BlindBrick

Combination of the fact that I am a college student and that I just blew my new container fund on larger canopies since I moved to 6600 msl. I had an old Vector V-9 lined up but the leg straps turned out to be too short so the MT-1X was the only thing left within my budget. It was $50 US so I couldn't argue with the price point. -Blind "If you end up in an alligator's jaws, naked, you probably did something to deserve it."

Cool. I was a little worried on the reserve as the last thing I want is the fit to be so loose that the freebag could go before the PC. -Blind "If you end up in an alligator's jaws, naked, you probably did something to deserve it."

I've got an MT-1X on the way and was wondering what's the minimum safe canopy size? Also, this thing is going to be packed at high altitude with low humidity so pack volume is goign to be a bit bigger than normal. I've got a PD 300 and an R-Max 288 but have a feeling that I'm going to need something bigger. -Blind "If you end up in an alligator's jaws, naked, you probably did something to deserve it."

Hang in there bud, you're not alone. I've not had a chance to weigh my MT-1X but I am estimating my new exit weight is going to be around 310. All it takes is persistence and once you get some basic belly skills, your dance card will be full with freeflyers wanting to do hybrids. -Blind "If you end up in an alligator's jaws, naked, you probably did something to deserve it."

I live in Durango and SD:The Rockies is just over 250 miles away through a couple of mountain passes which means that this time of year the drive is almost as interesting as the skydive. -Blind "If you end up in an alligator's jaws, naked, you probably did something to deserve it."

I actually meant corneal trnsplants. My bad eyesight was caused by a condition that warped the cornea. I was never totally "dark" blind, everything was just way out of focus and I lost my depth perception. Gave me the bad habit of occasionally walking into door frames and counter corners, and meant that in freefall I had trouble reading my altimeter. It's been just over a year since my first transplant and I have like 20/40-ish vision in that eye. It's been about five months since I had the other eye done and it's like 20/60-ish. Both eyes should also change for the better once they remove the stiches. The docs are hopefull that I will eventually have vision that's correctable to 20/20. -Blind "If you end up in an alligator's jaws, naked, you probably did something to deserve it."

Does anyone know of a complete list of who was chosen? -Blind "If you end up in an alligator's jaws, naked, you probably did something to deserve it."

When I began jumping, my eye sight was bad enough that they were trying to take away my driver's liscense. Jumping was a really liberating experience for me because it allowed me to do something that most people never do at a time when people were telling me I couldn't do stuff anymore that most people do all the time. When they took my job away because of my eyesight, I made ends meet by rigging. I always knew my eye sight was bad(at it's worst 20/120 left eye, 20/100 right eye) but didn't realize how bad it was till after I had my transplants. I went up for a jump and realized that there was another airport about 10 miles away. I'd always know it was there, but never realized that you could see it while in freefall. Given my experiences, I have nothing but total respect for those jumpers who enjoy this sport with zero vision. -Blind "If you end up in an alligator's jaws, naked, you probably did something to deserve it."

I got my R-Max 288 in last week and while I haven't jumped it(and hope not to for a long, long time), it seems to be a rock solid canopy. Being a big guy jumping in the moutains, I am very happy to have such an overengineered canopy. -Blind "If you end up in an alligator's jaws, naked, you probably did something to deserve it."

Back in Feb '02, I had to present a letter from the Rigger I apprenticed under to the local FSDO before I could get permission to take the written. It really sucked because "local" in this case was about a 6 hour drive each way. -Blind "If you end up in an alligator's jaws, naked, you probably did something to deserve it."

Once you get off student status, go over to the other DZ on the airport(SD Missouri). Fiesty's plane is the wider body 182 and until Skyranch got their engine mod, it was the fastest climbing 182 in the country. So more room and less time in the plane. OTOH, if you really like the KA, it spends the other weekends at Skyranch which is only about 2&1/2 hours from Mt. Vernon. Even when they don't have the KA, they still have what's probably the fastest Cessna around. BTW< if you go to either place, tell them Jack da Rigger says hi. -Blind "If you end up in an alligator's jaws, naked, you probably did something to deserve it."

