vanair

wow what a ride, alot of good arguments, but I still think this was avoidable, a canceled 911 call is only canceled if a believably calm person talks to the 911 operator convincing them, not with a beaten wife screaming in the backround. Also off topic but in the 80s there was a phone that when the battery got dead, it called 911. don't know how or why but my girl friend had this happen to her 0300 police show up at her door. she says every thing ok lets officer walk thru house to prove everything ok. it was later that she learned about the phone problem.

I have had a few near misses. One close one that if I hadn't turned quick would have been a hit. Since then(25 yrs ago) when I'm cruising below 3,000' I fly at off altitudes, 1700", 2300", 2800" etc. cause everyone is at 1500", 2000" 2500". Other rules apply above 3000" AGL.

sorry, yes I realize Flags.. is a movie I meant "Flyboys". there is a movie "Flyboys" but it's about WWI.

Sounds great. Not a movie yet but great book. "Flags of our fathers" written by James Brady, Son of an Iwo Jima flag raiser. He was inspired to write this, his first book after finding all his fathers war mementos in a box after his fathers death. He also wrote "Flyboys". A story about the mission George Bush senior was on. Mission was to take out a radio tower on the island next to Iwo Jima. All shot down, some taken prisoner. Now thru the freedom of information act the true story is declassified. Some facts were not revealed till now to protect the parents of our men from hearing about their horrible fates. The Japs unlike our forces weren't well supplied. They were dropped of on these islands and were expected to live off the land, hunt, fish etc. As a result they were literally starving. In some cases they would take a prisoner, cut off a hunk of flesh from the thigh to cook and eat. They would put a tourniquet on it so they wouldn't bled to death. That way the meat would not rot (no refrigeration) and they could have more several days later. Unbelievably inhumane. Great books.

You've got to be kidding, No fault? As mentioned before. Should have called house from outside gate. Could have retreated and shut gate, used mace or baton. When I was younger I was bite on the face by a dog, so I had a fear of dogs. I got over it in my teens by working with a friends brother who trained attack dogs. I had the padded suit on. Learned how to defend from dog attack, actually very easy if you don't panic. Yes a more experienced officer would have handled it differently. Not going to get into the gender thing but a larger stronger person is less likely to be knocked over. Having been an MP, yes I think all cops should be big and strong and would have handled it differently than a 98lb Barney Fife.

I had a small lady about 8 years ago, she had so much nervous energy at the loading area I conned her into doing push-ups. Just to give her a channel for it. When we left the plane she screamed, screamed the whole freefall. Opened, she was still screaming. I yelled are you ok? She said "Yes, thousands of dollars of therapy and all I ever really needed to do was jump out of an airplane" I laughed and said yes this is the best therapy in the world. As we all know, but very funny how she instantly recognized it

One of the best legal items for home defense is wasp spray. Squirts out in a stream 20-30 feet, worse than pepper spray or mace. Only down side, doesn't come in small easy to carry cans like pepper spray does. Also if you work late or alone won't raise eyebrows like a can of mace might sitting handy in your office.

Last year at the ranch NY, I was ground briefing a group of three. I was supposed to jump with one of the guys. I guess I inspired confidence cause the girl and her BF requested I jump with her. She was terrified. The whole ride up she was hyperventalating and stating. "I can't do this" I gave my best talk and her BF did also. When it was time I just stood up and walked to the door. She was screaming no the whole time. When we got to the door she didn't grab the bar or the otter door, so we went. Screaming the whole time. She wouldn't let go of the harness and was screaming and hyperventalating under canopy. When we landed she said she would never do this again. After talking to her after I realized she didn't grab the plane to prevent exiting cause she had her eyes closed. She said she opened them a couple of times after the parachute opened but only for a few seconds. I sorta felt bad after that. Cause I really forced her to go. If she had grabbed the door I wouldn't have gone. I didn't realize she had her eyes closed. Also funny, the first thing she said to me when we met was "the girls in the office told me to tell you that I have implants" yup best rack money could buy. For a second I was tempted to say. OK I have to see them so I know how to adjust the harness, but my professional judgment prevailed.

