flyboy62000

Angelo's Pizza in Sterling, IL. Haven't had it in a few years but I crave it every time I think of pizza. Gonna have to make a trip sometime soon. It was a real dive when I was a kid, but it's gotten much nicer since they opened a new shop. Blue Skies, Adam I fly because it releases my mind from the tyranny of petty things . . . — Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

Check out Germany, there is a lot of stuff to do all over. Although I'm a little partial because I live here.

Every jump unless I'm quick turning with two rigs on video Blue Skies, Adam I fly because it releases my mind from the tyranny of petty things . . . — Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

I agree, I'm a fan of the tandem / instructor assisted freefall progression. I've seen a much lower repeat rate for the IAF jumps and better initial canopy control skills from tandem progression students than from standard AFF students. I attribute this to the fact that they've already had some freefall instruction on body position and they get a number of jumps with one on one canopy instruction with the tandem instructor. Blue Skies, Adam I fly because it releases my mind from the tyranny of petty things . . . — Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

I can tell you about jet exhaust side effects. 1. One whiff of it makes me instantly wish I was on a jumpship climbing to altitude or in the pilot's seat hauling a load. 2. Triggers daydreams/ flashbacks of days on the DZ, boogies, and great jumps from the past. 3. Causes an uncontrollable desire to grab my rig, quit my job (well, before I joined the military) and move onto the DZ so I can jump every day. Wait, I did that once already. 4. Reminds me how much I love the smell of jet fuel in the morning (well just the exhaust, unburned jet fuel usually makes me want to puke)...midday...afternoon...evening...well you get the picture, see above effects. Joking aside, jet exhaust, like diesel smoke comes from burning a karosene based fuel. Since it burns rather sooty compared to gasoline, prolonged exposure to the smoke can lead to certain respiratory reactions in sensitive individuals. While this may not be the cause of your problem it certainly could be a contributing factor. As far as the otter goes, any aircraft in which you enter the door directly behind the engine will produce an area of considerable exhaust concentration while the prop is feathered, as many pilots do so the jumpers don't get blasted by propwash. I prefer when the prop is allowed to move some air to thin out the exhaust, I don't mind a little wind while loading the plane. Otherwise my eyes get irritated when there's a lot of exhaust and no air to move it. Blue Skies, Adam I fly because it releases my mind from the tyranny of petty things . . . — Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

Yeah, from what I've noticed from about the last ten classes to graduate that ran class websites is that it really depends on the luck of the draw. Some classes get a drop that is really loaded with fighter slots while some get one that is really heavy oriented. It just depends. The common thread is that one must really excel through phase I and II to get into the T-38. From there you either will go fighter or bomber, but it just depends on the assignment drop that the class gets. One other common thing I see is that the number one and often the number two person in the class get FAIP'd and get to stay on at the school as an instructor pilot because they impress their training squadron so much. So as many pilots have told me, it's best to be on top in Phase I and II and then most of the way to the top in phase III to get a fighter assignment. Although, I really would not mind staying on as an instructor in the T-38 if I do that well. You don't really learn to fly until you start teaching it to others. Blue Skies, Adam I fly because it releases my mind from the tyranny of petty things . . . — Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

Really? What about Steve, is he still doing exams? Blue Skies, Adam I fly because it releases my mind from the tyranny of petty things . . . — Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

Phree, I still have to get my flight physical and stuff before I'll get a class date. I'll let you know when I get one. I'm planning on coming home in August for a couple weeks by myself. I was originally planning on going to WFFC, but after thinking about it I may just hang around SGC, work on whatever rigging treeboy needs done, maybe shoot some video and stills, and see if I can schedule a practical with Gene to get my ticket, finally. I talked to Jim and Lee last night and they were happy to hear I'd been selected. Blue Skies, Adam I fly because it releases my mind from the tyranny of petty things . . . — Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

