johnA123

"So, what do you think. Have our newbies gone swooping because they're taught that low pulls are verbotten" No don't think so. swooping is just a part of what technology provides. Most swoopers and newer jumpers I know are scared SH!@#$% to pull low or even transfer to a reserve. In recent travels I stopped at a new DZ for me and got to make 1 load, a "hop and pop" as they exited at 6000' i thought why not a 4 way? So I scared everone by opening at 2000'. 1st question after the jump was "did I have a problem with my handle? Laughing I said no just couldn't waste altitude to open high and not al least do CRW. The low pullers I've known are still alive today or not dead from low pulls. We knew where we were and anticipated having problems, plus the canopies opened faster and in the 80's malfunctions about became extinct. Now we have canopies that are a cutaway because of line twists! Also we shot accuracy, and now people swoop for distance. Swoopers IMO have more of a chance for death/injury due to the close proximinity with the ground when performing their manuvers. See ya "been around, seen some things, slept in dumpsters got high with kings KR

Should be up and running and jumping. just talked with Jeff "been around, seen some things, slept in dumpsters got high with kings KR

Don't have any pics but we had one at the Richmond boogie back in ??? Did some nice 16 way diamond launches out of it. And it was loud!! "been around, seen some things, slept in dumpsters got high with kings KR

Check out this web page http://www.soc.org/opcam/11_jj98/mg11_skydvng.html "been around, seen some things, slept in dumpsters got high with kings KR

my first camera I had to crank a handle on the side to record NOT hahahaha Good question though When did Tom Sanders start? Or the Rip cord guys "been around, seen some things, slept in dumpsters got high with kings KR

Big thing is to get them to get their landing gear under them ie legs and feet In the hanging harness have them practice this. Push legs hips down and behind. Tandems do tend to do the feet up thing as well asflare and the legs come up kinda like they are attached. Next do PLF'S off a platform not a 6" stand we did them from 8' working up form on the ground at 2' intervals 1970's round chutes but still the same If they jump and practice off high enough trainers they will do better. I've had only a handful of students that I trained not do well with this procedure. Thats since 1981 and a lot of students in the 1000's "been around, seen some things, slept in dumpsters got high with kings KR

Relying on technology makes your God given senses null and void. Ask cypress about the number of saves due to lack of paying attention to the big green thing below. factor them in and fatalities about double since it hit the sport. AN ADDITION? "been around, seen some things, slept in dumpsters got high with kings KR

I am an AFF I/E DE 22 years exp. Want to practice at home? Ever shoot a freethrow? Play base ball or just about any sport? Take your basic get ready stance for most sports Knees shoulder width or so comfortable, slight bend at the knees NOW the difference Push hips as far forward as possible Look Straight back meaning tilt head and neck back till you can see the wall and ceiling meet. Pur your arms shoulders and elbows in the position of a football goal post 90 degrees at shoulders .and elbows STICK the hips forward till your back hurts Thats it Your I's will tweak the rest If you really want to feel the pain do this but pur each knee and elbow on a chair and suspend yourself from the 4 points "been around, seen some things, slept in dumpsters got high with kings KR

seen a lot of posts about the BOD meetings this one and some others It looks like people are starting to figure out what Stratostar has been trying to tell everyone for a while is true. Been to them had serious complaints problems BSR violations dangerous stuff and more all the BOD did was to turn their head didn't want to hear any bad things Got my asss handed to me and my friends ETC......... So I fly and pull as low as possible under the radar Revolt now people!!! "been around, seen some things, slept in dumpsters got high with kings KR

freaking newbies we never had cell phones and did this stuff all the time ORGANIZATION key word technology is bad Marajuana is bad NOT "been around, seen some things, slept in dumpsters got high with kings KR

what stratostar said!! There are some DZ's that will help you. It may cost a little more that regular sized people but its way worth it!! i hate to say this BUT go to USPA.org and click on already a skydiver and then look up drop zones close to you. Call or e-mail them with your personal info. Most will try to get you in the air. Good luck. Let us know if ya get up. JA "been around, seen some things, slept in dumpsters got high with kings KR

