danornan

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Posts posted by danornan

  1. Since I dive (SCUBA) & have lots of 2-3-4 pound soft weights, I also use them for skydiving. Works better than the individual 1 lb. weights. TSA comments on SCUBA and I let it go....

    I'd really like it if the DZ's would allow us to rent weights at events. Maybe charge $3.00 per pound and give you back $2 when it's returned.
    Dano

  2. My first hard helmet was a Z-1, it's now about 3-4 years old and if I had to replace it today, I'd buy another. Everyone's head is different and my large, fits me like a glove. The paint quality was good, I love the flip up visor that does not break when I forget to flip it down on a jump and yes, it does have a few rub marks that would have been on my head if not for the helmet.

    You buy something sight unseen, not from a local dealer and you take your chances. Nothing is perfect and after a few jumps, neither will be a helmet.
    Dano

  6. Quote

    Hey guys,

    I am going on my first skydive this weekend and my family and girlfriend have accepted it, but once she found out that I wanted to make it a hobby and do it more often, she broke down and lost respect for me and thinks that I am picking it over her and that I don't care that I make her worry.

    I know you guys have struggled with this and experienced this probably worse off than I have. What can I do if this is something I feel in my heart I want to do when someone else can't understand that and is hung up on that little chance that something can go wrong and I could die.

    Please help.
    Thanks :(



    Let me see if I got this right. You haven't made a skydive, yet it has become your passion and you are concerned about the rest of your life! Maybe just slow down a little before you get the tattoo and see how you like your first jump.
    Dano

  7. Quote

    Atheism is anti-religion which of course includes Christianity as well.
    The real difference between Atheism and any other religion is not accepting things based on “BELIEF”. Atheists accept provable facts. They not against religion because they are evil or bad, but rather because they just don’t want to accept “beliefs” without any evidence.
    The problem with religion is (any religion) it accepts beliefs as solid fact.
    Just a few for example:
    -The inquisition used to prosecute and execute scientist (mostly burn them at the stake) because they came up with the evidence the Earth isn’t flat and it’s not even in the center of the Universe. The church was holding onto their BELIEF (which of course had no realistic base at all) so strongly they were killing anyone who tried to challenge it.

    -Protestant Christians (even today they all read the exact same King James Bible) believed in witches. So based on their beliefs they burned a bunch of innocent people.

    -911 hijackers had a nothing else but their faith (belief if you will) to make them carry out their terrible attack. They didn’t make their decision based on rational thinking or facts. They acted based on beliefs which was “implanted” into their head by their leader.

    -Japanese kamikaze pilots had their beliefs too….

    -Charles Darwin was condemned when he came up with the idea humans and prime apes evolved from a common ancestor. The Bible (which is based on faith and not facts) was saying otherwise. Now we know Darwin was right (Chimps and humans share 98% same DNA)

    -If you ask a person on the street about skydiving they believe the odds tend towards to get killed rather than survive. They say it because of their belief based on bad information or lack of information. We both have to agree on that those “street people” (wuffos if you will) belief is wrong. They just believe skydiving is way too crazy but they have no clue what so ever abut the sport. Try to get insurance for skydiving here in the US. The insurance agencies will deny writing up a decent policy based on belief not the true data about skydiving.

    And the list never ends how much humanity (the smaller group of them with the doubt in faith) had to fight against nonsense beliefs in order to have accepted. Unfortunately this problem hasn’t gone away until this day. People with common sense and real facts have to go against those who have nothing else but beliefs without ant solid evidence. Frankly, it really scares me when elected politicians try to legislating law based on beliefs and their personal religious views.

    Atheists don’t “believe” like members of any other religion. Atheist accept facts, they make conclusion after checking out a certain problem from all possible angles.



    Laszlo, VERY WELL PUT.
    Dano

  11. Since I started jumping in the mid 80's at Z-Hills and didn't travel to other Drop Zones to jump till much later, I thought that all DZs had a DC-3 and it was normal to be doing 40-ways every weekend. What an awesome place to learn to skydive and call home. I didn't know how well I had it at the time.
    Dano

  12. Find a close, local boot-camp. We have one less than a mile away that meets 3 evenings a week for a full hour of just about everything you can imagine. Calisthenics, jogging, tug of war, pushing trucks and all sorts of agility drills. Every day it is different and with a group it is easier to stay motivated. Home gyms don't last very long for most people. The boot camp is a lot of fun and I really look forward to it. We also do a group ab workout several evenings a week too. Break up the routine and keep it simple.
    Dano

  17. The "key" to a ride back from at the Hills is to land way out! Land too close and you get to walk. As always, it's more congested the closer you get to the packing area.

    Deciding where to land, determines whether or not you walk get a ride or are carried!
    Dano

  20. I cannot speak for John, only myself and in the past 10 years or so, I have watched ( not read about) way too many people either hooking it in and killing themselves or an innocent bystander or watched someone swoop and miscalculate and die!

    I don't have a solution to miscalculations, but that, to me, is the cause. It will only stop when predictable turns are no greater than 90 degrees in the landing pattern that is normally used by most skydivers. Let the flames begin....
    Dano

  22. Quote

    Quote

    The only thing I dont like about wearing earplugs is the pressure cant equalize on its own in freefall, I always have to force it under canopy. (I kind of worry what sort of damage that could be causing compared to the damage of all the noise).



    I ruptured both ear drums on a skydive about 3 years back. One ear if I recall right is what they call a level 1 rupture, and the other was a level 3 (quite bad apparently. I was lucky it didn't burst). Hurt like hell and I couldn't hear for a couple days. I was out of skydiving for 2 months because of it.

    Anyway, I went to an ENT specialist after that to get treated and he basically said that wearing ear plugs on the way up in the plane is ok because you can still unblock your ears when you want to. But you should never jump with earplugs in because there's a very good chance your ears wont equalize during freefall. Your ears need free flowing air to equalise and the ear plugs prevent this. That means a drop in altitude from 13000ft to 3000ft (or whatever altitude you jump at) in under 60 seconds, during which time the pressure build up in your ears isn't released.

    So basically he said wear ear plugs in the plane on the way up if you want but keeping them in during freefall is a bad idea.




    Don't know if the above information is accurate or not, but I try to wear ear plugs all the time around noisy airplanes. Have never had a problem equalizing with the plugs in and can hear much better because of them. Already have tinnitus (ears ringing) in one ear and trying to prevent it in the other. Use them on the motorcycle too.
    Dano

  24. Quote


    I had 1 reserve ride on my Tempo 150, and it flew like a dog.
    It was pretty offputting trying to get a good flare while compensating for an annoying inbuilt turn.



    What I said! They will get you down, but be prepared for a steep dive and very little flair. Had it happen two times on my apx. 1:1 loaded 150, and it if you have one , just know what to expect. It did save my life, but knowing what I now know, and when it is time to replace it, I'll get a reserve, like the PD, that has a softer landing.
    Dano

  25. I've had several reserve rides on a 150 Tempo, and I would not buy another. It got me down safely, but the trim was way out of line and made for a hard unsafe landing. Get a PD. When I decide to replace the Tempo, it will be a PD as I should have the first time.
    Dano