freethefly

JP (Jean Potvin) and Gary use to conduct these experiments out of a Cessna 411 at the old Skydive St. Louis that use to be in Bowling Green, Mo. JP and Gary are two very interesting people to talk with. and their experiment are even more interesting watch. "...And once you're gone, you can't come back When you're out of the blue and into the black." Neil Young

No deer yet. Got in my treestand at around 4:30am saturday morning and waited silently. Then at about sunrise 3 trucks full of hunters,10 in all, drove down through the holler I was hunting. We have been tracking a big buck through this holler for the last few weeks. Large piles of deer droppings in the area shows his route. Piles in excess of 75 or more pellets indicate a buck. He is an amazing specimen. Even though he is but an 8 point buck, he will easily dress out to 200 pounds. His head would make a great trophy as his rack is as perfect as a rack could be. We signaled to the strangers that they were not alone. We engaged the intruders and warned them that they were on private land. They left but only after leaving a scent trail down through the holler. This scent not being familiar to the deer detered them from coming down our way. I sat for a spell and walked a great deal to no avail. The day was a bust. Try again on sunday. Got to my stand by 5:00. Only one intruder. He walked down through the holler and stood right under me. Even though I am well camaflouged I still have a blazing orange vest and cap on. He only looked up after I tapped my foot on my tree stand. He left, going back the way he came. On his way out he pushed the buck I was waiting for my way. A thunder of crashes echoed in the holler as the buck made his way towards the point of ambush. I braced as I raised the rifle to my eye. My eye focused on the open sight of the rifle and the background that is the woods. I followed the crashing sound of the deer with my rifle as he made his way through a tangle of tree and brush. I was ready only again for a dissapointment as the deer came out over 100 yards away with plenty of brush cover. My rifle is zeroed in for 300 yards on open sights. A scope would be nice but the rifle is a collector item and I hesitate to drill for scope mounts. Yet I am right on at 50 to 300 yards providing the conditions are favorable. He stood for a breif moment and then vanished as if he was nothing but the fog. I lowered my rifle and sat in the silence. I waited in my stand for what seemed to be hours. Not daring to move I hoped that he would rematerialize at another point where I have found droppings and know that they run through. About 30 minutes passed and he does not show. I climbed down and went to where I last saw him stop. There on the ground was fresh droppings. The pellets were still warm and moist. They were diffenitly his. He got away this weekend but I will return next weekend to pick up where I started. If I have it my way he will be in the freezer before long. He will supply me with feash vinison for another year. Also his head would look great on my wall. "...And once you're gone, you can't come back When you're out of the blue and into the black." Neil Young

The media should make a point out of showing the true reality of war daily. For the most war is glorified in songs, television, video games and the news. Few want to show tangled, battered and bloodied bodies of Americans rotting on a foriegn soil. Instead they interview millitery personnel whom have been coached on what to say to the interviewer. "Yes sir, I am happy to be here. I cannot think of a better place to be than here in Iraq, SIR!". Childern are harden to the carnage as they are weaned on video games designed to envoke violence. What became of the peace movement of the 60's and the 70's? The so called leaders of the world, on both sides, have no intentions of negotiation. The call to war is their mantra and it has become the call of the young. Some will change after they witness the reality. Others are to harden and will call for more carnage. Rest assured that the future is bleak. "...And once you're gone, you can't come back When you're out of the blue and into the black." Neil Young

Try it in all the different dialects. Brian is an extremely intelligent person, but read it in moron dialect....funny stuff. "...And once you're gone, you can't come back When you're out of the blue and into the black." Neil Young

" Whoa...catnip is way better in the bong!" "...And once you're gone, you can't come back When you're out of the blue and into the black." Neil Young

