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I pulled that knife out and played a little more seriously with it this weekend. Not on my gear, but checked the "finger catch" issue. While the opening is wider than the standard hook knife, the blades start a little further down, so the cutting space is about the same. Yes, I could cut my pinky, but not my middle finger. A good, cheap substitute that is easy to get, so you can have plenty on hand. top Jump more, post less!

Stable exit is not the same as a good exit. I've seen plenty of jumpers stable and on their back on exit. What you need is consistent and facing the relative wind. By having your hand on your hackey on exit you limit your flying ability and your ability to control the exit from the aircraft. If the plane suddenly shifts, or bobs because a large load just left, your hand is on your butt instead of a door frame or wall. Your method is fine given good conditions, but I've seen enough "not so good" conditions. Newer pilot, a little more prop on that side, lower tail because a sudden weight shift, high stress dive so you're a little amped. Boom, you stumble to the door, timing off, and out comes your pilot chute over the tail. I've seen a very experienced crw jumper do this on a load in Eloy, managed to get his pilot chute over the tail of a DC-3. And of course, his was the first team out, there were 30+ people still in the plane ready to do a door jam! So, it's only a "nutty complaint" if you haven't seen it. Maybe this should be about "premature deployments," but really by getting people to think about this whole topic, maybe we can avoid death, destruction, or crw being banned from a dz because somebody freaked out a pilot by bouncing a p/c off the horizontal. top Jump more, post less!

Uh, not sure of the cutting ability on fingers. You could try it if you really need to know if you can cut through your finger. Worked well on the dacron in the loft. May be a tad wider than standard Jack, but I don't think that is an issue. If I need it, I think my fingers will be out of the way. top Jump more, post less!

Tractorsupply.com Look under "tag removal knife" for cattle. It's a double blade high impact plastic long hook knife. About five dollars, you can afford to put a bunch in the cessna so you don't tow students! Maybe use for crw. top Jump more, post less!

Yes, tetracycline bad for teeth in developing children. Not seen too often now in the US, but still very prevalent in Asia. Jump more, post less!

Dentist here. Some whitening products work great, some are junk. Mostly it's a matter of the type of staining you have. The yellow/orange does better than the grays. Tetracycline staining can be improved, but it may take up to six months of daily bleaching to see a positive affect, and it may actually worsen the banding between light and dark. Get your teeth cleaned first and follow the directions on the box! Bleaching has actually been availible for a while (like 15 or 20 years), but its just reached a more popular/accepted level. Also way cheaper now. I don't think anybody uses UV light, but visible light now. Again, effectiveness is a matter of knowing which staining can be bleached out, and which can't. I do a few of those, but prefer the at home method. top Jump more, post less!

You are exactly the target of this discussion then. Now is the very time to establish good habits, before the bad one is established. What are you going to do if someone wants you to float an exit? How can you float and hold your hackey? And really, at your skill level, why is a quarter of a second so important? The habit may be fine most of the time, but when the aircraft is different, the dive is challenging, the pilot is newer and likes to use more prop, maybe a seatbelt is under your foot and causes you to stumble, all these things combine to bring your deployment closer to the horizontal stabilizer. And you gain nothing. Speed to the formation is more a function of proper decisions and flying skills and less about getting gear over your head as fast as possible. I didn't mean for this to be seen as a "gripe," but as a valuable piece of information that could save the lives of those you jump with and those still in the plane. top Jump more, post less!

We used the ones from Sam's Club for our wedding and they were great! Everyone could munch, and all we had to do was pull extra ones out of the fridge as necessary. Lots of different meats/cheeses/veggies combos to choose from. Also try checking in the frozen foods for "just defrost" appetizers, those are yummy too. top Jump more, post less!

I'd be happy to ge out to Kansas and help some crw pups along! Better yet, come out to Lodi where we have the extra rigs, extra canopies, lots of lifting power, $15 to altitude. Oh yeah, my house with the pool, hot tub and lots of beer only 20 minutes away! top Jump more, post less!

Yes, but you have already been talked with, so we don't chew twice! Trying to get the word out to others that this is a very dangerous practice. Really, what is surprising to me is the number of very experienced jumpers who have this bad habit. I understand that gear may be unfamiliar in some cases, but that shouldn't be used as an excuse. No jumpmaster would let a student out of the plane who insisted they needed to exit with a hand on the deployment handle (pud, boc, ripcord, whatever), so why do we tolerate that in more experienced jumpers? If you are borrowing gear, get it on early, practice touches, get familiar with the location of the handle, and then focus on getting a good exit. top Jump more, post less!

