1335smaj

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1335smaj last won the day on June 23 2019

1335smaj had the most liked content!

Community Reputation

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Gear

  • Main Canopy Size
    149
  • Reserve Canopy Size
    176
  • AAD
    Argus

Jump Profile

  • Home DZ
    SkyDive Atlantis
  • License
    D
  • License Number
    22231
  • Licensing Organization
    UsPa
  • Number of Jumps
    2600
  • Years in Sport
    14
  • First Choice Discipline
    Formation Skydiving

Ratings and Rigging

  • AFF
    Instructor
  • Tandem
    Instructor
  • USPA Coach
    Yes
  • Pro Rating
    Yes

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  1. Glad to hear Xenia is still there. I love that place. Quick story: Drove in late one night and it was my first time there. The Saturday night crew trashed the place with bottles and partying residue. It was a complete mess. Anyway, the AFF student I brought with me was awake early so I got up to show him the operation. The place was so messed up we grabbed brooms and trash bags. The two of us started cleaning up. Soon, a third guy was helping clean up. It was very early and foggy. He asked if we worked there. We said "no". He asked if we knew the owner. I said we didn't but I knew his name was Jim West. He stayed in helped us finish cleaning. As he started to walk off he turned and asked my name. I told him as he leaned in to shake my hand. As he walked away I asked the stranger for his name. "Jim West" he replied. Nice guy. We jumped a Casa 212 the rest of the day. Good times!!
  2. Bens reserve opened on climbout and went over the tail of a 182. He reminds me of how important it is to look over peoples gear. All cats die. Socrates is dead. Socrates was a cat.
  3. I remember you Ben Lunn. I doubt anyone else will. Ben was an Airborn Ranger and a new skydiver. My kids loved him. When Ben left us my kids felt Greenday's "Time of your life" was written just for him. We still think of it as Ben's song. He loved skydiving so much! Anyway.... If you knew Ben Lunn, or even if you didn't don't be afraid to leave a post. RLTW All cats die. Socrates is dead. Socrates was a cat.
  4. OK, Check this out!!!! Being here is a big deal. THe people on this DZ no your here for a special day if you are a beginner. They make a huge deal of your presence. Everyone greets you and cheers you up as you go for your jump. Videos are shared by all and there is a huge sense of belonging. This is "all about you" skydiving. There are ten or so instructors and tons of cool stuff. People were here from all over and they were there as AFF students, Tandem Students, Static Line students, and regular jumpers. It was cool. Everyone here is a skydiver too; all the pilots, the owner, everyone!!! Start skydiving wherever you want to but I recommend coming here. The cost is less expensive than any other DZ you'll find and they have any kind of instruction you'll need. One guy was a static line student who wanted to try AFF. The instructors cross trained him and he was in freefall in a couple hours. Another guy was paying huge fees on another dz and came here. He saved $70 per jump. I love this place. Fast, friendly, attentive, OH they have a friggin awesome keg-o-rator with a fresh keg every weekend. Pitch in and jump out. Life is tough. It's tougher when your dumb. Don't be dumb, try this DZ.
  5. Hi Kip, You know my name. It’s Scott Mitten. We’re friends. I don’t always agree with you or appreciate everything you say or do. You make me angry as hell but I’d certainly help you up if you were knocked down. I’m not the person who responded to your comments about a DZ in IN. I’m pretty certain Kim didn’t either. I am the guy you are referring to in your comment, but I’m not the guy who replied as a result. You see, even here I don’t mind divulging my name. You see my username. I don’t have any others and I don’t think I’ve ever posted here. If I have it’s been a few years. Folks told me about this thread and I resisted reading it until today. Unfortunately I read every thread from beginning to end. I must admit work was boring (lucrative) but boring none the less. It has twisted and turned and I’m still not certain there is a problem. I’m ignorant I suppose, that’s ok. Ignorant is not a bad word when used in context and correctly. I digress. Anyway, we spoke that evening on the drop zone and came to seemingly agreeable conversation. I’m sorry people use this medium to jab at each other even when it’s you and I’m not agreeing with you. It cheapens you and the things you want to accomplish. You’ve been on many great DZ’s. Hell I’ve jumped with you strapped to my chest in Raeford and Start Skydiving both. I trusted you to take my son on an AFF in Tecumseh when he was having trouble maintaining a heading. That’s good stuff. I don’t know why there is ugliness here. Your knowledge is very good, your skills are very good. People like to say they earned a rating from Kip Lohmiller. I have. I’ve earned a couple ratings with you as the I/E. One from Jim Moore, and one from Bram Clemmens. I liked all of the I/E’s Why did I use who I used when I used them? Location and proximity. You were in Raeford when I tried my hand at Vector/Sigma tandems, you were near when I needed a static line re-currency, Jim Moore was near by when I needed a Strong TI rating, and Bram was near by for an AFFI course. Who’s better?........me! I’m better for experiencing the difference in teaching styles, and meeting new people. I have a few more friends now and more diverse stories. Anyway, I’m rambling again. I did not (until now) reply to your post. I read Airage or airage2 whatevers post, I can’t argue with his comments. I don’t know who it is. I can guess. I know this for certain, you and I were there. I’m not particularly happy about how blogs or strings can shape information. But …..it happens. I didn’t write that. You took the liberty to tell Kim I did. You’re wrong, I would have listed my name. Please tell Linda Robin and I said hello. Sincerely- Your friend (still) Scott Mitten All cats die. Socrates is dead. Socrates was a cat.
  6. 1335smaj

