Throttlebender

Good point. Life expands or contracts in proportion to one's courage. ~Anais Nin

It's far more common at my DZ for groups to have a very wide range of WLs. Small groups of newer jumpers are usually the only ones that have similar WL Im not disagreeing, but what is a wide range? A wide range is barely 1:1 up to 2.2:1 in the group I jump with. You have to remember that with tunnels becoming popular you are getting a mix of really good "new" jumpers doing jumps with really good "seasoned" jumpers who have the time in sport to have gone significantly higher in WL. It's unrealistic to think that those jumpers are no longer going to jump together because of a range in WL. Life expands or contracts in proportion to one's courage. ~Anais Nin

Doesn't seem that unusual to me. If I were going to make a skydiving trip to China, I'd probably send a very similar email. How they got your address, who knows. Life expands or contracts in proportion to one's courage. ~Anais Nin

That pretty much my line of thinking. I just bought my canopy and am not willing to part with it quite yet, but I can assure you that my next will be as bright as I can possibly imagine. I'll of course try and design it with as much swagger as I can muster, but am definitely seeing the overall benefits of being HIGHLY visible Life expands or contracts in proportion to one's courage. ~Anais Nin

Slightly different track on the topic, but what about canopy colors? I've been thinking about this a bit lately. My wife flies a dark purple(eggplant) canopy and I actually have a difficult time finding her if she is below me. I bought a used canopy that has a black topskin which is also obviously quite difficult to spot against ground clutter. For those jumping in desert areas this might not be as much of an issue, but here in Ohio, I can state with confidence that these darker colors are challenging to spot against dark green foliage. I like a sexy custom colored canopy as much as anyone, but perhaps marketing bright, highly visible canopies would aid in the solution. Do we know what colors the lower jumpers in these recent accidents were flying? Life expands or contracts in proportion to one's courage. ~Anais Nin

I vote you train at the DZ where you will jump the most. You will establish a relationship from day one with the people you will be around most of the time. You will always have the chance to travel to other DZs. Not to mention, if you do put aside some time to go to The Farm, what will you do if the weather is bad that week or two that you are there? If you're only a half hr from Zhills, then you can take full advantage of every jumpable day. In the end I don't think it really matters. Life expands or contracts in proportion to one's courage. ~Anais Nin

Thanks FTP. Yeah I think I'll keep her Life expands or contracts in proportion to one's courage. ~Anais Nin

Damn good video! My wife is laying here watching with me and whacks my arm, drums her heels rapidly under the sheets, and through a giant grin says, "Ooooooooh! I can't WAIT to start on head down! Let's go tomorrow! Want to?!" Life expands or contracts in proportion to one's courage. ~Anais Nin

Perfection.....even Poetic Life expands or contracts in proportion to one's courage. ~Anais Nin

Why don't you check them both out and make an informed decision for yourself? +1 Don't let anyone else decide for you. Life expands or contracts in proportion to one's courage. ~Anais Nin

Individuals do not necessarily think all beliefs and thoughts are rational. Why do you say that? Look for evidence to support the belief, and then decide how rational it is. There's the rub. To the individual, all beliefs and thoughts are rational. As billvon pointed out, anger comes from surprise. From the counseling/therapeutic aspect, it is extremely difficult, if not impossible, to determine which comes first, anger or fear. They are explored together for the client's benefit. Life expands or contracts in proportion to one's courage. ~Anais Nin

Thanks for the clarification Eric. That makes sense to me. One more question though, is the 200-300ft difference a rough estimate based on test jumps/past cumulative real world AAD fires? Or is that fairly accurate based upon testing done to differentiate the pressure variations between a burbled sensor vs a non-burbled sensor? Life expands or contracts in proportion to one's courage. ~Anais Nin

Bill, please explain that a bit more. Life expands or contracts in proportion to one's courage. ~Anais Nin

Booker's Woodford Reserve or Knob Creek Maker's Mark Buffalo Trace ....In that order Life expands or contracts in proportion to one's courage. ~Anais Nin

Agreed. I'm not dismissing anyone's opinion, just the delivery style. As I said before, Dave and others are very knowledgable(moreso than myself), but asking questions even to the frustration of others is in no way out of line. These forums are for shared learning and debate. It's through these types of discussions, whether here or in an R&D department, that advances in both product and procedure are made. That's my only point. Life expands or contracts in proportion to one's courage. ~Anais Nin

Positive thoughts and wishes for you and your family Mark. Hang in there. Life expands or contracts in proportion to one's courage. ~Anais Nin

Ignore Dave's personal assaults. He's very knowledgable but his approach is often lacking. There's nothing wrong with you asking questions and challenging others ideas. If everyone simply accepted what Dave or anyone else said, they wouldn't be thinking critically. And that is stagnant and dangerous to the sport and the individual. However, being so green you must, in the end, follow your instructor's advice and direction. Life expands or contracts in proportion to one's courage. ~Anais Nin

Matt, give him enough ttime behind that computer and he just might take off an ear Life expands or contracts in proportion to one's courage. ~Anais Nin

I can't believe you just said, "Live and let live." Yours are some of the most bigoted and intolerant posts I've read on these forums. You must have been joking right? Life expands or contracts in proportion to one's courage. ~Anais Nin

All very good points. Everyone. Thanks Life expands or contracts in proportion to one's courage. ~Anais Nin

I've been a martial artist, a wrestler, classical dancer, rock climber, snow boarder and now skydiver through most of my life, And I just can't understand all the shoulder dislocations. Now having said that, I'll probably have one but I wonder what the overiding feeling is as to why there are so many in this sport. I generally think that many other sports are riskier, but it seems that I read about dislocations all the time. Thoughts? Life expands or contracts in proportion to one's courage. ~Anais Nin

Agreed. Although a strict "No refund" policy may be easiest for the DZ, I think that dealing with issues cases by case is the most productive and honorable way to deal with varying situations. Life expands or contracts in proportion to one's courage. ~Anais Nin

But Joe, most people that come to work on those iffy days aren't guaranteed any money unless they jump. The pilots are the only guaranteed daily pay that I know of(and possibly manifest), so in fact, the DZ isn't really out that much money if the day is a wash. I realize that every dollar counts, but good reputation and customer relations are worth the occasional minimal out of pocket expense incurred. On the other hand, there is a realistic view that most tandems are a one time deal. Most of those people will not be back, so "customer satisfaction" is probably glossed over with this in mind. BUT in my mind, it's a better all around policy to "expect" that every one of them will become a skydiver and having that in mind, try diligently to establish good faith and loyalty with each and every client. Life expands or contracts in proportion to one's courage. ~Anais Nin

Piggie, you really don't have and SMART option other than wait it out. Jump now, land poorly, and you're potentially screwed for the ENTIRE season or longer. Besides, depending on where you are, it's still cold outside. Relax! Breathe! Learn to pack well now and you might have a part time place on the packing mat in the next two months and that can be a great way to pay for your jumps Patience now means so much later. Life expands or contracts in proportion to one's courage. ~Anais Nin

I agree with Drew completely. Just be patient as hard as that is. In the meantime, go hang out at the DZ and learn good packing and ask questions and watch people land etc etc. This two months can still be a great learning period. Life expands or contracts in proportion to one's courage. ~Anais Nin