YISkyDive

Thats how I learned to skydive- My first time in a wind tunnel was 11? At the Latest 12. Betwen 12 to 18 I put in 2.5 hours of wind tunnel time with training and had absouletly zero problems with AFF. I actually got chewed out for flying mantis. I didnt have great level controll at all out there- that was my only problem. I wish that I learned that in the tunnel before skydiving but center point turns came nicely and also having all that tunnel time let me put in a lot of hop and pops but still be able to go do 4way/ 3 way with friends and family and still put together decent point skydives. I was very happy my dad put me in the tunnel when I was young.

Where is Waldo???

My brother recently built a PC editing station for an athlon XP 64 3200. It works great with his Sony Camera. I think he has some 3CCD higher end TRV? Beats me what he has. He makes a lot of BMX bike videos and is in the process of shooting for a DVD. He went with Cyberpowerinc.com and it worked out very well. I custom built my editing station, on a barebones from them. Price wise they are not bad- a few things that I like.. if you have a legal OEM windows, you can get the PC with any crap and still get it built and formatted ready for an OS install. I also like that you can choose from "generic" parts to brandname parts. for example.. for my application, memory is memory so I save 20bucks on a 512 for going with the 'generic' company instead of 'kingston' or what ever it is. They also are good with RAID stuff. You can get a RAID controller and if your looking for speed in rendering this maybe an area to help with that. Im not sure if this is a major joke point (I havent gotten around to raiding my HDs on my editing machine) but at one point I would like to test it and see if Premier Pro responds well to it. From the little I know about RAID- when done properly it increase HD writing speeds pretty well- but if you loose a drive you lost your info. You need a minium of three hard drives to do this safetly. A standalone windows drive with a back up partition. And two identical hard drives to RAID. I forget if RAID0 or RAID1 is what we are looking for- but know its an option if you find out it is a promising investment. Easy to do with them. Also you can select any graphics card you want. Some editing programs allow for assited 3d graphics card for "real time rendering"- I put that in quotes because some programs mean the play window while others under certain encoding settings. The best way that I have found to make DVDs fast is with a DVD recorder on the S-Video out of your PC. You export your project in a "raw" D-AVI and than play it on your PC and hit record on the DVD recorder set up to the PC. It totally totally beats MPEG2 or .VOB conversion programs- because not only do you have to convert projects, but also you have to burn them. Here is play an burn. Finally, you can choose other features- TVCapture cards, DVDRW(+/- +-), how many CD/ DVD drives you want and exactly what motherboard you use. Even the Case is selectable. You can get a ATX or a Server size case. I go with the server case b/c of heat distribution. Too small of a case puts hot components way to close to each other. Large case also has more room for more fans. These guys are cheep(er) than building a barebones kit for sure, especially when you consider time- Obviously for some of the deal systems you do find downfalls- 1) Their wiring is subpar. If you care about this- AKA have a windowed PC it looks like Ass. I spent 2 hours cleaning up and rewiring. In my opinion purely astetic... 2) On the first PC I ordered from them (3 years ago) I actually got shipped a PC with a heatsink knocked off. Thats annoying.. some tech screwed up bad. I havent had a PC from them since (2) that I needed to call customer service over.. they where always realy helpful but obviously that was a downfall. If you want a video editing PC id recommend this company- much cheeper than alienware(you do give up high performance cooling though- but thats a bonus I have always lived without and been fine when I have been OC and pushing my PCs) and if you own a OEM windows its automatically a cheeper Price. The bonus of selecting what motherboard, what video card, what memory to the make and model is very nice. Finally if your serious about a video editing system- research the AMD*2 ( I think thats what they are called) processors. Future Adobe Priemer Pro and other higher end video apps will support this archietecture(sp?!?) and allow direct enconding with both processor. This is an area I briefly explored- but my personal budget shut me down so I never fully researched it. Good luck! Dave. Sorry for the horrible spelling/ grammar / typos.. its 2:10AM I have to get up for class in a few hours. Side note- not to thread-jack, does anyone use a PC or laptop to video edit tandem videos? If so what are your average edit times?

oh hes guilty.. your so evil

thanks man- appreciate it

that is my new background- that is an awsome picture.

