SStewart

I will set the bar even lower. If I can walk back to the hangar it was a successful jump. That means I am still alive and my legs aren't broken. Onward and Upward!

Awesome! I was hoping that getting old would have some perks! Onward and Upward!

It has been discussed for decades. The closest we ever got was the olympic rings demo in 1988. Skydiving has been a demonstration sport at other olympics I believe. The problem is skydiving is not really a good live spectator sport. I think the best prospect would be Para-Ski at the winter olympics. Almost every european country that competes in the winter olympics can field a PS team, although Para-ski seems to have lost popularity here in the US in recent times. I don't even know if we have a nationals anymore? Onward and Upward!

I find both Nancy Reagan AND Jane Fonda to be offensive. Onward and Upward!

You could measure it to be sure. Onward and Upward!

I have an Icarus reserve, it was made in Spain. Onward and Upward!

Oh wow! We will have hope for the first time since Ronald Reagan. Onward and Upward!

Santorum, he is frothy and has that fire burning down there. I think he has the most comedic value due to all the bizarre stuff he says. Romney is just too boring and predictable. Also, Santorum has the best chance of making the extremists look like complete fools in November. Onward and Upward!

I tend to agree with Ron a months seems like a bit too long to wait to inspect it and complain. I buy and sell lot's of gear on dropzone.com every year and I guarantee everything I sell. I have never had anyone ask for a refund or a return yet but if a buyer was not happy I would certainly take it back. I believe two weeks is plenty enough time to have a rigger look at it or even test jump it. That said it is not worth my reputation as a seller and a rigger to have an unhappy customer so I would have given the refund anyway. Maybe in the future I will set a time limit for returns so the buyer won't wait a month before having it inspected. Onward and Upward!

If I were to buy a new rig my first choice would be an Infinity, but that is just personal preference, less expensive than Javelin or Icon as well. If economy is what you are looking for the wings might be a way to go. If you are set on either an Icon or a Javelin, I would probably save the extra 500 for jump tickets. They are both good rigs. Onward and Upward!

Is the extra $500 for the skyhook option? Onward and Upward!

No problem, after I dislocated my shoulder I posted on this board asking for advice and I was flooded with responses. Mostly from experienced jumpers who have lived through it and continued to jump. It is a fairly common injury and many jumpers have gone through this. As I am sure you know there are many different degrees of severity concerning shoulder injuries and no two people are the same. To be honest I don't know the details of your injury and what may work for me may not work for you. Maybe the surgery and rehab are not worth it, maybe it is. It is really hard to get a fair assessment from some doctors. When I blew my ACL 20 some years ago my orthopedic surgeon said I would have full recovery and be back to skiing with no restrictions the next winter. But when I asked him about skydiving he said no way, and something about a perfectly good airplane. Skydiving has become more mainstream over the years but to some folks it is still taboo and considered "crazy" So just because a doc says you shouldn't do it does not mean you can't. For you learning a challenging sport like this will be even tougher than someone with two good shoulders, but that does not mean it can't be done. I tell all my students that skydiving is mostly between the ears. I just broke my leg (skiing again) in January and now after surgery I am going through some real tough rehab and therapy but I am determined to be jumping by late spring. I refuse to let an injury keep me from doing what I love. PS it is a short flight from Portland to Salt lake and we have a very nice wind tunnel here in Utah. Learning the correct body position can help a lot in your student training and make things much easier. It is also a real short trip to Seattle from Portland. You did not say have you jumped before at all? A tandem jump might be just the thing to do to see if this is what you really want to do. Good luck bud! Onward and Upward!

About 3 years ago I dislocated my left shoulder in a skiing accident in February. I had surgery to repair it and was back to jumping about 3 months later. I had about 3000 jumps at the time. That June during the last 2 days of an AFF instructor course I tore it again on a jump but it did not come all the way out. I was able to open and although it was difficult I managed to land without incident. I had a second surgery a few days later to repair the tear. My doc basically said I should not jump anymore because of the risk it might come out on a jump if I re-injured it. I have made over 1000 jumps since then but I have made some modifications in the types of jumps I make. I mostly shoot video now, but on fun jumps I make sure no one is taking grips on my left arm. If I launch something I do the grabbing so I can let go if there is tension, more than once I have had to slap someone if they try to grab my left arm. I have made one modification on my gear and started jumping with an AAD, also I practice steering and flaring with just my right arm in case I find myself unable to use my left arm. I up-sized to larger reserves so if need be I can leave the brakes stowed, steer with the rear risers, and plf. Much of this probably won't mean much to you but the point I am trying to make is with certain accommodations I believe you can still jump. I had a major advantage because I was already an experienced skydiver. You being a student will have a much tougher time if you were to lose function of your left arm on a jump. First of all, you have to get it fixed before you even consider jumping. Surgery is no fun but I would not consider training you as a student until you have it repaired. It really is amazing what they can do these days. Second, you have to be up front and honest with your instructors. And last you have to have a contingency plan for what to do if you lose function on your left arm. Bob Daughs over at Central Oregon Skysports trained a guy a few years back that only had one arm. He modified a rig so it could be steered and landed with just a right arm. Also the cutaway and reserve were all on one handle (SOS system) You might give him a call. If some one with only one arm can learn to skydive then I believe someone with a repaired shoulder certainly should be able to. In short you are not alone, other jumpers have overcome this injury but since you are just starting out it will be even more difficult. Good luck! Onward and Upward!

