BrianM

My glasses are not very big, and they definitely don't fit under any of the regular goggles I've tried. I prefer the Flexvision goggles (http://www.paragear.com/templates/base_template.asp?group=257#G1134). They fit my face well, so they don't catch wind and blow off. The elastic is strong and stretchy, and can be easily adjusted while I'm wearing them - even in freefall. No trim to I used to use the Kroops (http://www.paragear.com/templates/base_template.asp?group=257#G1128), and didn't like them at all. They don't fit my face well as well, and have a more square profile (viewed from the side), so they catch the wind more. Elastic was a pain to adjust, didn't always stay where adjusted, and couldn't be adjusted while I was wearing them. Elastic would lose it's stretchiness after a while, and the plastic lens didn't last as long as the Flexvision. I've also used Flex-Z (http://www.square1.com/manufacturers/square1/p210.asp#Flex-ZGoggles). I like them better than the Kroops, but not as much as the Flexvision. Similar adjustment system as the Flexvision, but it doesn't stay - I have to tie a knot after pulling on the ends (with the Flexvision I just give the ends a tug and I'm done). Also the trim starts to come off after a while; I can just peel it right off, but then the edge is a bit sharp and covered in glue residue. "It's amazing what you can learn while you're not talking." - Skydivesg

Depends on the make/model/setup. I'm only familiar with the rigs I'm rated on, but in theory, the bare minimum would be one extra handle - a drogue release. I jump tandem rigs with a total of 6 handles: - drogue - drogue release - second drogue release - cutaway - reserve - second reserve handle on RSL "It's amazing what you can learn while you're not talking." - Skydivesg

The hollow pin has a pointy end! Use the pullup cord, remove the closing pin and insert the temp pin. Ah, gotcha! I had thought you were referring to using the hollow pin as - well, you know - a hollow pin! As in: put it over the ripcord pin, then slide the ripcord pin out/the hollow pin in (the reverse of how it's normally used). I Didn't realize you meant to use it as a normal temp pin; got it now! "It's amazing what you can learn while you're not talking." - Skydivesg

A hollow end pin will also catch the loop - it has a larger outside diameter than the ripcord pin, so there's a small ridge that the loop has to climb up and over. I can't tell for sure from the photos, but that looks pretty much the same as a hollow end temp pin, except with a handle instead of a point. Am I missing something? Something I've done a few times that worked not too badly is to thread a piece of seal cord through the loop below the pin, then use it to pull a pull-up cord through the loop. Now I can use the pull-up to take some tension off the ripcord pin/hollow pin - or even just remove the ripcord pin completely, then insert a normal temp pin. I'm sure someone has an easier way to do this. "It's amazing what you can learn while you're not talking." - Skydivesg

Quite a few years ago, I was an instructor at a DZ that didn't use radios. We used a big orange arrow for ground control. We would turn the arrow in the direction we wanted the student to fly. When the student was on final approach, we would pick up two big orange paddles, one in each hand, and hold them up overhead. The student would then mimic whatever the instructor did with the paddles. Move a paddle to shoulder height, the student pulls the toggle on that side to shoulder height; move it all the way down, student pulls the toggle all the way down, etc. This allowed for course corrections, S turns, etc if necessary. To flare, we would simply move both paddles all the way down in a flaring motion, and the student would do the same. This worked quite well. If radios are not an option, perhaps you could get an instructor to use this method to tell you when to flare. It's not expensive - all you need is two objects of a suitable size and colour to be seen from under canopy. You can probably find something free that would work - some pieces of red cardboard, for example. In fact, since it seems you only need a flare signal and not steering assistance, you probably don't even need the paddles, as long as you're not landing too far away from the instructor. "It's amazing what you can learn while you're not talking." - Skydivesg

The rest of your post is great, but that statement is incorrect. It varies with manufacturer. Strong and Jumpshack require one, UPT does not. I'm not familiar with other manufacturers. "It's amazing what you can learn while you're not talking." - Skydivesg

