bigdad510

WAGS, Just posted on your youtube. I'll tell you, for as many times as I watch the side-spin videos, having a more "recent" video is even more reassuring that the technique works for getting out of them. Thanks for the post! Brad

So I read everyones posts, some very strong opinions here. I'm in favor of 2 hours of tunnel replacing 2 hour of freefall, ONLY if that person is signed off as a Level 2 belly flyer in the tunnel according to the IBA system that tunnels like SkyVenture Colorado use. I have to disagree with some of the more experienced jumpers here. If you follow the IBA system for a level two belly flyer, the time it takes to achieve the skills can sometimes be equal as real skydives. As a Level 2 tunnel instructor, I can't tell you how many times I've personally seen skydivers with thousand of jumps that get into a tunnel, and can't stay off the walls and be in control, let alone try to do 2-ways or 4-ways. A lot of these same flyers are AFFI's. I'll agree that there are aspects of the tunnel that CANNOT duplicate REAL jumps. That's why I wouldn't agree with just a "random" two hours tunnel = 2 hours freefall. However, let me tell you about my own personal experience. Started with about 275 skydives and about 3 hours of freefall. Thought I was a descent jumper. So start going to the tunnel-first two hours was spent learning how to fly more efficiently and in A LOT more control since I only had 12 feet to stay within. Had to break a lot of bad habits from freefall but eventually improved. So, now the bad habits are broken, spent another two hours doing individual skills and working thru the IBA level 2 belly skills.WOW, talk about an improvement of being in control. Someone mentioned that it is easier flying in a tunnel than in freefall. I disagree if you have specific objectives. My skills went thru the roof by training to specific objectives and I think people should take part in IBA in order to understand how regiment the progression is and it's value. If you just say that tunnel time=freefall time, I don't think they equal each other. For me, the skills I learned in the 2 hours in the tunnel would have taken me 500 jumps to learn. Please listen to what I'm typing. IBA Belly 2 has specific criteria that have a huge benefit for all jumpers to include jumpers who want to earn AFFI. With the structure I'm for it, without the structure I'm against it. I have recently jumped with some AFFI's that got theirs the "real way" and I think they could use some tunnel time! As far as the canopy stuff is concerned, that's a whole other topic. I believe there is a huge gap in training from AFF to D License. I know plenty of people who are AFFI's, record holders (both FS and VFS) that can't fly a canopy, spot an aircraft and teach basic skills. I see a lot of bashing tunnel instructors because they don't have the canopy skills. I agree they need canopy skills, but how much canopy training is really "required" after your "A License". Not enough in my opinion. So if tunnel instructors have a "C" license, and 4 hours of freefall and are a least a Level 2 IBA Belly flyer in the tunnel, I don't think they are missing out on too much to count just 2 hours of tunnel for freefall. Last time I looked at the stats, it's not the "A-C" license people that are killing themselves and others under canopy, most of them have more freefall time and higher ratings that are doing the damage out there. DISCLAIMER*** Since we live in a PC world, my disclaimer is there is exceptions to everythingI typed and there are boneheads everywhere that don't fit the "mold". Brad

The picture you have attached is exactly what I've been looking for! Brad

IS that a mount from the gopro eyeofmine.com? Brad

Registered tonight for 4way RW, I don't have a team, coming with two others "JTVAL", anay pickup teams available? Brad

I jumped the cx350 today. I shut off all the "extra" features for jumping with it, i.e smile rec, face rec, ois, and shot sd to the internal memory. For everyday skydiving videos it s good. I'd say it's better than the cx100's. I didn't notice anything that would stand out to say not to jump one. I jumped it at 13,000 MSL. I know the manual says it will have issues above 16,000 MSL. If I can get a jump in tomorrow at out max altitude, I'll let you know (our max is 17,500 msl, 11,000 agl) Brad

I love this quote! Everything we jump is made by man. It's only a matter of time before the "safer" option is next on the heat block. No one, and nothing is immune. To each their own. I must be really bored because I've read about 2k post on the argus ban. Just happy I own a rig that's not on the ban. I can say that, you know why? It's a free country! I find it amuzing how heated people get based on a "mine is better that yours" mentality. Gotta love being human! Brad

I got me a argus for dirt cheap for my Wings container. One mans trash is another mans treasure. Gotta love the free market!!! Brad

