Baksteen

Well, if you reread the 2nd to last paragraph of post 5989 you can easily see why I thought you were posting to the wrong tab in your browser. I mean, it's quite the coincidence :-)

Upon reflection, I never accused my acquaintances of malicious malconformance. You draw much harsher conclusions than I intended. Nor did I say they ""drop all other measures of avoidance, e.g. masking, avoiding indoor crowds, and avoiding congregations of the unvaccinated", though to be entirely honest, I wouldn't be surprised if these measures were also less strictly observed. Complacency perhaps, or just plain and simple misunderstanding. I don;t really care.

They sound like they are a very intelligent and charming person.

Yes, we have as many covidiots (called "wappies" in Dutch) as any other nation. I can understand the grumbling in the early days, when Covid was some faraway thing which would maybe impact a few people. I myself have learned a lot in the past year and a half. And then, at some point during the pandemic the government started emphasising in their press conferences that they could understand "how limiting the covid measures are" and "that people were tired of the measures, but hold on we're nearly there" etc. Worst are statements like "curfews are un-Dutch measures", only to have to implement them a month later anyway. This, coupled with unrealistic timelines and ever changing "roadmaps" illlustrating the measures to be taken cost them a lot of credit. This is besides the fact that there is also a political kindergarten which is called "formation of a new government after the election". Fortunately most Dutch people got their vaccinations and keep at least some semblence of adhering to the preventive measures.

Meanwhile the Netherlands have gone into what is referred to as a three week long 'mild' lockdown. In a surprising turn of events the politicians have started to listen to the outbreak management team again when infections hit 16K a day. Restaurants and bars close early (take out/delivery still possible), non-essential services close at six, essential services at seven. Exceptions are made for cultural participation (cinema's, theaters, concerts) and sports. Eligibility(?) for access is tested with a QR code. You can get such a QR-code by vaccination, fraud, or testing. Our politicians are now considering to abolish the third of these methods in favour of the other two, since the unvaccinated are more likely to catch covid at controlled events and also more likely to spread it due to the fact that they are not only more likely to get sick, but also more likely to have like-minded contacts. I want to make clear that I differentiate between "unvaccinated" and "anti-vax", the latter of which I see as rabid troublemakers who do not deserve any kind of consideration. As to the first, it's not so clear cut. There the choice/consequences argument comes into play. Unpopular opnion: In my (anecdotal) experience, the unvaccinated are not the only problem, it's also the 'invincible' vaccinated people. Thise who think that because they are vaccinated they do not have to stay at home when they have symptoms, let alone get tested. I personally know two of those people, both in their sixties/seventies. If we want to control the infection rate I am convinced that banning the unvaccinated is not the way to go. I would argue to implement more testing for access to events, bars, etc. Such a test is valid for X amount of time. The only difference is that if you are vaccinated you get a certain number of tests per week/month for free, if you are unvaccinated you have to pay for them.

You still talking about Wendy being wrong?

As a long-term volunteer for several different clubs It's my experience that you invest a lot more time and effort than you ever get "paid" in recognition. If and when you reach a point where it seems not worth it anymore, it's time to take a step back and/or move on.

Fixed it for you :-)

Esther, since you did a tandem jump why not simply use the footage of that jump? That would really give you something few other artisis have.

Ah, thanks! I've been saving my popcorn for you to weigh in on this thread. Did any unidentified metal bits fall out of the canopy during opening by any chance?

Maybe in the Bill of Gates?

I use regular travel insurance with "extreme sports" module* in combination with the supplementary insurance of my national licensing organisation, the Royal Dutch Aeronautical Assosciation (KNVvL). It won't cover all the bases, especially gear costs after cutaway, but at least I'm medically covered. *Do your research. Some insurance companies specifically exclude everything except on-piste skiing from this module in their General Terms.

I'm going to add my voice to the "spraycan-dissenter crowd" of course, but I'd also like to submit that I'm not a fan of double stowing. I prefer to use small rubber bands and keep them in good condition. If I have to replace one, I also replace the opposite one. For reference, I jump a Lightning 160 with Dacron lines. When I loan rubber bands to swoopers, they complain that these rubber bands are too small (presumably for double stowing). :-)

This happens to be actually true for most diseases. "The majority" needs to stop acting like selfish, spoiled assholes and get vaccinated, in order to help protect the minority who can't get vaccinated for legitimate reasons. If literally translated from Dutch, I'd call it the 'vaccination umbrella'. There used to be very nice and informative films on Youtube explaining how this works. Unfortunately, in this time I am loath to search anything about vaccinations on there because I do not want to have to sift trhough the dross.

As far as I'm concerned you answered your own question. And yes, I am aware that I am answering someone with ten(thousand) times my own experience. Please do not waste any time with disconnecting an RSL during high speed malfunctions. This is true not only for PCIT or Horseshoes, but also for downplanes. To reiterate Jerry's point in slightly different wording (as taught to me during my own FJC): Time flies when the parachute doesn't.

I tell my students that even if they do not manage to complete the excersise at first, just pull the dummy after the canopy is open, in their own time. It may not count towards freefall, but at least you have the satisfaction of pulling the dummy in the air..