That's the logic I've always heard, but I'm skeptical. Have you ever tried to push a curved pin out of the loop? Grab your rig and give it a try. I've never been able to do it. I've never even been able to move the pin through the loop even a little bit. Closing loops are flexible and can twist, so pushing on the end of the pin just makes the pin rotate. "It's amazing what you can learn while you're not talking." - Skydivesg

One DZ I used to jump at had the student gear set up with one red toggle and one green toggle. If a student was getting confused with left/right, the instructor would switch to red/green. "It's amazing what you can learn while you're not talking." - Skydivesg

You could have just soaked it off in the bath tub. "It's amazing what you can learn while you're not talking." - Skydivesg

Ha! I almost hit a hangar while parasailing behind a car with a paracommander... on an international airport. Gotta love winded out days! "It's amazing what you can learn while you're not talking." - Skydivesg

Do a Google Images search for ring avulsion (warning: graphic images) and you'll see why I never jump with rings. "It's amazing what you can learn while you're not talking." - Skydivesg

Still not working... "It's amazing what you can learn while you're not talking." - Skydivesg

Starting yesterday (Saturday), I've been having problems with pages not fully loading. I just get the blue horizontal bar at the top with the dropzone.com logo, the rest of the page is blank. The status bar keeps changing between "Transferring data from " and "Waiting for " messages, where are URLs of advertising sites. I installed NoScript and the problem went away. I can fix the problem by blocking only 247realmedia.com. As soon as I allow 247realmedia.com, the problem returns. I've tried multiple computers, multiple operating systems, and multiple browsers (Firefox/Chrome/IE, Windows/Linux), and they all have the problem. "It's amazing what you can learn while you're not talking." - Skydivesg

We teach students to repack the PC when doing gear checks. The same gear is used for IAD, and there is a second PC pouch on the left side of the container (it makes extracting the PC a lot easier). The gear usually gets packed with the PC in the side pouch. We teach students to check where it is as part of their gear check, and how to repack it. I don't know if this is CloudyHead's situation, but it is possible there is a reason he was taught that. "It's amazing what you can learn while you're not talking." - Skydivesg

A few days later and I still haven't seen another one. Thank you for sticking with it - it is appreciated. "It's amazing what you can learn while you're not talking." - Skydivesg

Someone actually got a cutter to fail in a test? I must have missed that - do you have a link? page 19 http://para-concepts.com/AADs/Issues.pdf I had indeed missed that - thanks for the link! "It's amazing what you can learn while you're not talking." - Skydivesg

Someone actually got a cutter to fail in a test? I must have missed that - do you have a link? "It's amazing what you can learn while you're not talking." - Skydivesg

The idea is to enter the current value of a new CYPRES. "It's amazing what you can learn while you're not talking." - Skydivesg

Haven't seen one yet today!

Deleted my cookies. Got another of those ads after only a few minutes of browsing the forums. "It's amazing what you can learn while you're not talking." - Skydivesg

Just got one this morning... "It's amazing what you can learn while you're not talking." - Skydivesg

Still there - I just saw another one. Edit: Make that two more, within a couple minutes of each other. "It's amazing what you can learn while you're not talking." - Skydivesg

I see them all the time. The ads seem to rotate based on time, not on refreshes. If I see that ad (or any other ad) and hit refresh right away, it reloads the page with the same ad. I can hit refresh a bunch of times and still get the same ad. If I wait a minute or so and hit refresh, I get a different ad. A few minutes later it will be back. I normally get the ad several times in one session. I can come back for another session later in the day and see it several times again. I haven't counted, but it shows up every few page views. "It's amazing what you can learn while you're not talking." - Skydivesg

I'm still getting them too. Every few ads is one of them. They look exactly like the screenshots already posted to this thread - but here's a couple more for you anyway.

The Argus will also display the barometric pressure. With no idea of the accuracy or precision of the barometer in your home weather station, comparing it to an AAD is of limited value, IMO. In fact, I'd have more faith in the readings from the AAD, which presumably meets some specified level of precision and accuracy and has been calibrated, than in the readings from the consumer device in a home weather station. "It's amazing what you can learn while you're not talking." - Skydivesg