Jeff.Donohue

Mykel, I'm saddened to hear what you are and will be going through. My thoughts are with you. I think Wendy had a very good point: no matter what, you are a skydiver. I would go so far as to add that even if you were forced to cease skydiving, you would still be a skydiver: one of the surprisingly few people in this world who understood the great joy of freefall and canopy flight. I don't have the jump numbers or experience of other jumpers, but I've been around dropzones (both real and virtual) long enough and met enough skydivers to know that there is a common theme that makes us all similar. I can't quite articulate it, but I think it comes close to say that it has something to do with an almost aggressive willingness to say "yes" to life, to accept challenges and risks, and to engage in an activity that is fueled by both risk and joy. Even when we learn from the incidents forum -- when we've lost friends -- we are acknowledging the efforts of those who have gone before us, and we're affirming, in a small way, their sacrifice. We're a life affirming bunch. You in particular know this. From the brief email exchange we had a few months ago, I realized you have a love of teaching. You want to help people and share a great joy that you have in life. That won't change even if it turns out that you could no longer skydive. Your day to day routine might change, your career might change, and your experiences might change, but the fundamental aspect of your character that made you both a skydiver and an instructor won't change. You will continue to be you, and even if you never jump again, you will continue to be a skydiver. - Jeff

I now remembered why I don't hang out in SC. Like, dude, wow... Just... wow...

"Semi"?!?! Heathen!

Who's to say I do? You probably are right: I don't; then again anyone who disagrees with me (on whether or not I exist) can punch me in the head (thus proving I exist).

Don't mind me, I'm just trying to see if this thread will explode like the other, similarly titled thread did...

I had a dream once that everyone on the lift was a zombie. I know, I know, there are so many obvious jokes about this, it hurts, but it's a true story. Biggest lesson from the dream: zombies can't arch well.

I think I would be spending the whole time saying "Hey, it's winter! It's cold out! Shrinkage!" But that's just me.

My signal is drooling. But a lot of people get the wrong idea because I do that regardless of whose company I'm in.

A mere 78.8 miles for me!

It's true that some shows are better than others, but I've enjoyed almost all of the shows. [Time to make a donation, I guess...]

There is no spoon. (Only, for real...)

If I go in, my avatar will be ironic, but yeah, I guess I'd want people to remember me for having a (dark) sense of humor. /not planning on going in... //planning on buying an ACME brand AAD... ///always inspects rig for anvils and/or laundry...

This is a really good point... I think I'll modify my use of the device; being dead would totally mess up my plans.

When I started AFF, I bought an analog, and a couple of jumps in, I bought a digital (a Neptune). At one point, I was planning on using the audible feature as a backup and use the analog as my primary. That's still my ultimate goal, but it has yet to happen. My instructors and coaches (see Eule's warning disclaimer, above) all recommended that I use just the analog, and not to use the audible until I have my A license. The thinking is that I shouldn't get lazy about altitude awareness. I trust their judgment: I've been putting the Neptune in my pocket for jumps, so it doesn't do anything but gives me interesting (if probably inaccurate) fall rate data and act as an additional log book of sorts. I think I disagree, however, about the comment I've heard that analog is easier for the mind to "process" than digital. It depends on how you think. I find gauges like the analog require me to (i) think about where the needle is, (ii) think where it is relative to the lines (which lines? 6? 5? 4?!?); (iii) translate relationship that into an altitude. It would probably work better for me if my mind simply related a direction (straight down is OK, down and to the right is getting iffy, straight to the right is DANGER). But that's not the way my mind processes information. I added a big black mark to my digital altimeter so I knew where 4,500 was (I know that it's between 4,000 and 5,000, but I have to think about that). Maybe it's because I grew up wearing a digital watch and only really learned how to tell time on an analog clock when my second grade teacher was mortified that I couldn't...

If you're considering getting a tattoo in a language that you don't speak (e.g., Japanese or Chinese), you may find the following website interesting: http://hanzismatter.com/ Basically, it points out that a lot of people get tattoos that don't say what they think they mean either out of (a) poor penmanship in the part of the artist, or (b) mistranslation (or the part of the person getting the tat, the artist, or both). Apparently, the reference books that a lot of artists use have a bunch of characters misdrawn or mirror imaged. For example, one of the reference books has the Kanji character for "Puppet" listed as "Death". Kind of takes the cool factor on that one down a notch or two, I guess... Two favorites, for those who don't have time to check out the site: First is the tatoo that the Pheonix Suns' Shawn Marion got. It was supposed to be the Chinese translation of "The Matrix" (as in the movie), but it came out as "Demon Bird Mothballs". Actually, I think Demon Bird Mothballs would be a great name for a skydiver, but that's another issue. Second is the tat that a random submitter sent in. She had what she thought was "Air Goddess" put on her lower back -- right about her butt -- but what was actually written was "Exotic Atmosphere", which, if you think about the location of it, might work just the same....

Eule's right, it is in lawyer English, and his works just as well. Was too busy to make one of my "off the shelf" from my bag of tricks readable... Sorry about that, folks. (I'm going to hang my head in shame, since I used to teach legal writing -- to make it more like what Eule wrote, not like the archaic piece of crap I posted -- but I got lazy....)

Pepperell. Web page at www.skyjump.com Great place.

"Cooties" originally meant body lice, but I don't think kids use it in that sense anymore. At least I hope the girls don't have body lice... (I agree, the assistant principal over reacted.)

Geez. Maybe it's just my personality (world's most non-confrontational lawyer), or maybe it's my student status talking, but if I were in a lift and someone -- pretty much anyone -- else said, "no, don't jump!", I'd pretty much stop, sit down, and ride the plane down. I'd just assume there is some good reason for it. Never mind the fact that a jumpmaster was saying that; I'd sit down if another student said it... I mean, who knows what they know that you don't, and absent an aircraft emergency, there's always another load... People are odd.

I agree with sdctlc. Attached is a sample Bill of Sale, that you might find interesting to read. (This isn't legal advice, and I'm not your lawyer...) Note that the seller in this Bill of Sale is only representing that she has clean title to the rig (i..e, that it's not stolen, or subject to a lien, etc.). I'm assuming you've had a rigger inspect it. This Bill of Sale doesn't address stuff like the rig being airworthy, or fit for use, or anything like that. I wouldn't rely on any legal representation for that sort of stuff! (Somehow, the concept that "gee, my estate will be able to sue" will make me less happy immediately upon a main mal than the concept that a capable rigger has worked his or her rigger magic on the rig... That might be just me, though.) Most of it (particularly, the notary stuff) is admittedly overkill... (On the other hand, I do all of my skydiving through my S corporation, to minimize risk... )

Ha! Ooops... No. Thanks.

Yes.

The dreaded "bowling ball in tow" malfunction... Although I hate to admit it, his EPs and his flare are better than mine... http://rgstudios.com/English/index_E.htm Click on "Animations" Click on "Short Film" Third film, "I love sky" (about 19mb, not for those with low bandwith connections). Sorry I can't make it directly clicky.

Once every two or three months, and not well.

Also, the atlatl was a favorite weapon of the Aztecs, when they were resisting the Spanish... Of course, guns, germs and steel (to steal from Jared Diamond) did them in, but I'm not sure I'd want to be a Conquistador with those (armor peircing) things zipping at me. You can get a feel for how they work here: http://www.atlatl.com/