I hope this is not out of place but why are slinks better than hard links? I heard they are stronger- but I just never got 'how or why they work' Im guessing they have less wear on the bottom of the riser? Thanks for anyinfo. Dave

Cool man.. I love afterdawn.com. It helps a lot on all sorts of subjects, from home thearter to DVD / Divx and so on. I gotta check out DVDSanta.. heard good things. never used it. What does DVDSanta out put? Was it a VIDEO_TS / AUDIO_TS folders? Or an .ISO (or some kind of image?) thanks Dave

The best thing that you can do, for yourself and your instructors is to read know and understand your local DZs manual, as well as other published sources listed.. while talking all advice here strickly as non procedure oriented matieral. certian things you may read can and will be wrong for between 0 and 10 jumps, let a long 10 to 100. never do anything in freefall or under canopy without talking to a certified instructor. doing otherwise may in the best case cause you to fail a level, and in the worst have a very negative out come on your day. good luck with the sport, its a lot of fun!

You guys make me mad. AWSOME shots. I like em

Sending right now- let me know what cha think. Dave

I have a really really really really indepth lesson saved to my PC from my canopy coach. If your still intrested in density altitude and how it applies to our wings both swooping and not, i can forward it to you. Its fairly complicated, but he did a great job of breaking it down.

Nice post man, really. I'll do exactly what you say with that kinda talk. Get over what ever was bothering you that day, and post a real comment, or just let me have my opinions. Thanks man.

I have not had an FF2 on my head . Haha. Such is life in the big city...

Im down too these two. I can get a RAWA for 350 and Im not sure about the FF2. (If a dealer, thats in the USA PM me, thad be appreciated) But Im not sure which to make my ultimate decision to go too. The fit of the rawa with no adjustments was very nice. Its also the used helmet at my DZ. I dont freefly one bit though. So the lack of angle on the box would make TVideo(all I am really planning on shooting) very difficult without wings. My mentor gave me a wingsuit so I plan on getting in the air with that.. making the box angle a little less important.. The FF2 has the adjustable box which I like. So I don't know, beats the heck out of me. Take it away with any opinions, personal inputs and so on. Oh yah- equipment I plan to use is a PC101 camera that I recently got and a Digital Rebel300D. Dave

Its fine that your try to lock horns- but Im not complaining. Im making points- complaining would be a little harsher than stating why I dislike something. I have that right. I stated why I dislike stuff and if you saw my previous post before you posted (I dont know if ya did) you see why I made my statements. Ok- On the ISP. I'll be completly fair and netural... Prior to the implimentation of the ISP in full swing (I think two years ago ) How many accidents did AFF or sub A jumpers have? After the implementaion of the ISP how may ISP bases incidents occured / and prior to A. I dont know this, and I dont know if it is honestly possible to look up b/c i dont know if there is an 'accident' database. I personally don't like the ISP not because its a multiprogram training tool ( I like that a lot) but from at least one DZ that I looked at my personal belief is that it was too drawn out and it was taking too much money. On a 7 level AFF program it takes students long enough to get jumped. At least in some parts of the country with constant winds and no ability to waiver becuase it would be unsafe for the student. One thing though- in favor of the ISP, is at non ISP or non extisive RW DZs.. its easy to see people that have no belly skills already learning to freefly. This causes i think an added danger when someone has 70 or 80 skydives but can barely stay on their belly or have no idea what or how 'swooping' (CatG I think) is, let a lone at 200 jumps. That stuff bothers me. RW is a very fundamental part of this sport.. heck we deploy on bellly to earth.. track and usually (less freeflying) exit on with belly to realative wind. The ISP shines there. Thats my reasons on the ISP. Its too drawn out, for the most part. And (though with out statistics of any measure) I'm assuming that it hasnt made a big impact on reduction of incidents- just added money, like I said though I dont have statistics, and I would retract my statements if I saw a change.. again thats why we post to learn whether it be in argument or in friendly discussion.