Several years ago I did a Tandem at the Ranch NY. Perfect warm fall day, Pretty much at peak leaf time. Almost sunset, we opened out towards the ridge, just perfect. My lady student said it's so quiet. I said you think it's quiet now, wait. I went into brakes so we just hung there, real quiet. She said this is so beautiful I have to sing. I'm thinking Oh God here we go. But I said sure go ahead. Well when I was a kid one of the first movies I saw was 'The Sound Of Music' loved it. well it turned out she was a professional opera singer. She sang the opening song. "The Hills Are Alive with the Sound of Music' Wow beautiful I actually teared up. I should have been paying her. just had to share

Still have my mug from 1974 when I was 17. started jumping 2 months after I turned 16

In 74 at orange I saw my first square, a para-plane cloud, I talked the guy into letting me jump it even though I only had a little over 100 jumps. What surprised me was the wind noise cause it was so fast. I got one as soon as I could. Old ropes and rings. Dual pilot chutes. Once on opening one of the pilot chutes was wrapped around a steering line. I stalled to try and unwrap it. Darn thing went forward thru the other lines, and wrapped around an a line when the canopy surged forward after the stall. The drag from the pilot chute caused the canopy to collapse around it OOPs. Now uninflated flat spin, cutaway. Lucky I was still at 1500'. Never thought it would do that. Only 1 jump on a strato star. Wouldn't any more after I saw one at Shawanga NY in gusty winds the whole top leading edge collapsed down against the cell openings, dropped about 50' till it snapped open reinflating. Lucky it was reopened about 50'. I did make a few jumps on a Safety-Star before I bought one for me first square reserve. At 225-230 I could still do a stand up landing, One of which was from the World Trade Center on 9/13/1980. Also Stand up landing on Staten Island on 12/07/1980. From the top of the Verrazano Narrows bridge

I was just speculating that if guns were unavailable a crossbow could be used. If they are unavailable one could probably be easy to make. Not trying to be an asshole(my wife says I don't have to try) but just playing devils advocate.

how about a crossbow?

Very Sad, I haven't seen him in about 7 years when he came to my home DZ the Ranch in NY. But I remember him from Orange in the late 70s & 80s. My brother Gary and I worked there. He was a great guy. Never had a bad word about anyone, always willing to lend a hand. There is a big empty spot in the sky today!!!

yeah your right, too bad he gets to vote

read it before you judge it

it's not NRA propaganda but a study by gun opponents. I'm all for doing whatever works to cut down on violence. But I have an open mind to all potential solutions and not just latch onto a knee jerk reaction. http://www.davekopel.com/2a/mags/hold_your_fire.htm and what am I supposed to be searching for?

what link? and please read it, I know it's a little long and dated ,but it has some very surprising conclusions. http://www.davekopel.com/2a/mags/hold_your_fire.htm

I was talking to Ron, but I ASSUMED everyone on this topic would read it, especially you. I was angry about that lady having to watch her parents die because she was respecting the gun laws. Read it, you might just get it http://www.davekopel.com/2a/mags/hold_your_fire.htm

Ron, maybe you missed my post, this greatly supports your stance, a little long, but read the whole thing. very factual. van http://www.davekopel.com/2a/mags/hold_your_fire.htm

Hi guys, New voice here, read this, a little long but very interesting http://www.davekopel.com/2a/mags/hold_your_fire.htm A man with a gun is a citizen, A man without a gun is a subject.

28 years ago in college I 22 yr old ucmc 4yr vet had a discussion in my psychology of adjustment course. I brought up hand guns, and stated that Idon't, but if I'm out in I higher crime area I would prefer to carry a hand gun. My liberal older lady prof went off on me. And sort of to get her goat I mention the archie bunker theory on how to stop hijackings. Very funny, he says that all you have to do is hand a 38 to everyone when they get on the plane. Who's gonna stand up in front of a hundred people with 38's and try to hijack a plane. funny, impracticable but a ring of truth truth to it. She went off, I just said I want to be at least as well armed as the criminal. ie if someone pulls out a knife on me I want to pull out a handgun. She had a fit, saying how stupid that concept is etc etc. I said if it is so stupid why are two super powers, us and the ussr trying do do the same thing? I ended up having to go to the dean to get my deserved A instead of the C she gave me in the course. By the way my wife and I are moving to north of White Plains NY. Either Brewster NY area or Danbury Conn area. Wondering if one state has a great advantage over the other overall and in gun laws Thanks Van

there might be something else we just don't understand yet. I never in a million years would have believed that under certain conditions hot water can freeze before cold water. Just trying to keep an open mind, harry houdini once said "the hardest person to fool is a child and the easiest to fool is a scientist" just sayin

yes and no, in aviation they call it moving the fish bowl. the fish in the water doesn't change. so turning up wind, down wind doesn't change the plane or canopy in relation to the air mass it's in. hence moving the fish bowl doesn't change what the fish is doing in the bowl. however it does change your movement across the ground. and if it is gusting it's going to effect performance because the air mass is not uniform. Like an airplane on final having a head wind shift to a tailwind is going to have a large increase in rate of decent. many planes have crashed because of this. So more is involved than just "Turbulence" . But there are are many old pilots that swear turning from a head wind to a tail wind produces some loss of lift.

I remember david from woodstock ct. In the early 80's Great guy. We need more like him, van