Jiggs

Other than the price you mean!!! You can get a hawkeye for a lot less. "Don't blame malice for what stupidity can explain." "In our sleep, pain that cannot forget falls drop by drop upon the heart and in our despair, against our will comes wisdom" - Aeschylus

Here's a question that came up in regards to Cypress use that I am not sure about. I think the arm height is 1200 and fire at 750ft but I can't recall. (Is this correct) If A Cypress is armed will it fire off? Is it possible to arm the cypress without firing it? If this is the case does anything need to be done to the unit? Cheers "Don't blame malice for what stupidity can explain." "In our sleep, pain that cannot forget falls drop by drop upon the heart and in our despair, against our will comes wisdom" - Aeschylus

Get the 101, I got mine when it first came out and am very satisfied with it. A few months ago a friend picked up a new one for $2200, you should be able to get them for around this price in Australia. The price will continue to drop, save those bucks and go the 101/ THe only bad thing with camera is that it detracts away from team jumps hence my rarely comes out to play now "Don't blame malice for what stupidity can explain." "In our sleep, pain that cannot forget falls drop by drop upon the heart and in our despair, against our will comes wisdom" - Aeschylus

Thanks for the info guys, the problem is that I have one of the very last Vector 1's! It is in fantastic shape for its age after being closeted for so many years. Fudd: I have a Sabre 150, I am going to the 129, I guess I just have to hook up a friends canopy in my container and see how it goes. Cheers "Don't blame malice for what stupidity can explain." "In our sleep, pain that cannot forget falls drop by drop upon the heart and in our despair, against our will comes wisdom" - Aeschylus

Hey Jas, looks like your starting a trend for hard pulls! :-( This Sunday I had a very "interesting" experience after a 10way, I was jumping borrowed gear with a new B.O.C. Anyway, it was a short call and I was organising so I didn't really have much in the way of free time. After a lower than normal breakoff, I did my usual track, waved off and reached for the pc. Gave the pc a yank..... hmm still in the BOC, gave it another yank..... shit that is in tight, gave it an almighty pull....felt like it moved a bit then.... gave it a final heave and the pc was out and the canopy was starting to inflate. I was jumping a 129 Crossfire at the time, as all of this was happening I was thinking that for the first time I was hoping for a faster inflation and was wishing it was on my trusty Sabre! I usually deploy at around 2500. In this case with the lower breakoff it was somewhat lower before I commenced my pull. I think it was around 1800 or less when the pc came out. Needless to say with the long openings of the crossfire I was really thinking about the Cypress! The canopy opened well and on heading (after what seemed like forever), I headed back to the DZ and landed just short. Lessons: Know thy equipment! Borrowed gear - more potential problems. Hard Pulls: Decide when and where you are going to give up and go with the reserve. Don't keep messing with it! Don't think twice about chopping borrowed gear: part of my problem was that I did not want to have to chop on a friend's gear. Don't get complacent about gear, this might sound odd but I usally check my gear, since I was short on time on the ground I didn't do a full check. "Don't blame malice for what stupidity can explain." "In our sleep, pain that cannot forget falls drop by drop upon the heart and in our despair, against our will comes wisdom" - Aeschylus

Hey folks, I have a slight problem that I hope someone could answer. (as I am about to change canopies). Anyway does anyone know what the pack volume is on a Sabre 150? What about a Crossfire 129? (As I see it Icarus lists 2 different sizes amongst their webpage/user manual) Many thanks! "Don't blame malice for what stupidity can explain." "In our sleep, pain that cannot forget falls drop by drop upon the heart and in our despair, against our will comes wisdom" - Aeschylus

It's direct from the manufacturer. You could also calc it if you really wanted to but that would require a lot of work for very little return. "Don't blame malice for what stupidity can explain." "In our sleep, pain that cannot forget falls drop by drop upon the heart and in our despair, against our will comes wisdom" - Aeschylus

I am not the fun police but more jumps is definetly the go, no matter how good you are your not ready at that level. Other than safety aspect; you will probably get crap footage with such low jumps numbers. Get more jumps then do it. One of the best camera people I know knew told me that before I could be a good camera-flyer I had to be a good rel worker. (Regardless of discipline you need to be flying relative to get anything worthwhile) So I put away my camera gear and just refocussed on 4ways. The result far better footage because I have much better awarness now and I am where I need to be without conscious thought. "Don't blame malice for what stupidity can explain." "In our sleep, pain that cannot forget falls drop by drop upon the heart and in our despair, against our will comes wisdom" - Aeschylus

