boxingrrl

Mike Marlett? let me check my now humongous SCG e-mail list... It's cool though, especially since it was a good jump

Martin Connelly?

I'm totally comfortable being naked-- in the dark, alone...

Dang... a day late and a dollar short... story of my life

I like 'em! Where are you going to put it? If you don't use the first one, can I steal your design?

I'm just a baby tandem master-- and had just started taking students before it was winter in Ohio. I recently did my recurrency solo on the rig, and will definitely take an up-jumper before any real students, just for my own piece of mind.

Well, I know the offer's been made for Florida. If your friend can make it to Ohio, I'll make sure she's taken care of.

I don't have any problem landing off, especially if I can help someone retrieve their gear. The only time I have to boogie back to the DZ is if I'm doing a tandem video. Not many TM's would follow me into a field for the heck of it. I've been able to film a few freebag and main landings though, that were useful in finding the gear later.

I think you need to keep looking for a DZ that will give the customer what he/she wants. Maybe one that does tandem progression training would be easier to deal with, as they are more geared toward tandems as training. I don't see any reason why your friend couldn't practice some freefall skills and regain some confidence by doing a training tandem. It's not up to the DZ to decide how to spend your friend's money. Vote with your feet

Congrats to you and your wife! I don't have kids, but I've seen some couples raise kids at the DZ quite successfully. Some choose to be more conservative, with one always staying on the ground, but others just seem to have it worked out so they can jump together. I think that if you and your wife work through the possibilities and address the risks as well as possible through advanced preparation/planning and insurance, that's the best any parent(s) can do. Good luck!

Well... depending on what you have going on, you could potentially do quite a bit of damage to yourself (rupture sinuses, eardrums, etc.). That would be extreme, but at the very least, the extra pressure might give you quite the head and/or ear- ache. If your nose decides to let loose in freefall, you may end up with goggles covered in snot, too. I've known some jumpers who do a hop and pop to see how the altitude effects them, but 3500 is not 13500. It's only Thursday-- perhaps you'll be feeling better by the weekend. Take really good care of yourself, and please be careful, whatever you decide.

I couldn't have said it better! Good luck and blue skies--

I've seen a videographer (rear floating) on a Caravan, get his alti stuck. I think he took an underhand grip on the bar. Fortunately, it did minimal damage to his hand and altimeter, but he totally missed the 4-way's exit (causing a rejump or zero, can't remember). He was lucky. Keeping your alti out of the way is just another thing to think about when you're setting up to exit-- grip the bars accordingly, and, of course, watch those fingers.

Hope you're feeling better by now. This stomach thing isn't related to any of that fine cuisine you two have been cookin' up, is it?

Another line to use for those legstrap adjustments is something like "We don't want these loose ends flapping around in freefall. Anything that flaps around at 120 mph has a tendency to sting, so I need to get these tucked away...if you could widen your feet and give me some room to work, that would be great."

This seems to be the consensus amongst the orthopedists that I work with. Taking the anti-inflammatory religiously can help. So can alternating ice and heat treatments. (20 min at a time, several times a day.) Some extra time elevating it probably won't hurt either. If you have access to the Raefordite that is a PT, I would ask for some strengthening exercises you could be doing-- both to help you come back from this and to prevent a reoccurrence. Good luck!

Sure, it tastes like chicken...and ribs from what?

I know how appreciative my hubby is when he's in the shower and I take care of washing all the dishes.

Now I know why we always meet to go out to dinner. I'm never eating at your house-- or hers!

And.... The Otter should arrive before noon on Saturday, 3/13. If you weren't planning on coming out before, you'd better be now

So, in the absence of specialized training and a traction device just administer first aid/CPR until EMT's arrive, correct? In the event of a compound fracture and your victim is stable, would it still be worthwhile to attempt to slow the blood flow by applying pressure or, with femur, it might cause more harm than good? A little clarification, please?

In terms of the lifetime warranty-- it depends. If it didn't make the suit exorbitantly expensive, maybe. Especially if you're talking about patches and repairs, maybe new velcro now and then. Alterations (say for weight loss-- can't do too much for weight gain.) If it's just the standard "defects in material and workmanship", I think that once you've jumped it a few times that gets categorized as regular wear and tear. (And, are we talking freefly suits that might also double as tandem suits?) In terms of sponsored athletes, it would only make a difference if it was me that they sponsored.

Runway? Bundy? Spock? Those aren't very girly, I guess. We named our newly adopted stray Murphy for Murphy Flake. How 'bout Donut?

I lost my Pro-track and jumped without one for a few weeks last year. No problem, really. I did find myself trying to sneak glances at my Alti while shooting video, though. (The internal clock really does kick in and without the audible to confirm, I wanted to be sure I was on the mark.) I've done some Birdman jumps and used my Alti a lot for those. The speed is so different, I had to keep checking, because I was still at 10 grand-- and now I'm at 9-- and on down the line. I like to know where I'm at. If the audible can tell me that, great. If it doesn't-- I'm still going to find out. The distraction factor will always be there, I suppose. It doesn't hurt to have a back-up-- whether it's an audible or a Cypres. It's still always up to you to pull and having both Dytters dead is no excuse for going in.