I'm just curious as to what everyone's opinion is for the two air force teams to enter into the Collegiate Nationals in December, knowing how well they did in this Nationals. Just some food for thught. The air force team cadets maintain one of the highest GPA's at the Academy. They spend most of their time in the jump program teaching 900 other cadets how to leave an airplane, by themselves, 5 times from a moving airplane. They give up every Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years, and every spring break to train. While at the Academy, they take on anywhere from 18-28 credits a semester while living in a room smaller than the team rooms at Nationals. They give up so many freedoms that most college kids take for granted. Oh by the way, besides the 20+ credits they are taking, they still have inspections, marching and other military training to conduct on top of that. Now don't get me wrong, a lot of peolpe think they are spoiled and get too many privledges, especially in skydiving. That maybe so. But not many colleges in the US that I'm aware of, do they deploy 6-18months later to defend their country and possibly make the ultimate sacrifice. I wish I would have studied my ass off and made the grades to get into a program that they are into. Not sure how many peolpe know this. Tha Academy gets about 11000 applications a year and accepts about 1100 of them. So out of the 4400 student cadets that ar going to college, only 50 of them are on the Wings of Blue parachute team, and only 20 of those 50 are in 4way and freeflying. From the time they finish AFF they have about 18 months total to "train" together. The "train" is about 20-50 jumps for tghe entire 18 months, and not all at one time. Alot of you have good arguements for being opposed for the AF teams to compete at the intermediate catagory, and I understand your fustrations. Howver if you could see the amount of dedication these kids put in to getting to where they are, and the amount of personal time and money they put into it that big Air Force doesn't cover, it might change your opinion a little. Most of they kids on both Air Force teams have less than 400 jumps. But the time and dedication they put into it is what makes them the way they are. If you have any doubt as to the determination these kids have, talked to people who got to watch them land their 290 square foot classic accuracy canopies in between trees and trailer parks at the dropzone, from winds that left their exit point 1.5-2 miles from the dropzone. Very impressive to the point most other competitiors comented they woud never jump in those conditions with those canopies. There is a level of professinalism from these cadets that only comes from the environment in which they are growing up in. Could they compete in the Advanced. Sure they could, but they are not advance skydivers with B and C licenses. But they are very dedicated with the experience that they do have, and I think thats good enough. My two cents..... Air Force Eminenece Videographer PS, I had 6 video busts...by no means am I even remotely close to being a descent vidiot! Brad

Did static line in Army in 94, jump status in 82nd, and while there learned to skydive with the 82 Freefall Club. Who would have guessed that years later in the Air Force, they wold pay me too do it...that is...when I get a chance to jump. Brad

JT, I think I have "version" of lightroom for you when I get back. If not, I thnk Adobe is still doing 60 day trial on it. I agree, it's a great organizer andwith the plugins, exports are pretty easy. Glad to hear we're jumping again! Brad

I sold my Sonic, but I really liked it. I had a Sony HC5 and a Digital Rebel XT mounted on the top. It was very stable and light. I don't like mounted stills in the front due to weight, but both on top balanced very well. Brad

I just got back from deployment a week ago. The second day I'm back in the US, I head out to the dz and jump with an old friend and a new one who had never been to the dropzone. The very frsit jump ( i know it's just a three way) we turned 9 points. Made me feel good for nto being in the air for four months. "Bad" four way", never have those, always learning and that's what's inportant. "good" four way - learning a ton and increasing my ability jumping with MP8 team members. Brad

Your profile says 15 jumps...can you honestly judge anything yet? Not bashing you just making a statement. At times you may think rw s boring, that's the time you try different jumps. You ever jump on a 4-way when two of the people ar ona 4-way team? That can really get your blood bumping, and it foces you to learn and raise your skills. I have tried sit-flying, I still don't have it down, it's onl been about 4 jumps. I can honeslty tell you, like stated above, if you cannot fly on your belly, you're going to get yourself in big trouble trying anything else. Because not matter what venture you pick, you usua;y end up on your belly at pull-time. Good luck and jump with some really experieced jumpers before you judge, oh, and do night jumps! Brad

That's an interesting question, even in the military. When I was in the Army, there wasn't anything more dangerous then Airborne Infantry, so nobody cared what we did and everything we did, no matter how stupid, was covered. now I'm in the Air Force, and they have a little twist on the rules (not sure how they get away with it, since it's the same insurance, you have to have a high risk activity briefing documented in order for incidents to be covered. Luckily you can have an "annual" briefing, instead of "instances". It's still pretty stupid in my opinion. I'm not sure if the other branches are the same, I would be interested in hearing about them. Brad