Baksteen

It's a conspiracy! The mods must be playing mind games with us! "That formation-stuff in freefall is just fun and games but with an open parachute it's starting to sound like, you know, an extreme sport." ~mom

Hey, where did my post go? It seems to have been gobbeld up by yours, as you now have my sig EDIT: Maybe some bug which pops up if people are posting at approximately the same time? "That formation-stuff in freefall is just fun and games but with an open parachute it's starting to sound like, you know, an extreme sport." ~mom

Mine too - which is bad for poor Ole Tom's rep, since all the BS I'm talking now looks like I'm quoting him. "That formation-stuff in freefall is just fun and games but with an open parachute it's starting to sound like, you know, an extreme sport." ~mom

First, your own sig seems appropriate here.

A guy having to clean the entire house while the missus holds the video camera? @Granny: I think you'd find hiring me to be somewhat expensive, as a return plane ticket must be included in the cleaner's fee, which is at least twice minimum wage. "That formation-stuff in freefall is just fun and games but with an open parachute it's starting to sound like, you know, an extreme sport." ~mom

You stop wondering where the next drink is coming from, in favour of worrying where the next lavatory is at. "That formation-stuff in freefall is just fun and games but with an open parachute it's starting to sound like, you know, an extreme sport." ~mom

I have a feeling that the advice given AND the OP's reaction to it quite depends on the attitude of the OP. I'm not a very experienced jumper, but I feel it simply is impossible to make a certain type of person hear sensible advice, regardless of the tone. If you are, however, a newb like I am who has a serious question, most people will at least try to give an answer to the best of their knowledge. "That formation-stuff in freefall is just fun and games but with an open parachute it's starting to sound like, you know, an extreme sport." ~mom

Why? I'd rather not have my mother come over to do my cleaning/laundry/cooking for me, unlike some people, apparently.. Nor do I feel an overwhelming urge to bribe my flatmates with sex, seeing as how one of them is a guy, and the other a seventeen yr old student. As to cleaning ladies, well, I once saw one finishing with cleaning a toilet and proceeding to work on the kitchenette with the same cloth... In partial amends for the cleaning, however: tonight is chinese takeaway-day. "That formation-stuff in freefall is just fun and games but with an open parachute it's starting to sound like, you know, an extreme sport." ~mom

*kindly refrains from making any sexist remark* "That formation-stuff in freefall is just fun and games but with an open parachute it's starting to sound like, you know, an extreme sport." ~mom

So I'm spring cleaning. And I don't even have a SO to force me to, nor am I expecting a visit from my mother or receiving a young lady in the near future. How sad is that? Then again, the weather is, er, "significantly suboptimal" in terms of jumping conditions, and both flatmates are conveniently away to visit their parents. So I figured, what the hell... Let's see if single men are really incapable of taking care of themselves. Well, halfway through it seems I'm doing fine. No injuries yet, apart from a few minor cuts and abrasions. "That formation-stuff in freefall is just fun and games but with an open parachute it's starting to sound like, you know, an extreme sport." ~mom

A very large fire extinguisher? "That formation-stuff in freefall is just fun and games but with an open parachute it's starting to sound like, you know, an extreme sport." ~mom

Contact the nearest farmer. If you insist on ploughing in, you might as well do it somewhere useful. "That formation-stuff in freefall is just fun and games but with an open parachute it's starting to sound like, you know, an extreme sport." ~mom

This one time, on band camp... "That formation-stuff in freefall is just fun and games but with an open parachute it's starting to sound like, you know, an extreme sport." ~mom

The problem with the downsizing threads is not so mucht he sbject as the OPs attitude, as you rightfully point out. However, as I said before plenty of times, i think it's worth wasting time on twenty trolls if it can help one 'real' person. "That formation-stuff in freefall is just fun and games but with an open parachute it's starting to sound like, you know, an extreme sport." ~mom

Why? OK, your no newbie anymore, and OK you've seen most questions already. Though I agree that all downsizing threads get repetitive, I'd like to remind you that when someone just arrives on these fora they don't know how the search function works, nor that their question (whatever it is) has probably been asked before. Does that mean that all newbies should just STFU and do a search? The hell it does! A newbie has just as much the right for personal feedback as does someone who comes up with a genuinely original question. Whatever that is. One more thing: You're not a Mod, so it's not mandatory for you to read those threads, you know.. "That formation-stuff in freefall is just fun and games but with an open parachute it's starting to sound like, you know, an extreme sport." ~mom