Most people have a right hand boc, which means on the Otter, beech, caravan, etc. your hand closest to the front of the plane/prop wash is not controlling your exit or your freefall. Sometimes this works great, some people can get away with it, but if you bump your head, shoulder, knee on the way out, you do not have some of the control surfaces to aid in a stable deployment. I can't count the number of times I've seen a pilot chute come up through someones legs when they are head down out the door, and the response was, "I tripped as I left the plane, but I was pulling already." Time how long it takes to reach your boc from a soft arch position, maybe a couple of tenths of a second. That translates into how many feet on exit... ten. If ten feet is making a difference on your altitude for deployment, then a new pilotchute would help, or ask the base to take a heartbeat longer delay. I'll put it back to you, what is gained by having your hand on your boc when you are leaving the aircraft? Especially when it is the risk to you, the plane, those you are exiting with, and the rest of the jumpers left in the aircraft. top Jump more, post less!

Nope, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't learn from others mistakes!

Okay, lets open up a long overdue discussion: I get to watch a lot of crw dogs exit the aircraft, and it just seems surprising to me the number of people that have a hand on their pilotchute, and then exit! Sometimes they are out the door, sometimes next to the door, sometimes still in the door! Not just at my local dz, but at the Nationals, and even at world record try-outs. I can understand if you are a noob and you're a little nervous, but if you've have any confidence at all in your ability to deploy, then leaving with your hand down on your pack is counterproductive. Your rig shouldn't be going anywhere without you and your p/c should be where it has always been. When I or any of my teammates exit, we do a poised exit, look back at the aircraft, feel the change in airflow as we leave the prop wash, and then reach for the deployment system. Pulling sooner does no good, as you are in the "dirty air" of the aircraft and it gives less than ideal openings. Also, the pilot hates to see pilotchutes, d-bags, and nylon at the height of his/her horizontal. Plus, getting a terrible opening can lead to collisions with jumpers you are exiting with. I understand that some top-end comp teams may pull fairly quickly, but most recognize the importance of a clean deployment over a fast deployment. And these are the guys going for world records on jumps, not trying to build a four-way from 13k. Discussion? top Jump more, post less!

That fear I hear all the time. I usually respond that they sound like a whuffo, "I'm scared," "why would anyone do that?" and the ever popular, "I'd kill anyone who comes near me!" Of course, these usually are the same people that I hate to be around at opening time, because they are so air unaware. Just focused on getting into the landing pattern, or stowing a slider, or undoing their booties without awareness of those around them. I like to remind them that crw gives you skills that can easily save your life. oh well. top Jump more, post less!

Over the last four or five years, I have been in some formations with Xaoses at high wing loadings. Stacks, offsets, etc, as we were trying to build an 'X' with them. Currently our team jumps the JFX at 2.1 for competion. They are wonderful canopies! We did have to put 550 lines on them, though. What "fear" are you talking about? top Jump more, post less!

If you can make a table with leaves and upholstered chairs, you can make caskets! top Jump more, post less!

You don't need to get thirteen more jumps, just thirteen more pages signed in your log book!!!!!!!! top Jump more, post less!

As a dentist, I think its a great idea. It's good for the economy! After you crack a few teeth and have spent tons of money fixing your teeth instead of buying a new rig, you might realize that some piercings can cause significant problems. Or you can skip fixing the broken teeth, because that looks cool, too. Then you only have to worry about your denture coming out in freefall. Heavy sarcasm intended. top Jump more, post less!

How about just painting, "Girls Gone Wild Official Video Van" on both sides? top Jump more, post less!

Extremely well made containers, have had some put through a thousand jumps without any problems. Lots of innovations that make life in the saddle better. Extra weight tray along the back helps with the lead being supported by the rig and not your shoulders on opening and during the jump. All around great containers that provide for comfort and safety.

"Waiting" Jump more, post less!

From Dusk til Dawn Jump more, post less!

History is Made at Night top Jump more, post less!

Oh Jesus Christ! Which spare bedroom do you want to sleep in tonight? A Room with a View! More like Home Alone! At least you didn't reply, "Are Done Yet?," or "Beauty and the Beast!" Guess I better become "The Pacifier!" Jump more, post less!

Oh Jesus Christ! Which spare bedroom do you want to sleep in tonight? A Room with a View! Jump more, post less!