Case in point, my wide angle is listed as a 0.5, whereas it is actually 0.47. Ohh well, life goes on! "Don't blame malice for what stupidity can explain." "In our sleep, pain that cannot forget falls drop by drop upon the heart and in our despair, against our will comes wisdom" - Aeschylus

Look at the bright side: When he busts his legs you can buy that nice new V-96 off him for a great price I think the biggest problem, is people expect that technology can over-come their own skill deficiencies, 2 quotes you don't want to hear: "Surely I must swoop further with the same canopy those guru's have." Or, "Its not me its the canopy." Its very easy to move onto new canopy's before you are ready, I almost made the same mistake. I was going to get my third canopy after making 20 jumps on the first (170) and 30 on the second (150). I guess its the usual thing of thinking I was far better than I really was. Now I can look back at my earlier footage and cringe, but at the time I was sure I was ready to take on anything! What a dumbarse I was! "Don't blame malice for what stupidity can explain." "In our sleep, pain that cannot forget falls drop by drop upon the heart and in our despair, against our will comes wisdom" - Aeschylus

Get a suit with them, after all if you don't want to use them yet you can tuck them away. With B-rels you might want to think of not using them until after you have finished. That way you can do rel without them (and without the advantages that they provide). Learn the hard way, after that it will take you a couple of jumps to get used them. You really get used to them very quick. To be honest I still find it funny swapping between my normal rel suit and flying camera (without boosters). "Don't blame malice for what stupidity can explain." "In our sleep, pain that cannot forget falls drop by drop upon the heart and in our despair, against our will comes wisdom" - Aeschylus

I have seen a few student refusal which are a real pain in the arse. A good one that I saw was this student; his name Unstabill (Bill), anyway he had being having a pretty hard time getting himself worked up on a good positive exit. On a latter level S/L jump, an instructor called out "we are on jump run": He took off like a shot and bailed out the door leaving his instructor behind! The look on the instructors face was so comical! It took everyone on the plane about 5 seconds to realise what had happened, no one could believe how quickly it happened. We had to do a go around since we were all laughing so hard.

I really don't like the way you slid in the last one there Ron. I don't think that the use of that example is the best for this thread. It takes 2 to tango "Don't blame malice for what stupidity can explain." "In our sleep, pain that cannot forget falls drop by drop upon the heart and in our despair, against our will comes wisdom" - Aeschylus

In Australia we are far more agressive than the states in downsizing new jumpers; part of it is macho, the rest is based on the fact that there is not the wealth of gear as in the states. If you don't feel ready for the 150; you are not ready for it. Hell I'd question if just off AFF anyone would be ready for one. Go for an older cheap 170 (or a semi-decent one if you can afford it) and do a bunch of jumps on it in the shortest time possible, then go for a decent 150 when you feel you are ready for it. You will chow in, how bad and how often is up to you. You will do some stupid things under canopy, a larger canopy means less pain. "Don't blame malice for what stupidity can explain." "In our sleep, pain that cannot forget falls drop by drop upon the heart and in our despair, against our will comes wisdom" - Aeschylus

So who else is going to the nationals or the boogie? It should be really huge this year compared to last, especially since the nationals are back in Corowa. Hmm that reminds me, I better find my raft and a few other inflatables for the skyvan! "Don't blame malice for what stupidity can explain." "In our sleep, pain that cannot forget falls drop by drop upon the heart and in our despair, against our will comes wisdom" - Aeschylus

FreeflyanviL: I have noticed that with my Sabre that my best results are usually achieved by using a little bit of the opposite riser has resulted in faster approach speeds. If I just crank down on one the speed builds very nicely but the canopy will plane out by itself and climb 10-15 feet. I prefer to do a 180 or so but have found that 90's are far easier for me to control. "Don't blame malice for what stupidity can explain." "In our sleep, pain that cannot forget falls drop by drop upon the heart and in our despair, against our will comes wisdom" - Aeschylus

Actually, I thought that was a case of rig jamming NOT head jamming. Either way can be dicey. "Don't blame malice for what stupidity can explain." "In our sleep, pain that cannot forget falls drop by drop upon the heart and in our despair, against our will comes wisdom" - Aeschylus