***The narcotics guys are a world unto themselves. I've noticed that they frequently don't even bother to offer a justification for an automobile search. Most of the other guys will at least articulate a reason for the search, such as the smell of pot, a crack pipe in plain view, etc. The drug teams will offer some vacuous reason for making the stop, such as "failure to maintain lane" or a broken tag light, but everybody knows they stopped the guy just to check him out and see what they can find. Years back I was pulled over for speeding. The cop asked if I had anything such as bombs, guns or drugs in my truck. I told him "no". He then said " Then you won't mind me searching your vehicle". I told him he could not search my truck. He then called another officer to the "scene". They talked and then asked me again stating that if I had no drugs or weapons in my truck I shouldn't be worried about being searched. I told them no way are they going to search me because I was speeding. They then called a drug sniffing dog and more cops. After about 2 hours of them wasting the taxpayers money they found nothing and I got a speeding ticket. My lawyer got it dismissed. I believe because of my long hair and tattoos I was prejudged. It is profiling. The officers time could have been better spent. He should had just wrote the ticket and moved on. In the end the court got zilch and my lawyer got about $200.00. I can think of better ways to spend my money. "...And once you're gone, you can't come back When you're out of the blue and into the black." Neil Young

This sounds like the guy in Utah who got life for having a gun (deer rifle in the case in the closet) during the commission of a drug crime. He sold three ounces of marijuana to an undercover cop over a period of one year. They spent thousands of dollars of the taxpayers money and kept cops, who otherwise could have been on the street, to arrest the lowest level of dealers. The undercover police badgered the guy to sell him weed. Not actually being a dealer he had to get it from someone else and then give it to the narc. They arrested the guy on their third buy and herald this as a major dent on the so called "war on drugs". I believe the guy was 24 or 25 years old. Life in prison. A feather in the prosecutors hat. What an unjust punishment. The state of Utah and all Americans who support this type of government bravado should be ashamed. "...And once you're gone, you can't come back When you're out of the blue and into the black." Neil Young

I just went on 8 years in the sport ( had to lay off for three of those eight but still stayed informed). I have yet to see anyone have a serious incidence soley because of a dv camera or a still camera. I will not say that it does not happen though. As with any aspect of our sport, serious thought should be given when considering flying with a camera. I had an incident last july 5 after a demo into a large airshow. The demo went off as planned. We packed and flew back to our home dz. As I deployed over the home dz at 4000' I experianced line twist from top to bottom. The leftside riser twisted down onto my d-box pinning my head to my right shoulder as the canopy, sabre 150, began a swift spiral. I worked my head from the riser twist before 2000' and spun out of the rest of the twist. I was prepared to cut my helmet by 1800' if need be. On the ground I barely made mention of what happened. I would assume that this is the case with others when they encounter a problem that afterward it seems to have been merely an inconvienence. Other than that, no other problem with camera gear. My incident could have easily blown into a major problem (the canopy, from what I could see, appeared to be more a ball of flapping fabric than a canopy). At what number should a jumper start camera flying? That is hard to say. Had I just one camera jump instead of 400 would the problem I encountered have turned out different? Maybe, maybe not. I believe at the end of the day it it is the knowledge you take with you on each jump, whether it is with a camera or without, that increases your chance of survival. "...And once you're gone, you can't come back When you're out of the blue and into the black." Neil Young

This is my camera set-up. As you can see, I am on the cutting edge when it comes to high tech innovation. On the side for moving pictures is the newest break through from Bell & Howell. The much anticipated 8mm 220. One word people - WOW. The quality of 8mm film is unsurpassed combined with the advanced technological features of the Bell and Howell 220. You will want to pawn your Sony and get in line for this one! Mounted on top is the latest from Polaroid, the 150 Land Camera. They call it a land camera but let me tell you that this jewel is just as at home in the sky as it is on the ground. I can clearly see that digital is on its way out. This camera has it all and it is a pleasure to jump. It is so aerodynamic you hardly notice it is up there. For this sweet piece of high tech candy you will want to run, not walk, past the digital dinosaur. You will be glad you did. "...And once you're gone, you can't come back When you're out of the blue and into the black." Neil Young

Christians aren't perfect, but at least they know where they're going when they've made their last jump. You cannot claim to know what exist beyond death. To say that one is going to heaven is an impossiable statement that has no substance and is completely void of fact. One can only state that they were born into existance and that they do exist and that they will someday die. As to where they will go after death is only speculation. "...And once you're gone, you can't come back When you're out of the blue and into the black." Neil Young

If you are leaving it up to a god to keep you from dying in this sport, please take up checkers. "...And once you're gone, you can't come back When you're out of the blue and into the black." Neil Young

