dreamsville

The veterans from the 70's and 80's that I know tell me about the injuries from jumping rounds, as a higher standard of care in landing and spotting is required. I wish I'd started jumping years before I did, but on the other hand I am happy to have missed jumping what was available then. | I don't drink during the day, so I don't know what it is about this airline. I keep falling out the door of the plane. Harry, FB #4143

From when I've seen riggers pack reserves, it appears to take some force and tools to get the reserve loop closed. I don't know if I'd be equipped to properly close a reserve (obviously would need to be reclosed and sealed by a rigger later), although I would typically have a pull-up cord with me for the main. | I don't drink during the day, so I don't know what it is about this airline. I keep falling out the door of the plane. Harry, FB #4143

Nice choice. It's the underlying sentiment. See you at Perris, Nationals, or wherever. | I don't drink during the day, so I don't know what it is about this airline. I keep falling out the door of the plane. Harry, FB #4143

In no winds or with a Casa moving fast, 10 seconds is a long time, assuming no big-way is ahead of you. | I don't drink during the day, so I don't know what it is about this airline. I keep falling out the door of the plane. Harry, FB #4143

Forget about not knowing anyone. That will take care of itself. You'll find there's a lot to look forward to of which you are not yet aware. | I don't drink during the day, so I don't know what it is about this airline. I keep falling out the door of the plane. Harry, FB #4143

Just remember that those with the loudest mouths and the shortest etiquette often come up short when commanding others' respect. It sounds like there was a disconnect in communications somewhere. Being right (if you are in fact right) is not all you need to get a point across. BTW, it seems that my thread on jumpers' behavior has spawned quite a lively discussion on exit separation. Even got Professor Kallend and Diverdriver involved! | I don't drink during the day, so I don't know what it is about this airline. I keep falling out the door of the plane. Harry, FB #4143

Subject to the decision you'd make about WHAT KIND of rig and canopy are best for you, I see nothing with buying that "right system" used if you can find it and it passes inspection, whether from a dealer or someone you feel you can trust. I am leery about buying something used sight-unseen over the Web if it doesn't appear reputable. I jump 2 rigs now and sold a third one last year. In each case, I have jumped with or been trained by the sellers. Not that this is for everyone. I had to buy a Cypres for one and a reserve for the other (based upon what was being sold to me) to complete the systems. | I don't drink during the day, so I don't know what it is about this airline. I keep falling out the door of the plane. Harry, FB #4143

This was a funny story told to me last weekend by a buddy who was a witness. The plane is on its way to altitude, and a solo jumper who I think may have know these other 2 jumpers asked if he could jump with them. They said "No, we have a 2 way.". At exit time, the two way lines up in the door and prepares for a head-down flower exit. The guy who had been refused when he asked of he could jump with them inserts himself in their exit, grabbing the flower grip to make a 3 way. He then says "I didn't drive all this way just to do a bunch of F----ing solos!". He gives the count, and out they go. I guess there wasn't much time to do much about it, or at least they all went anyway. I don't know how the jump itself went. Edited to add: does anyone else know of other outrageous stories? | I don't drink during the day, so I don't know what it is about this airline. I keep falling out the door of the plane. Harry, FB #4143

Plus there are responsibilities that go along with being a DZO or staff member. However, if we are strictly speaking on a jump ticket basis, I'd bet that a certain local friend of ours that was ON THE WINNING FREE FLY TEAM AT THE WORLD GAMES just this month "jumps for free". | I don't drink during the day, so I don't know what it is about this airline. I keep falling out the door of the plane. Harry, FB #4143

There is nothing like a proud sister! I was routing for them all the way, plus they've helped me a bunch. They seemed pretty hard working and cool in practice as well, even on the load where an unnamed free-flyer pulled off Mike's shoe and passed it to the front just prior to exit. I don't drink during the day, so I don't know what it is about this airline. I keep falling out the door of the plane. Harry, FB #4143

Yes indeed. Sept. 30. | I don't drink during the day, so I don't know what it is about this airline. I keep falling out the door of the plane. Harry, FB #4143

Dining with friends on July 31, 1997 at 8pm, one was late because he was at the old airport at Skydive Chicago doing his first AFP. I asked Rob Faurot if I could go with him in 2 weeks when he was going again. He said yes, expecting that it would be like the others who expressed interest but never showed. I rationalized on the way up that Ross Brooke, the TM, knew what he was doing so I wasn't going to get upset about it. Knew 2 seconds out the door that it was for me. Every good-weather weekend has me with friends in the sweet sky. BTW, mofo554, your plane N220EA was apart in our hangar this week when I was there. It'll be all checked out and ready to go for you, provided the weather cooperates this weekend. Edited to add: When I would fly from Detroit to Los Angeles as a kid, my face would be up against the window when we got over the desert and the mountains. I imagined myself out there somewhere, either as a pilot or a bird or gliding or something. I fantasized about having a small aircraft that could land on our street in Grosse Pointe, and how cool that would be. The point of this is that the seeds were there from an early age, I didn't know what they meant. BTW, flying and jumping together are too time consuming and expensive, so I'll stick with the body pilot. Love those flock dives!!! | I don't drink during the day, so I don't know what it is about this airline. I keep falling out the door of the plane. Harry, FB #4143

You could, but there are some considerations: 1) Ability to hear audible altimeter as additional altitude awareness aid, even though you should not solely depend upon audibles. 2) Ability to hear others under canopy in case of a potential near-collision. When doing canopy relative work(CReW), hearing others has added criticality. 3) When freeflying, change in wind pitch with body position can be an interesting indicator, although that's more a matter of interest than safety. 4) When flying in very close proximity during free-fall or exits, you can hear each other yell. | I don't drink during the day, so I don't know what it is about this airline. I keep falling out the door of the plane. Harry, FB #4143