LINK NUMBER TWO! here you will find a bonifide chart of bureaus and offices of the USDA. USFS, USDA and the DOI are inter related... Hope this helps http://search.aol.com/aol/search?s_it=topsearchbox.search&v_t=tb50-ff-aolTB50CL-chromesbox-en-us&q=is+the+department+of+agriculture+part+of+the+department+of+the+interior http://www.doi.gov/bureaus/index.cfm http://www.doi.gov/bureaus/index.cfm http://www.doi.gov/bureaus/index.cfm edited to make them clicky like... :) You don't seem to understand the links you posted clearly show that the National Park service is NOT under the Department of Agriculture. It is under the Department of the Interior. The DOI and the USDA are two completely different agencies, and the USDA does not give out food stamps. Your original post is still bullshit weather you will admit it or not. Onward and Upward!

No worries, you just repeated something you read without checking to see if it was true. Happens all the time in Speakers Corner. Onward and Upward!

The food stamp program is a federal program but it is administered by state and local agencies, it is not part of the Department of Agriculture and it never has been. Also, the National Park Service is under the Department of the Interior, not the Department of Agriculture. In other words your post is bullshit. Onward and Upward!

+1 Jarrett pretty much nailed it. Soft links are stronger when they are new but lose strength over time and use. Rapides remain the same strength over a lifetime. Soft links have broken and caused serious problems, to be fair this could have been avoided by replacing them when they show signs of wear. Soft links are NOT easier to install, in fact compared to hard links they are kind of a pain in the ass. I use soft links on reserves because a reserve does not get jumped much if at all so not much chance of wear and tear. Also they are more comfortable on the back. I still use hard rapide mini links on my mains since they are plenty strong and easier to swap. Also they don't wear out. Wrap them with vet wrap and you won't ding your slider. (I use vet wrap with an upside down witch hat) but just the wrap will work fine if you like to pull the slider over your head. Don't over tighten the barrel and they are pretty much idiot proof. I catch incorrectly installed soft links all the time, sometimes even on reserves. Newer is not always better. Onward and Upward!

What? Onward and Upward!

I have also used tube stows for hundreds of jumps with no problems. After I had a problem I quit using them. They are much stronger than rubber bands and therefore much harder to break if something gets hung up. I would prefer to have it break. Onward and Upward!

John, here is a serious question; who has ever tried to take your guns away? I own 3 guns, two pistols and a shotgun and not once in my life has anyone tried to take them away from me. I remember in the 92 election I was told that Bill Clinton was a "gun Grabber" and he would take my guns away. He was re-elected in 96 and still no gun grabber showed up at my door. I was also told that Obama would take my guns away. Well so far no and I don't think it will happen after he is re-elected. You seem to be obsessed with a problem that does not exist. How would you categorize me? I own guns but I have not done any shooting in years. I used to go shooting with my buddies at the dropzone after jumping but that was years ago and I have never needed a gun for protection. My dad is a collector and he has all kinds of cool stuff. I support legal gun ownership but I have no problem with reasonable restrictions to keep guns away from dangerous criminals and troubled teenagers. So how do I fit in to you variety of gun-o phobe? Onward and Upward!

I see, so it was all for theatrical effect. So you would have no problem with "god" giving Joe Smith golden tablets by a courier named Moroni? Either story is just as likely. Onward and Upward!

Read the entire post, I am pretty sure I told the newbie to have a rigger check it, proper tension, etc. Not a fan of tube stows, and I have have had a bag lock that would not have happened with a rubber band. I have some pics maybe I can find to show you what I mean. Onward and Upward!

Not ridiculous at all. Good advice really. The ridiculous part is that "god" carved it into stone tablets and spoke from a burning bush. Onward and Upward!

You are over thinking this dude, my post was tongue in cheek but apparently went over your head. Rubber bands are supposed to break. Onward and Upward!

Hey, it's in print. It has to be true. Exactly, if the bible is proof of god then the Lord of the Rings is proof that Hobbits lived in the Shire Onward and Upward!