HeatherB

I had to look at my logbook

1:7:0 1 jump where I really could have used the SlotFinder 2000! 7 fun jumps in all. Would have loved to do more but my ear just about exploded on the last one. It still hurts. 0 beers owed!

The last time I packed for myself I had a mal. Soooo...I'm not real eager to pack for myself again! Especially since I don't know exactly what I did wrong. I packed for myself enough times to get my "A" way back, then a few times here and there...but that's about it, sadly enough. I'd ask someone to teach or re-teach me and I'd attempt a few times but then give up. I need to get on the wagon. I'm wasting potential jump money!

What?? No Beer??? Jerm! Bad! I heard the pie-ing was very thorough.

We were able to sneak in some smaller jump in the mornings before the crowds (read: hungover people) arrived I plan on jumping my butt off this month. Who's coming out to play on Memorial Day??

99.99:9:0 99.99 = yesterday's % of humidity (at least it felt that high!) 9 jumps (mostly 4-way) 0 cases owed :)

Look for the "Bomb Squad" corner out on the deck. Lots of friendly nutty people. (mix of rw and freeflyers). I'm the redhead with the split navy blue and black Wings. Z-hills is great, even in the summer. Sometimes I actually like the summer better, since you get that small dz atmosphere but there's always an Otter!

Yikes. There are definitely reserves out there that turn and flare nicely. Don't put up with a sucky reserve! Do you still have that one in your rig?? Did you have a rigger check it out?

Out of curiosity, what size canopies do you plan on putting in this rig?

I'm going to have nightmares about that doll tonight!

Typical Wings bridle will be about 96" long. "Birdman" bridle will be about 106" long. (unless things have changed in the past month!) Shoot 'em an email if ya like. blue skies, Heather

Hey Scott, she looks great! Glad to see another happy Wings owner

Ok, I'll play since I had an odd weekend! ?:1:1 One jump. And one cutaway! Kinda put me out of commission for the rest of Saturday (don't like jumping borrowed gear), then the weather was crappy all day Sunday. Hoping this weekend will be better!

Those nifty little extra handles?? Next time use 'em AggieDave! I'm glad you are in one piece. Stubbornness isn't a good quality when you're dealing with mals! You're a very lucky guy.... blue skies, Heather

Heck yeah! It was pretty damn cool...especially feeling the main leave and that little bit of freefall. (I had an rsl until jump number 150 or so, decided against it after that). But still, hopefully I will not have another for a very long time! I feel lucky that this one was pretty straightforward and easy. (ie not spinning on my back or anything. it was just starting to spin me) blue skies, Heather

Hola, I had my first cutaway on Saturday! Deployed my main at 2.5. The initial tug seemed softer than usual, then I felt the canopy "pop" open. Not hard but it just felt strange...It opened on heading, I wasn't diving or turning. I look up and see line twists from the risers all the way up to the canopy. I thought "that's a cutaway!" Canopy started diving towards the left as I went for the cutaway handle, pulled the cutaway, fell away for a second or two, pulled silver. Beautiful blue PD126 reserve over my head! My first thought once I was under the reserve was: "whohoo!" then promptly "where's my main??" Looked left, and saw my main drifting down by Sun Path, and the freebag and reserve pc close by :) I did a practice flare on the reserve shortly after it opened. I had never flown a 7 cell or an F-111 canopy before so I figured it'd be an especially good idea. Reserve flew very nicely. Felt like a dog compared to my Lotus 136. Which was just fine by me!

You'll post photos of your rig when you get it, right? After all that time I spent on the phone with ya, I think I deserve an autographed, framed photo! Just being a smartass, Heather PS: Did you mark off riser inserts? I don't remember...

So, it's my last day here at Wings! I wanted to get some jumps in this afternoon, but the clouds are rolling in. Grrr..... Any suggestions of other ways to celebrate??

Playing devil's advocate here.... Brian's system is great, but you don't follow it yourself, right? Why not? If Brian's system is so great why are you not jumping something with a less than a 1.4. wingload? Or, do you not consider yourself a "low-time jumper?" 1.7:1 with 370 jumps...well beyond what most, including Brian, would deem reasonable. (Yes, I'm picking on you, but I only b/c I like you and I care) blue skies, devil's advocate

Same here! But I'm only at 430. The closest I've ever been to a reserve ride was during my first jump. I think that's kind of strange. blue skies (and no mals!), Heather

This is kind of a tangent I guess, but oh well. There are so many factors in pack volume: -7 cell, 9 cell, cross-bracing, airlocks, which manufacturer the canopy is from... -how many jumps the canopy has on it -the type of lines -type of material the canopy is made of (and even the colors!) -how good at packing the jumper is -how humid or dry it is wherever the jumper is -the "actual" size of the canopy (how it is measured, topskin, bottomskin, etc) ETC. Also, one person's "tight" is another person's "loose." Talk to your friends who have the kind of rig you're thinking of buying. Find out what their rig was sized for and how their canopy packs up in it. Talk to the manufacturer....email, call, explain what canopies you would like to fit in your rig. Make sure you get exactly what you want! Don't just write down one main canopy on your order form. List anything you're interested in putting in the rig

He's headed back next Wednesday! He's nuts, it's so nice and warm here. Thanks for the compliment too

The silver thread is actually much lighter in person that that. That looks more like dark gray. The rhino looks great with the moon/circle background but bear in mind that will cost quite a bit more than to just have the rhino. A much higher thread count... If you'd like a quote, send me a .jpg of it (highest resolution you have) and I can get a quote from our digitizer.

I like the rhino on the black #3, but I think it would show up better if the rhino were a lighter color like silver...silver looks awesome against black...

Hey, I hadn't hula-hooped in years! Give me time... We need to do another hula-hoop jump!