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Yes and yes. Weather at that time of year can be variable, but if its jumpable, they turn loads. top Jump more, post less!

If you get the DVD of Gypsy Moths, this is included on it. I actually like watching this more than the movie! top Jump more, post less!

Bull s#!t... The best canopy course directors are the ones who have a wide base of knowledge over time. Who pays their way is of no matter as long as they can be objective. top Jump more, post less!

The real crux of this problem is the people sent out to search need to be prepared. If the DZ shuts down and sends out anyone regardless of training, it can turn into a shit show quickly. Lots of people who shouldn't go wandering out looking for someone will be tempted to. People who think they are in area A are really in area B, so no one searches area A. A few qualified, dedicated, knowledgeable personnel who stay in communication should be the ones looking and rendering aid as necessary. To send everybody everybody may actual hinder the whole search. With the advent of wing suits we are seeing people further and further from the Drop Zone (real term, not the airport), the sky portion that has to be watched is getting wider and the time frame longer. That can lead to missed jumpers even with dedicated watchers. I would love to hear from Bryan Burke on this. No one here has the knowledge and experience that he does in this area. top Jump more, post less!

this. top Jump more, post less!

Maybe swooping. Bad swoop can equal bad motorcycle crash minus the thousand pounds of spinning metal also trying to kill you. top Jump more, post less!

Also, some people change email addresses like underwear, others have the same one for years. You could have a lot of deadwood in the system. top PS. I read mine every time. Jump more, post less!

Ask those that have helped you get to this jump to celebrate it with you. Instructors, other jumpers, coaches, etc. And make it super simple so it is successful and fun for everyone, no stress. Buy beer. Or whiskey. Bring spare clothes, soap, and shampoo. top Jump more, post less!

Do you remember back when there were no annual fees to "renew" your ratings? That was the case 30+ years ago. What the hell do I get for all that extra dough I pay in every year? I always felt it was a slap in the face to all of us that built their membership base for them. You get the USPA cruising around doing the bidding of the tandem manufacturers. YAY! top Jump more, post less!

I have taught a number of students who were done with AFF but not quite to their A licenses yet. I only allow them to be taught one-on-one, and we go over very basic flight. AFF has a lot of canopy information in it, but it seems to get lost in "passing the levels."The freefall portion takes precedence over canopy control in the minds of the instructors and therefore the students. Being unstable in freefall you are a liability to yourself and a few people around you. If you are weak under canopy, you are a liability to everyone in the sky and on the ground. Learn early and learn often from experts. top Jump more, post less!

Fellatio and cunnilingus have been performed at the same time in numerous occasions, I don't know if they have been done on a skydive. There must be a reason free-flyers developed both head-down and head-up flying. They are too busy messing with their cameras to think about airborn 69 What exactly does any of this have to do with answering my question? I would say, when you feel good enough to jump and as was said, when the drugs wear-off. I'd say too, it's a personal thing. I've had a dry socket and took a small piece of cotton and shoved in in the socket and went on. Chuck If you have had routine fillings, cap, or such.. jump when you feel up to it. Extractions may be something more complicated, if treating dentist says "go home and take it easy for a few days." then do that! If it was a routine extraction, no real work to get it out, then maybe jump the next day. Dry sockets occur when the blood clot comes out of the hole where the tooth was and the bone is exposed to the oral environment long enough to be infected and not heal/close over. Its no fun to have or to treat. Pretty much its usually lower teeth in the back on a smoker. Don't be that guy. I treat lots of skydivers, they seem bound and determined to not heed my advice until it hurts. So my advice is "Do what you want until it hurts. Then my fee doubles." I also do not see a reason to wait for the anesthetic to wear off before oral sex. I don't care if your mouth can feel anything.... Medical/dental advice on the interwebs is sketchy at best and flat out wrong often. top Jump more, post less!

DOC I hang out with Haley every so often still. You will be glad to know that God has gotten even with him... his daughter is drop dead gorgeous and super smart! A dad's worst nightmare! (but being a dz kid, she can take care of herself!) Thanks for the pictures, sorry I missed out on the Antioch experience. When i got out here in the late 80's, all the guys talked and talked about that place with great fondness. you should be proud of the legacy you built! Blue skies! top Jump more, post less!

You guys make me want to chuck my gear in the truck this Summer and finish my Jumpmaster rating that I started in 1988. AFF may have taken hold in most places, but I still feel SL offers a better all-around program for students. I'm glad to see people care about it enough to not only keep it around, but improve it. Thanks! top Jump more, post less!

That's just mean!! There is no way she does that, donkeys are way too loud and they have standards. top Jump more, post less!

You should edit that. dogbites.org will quote that out of context. They need me alive. Only I and my fellow humans can work the magical food dispensing cabinet and keep them fed. And rub their bellies, and sit on the floor while they nap on the couch. top Jump more, post less!

