mgaillar

A list sent to me from a buddy...you may have read many of them already. 10 Books Daniel J. Boorstin (former Librarian of Congress) thinks every American should read: Undaunted Courage - Stephen Ambrose My Antonia - Willa Cather Invisible Man - Ralph Ellison The Great Gatsby - F. Scott Fitzgerald No Ordinary Time - Doris Kearns Goodwin A Farewell to Arms - Earnest Hemingway Main Street - Sinclair Lewis The Naked and the Dead - Morman Mailer Truman - David McCullough The Grapes of Wrath - John Steinbeck Knock 'em out! http://www.skydiveorange.com

Just got my new rig. Unfortunately, I didn't think about scotchgaurding until after my rigger put it together. Is this something I can do by myself? At least the outside until the next repack? Or should the reserve and cypress come out first? I have a some white and yellow that I would like to protect before it gets handled too much. Any info or tips would be greatly appreciated! Matt http://www.skydiveorange.com

I think he was referring to Schmike a couple of weeks ago. http://www.skydiveorange.com

Sounds like a double-edged sword, but here's my take. I am relatively new to the sport (60 jumps). I was fortunate enough to start skydiving at a dz that has fantastic instructors. I always felt well-informed when going through my student progression. I now skydive with confidence in my abilities to make sound judgments on the ground, in the aircraft, and during the skydive itself. I was taught basics in equipment maintenance and terminology. In short, I have a good foundation to build many floors upon. In february, I had the great fortune to meet you, Bill, during Skydive U's, Search. You gave me a 2+ hour tour of your facilities. You relinquished gobs of information about your products with solid research to back it up. I even learned just how passionate you are about this sport with your continued goal of saving one more life. Later that evening, I sat with you at the Perfect Spot with several on-lookers surrounding you and your laptop. You showed video clips and PPT presentations of your work. I learned a tremendous amount about rigs, not just RWS rigs. And with the history of RWS and "other" manufacturers, I never once heard you bash any of the competitors. Passion and professionalism. My point in all this?? I continue to educate myself from your choice to share competent information. That makes me a safer skydiver. Your benefit, albeit micro in this case, is my order that was place for my first rig last month. I can't wait to receive my new V3! Thank you, Bill!! Matt http://www.skydiveorange.com

Could someone please point me to the resources that reference why the 45 degree angle is wrong or does not work. I am interested in reading about this as I was taught that this is one method to insure adequate horizontal separation. Thanks! Matt http://www.skydiveorange.com

I am heading to Deland this weekend...my first trip to another DZ. Although there are some very basic pieces of information everyone "should" know to collect, I asked Hook to bring this topic to this forum to gain a wider knowledge of what other skydivers do when they arrive at new dropzones. Thanks to you all, I have gained more insight as to info I should consider collecting when arriving in Deland. This should be a forum that lists everyone's personal check list. Then we all can take the collection of info and make (or revise) our own lists. I find it quite unfortunate that any skydiver might ridicule another's list, however unintentional it may have been. Nobody should conform to somebody else's list, but rather make their own check list that gives them the piece of mind that allows them to make a safe and informative skydive. Thanks thus far for all the contributions to this topic. Matt http://www.skydiveorange.com

Hook....I think this is a great piece of info that deserves more feedback...how about a separate post in Safety and/or Talk Back about "things to look out for and check when going to a new DZ"? Matt http://www.skydiveorange.com

DOH! Trying again.... http://www.skydiveorange.com

One of my first (and probably best) pics under canopy. Props out to BobbyP for the shot. Matt http://www.skydiveorange.com

Compromise....pie 'em after the beer light kicks on! http://www.skydiveorange.com

What type of material is pull-up chord made of? Is this something I can just buy a roll of in a fabric/craft store? Thanks! Matt http://www.skydiveorange.com

I can't fully respond with my own experience YET....however, I did order a Tony Suit three days ago directly through them. You can download their jumpsuit designer program and design your own suit...it gives you a good idea of what you will get. Although you are not limited to what the software can do in terms of design. I opted to measure myself. There is added risk in doing so, but one I had to take (time constraints). I dealt with Linda and she was pleasant and VERY helpful, particularly with measurements. I faxed her my measurements (using the order form on their website) and she immediately contacted me with concerns about how I measured. Based on the information I faxed, her experience notably said "he measured some of these wrong". She contacted me and we talked about the measurements and made the necessary adjustments. I also received great advice on fabric choices, grip sizes, etc. And she indicated that if something didn't fit right, they can make the alterations. I'm stoked to get my suit (two weeks with half price rush delivery). The customer service thus far has been excellent. I'll post more when it arrives and talk about the fit. I would definitely recommend having someone experienced measure you though! Matt http://www.skydiveorange.com

Sure, the beauty is that we are not "totally" regulated, but (and this is just my .02) go barefoot if you want, however, be responsible and wear a helmet! It could be the difference between conscious and unconscious. And if you choose not to wear a helmet because it "is cool", that's your right. But trust me, you'll look cooler with a helmet, be it freeflying or RW....you'll probably be respected more by your peers too! Matt http://www.skydiveorange.com

Dave...glad to hear you enjoy your Z1. I have had the fortunate opportunity to have T2 as my primary jumpmaster at Skydive Orange. She is also the proprietor of Unfeathered (www.unfeathered.com) the #1 importer for Parasport. The Z1 should not fog up on you at all. Go to Unfeathered's website and read about how you can adjust your liner so that fogging will not occur. I too have jumped in 30-degree temps with no problems. Contact T2 if you have any questions regarding your Z1.....she has great customer service! Hope this helps! Matt http://www.skydiveorange.com

Niiice.....she ought to fit in perfectly at Orange! She'll be dancin' on top of the Cessna wings before you now it! Matt http://www.skydiveorange.com