"As for Jim W. threatening to fire staff for going to Richmond - put it in context: Busy tandem (labor day) weekend, no staff to spare. It was "show up for work tomorrow or don't bother coming back" They were not instructional staff "been around, seen some things, slept in dumpsters got high with kings KR

thats right I was trying to remember the old t shirts getting fuzzy these days I think students should have a choice of all training programs. S/L is good if you don't have a lot of money. AFF is good but costs more. Tandem should be only for the old people that want a thrill or the disabled. Never thought much of tandem for training. I don't like people that jump that are afraid to take resopnsibility for their own life, i/e dealing with a mal or landing on their own. Also if schools are doing tandem it should be training not just a 5 minute brief and hook them up and go. Have them wear an alti, pull the rip cord help with flying and landing. Tandem can be a decent tool if used properly. its great for teaching canopy control if the instructors do it. I see too many places where the brief is 10 minutes on the ground and the rest in the A/C. Land and signa certificte and move on to the next one. There is no time spent building a rapport with the customer. "been around, seen some things, slept in dumpsters got high with kings KR

Well there seems to be a lot of fuss going on here. I’ve been around a while and know most of the players involved. I’ve jumped at pretty much every DZ in this region as well as most others in the surrounding states outside this region. Other DZ’s in the area have tried to compete with “The Boogie” but have failed. A few years back Jim W. actually told some of his staff that they would be fired if they went to Richmond. Greensburg used to bring a lot of jumpers up for it and had some there this year I believe. I also remember seeing other RD’s at the boogie over the years, not always for the whole event but at least a day, Horan, Butcher, Cooper, Langendorfer (hope that’s close Ron) to name them. As for Start, I was notified by e-mail about their event, as was everyone else that is on their mail list I’m guessing. That’s fine if they don’t want to come and play and support the oldest and first ever “Bogie” (some of you old timers will get this) ever. Don’t need them and don’t want their attitudes anyway. I know most of them and the RD too. The biggest problem is they are ex military but not really. They have never really got out. That’s ok too, cause without people like that the army would not have people to brainwash. And the only suitable civilian job would involve standing on the back of the truck saying “wom back” I see a lot of yapping about training here. The military is a cookie cutter type of training that is suitable for minds that are easily confused. So there is a lot of repetition involved. I’ve trained many former military personal and was told many times that the training received was better, fun and a lot shorter than what they got by military Instructors, AND got all of the points across and was safe. Any training program should be able to switch between instructors and keep the training on the same page. That was the biggest boost that AFF brought to the table. The problem with some EX-GI instructors is their inflexibility. If it’s not on the sheet they are lost. They only know one way to get a point across and that’s repeating it over and over regardless if the student understands. The mentality is if I repeat it enough you will understand or you don’t jump or what ever you are teaching. Most of them can’t think out of the box and come up with other ways to get a topic or point across. That is the earmark of a good TEACHER. A lot of instructors are not teachers, just repeaters. As for our RD he’s full of wind and likes to hear himself talk, mostly about himself, in between bashing other CD’s and instructors that don’t fit his mold. The GK’s have always been a problem in the skydiving scene. Some friends were shafted by them 8-10 years back, and it was the good ole boy network at its best. Jim W. should have been in jail as well a Paul F. for some of the safety violations, but the GK’s stepped in and covered for them, and USPA looked the other way. Sadly tandems are here to stay, too much easy money involved. The retention is lousy because the customer’s; not students, are pushed thru without any training. Hi bye next 30 bucks please. The RD says they had great retention in Michigan. True but it was due to the manager he helped get fired, not his doing. Yes I jumped there also and I know what went on. Too much money to train? Hmmm this has been a problem since I started. Cost me $30 bucks for my first jump. That was a lot in the 70’s when working for 5 bucks an hour. Richmond will continue on in some way, at least I hope. All the boogies were down this year. Some of you asked where all of the younger folks were, probably at Chicago for summer fest. A lot of people I talked with this year in my travels were debating where to go for Labor Day. Some hit the Couch freaks, or the herd boogies. Or summer fest. People don’t have the time and money to go to a lot of places this year. Economy is bad in a lot of places so folks are hanging onto their money. So don’t worry, Richmond will be around for another 20 years, some of the new places will not as soon as people realize that they are money machines and not a family. "been around, seen some things, slept in dumpsters got high with kings KR