justme12001

I personally agree with dokeman. The harness should be jump ready when boarding the plane. If you are gearing up 2 or 3 passengers out, I understand leaving them a little loose while they are waiting, but i like to see them adjusted properly before boarding. Most of the TI where i usually work leave them loose until the ride up, and it annoys me. The local IE is one of them, so not much a can do about it

I like to tighten mine to where it needs to be and don't mess with it much on the plane. If I feel that something looks abnormally loose on the ride up, I will tighten it. I usually don't have to adjust anything in the plane. I like to tighten the harness to the point that it is snug but not uncomfortably tight, and I will usually ask the passenger when I'm done. I have had 3 maybe 4 in about 2700 tandems

a friend told be years ago, that you know you are a true skydiver when you are relaxed enough in free fall that a fart just comes out think I had probably 500-600 jumps the first time it happened, lol

I do jumps at the 500lb max fairly regularly. I am currently in the process of losing a little weight, but for the last two years or so, I have been between 230-235 lbs (naked weight), so by the time you add in gear, and clothes, you are looking at a 210-215lb max student weight. Most of the DZs I work at have a stated 220-225lb max passenger weight. The manifest people don't think about who they are pairing them with, so I am sure I have taken some of the 225lb passengers. With that being said, I have never had a problem landing any of them. I do tend to build a little speed for landing, which definitely helps. Also, I am a stocky fairly strong guy, not a fat 230lb guy. I have had one broken ankle in about 2700 tandems. She was a smaller jumper from the 60-70s, jumped rounds. She tried to stand up, and ended up with a broken ankle.

3 cutaways in 2400 tandems #1 was a tension knot, #2 was a lineover, and #3 was a stuck toggle I have landed two tandems with blown center cells

2400 tandems (2000 strong, 400 sigma) 3 cutaways (2 strong, 1 sigma) 0 packed by me and I have 0 sport cutaways, other than the intentional on a tertiary rig to get the tandem rating.

I believe the vision is longer and thinner, geared more toward taller folks.

This one is battery powered where most are gas powered. Watched the video a couple days ago. I think it was saying you could change up the battery configuration depending on how long you wanted to fly....1 for 20 min, 3 for an hr and so on. (random numbers)

The Speed is a good LPV reserve as well, might want to do a little research into it as well. I believe it's less expensive then the optimum as well.

I don't know Ron or what benefits he receives, but I would not call SS and veterans benefits "free stuff"! I and all other legal workers in the US pay into SS. SS is supposed to be for our retirement. Veterans benefits are the same, if you were in the military there are certain benefits you are expected to have when you get out.

Exactly!! When guns are pointed at you by the cops, you know they are already on edge. So put your hands in clear view and leave them there, do exactly what they say. Why was this guy walking away from cops with guns drawn? Why did he feel the need to then reach into the vehicle? Did he need to be shot, probably not, buy why in the hell do you walk away and then reach into the car?

No idea, and I don't like it, but have been in a few that it was there.

When on my knees, I don't have any problem hooking them up or tightening the laterals. I was just saying that if the yoke(on the right side) is still in the plane, then I tend to push on it, especially while getting their feet out. So if the yoke is there then I will hook up while seated. Then if they are big and I am having trouble getting around the sides, I will have them sit on my lap. Thanks for pointer though. That is how I was taught, and is still my preferred method when in the front of a 182.

This is my preferred method as well. BUT...i have been in a few 182s that still had the the yoke in it and have found that if I get on my knees the rig will push it. Since this tends to piss of the pilot. If the yoke is still in I'll hook up while seated. I'm 5'11" 225 lbs and if I have large passenger, then I'm pretty much forced to set them in my lap to hook up and tighten the lowers. I personally like to sit with back to the console with the student between my legs. I have seen were the instructor will put the Student against the console, and then they both turn around and get on their knees. This would work with the yoke still in, but I don't like setting up this way. I would rather just have then sit on my lap for a couple seconds versus being behind me for the majority of the ride up.