Dwayne I presume? "Don't blame malice for what stupidity can explain." "In our sleep, pain that cannot forget falls drop by drop upon the heart and in our despair, against our will comes wisdom" - Aeschylus

You can test the setting on the ground and run through all 3 warnings, from memory its something like keeping the button pushed for 7 seconds or so. It is a real rush of blood to hear a 1500ft warning go off as you are in freefall! Obviously not something that anyone would want to hear. Cheers "Don't blame malice for what stupidity can explain." "In our sleep, pain that cannot forget falls drop by drop upon the heart and in our despair, against our will comes wisdom" - Aeschylus

Very nice website! Cya at Corowa "Don't blame malice for what stupidity can explain." "In our sleep, pain that cannot forget falls drop by drop upon the heart and in our despair, against our will comes wisdom" - Aeschylus

I have virtually no experience on a Hicky's canopies so I can't perfrom a comparison but: 1) Think of a stilleto. They are very easy on the risers and supposedly have a longer recovery arc. 2) Check his website (find it via the APF website) 3) I find it hard to believe that no one on your DZ has them! "Don't blame malice for what stupidity can explain." "In our sleep, pain that cannot forget falls drop by drop upon the heart and in our despair, against our will comes wisdom" - Aeschylus

I have seen a two video's of linoevers coming out, it was pretty amazing since it was from a BASE jump. The original video was pretty funny because you can hear the comments of the camera-man! However its pretty rare and not something I would count on happening, when in doubt go the reserve. "Don't blame malice for what stupidity can explain." "In our sleep, pain that cannot forget falls drop by drop upon the heart and in our despair, against our will comes wisdom" - Aeschylus

I just pack the nose straight, you don't need to roll it. I chuck in a couple of rolls in the tail but no need to be excessive. Just don't try play with the risers during inflation; it can result in some unusual openings. Be ready to turn the canopy by all means! But don't pump the risers as it will have some very interesting effects. "Don't blame malice for what stupidity can explain." "In our sleep, pain that cannot forget falls drop by drop upon the heart and in our despair, against our will comes wisdom" - Aeschylus

Throw the pilot chute at him, that will get his attention In all seriousness the only thing is to talk about the jump before hand and have some sort of plan. Making sure they stick to the plan is of course another matter "Don't blame malice for what stupidity can explain." "In our sleep, pain that cannot forget falls drop by drop upon the heart and in our despair, against our will comes wisdom" - Aeschylus

