CKSCUBA

I wonder in the future if there would be a fair way to incorporate a anemometer in the speed and distance events. Some how use multiple anemometers and some how grade on a curve to create some handicap or averaging and go from there. The wind is way to much of a factor and those who jump when the its slack tide in the lull of the winds get such a great advantage. Then the next group gets 10-14 knots. There just isnt any equalization there. I wonder if some how a formula could be developed with the sum of the winds speed of each persons run and graded somehow with a grading scale for fairness. Especially when you see scores and the separation of the places is very small a few points then the luck of the winds could make all the difference. Chris

I love the velo fastest thing i have flown. I fly the Xaos 27 for a few reasons along with openings that I am used to. To me it is not fast as the VX & Velocity. The Velo feels the fastest to me. I have flown the Velo at 2.4 and that was very fast in compared to a Xaos 27 - 84 at the same loading. i love the Xaos 27 since it is a few steps down from the velo but I came from Crossfire's. I have my xaos opening the way I love and i also like a loading of 2.0 to 2.2. The risers both front & rear feel perfect to me. So I fly the xaos 27 for comfort & feel even if it is not as fast as the Velo or Vx. The only thing Xbraced i have not flown is the JVX. Sure in the right hands right? I know Jeffro is the bomb on the Xaos & others. i would love to see a few top pro pilots take the 4 Crossbraced Canopies ( Velo, VX, JVX, & Xaos27) for 10 Swoops consecutive each with the same wing loading. Average all the data out. It would be cool to see Velo guys pushing other canopies & visa versa. Have like in MotoCross we called a shoot out. Where the top riders road all the factory bikes a few laps on the track. I let my Velo friend fly my Xaos27 - He wasn't that into it. I know why. Velo is fast at 1.8 - 2.4 because that is all it know how to be. Chris

Congrats on the I rating Very nice You-tube Videos of the PIA Event. Well Done, informative, entertaining, and great continuity. Great! Chris

thats why they call it my space. It is a bio page you dont have one? i am glad you wasted time counting. I's Who else am i supposed to speak about on my my space? nice try

Cant say i like the way you moderate never have. Cant handle any criticism of your article and misuse your moderator self. You forget this America with the freedom of speech thing ( which allowed you to write your article in the first place ) You cant handle rebuttals that way it shows no character or security. Your profile pic says it all, you all alone out for your self. You semi abuse and use your moderator status for your own gain or protection. You should reflect why you didnt make the team and wonder is it the way I moderate the forum and the perception others have of you. Some of your trust issues you spoke about in your self reflective time in your article can be translated into other issues. example you don't trust anyone but your self, or you think your too good to jump with other who are not as good as you, or you don't want to jump with other afraid others may have more talent then you. locking the thread and moving into another non swoop forum so your peers don't have to read any criticism is a bit cowardliness. You wrote it you should be able to defend it. It is however just one persons opinion and i guess you dont want anyone else to share theirs on the process. Is everyone supposed to love your article just because you wrote it? You cant pick and choose and hide and move and delete things you don't agree with. I hate to bust your bubble no Pulitzer prizes for your article. It was well written but it was quite a kiss behind puff piece. I am not saying that wasn't the truth and i did like some of what you wrote but read it again and think of others reading it and imagine what is thought. read your comments like your plotting your revenge and the amazing part where you guys formed an assembly line to load wood in the truck like that was some amazing feet you couldnt have done with out the xproject. read it alowed and see how cheesy it is. I for one seriously think a reality type show and competition would have been something that may have been sold to the net works like spike tv or something . think of the exposure. Alot more then your well written article. In my opinion you should have made the team. taking away nothing from jessica she is an amazing talent but diversity they really need a women on the team in this day and age. If they were so split then they should have just added you and the other guy because it would have been the right thing to do. You have to have courage, character and conviction, to speak the truth but also to unselfishly serve others. If your going to be a walking self proclaimed ambassador for the sport you have to first have to start here and moderate more fairly and respect others who disagree with you or have a counter point.

Shut up Eric!! i would direct you and buzz having the fist fight over Strong - Vs - Vector on this reality show. As Director of this reality show i would have buzz wear one of his yellow bandanas and a matching yellow Sumo Wrestler Thong with the " Strong " Logo on the waist band You would wear the bathing suit that Borat wore sunbathing with the Sigma/vector logo on it with a Non-Sail Jvx Ball-Cap. then it you both wear your tandem rigs and the bell rings and its 3 - 1 minute rounds. first guy who deploys the others drougue first wins. are you in? I have a high def camera and 3 Hc sonys. we can get every angle. Chris