Chris, You spoke of the visible signs of lax maintenance, which I think is great. There are other cases where I was at a DZ down south where I didn't know the signs, if they were evident at all, and the fact that the DZ was having money problems wasn't well known at earlier times. Later the FAA failed the aircraft. As far as the interrim period, I'll never know when that plane fell out of standard. When I think about it some more, absent visual evidence, we sometimes have to really on reputation of an operation from whatever sources we have. I know I'm OK where I usually jump, but if I'm travelling across the country and decide to stop at DZ "X" for an airbath, I'm placing a bit of faith in their place to jump there if I know nothing about it beforehand. Then maybe it comes down to appearances and hearsay, I guess. We just have to do our best to check on a place before we jump there. | I don't drink during the day, so I don't know what it is about this airline. I keep falling out the door of the plane. Harry, FB #4143

I had my B license until about jump 1200 or so, when I realized I'd need the D if I needed to do video for a 4-way team at Nationals. Since I hadn't lined up to be an instructor, it wasn't a big deal until then. Finally, however, I qualified to become Freak Brother 4143. THAT was special. | I don't drink during the day, so I don't know what it is about this airline. I keep falling out the door of the plane. Harry, FB #4143

Great job! My only question would concern how high they were and what her body position was. I only ask because he dumped her reserve rather than the main. Maybe her orientation or altitude suggested that deploying the main for a second chance at the reserve was futile or unwise. Just curious. | I don't drink during the day, so I don't know what it is about this airline. I keep falling out the door of the plane. Harry, FB #4143

If the weather is good in the UK, the location(s) you use are still limited as far as how much of the day they can jump? It's a shame to waste all that daylight. We are lucky to have DZs where the first load goes up anywhere from 7 to 9 am and the last one around 8 pm or later, not counting night jumps. I began at about 200 jumps a year and have been at about 400/year in the last 2 years. | I don't drink during the day, so I don't know what it is about this airline. I keep falling out the door of the plane. Harry, FB #4143

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- In Reply To ------------------------------------------------------------ -------------------- You just don't wake up one day saying "hey let's go spend 250$ for a 50 sec freefall". -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Quote: I did.. You really should not bother....You are young in the sport. You think its the best thing in the world, and you want to share it with others.... Others don't care, they think you are nuts, and they wish you would stop pestering them about it. /quote Ron's mostly right, but don't miss an opportunity if you see it. There are a lot more people with the ability, guts-wise and physically, who can do it than think they can or want to. I've seen people do other risky stuff and not do this and I am convinced they can. But it's not for everybody. | I don't drink during the day, so I don't know what it is about this airline. I keep falling out the door of the plane. Harry, FB #4143

Please may we avoid talking about what may have happened at whatever DZ it is when they close or have problems. Not to say we should sweep it all under the rug but, as we learned with accidents/deaths involving friends in the last year, the press is not inclined towards kindness when speaking of skydiving and they read these forums as well. SDI and its jumpers are doing the best they can under the circumstances, and I'm sure someone will post when they decide what to do next. At this point, the situation remains unresolved. | I don't drink during the day, so I don't know what it is about this airline. I keep falling out the door of the plane. Harry, FB #4143

I heard that some SDI students were going to Chicagoland Skydiving at Hinckley, maybe. Why don't you check with Doug or TD at Hinckley to see if there was any arrangement that they might or could make with SDI for you to be able to finish your course?? If SDI was unable to cover the whole obligation, they might at least be able to make a deal for part of it with Hinckley. This may be a way to re-coup at least part of your money in the form of training. I haven't spoken to any of the parties about this, of course. Based upon what I heard, maybe it's a possible solution. Godspeed. | I don't drink during the day, so I don't know what it is about this airline. I keep falling out the door of the plane. Harry, FB #4143

I answered "no" as a general belief, but when I compare jumping with people/loads I regularly jump with to some of the situations I see with "screwdrivers" on the freeway, I would say that I'd rather be in the sky with them than with some of these dumb bohunks that have all these near misses as they radically change lanes and fly along at barely-subterminal speeds. | I don't drink during the day, so I don't know what it is about this airline. I keep falling out the door of the plane. Harry, FB #4143

So, LGS (meaning of acronym obvious by now), I needed to say that the reason I didn't try one when I had the chance at ZHills when Colon Berry was selling them was because I was afraid I'd like it and not be able to resist, just like your experience. Then I'd get antisocial onaccounta the wing suit 'cause I'd be doing all these solos. I say that since I know almost no one that has one. Now I'm thinking about it again because of this thread. | I don't drink during the day, so I don't know what it is about this airline. I keep falling out the door of the plane. Harry, FB #4143

We used to go for drinks at the "Rongo". Also, Taughannock Falls was a favorite hangout on a sunny day. | I don't drink during the day, so I don't know what it is about this airline. I keep falling out the door of the plane. Harry, FB #4143

Winsor, Although you make good points about regulations and your being allowed to help low-timers, the part about pointing things out to people about what they are doing wrong may have problems. You may be able to accept what people point out to you, but sometimes those who should listen the most (those at risk on account of their behavior) are the ones most likely to blow off the messenger. | I don't drink during the day, so I don't know what it is about this airline. I keep falling out the door of the plane. Harry, FB #4143

I'm sure I saw you in the free-fly area this weekend, as I am usually there. How far are you from Cornell University? I may go up there sometime for a reunion. I think there was a bar called the Rongovian Embassy up there in Ovid (?), NY a few years ago. | I don't drink during the day, so I don't know what it is about this airline. I keep falling out the door of the plane. Harry, FB #4143