    Mirage G3

    I bought a new Mirage in late 98'. When I ordered it the "free-fly" mod was an option for the "Mirage". G3's and G4's were not marketed yet. Since then the Mirage has given way to the G3. My rig is identical, however it is now severely devalued. The reserve deployment system was designed to accomodate the Cypres and similar AAD's. There was nothing wrong with the system yet we all had to send our rigs in to have the cypres /reserve deployment system modified. I applaud Mirage for doing this pro-bono but I still had to disassemble my rig and pay the shipping. Now there is a huge gap and unsightly bulge in my system where the modification was done. So......Mirage says the riggers aren't packing efficiently. This is enough of a problem that Mirage offers a new pilot chute with a sunken top so there is no bulge. Of course this is $100 and not a replacement but simply an aid to make their modification look normal again. My rig works great, is very comfortable, and is completely functional, but if I am paying nearly $2K for another harness and container I am going to go with a system that does not change so much in a few years. I'm going with a Vector, Infinity, or Javelin. In that order....
  7. Enough said. Thanks for the replies. I'm out. dead thread All cats die. Socrates is dead. Socrates was a cat.
  8. Hi Dan, Good comment. Fall rate adjustment is expected, but so is setting the conditions for success. This is not to imply "doing the task" for the student, but simply making certain the task is doable. What I believe happened is the student was tasked with a poised exit and forward movement to unassisted dock. No problem- Well, as the poise pulled off the student piked straight down and then over creating a significant amount of vertical separation. We should anticipate this shouldn't we? Anyway, to catch up the instructor/evaluator nosed it over and punched passed him in a steep no lift attitude. Again this created a significant vertical separation, enough that the student could not adjust. Some things that I felt needed to be recognized at the time by those involved- 1. We all make mistakes. We should try to avoid them but they will happen. 2. Accept responsibility when they do. Don't blame others, or equipment, or anything else. 3. Talk about the dive with fellow instructors to gain insight on how to avoid the issue on future dives. 4. Don't make the same mistake. 5. Don't charge the student for your fees and your slot. 6. Grant the student the benefit of the doubt. Roll over and watch the stability and control of the student. Watch their efforts and evaluate what you can. Applaud them for their efforts to overcome your mistake. If they were stable withing 5 seconds, flew with relative ease and closed at least 10' (i.e. demonstrated 10' forward movement) of the distance to me on heading they did pretty darn good. There are usually some really good things in every skydive right? Even if it is just the positive attitude during the ride up. All cats die. Socrates is dead. Socrates was a cat.
  9. Just referring to the AFF thing. No worries. You are correct all the way around. I feel the guy shoulda done a little more to set the conditions for success. Have a good one!! All cats die. Socrates is dead. Socrates was a cat.
  10. You're right, Lawndarts point is well taken and agreed with. I was really arsed up about the ordeal at the time. I wondered why nobody else even seemed to notice. The student never knows. It is a really small DZ and some of the people there have never really jumped anywhere else. They just accept that is the way skydiving is and skydivers are. It would not have happened like that any other place I have been. All cats die. Socrates is dead. Socrates was a cat.