I want to fly fighters, but really I'm not picky. In the civilian world I like hauling jumpers in a Casa or an Otter almost as much as I like flinging myself around in a Pitts. I just like to fly. If I don't get fighters I'll probably try and fly the C-21 (Learjet 35). We have them here at Ramstein, they do DV airlift, medevac, and other suppport missions along with the Gulfstream 3,4,5, and the DC-9. The life of a fighter pilot and a cargo driver are a little different, but both have their advantages and disadvantages so it really comes down to the flying for me. And...I just can't stop wanting to fly fighters, there's just something about it. Blue Skies, Adam I fly because it releases my mind from the tyranny of petty things . . . — Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

I have some good news I just can't resist posting. I just found out today that I've been accepted to USAF Officer's Training School and then Undergraduate Pilot Training. It'll be nice to get back to flying airplanes after two years with very little flying since I've been stationed in Germany, on the ground. I wasn't expecting to find out whether or not I had been accepted until June so it came as a huge surprise tonight. But apparently they decided to put my application up to an earlier board for some reason. Plus, one of my supervisors called and made me think that the whole facility had to come in because one of us...didn't say who...was in serious trouble and everyone had to talk to the Commander. He came out and started talking to everyone about that something had happened and we all needed to think about it, yada, yada...then he pulled out a pair of 2nd Lt. bars and said I was going to OTS. Also, since it was closing time for our facility my Flight Commander produced a bottle of champagne for us to toast with. It was really great! I can't wait to find out when I'm going. Blue Skies, Adam I fly because it releases my mind from the tyranny of petty things . . . — Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

Don't mean to hijack the thread, but do any of you remember Roy Irwin who used to jump out at Pope Valley in the 70's - early 80's? He's my uncle, was telling me some stories when I first started jumping. Blue Skies, Adam I fly because it releases my mind from the tyranny of petty things . . . — Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

Well, sneaky. While I agree with the general consensus that linked exits on tandems are not a good idea, and are against most gear manufacturer's rules. I will not say I have not seen them done at several DZ's throughout the country and at tandems done at boogies. However, as I read your initial question was looking for interesting exit techniques. Well since you jump a porter I have a few that work nicely from a porter, 206, 182, or even a beech 18. On the 206 (cargo door), porter, or Be18 there is often a lip or step that one can grab and hang from at the bottom of the door. This puts the videoflyer in a position to look up at the tandem in the door rather than sideways from a front or rear float position and makes for a nice shot. It does take an extra second to climb out and set up for it so don't try it on a long spot. On a cargo door 206 or a porter I also like to climb forward and front float up on the step over the wheel or by the strut if so equipped, also a nice shot. I have hung from the wheel or step on a regular door 182 or 206, again where you are looking up at the tandem and get a nice view of the plane in the frame. Just make sure that if you're going to do anything unusual, check with the jump pilot to make sure it's okay with him/ her. I have a couple hundred hours flying jumpers in 182's 206's and a few turbine types and none of the exit positions I've described would be off-limits to someone jumping from my plane. The drag a person creates hanging outside the aircraft is not much different if you're hanging from the strut (static line student position) or from the jump step. Actually the effect on the aircraft is much worse with a 4 way outside a cessna than a single videographer anywhere outside the door. As far as after the tandem leaves the door, I find sitflying initially is a good way to stay in close an increase speed with the tandem pair prior to drogue deployment (provided you can maintain good relativity in a sit position). When you see the TM reach for the the drogue anticipate that they are going to slow and go belly and adjust your fall-rate accordingly, this will help to keep you in close on the hill and get good shots just after exit. After that be creative get in close, slide back and barrel roll, keeping the tandem in frame, etc. I hope this gives you some good ideas to try and maybe some new and interesting views for your tandem videos. Good luck. Blue Skies, Adam I fly because it releases my mind from the tyranny of petty things . . . — Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