"I can fly, I can fly" (55 seconds later) "Uh Oh..." "That formation-stuff in freefall is just fun and games but with an open parachute it's starting to sound like, you know, an extreme sport." ~mom

"they're sharing a drink they call loneliness But it's better than drinking alone..." "That formation-stuff in freefall is just fun and games but with an open parachute it's starting to sound like, you know, an extreme sport." ~mom

That's archeology "That formation-stuff in freefall is just fun and games but with an open parachute it's starting to sound like, you know, an extreme sport." ~mom

Yes, dear.. "That formation-stuff in freefall is just fun and games but with an open parachute it's starting to sound like, you know, an extreme sport." ~mom

Roo Beer - the best there is. "That formation-stuff in freefall is just fun and games but with an open parachute it's starting to sound like, you know, an extreme sport." ~mom

I have a hundred jumps, but I long ago lost count of how many packjobs I have. Most of them unpaid, too.. -On rainy weekend days there was always a friend who'd help me learn to pack if I asked them. -If student gear needed to be packed, I'd occasionally volunteer. Those packjobs need to be supervised by an instructor, so I got a lot of help and practice. Additionally, those canopies are mainly F111, which is easier to pack. -I hardly ever use packers. This works best with a canopy that hasn't been jumped, as the package tends to be neater as you put it over your shoulder. Just carefully pull it out of tyhe D-bag. First of all, lay your rig down neatly, this will also help you identify any riser twists. Also, make sure that you are standing right in front of your rig, the "left and right sides" of the canopy (from your current point of view) should be at equal height in front of you. Reach behind you and pull any slack out of the lines behind you. When done flaking the "upper part", between the A and B-lines: (I am assuming you have a larger canopy, as do I. It helps if the canopy is "high up" on your chest, if you know what i mean - as little excess line hanging down your chest as possible/convenient.) Can you recognise your steering lines? Count them on one side, and slightly lift them. Now try to find the D-lines on that side. Hint: You can see where a line is going if you follow it down from the slider grommet. Now you also can take the D-lines in the hand with which you are holding your steering lines and lift both line groups slightly. Put your hand down between the fabric as far as you can, and flake. Now pull the C-lines towards the centre. You could probably see at least some of them when you lifted the D and steering lines. Repeat on the other side, roll the tail as you know how to do. Place the canopy on the ground. Pick up, pull apart and repeat. Doesn't matter that everything is still more or less flaked, it will help you understand what you're looking at. At least, it worked for me. When practicing putting your canopy in the D-bag, at first don't worry about the lines. Just S-fold neatly, put in bag, pull out, cocoon again, repeat, repeat,repeat......repeat until you see the light. Then pull your canopy out again and start over the packjob entirely. This time, pack carefully since you are going to jump this. "That formation-stuff in freefall is just fun and games but with an open parachute it's starting to sound like, you know, an extreme sport." ~mom

When Cousin It decided to get a haircut, things would never be the same again.. "That formation-stuff in freefall is just fun and games but with an open parachute it's starting to sound like, you know, an extreme sport." ~mom

That works both ways, Turtle.. There's no way you can prevent me from bugging you with my rants, short of bribing a mod. Seriously though, I find it telling that posts that are actually relevant to the discussion tend to be ignored, with threads quickly dissolving into pointless bickering over the scientific background (or lack thereof) of the skydive rather than the skydive itself. I'm not an atmonauti advocate per say, but I do wonder whatever happened to simply having fun skydiving. Why all the bashing? "That formation-stuff in freefall is just fun and games but with an open parachute it's starting to sound like, you know, an extreme sport." ~mom

Allright Don't have a cow, bro... Sheez.. "That formation-stuff in freefall is just fun and games but with an open parachute it's starting to sound like, you know, an extreme sport." ~mom

Not directed at you specifically, Turtle, but IMO the joke's getting kinda stale... "That formation-stuff in freefall is just fun and games but with an open parachute it's starting to sound like, you know, an extreme sport." ~mom