Zennie

OK. I now have a forum to kick around this existential question that's been eating at me. If you walk into a teleporter, who comes out on the other side? Is it really you or someone else who is a perfect copy of you at that moment in time? I mean, let's consider what a teleporter does. It destroys the person at the entrance and then reconstructs the person, atom-by-atom, on the other side. So, if you don't have a soul. Seems to me you just committed suicide. It's just that a carbon copy has taken your place. If you do have a soul separate & distinct from the body, how does it know to "jump" to the newly created version? Ow! Brain hurts! Back to coding.... ------------ Blue Skies! Zennie

Excellent advice. In this month's Parachutist they have a little scenario article that addresses this (sort of). ------------ Blue Skies! Zennie

Fear (and I suppose to a large degree, conquering it, but you never do completely) is why we do it. I've been jumping practically every weekend since late December and I still get jittery. I try to use that energy to go over emergency procedures in my head. I've been reading your other posts and, while I'm sure you know it already, be careful and leave yourself plenty of room for error with your new canopy. I went from a 190 to a 170 and the 170 comes in noticeably hotter (duh). I'm at 1.12 on a 170. A 150 would load me at 1.27, and man I don't know if I'm ready for that yet. But then again I don't have nearly as many jumps as you either. Be safe & have fun with your new rig! ------------ Blue Skies! Zennie

Right on! ------------ Blue Skies! Zennie

Oooo! Almost a haiku! How 'bout Fingers fail to type Monitor stares back blankly Work stoppage again ------------ Blue Skies! Zennie

possibly endless ------------ Blue Skies! Zennie

When the wind blows in your neighbor's jumpsuit, open the dang door! ------------ Blue Skies! Zennie

Dancing with the clouds... ------------ Blue Skies! Zennie

So what was your take? Did they seem to be asking intelligent questions and trying to get a feel for what we're really about? Do you think they left with a positive impression? ------------ Blue Skies! Zennie

I dunno man. I'm seriously thinking it's a karma thing. I forgot to pat the rig on my last jump and it wound up being "interesting". The group below me started dumping right inside a cloud that we were all heading toward so I had to dump high to avoid burning into them. She opened with a slammer & mild line twist. Then I biffed the landing when I mistakenly thought the wind shifted during approach. Bad karma. Won't forget the pat next time... ------------ Blue Skies! Zennie

Amen! ------------ Blue Skies! Zennie

Hahaha. You'll have more funky landings before it's all over. Welcome to the skies! Rocks doesn't it? ------------ Blue Skies! Zennie

You are correct. The AAD was found to be off on the ground (so I've heard). But the story I've heard was that the AAD was inspected on the plane and found to be in the on position. So there's a big debate as to what happened between the plane inspection and the ground inspection. In any event, it didn't deploy and that's just not a good thing -- regardless of fault. ------------ Blue Skies! Zennie

Well, if the reports out of Louisiana are true (that the AAD was on when he left the plane), that would be the case. Maybe I'm spoiled, but at my DZ all student/rental equipment is a Javelin/PD main/PD reserve/Cypres configuration. I'm sure glad they didn't cut corners! ------------ Blue Skies! Zennie

Thanks guys, I checked the links and then did a Google search for "Headhunter camera" and found a page on, of all things, mounting a camera to a ProTec! It has design schematics and detailed instructions. The link is here for anyone else that is interested. ------------ Blue Skies! Zennie

I think this is a new show. If they do say something stupid like that, I'm throwing a brick at my TV. ------------ Blue Skies! Zennie

The Learning Channel is airing "Understanding Risk-Takers / Thrill Seekers ". One of the groups they cover is skydivers. Ought to be interesting. ------------ Blue Skies! Zennie

This wasn't at Spaceland was it? Me and another girl both slid out in the mud on our butts when we thought the wind had shifted and landed crosswind. Gave the folks by the beer line a nice show. I'll be I slid 50 feet. I looked like the Swamp Thing when I got up. It was either that or hook it. Of course, judging the wind better would have avoided it entirely, but given those two choices I think we both made the right one. ------------ Blue Skies! Zennie

I'd always wanted to do it. This Christmas, my parents came down to visit. So I thought "Hey, I'll buy myself & Dad a tandem as a cool gift." Welp, my Dad bowed out when we got to the DZ & he saw the 25 page waiver and learned that some life insurance policies don't cover skydiving fatalities (mine did, I'd already checked). So I decided to take his as well, then they told me I could get a 3rd for another 20 bucks. So before my first jump I had already paid for 3 tandems. Hehehe... After the first tandem I was completely hooked. 20-odd jumps later I'm still loving it & trying to figure out how to finance my own rig. My wife's a whuffo, but she's been pretty good about the whole thing. She's even considering doing a tandem sometime. ------------ Blue Skies! Zennie

Your typing's improving. ------------ Blue Skies! Zennie

Good advice. A packer friend was saying the same thing -- she doesn't watch those last moments. It's bad enough without having to see it. I hope to God I never have to see someone go in, but if it comes to that, I'll turn away. ------------ Blue Skies! Zennie

The big thing that I heard that causes brake line twists was not re-stowing your brakes right after you land. ------------ Blue Skies! Zennie

Provide me with the pie and I'll throw it! ------------ Blue Skies! Zennie

My procedure is basically this: 1. Put the brakes in the stows. 2. Work down the lines, daisy-chaining them and pushing the slider along as you go. 3. Once you reach the slider stops, gather the lines up in your carrying hand (usually my right) and reach over the front to grab the pilot chute & bag (make sure to gather excess bridle as well). I hold these in my other hand. 4. Sling the chute over your shoulder (my right) and lug it in. If it's big you may need to watch to make sure none of the canopy material is dragging on the ground. ------------ Blue Skies! Zennie

So your take is the same as how I was taught. Total: Go straight for reserve. Partial: Chop & go for reserve. ------------ Blue Skies! Zennie