dterrick

Agreed. I did my BEER! Kingair jumps at H town last Safety day and the pilot all but stood it on its tail just after wheels-up. Used to a '56 Cessna, I could not beleive that my ears continued to pop all the way up. It seems to me that I was only just getting my bearings on the area when someone called "masks on". Eighteen grand in about ten minutes just blew my mind! Of course, so did the 18 grand part

Ach, ya wuss! Be a Man and put yer crotch strap on too As a long time sports car racer I agree about how 4 points make you feel secure. My TR4 had (has?) fixed length 3 point belts and even those are an improvement over the 'modern' retractable type. My TR6 had the standard issue 3 points and when I wrote it off ( newly licenced driver turned left inot oncoming traffic - and I was that traffic) the belt did not snug immediately and my back didn;t recover for about 5 years. I wrote off my vintage racer GT-6 on the track (full race gear) and all I can say about the crash is that it was less painful than a brisk canopy opening - at least physically Something many on the list might easily miss is that an improperly fitted seat belt can do as much harm to you as no belt at all - different but equally bad. But hey, most people who feel that a seatbelt is "too restrictive" also don't like challenging the 1G barrier on their daily commute either. Dave Life is very short and there's no time for fussing and fighting my friend (Lennon/McCartney)

worsk for me ... thanks, my sister is a bubble wrap junkie. I guess sending her the link makes me an 'enabler' Dave PS: me likes bubble wrap too, and I've just had a flashbvack from that scene in Dude Where's My Car with the bubblewrap "space suits" Life is very short and there's no time for fussing and fighting my friend (Lennon/McCartney)

Are you anywhere near Boston, Kel? hat sounds an awful lot like a certain "T" party from waaay back except in reverse. Never a dull day, eh? Dave Life is very short and there's no time for fussing and fighting my friend (Lennon/McCartney)

well, I made 316.8 but the most fun was a 'pop fly' where pengie went headdown and didn't so much bounce as auger in at 207.5 It's not quite 'Badgers' but I like it just the same. Dave Life is very short and there's no time for fussing and fighting my friend (Lennon/McCartney)

Um, wow, Bill.... that IS quite a list of old timers. You now have me wondering about the early days of the sport and when people really strted to pursue licenses. Given that you are D-41 perhaps you could share the motivation of the early folk? What did getting a 'D' mean when (I'm not even gonna guess) you got yours? Obviously, RW had not yet been invented ... Could I also presume that your time spent reviewing old logbooks means you're (still) on the path to recovery and thinking about your past and future jumps? Dave T Life is very short and there's no time for fussing and fighting my friend (Lennon/McCartney)

Those photos remind me very much of the cartoon-ish 'Pterodactyls' from the Flinstones. WOW, talk about wings . I wonder if they are aerobatic or if they are purely cruisers? The planform and proportions remind me of a tandem glider. SA-woooooopppp! Nice post, Karen. Dave Life is very short and there's no time for fussing and fighting my friend (Lennon/McCartney)

Happy vibes for the safe return of your ride, Heather. Others have mentined it before in other circumstances, how 'bout your homeowners insurance policy?... your friends' policy? IF it is covered, and IF your premiums rise for "X" years because of a claim, you could figure out what the true cost of the claim is and then decide if it is worth pursuing a claim. In the mean time, perhaps your DZO has something to "rent" or loan to keep you buying jump tix? Yes, if I was the friend I'd have made those enquiries already - I wish you the same good fortune. Dave Life is very short and there's no time for fussing and fighting my friend (Lennon/McCartney)

...and for cat people (with apologies to whichever dz.commer owns this cat and posted this originally) .... a seriously pissed off cat -Dave Life is very short and there's no time for fussing and fighting my friend (Lennon/McCartney)

Geez, Ivan, now you've gone an done it. I owe BEER for this being the first time one of my threads has been reposted. Still a good page , though. Badgers anyone? Dave Life is very short and there's no time for fussing and fighting my friend (Lennon/McCartney)

[sing]mi-mi-mi-mi-mi-mi [/sing] C-182. Doing a hop n pop from 4k (DZO set 4k as the price break) and we though the clouds - about 50% - were that high. Turns out they weren't, they were a bit under 3. Pilot, being a jumper himself, and this being a slow day, decided to give the 3 of us on board a bit of a ride. A hard rise over the puffy, then down into the 'valley' on the other side. This went on for a few 'hills' and each time we all went 'weeeeee'. I didn't think a Cessna could be so much fun... . I almost wanted to ride it down but that would have been wrong! I flew back into the "wind cone" and then trashed my 7 cell (full stall) just to top the experience (the "extra" altitude gave me the room to play). We can't let our pilots best us now, can we? Dave Dave Life is very short and there's no time for fussing and fighting my friend (Lennon/McCartney)

