vanair

Lots of advice, one thing I would have done is to shave my own head first. They don't shave it but clip it as close as clippers can get literally in about 30 seconds. Hurts like a mo-fo. Watch Full Metal Jacket as well. Most realistic USMC movie I've seen. My first week or so I truly believed that if you screwed up enough, the DIs would kill you, dump you in the swamps and say you went UA. Be strong, don't look ahead, just get thru what your doing at the moment. SEMPER FI. Van Rafuse SGT USMC 1975-79.

Inside every old person is a young person screaming "What the fuck happened"

Thanks, Baaaad show. That show is to science and accuracy what etch-a-sketch is to art. Oh wait, no that's what Rap is to Music.

OK, I have some more time now. 8 yrs ago I had surgery for sleep apnea. Basically an over blown tonsillectomy where they also remove alot of soft tissue, uvula etc. So I won't snore. Works well, now I don't have to worry about a knife in my back. As a good boy I reported this on my next FAA medical. About 3 years later when it was about to expire I get a letter from the feds wanting a letter from the surgeon stating that surgery was fine and no more sleep apnea. Great, contact Dr. Oh no I cant write a letter stating any of that unless you have another sleep study. Which means a night in the hospital all wired up. At that time my lame ins. would have cost about $1,000 co-pay. I am a pilot but am not flying and may not unless we can buy another plane sometime in the future. So the only thing that I need a Class III for is TI. FAA says they will not renew without letter. I call RW shop and ask if I just got a letter from the FAA medical examiner would that be OK? Because the Regs say FAA medical or EQUIVALENT. Forget who I talked to several years ago now, but he said yes or if canada is close (I jump in NY) just go get a Canadian medical. So I went to FAA medical examiner and after explaining the situation he was fine giving giving me a Class III examination and a letter Stating this airman passed a Class III flight physical. So I send this with my TI renewal to USPA each year for either 2 or 3 years, with getting a new physical and letter when my class III would have expired. no problem get my renewal each year. Until last year I get my renewal back, no TI on card. No explanation. I call USPA and they say the letter won't work. I go thru my argument of how much more equivalent than a flight surgeon stating I pass a flight physical could it get. They took it up before the BOD and I got shot down. So this spring now that I have better Ins. I will be getting a sleep study. Very frustrating when we as a private industry are requiring more than the Govt. does, ie LSA instructors NOT needing a medical. I agree a physical is a good idea, but why not allow what I had done? Which only cost me $40. Instead of $120. As I understand there are many people in similar situations with other minor issues that have nothing to do with passing the physical.

Any place I could find it to watch?

I'll make a quick reply now and then tell my whole story later when I have time. First of all the FAA does allow self medicals for commercial operations ie. LSA instruction, They don't need medicals nor do tandem hang glider or tandem paraglider instuctors. So it is not the FAA it is the DZOs that want it. They want it to take the burden off themselves so they get the benefits without having to pay for it. This is probably why they will switch to DOT's so they can get the benefit of drug testing without paying for it.

How about from now on when you read ROFLOL. You picture Scooby-Do trying to say waffle. That'll stick in yer head.

Not so scary, but funny. Mid 80s flying C-182 at Woodstock Conn. I have 3 jumpers, and an observer in the hot seat(next to me, sitting on floor, back to the Inst. panel). One guy getting out at about 4,000 and the other 2 at 7,000. Observer is fine, also has a pilots rig on. Fine till I open the Door, Scared as scared can be. First guy exits past him OK, I then shut the door. Observer starts screaming, I yell WHAT, and start looking around expecting to see an eminent mid air. Him screaming, me yelling What, What? Finally He points with his right hand at his left hand which was over his head and resting along the door frame, his left thumb is caught in the door. I open the door and release his thumb. The screaming stops. The rest of the flight went OK, he just quivered with his eyes closed when the other guys left. Later I asked him why he didn't tell me about his thumb sooner. He said cause I didn't want you to open the door.