I think that those are old ones as I have heard them all before, as far as I know I think this is the current list: (either way who cares as they are funny) The JATO thing is also in this one Enjoy! Last year's winner was the fellow who was killed by a Coke machine which toppled over on top of him as he was attempting to tip a free soda out of it. And the 2002 nominees are: 8. A young Canadian man, searching for a way of getting drunk cheaply, because he had no money with which to buy alcohol, mixed gasoline with milk. Not surprisingly, this concoction made him ill, and he vomited into the fireplace in his house. This resulting explosion and fire burned his house down, killing both him and his sister. 7. A 34-year-old white male found dead in the basement of his home died of suffocation, according to police. He was approximately 6'2" tall and weighed 225 pounds. He was wearing a pleated skirt, white bra, black and white saddle shoes, and a woman's wig. It appeared that he was trying to create a schoolgirl's uniform look. He was also wearing a military gas mask that had the filter canister removed and a rubber hose attached in its place. The other end of the hose was connected to one end of a hollow wooden tube approx.12" long and 3" in diameter. The tube's other end was inserted into his rectum for reasons unknown, and was the cause of his suffocation. Police found the task of explaining the circumstances of his death to his family very awkward. 6. Three Brazilian men were flying in a light aircraft at low altitude when another plane approached. It appears that they decided to moon the occupants of the other plane, but lost control of their own aircraft and crashed. They were all found dead in the wreckage with their pants around their ankles. 5. A 27-year-old French woman lost control of her car on a highway near Marseilles and crashed into a tree, seriously injuring her passenger and killing herself. As a commonplace road accident, this would not have qualified for a Darwin nomination, were it not for the fact that the driver's attention had been distracted by her Tamagotchi key ring, which had started urgently beeping for food as she drove along. In an attempt to press the correct buttons to save the Tamagotchi's life, the woman lost her own. 4. A 22-year-old Reston, VA, man was found dead after he tried to use octopus straps to bungee jump off a 70-foot railroad trestle. Fairfax County police said Eric Barcia, a fast-food worker, taped a bunch of these straps together, wrapped an end around one foot, anchored the other end to the trestle at Lake Accotink Park, jumped and hit the pavement. Warren Carmichael, a police spokesman, said investigators think Barcia was alone because his car was found nearby. "The length of the cord that he had assembled was greater than the distance between the trestle and the ground," Carmichaelsaid. Police say the apparent cause of death was "Major trauma." 3. A man in Alabama died from rattlesnake bites. It seems that he and a friend were playing a game of catch, using the rattlesnake as a ball. The friend - no doubt a future Darwin Awards candidate - was hospitalised. 2. Employees in a medium sized warehouse in west Texas noticed the smell of a gas leak. Sensibly, management evacuated the building extinguishing all potential sources of ignition; lights, power, etc. After the building had been evacuated, two technicians from the gas company were dispatched. Upon entering the building, they found they had difficulty navigating in the dark. To their frustration, none of the lights worked. Witnesses later described the sight of one of the technicians reaching into his pocket and retrieving an object that resembled a cigarette lighter. Upon operation of the lighter like object, the gas in the warehouse exploded, sending pieces of it up to three miles away. Nothing was found of the technicians, but the lighter was virtually untouched by the explosion. The technician suspected of causing the blast had never been thought of as 'bright' by his peers. 1. Based on a bet by the other members of his threesome, Everitt Sanchez tried to wash his own "balls" in a ball washer at the local golf course. Proving once again that beer and testosterone are a bad mix, Sanchez managed to straddle the ball washer and dangle his scrotum in the machine. Much to his dismay, one of his buddies upped the ante by spinning the crank on the machine with Sanchez's scrotum in place, thus wedging them solidly in the mechanism. Sanchez, who immediately passed his threshold of pain, collapsed and tumbled from his perch. Unfortunately for Sanchez, the height of the ball washer was more than a foot higher off the ground than his testicles are in a normal stance, and the scrotum was the weakest link. Sanchez's scrotum was ripped open during the fall, and one testicle was plucked from him forever! and remained in the ball washer, while the other testicle was compressed and flattened as it was pulled between the housing of the washer, and the rotating machinery inside.To add insult to injury, Sanchez broke a new $300.00 driver that he had just purchased from the pro shop, and was using to balance himself. Sanchez was rushed to the hospital for surgery, and the remaining threesome were asked to leave the course. And the winner for 2002 is . . . The Arizona Highway Patrol came upon a pile of smoldering metal embedded into the side of a cliff rising above the road at the apex of a curve. The wreckage resembled the site of an airplane crash, but it was a car. The type of car was unidentifiable at the scene. The lab finally figured out what it was and what had happened. It seems that a guy had somehow gotten hold of a JATO unit (Jet Assisted Take Off - actually a solid fuel rocket) that is used to give heavy military transport planes an extra "push" for taking off from short airfields. He had driven his Chevy Impala out into the desert and found a long and straight stretch of road. Then he attached the JATO unit to his car, jumped in, got up some speed and fired off the JATO! The facts as best as could be determined are that the operator of the 1967 Impala hit the JATO ignition at a distance of approximately 3.0 miles from the crash site. This was established by the prominent scorched and melted asphalt at that location. The JATO, if operating properly, would have reached maximum thrust within 5 seconds, causing the Chevy to reach speeds well in excess of 350 mph and continuing at full power for an additional 20-25 seconds. The driver, and soon to be pilot, most likely would have experienced G-forces usually reserved for dog fighting F-14 jocks under full afterburners, causing him to become insignificant for the remainder of the event. However, the automobile remained on the straight highway for about 2.5 miles (15-20 seconds) before the Driver applied and completely melted the brakes, blowing the tires and leaving thick rubber marks on the road surface, then becoming airborne for an additional 1.4 miles and impacting the cliff face at a height of 125 feet leaving a blackened crater 3 feet deep in the rock. Most of the driver's remains were not recoverable; however, small fragments of bone, teeth and hair were extracted from the crater and fingernail and bone shards were removed from a piece of debris believed to be a portion of the steering wheel. Epilogue: It has been calculated that this moron nearly reached Mach I, attaining a ground speed of approximately 420 mph. "Don't blame malice for what stupidity can explain." "In our sleep, pain that cannot forget falls drop by drop upon the heart and in our despair, against our will comes wisdom" - Aeschylus