I somehow missed that thread- but not to be rude, that did little to help or hurt the argument. My arguements are actually quite similar to the ones in yours but being combative doesn't help. People have to work together one way or another- and Im not out to destroy USPA. USPA does not sound all bad, hell, its Not all bad. Hell, again, its Not bad. Its an orgonazation with aspects I don't understand though. Going to a meeting, talking to an RD(though that was nice to hear from one person to help me understand a little more on the issue), or even posting on DZ.com won't help greatly. Its just a discussion to hear what people thing. Calling for the demise of USPA would be a BAD play if you want to skydive in this country again. Im just looking at it slightly diffrently and looking at the aspects that personally bother me.. aka starting the thread. I know nothing will change, and for the most part, I have to be ok wiht that to jump. Paying 50 bucks a year (though I wish I could not get the magazine) is OK with me because of the insurance, especially after speaking with an RD. I just hope that some of the stuff that I said will at least be looked at by some people that could make things roll. But knowing my jump numbers, importance in the sport(lack there of) and other facts about low JN low EXP. its pointless to consider my thoughts get heard let a lone matter. Thats why I don't spend time, money, give up school time, or what ever else to attend. The only think I can do is ask people why does it exsist, make comments of why I dont like it, and get told why or why not I am wrong. From that I either learn if my opinion is valid or invalid given by the reaction, tone, response and so on of the responsder. I correct my views accordingly (aka the AOPA thing) but still hold USPA accountable on the canopy manual. (Someone though said some has been added too the 2006 SIM.. havent looked at it yet)

Assuming its a paid ticket and I dont fail out of college for the trip, Im there in a second. Otherwise I have no desire too spend thousands of dollars on travel. Im not complaining- Im asking wondering- learning about the structure of this org. I said I know nothing in the beginning of this thread and Im still learning. Plus I like to know why I pay 50 bucks a year? Its that wrong? Its not a lot of money but I want to know where its going. Oh and.. Not with my plan. A well written manual with maybe a an audio CD of a presentation of an industry known presenter would alllow an inexpensive but strong move forward in education. Than take an exam that illustrates the knowledge they have learned. Its not any direct coaching- thats not feesible for some time till we get training programs in play to teach people to teach canopy stuff off of the ground. I have posted this a few times before and unfortunetly I have not had any response to know how good or bad it is.

See, thats where I really like USPA. The BSR SIM and Iratings. The FAA would never take the time to regulate us as USPA has and well, skydiving would have a diffrent face. I still think the group membership creates a second hand internal conflict, but its a complicated argument to open. I personally don't like the ISP. The ISP is something that looks great on paper but its implimentation hurts our sport more than helps. I think the 'group membership' has an adverse affect on worrying about our members (if I am not mistaken (old AFF level3 what ever that is in the ISP now... have to become members) means that students are getting into this sport with such an overhead that many turn away. I dont like being at the DZ when a student walks out because they can't jump due to not AFF holding them back but many parts of the ISP holding them back. USPA, especially with some of the stuff I learned in this thread, does stuff. But USPA is comprised of DZMs / DZOs and people that are seeking profits. Im not saying thats bad, wrong or horrible, because people need to make livings, put food on the table, and lead a standard of living that is at least resonable to the amount of work they put into their places- but I dont see a union representing workers also representing the corperation. DZs, DZOs, DZMs and all 'businesses' need representation- but is that fair to the student with 3 jumps that has no idea whats going on in skydiving to be represented by the same orginaztion that is representing the person swiping their credit card. Now we come to an intresting fork in the road that I have no idea how to fix, or even adress. Lets say there would be an attempt to to split jumper and DZ represenation- Safetly and Training applies to the jumper and the DZ. We just cant deny DZOs / DZMs the right to believe they are training right or wrong, while we also cant deny jumpers to analyize the current S&T problems they might have with programs. Its a hard call- and clearly it demonstrates why its 'resonable' to represent both parties under the same roof. Beats me. My main problem is this- if everything is about S&T, about the jumpers utmost well being and education, why in the 1.5 years that I have been in the sport jumping have I not seen an extensive canopy education manual from USPA. Its my theory, my honest belief that if we had a reading and a requirment for all 'to be' A, B, and C qualified skydivers we could drop the open canopy incidents by a resonable percent. We wont know till we try. If USPA makes a WLing BSR they will, in my opinion, take the easy way out. If I had more time, more money, and ultimetly, more experience, I would have already written this manual by myself, taken it to the industry had it examined edited and corrected for some sort of unity and had it done. Than Id sell it at exaclty the cost to me to print it. And make everyone read it, part by part, and take an exam that would be difficult to pass but for the good of the jumper. I remember when I was first introduced to this sport.. the most run down place with a nice field you could imagine, but the hearts of the jumpers where so big and so great that one could over look not having expensive seating areas, high class gear stores, exciting resturants and so on. Though that is nice, too many DZs are forgetting what giving back to the sport is. I forget what giving back to the sport is sometimes too, its normal, its just I think having the dual membership platform drives that a little more sometimes.. aka the ISP in some regaurds. Sorry this is sooo horribly written, I gotta run to class. Dave.

