panzwami

hey man, I'm in... Anyone else coming from Georgia Tech? Shmali? Matt -----

I currently jump without one, and I don't really think about it much. I look at it as another reason to avoid complacency in this sport. I think it is a personal preference, and if you are comfortable in *your mind* about *your abilities*, I don't see any reason not to jump. Now, that said, think there are certain situations where one should have an AAD. I'm about to start doing some jumps as a coach, and I did recently buy a CYPRES. Like Chuck said, since it will be a situation where I am knowingly jumping with people of little experience, I think it makes sense to have one just in case. Matt -----

Yeah, for new cars, take a look at Edmunds.com. It will give you a really good idea of what you should be looking for in terms of MSRP and invoice prices. It's also got a feature where you can put in exactly the kind of car you want and the local dealerships in your area will basically fight to give you the best offer. It works especially well if you're buying around the end of the model year or during another time when dealers are trying to move as many cars as possible. Matt -----

eh, no biggie. They've been watching me since I bought my first copy of 2600..... Matt -----

Would those be the same WMDs that kerry is on the record asserting as a problem, long before Bush became President? Not only did he state openly on more than one occasion that Iraq was developing dangerous chemical and nuclear weapons, but the actions that he spelled out as being necessary to deal with Iraq this time around are the exact actions that Bush took. In part: "If Saddam Hussein is unwilling to bend to the international community's already existing order, then he will have invited enforcement, even if that enforcement is mostly at the hands of the United States, a right we retain even if the Security Council fails to act." http://www.humaneventsonline.com/article.php?id=3290 Matt -----

There was also a UAL that blew all it's hydraulic lines. Ended up crashing at Sioux City. There was a considerable amount of time where the aircraft was in level flight between hydraulic failure and crash, including a while where they were below 10k feet. Situation like that, I voted to get off the plane by any means possible. Matt -----

Got video? Matt -----

KICK ASS!!!! All the fraternities out there, and she picks mine to give all the props to. You rule. Matt -----

Yeah, that one's been making the rounds for a while. This one, though, is real (I checked Snopes). It's written by former U.S. Senator and Vietnam POW RADM Jeramiah Denton, USN (ret.) Matt -----

jigga-WAAAAAAATT????? Matt

Oh yeah, there were at least a dozen or so schools at the boogie. I know a bunch had articles in the school paper using some pictures we took on a 6-school 6-way. I couldn't remember all the schools that did, tho. But yes, Maryland was represented famously. Tink1717 (from UMD) is on the bottom of that picture, in the middle. I'm in the black suit with yellow grippers on his left. I think the other schools on the jump were UFlorida, FIU, ERAU, and Auburn. Incidentally, as you can probably tell, that photo was snapped half a second before the dive funneled completely. Matt

There are at least a few collegiate-themed events during the year. Obviously, Collegiates is one. There's always a good turnout for the competition. The Collegiate Boogie at Williston is another. After Williston a couple years ago, the clubs at UFlorida, Georgia Tech, and others each had large articles printed about them in their respective school papers. It definitely helped create some good publicity for the clubs. School papers love to write about this stuff. Matt -----

Honestly, if I heard about a lawyer that was trying to pull off something like this, I would be appalled (because I am completely anti-gay marriage). But, since you're a *skydiving lawyer*, I say go nuts.