That is for a demo, not a normal skydive. I've never read anywhere that you have to have a third canopy if you intend to cutaway. Is it the smartest thing, probably not...

I don't know about creepy, but definitely unnecessary. I have never had anyone sit on my lap for the whole ride up. I have on occasion had someone sit on my lap for hook up, and then only long enough to tighten the laterals. I personally don't like having them sit on my lap. The only ones that I have done it with, are larger (fat) people when staying seated in the front of a narrow 182. Everyone else I can hook up just fine with them between my legs. I still get on my knees if I'm in the back of a 182, and will sometimes if I'm in the front. It is more work, but I think you get a better hook up.

Simple solutions.....go get a manta 288 and stop landing so damn fast ..............no more worble in the recovery lol Not sure about the hard deck alarm, but the alarms on the N3A are programmable...ie you can do music or change the voice. So maybe you could program it to something more to your likeing

Working in a powerhouse, you are probably used to working with 3 series SS.....304,316,316L and so on. They do make a 4 series pipe, that a magnet WILL stick to and very strongly! I found this out by accident. We were building a SS tank that needed 4" pipe for legs. So I go to our lay-down yard grab some 4" SS pipe out of the rack. When we were putting the legs on the tank I went to put a level on one of the legs thinking I would have to hold it in place...and when it got close it got snatched out my hand. This pipe had been outside in the weather for months and wasn't rusted at all, so it was SS. I asked our safety guy/weld inspector about it, and he explained the different series of SS.

I jump a wings W10, and a radical 135 made from galvinar(SP) fit just fine. I actually use a W8 main d-bag most of the time and the 135 fits in it fine. I have two mains that I switch back a forth between, so I have the W10 bag and the W8 bag, very little difference in the two. As a side note, yes the radical does pack slightly larger, but since the galvinar is kind of "sticky" it is easier to man handle into the bag....if that makes any sense.

It depends of what type you get. Enola Gaye has come out with several variation recently. Their first ones weren't very good for skydiving and were smaller than the M18s. They have three fairly new ones, the EG18, EG18X, and the burst. The two EGs are the same size as an M18. All three put out about the same amount of smoke as an M18 as well. The EG18 burns about 90 secs, the EG18x burns about 45 secs and the burst only burns for about 20 secs. The burst is smaller than the EGs as well.

I am all for a cutaway system on the bracket! But the smokes he is looking at are "cold". They do get warm, but do not get hot and don't shoot out flames and sparks like the military M18s do. You can hold these in your hand while they are smoking.

Yes, they work pretty well. The EG18X will be your best bet for free fall, the EG18 work well under canopy. They produce the same amount of smoke, but the X does it in 45 sec versus 90 sec. Not sure about dyes and the such for the jumpsuits. Some guys I know just used them this past weekend, pretty sure they used the EG18X. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rSbDbsbAHa8&feature=youtu.be

I had on older gentleman, (who was test pilot and had three emergency bail outs) start to climb out, and before his feet left the step, he started working his way back in. I thought he was chickening out, so i start pointing out and yelling for him to climb out. He proceeds to ignore me, put his right arm over the strut and holds on with the strut in his arm pit. He then starts to dry his hands off on his pants.....climbs out and releases :/ I was a newer static line instructor at the time and didn't really know what to do while all this was going on. The plane was slowly descending and getting further from the spot. Think the old guy finally released at like 2 grand and barley made over the tree line back onto airport property.

Why are you riding side by side with someone if you are doing the same speed? That is just rude!! Either speed up or slow down and get in the same lane. Guy tailgating may be an Ahole, but you are a real dick for not getting over in the first place. The left lane is for passing, not sitting along side someone else and blocking traffic.

I do the same thing with my lanyard around my leg. I like the way it makes me feel "connected" to the flag. It just doesn't feel right when I let it just fly behind me. This is a 20'x38' (760 sqft) flag under a falcon 265. With the weight running down the leading edge. I think I only had to use 19 lbs to get it to fly that straight, vs the 27 lbs that I had hanging to make it fly right.