jkbernstein

You may outta luck, Matt. Jerry will be flying the stretch which, for some unknown reason, no longer has a right seat. Bruce will be piloting the short bus; I'm thinkin' there ain't gonna be a whole lot of boobies on that one. Your only hope is to convince one of the vidiots to let you see the tape. (I told Jerry he's not gonna get any private viewings. If girls want to get altitude, they need to share with the whole plane. We all wanna see 'em! ) Those tapes are gonna be a hot commodity. I can't wait to see the battle over who gets to video which plane! May the (relative) wind take your troubles away...

Oh, I do let him lick all he wants. There's a reason I'm always walking around with a smile on my face. May the (relative) wind take your troubles away...

Hey old man, I'll betcha if you asked your girlfriend, she could probably tell you how to do all that newfangled high-tech stuff, like making emoticons and avatars. Okay, I can just see all the girls now going, "What do we do? The pilot wants altitude, but his girlfriend's on the plane..." So here it is: Ladies, you wanna show him your boobs, go right ahead. I know where he'll be sleeping... Jer, look (emphasis on LOOK) all you want. Nothing else need be said. Except "Perky 'till I'm 80." Just remember that... Let's go set a record, girls. (Matt, don't you wish you were a pilot?) May the (relative) wind take your troubles away...

Gerstein, I love you.

He actually, seriously, literally said that? With a straight face? May the (relative) wind take your troubles away...

A canopy is a really personal choice. Buying him one is a lovely idea, but I wouldn't want anyone to choose a canopy for me any more than I'd want them to pick out a car for me. One option would be to tell him to pick something out, and then pay for it. Or, if you want to surprise him, buy him a whole mess of jump tickets.

Aw, come on. Airing dirty laundry and digging up dirt is the entire point of this thread! Can I have the indignant, mischief-making Dougie back? May the (relative) wind take your troubles away...

Oh my god, I just blew tea out my nose... May the (relative) wind take your troubles away...

Dougie, you're not telling the whole story. That's just the tip of the iceberg; how many people were grounded or banned over those two seasons? Five? Six? It was unbelievable... The briefest explanation is that the DZO punished people for personal issues he had with them. Because he disapproved of something I'd done (unrelated to jumping), my coach rating was "suspended" at this dz. I did a fun jump with Dougie a month or so later, shortly after he got off student status (with the DZO's permission). Because he was a newbie, we worked on skills. The DZO called it a coach jump, said I'd "undermined his authority" and GROUNDED me for the rest of the season (it was early August). The rationale behind his other bannings and groundings were similarly ridiculous. The end result is that he drove away almost all the fun jumpers. It's basically a tandem factory now. It's too bad, 'cause it was a sweet little place... May the (relative) wind take your troubles away...

Of course you're transparent, Matt; you're a GUY! May the (relative) wind take your troubles away...

Huh. I say "boobies" and you show up. Imagine that. You are so predictable! Just a warning, ladies: the pilot's a dirty old man! But he IS kinda cute... May the (relative) wind take your troubles away...

You just wanna see boobies. May the (relative) wind take your troubles away...

JARED!!! We miss the hell out of you. Fuck AZ - don't you want to come back to Ohio? Our friend Joan had something like 5 in her first 2- or 300. She's over 1,000 now, and hasn't had any since then. -Jess May the (relative) wind take your troubles away...

It's already been said a couple of times, but I'll second (or third, or fourth) it: Universal Precautions. Assuming that anyone with a communicable disease is making all reasonable efforts not to expose anyone else to it, it's no one's business but theirs. It's your job to protect yourself. May the (relative) wind take your troubles away...

I've had mine for at least a coupla hundred jumps now and I absolutely love it. I have a tiny little pinhead, and it was the only helmet I could find that had different size shells, not just linings; mine fits me like a glove. I had the scratching/fogging problem with my first lens, too, but the one I bought from Bonehead to replace it has been fine. The best endorsement I can give it, though, is for its durability. I, bright girl that I am, forgot to buckle it before a jump last week. As I was coming off the hill, my helmet flew off my head. "Crap," I thought. "This is gonna be one fucking expensive skydive." (I am proud to say that despite being able to see nothing but my flapping eyelids, I made it in for both points on a 10-way.) When I landed, a friend said she'd seen it under canopy, and she thought she knew where it landed. A couple of hours and two search parties later, my helmet was located. It was completely intact - not a scratch on it - and the dytter was still in the pocket. I wrote a note of appreciation to Bonehead. Needless to say, I double-check the buckle before every jump now! May the (relative) wind take your troubles away...