Years ago in the Marines we were in an Amtrac doing a practice amphibious assault on the beach at Camp Lejeune NC. It's rather dark and cramped inside, also smelling of diesel fuel and rocking as we droned towards the beach. I took my helmet off and acted like I was heaving in it. We had a new Lt. and when he realized I was faking it he started swearing at me. Goddammit Rafuse(my last name) knock it off, someone might be on the verge of being sea sick and you'll just egg them on. Well not 30 seconds go by and guess who's heaving in his helmet? Priceless! Funny as hell. Don't think I would want to do that in the otter though.

Oops, body BAG

I agree concealed is better. Watch sempercool.com video of him in a shootout with robbers. I read the book, very good. I agree that if he had a gun on his hip the robber would have shot him right away. He was lucky, in his book it's revealed that there were 4 of them and they were planing on killing him, having brought a body bad in one of their 2 vehicles. Semper Fi.

Ok, how about high speed rattle? Heard a few, maybe not enough to rename them buzzer snakes. Early 70s, me early teens, used to roam my uncles farm in NH. Fun for a young lad traipsing thru the woods with a .22 one time came across a rattler, not my first. I latter told my uncle that it seamed strange cause it didn't look like it had one but it was rattling. My uncle said it was a snake that imitates a rattler by shaking it's tail and making the noise in it's throat. Forgot the name, very interesting. Sure fooled me.

The two most recognized sounds of danger are a shotgun round being racked and the rattle of a rattle snake. Read that some place official.

First heard this in the early 80s when I was taking a course for my commercial pilots license and we were going over how we learn.

OK, never been puked on, but I do remember A big guy under canopy before I could say or do anything, honked up a HUGE loogie, turned and spit. It hit my bare right bicep and stuck. Gross, he saw what he had done and profusely apologized, so did I as I wiped it on his jumpsuit. Not to mention all the stuff that hit my face and goggles in freefall before I learned to offset.

http://www.m2film.dk/fleggaard/trailer2.swf

Don't we already have something similar? Correct me if I am wrong but can't a judge lock someone up indefinitely for contempt of court? Mike Sergio, Bandit NYC Mets jumper was locked up for about 6 months contempt of court for not naming the Pilot. No sentence, just, were gonna lock you up till you talk. Released when senator D'amato interviened.

start doing tandems, then every non tandem will seem low. ground rush at 2500'

The Ranch is flying the Otter

Besides, if it was needed it would be degrees of correction, or percent of degree of correction. Not feet of correction.

OK, I'll bite. Tell the story.

When I watched Ripcord as a kid. Then in 1965 I'm 8 years old watching 3 guys at a county fair demo out of a Cessna. I was like "They're GODS". My fist jump a 16 was just the physical confirmation. Got T-10 at # 26 after graduation from student program.

Hey, I'm from 57.

Fuck them, I had alot of com. Jobs over the years. one at a jeep dealer selling for a couple of years. I got an offer from a BMW dealer where a friend worked. I actually talked about it with my mgr/friend, pros cons etc. He was real nice, gave me all the pep on staying. finally I decided to jump, gave my friend my 2weeks notice. he said GET OUT. another time about 10 years ago selling at an Audi dealer in NY, moved to NJ got a job at one in NJ. After about a month causually mention that the first dealer still owed me for a few deals, good guys, got paid. But Tom my new Mgr said if It was him he would see me in labor court before he paid. He said it as a joke but I knew he meant it. Now for a lot of reasons I can't work there. I line up a new job. On my last day I get the "emergency" phone call that my dad had a heart attack. I have to leave to drive to Tenn. Kept them strung along for about 10 days so that they would mail me the couple of Gs that they owed me. Did what I had to do, and felt good about it, fucking car business.

These are our brothers. The Last 6 Seconds http://bejohngalt.com/2010/12/the-last-six-seconds/ Semper Fi