I was the President of the Sport Parachute Club at Georgia Tech for a while, and we dealt with many of the same issues that you are dealing with. Since you have an established club already, you are way ahead of the game. Most of the time, the hardest thing to do is actually get the club established, since a lot of schools think it's too large a risk to associate with an organization of people that do what we do. Since you already have the club itself established, you are already doing well. Just don't do anything that would endanger your relationship with the school. Probably the biggest thing you can do, as has thus far been aptly explained, is get yourselves known. You would be amazed how many of your own students don't have the first idea that your club even exists ("You mean there's a SKYDIVING club, too???"). It's not a typical sport club activity, as soccer or ultimate frisbee would be, so people don't even think to look for it. As such, the club has to provide an avenue for people to first learn about, and then experience, skydiving. So, take every opportunity to publicize. Set up a table at the beginning of every term when they have "club awareness day" or whatever they call it, but also at random times during the term. Put up fliers EVERYWHERE, in dorms, dining halls, classroom buildings, anyplace that students go. (Having an informative website is a huge help here, because you can put the URL on the flyer and people can check your club out.) The next thing to do is actively recruit people to jump. There are definitely enough people at your school to sustain a club, but a lot of times you have to pester them for a while until they get serious. Split the cost of a few club t-shirts with all the active jumpers, and have everyone wear it one day and stand in the middle of campus and talk to EVERYONE that walks by. Get a TV and roll some vid, bust some techno, make a lot of noise, and demand peoples' attention. Next, go talk to other groups on campus. Schedule times to talk to fraternities, sororities, residence hall groups, OTHER CLUBS - they are always looking for things to do with their groups. A lot of times, they have their own sources of funding, so the club or residence hall may be able to pitch in some of the cost for each person who wants to jump. Residence halls are especially good targets, since often times the school will provide money to the Resident Advisor to plan events for the students, and the RA will be receptive to your idea because it's something cool he or she can do with the kids. Skydiving is the sort of activity that is most often spread by word of mouth. You don't usually get a group of 50 people who all decide at once that they want to jump. Instead, you convince three or four people who want to go, and they get their friends to do it, and they get their friends to do it, and so on, until suddenly you have a large group. In a lot of cases, DZ's will charge full price per tandem for groups up to 5 people, but will start knocking the price down more and more as the group gets bigger. It gives even more incentive for people to get their friends to come along. I remember one time in particular, we had a group of 75 or so tandems that all came to jump one weekend. The DZ had given them some insanely low price (like $115) per tandem, so people couldn't sign up fast enough. Only a small percentage of tandem students will actually stick it out and get certified, but if you get more tandems to jump, you have a better chance of getting upjumpers. There are also some things you can do for people who want to become upjumpers. Again, there may be upjumpers there who don't know you have a club, so publicity is big. But I think the best thing you could do is figure out a way to get some club gear for members to use. Most poor college kids don't have a couple g's to drop on gear, so having rigs that students can jump is a HUGE draw. I know it seems like a tall order, but it might not be. The most obvious thing to do is ask the school for the money. Section 10 of this document says that your school does give grants to clubs and outlines the procedure for applying for one. Usually it involves speaking to the student council and trying to get them to vote for your grant, which is good, because students get excited when they find out you're asking for skydiving gear. It's a lot easier to convince them than it is to convince a bunch of old profs. If you can show that there are students who would benefit from having the gear, and that you have shopped around and found the best price for quality gear, you might have a good shot at it. The idea is for the school to provide activities that the students want, so if you can show that people want this, you might get it. It also helps if you can find a specific DZ that will give you good deals on student jumps and upjumper tickets in return for your bringing all your business there. Also, as club execs, it's a big help if you are willing to give your own time and effort to help get people jumping. For example, if there's someone who wants to do an AFF but doesn't have a car, someone from the club should suck it up and drive him or her out to the DZ. Sometimes you may have other stuff to do, but it goes a long way toward keeping people interested. Basically, anything that you can do to make it easier for people to get out and jump will help. Get your club out there, get the word out, and do anything you can think of to get someone else to cover the bill. It may seem crazy, but you never know what will work. The worst they can do is say no. Matt

that blue stuff you put your combs in.... Matt -----

ah. Matt -----

Exactly! This is the part you need to worry about. Since your son is over 18 and the other kid is not, there could be serious legal ramifications if there is violence. Document everything in as much gnat's ass detail as you can, because you have to be watching out for your own ass. What the other kid did classifies as assault (and battery, since he actually laid a hand on your son), so it is vital to have it documented. In this day and age, you could probably have the kid arrested as a terrorist. Matt -----

At about 220 jumps, but I spent a good amount of time on the ground beforehand talking to instructors and other people about what to expect, what the differences were about ellipticals, how to get accustomed to it, etc. I then opened high a bunch of times and practiced all the various inputs (toggles, rears, fronts, etc.) to get used to how it reacted. Landings were done very conservatively, with long straight finals and plenty of extra room. At 35 jumps (if your profile is correct), I'm not sure it's the best idea to move over to an elliptical, esp. if it's a downsize, too. But, if you put in the proper amount of time to learn about your canopy and become accustomed to it's flight characteristics, I don't know that it's necessary to wait until 500 jumps, either. Matt -----

Is that canopy a 7-cell? I know the ad *says* 7-cell, but the picture looks like it might be a 9-cell. Plus, I thought the PD- line of canopies were 9-cells. 'Course, I could be *completely wrong*. Just my 26,370 Turkish Lira. Matt -----

there you go, well done. Here's to walking away from the next one... Matt -----

Do you have to wear a jumpsuit for what? There's no rule that says it's required (naked jumps), but there are reasons why people do. For example, I don't think Majik would get as many points if they jumped in t-shirts and shorts. They would still totally kick ass (obviously), but I don't think they would do as well. Matt -----

Good stuff...congrats. But yeah, too high is better than too low. Let's review: High = OK Low = bad Discuss. The coolest part isn't the hook or the swoop, but the walking away at the end. You could hook the shit out of it and set a new world distance record, but if you run into a parked car or hit the ground, that's what people will remember. Matt -----

It's actually a Polish phrase that I picked up along the way, probably from one of my Polish elders. I thought it was kinda nifty, so I kept using it. It's nice, though, since whatever website I'm registering on, I'm pretty sure my name won't be taken already. Matt -----

yeah, no kidding. sooo....if I come to school and beat some kid over the head with my calculus book (which in my case was huge and had to weigh four or five pounds), are they going to ban calculus books? After all, they're deadly weapons.... Matt -----