Oh ya?!! Try Winterpeg on for size sometime. Ya, I know it's not much colder than Edmonton, if at all, but we also have no Rocky Mountains on which to ski six months of the year. Last week we had a blizzard and the mercury dropped to -36 celcius, with the windchill we were well into the -40's. Christmas Day it rained! I'd settle for "average" ... except that there seems to be no days which actually are Dave Life is very short and there's no time for fussing and fighting my friend (Lennon/McCartney)

Touché !! except that on Bimers we know them as kidneys. Those don' look like no kidneys to me... and believe me I did look / Dave Life is very short and there's no time for fussing and fighting my friend (Lennon/McCartney)

Heya John: Look HERE for the hat that I fly and have for nearly 150 jumps. The goggle clip on the back just unscrews and poses no snag hazard afterward. The graphics, a bit "Flesh Gordon"-ish can be removed if you are inclined. I have mounted a pro dytter (borrowed) for a night jump and it fits just fine. This helmet has a full foam lining, much like a very light version of a motorcycle helmet. Remember, ANSI rated ski helmets are designed to be smacked into an icy slope at fairly high speeds at cold temperatures so a kick to the head or a botched landing should be well within their capability. IMHO, it is a great hybrid between a fullface (always hot, but secure and quiet) and a protec (noisy, but cool-in-temperature). Don't let the "junior" size fool you - I tried on many "Adult" sized ski helmets and they all seem sized to accept a balaclava underneaath - you want a snug fitting helmet or it will just float around on you in freefall. On that same subject, just tightening the chinstrap on a too-big helmet will constrict your windpipe and prove uncomfortable. If you do winter jumps, you will like this helmet as it is profiled to fit nicely with ski goggles. All those "cool" bugeye goggles (also ski spec) work well with it too. I also wear mine for winter mountain biking but ya know I've NEVER worn a helmet on the ski slope ... not even this one Dave Life is very short and there's no time for fussing and fighting my friend (Lennon/McCartney)

TURBINE BABY??? Go live in Cessna land (no choice for me) and you'll learn that 'hop n pop is a regular part of our weekends. I'm looking forward to the day that the DZO lets us do a pass at 2300 ft ... this means a true 'clear and pull' for my license in Canada . I'd take a 5 count off the step with my Raven main (rules be damned) and think nothing special of it - except that I know the BSR's are there for a reason ... like dudes with Cobalts or other "Snivelies" trying the same thing who'd be paying for a new Cypres cutter if they tried that same manouver (I'm naked WRT an AAD) You want excitement and hair-raising? Try a horseshoe entanglement after an 8 sec. delay form 3k when you trip over the jumpmaster and "think" you're stable after a 5-6 second frontloop. Don't be jealous. That was neither fun nor intended. Dave Life is very short and there's no time for fussing and fighting my friend (Lennon/McCartney)

Heya Dave: I too, am not one of those comfortable requesting or reading about PDA's (public displays of affection) be it a request for "vibes" or be it bragging about "personal and private" activities. Maybe I'm just a repressed and private individual. Maybe this is just a function of the way I was brought up, or maybe it is a function of the belief I formed when I was about 15 that "going to a 'Church' every week doesn't make you a "good" person if the other 6 days and 22 hours of the week you do as you see fit to get ahead of everybody else with no consideration of others' feelings or personal values.. I'd love to hear the opinion of someone of the Jewish faith (..or frankly any other denomination) as I understand (only) those of the Jewish Faith believe there is no "Hell" (counterpoint: anyone of the Muslim faith care to espouse the virtues of Martyrdom and Jihad?). As ignorant as I am to the intracies of those Beliefs, the Jewish perspective does seem much more closely aligned to that which I consider "Karma" - do unto others as you would have done unto you... hold family and friends as sacred gifts... etc. My belief, , sort-of Ayn Rand-ish in my mind (yes, I'm a bit of a reader an theologian), ultimately implies that we are masters of our own destiny, yet we should ever be wary of the results we may cause by our actions as they are all inexorably linked by our daily interaction, be it by direct intention or by accident. Sadly, I am presently struggling with a personal situation that (I think might) vindicate my belief that "what goes around comes around". Worse yet, it involves the misfortune of one of "us" and I struggle to reconcile my belief in Karma with the fact that the issue has also hurt others who do not deserve to be hurt, IMHO . The world, and Life, is complex, and I can only hope that someday we will all be allowed the chance to undertsand what This Life is really about. "We" all live such priveleged lives as Free People (skydivers, wherever you live, consider yourself as free as any "free" people on the planet) that any discussion about "Vibes" is really a request for sympathy to the priveleged by the priveleged, for the priveleged. Dare I mention Karl Jung and my curiosity of his concept of the Collective Uncoinscious and Archetypes? Anyone...? Bueller... Bueller? (sorry for the somewhat obscure reference to Ben Stein that dates me as a "30 something" skydiver ... and SERIOUS apologies to those that remember that show) Dave Life is very short and there's no time for fussing and fighting my friend (Lennon/McCartney)