Kris makes an excellent product and backs it up with excellent customer service. My suit was damaged in shipping and not only did she fix it fast, but she had tossed in some mods I had asked about free of charge. I would defiantely consider doign business wiht her again.

Depends, since some people really like them. My Protec worked great for casual RW and freeflying. I hated getting rid of mine and only changed when I needed a full face because of eye surgery. -Blind "If you end up in an alligator's jaws, naked, you probably did something to deserve it."

One of the really big arguments in favor of the extgended repack cycle is that packing lowers the porosity of a reserve, so the less repacks the better. In one test, they found that repacking a reserve just 12 times was enough for it to drop below the porosity standards required for reserves. Granted the porosity of a main could be much higher and still be safe, it is food for thought. -Blind "If you end up in an alligator's jaws, naked, you probably did something to deserve it."

Yeah, but a large percentage of ejection injuries are from an arm or leg striking part of the plane on ejection, and not from the airspeed. -Blind "If you end up in an alligator's jaws, naked, you probably did something to deserve it."

Where'd you get the rig? I'm looking for a container to hold canopies in that size range. -Blind "If you end up in an alligator's jaws, naked, you probably did something to deserve it."

OTOH, arguably the previous jumper just soaked up all the bad karma in the rig. Might turn out to be the safest rig your ever jumped. If nothing else, wearing it should remind you of what can happen and why you should always be on your toes. -Blind "If you end up in an alligator's jaws, naked, you probably did something to deserve it."

I had three before my 100th jump. 1 was from a tension knot, 2 from AAD activation caused by low pulls. The last two convinced me that I needed to make changes and I jumped a AOD on my main for a while until I had eye surgery to fix my vision problem. -Blind "If you end up in an alligator's jaws, naked, you probably did something to deserve it."

I would check with a doctor abotu that as it just doesn't sound right. I have two cornea transplants and still jump. My only concern was the time I lost my goggles while I still had sutures in my eye. Nothign more terrifyign than tracking with your eyes clsoed hopign the mental count you just started is accurate. -Blind "If you end up in an alligator's jaws, naked, you probably did something to deserve it."

What's the point? All the hype caused the Air Force to move experimentall testing a long while back. Rumor has it that the really hot stuff is flying out of TX these days. -Blind "If you end up in an alligator's jaws, naked, you probably did something to deserve it."

Cool, that's really what I wanted to hear. I realize that for $200 I can expect an older, heavily jumped canopy. My first instinct was to take him up on the refund offer. It was just that since the order had arrived different than what I was told on the phone, I was kind of hesitant. Having someone vouch for him helps a lot. thanks. -Blind "If you end up in an alligator's jaws, naked, you probably did something to deserve it."

I recnetly purchased a used canopy, what I received was not what I was told I was getting. I've posted my email and the seller's followup. I'd appreciate any thougths you have about what I should do. A complicating factor is that I need a main by November 1 so I'm in somewhat of a bind. This was his response. What do you think? -Blind "If you end up in an alligator's jaws, naked, you probably did something to deserve it."

That's what we thought. We tied about fifty feet of line to a truck so that you wouldn't get dragged too far. Next thing we know a guy, is thirty some feet in the air under a windly bucking canopy. The next secodn the canopy dives towards the ground. Very scary and only dumb luck that kept him from getting seriously messed up. -blind "If you end up in an alligator's jaws, naked, you probably did something to deserve it."

Depending on who you ask, Crash, Thud, Thumper, PLiF or Gator. The last one comes from wearing a long sleeve green shirt while Plif'ing out a low hook in to a downwind landing. Had so much energy after the PLF that I just kept rolling across the ground for about twenty yards. One of my friends said that the manuever was similar to that roll a aligator does when it grabs prey. -Jackmc "If you end up in an alligator's jaws, naked, you probably did something to deserve it."

Cool, somebody I can belly fly with! I was beginning to think that I would be stuck as hybrid base for the rest of my life! One point of advice if you do decide to go the hybrid. Be careful with your changing your arch because it is possible to cork even on your belly. -Jackmc "If you end up in an alligator's jaws, naked, you probably did something to deserve it."