Religon does nothing for me. To me it is just another form of government designed to rule over you. God was created by man as a tool to control the ignorant. Just yesterday on the evening news a politician stated that god and jesus (pronounced; Hey-zues) were deeply concerned about the outcome of this Presidential election. SAY WHAT!!!! What a crock of sh-t. I find it to be obscene that people would believe that an omnipotent presence in the universe would be concerned over their arcane little lives when there is so much greater strife on this planet. There is genocide, starvation, virus and all out war on the human race around the planet. WHERE THE F_CK IS YOUR GOD IN THESE PLACES. How egotistic can a person with a roof over their head and food in their belly be to believe that a god is there for them yet not for those left to the enviroment in which they must exsist in. Can you honestly look into the eyes of a child dying of AIDS and say that "God is here for you"? If you can, I do not at all feel sorry for you. I fear you. "...And once you're gone, you can't come back When you're out of the blue and into the black." Neil Young

Giving tickets and arresting protesters, who clearly are not breaking any law, shows the kind of determination the federal government has in controlling information on any and all levels. The Federal government is out of control. They have a hand in every aspect of your life. If you believe that you are free to do as you want as long as it does not affect others you are wrong. Just the thought of wearing a t-shirt that the government does not agree with can get a person in trouble is troubling in it self. "...And once you're gone, you can't come back When you're out of the blue and into the black." Neil Young

I started jumping a camera with just over 50 jumps back in 1997. A factory diver with a sony trv60 on it. My one and only reserve ride (pilot chute in tow) was that December after doing video for a three way. I had less than 100 jumps. At no time did the gear on my head interfere with my emergency procedures. As far as jump numbers and cameras go I believe it depends on the jumper. Currently I am jumping a bonehead with miniDV and a Pentax 645 medium format. I spent a week going over emergency procedures before jumping it. In freefall on my belly it felt great. Next jump was a sitfly. Felt great. Headdown, barely noticed it was on my head. There are , as with any camera set up, snag points. I am fully prepare to send my cameras to a shattering death if need be. Better my cameras die than myself. I would not have attempted flying such a camera in 1997 nor would I suggest that someone with low numbers jump such a setup as mine. I do suggest that if one wants to fly with video or stills when it is fun jumps you want to preserve is to get a side mount for a miniDV and maybe a front platform for an Elph. The majority of jumpers just want to capture something to show their non jumping friends. If a jumper fully understand that cameras add a new element to the jump they should learn what needs to be known. Talk to other camera flyers, safety and training advisor and the DZO. It is all about learning. "...And once you're gone, you can't come back When you're out of the blue and into the black." Neil Young

She is right. Ilfochrome prints, also known as Cibachrome, are made from projecting an image directly from your slide or transparency onto a sheet of Ilford cibachrome print paper and then processed in cibachrome chemicals. Seeing that you do not have slides, transparencies or negs from digital format, you get no cibachrome. But wait your in luck. If it is highend digitalcolor prints you are looking for try color piezo prints. Contact a pro-processing lab. 8.6x11 prints start at around $50.00 up to $800.00 for a 44x132. Expensive, yes, but it is the only thing that will rival cibachrome printing. True, they do not have the museum quality that a cibachrome or fiber base will give you but they look great just the same. "...And once you're gone, you can't come back When you're out of the blue and into the black." Neil Young

1974, age 14 in the backseat of my cousins 67 Caprice heading south on hwy 270 in N. St. Louis County at around midnight. She was 21, her name was Cheryl. It was a great summer. "...And once you're gone, you can't come back When you're out of the blue and into the black." Neil Young

Got a speeding ticket on my rigid Norton some years back. Cop wrote Harley Davidson on the ticket. Had my plate # and DL# so his mistake on make did not matter. Anyways call your lawyer and have it reduced to a non moving violation such as parking. On the advise of my attorney I will no longer be giving out legal advise as I am not a real attorney. "...And once you're gone, you can't come back When you're out of the blue and into the black." Neil Young