This has nothing to do with the airport case that I wrote in- Im just seriously intrested in the point of this org. Thats all. Im not 'mad' at them over what happened, but I am intrested in just thinkin more about what I support instead of just paying my yearly $$. I know little to nothing about USPA- yet I dont like them. Thats not fair on my part. I stated some obvious concerns that I have as part of why my fairly uneducated opinion is negative and not positive.

Im just curious- What is the actual point of the existence of USPA? I see it as a double edged sword- but ignore my unsatisfied views with the organization, I am interested in listening why this actually exists. Or, I guess why does USPA represent Jumpers AND dropzones? AOPA does not represent pilot's AND the airports they fly at. Finally, why is parachutist not optional? Its stupid to have 3 copies coming to the same house. Just wondering.

I saw the vision with the 'second' lineset that had the most unreal openings ever. The videos where intense. I guess the other vision that I saw had the 'third' lineset. Just watching it it land- it was very 'mushy.' The demoer and the owner where both just displeased with it. Im a supporter of areodyne.. more so than many I know- but that canopy just let me down? Im not calling it out- I just hope the mamba doenst have those problems, or similar. Ultimitely, I am looking at getting a 149 Mamba, 149Xfire2 Or a 150Nitro. I do about 350 jumps a season (March to Novemeber) so my order would be done in May when I have 400 jumps. I've jumped both the nitro and the Xfire under demos- I just want to know about the Mamba.

Thanks- Im just intrested in the parachute. Thats all. Not trying to be rude to any areodyne person/ employee/ so on.. but ultimitely I wanted to know if it was a VisionII or an actual canopy. I love my Diablo but I saw two people with visions that well.. lets leave it at that.

Set up fees suck, even if there is no prizes/ prize money overhead still exsits. The SCCA Solo2 (autocross racing) is an awsome example of how people love to compete for the love of sport and not for change. They, at least the ones in my area, run a two event comp. A morning comp, and an afternoon comp. The drivers from the mornings races actually 'work' the course in the afternoon races keeping enty fees for racing limited to course rental and what ever other expenses exist.... usually 15 to 25 person for a full days use of an area. Its impressive to see. Ultimitely you can have a 'contest' anywhere you want, anytime you want, how ever you want.. I guess. Get some people together, ask DZM / DZO if for this block of time we can use cessna / porter / what ever else, set up gates and have fun with friends swooping. A now fairly succesfull course desgining company for amature snowboard courses started exactly like this. I have competed in almost everysport that I partake in except for kiteboarding because I only do it two weeks a year, and swooping because I am no where near the level neccasary to be in a comp enviroment, but, in the end, the competitors have a lot of say in how things get done.. if you don't like the rules, if you don't like how things are done, start a new circuit. Sure it might not get proslots, support from everyone, or even be big.. but it could also just be for fun and personal gain. That said, when I start competeing for the CPC or what have you.. (at least two years away) if there was no prize money, id still be on the plane. I love to compete to bring out the very best that I have within me, not to cash a check. Thats what 9 to 5 M-F is for.

I have been watching all the previous threads- but I was wondering if anyone outside of areodyne has gotten a chance to jump one. Im very intrested in this canopy and not that I dont trust areodyne and areodyne related people, im just intrested in a review by an outside party. Thanks, Dave.