I've been watching this show for 20+ years. I've been (happily) divorced for the last 11 of them. My then wife got "lonely" with me being at the DZ all the time. We met when I had 500 dives. I had 1500 dives when we got married, and around 2500 when we got divorced. I think it's easier for men to date whuffo's than women. A lot of whuffo men seem too insecure to have a relationship with a skydiving woman. It's like dating a famous person. They can get a lot of attention. t It's the year of the Pig.

You will discover at some point, that filling out a logbook is something that will compromise you at some point. I have 5266 entries in my logbook. Since I got a Neptune some 3 years back, I know I have more than that, as for 20 odd years I wrote down all the jumps I could remember at the end of the weekend. My Neptune doesn't forget dives. I do. Also, I sometimes meet people I seldom see at the DZ, who have more jumps than me, "but don't log." I jump weekends only, and find doing 400+ dives a year takes some effort. Others just add "about 500 a year" it seems, even the years they didn't jump. I don't think I've caught up with a single prominent jumper who doesn't log since the day I started. There are some prominent skydivers who don't log, and I believe their numbers. There are others who were really busy in the 80's, and had 2000 dives, and whose numbers are now in the 13000 jump range, even though they live in a town without a DZ and run their own business. Only the jumps up to my 1000th were signed, as that was the highest requirement for a rating at the time. The rest are more for my personal record, but have been accepted for USPA Gold, Diamond, Double Diamond, etc jumps/freefall time awards. Perris did want to see my last dive signed before they let me jump even though I had 4000+ dives at the time. Fortunately I was travelling with someone who had been jumping with me in Eloy, so that was not a problem. t It's the year of the Pig.

No idea! You have no avitar! I have about 500 camera dives, but they were a means to an end, the end being enough free dives to get me to the point I could do AFF. I would sit in on the briefings/debriefs, and then watch the anticipated variables roll in. That awareness helped me a great deal when I did the AFFICC. t It's the year of the Pig.

I became a(n) Tandem Instructor because I wanted to work as a skydiver and needed multi-ratings. I never really liked the concept of Tandem, and found it made me dispondent that so many "That was the best thing I have EVER done!" people never, ever wanted to do it again. I felt like I was digging a trench that some invisible force was filling in behind me. Lots of work, money, no result. I'm no longer a Tandem instructor.(750 Tandems) AFF Instructor because I struggled as a student and wanted my students to learn a better way. Considering that some of my former students now mentor me in disiplines unheard of when I started jumping - the reward is massive. I love AFF. Nothing beats seeing that penny drop and watching someone really fly for the 1st time. (2100+ AFF dives) PRO because I wanted to do demos. I have done capacity 70 000 seat stadiums, and primary school fetes, and just about everything in between. Demo's take too long for me, and rob me of jump numbers. I no longer do demos, but maintain the rating and leave them to the professionals. (93 demo jumps) I have never wanted to be a rigger. There are no worse jobs in the world than being ground bound, packing and sewing. They can name their price, and I will pay it. My respect for them is huge, their responsibility emense. (I have 20 cutaways - so, Thanks! Again!) t It's the year of the Pig.

Big, big canopies are not as aggressive as smaller canopies at the same wing loading. You need to read things about wing loading. I estimate your wing loading at between 1.28 and 1.3. Personally I think if you're not broken yet, and you stay sharp, you may make it to 200 dives on a 210 @ 1.2+. Experience, however, tells me that you won't. You'll get braver, have less respect and push harder, and the ground may push back at some point. When it does, you'll lose. It's what I did back then, just before I broke my femur. But hey. Maybe you're a "fast learner" who is "in touch with himself" and "meditates" and "raced superbikes" and "does martial arts" like some of the others here who had enough speed and talent to jump right out of one forum and into an incidents thread. In answer to the question "What sized canopy is safe?" In the end, it's you between the toggles, and mostly, it's what you do that determines whether you live or die. Nothing anyone says here will make any difference. A lower wing loading may allow a longer time frame within which to react if you do things wrong, and failing that, a slower impact speed than an equally aggresive turn at a higher wing loading. Not sure where you jump either, but if it's hot or higher than 500 ft AMSL, your clock has been ticking since you got off that 340. t It's the year of the Pig.