Ian’s article was well written but only reflected one opinion and one perspective. PD knows Ian and trusted him to write a positive reflection of the Xpansion. It was written very politically correct with nice things said about all. Overall Ian was very gracious in his winning and loosing selection. Very hard thing it must be to write about. “ Sorry Ian we are not choosing you now ( so you lost out ) but you are on deck for any other expansions and projects in the future ( so Ian didn’t loose he kind of won also) thanks Ian we will call you if and when we need you.” Ian and the other guy are in a strange boat, I would call them winners. Calling everyone one a winner, or saying that anyone of the candidates would be good picks and writing this stuff- “ After breakfast the introductions began, lead by the PDFT and John LeBlanc (who blew off a meeting to spend more time with the group!). I would expect Ian to write his article the way he did but would love the perspective of others and what they thought of the process. I know 100% that someone in the group of 15 didn’t like the process and thought the team had their mind made up before or had about an 80% idea. Then what of the competition was it all real or not. How fair did competitors find it and does everyone feel it was fair. How could have it been different and made better. See with Ian writing an article for PD and I think he is restricted in what he can say from his heart and how truthful he can allow him self to be without jeopardizing his on-deck position. Others who came and went from the project can freely express themselves. So Ian wrote a very nice article but that’s what I call a corporate puff piece As far as reality tv shows go and calling me cynical is a bit off. I don’t mean the way reality tv is done today. I don’t mean the backstabbing and plotting and nasty competition like survivor and all those stupid games they play. I am talking about the transparency and reality and behind the scenes and the complete coverage of every angle. With cameras in the bunk house, during the interview, on the plane, in the shower, around the camp fire, during the deliberations, during the meetings ect.. Have exposure complete and a camera everywhere and open it up reality t style. Not about money but about exposure and not about negativity but about truth. that type of reality show it would have been awesome for the sport and of course paint it all in a brotherhood of skydiving light and good will and positive and safe. You guys got to have some TV show vision here. I think a perfect opportunity was missed to turn the Xpansion project into a cool sport reality show, and with prize money. Friendly competition, a bit of drama, no fighting or pulling hair, exposure for the sport, cool stunts and swoops, and the best man or women wins. Make it 6 episodes of competition and interviews and or skydiving challenges. No eliminations or alias or backstabbing crap. Every episode do a short expo on different disciplines of the sport also to take up the time slot. Freeflying, rw, CRW ect…. At the end award some prize money, award the 4 slots and 2 runner up’s PD sells more canopies and the public positive exposure to the sport of skydiving increases 50 times. Ian is a fine chap and wrote a nice article and is a fine ambassador to our sport and always has time to answer swoop questions and share his knowledge. My dream would have been not to be on the PD Team but be the Director of the Reality show it should have been. chris

I would have loved to make it and film it in a whole reality show were multiple cameras following everyone everywhere with challenges ect.. not a survivor but a bit of amazing race, American idol, survivor, and that model show with Tyra Banks. Then every jump, every swoop ect.... give us like 12 camera guys it would have been informative funny entertaining and give the sport huge exposure. the OCC Chopper show is about them fighting and building motorcycles. This show would be about extreme athletes viaing for spots on the most exclusive & prestigious skydiving team around. i think it would have been awesome. Everyone is being kind to the folks who put it together but it could have been done much better and could have been put together as a product to sell as a dvd. if they video it impromptu and just shot it here and there and didnt get paid for it and did it for kicks then fine. it just sucks there was in my opinion a chance for some serious media exposure and possibley a unique extreme realilty show. i appreciate the footage and people taking the time to post the videos to youtube. I just think it could have been so much more. I would also love to have several candidates write a few paragraphs in reflection of their own experiences, at least here on Dropzone.com Ian's article was a nice article but it was more of a well written corporate puff piece with not one negative reflection. i think it balanced more on the feel good positive exposure then the true reality of the event. It is not like we want the dirt but would love to read a few more peoples account of their experience. It would be great to get a recount of the experience, their own personal story on how they arrived at that moment in their lives and their skydiving career. What they thought of the competition and Selection process. How challenging it was and what did they learn from the experience or how it changed them. How the competition stacked up and how fair did they find the process. Some of the candidates allready know the member of the PD team and i am sure it was the first time for some of them also. Then it would be great for the candidates to poll and score every other candidate to see who they thought was top or would have made the best selection. Hopefully some others will share and write hear about the good, the bad and the interesting. I know everyone here would read every single word. This was a definite first for the sport. It would be fastening reading everyone's separate account of the whole project and what the truly thought

will they release a Full Video of the whole thing with all the swoops ect..... I honestly thought the Video narration was somewhat of a parity at first or something not serious. They kept showing a person who i assume was the pilot sitting and drinking coffee. kind of a strange edit. I dont think that everyone would have a desire to join the PDFT. Some of us have families, many of us are not good enough, and I am sure their are many that dont have the desire. I am also sure that it would be a dream of many to be part of the team. I bet it would be unanimous that everyone would love to watch a total video of it and learn what the process was and the inside information in how people were picked. Chris

I like to first say that he had a Xaos 27 which gives you a super soft opening when your bailing out of a plane to fake your own death and then the good swoop to get again away from law enforcement. be a great commercial Chris

anyone try the different lens here and which one is better. i have the royal but got a huge scratch on it so i need to buy another one. so has anyone tryed the different lenses???? the royal was good it didnt let in alot of light so its kind of dark but the hc40 sucks for that anyway any thoughts?? thank you \Chris

no vignite at all. when i use a crapy .6 lens the picture is brighter if then if i use the .3 royal lens. what do you think???? thank you chris

Hey guys help me out please. I have a royal lens .3 for my hc40 its great small nice picture no distortion ect.. problem is that the hc40 dont let alot of light in. kind of dark and not a great bright picture. i put a cheap sony .6 lens on the camera and it brighten up the picture dramatically. so of the way cool lens the liquid lens and the royal lens what would let in the most light for my camera. i think the hc40 series camera is small and ok but it sucks for white balence and letting light in. also how is the hc90 series for letting light in i may just scrap the hc40 and get an 90-96 and get a royal lens. so will the hc90 series give me a much brighter picture even when using a .3 lens. So please yall help me out. The hc40 camera with any of the other lens's or the hc 90 series. i fly a side mount system. i fly an canon 10-22mm lens so and i set it on 14mm and i fly very close. to the tandem. any thoughts on this? i am open to any sugestions on flying a sidemount friendly system and low profile wide lens thanks chris