L.O.

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Posts posted by L.O.

  1. I was found without respiration or a discernible heart beat when I was 16. I was given CPR and after my tongue was cleared and a few pumps were administered I started breathing again. I was in a cross country off-road motorcycle race. No big deal. I was just dead. I don't recall any lights or flame for that matter. I was also involved in a very bad accident at 26. The hospital chaplin called my parents and said "you should come over ASAP or your not going to get to say good-bye".

    I do believe in something, but to even think that the written word can give you a clue as to the "big picture", is the very heart of arrogance. To think we understand anything completely, is crazy. I was dead at 16 (twice, once on the ground once in the chopper),

    In my personal opinion, when your dead your dead,gone, out. People who claim to have had after life experiences may or may not be correct, I don't know. People want to believe that this life isn't all there is. Desperation can cloud even the most sane mind. facing mortality is everyones most desperate moment.

    So believe what you will, what ever works best for you. As long as you are happy with that, more power to ya.
    HPDBs, I hate those guys.
    AFB, charter member.

  2. :PHow long do you expect the women of dropzone.com to let this one go?

    Hmmm, my mom did back in to a pole two or three times, my best friend in high school, his mom smoked seven BMWs. My ex-wife was an awesome driver. She did roll two new cars (unaided). but thats besides the point.

    I have to be fair, I now plenty of men who are pretty bad drivers.

    before you ask, I have never been in a car crash. I have hit five deer, if that counts. I have been down on my side on the race track at 90+mph. Full leathers rule.

    So let it be said. that I am happy women are allowed to drive. Now givin them the right to vote that was a mistake.:P
    HPDBs, I hate those guys.
    AFB, charter member.

  3. I'm way faster then that.

    We all are.

    The earth rotates around the sun at approximately 67000 MPH. The earth itself rotates at around 25000mph. So, for that time in which we are moving in the direction of rotation, and in a fast car or on a fast bike you might exceed 92200mph.
    HPDBs, I hate those guys.
    AFB, charter member.

  5. 1) last load on Sun., my normal rigs were on the floor. I grabbed my CReW rig. My CReW rig was ROL at the time. I took the two way low and then looked for my BOC.

    2) my AR-11 was getting so tired, I thought I could get a few more jumps out of her before my new Jedei got here.

    3) (my fav) I got out last, right after an 8-way, solo head down. Just after leaving, I could tell I had a problem. My right riser had gotten out and my toggle was about 6 ft farther away then it should have been. It didn't even make it 6ft off my back. Bag lock. the cool part was the fact that I didn't cut away I tracked over til I was above the 8-way. They had a camera guy. he pulled at 4ish. I tracked over about 100ft infront of him and screamed as I went by Pulling the cut away then reserve. He got it all on tape. so cool.

    4) Borrowed gaer, last jump of the night, didn't check my handles. Took it low again and couldn't find the Fn handle.

    5) Brake fire, borrowed gear, spinner.

    6) I was planning on a new line set for the 89 at Rantoul. only 2 months away. The world takes on a different perspective when your canopy is well below the horizon, spinning at 2 or more revs per sec. cool. I had just packed the reserve the day before.

    7) still planning on the new line set, now only a weekend to go. got to try out my new 109-MZ loaded at 2lbs pr. fun fun fun.

    number 7 was round 6 at NPSL comp, July 03 I haven't had one since. I've made 1400 since.
    HPDBs, I hate those guys.
    AFB, charter member.

  6. Quote

    first question is how can you give props to someone that runs a business at a loss. its silly and if he continues to do so he will close the doors one day..



    He has another biz that keeps the cash flow at an acceptable rate. Been at it for 30yrs no sign of closure yet.



    [in replyto) another thought. why do we want cheap instruction? it cheapens the sport. we should charge reasonable amounts to provide excellent instruction, top quality student gear, insurance and facilities. skydiving is an expensive sport to maintain. why get people into it for cheap?.




    People who are astronomically good skydivers and wish to help others for free. Thats bad? Only an idiot would want to pay for what he can get for free. Maybe you have to much money and you want to get rid of it. I will PM you my address. Mail me as much as you need to loss.

    Skydive Wissota has some of the best gear you can buy. We just got two new Vortex transition rigs with a 185 EXE and a 170 EXE we also picked up a 150 EXE for the little folks. all new all ready for the newbe. all at no charge. Most of our regular skydivers are top notch instructors world team members 4-way team people. We pay our own slots.