That's funny! Whooo! t It's the year of the Pig.

But many skydivers enjoy a challenge. t It's the year of the Pig.

Is there anything in this buletin that was not addressed in the Bird-man flight manual, circa 2001? (And for the politico's out there, there were no politico's in those days.) t It's the year of the Pig.

I've had 2 broken brake lines, and I elected to go to reserve both times, and landed without injury. (I jump a high and hot DZ, and neither canopy was rear riser friendly.) http://www.dropzone.com/cgi-bin/forum/gforum.cgi?post=2879681;sb=post_latest_reply;so=ASC;forum_view=forum_view_collapsed;;page=unread#unread is a good reason to either practice landing on rears, or to go to your reserve. If I had a broken brake line on my FX 93 or Velo 90, I'd probably land it. t It's the year of the Pig.

I think Tandem is the safest way for a novice to experience a parachute jump. I think Tandem is the most dangerous way for an instructor to jump with a novice. t It's the year of the Pig.

I was 22. t It's the year of the Pig.

Longer days, more students, (they don't like the cold) big clouds to play with in my wingsuit, hot, thin air for faster swoops, and warm water in the pond.. t It's the year of the Pig.

About 10 - 12 a weekend, but that will improve when summer gets here. t It's the year of the Pig.

We have no rules about cloud in SA. t It's the year of the Pig.

Small pic attached of the Herc at last years AFFC, t It's the year of the Pig.

While you're thinking about it, ask T any questions you may have. She's spent as much time there as I have. The venue was once very popular with the Swiss Boogie in the late 1980's, and the C-130 was there from 1987 - 1991. An AN-26 was there in 92, and then with the changes in South Africa the boogie fell by the wayside until the organiser resurected it at the same venue. t It's the year of the Pig.

I concur! t It's the year of the Pig.

Hi Kaat, Good meeting you at the Boogie! The AFFC has run for 2 years now. Dec 2005 was a little disapointing as the advertised AN-26 was a no show, and so we were forced to settle with a Turbine DC-3, a Pilatus PC-6 Porter and a King Air B-90. Last year, Dec 2006, the main aircraft were a PAC 750, and the C-130 Hurcules did make it's appearance for a few loads before it was retired due to mechanical issues. (Much like the AN-72 was) The story behind the airfeild is very similar to Cochstedt. A 5 km long runway, an international airport, a disused former military base... and nothing but skydivers once a year. The weather that time of year is hot, in the 30 - 35 Deg C range, and winds can be as high as 10 - 15 but are seldom stronger than that. There is a possibility of thunderstorms in the afternoon and evening, but we tend to jump around them all summer at every DZ here. Accomodation can be arranged at the Tusk hotel in Mafikeng, some 20 min from the airport. It is a 4 star hotel, and accomodation will be similar pricing to the Big Moon in Ashesleben (+- 45 Euros per night, breakfast included) Not sure of jump pricing, but I'm guessing it will be around 22 Euros to an altitude of 13000ft. The DZ is 3500ft AMSL, so hypoxia can be an issue in slower climbing aircraft. I should be able to post a pic of last year's herc to this thread tomorrow if the organiser sends me one. Only catch with the Hurc is that it's military, and if there's a war during the boogie they will want it back. They always supply a letter of confirmation baring "operational nessesity" or words to that effect. Both Taya and I plan to be there this year, as will many of the local birds you met at the AN-72 Boogie. t It's the year of the Pig.

Well.. All the way back in South Africa after a great week. I enjoyed the people and I enjoyed the dives. As always, better weather would have been nice - but now I already have a down payment on my ticket for next year! Great boogie! Thanks to all that helped make it happen! t It's the year of the Pig.

Much! No way I could go back to my daughter and explain the pics we have of playing in the snow together wasn't "real snow!" t It's the year of the Pig.