Bertt

Why analog rather than digital altimeter? Simple - no batteries. Digitals are better for some purposes, but for just plain skydiving, not having to replace batteries in the middle of the week-end is a big selling point for me. You don't have to outrun the bear.

That's about what my Spectre was like after about 500 jumps. Maybe it's because the change in trim is gradual, but I didn't notice it when packing. The openings and flare begin to get worse, so I measured it and sure enough... I had it relined with Dacron. You don't have to outrun the bear.

You live in San Diego. Meet a Marine. Date a Marine. Bring the Marine over for a quiet evening..... You don't have to outrun the bear.

This question comes up a lot on this forum. I'm sure you'll get lots of good advice, so I'll only address 2 issues here. The AAD can be bought new or used. If you can afford the price of a new one now, get it. If not, get a used one with a couple of years life left, then replace it later on. You will want to talk to your local rigger or DZO about acting as a middleman for equipment purchases. It is common for the purchaser to make a deal with the seller where the equipment is shipped to a rigger who inspects it. If the rigger says it's OK, you send the seller the money and keep the gear. If the rigger finds a problem (e.g. canopy really needs a new line set and the seller didn't mention that), you send the gear back. Either way, you pay shipping. If the seller won't agree to something like that, watch out. You don't have to outrun the bear.

Your dad is right. Only a brand new rig equipped with AAD and Skyhook will be safe enough. And a matching jumpsuit. And that old car you're driving - totally unsafe. Don't argue with the man. He's your dad. You don't have to outrun the bear.

Over a really long time it will. For a few days, it won't make any difference. What will make a difference is the stuff that gets spilled on it, the damage done by stepping on it, etc. In other words, if you don't want to pack it, at least protect it by putting it in a garbage bag or something similar and setting it out of the way. You don't have to outrun the bear.

Here's the link to the dual square report http://performancedesigns.com/docs/dualsq.pdf I think it's worth mentioning that having one canopy out at a time is much more likely than having two canopies out, so it's probably better to keep the reserve as big as your container allows rather than downsize the reserve with the main. You don't have to outrun the bear.

You can get the line trim specs for your canopy from the PD website. A rigger can help you measure your lines to see if they are out of trim. (You can do it yourself, but it's easy to measure wrong if you haven't done it before.) If you have Spectra lines, there's a good chance they are getting out of trim. Dacron, not so much. You don't have to outrun the bear.

Scorpions are not spiders. You don't have to outrun the bear.

The older airplane in that pic is a P-51 World War II era fighter. One of the best in the American fleet. Think Chuck Yeager, Tuskeegee Airmen, etc. Lot's of them still flying in the hands of those who can afford the maintenance. Great photos. Looks like a good show. You don't have to outrun the bear.

Excellent advice. I leave mine packed, hanging by the harness shoulders in a closet throughout the week. You don't have to outrun the bear.

Any unusual stains on the canopy?? You don't have to outrun the bear.

Since you said "budgeting", I'll mention that you can get used gear in excellent condition for somewhere around half the cost of brand new gear. Ask your local rigger for details. Popular canopies for beginning skydivers include Spectre, Triathlon, Sabre2, Pilot, and some others that I'm sure someone else will mention. You'll probably want something around a 190 to 230 depending on how the weight loss goes. Get some advice from an instructor who has seen you fly a canopy before you purchase anything. Look at the classifieds here to get an idea about availability and prices. You don't have to outrun the bear.

You have really answered your own question. You can put a lot of jumps on that 150 before you move to something smaller. You don't have to outrun the bear.

Good one. That's the kind of out-of-the-box thinking we need to keep this place going. You don't have to outrun the bear.

See if you can work in a week-end at Emerald Coast Skydiving Center in Elberta, Alabama. Make a beach jump and hang out at the Flora-Bama. You don't have to outrun the bear.

Sure, maybe you think it's crazy crap, but Fox News had an animation of the world being devoured by a black hole when they reported the story this morning. How could they have an animated demonstration of the event if it wasn't going to happen? I'm so sure Fox News isn't bluffing that I'm going to get 45 new credit cards and max 'em out on booze and broads, cause the world will end before I have to pay 'em back. And if the world doesn't end, I'm going to get Lawrocket to sue Fox and make them pay for my credit cards. So either way, I win. You don't have to outrun the bear.

"...using a reserve as the first option..." leaves you virtually no second option. Just adding my vote to the others who have said this is not a good idea. You don't have to outrun the bear.

You did jumps 1 and 2 with only one instructor?? Was I watching the right video? You don't have to outrun the bear.

You shouldn't have to sit through the whole course again, but the question is "when are you going to return?". If you wait until next spring, you will need a lot more refreshing than if you go back when the weather clears after the next hurricane. You don't have to outrun the bear.

We exit from a King-Air about 95 knots indicated airspeed. Cessna 182 about 80 knots indicated. Those speeds can vary somewhat, but that should be close enough for your logbook. You don't have to outrun the bear.

I've got a KA-BAR. I'm not talking about the 7" blade fighting knife you see in all the catalogs. It's a 3-bladed folding knife a lot like a Schrade Old-Timer. I got it second hand, so I don't know how old it is, but it takes (and keeps) a really good edge. You don't have to outrun the bear.

OK, I'm hijacking this thread. It has now become "Help Ether Approach a Coach". Your approach to learning is not as different as you might imagine, so that shouldn't hold you back. I'm not from Canada, so I don't know exactly what your license requirements are, but pick one you think you can handle, go up to a coach or instructor who doesn't seem to be busy at the moment and say "excuse me, could you help me with this? How do I ..... (whatever the particular requirement is) ?" Listen to the reply, don't argue, but make sure you understand it, say "thanks very much", and get that one knocked out. Repeat until done. If you go to the dropzone and concentrate on being a safe, competent skydiver, you'll mix in well enough with the crowd (or so I've heard). You don't have to outrun the bear.

You have facial hair. Therefore, you must have a Harley. You look young for someone going through a mid-life crisis. You don't have to outrun the bear.

Nice to see you're in a good mood again You don't have to outrun the bear.