Here's some links to information about how to get hired to the FAA as a controller. http://jobs.faa.gov/announcement_detail.asp?vac_id=52569 http://www.ama500.jccbi.gov/site/main/top/employment/ Blue Skies, Adam I fly because it releases my mind from the tyranny of petty things . . . — Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

I am currently a controller in the US Air Force. I'm stationed at Ramstein AB and really enjoy the job. There are many possiblities coming up for hiring with the FAA in the next few years and the experience gained in the military is great for the application. As far as I know the Air Force is the only service in which the Air Traffic Controllers actually obtain an FAA Air Traffic Control Specialist rating as part of their training. The other nice thing about getting your training by serving in the Air Force is you have job security for at least four years and they pay you. The other method for getting into ATC is to attend one of the several Collegiate Initiative Programs throughout the country. Some of the schools that have them are Embry Riddle, Beaver Co. Comm. Coll. in PA, MARCC in Minnesota (a center training program) and several others. These programs get you the training you need to get your ATC specialist rating and get hired on with the FAA. The difference between this and going through the military is that you have to pay for it, you usually don't get much if any actual live ATC experience, and you don't have to spend four years in the military. Both routes have merit and the choice is a matter of what is right for you. ATC selections are going to be up for the next several years as many older controllers are reaching retirement. However, in the very recent past and near future the government has not approved many funds for controller hiring but NATCA, the ATC union, is pushing for more hiring which is needed. As far as burn-out and stress go, there are different levels of traffic at different facilities. Burnout can happen anywhere in any job, but for someone working at one of the extremely busy facilities it is more common, but I think is really more hype than reality. While it can get stressful (exciting) at times, it depends on you personally whether you could be a potential for burn-out or not. If you're interested go for it, it is a great job that I have really enjoyed so far. Blue Skies, Adam I fly because it releases my mind from the tyranny of petty things . . . — Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

At my home DZ we used to have a bunch of dolphins. Some are still around in rental gear with a considerable number of jumps on them. However, due to some good deals on Wings offered a few years ago, they represent the minority of the fleet now. I've known a lot of people with dolphins and have jumped quite a few. It is a good low-frills rig that gets the job done. While it's not as stylish or feature loaded as some of the other rigs on the market it represents a good rig for a low price. It's the entry level new rig for the skydiving market, as is the Rigging Innovations Genera rig. The Dolphin is to skydiving as the Chevy Cavalier (or similar models) are to cars. For the same price you could by a used car with more options, etc; however, there is something to be said for shiny new stuff. Blue Skies, Adam I fly because it releases my mind from the tyranny of petty things . . . — Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

I love it! I'd read it, and it would be awesome to see on a regular basis in Skydiving Magazine. Looks great, and it really hits the nail on the head as far as everyday DZ antics go. Blue Skies, Adam I fly because it releases my mind from the tyranny of petty things . . . — Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

Usually that "laser beam" effect comes from the way a CCD in a digital camera reacts to the intense light from the sun. It happens a lot while filming video when the sun gets in your field of view. Blue Skies, Adam I fly because it releases my mind from the tyranny of petty things . . . — Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

Because it muffles the sound better than a tent! And it's usually parked farther away from the bonfire than my tent. Blue Skies, Adam I fly because it releases my mind from the tyranny of petty things . . . — Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

Robots, because the world needs cyborg camel jockeys. Especially cyborg camel jockeys with weapons. That would make the races interesting. It would be an amazing mix of low tech and high-tech. Kind of a back to the future kind of mechwarrior. Anyway, children should be going to school not racing camels. I say ROBOTS! Adam Blue Skies, Adam I fly because it releases my mind from the tyranny of petty things . . . — Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

Hey, How's life in Florida. I put in my application for Air Force pilot training, I'll know whether or not I've been accepted in June. I think I have a pretty good chance, though. I'm having a pretty good time here in Germany, been skydiving a bit and travelling around. Send me an E-mail if you're bored. [email protected] Adam Blue Skies, Adam I fly because it releases my mind from the tyranny of petty things . . . — Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