Heya Peaches : I've got 2 seasonal seasons and 150 jumps on a ragged out Raven main in a 20 year old racer (it's my BEER rig) loaded at about .95:1. As a student I flew Manta 288's and Cruiselites (also a 7 cell F-111 design) and the Raven was really intended as a one season 'save me the rental costs' rig. It's still with me, but as soon as I have the $ for a fresh main it will be retired. Once Upon a Time, a Raven was a High Performance canopy. That time, however, was in the late 80's. If you talk to anyone who was an experienced juper back then you'll find out that there is nothing wrong with the canopy as a first rig. It is much like comparing a 1985 Mustang to a 2004 Mustang, though. That is to say, the old stuff will do everything you need it to but it will take far more work and skll to get to "modern" performance standards. Also, like buying an older car, condition is very important. Caveat emptor, let your rigger or DZO lok at the rig first. My Raven thumps me on opening (I destroyed a slider and dinged the grommets on another one) so my rigger built a bigger slider and then installed a pocket too. Now I can pack it like a reserve and it will still open crisply or I can "Sabre" pack it and it will actually snivel half the time. My Raven handles, using toggles, much like any other big 7 cell - think Minivan or Volvo station wagon.... boxy and safe. But, once you have the basics down, with good coaching you will be able to find that 10% leftover performance that nobody ever looks for. I'm talking about things like learning to stall it fully/completely (think backwards flight and the pilot chute flying in FRONT of the canopy!!), learning riser control and the stamina required to riser a big 7 cell (it's a bit of a brute), maybe even some elementary Canopy Relative Work. Now the criticism...: Everything you've read about the crappy flare is true - on a relative basis. At 0.95:1 and nearing 1,000 jumps, I don't dare do a braked accuracy aproach anymore - it just loses lift and pounds me in. In my wide-open 1 Cessna DZ I have learned never to use the toggles except to flare - I fly the pattern on front risers (again, get coaching) to keep my speed and lift up. Mine flies dead straight and has only opened in line twists twice in all the jumps I've made. The Modern equivalent of this canopy is the Spectre. Whereas I fly the Raven 2 (220 ft) at nearly 1:1, I demo'd a Spectre 170 and it just felt soooo familliar - except that the opening was soft, the riser pressure was a bit lighter, the turns were faster, and the flae just never gave up!! I actually had an off-DZ landing on an unfamilliar DZ and sunk the thing in in 1/2 brakes at 1.2:1 and still had flare leftover. I think that the flare power of PD canopies in general are the industry standard. If you've found a rig that is cheap and fits you well, but has a Raven as a main, I'd buy it with the idea that the main is worth about $200 US in the cost of the rig. Don't overload it (try staying at 0.8:1 unless you don't mind some hard-ish landings) and plan to demo a Spectre at about your Century jump... if you can wait that long. Wthin limitations, I am firm believer that it is far better to learn on "challenging" equipment because it forces you to learn to fly rather than just how to write a big cheque. When you get your new gear in a season or two, you will be a more well-rounded canopy pilot than someone who's always had "the best". [Think of how many expensive sports cars are written off by rich kids who find that their driving skills cannot match the performance of the flashy car]. Remember that unlike writing off a fancy new car, crashing a fancy new parachute almost certainly carries serious injury consequences, if not worse. Don't trust your life to something un-airworthy, but don't dismiss learning the same way that your coaches did 10-15 years ago! Dave PS: my standard joke on DZ (where many people have Raven reserves that only their rigger has ever seen) is to borrow their rig "so I can see what my parachute would have flown like when it was new". And, no, I've never been silly enough to pull silver just for that experience - but it's a good line. That and "Every jump I make is a Terminal Reserve Ride" Life is very short and there's no time for fussing and fighting my friend (Lennon/McCartney)