    We give what we have, thats what we do here. Wissota has evolved to a level beyond money. We do almost everything because we want to share what we have. As a good friend of mine once said "spread the love".
    HPDBs, I hate those guys.
    AFB, charter member.

  • Quote

    Quote

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    Ya think?



    Hahah yes, obviously so, but i don't understand why so many dropzones generally charge the same high rates. If you train twice the students at half the price you're still making the same amount of money and keeping a larger base of customers. That's what i was really getting at.



    I think a lot of the reasoning that happens is because people don't feel that they will see those kinds of returns. I think it would be hard to cut the price in half and expect to see double your students.



    I have to agree with Derek. Sorta. If you half the price, I don't think you'll get much more in the way of students. On the other hand, I have to say that if it had cost me 100 bucks per jump for my first 7/8 jumps, I wouldn't be a skydiver now. Alot of people I now wouldn't. Commercialism is the way of the world, unfortunately. There are only so many souls among us who give freely of their time and money without wanting anything more then friendship and respect in return.

    Bob Stumm, is one of those people. He keeps my DZ open operating at a lose. Two 25,000 engines this year and the jumps to 10, still only cost 14. Do the math.

    HIGHJACK. I am using this thread to give praise to a man I love and respect. The kind of person we could use a lot more of.

    Thanks for a place we can do this. DZ.COM
    HPDBs, I hate those guys.
    AFB, charter member.

  • It's always about your safety not the equipment. Find a place to land and try to watch where your stuff goes so you can find it easily after you get down.

    It always surprises me, to see a main floating down, no longer attached and everyone headed home. Those who have the proverbial skills to pay the bills, should be following the stuff down. Help out the new jumper so they don't loose the big first investment

    My last cut-away, I pursued the free-bag and my piece partner went after the main(team work).

    I have followed many mains down into back yards, or into farm fields. Those damn things cost a brick and most people don't go after them. What's up with that.
    HPDBs, I hate those guys.
    AFB, charter member.

  • I have spent most of my adult life spotting. I flew airplanes for skydivers and made a few skydives myself. I have spotted Otters, Cessnas, Beavers, DC-3s, you name it. A few years ago when they needed a spotter for the DC-4 at Rantoul, they came to me.

    The loss of the ability to spot yourself is tragic. Everyone just climbs out on the green. From time to time, I just go on green to. When you can't spot, even if you need to, shame on you. If your DZO/M tells you to just shut up and go on green, perhaps you should demand a little say in when and where you get out of the plane. It is your life after all.

    Try to be unlike most Americans..., take a little responsibility for yourself and your actions.

    I would love to know who it was who has never had anyone land off because of thier spot. It must be someone who has done almost no spotting at all.
    HPDBs, I hate those guys.
    AFB, charter member.

  • the biggest piece of s%$t I ever jumped is still in my locker at the DZ today. My 1987 Fury, that thing has at least 2000 jumps on it and still has the original line set. Two of the lines are finger trapped together. I have replaced three others. I have broken the brake lines twice on both sides. Have done a dozen base jumps with it and do CReW on a regular basis. No one else on the DZ is allowed to jump it. I love that canopy it rules. I would take it over any of my other canopies on a low ceiling day.

    So, my worst canopy is still my favorite of all time.
    HPDBs, I hate those guys.
    AFB, charter member.

  • My first new canopy. I got an AR-11 120. I had about 150 jumps and almost no ZP canopy time. No one knew how to pack it, so the first couple hundred openings were random at best. I had that canopy for about 500 jumps or so, it never got much better as I learned to pack and fly it. I was very unhappy with the canopy even after I nailed down all the little stuff, it still opened like crap and landed for s#$t.

    I bought a Jedei 105 at about 700 jumps and all the sudden I was a great canopy pilot. I could do things that really made everyone turn and pay attention. Because nothing else had change but the canopy, I assume that the trusty AR was the reason for my poor performance.

    The canopy finally made itself useful this year. I couldn't get my new FX 89 to open right so I tried a couple different sliders. the slider off the AR did the trick.That slider made my FX open like a dream, awesome.

