SkySlut

Well, I just got off the phone with Para-gear and they said that they would make it within 5 minutes and have it shipped within the next hour....hows that for customer service...damn, they are good.

Anyone know off hand how long it takes Para-Gear to send out a riggers press w/ Dies??? I suppose that I could call Para-Gear...but I figured that I would ask...

Can you ask them if they would know of any promotional material or advertising for these things??? I would love to make some sort of "artwork" of it. I have done a bunch of searches, but havent found anything.

http://www.consumptionjunction.com/content/detail.asp?ID=31241&type=1&page=1&fav=0 NSFW!!! This one???

Well, I think that we got some pretty good information going on here. I found that there was a related article in Skydiving, but that issue has been long since gone. If anyone has or knows of anything in print...let me know. I think that it would be a cool novelty thing to have framed. Yep, from what I can tell it was called the Shrike. Thanks for the help.

Yep, thats it...at least thats what he thought it was. I am now on the hunt... http://www.afn.org/skydive/skydive/usenet/1994/apr/0103.html

While I was at my riggers course, we were shooting the poop and this came up in conversation. Supposedly, during the 70s there was a company out of Texas that was selling a kit so people could make their own parachute. A do it yourself, type thing...which was apparently in vogue at the time. Does anyone know of this??? I think that it would be really cool to get a copy of the ad and frame it for display. Anyone??? Bueller??? Bueller??? He wasnt sure that he had heard of anyone jumping it, but any stories would be appreciated to...as an FYI.

Wow...dont really have much to say on that peice of info...Damn.

Yeah, that is why I started doing the shorter stows...keeps the bag from dancing...same concept and same results I am sure...I just dont know how comfortable I am doing that quite yet. I know that some people on my DZ do that for hop n hooks, although one time the pilot forgot to let him out at 4 grand and he took the thing all the way up and wasnt too excited about having a terminal opening with a freestowed canopy...so he did a crosscountry. Havent tried it.

Nope...I have read that people are doing it...but hey, If it aint broke...why fix it??? Are you doing the two locking stows and freestowing the rest???

I agree. When I first started jumping them, I used to fight the openings...now I just sit back and let it do its thing and go with it. It can be a bit twitchy if you try to fight it...too much input can make it worse. I have also found that using smaller stows helped my out a ton. I used to get spinners all the time. I now use 1 inch stows, double stowed (including the locking stows) with large rubber bands. Ive found that if you have larger stows with velocities (at least from my experience) the bag can deploy funny...causing twists. Doing these two things have sorted me out in a HUGE way. Havent had a problem since.

yep, depending on tools...either one will work.

Yep, good rule...I shoot my mouth off quite a bit, but there is a time and place for it. I gotta say though, some Instructors may not or can not connect well with a student. Sometimes a lowbie opinion can be very helpful in certain aspects...but only in certain aspects....I.E. feeling, emotion & motivation...and not so much in technique...giving advice on technique can be dangerous. Essentially...there is a time and place for everything. It takes a bit of discipline. Emotional discipline is not necessarily a strength of the average skydiver...no matter what experience level they may be at. You know what though??? I still teach how to do backloops and turns on what it felt like for me to do them as a student...plus the stuff that my Instructors never told me while I was a student. Its a fine line...

I would also step on the cypres disc and put a bidkin through the loop part and stretch the closing loop and knot out. The knot will loosen up on you...so if you can stretch it out before you get it closed you can get a better idea of the length that you need. just a thought.

I have had a couple of green bottles and we got snow on the ground so my motivation to go look isnt terribly high right now...so...my understanding is that it has to do with the maximum weight for a terminal opening on a reserve...Again, I dont have the details, so dont hold me to it, but that is my uderstanding. We have rigs that hold big guys...6'4'', etc...but the reserve is the issue...dont want one blowing up on opening.

225...anyways, if you definately know that you have a good possibility of splitting it up between DZs, then I would make sure that they have similar training programs and gear. Give me a shout at the DZ on Monday or Tuesday and we can chat further.

Dont "roll up the windows"!!! It makes you look like a geek on video!!!

Well, depends on you...I did my AFF here at skydive New England in 4 days. It was a 10 jump program at the time. By the end of the week I had 25 jumps. I bought the package deal, so I didnt have to deal with money, plus you get 3 "extra" jumps during your AFF if you dont complete a level. If you pass through AFF without repeating any of them...those 3 jumps will go towards your coaching jumps for your A license. I guess what I am getting at is...if you want it bad enough and you can part with the money up front...it will be no problem. That would be the best case scenario... What are your limitations???? We open in the beginning of April...2 months do to 25 jumps??? Do you think that you would be able to dedicate the time and effort??? Thats a question you have to answer. As far as finishing at another place...typically that isnt a problem. I would find out what type of gear both DZs have. It can present problems if you are still doing AFF and the gear is different. We use throw out P/Cs w/ a 2 handle system, if you go to another DZ that uses ripcords and SOS...then it will require changing your emergency and deployment procedures...not a major thing, but a pain in the ass and potentially dangerous. I dont know if you have called SNE, but I can run you through the program and give you further thoughts on it.

Mentoring is nothing new...I am just trying to make it a bit more formal. Most DZs have people that are looking out for novice jumpers, but I just want to put some structure to it and encompass the educational aspects that we offer as well as our kickass social events that we have going on too. If everyone shares the responsibility a bit there shouldnt be people falling through the cracks. The newer jumper wins, the experienced jumper wins and the DZ wins. I just want to incorporate a bit of structure to our hippie commune that we have going on up here.

Yep, we are holding a coach course May 7 to th 9th. Give me a shout on email and I will send you more info.

got it...see you on Safety Day!!! We will discuss things further then.

Ahhh...he's a good ole Texas boy...we dont let people drive their pickup trucks around drunk with loaded guns up here. Oh, wait a minute...what am I talking about. But, seriously...I doubt that would happen, but you never know....I hope not.

check your email...

Hadnt seen it, but its along the same lines...it is designed to fill in the gap. I just want to be able to administer it to our DZ were I can keep an eye on it...make additions and changes, etc. There will be no student left behind. Cool website though!!! I like it.

we certainly wouldnt charge you to move up here!!!