'k shell, but did you visit the webisodes? Do it. Damn, they're funny. Dave PS: a livetime Canuck, I only got 7. Sucks, eh? Life is very short and there's no time for fussing and fighting my friend (Lennon/McCartney)

...orrrrrrr,.... fear of Cool Jazz? Dave (PS: that's Dextor Gordon [b.1923, d.1990] the saxophonist, for the uninitiated) Life is very short and there's no time for fussing and fighting my friend (Lennon/McCartney)

Good question. Multiple answers, though. I had my Beer resere ride as a student on jump #20, opening weekend 2002. I skipped one load to go grab the case o beer and when I returned the DZO had manifest me on the sunset hop n pop load less than 2 hours later. No fear, no looking back, and the discussions were had among the DZ as the case evaporated... andthen the next case evaporeated.... I still tell the story to new(er) skydivers because it is a testament to how the training WORKS. there are some jumpers at our DZ who have many hundreds of jumps and have been in the sport 5+ years ... and they STILL dread their first reserve ride. Getting it out of the way was the best thing that could have happened to me. BTW, it was a pc in tow (5 count, 'check ,000) that, when it finally opened, turned into a stuck slider/streamer (cruiselite student rig, I had NEVER seen it open before as it always slammed me before I could look up ). My parents were not freaked because they know that even if I do wacko things, I do them with a clear head that can think apropriately fast. I had an entanglement/horseshoe on a hop n pop at about jump 150. That one has been reserved for experienced jumpers and these forums. The parents don't know except that I had a "rough opening" (yes, you can get whipped around prety good when you're pulled headdown at 7-8 seconds form 3,000 by a pc entanglement and you kick the p/c off your leg just before your big 7 cell Raven opens...) and I was sore for a few days. Landings? The one and only time they've been to DZ was moments after we had our one and (so far) only tandem terminal reserve ride. The first people they saw besides me...? Yup, the TM and student, both soaking wet and muddy and both white as hotel sheets. They now believe in the 'any landing you can walk away from..." theory and so far I've walked away form them all. Fellow skydivers injuries? Not so far. My FJC instructor was the TM injured in Palatka (see incidents forum if you're curious). That one will not be discussed with anyone but skydivers for a long while... and even then I don't like thinking about it as it. Our small DZ has been fortunate to have very few lost time injuries but this one will be lost time at a minimum . Dave Life is very short and there's no time for fussing and fighting my friend (Lennon/McCartney)

Heya Derek, Stepping away from the sport you still love must take as much courage as starting in the first place! Never having the privelege of jumping with you I can't gush over your wonderful coaching skills or any of that "Stuff". I CAN say, though, that you have been the leader of many stimulating informative discussions in your capacity as Moderator, and even bofore then. "Think" says it all and it hs inspired me on many occasions. You are walking away from the sport in one piece and in good health with a very impressive jump career. May you be forever satisfied you made the decision to retire at the right time, but also know that you CAN chose to return if the spirit moves you. The most valuable attribute of skydiving, to me, is the absolute freedom it grants, retirement decision included. Enjoy, visit your 'family' often, and share with us the spirit of freedom as you will now define it. Dave Life is very short and there's no time for fussing and fighting my friend (Lennon/McCartney)

Err, aah, yaaah. I'm taking a statistics class for my CGA (...CPA stateside) designation taught by a "brilliant" statistician/PhD (his website lists many amazing awards and papers. bla bla bla). Lecture #2 he spent about half his time pointing at the screen of his laptop computer to illustrate points on his powerpoint slides ... yup, we were watching the "big screen" projection wondering just whatthehell he was thinking... or not thinking as the case was. See, this kind of moronicy (...icy, ocy? if I invent a word can I also invent the conjugation?) is not limited to politicians. but a pie chart on the radio - that's Priceless! Dave Life is very short and there's no time for fussing and fighting my friend (Lennon/McCartney)

..except that BASE off the Petronas tower is really just a 'hop n pop' without a plane.... Anything as high as most people's hard decks (at terminal) seems to be another animal yet again. Fjords, anyone? Seriously, I'm with ya on that one, someday. Thinking my 40th B-day as a present for surviving that long Dave Life is very short and there's no time for fussing and fighting my friend (Lennon/McCartney)

Anyone else get Non-Sequitor in their daily? This one should hit home for most of us

Happy New Year, Click Here Your site exists already. Enjoy. Dave Life is very short and there's no time for fussing and fighting my friend (Lennon/McCartney)