dreamsville

You are forgetting that this is just the sort of thread that may degenerate in this way. | 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'd need a static line person to answer that. If you can manage it, freefall is where it's at. We don't have S/L around here. | 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

As long we're being silly, why don't you call Miss Muffet?? I think she's sitting on one. | 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

Check the "Dropzones" link at the top of this page. Quite a few states have more than 3 DZs. We have 4 within driving distance of Chicago, Illinois, USA (about 1.5 hours), if you count Kankakee, which is down south. I myself jumped 3 of them last weekend, just for a change. | 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 confused by the answer. Does this mean we still don't know about this year? | 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

Go with 15/6. Fine with me. | 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 don't have a sign off procedure, but we have gear checks on the ground and on the plane prior to exit. Frequently an experienced jumper will say that he has his own pin check handled. Both of my main pins (two rigs) are in a position where I can verify that they are all the way up into the loop, and I do so on each jump, as well as handles, rings straps, riser covers and excess bridle near tuck flap and PC well stowed. Most people that I know check the reserve pin only on the ground. I would imagine a written sign off would be a change for us. One otter in the summer will fly 30+ loads a day, not counting the second otter when demand requires it. | 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

They don't expect to get busted because, in some way, they lack street smarts. There are of course many hobbies and sports with special terminology, so most of us shut up or ask questions about something unfamiliar to us since: "better to be thought a fool than to speak and remove all doubt". A buddy of mine is a Red Bull skydiver and swoop/demo guy with a bunch of base jumps (over 2000 total jumps). Someone once told him that he was a jumper, so my buddy asked him what size canopy he had. When he said "15 feet", my buddy said, "sorry, you're not a skydiver", but he did it politely. | 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

Due to insurance due to lawyers, are the jet jumps forever gone? Any word on this? | 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

"And maybe I dont make too many friends there, but Im not there for that, Im there to jump, and then walk off the DZ alive. Thats the way I handle things and I feel pretty secure with it. " Give it time. The friends are one of the biggest gifts that being in the sky together gives us. | 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 are 3 turbine DZs within 1.5 hrs of here. Not only would I go for AFF/AFP for getting the freefall skills (if you can do the money issue), but also each of these DZs stopped offering S/L a few years ago (if in fact they did). Generally it's at least one tandem, and then off into the WBY (Wild Blue Yonder) for free-fall. | 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 have seen this speed variation anomaly recently when Protracking sit-fly to headdown transitions. Based upon body position, horizon, and wind-flow feel, with or without someone present, you have some indications of being in a decent sit or headdown (no arching, please). During the first transition from sit to head-down, the PT graph recorded changes from the sit 150-160's range, BACK DOWN TO 100 briefly, and then back up to 160-170s, all this in a moment or two. Especially with transition times typical today, I don't think we could achieve such a true fast deceleration and acceleration in such a short time. I can only guess that burbles/changes in airflow in the helmet area of the PT pollute the data. It is best to use longer intervals on a PT graph to get an idea of free-fall speed, since big, short, up down spikes are suspect. I think the reccommendation is for PT to be at one end of the body (ankle strap or helmet) or the other. PT located in the midsection of your body may distort the readings further. Edited to add: ankle strap experiment may sound strange, since of course you can't hear the sound. I had a Skytronic Pro audible in my helmet until it died and had to return to the factory. As far as whether one location was better than the other for readings, I'm not sure. I think I'll keep both in the helmet when the ST comes back (taking forever). | 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

Bought it used from a friend at the DZ after about jump 18 or so (hence no poll response, since there's no entry for < 50). Looked ahead to all those gear rental charges and scraped the money together. | 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

To get your AFF/AFP student sign-off, do you need to watch a member of the rigging/staff pack and then demonstrate that you have learned the lesson with correct pack jobs? We had to do this, so I'm wondering what other DZs policies are, since some posts make it sound as if the requirements may be uneven. | 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 for that, I'm going to start a poll, since we agree it's so important. | 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

"It's fun to see happy , quirky people enjoying life." You really busted the mold with that quote. People learn to make whatever it is they want with the cards they are dealt, I guess. | 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 agree with the part about healthy fear, since I really believe it helps to bring us back alive. I also can remember one jump recently at the beginning of a weekend (I jump almost every weekend, including winter, and have been doing so since I got off AFP 5 years ago) where I had more than the usual anxiety on the first jump for an unknown reason. Jump was OK. I will say that if I have been doing jump after jump on a busy weekend, that's the most enjoyable because I feel the most in tune. | 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

Some people claim that the remainder of the stows are there for neatness and not for opening speed. Did you notice any differences? | 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

"and see if you can get someone to jump it for you, just to make sure.. " You should be the judge: jump it yourself for fit, trim, and flare. Pre-inspection should reveal most problems. I must say though, that I had a trim problem that did not seem to be related to line length when the riggers checked it. Later, PD "made some adjustments", but shipped it back with the same line set. Now it flies straight. Still not sure what they did. | 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 may be an appropriate place for this. One reason you should leave enough slack is to guard against lines getting caught under the corner of the reserve tray. In fact, some of us reach down to the corners of the D-bag and slightly pull the line sets away from the reserve tray just for this reason. My rigger told me that lines caught in this fashion can start to pull the tray edges up over time. Too much line tension in the main tray due to too little slack in the lines can help cause hard openings as well (so I am told), but I am not sure, mechanically, how this scenario plays out. Comments by riggers on this? | 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

Actually I think the context says you are right. I could also stand for Clear the Canopy While you can. | 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

The required pull force on the cutaway handle will be more than you experienced on the ground, if perchance you are in a spin on your back with line twists. It MAY take 2 hands. Just my .02. Edited to say that, when it comes to this stuff, there are no stupid questions. You will know more than some others because you did some research. | 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 must remember: there is a frame of mind that will never understand people who make a sport out of an emergency procedure. | 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 didn't take AFF at Sebastian, but the people there and the scenery add to the benefits. I've jumped with people who took AFF there. Also, I set aside time every year to go jump there. They've got a nice bar too. | 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

Eiley, Thanks for coming and being with us last year. We all enjoyed your company and would welcome you back any time. The Hinckley otter now has polkadots on the tail, just like the Porter. I'm so sorry for our loss (I know Paul packed some of my jumps). Perhaps we'll meet again. Harry Higbie 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