SkymonkeyONE

Negative. It's from the time of your first jump of any type. It does not specify anything about being a USPA member.

+1

You need to post your definition of "best". I've got over 2000 WS jumps on a Sabre2 97 loaded at 1.8 and I've only chopped it once. I put about 800 before that on a Cobalt and only chopped it once. Personally, anything that opens straight the vast majority of the time and one that will fly straight in linetwists is suitable. There is positively nothing wrong (and many things right) with old, original Sabres that you can buy used for like three hundred bucks. I've got Storm 120's in my work rigs now and love them. Chuck

I just re-read my longish post from 2008 and still agree that it's pointless to have cut-ins on rigs narrower than your back and it's a hindrance on all size rigs when it comes to hooking up a wingsuit. It seems pretty much every manufacturer has some form of "doubled-up" combination of cut-in with a stiffener that goes straight to the corner of the rig (Jav, Mirage, UPT). My personal "sport" rigs are both Wings W1's . My work rigs (one Micron and one Odyssey) are both cut for PD 126's and Velo 90's in case you are wondering. Chuck

Three feet forward is a bit exagerated as far as "need" is concerned in my experience. Generally, so long as your chest is over the head of the person below you, you are fine as long as the stack has their feet out and are moving. Chuck

It is NEVER appropriate for any staff member (PARTICULARLY Instructor staff) to be hitting on or hooking up with students. By students I mean tandems and any freefall student who does not possess an A license. It's a fantastic way to run off future business. Some dropzones I've worked at take this very seriously and others don't seem to care at all. That said: after A-license it's whatever two consenting adults feel like doing. Chuck

Ah, so now we have a new member of AOFM, (Association Of Former Moderators). Welcome, NEW GUY! Chuck

What the fuck is up with the new Squirrel ad's on this site? Pissing rainbows? Two guys who appear to be jerking off with blowjob mouths? Very strange shit. Quite fantastic.

You beat me to it, Spot. Also, I really like Bryan's idea about congretating in one spot then moving out as a group on tracking dives. Chuck

I'm 50 years old and I despise all things hip-hop related

I totally agree with this option

Crystal clear? Asolutely not. You might be the only person in the industry I've ever heard of who classifies MFF systems as "high altitude only" . Serously. The GREAT majority of jumps done on US MFF systems are conducted at or below 12,999 feet. My opinion, and that of every other person I know is that Part 105 states that these rigs are "approved". You can't swing a dead cat by the tail at Raeford Parachute Center without hitting a master rigger in the head who will gladly sell you a de-militarized MC4. MFF rigs are DEFINITELY not "high altitude only" otherwise we wouldn't be chasing ducks off the ramp at four grand and into the water. I do this for a living. Azul sends

Fucking Aaron Comp! Awesome! If anyone's got his current phone number PM it to me. I miss his crazy ass. Azul sends

I don't know, bro, but I've got over 2700 wingsuit jumps and I still keep a phantom hooked up to my wingsuit rig 90 percent of the time even though I have much, much larger suits. They are sexy and delicious and work fantastically for those of us who fly on our backs as much as we do on our belly and routinely fly circles around chumps who only go straight with their wrists touching behind their backs in tarps. Carry on. Azul sends

Brother, your kung fu is strong

I'm both stoked and fascinated at how many old buddies have come forward and offered me parts for my new kit. One of my oldest Pro Swooping Tour competitor/friends, Troy Ketsdever, just sent me a package with some goodies. Among them was a knee board that had padding on the "knee" side which I tought was incredibly clever seeing as how I'm now fifty years old! Another person has gifted me an entire kit. I won't mention his name, but the reason he chose to do so will stick in my heart forever. It's an incredible homage to his loved one. RESPECT! Thank you all SO MUCH! Chuck Blue, D-12501 AFF/SL/TM-I, PRO, PFC/E, and the newest Sr. Rigger on the block

How long did it take you to dig up that link, Sean? Jesus...

The great majority of dropzones I've worked at all had staff shirts that instructors/staff were required to wear when on the job. I've also worked at dropzones that "preferred" that all full-time staff got a staff suit (at a steep discount). One of them provided a free staff suit after one full season of employment. Whatever, man. Ultimately, if you are a 1099 employee then you are going to be writing off whatever gear you buy as business expenses anyway. Chuck

True....and so very sad. Back in the 70's and 80's and up into the mid-90's we had as many as THREE sport parachute clubs on Fort Bragg (XVIII corps, 82nd, and Green Beret Sport Parachute Club). Monthly dues at the GB club were a whopping $7.50 (that's seven dollars and fifty cents) per month and you paid one dollar on each jump day to buy food for the pilots. By comparison, the monthly dues at the 82nd Sport Parachute Club were a shocking $10.00 per month. Most people with half a brain were members of both. I, for the life of me, can't understand how young military guys can afford the sport at civilian dropzones these days. Well, without ratings anyway.. Chuck

Bikes are a fantastic way to defeat gridlock and lane-splitting is fine (and perfectly legal in many places), but only up to 35' mph. I'm pretty sure that's both California and Georgia law. Splitting lanes at high speed with a fucking go pro on your head like a retard is NEVER OK. Pissed off drivers stuck in gridlock who maliciously try to hamper safe/legal lane-splitting of motorcyclists need to get their heads out of their asses. Much like people who think it's their right to drive in the passing lane all the time; it's not. Chuck

I've got one and like everyone else has said, yes, it gets hot. I very-rarely sleep under a real blanket on it. It's a very comfortable mattress, but it has NOT stopped me from rolling around in the bed like I did on a "normal" mattress. Chuck

Another note: When Beezy Shaw died from cancer a number of years ago we all met up for his ash dive down at Skydive The Farm in Rockmart, GA. The ash dive was, as I recall, a 18-way with two tandems on opposite sides. I was on that jump. Chuck

Well, it's been ten whole years since Paul's passing. It's still hard to believe. I miss you brother and still think of you often. Chuck Blue, D-12501

This bears repeating. The location of the brake setting guide ring is standard throughout the industry. People prefer longer than stock and shorter than stock for a variety of specific reasons: For swooping, longer risers are desired because they increase the recovery arc of a canopy and thus allow it to stay in a dive longer (which helps maintain and generate speed). When you do go to longer risers you are going to have to take your control stroke into account. If you want your canopy to start flaring at the same control point relative to your body (lets say at shoulder height), then you are going to have to lengthen your lower control lines the same distance you lengthened your risers. For wingsuiting, on the other hand, many prefer shorter risers because it aids the jumper in reaching the toggles after opening. I used to routinely jump 18" risers on my wingsuit rig. People jumping shorter risers must understand that this will also shorten the recovery arc of their canopy. People, like me, who jump "short-ish" risers in their wingsuit rig, but also routinely land on rears, almost always have "Top Rings" on their risers so when they transfer from their dive loops to their rears they do not bind up their control lines at the guide ring. Actually, all of my risers have top rings and anyone who swoops ought to be running that setup. Chuck

SHHHHHH!