airdave98

Hi, I'm a new rigger and need advice on which sewing machine to purchase. I need something compact, inexpensive (of course), and capable of sewing through several layers of cordura and jumpsuit material. So, all you riggers out there, what's the biggest bang for my buck? Thanks :-)

For a short time, my locker was across from his. I was just starting out shooting video. Nobody wanted me there, taking some of the business. Robby was continuously nice to me and always full of encouragement and helpful hints. Even when others at Lodi wanted me gone, Robby always showed me respect and kindness. He taught me how infectious a smile can be and how far a kind word of support could go. He showed me how to welcome students and newcomers into our extended family… nurture them, and help them grow. You can’t buy class and Robby was one of the classiest guys I’ve ever known. He knew how to help a person see the light within themselves. Ever since I left Lodi, I’ve been trying to help others through kindness, laughter, and smiles… just like Robby did for me. To all of his friends and loved ones… from all of us in Byron… our hearts ache with yours tonight. We’ll miss you, Robby. God speed, brother. - Dave “Skinny” Bick

I'll be there. Will you have any Precisions to jump... maybe a Nitron 150?

I was visiting south Florida on business recently and found myself having the weekend off… unexpectedly. I’m from a small and friendly dropzone so I decided to drive out to Air Adventures in Clewiston instead of heading up to one of the big, commercial dropzones. Immediately, I was one of the family. I was introduced to some very friendly up-jumpers who were gracious enough to jump with me. Also, being a tandem instructor, the staff were nice enough to let me do some tandems to earn a few extra bucks. I didn’t have any gear with me because I wasn’t expecting to have time off, so everyone stepped up and loaned me gear. A jumpsuit and goggles from the student room, a helmet from a video guy, an altimeter from the owner, and a couple of personal rigs from the staff! They have a PAC 750XL right now, but are getting a super Otter for the winter. The landing area is huge and soft. I cannot begin to tell you how friendly these people are. On Sunday evening we enjoyed some beer and then they invited me out to dinner with them. Lisa and Rick, the owners, even offered up their home to stay in when I come back. So, to all my new friends at Air Adventures, thank you so much for taking me in and treating me like one of your own. I think I found my new home away from home. I’ll see you in a few months. -Dave

Mmmmm.... beer....mmmmm.... wine. Yes, all should come to Lodi. I owe beer, also, for my maiden Mach 1 flight. We can get all fucked up and then go flocking... wait... uh, reverse that.

Some of us braved the fridged weather for a Mach 1 flight today at Lodi. However, I'm still a bit of a newbie and wouldn't be able to give as comprehensive of an M1 review as papa Ed... but I was all smiles under my face mask.

Okay, maybe I misunderstood him about the sustained 19 mph. After all, when he was talking, I was staring at his suit and drooling on myself. He did say something about having the same glide path as an open tandem. Anyway, I found it all very cool.

Jeff is in Lodi this weekend. I got to see one of his new prototypes... the Mach 1. It has bigger wings than the Nebula and Jeff was able to get a 19 mph vertical speed and a 140 mph horizontal speed out of the thing! I immediately switched my order from the Nebula to the Mach 1.

There aren't any other flyers at my DZ who are near my size, but I'll try the other leg positions... thanks.

The suit was made for me. I'm a big guy (6'1" and 250 lbs) but the suit fits me well.

Thanks for the input! I've checked the leg inlet with a rigger and a very experienced BMI. Everything seems normal. No inlet blockage. I unzipped my leg wing and did a jump, but my right leg zipper blew out! I don't know if this is related to the removal of the leg wing. Although, I was able to "re-thread" the zipper and it seems to zip up correctly now. Due to bad weather, I haven't been able to do any more jumps to see if the zipper problem was just an isolated incident. Here is the video of the zipper blowout. My right leg was fully zipped and secured prior to exit. I think it happened during or soon after exit... as the suit was pressurizing. Any thoughts? http://www.4shared.com/file/751144/5c95762b/GS1_Zipper.html

Have any of you other GS1 flyers out there had a problem with the leg wing not inflating? If so, have you figured out what the problem is? I need to get it fixed because the flapping is damaging the wing. Until then, I've had to remove the leg wing to prevent further damage. I've asked for some help from the nice folks at Jii-wings, but they are a little too busy to get back to me right now. Any advice? Check out the video and let me know what you guys think. http://www.4shared.com/file/748594/ae5ac680/GS1_Short.html

Ed is right. Insurance companies won't payout for gear damage or loss due to illegal activities. However, I just got $7500 of skydiving gear coverage from State Farm. It covers damage caused by owner brainfarts

Does anyone know if that UK gear insurance company will insure U.S. citizens on U.S. soil? I can't find any U.S. insurance companies willing to insure skydiving gear... except for renter/home owner insurance, but that's for vehicle or home theft of gear only. Any ideas?

QuoteI want numbers! speed, lift, fall time, distance I'm not the best person to give numbers because I'm a fat guy, but I can tell you that flying in a relaxed position in my GS1 gives slower freefall speeds than maxing out my GTI. Also, I seem to have a fairly good forward speed, but I haven't jumped with anyone else yet. Ed, have you jumped yours yet?