BrianM

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Maybe I can't afford a new canopy this spring after all.

No problem, you can just add that on to the time you already owe DeN ReN!

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I figured their riggers were required to follow mfg instructions.

There is no FAA in Canada...MOT don't do parachutes or mountain bikes.

As a Canadian rigger, I'm not required by law to follow the manufacturer's instructions, but I am required to do so by the issuer of my rigging licence (CSPA). Failure to do so could result in loosing my rigging licence, as well as legal liability in the event of an accident.

I won't pack a rig with an expired Cypres in it, and I don't think many other Canadian riggers would either.

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I was wracking my brains to think of some funny story or words of encouragement to help her relax a little.

I like to ask them if they're nervous. When they say yes, I say "That just proves you're normal - I'd be worried if you weren't". It usually gets a laugh, and also lets them know it's ok to feel that way.

Just before opening the door, I like to tell them that if they forget to have fun, I'll make them do it again! This one seems to work really well.

Here's what I was jumping this weekend. Takes 12 jumpers.

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I hope someone will take some cool photos of me someday

Try asking someone to take some! If you can't get someone with a camera to do it, then bring your own camera and hand it to someone just before boarding the plane.

Oh, and don't be disappointed if you don't get great results. The trick to getting good photos is taking lots of photos, so just keep at it. In other words, you'll get lots of photos like DenRen's, but eventually you'll get some like mine, too.

Edit: My only claim to being on topic is that all but one of these photos contain Triathlon's...

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There was a row of cars lined up perpendicular to the landing area with their headlights on. The runway lights ran perpendicular to the other side of the landing area. The headlight beam did not penetrate the darkness of the whole landing area. It was more of a help in locating the landing area than to illuminate it.

I've never seen it done that way... I've always seen it done with the headlights pointing parallel to the landing direction (they should be pointing upwind, of course, so you are landing with the headlights to your back and don't get blinded). Usually use two cars, have them slightly off to the sides, pointing in at a bit of an angle so the light beams from the two cars converge. Then you just approach over the gap between the two cars (so if you're a bit short, you don't hit a car).

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DenRen , that is an awesome canopy and an even cooler pic!

Yeah, whoever took that photo must be really cool!!!

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Nothing beats the grandeur of an open tailgate on a C-130 Hercules.

The herc is nice, but I always liked the CC-115 Buffalo (pic attached).

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Taking the Cypres out is easy, and there's no reason to involve a rigger unless you also need the repack.

So... uh... if you don't need a repack, and you open your reserve container to remove the Cypres, you are now in need of a repack and require a rigger, no?

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I haven't done this yet, but: I have a ham license and I've pondered taking a radio with me. I might do a
hop-n-pop from 11K just to see how far I can talk on a 5 watt handheld

I've done that. Handheld clipped to cheststrap, used a speaker mic which I could cup in my hand to block the wind. I still got reports of bad wind noise.

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having pre-arranged for some others on the ground to be listening.

Just try the local repeater, or 146.52 - from 10K you'll get great range on simplex!

Here's the obituary:

http://www.herald.ns.ca/stories/2005/08/31/fObituariesobit621.raw.html

I keep meaning to post something here, but I haven't been able to find the words. I still can't; this will have to do instead.

I don't know how anybody can be cheerful all of the time, but somehow Vicki was. She always had a smile and a kind word. I sat next to her at supper on Saturday night and she made me tell her all about my vacation that I had just returned from. She wasn't just being polite; she really wanted to hear every detail. Vicki was like that. Later, sitting around the fire, she brought out her guitar and made me play it. I'm out of practice, it was late, I'd had a few beers, and it definitely showed in my playing, but Vicki loved it anyway, and said so. Vicki was like that. Sunday morning she showed up with as much coffee as she could carry and handed it out to whoever wanted it. Even first jump students who'd never been there before got handed a free coffee. Vicki was like that.

I last saw her just before her jump on Sunday. She was dirt diving, and I went over to give her a couple pointers. I got a dose of her ever-present smile and cheerful personality, and that is how I will remember her - because that is the only way I ever saw her.

Blue Skies Vicki, we'll never forget you.

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Was hoping this thread would already be started...but it wasnt.....sooo

Aw gee, so sorry, I was still busy jumping...

Oh, and I had a blast doing the coach jumps with you - thanks for the jumps!

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That can be a double-edged sword that cuts both ways...

On the one hand if you screw up and look like everyone else, they'll just say; "Who the heck was that guy that landed the wrong way?" And you might not get singled-out.

But with that neon green helmet, it'll be: "Who is that idiot with the green helmet? Hey! You! Yeah, you! Come here! I want to talk to you!"

I jump at a small enough dropzone that I'll get caught anyway...

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I was just interested in what people did - along the lines of - if you're fine without it for a month, would you go a few more to save $58? Or is the reinstallation much simpler than I think it is? Or does anyone even go to installing a temp unit in?

Open the reserve container, install the AAD, close and seal the reserve container. No need to repack the reserve. Of course I will only do that if it is my pack job - I won't put my seal on someone else's pack job.

I sewed a small pouch out of a scrap of fabric, just the right size to fit my ProTrack. It has a flap with a velcro closure to keep it closed. One side has a couple tabs with velcro - I put the pouch on the inside, the tabs go through the ear piece and velcro around the horizontal bars of the ear piece. It not only keeps the dytter very secure, it also keeps the LCD from getting scratched.

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static line training jumpruns at 1200 feet.

1200 feet??? That's kinda high.

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how does having having skybabes and other dudes using the same DZ distract military training?? (do I really need to say?)...

Having done a bunch of military training jumps on civilian DZs, there was no distraction. It worked fine.

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We used the T-10 direct bag system
[snip]
The only serious injury I saw in that time was a power line landing by a jumper who did not respond to the radio calls at all
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A non-responding student could fly into an obsticle under a square just as easily.

In fact I saw exactly the same scenario a few years ago but on a square: first jump student ignored the radio, landed in powerlines (canopy was in the powerlines, she was suspended). She was not injured, BTW.

Photo made the front page of the paper, too...

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Try lighter fluid (naptha)!! It works really well.
apply it directly to the stain and then use a dry cloth to sponge the stain and excess liquid away from the canopy.
MEL

How well does this work for large areas? Does lighter fluid/naptha have any negative effect on F-111?

So how did the cleaning go? What did you do, and how well did it work?

Got a student canopy (and harness/container) covered in grease, hoping to learn from your experience.

For us non-americans, it would be nice to be able to properly enter our ratings (instructor/coach/rigger/demo/etc). Currently we have to either not enter our ratings, or enter the nearest USPA equivalency, and they don't always match up all that well. Not to mention that I feel like I'm being a bit misleading by claiming to be something that I'm not.