erasmus

I did it to get chicks. Hasn't worked yet. But it's as expensive as a chick

I just had mine tonight...

Good times!

(brrrrr)

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And then you guys will need me with my statistical/actuarial background to analyze the data for you...for reasonable consulting fees of course.

Certainly participating DZ's could upload the statistical data from the app to a central server if they allow. What kind of interesting questions might you ask the data? How many AFF students make it to A license? How long does it take the average student to graduate? How many average levels are repeated? How many tandem masters does it take to screw in a light bulb?

Interesting possibilities, but the data would be there to query....

oh cool a reformed hacker!

awesome

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Sounds cool.

Lemme know if anyone needs a security architect/systems dev guy.

What kind of security tools/protocols/standards do you know? What kind of system development do you do?

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It's a great idea in theory and is proving to be much more complicated in the programming, especially for someone who is still at the bottom of the learning curve.

Sounds like you're putting a whole lot of good effort into your feature-rich system. PHP can do a whole lot but you're getting into things that require more power than I believe PHP was designed to do. Most specifically, it is cumbersome to mesh business logic with display (html code) and incredibly difficult to maintain. 80%-90% of all work involving software is maintenance.

I'm certainly not trying to dissuade you from your chosen toolset, but perhaps you can utilize some of power of using compiled languages such as C# or Java to assist your project, as well a design which includes modeling your data entities (i'm a firm believe in model-based software design)

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But I'm sure there are programs that already do these things. I've never done manifesting before but I know my DZ is all computer automated, so I imagine it's being done already.

Jen

Yes, there are always software apps that already do some or most of what yours will be doing. But in the tech world, new innovation is good and there is always room for more than one software solution.

We techies are wise not to reinvent the wheel, but sometimes we shouldn't let that thinking get in the way of being innovaters. After all, we could all still be driving model-T's right now...

Good luck with your project. You would be a valuable resource of knowledge as to your experiences automating the business needs of your particular DZ.

Thanks for chiming in.

If this project lifts off, perhaps you might be so kind as to contribute your expertise in web design. I'm more of a business systems engineer. To me, the web is just another front end. But it's ubiquitous so may as well leverage it. With the advent of Ajax, web front ends can be almost as feature rich as traditional client/server apps.

Let's get together and write kick-ass DZ and jumper software and license copies to DZ's for jump tickets.

Since this is the 21st century, the DZ business apps will be web based Model-Driven Architecture systems with service handlers written in either .Net or Java. The back-end will support any standard SQL server. It should do manifesting, basic accounting, contact management for marketing to get tandems back in the door, aircraft maintenance tracking, thorough set of management reports, data-feeds via the internet to the USPA, built-in POS for merchandise, online slot reservations, etc.

I haven't researched the software targeted for jumpers, but I imagine they're basically electronic log books. It might not be feasible to target this market.

DZO's - are there features you would like in a piece of software that are just not available on the market today? If so, what are they?

Geeks - We could code this stuff on our laptops while waiting for weather to clear. Just last Sunday I spent about 6 hours sitting around a fogged DZ listening to phrases like "jumping out of a perfectly good airplane" and "... no perfect parachute, no perfect tandem master, nor a perfect student..." I could've been cutting code...

When I'm skydiving on Sunday, I feel closer to God (especially at altitude) and I have a better chance meeting him than going to church.

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by the way he needs to learn to have sex better

I have sex just fine, I just need to skydive worse

How are you like a Portuguese navigator (Magellan)? Why's that a bad nickname? Sounds distinguished.

Do I make it up myself? Dances with Geese? Tatonka? Do I do something silly and have one assigned to me? Lands On Face? Rolls in dirt?

Also, one thing, I'm off AFF and my dirty secret is that skydiving still scares the crap out of me, but I can't stop doing it. What is WRONG with me!!

The problem is that it's more fun than sex.

As a fellow (but former) member of the LDS church, I've wondered if skydiving against the word of wisdom.

I'm new to skydiving. I just graduated AFF two weeks ago. After my 4th jump, I began to experience very peculiar physical/mental symptoms which seem to be related to the skydiving. These symptoms include: Inability to concentrate, restlessness, excitability. I find that I can temporarily alleviate the problem by reading dropzone.com forums, but relief can only be found by making a jump. Has anyone else experienced these odd symptoms? Do they go away with time?

Thanks!

The landings themselves were fine, but accuracy needs improvement, and the no-wind landing scared me a bit because I really had to run it out and I was on concrete.

Thanks for your advice guys. I'll pass on this rig and keep looking.

As far as landings go, I only had to PLF one AFF no wind landing (Level 2). The rest were all stand up - one downwind (Level 1) and no wind (Level 7).

So you suckas bragging about your superior AFF landing skillz, bring it on baby! No one can swoop my student 230 like I can!

I'm 5'8" 170#, just graduated AFF, need a used rig to jump on for a while. I will talk to my instructor before purchasing any equipment, but I would appreciate as much advice I can get regarding the following rig:

Javelin J-3 container (1996), a Sabre 170 (2000) with 170 jumps, a Cypres (2000) with new batteries, and a Swift Plus 175 reserve (1996).

The price is about $2000.

Do you think a Sabre 170 is too aggressive? It would be a 1.1 wing loading. As long as it has been properly maintained, is this a good, safe rig?

This is all so much fun, but I just don't want to do anything dumb to put anyone in jeopardy, because this is also deathly serious.

It's sobering to graduate AFF. It puts into perspective how much there is to learn and how little I know.

Yeah, I'm absolutely going to chat with the head instructor next time I'm at the DZ. Although I have to admit I'm wildly curious what you would tell a student at your DZ.

Here's my deal, I'm entering the landing pattern early (too high) because the tandems behind me are in the general vicinity and I'm hesitant to do spirals to lose altitude. And they are flying around me (one flew fairly close in front of me).

I sit in brakes to sink in and I fly my pattern wide to compensate, but I can't fly it too wide due otherwise I'll be flying over obstacles I would rather not deal with if I screw up. (barbed wire fences, roads, land mines, Iraqi insurgents, etc)

I'm being a bit paranoid I imagine. I know as long as I'm not in the pattern, I should be able to do some safe maneuvers and directional change even though I'm feeling slightly crowded from behind. I don't want to piss off the Tandem masters because they bitch and moan about everything else anyway ;)

I'm definitely getting the canopy course as soon as I'm able! And those books everyone mentioned above. Anyone have any used ones they want to sell me?

Woohooo I graduated today!

Boohoooo I'm still a skydiving retard. I'm having difficulty with landing accuracy. I've been off radio since level 4 and have good flaring skillz, I just can't freaking get within a hundred feet of the target.

I suck!