artard

i'll just do it like you, and wont mention my jumpnumbers, nor my exit-weight.. talking about avoidance, oh, the irony! edited for spelling and sarcasm If you had looked just a little harder at my profile instead of getting target-fixated by your attempt to craft a perfect comeback you may have noticed that my wingloading is in fact listed. http://www.mixcloud.com/prajna http://vimeo.com/avidya

Based on Sangi's change of attitude in the nationals thread and VB's increasingly defensive/avoidant tone I'd have to say VB is officially at the top of the dropzone DGIT list now http://www.mixcloud.com/prajna http://vimeo.com/avidya

In the letters section of this month's Parachutist, Bill Morrissey says: "[S]ize and strength were not a factor in any of the over 100 deaths in a strange variety of tandem fatalities. Unfortunately, those deaths have all, except one, been attributed to instructor error." Can someone tell me the details or point me to the incident thread for this fatality, and is this a widely-accepted statistic, that only one tandem fatality in history has not been caused by instructor error? http://www.mixcloud.com/prajna http://vimeo.com/avidya

I carry a phone in my pants (or jumpsuit) on every jump. You never know when you are going to land out and call the dropzone or a cab, or when you are going to need to call 911. I also carry an ID, insurance card and a $20 bill (for cab fare... or beer) on every jump. http://www.mixcloud.com/prajna http://vimeo.com/avidya

Facial piercings are optional but you won't be able to fly head down for shit until your ear gauges are at least 00 http://www.mixcloud.com/prajna http://vimeo.com/avidya

Whenever I see a video like that I have to assume the people involved have no fucking concept of just how dangerous what they are doing is. Like this one specifically, do they even get how sketchy it is that the canopy went ahead of the tow line? Or the fact that they don't appear to have a cutaway system? http://www.mixcloud.com/prajna http://vimeo.com/avidya

There is no "real & safe" way of tow launching a sport parachute. But if you go through with this try to top these guys for stupidity factor: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YQrBcyQD3BE http://www.mixcloud.com/prajna http://vimeo.com/avidya

Even though the minimum is 100 jumps the landing areas are constantly changing and the winds can be tricky and unpredictable and there are constant dust devils. Make sure you are very comfortable with landing your canopy safely and accurately before you jump into burning man. edit - and don't forget you are landing at 4000 feet MSL http://www.mixcloud.com/prajna http://vimeo.com/avidya

so Nick Batsch just swooped 222.45 meters... http://www.mixcloud.com/prajna http://vimeo.com/avidya

I believe you have a right to kill yourself doing dangerous activities but I think you are crossing a line when you speed ride at a ski area with innocent people around. You were flying way close to some of those bystanders and that's not cool... http://www.mixcloud.com/prajna http://vimeo.com/avidya

Wait so he was trying to avoid the trailer? Because it looked to me like he was trying to fly directly toward it. And he just started skydiving 3 months ago and is already flying with a gopro? How many jumps did he have? What was his wingloading? http://www.mixcloud.com/prajna http://vimeo.com/avidya

Make sure you are finishing your flare and get canopy coaching http://www.mixcloud.com/prajna http://vimeo.com/avidya

How do you loosen your chest strap while holding toggles without making your canopy fly all over the place? http://www.mixcloud.com/prajna http://vimeo.com/avidya

I just got a PM from an instructor from Skydance who apparently doesn't understand the concept of satire or sarcasm so I just wanted to clear up that this was a parody thread and NOT based on any actual events and no, skydance is not allowing their students to jump with camera helmets http://www.mixcloud.com/prajna http://vimeo.com/avidya

Did she also smoke some marijuana that was laced with PCP? And maybe she had a friend who took so much LSD he thought he was a glass of orange juice. http://www.mixcloud.com/prajna http://vimeo.com/avidya

What a fucking joke http://www.mixcloud.com/prajna http://vimeo.com/avidya

I agree completely. It bugs the shit out of me that I know people who jump but don't have health insurance. And it bugs me even more that I know jumpers who have children and don't have life insurance or any kind of nest egg saved up. It's just plain irresponsible. If you don't have health insurance (and life insurance if people are depending on you), you shouldn't be jumping. http://www.mixcloud.com/prajna http://vimeo.com/avidya

If you just got your A license and are already working on 4way exits you are way ahead of the curve. Just keep working on belly and take a canopy course or two. http://www.mixcloud.com/prajna http://vimeo.com/avidya

I think you are seriously overthinking things. A DZO can require you to sign whatever he wants before allowing you to patronize his private business and one of those things you sign could be an agreement to pay incurred fines before being allowed to jump again. If a skydiver refused to pay they wouldn't be able to jump at that dropzone anymore which solves the safety issue even more than fining them. http://www.mixcloud.com/prajna http://vimeo.com/avidya

People are ignorant. A lot of people who hear that you (or I) skydive have absolutely no knowledge of the sport and assume its exponentially more dangerous than it actually is and the only reason you skydive is because you are suicidal. I think the best approach when the subject comes up and someone reacts like that is either smile and change the subject or, if you are feeling more patient, educate them on the sport a bit so they are more informed. http://www.mixcloud.com/prajna http://vimeo.com/avidya

Nick Batsch has a video on facebook of him doing 1600 foot 450 and a 2000 foot 810 on a Petra 69 loaded at 2.97 http://www.mixcloud.com/prajna http://vimeo.com/avidya

After watching my friend and mentor hook it in yesterday this post honestly disgusts me. He was the most consistent swooper I knew and I saw him nail the same 720 perfectly hundreds of times until the last time when he didn't and bled out on the scene. He had over 6000 jumps and was incredibly current. Your attitude and ego are terrible and you being alive is product of your fortune and lack of bad luck, not your self-perceived mad skills. I would never wish physical harm on anyone but hope that your wakeup call that you aren't an invincible being powered by your apparently incredible intellect and capability to survive is merely a close call or injury and doesn't have you leaving your LZ in a body bag. http://www.mixcloud.com/prajna http://vimeo.com/avidya

yeah but his jump:post ratio is way better than yours http://www.mixcloud.com/prajna http://vimeo.com/avidya

So you have never skydived before and think you have an idea that will revolutionize the sport? How would you even know if it's a good or feasible idea or that it's never been thought of or tried before? Read this article then get back to me about how it's possibly relevant to your situation. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dunning%E2%80%93Kruger_effect http://www.mixcloud.com/prajna http://vimeo.com/avidya

"How does one go about improving their ability at something without receiving instruction" http://www.mixcloud.com/prajna http://vimeo.com/avidya