Okay, I'm a terrible Jew, but I am devout grammarian - and yiddish I know. Singular is "goy." Plural is "goyim." May the (relative) wind take your troubles away...

Jew here. I know of at least two others... May the (relative) wind take your troubles away...

Anyone familiar with these forums knows that there are some people whose opinion is always worth noting. Tonto's posts were invariably rational, thoughtful, thought-provoking, direct and unflinchingly honest. In heated debates, you could always count on him to offer a voice of reason. He was a teacher and mentor to many of us. The loss of his voice leaves a terrible void; he will be profoundly missed. Blue skies, t. May the (relative) wind take your troubles away...

You thinking of being a TM, Jim? That's way cool. Mitch, an AFFI/TM at VSA, is an ex-Navy SEAL and built like a TANK. Maybe not quite as tall as you, but definitely as heavy - he's solid muscle. There's TM at SGC here in Ohio who is about your size. I can think of at least a couple of other TM's are in the same weight range. You should go for it! You'd be a great instructor of any kind. When it comes to jumping, you're one of the most thoughtful, heads-up, safety-conscious people I know. Maybe not so much when it comes to bonfires... or golf carts... or decoy deer... but that's another issue... Hugs to all at CPI. May the (relative) wind take your troubles away...

I'd pretty much agree with Jared's assessment (which may be due in part to the fact that we're talking about the same canopies - he demo'ed my Pilot 117 and I tried out his Sabre2 120), but I'd add two things: - I like the landings on the Sabre2 a little better than the Pilot. I thought that the issue was that my brake lines were too long, but even having shortened them, it seems like the Sabre's flare is a little stronger. It "shuts down" (I can't think of a better way to put that) easier, while the Pilot wants to keep gliding. - Pilots pack huge. The advertised pack volume of a Pilot 117 is 347 cu. in., which is somewhere between the volume of a Sabre2 135 and and 150. From personal experience, that's accurate. This may not affect performance, but it makes a big difference in other ways, like the size of your container. (My current dilemma is whether to order a Micron which is a better size for my body, or one that fits my canopy. A difficult decision, 'cause I looooooove my Pilot. ) May the (relative) wind take your troubles away...

______________________________________________ They're all jumpers; they're all our own. My heart breaks for their immediate family and friends, and for the whole jumping community. May the (relative) wind take your troubles away...

Because my gear is the only thing(s) of any value that I own, I made sure my renter's policy covered replacement in the event of any damage or loss. It would've been covered no matter what, but I had a rider drawn up which specifies the dollar value to be reimbursed. As others have said, I think most policies have something similar. In any event, I am heartbroken to hear about VSA's loss. I am from VT; I learned to jump at VSA. It is - IMHO - the most beautiful dropzone imaginable (even with the mini donkey farm in the foreground...). No matter where I am, it will always be my home dz. I'm putting a check in the mail today. It's not a lot in the face of the amount lost, but every little bit counts... Best wishes and blue skies to Ole, Terry, and the whole gang. - Jess (aka J2) May the (relative) wind take your troubles away...

This is a total thread hijack, but I need to point out that Jerry has been lurking for 6 years; this is his first post. You owe beer, my love. (I think that if Howard is going to be at the Plum Island Boogie, you should buy it then, so he can have some. Howard, you gonna be there?) May the (relative) wind take your troubles away...

Hey, Happy Birthday, Jermy!!!! (How do you do the beer icon?) Hug and a big ol' smooch.... May the (relative) wind take your troubles away...

my $.02: My experience with Strong has been nothing but positive. I bought a Quasar II direct from the company when I was in Florida a couple months ago. The customer service that I received from Mike, Tom, and Ted Strong himself was outstanding. I am equally pleased with Strong's response to this situation, which was appropriate, timely, and professional. I sent my rig in 2-day Express mail on Tuesday afternoon. I just got a call (it's now Thursday early afternoon) saying that my rig is ready to go, and asking how I would like it sent back. I got an explanation of the modifications that were done, and was told about the documentation that will be coming back with my rig. Manufactured products have recalls and service bulletins all the time; look at the automotive industry. What is important is how the company responds. Yeah, it was a bummer to be without my rig for a week or so, and it did cost a little money to send it back to Strong (fortunately, my sweetheart is a master rigger, so I don't have to worry about the reserve repack . But honestly, what's a little inconvenience compared to the peace of mind you get knowing that your rig's manufacturer is standing behind its product, and making sure your equipment is safe? I have no qualms about the safety of my equipment and, based on this experience, would not hesitate to buy from Strong again. May the (relative) wind take your troubles away...