  11. The instructor has a rating. An "I" rating in two disciplines. You are correct in one sense, he is not rated as an AFFI. You still lose your bet. He is TI, SL/IAD I and as you bet a coach to boot. Some AFFI's have been known to fall out on occasion. That is why AFF students are briefed on contingencies if they lose one or more instructors. But your point is still taken. My point if I have one is; if you go low on a student pay for your own seat, bow out gracefully, and let someone else teach the student. Reinforce what the student did well, retrain on the things done not so well and set the conditions for success and not failure. Don't assume he has another $20 for the jump, $20 for the instrcutors seat, whatever for the fee, and $25 for the rental of the FF rig. Treat him like it is the last jump he can afford and set the conditions for success prior to donning the rig and climbing in the plane. AFF or not the student is buying the best the instructor can offer. Accomplished skydivers do one thing exceptionally well; Chase new jumpers away from the sport. All cats die. Socrates is dead. Socrates was a cat.
  12. No, there was no "A" license. That was where I started to have a problem with the whole thing. Additionally, I felt the poor guy got ripped for having to pay for the instructors slot and the "I" fell out of the dive. Then he had to jump with the other nonrated person and get evaluated by a jumper with less than 200 J's! Should you accept a "Go or No Go" from a non rated relatively inexperienced jumper? All cats die. Socrates is dead. Socrates was a cat.
  13. Never took the course but,,,,go for it! Might not get the chance in the future. Things always come up. Anyway, your newly gained knowledge will apply to you personal gear. All cats die. Socrates is dead. Socrates was a cat.
  14. This weekend I heard/overheard an instructor chastizing a student (31 Jumps and cleared for unsupervised freefall) for not being able to keep up with the fall rate. The dive was planned to evaluate clean exit and forward movement to unassisted dock. Well, if I have it correct the student was evaluated as a "no go" and assigned to another lighter instructor. The second instuctor declined and deferred the student to an unrated but competent jumper who wanted to jump and video the evaluation dive. Is there anything wrong here? From what I gather on the first jump the student piked straight down and forced the instructor to swoop. He punched it and went low (this is an assumption and may be incorrect) when he went low he blamed the student. I remember a lesson in dressing for success to match fall rates, and I also remember a lesson in knowing your abilities and deffering students to better matched instructors if necessary. Any comments? All cats die. Socrates is dead. Socrates was a cat.
  15. I look at some of the posted numbers of skydives associated with the years in spot in these postings. I saw one fella declares 1002 jumps w/2yrs in the sport. That is pretty good. I did the math, it is something like a 1.32 jump/day ratio. This has to be some kind of record consideriing you usually take time to learn to pack, find jump buddies, work your way through some different equipment and so on in your first two years. I did notice a huge trend to go over a thousand jumps when the D ticket went from 200 to 500. All of the sudden everyone had 500 jumps. As a recreation jumper with plenty of fluid cash the best I can muster is about ten a week and that is weather dependant. My hat is off to the miracle workers who get 1000 in two years! All cats die. Socrates is dead. Socrates was a cat.