DougH

Brilliant as always!!! The question has merit, as of the 2002 census 13% of the US population were individuals who reported their ethnicity as Black. I don't see that 13% represented in our skydiving subculture, I don't even see 8% or 5% or 2%. Our sport is very diverse in other areas: occupations, age, education, political affiliation, sex, etc. "The restraining order says you're only allowed to touch me in freefall" =P

What an odd question!!! Are you planning on bailing out after you plant a shoe bomb or something??? "The restraining order says you're only allowed to touch me in freefall" =P

A Manhattan... Mmmmmmmm bourbon!!! It is a real panty dropper, by which I mean it makes ME lose my pants. "The restraining order says you're only allowed to touch me in freefall" =P

I wouldn't be suprised if there were lines hitched around the bag, or hitched around other line stows, due to the out of sequence deployment. "The restraining order says you're only allowed to touch me in freefall" =P

Does USPA specifically set an age limit? "The restraining order says you're only allowed to touch me in freefall" =P

"Go drink some bleech" "The restraining order says you're only allowed to touch me in freefall" =P

You should say please and thank you. I couldn't deal with that guy, and would find it hard not to point out that he is a no class piece of white trash. I normally try to request not demand: can you please bring me, not BRING ME MORE. I open doors for people, I hold doors open for girls. I expect you to say thanks, or thank you. I will usually say your welcome. People that don't say thanks will get a " YOUR WELCOME". And I won't tell you what I said this one time when I held a door open for this woman, and she yelled at me that it was degrading to women, and she can open her own damn door. "The restraining order says you're only allowed to touch me in freefall" =P

The Johnny Cash cover is even better then the Douche Mode version. "The restraining order says you're only allowed to touch me in freefall" =P

Oh I won't stop. I think the one thing most jumpers like almost as much as skydiving, is talking about skydiving. I enjoy talking to them about the sport!! I agree with the peer pressure element, but I have seen the same thing play out with individuals who have shown up all by themselves because they wanted to skydive. "The restraining order says you're only allowed to touch me in freefall" =P

Lets try not to forget that lots of tandems keep a constant stream of cute new girls on the DZ. I learned how to jump at a DZ that is primarily a tandem dropzone. There is much larger number of tandem jumps then experienced jumps at my DZ. I love watching how excited new tandem students are. I just wish as a fun jumper there was more I could do to get them to come back. I talk with them in great detail about AFF and becoming a student. I talk with them about the sport and that most people can be taught to be a skydiver. It doesn't seem to make a difference. They don't want to be students for the most part, it is just an expensive amusement park ride for them. For most I don't think it matters how you pitch it to them, you're just Six Flags for the day. "The restraining order says you're only allowed to touch me in freefall" =P

You really can't blame them, or their insurance company. Parents or gaurdians can not waiver away a minors right to sue. So every if mom and dad sign the waiver the kid can still sue for any injurys incured when they turn 18. Being a minor is also a defense to a signed document. "The restraining order says you're only allowed to touch me in freefall" =P

My guess is meth. Stupid meth heads would steal the pacemaker right out of their own grandfather. "The restraining order says you're only allowed to touch me in freefall" =P

How do you tie tandems with collisions? Can you be more specific please! Are you referring to collisions between experienced jumpers, between experienced jumpers and tandems; in freefall or under canopy? I agree if they don't have the ability to service both fun jumpers and tandems there tend to be a bunch of bored jumpers on the ground. But maybe that is a good sign that it is time for the dz to grow. "The restraining order says you're only allowed to touch me in freefall" =P

A gay roommate would be awesome. I bet they would be cleaner and more organized than my previous roommates. The house would look nicer, with nicer furniture and nicer things. And he won't be stealing any of the chicks that you bring by. "The restraining order says you're only allowed to touch me in freefall" =P

Drink half and then pour a sparks into the glass. Pour slow so it doesn't foam over. My buddies called them, "number two's". They get you fucked up!!! "The restraining order says you're only allowed to touch me in freefall" =P

Cobe, what discipline were you getting coached in, and who were the coaches. Were they in the tunnel along with an additional tunnel instructor, or did they play both roles? "The restraining order says you're only allowed to touch me in freefall" =P

DougH, Your ideal job is a Rabbit Slayer. "The restraining order says you're only allowed to touch me in freefall" =P

Bang her best friend... "The restraining order says you're only allowed to touch me in freefall" =P

That probably only earned him 48 dollars this year. "The restraining order says you're only allowed to touch me in freefall" =P

I jumped a Hornet 210 all the way through AFF. I enjoyed flying it, and enjoyed packing it even more!! "The restraining order says you're only allowed to touch me in freefall" =P

Aerodyne Pilot 168 PISA Hornet 170 (when it arives and I get a rig to throw her in) "The restraining order says you're only allowed to touch me in freefall" =P

Spizzarko has already covered this point really well. You are helpful as usual; posting advice in threads that have already been shared by other forum members, in more concise, contstructive, and helpful posts. If you read the link I included you will see that there are many swoopers who use their RDS setups on working jumps and reguarly take them to terminal. Functionally they work fine for all of these jumpers. Older models may not have worked as well. Which setups you are refrencing when you said that you heard they didn't work as well? That information would be helpful. Thank you everyone for the helpful posts, I will definetly take time to think about all the stuff that you have written. "The restraining order says you're only allowed to touch me in freefall" =P

Are you talking a complete system, or just a removable slider. I will agree with you from the start about the danger of improperly rigging a slider, and I will agree with you about the ratio of expense to benefits. But I disagree that I can't be trusted to properly rig one. I can't speak for any one else, but I am very methodical in the way that I handle my gear. I use the same routine when I pack, I use the same routine before every jump with my gear check. While I lack the skydiving skill and experience of some one with 1000 jumps, that doesn't mean that I lack the ability to properly re-rig a slider. People with no jumps are trusted to work as packers for tandems, "under the supervision of a rigger". Jump numbers don't come into play in that situation. "The restraining order says you're only allowed to touch me in freefall" =P

This is pretty far from the original post subject, but how many jumps do you have? In my less than experinced opinion the best way to improve your landings is twofold. First have an experinced instructor tape them and break them down with you so that you have some idea of what you are doing right and what you are doing wrong. Second do your practice flares up high, they will really help. "The restraining order says you're only allowed to touch me in freefall" =P

You need to be more specific... If I had to pick the best book that I have read it would be Brian G.'s book "Parachute and its Pilot". There may be books out there that contain concepts or instruction that will make me better in freefall, but I think safely landing my parachute and being able to jump again will have a better overall effect on my ability. That is where the knowledge contained in this book, along with practice, comes in. "The restraining order says you're only allowed to touch me in freefall" =P