In the Bonfire there's a thread by or about skydiving duck. A student who wrote a comic about being a new skydiver. Check it out; it's an entertaining read and at the very least will show you that you are indeed not alone. Edit: found it: https://www.dropzone.com/forums/topic/115311-noob-cartoons:-skydiving-duck/?do=findComment&comment=230296

It has an indirect benefit: By decreasing the population of people who prefer Facebook-medication, the vaccination rate will actually increase.

Well, I'm going out on a limb here and guess that you are not a student trying to get their first few dozen of jumps in.

Nobody has ever said vaccines are 100% effective. But then again, nobody has ever said they lose 40% effectivity a month. Not even your source. I'd like to point out *again* that a vaccines' effectiveness (in %) is measured by comparing how many people in the vaccine group contract covid compared to the non-vaccine group. So if the virus changes, so might the effectiveness. If the number of cases spikes, a vaccinated person will have increased chance of (repeated) exposure to COVID. Hence more chance of the virus successfully infecting them. Lastly, I'm pro-vaccinating third world regions (which seem to include some regions in practically every first- and second world country as well) before mandating extra boosters. The longer the virus is allowed to run unchecked, the more chance of mutations. The more mutations, the more chance of a strain eventually popping up which lowers the vaccine efficacy even further. A mutation is a small change in the viral code, which happens when the virus reporoduces. Most mutations are harmless to the virus. Nothing changes. Some are harmful to the virus and will be weeded out as the new virus tries to compete with other strains. Some mutations are beneficial to the virus, for instance by giving it a shorter incubation time or improved resistance to the vaccine.

Actually, my experience as a low-timer was that you do at least as much waiting at multi turbine DZs due to many low-timer specific issues. That may be for instance since the DZ is not necessarily keen on high exit/high pullers in every load, or that the many instructors on-site are all very busy, or that available loads are spread wide apart due to the high number of fun jumpers and tandems etc. etc. etc. This is not to start an argument that small or large DZs are 'better' than the other, it's just a personal observation that there was a period of experience in my logbook where I could barely scrounge out a mere 1-3 jumps a day regardless of the type of DZ I went to. And the weather will likely remain an issue for a while, whether it be due to dust devils, rain, high winds or whatever in the general area. Also, OP, be prepared for conditions which allow others with (slightly) more experience to jump while you are benched. ETA: In all fairness, my job strictly limits my jumping activities to the weekends, and has done so in every stage of my jumping career.

I know, right? Waiting for the weather to clear up, waiting for your slot, waiting for the boarding call, waiting until you can exit, waiting until your AAD fires, waiting until you reach the ground, waiting until your parachute is packed.... Kidding aside, I too thought I'd never thought I'd get multiple hours in freefall. Yet here I am. And that is with at least half of my 1000 jumps being clear&pulls (five or less seconds of freefall), which I don't count. As others have said, there is much more to skydiving than the actual skydive. And please, don't go wasting your money on "one or two tandems a year". Save up for decent gear instead, or use it for tunnel time if the problem is/was something like stability issues in freefall. Tunneling is a great way of honing your skills (especially on rainy days). Be sure to tell the tunnel marshall that you are a skydiver though and tell them what you want and need to work on, otherwise you'll likely get the carnival ride. Better yet, organise a tunnel camp with other newbies and preferably get an experienced AFF instructor or coach involved (depending on the needs of the other trainees). That way you can buy a larger chunk of tunnel time, which is cheaper per person.

Let me put it this way: I agree that Big Pharma companies do not operate from idealism about making the world a better place. They are geared towards making long-term profit. But please consider that the best way of generating long-term profit in that field is basically achieved by, you know, not killing your customers and instead providing products that strictly adhere to international regulations and oversight. Another good way of keeping your profit is to not make your vaccine available to 3rd world countires, but that's a different can of worms. Lastly, as has been previously stated many many times before, a vaccine is tested extensively before it's released (starting long before we ever hear of it). First in test tubes, later in animals, yet again later on healthy volunteers. Each of these steps is subject to extensive oversight and auditing.

Caution: not a rigger, nor an expert. I mostly jump a L160 main and have a Tempo 190 reserve, which I got to land once. I have more confidence in my abilities of dealing with a two out than in my abilities of landing unconscious or otherwise incapacitated under a small reserve. I don't fully buy into the "two out" school of thinking, especially where the mains get smaller and the models more agressive. I am really curious about how a small swooping canopy would actually behave in a two-out scenario with any type of reserve of similar size, simply due to the differences in what the canopy is intended for and consequently what I imagine to be quite large differences in flight characteristics. It's one of these bits of wisdom "everybody" knows and passes to newer jumpers without question, but I wouldn't be surprised if it's only actually true (instead of merely kind of true-ish) for either rounds or the very first types of squares, which were both big and made of F-111. Someone please correct me if I'm wrong - with an explanation. :-)

"Stop crying, or I'll give you a reason to cry". when my little brother or me were whining. Having said that, I can only remember one single instance when my mom actually did smack me. Once, on the behind. I also clearly remember that my shock was infinitely greater than the actual physical contact. And boy - had I earned it.