I have not yet heard of pentax moving into the digital medium format area. I want to go digital and have been looking at the *ist D and also the Nikon D100 which is in the same price range and compareable in most ways. Yet, with my lens inventory being K mounts the economical path is the Pentax. What I do not like yet about digital 35mm is that enlargements, yet not bad, are not as film is. The *ist D is in the high range of the medium level pro camera at 6.0 mp. Same as other makes in this range. From all the reviews I have read it is adequate for skydiving. Other than it's slowest ISO being 200 it would work for what I need it for at a cost of around $1200.00. I would of love to have a digital 645! At 22mp, that is hard to beat. My main camera is my 645 as I prefer medium format to 35mm (as of late I have been doing mostly art shots in B/W for my portfolio). Nothing other than large format can beat it. I would love to go digital medium format. But, the cost is another factor for me so I am looking at 35mm digital. As to whether your Pentax lens will mount to an non-Pentax 645 I suggest mounting rings. I use one to mount a Tamron lens to my 35mm. The ring, by the way, is a Tamron. Check with the lens manufactuer for rings. I have been messing around with a cable release that seems to work fine after I removed the lock from it. Need to get a longer cable as this one is too short to reach my mouth. What did you do to release your shutter? Also, any suggestions you have on flying a 645 would greatly be appreciated. "...And once you're gone, you can't come back When you're out of the blue and into the black." Neil Young

Betty Boop, no doubt. Hubba-Hubba. If I were a cartoon I'd be all over her. If I had a swing like hers in my backyard I'd take it apart to see how many screws I could get out of it! O.K. now, that was just sick. "...And once you're gone, you can't come back When you're out of the blue and into the black." Neil Young

That was so uncool (pun intended) of them "...And once you're gone, you can't come back When you're out of the blue and into the black." Neil Young

Saw it. I actually knew Rusty way back in the mid 70's in St. Louis. He hung around with a friend's sister. They sometimes came down to the filling station we pumped gas at and drank beer with us. Dude was real cool. He is still cool today. Hate to see him retire. "...And once you're gone, you can't come back When you're out of the blue and into the black." Neil Young

I attended a siminar put on by Nikon some years back when they introduced the D1 and its related equipment such as software and printer. The siminar was to show the advantage of digital portraits over film. The only advantage that I could see was time. Your customer would have to wait but minutes for a print. The quality was superb up to a certian point. Yet the concern of most was archiving. Digital archived images do in fact degrade over time whether they are kept on a hard drive or a disk, just as you mentioned. My film is kept in acid free film files. Never touched by bare fingers. They will last till the end of time with virtually no degradation. Film is only as good as you handle it. I wonder if an Ansel Adams photo of El Capitian or Edward S. Curtis's portrait of Geronimo would convey the emotion of the moment had they used digital? Yet I can most clearly see where using the digital format in skydiving does have the upperhand to using film. You can hand a tandem customer a CD/DVD within 30 minutes after landing. The disadvantage to handing out, (what are basically your negatives), a CD of still images is that you lose your reprint sales. This is mostly a concern of portrait and wedding photographer as it is the bread and butter and does not seem to be of any concern to freefall still photographers that I have observed. I am very interested in hearing any input on 35mm digital photography relating to skydiving. Any pro's or con's will be appreciated. "...And once you're gone, you can't come back When you're out of the blue and into the black." Neil Young

All and all it feels pretty stable. The mount is fashioned after the aluminum mount used on the BH gunrack. The mount will be used primarily for my 35mm and eventually a 35mm digital. The use of the 645 will be primarily for planned art shots. I definitely would not want to jump it on a regular basis "...And once you're gone, you can't come back When you're out of the blue and into the black." Neil Young

My specialty has been in the area of portrait photography and darkroom manipulation. I am afraid, sadly, that the art form of traditional photography and darkroom photography is all but gone as digital is what gets an image on the market in nano seconds. When I admire a portrait produced from light and silver I feel a true convayence of what the photographer was viewing. I shoot almost exclusively B/W and do all of my own darkroom work. I guess I am just a relic and cannot release the romantics of traditional B/W portrait photography. I should start stockpiling roll film before it is washed away on a tide to the past. "...And once you're gone, you can't come back When you're out of the blue and into the black." Neil Young

I, myself, am a traditionalist and prefer film although I am looking at getting a Pentax ist. I am really impressed with this camera. It is extremly fast so there is no lapse time for the camera to reload. Interchangeable lens, I can use all of my lenes on it. I have never been impressed with digital with the exception the Nikon D1. The $4000.00 price tag is a bit high compared to the Pentax ist for $1200.00. Mind you this is body only. The camera seems to do all that the Nikon does except clean out your bank account. "...And once you're gone, you can't come back When you're out of the blue and into the black." Neil Young