I am a sax player, but I really enjoy listening to Dizzy Gillespie and Arturo Sandoval on trumpet. I think Sandoval is an amazing musician who can play anything. Check out the Hot House album if you like latin jazz. I also love the deeply complicated tonal and harmonic work of Thelonius Monk. There is a best of CD out that has many of his better known recordings. If you're looking to find some of the early stuff and roots of modern jazz music check out some of Louis Armstrong's earlier stuff, Gershwin, and the big band era swing like Glenn Miller and Benny Goodman. From there you get into a huge divergence with bebop, acid jazz, fusion, etc. I agree that jazz is sort of an acquired taste that some pick up earlier and some later. It's a matter of appreciating the music for what it is whether it is a simple but moving blues, or a very complex bebop or latin jazz tune. Once a person can appreciate that it takes a lot more knowledge of the music to understand jazz than rock, pop, or even much classical music then they can truly see the appeal of jazz. A lot of what you'll like to listen to will depend on your personal tastes. Blue Skies, Adam

There are some good points here on starting freeflying. My opinion is that as long as your gear is capable of flying in alternate body positions it would be good to experiment. While trying to fly relative in a freefly environment would not be the best thing. I think that experimenting with controlling your body on your back and other body positions will increase your freefall awareness as to how you can control yourself in various positions and recover from those positions to a stable belly position. I would work on relativity with another experienced jumper, practice diving to the other jumper on exit to form a two way, work on adjusting freefall speed for relativity, turning precisely on headings, practice tracking, recovering from unusual body positions, practicing maintaining control in unusual body positions, etc. All of these things will help you become more aware of what is happening during the entire freefall experience. After opening, work on your canopy skills setting up a good approach and an accurate landing. Strive for improvement on every jump in at least one area and you will learn a great deal. Most importantly...Have Fun!!! Blue Skies, Adam I fly because it releases my mind from the tyranny of petty things . . . — Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

Performance Designs discusses the common occurrence of end cell closure in their FAQ section. A ram air canopy opening with a delayed inflation of the end cells is very common and is usually not a problem. If it is always on the left side it could possibly be a result of improper line trim, or it could just be a fluke. Here is a link to the FAQ for more info. http://www.performancedesigns.com/faq.htm#a1 Blue Skies, Adam I fly because it releases my mind from the tyranny of petty things . . . — Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

Actually acetone is the active ingredient in many gasoline additive fuel injector cleaners. Running a shot of it through your fuel system every few months does dissolve some of the junk that gets packed into fuel injector nozzles and increases overall fuel economy. Not sure what the extent of the increase is, but an efficiently running fuel system does help. Blue Skies, Adam Blue Skies, Adam I fly because it releases my mind from the tyranny of petty things . . . — Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

First, I am a jumper from the U.S. who is currently living in Germany. The DZ I jump at is the home DZ for Paratec who is located just a few miles away. I own a Mirage, but almost everyone at this DZ jumps the NeXT rig from Paratec. I have jumped a few different containers and have owned a Javelin, Wings, and Mirage. I like the Paratec NeXT, it is a very nice rig that I would rate on par with any of the U.S. manufacturers (Sunpath, Sunrise Rigging, Mirage, etc) The basic design of the rig is very similar to the Vector 3 or the Mirage with some some minor differences. Never in the states have I seen an entire DZ with the same rig, but all of them different in some manner of fashion (colors, fabrics, etc.) If they were TSO'd in the states when I was looking for my last rig, and if the Dollar - Euro exchange rate wasn't so bad I would buy one. From what I have seen their customer service is also very good. Their main canopys also fly pretty well, for what it's worth. But with anything it all comes down to your personal preferences and where you want to spend your money. Blue Skies, Adam Blue Skies, Adam I fly because it releases my mind from the tyranny of petty things . . . — Antoine de Saint-Exupéry