You asked to cite a source, which I did You don't like that source because you don't agree with it. Then, you make it my responsibility to find another source. Did you even read the fatalities report... kinda hard to dispute the fact of death by Tell you what, unless you find a source that disputes the facts I presented; I'll let my source stand. Dogsbite.org is THE anti pitbull site. Not neutral by a long shot. Its like quoting Citizens for Quiet Skies for skydiving related issues. Direct quote form their website: "DogsBite.org is a public education website about dangerous dog breeds, chiefly pit bulls." This is a better group and a look at causes of dog attacks: http://nationalcanineresearchcouncil.com/dogbites/dog-bite-related-fatalities/ I agree that heading to the local shelter is the best bet. Check the city and SPCA shelters. You would be amazed at the wonderful dogs that have been there for months. Spend some time interacting with the dogs, let the personalities come out. Some may have been there long enough that they have shut down. top PS I own two pits. They are sofa queens, they look at humans as a source of food, entertainment, and love. I am cautious with my dogs not because of what they may do, but people's reaction to them. I also work to educate people about the breed and how good they are.... and how awful some people can be. Jump more, post less!

There is a huge factor being ignored here. Thirty years ago, there was so much less skydiving knowledge to know to be an expert. Today, there are more disciplines, more types of canopies, more canopy materials, more types of aircraft being used regularly, and a greater ability to garner knowledge from around the world. Those are just a few factors. An "expert" in skydiving may have only needed 500 jumps back then to truly have mastered enough areas of the sport to feel confident, but today that number is just enough to qualify you to start learning more things. top Jump more, post less!

#3 is flat out illegal according to the Feds. Cities and states have tried that and been told in no uncertain terms that such a tax is not allowed. The "short discussion" may have been that... a short discussion about the fact it is illegal. And $30K a year on a $12 Million dollar shortfall is not even a drop in the bucket, its just wishful thinking. top Jump more, post less!

Shibu- Come out to NorCal and I will do a class with you. Day, weekend, whatever you need. Just cover slots. Please don't wait until the dead of winter, I am from California and hate the cold.... top Jump more, post less!

Completely effed up. Statistically speaking that is. You made the odds cumulative right there and they are not. top Jump more, post less!

From what I've seen, it is a trend, Chuck. In the 70's and early 80's, round student canopies meant a lot of PLF practice or a lot of injuries. Try as I could, I never got my injury rate below ~3%. Lots of sprained ankles and the occasional broken bone. Of course, the advent of the (usually) soft landing student square canopies made injuries almost a thing of the past. Any kind of flare on those big bad boys seemed to yield an injury free, if not graceful, landing. Dedicated PLF practice in the FJC became minimalist to non-existent. To this day I still have the students do 3-4 PLF's, hopping off a trailer fender maybe 2' above the pea gravel. I'd like to give better training but we don't have a dedicated PLF platform at the DZ, so I improvise. I think some of the instructors skip it entirely. As any experienced jumper knows, sooner or later you're going to have a hard landing. PLF's have kept me out of the hospital more than once. For us former round jumpers, they're almost reflexive. Unfortunately, I've seen way too many serious injuries among newer jumpers who were never really trained to PLF and didn't when they really needed to. A simple poor landing turns into 6 months in a cast and maybe never jumping again. If you don't know how to PLF, learn how. It may really save your a$$ someday. I can't reiterate this enough! Definitely saved me on a number of occasions and when it really mattered. So many AFFI's feel it is not worth the time to teach and the students don't know they aren't getting it. Learn em, live em, do em. top Jump more, post less!

I think at 13K they said we were doing 50 but slowed as we got lower. I think it was a 64 way then... Wonder what the radar image looked like! top Jump more, post less!

My understanding is that the 100-way Canopy Formation World record showed up on radar. Of course it was the size of a building! top Jump more, post less!

A good candidate for the worst internet skydiving advice ever. Don't drop your toggles when you are trying to use them. Don't drop your toggles when they are pulled down, they could snap up and around your slider, riser, or GoPro. top Jump more, post less!

I'm calling "Foul" on this statement. If the members of the USPA, of which I am one of them feel so strongly about this incident/topic, call your regional director, attend a meeting. Raise some cane! If my numbers are half-way right, we're some 34K T/ 35K strong. If everyone is sooooo unhappy about this incident and hasn't made any phone calls, or attended a meeting, then stop the whining and crying. Christ sakes. We're the one who put the BOD where they are, they are elected officials, we are their constituents, they represent US. Ask them to do their jobs and we need to stop the complaining, and making rude remarks. C'mon, whuddya say? You are free to call it whatever you want, that doesn't change my opinion. I have called/emailed my RD about this. He and I talk often as I am one of his S&TA's. You assumed that this was the only avenue I am taking, I assure you that is false. I served on the BOD, several of them have contacted me regarding this incident. Some are not happy with the criticism about this incident, others welcome it. If someone at the DZ I am the S&TA did this, they would be out, as they are too dangerous to be around me, the students, the public, and my friends. I would then refer the action to my RD for further review. And I would expect some action to occur! Especially if it was an instructor. top Jump more, post less!