    The AR-11 was not a good canopy for me but it was my first high performance canopy and will thusly always have a place in my heart as a milestone in my skydiving career.
    HPDBs, I hate those guys.
    AFB, charter member.

  • As an S&TA I have to say "no way". Even if the TI and WS flyer are the best in the world.

    To get the OK from a first time tandem student is similar to asking a child if it would be ok to pick them up and through them across the room. The first timer has no clue as to what he is OKing. Fly-bys are not covered in the waver and are not recommended by our governing body (USPA). If the student even got scared he could sue for stress. I know that is ridicules but it's the world we live in.

    Please correct me if my understanding of the law is incorrect. I would love to see it done. It just seems that one of the participants has no idea what they are getting in to. If something did happen, you might as well just go take the open sign down because you would be done.
    HPDBs, I hate those guys.
    AFB, charter member.

  • I do about 400 jumps a year. I put 300+ on my 2 FX 89s. The remainder are split up between a fury and a maverick both 7-cell 220/200 F-111. A few years ago at Rantoul we were doing our own sport acc. out in the main landing area. I dead centered with my 89, ran got my 105 Jedei, dead centered, ran and got the fury and did a full on acc approach dead center.

    Becoming well versed in different types and sizes of canopies adds to your control and safety. I love to fly. I would have a hard time moving to a 100+ canopy for a regular thing. If it's the only way to keep jumping, you gata do what ya gata do.
    HPDBs, I hate those guys.
    AFB, charter member.

  • Impressing the chicks is the only way I can get one. I live at the DZ and they don't let me out much. I lure them in with the cool swoops then fool them in to thinking I am a great guy. It all starts with the hot swoop.

    My current GF is blonde. and I got her that way. I still have her fooled.
    HPDBs, I hate those guys.
    AFB, charter member.

  • I have a couple of really fast, really extreme canopies you could try. I could take you on a real extreme 4-way with a couple of friends. I could get you on a real extreme CReW load that would blow your mind.

    Rock climbing is in the same boat as skydiving. if you remain on a manta (or similar type canopy) and only do very safe very easy things the amount of danger is similar to the drive out to the DZ or the trip to the mountains or bluffs. On the other hand you can easily make these sports more extreme then dating two female astronauts.

    It all comes down to how YOU treat the sport. If you are extreme, the sport is extreme, if you are tame and sedate, the sport can be made so also.

    For me the sport is mind bendingly EXTREME. Of coarse for me,the drive to the end of the street is extreme.
    HPDBs, I hate those guys.
    AFB, charter member.

  • Please expound apon your definition of what you classify as skydiving population.

    If you include everyone who has one jump
    thats one number. If you include only those who make 50+ a year thats a different number and if you go to those who make 200+the number becomes infinitely smaller.

    Active in my book is 150 a year and I bet there aren't more then a few thousand of those.

    I wish the sport was the way it used to be, low profile ,low profit, high friendship. It remains full of friends but the low profile and low profit are getting much more difficult to find.:(
    HPDBs, I hate those guys.
    AFB, charter member.

  • Multi-tasking only gos so far. reading the newest issue of skydiving on her back while getting her doggy style is a no no.

    Now I know to set it on the table off to the side.

    Unless she hasn't read it yet, then you can put it in front of her on the floor.
    HPDBs, I hate those guys.
    AFB, charter member.

  • Have you ever been on a fast four way..., probably not. knees and elbows go by so fast. you have to trust the others who are with you. No matter how good they are, everyone screws up from time to time. You catch a knee an elbow or even a head butt from time to time. Without being to big and heavy, these helmets provide some protection. without these helmets, we would have lost several friends over the years. You should realy think about what you are saying before you say it. maybe get more then one instructors opinion before you nuke a whole section of the skydiving industry.

    For me the factory diver provides a quiet place for my brain to work. when I am on a hot skydive or doing a great video I don't need any distractions. the noise level inside these helmets helps you shut out your environment a little. When you are operating at the top of your game every little bit helps. I don't jump without a helmet very often, unless I need to hear like CReW, Students,Ect..,

    Give these expensive little trinkets a chance, you might be surprised.

    Now how bout those stupid cypress things, now those are stupid. $1000 for something only your rigger ever gets to touch. I use my brain and save a lot. I will never buy a cypress.:P
    HPDBs, I hate those guys.
    AFB, charter member.