Samurai136

Hey Liz!
Before you get to using both front risers on final I would recommend doing some CRW and explore the canopy's performance range up high, above 2000' AGL. By that I mean make front riser turns and see how long you can hold the front riser down and how much altitude you lose in a turn. I think you will find after releasing the risers the canopy will recover pretty quick to level 'full flight' mode.

The Triathlon is fairly docile and will lose what ever momentum you build pretty quickly. I would recommend learning swooping on a higher performance canopy after you have 300-400 jumps.

You'll develop some low-altitude awareness skills on the Triathlon but you'll also learn some bad habits. Since it isn't a 'swoop' canopy, you need to take it fairly deep in the corner (close to the ground) to swoop, which you will have to un-learn if you move to a higher performance canopy.

Don't make low turns. If you think it might be too low for a turn or an 'impulse' tells you that you can make the turn and return to level, DON'T make the turn. Swooping, as a skill, is about knowing absolutely the performance range of your canopy.

Ken

Zyban/ Wellbutrin tend to discourage smoking. But you can still smoke. I noticed that it made the smoke taste really nasty. There is a risk of seizures and I recall reading an incident where a jumper had a seizure in free-fall on the medication. Too much seretonin or something...


I quit cold turkey for my birthday last year. Made it 9 months w/ out a smoke. Then I partied a bit too much at a boogie and went back to smoking.

My Father just had heart by-pass surgery (non-smoker) and I think that has convinced me to quit again for New Years.

Ken

If you mentioned to the recruiter that you always wanted to fly helicopters they'd let you know you could be flyin' an Apache shortly after basic training.

A friend from work was considering joining the Marines. He had seen too many commercials. I explained to him that he might end up standing guard at a U.S. Foriegn Embassy in scenic Uraguay.

Ken

I suppose the Quacks have to work somewhere, sometime...

Seriously, what good doctor would be working the ER on a friday night?


Maybe he was a Resident...

Ken

My father is not a skydiver but I think he made me a skydiver. As soon as I could walk he would have me lay out on the floor and pick me up by an arm and a leg and swing me around the room.

I loved it! First adrenaline rush. After that it was only a matter of time...

Ken

I don't think a parachute will help you if you're jumping a 50' Bass

Ken

Dude, you know where it is... it's right around that bend in the road. That mom an pop operation

I've run into a few people in bars that are obviously full of it. I guess some people jump out of planes, others sit in bars drunk and telling lies...

Ken

Tell them you are going on 'extended inactive duty' and if they wish to re-activate you they may contact you at your future place of employment.

Ken

I just got a New odyssey and it's flawless. Perfect fit, all flaps stay shut, exactly the way I ordered it and it arrived a bit ahead of schedule too.

Ken

Here are some standard responses/ comments I use:

1. Doing a cross-country today?
2. Why did you guys land off? Can't you spot?!
(high winds are no excuse for landing off)
3. Trying to get in Parachutist?
4. Isn't it better to on the ground wishing you were in the air than in the air wishing you were on the ground?

5. Don't you think it's too windy today?

If you think something is unsafe, speak up. Clearly you know something they are unaware of...


Ken

'tight' also applies to the fit of the D-bag in the pack tray. It may be harder to close the container, and may require a bit more pull force for the PC to pull the D-bag out of the tray.

Ken

Do you really even need to pack it?




Ken

My experiencee w/ sunpath is; unless you insist on a specific container size, Sunpath only requests the canopy size of the reserve and main you intend to jump. They will pick the appropriate container size.

I'd call or e-mail sunpath and ask about your options.
Realistically, what is the smallest canopy (reserve) you are comfortable trying to land in a worst case scenario; injured, landing out, etc?

Ken

I have the same exit weight as you. My first non-student gear (jump 35) owned is a Triathlon 160 Hybrid. It all depends on your canopy skills. If you've test jumped the canopy and can land it and land off DZ with it, you'll be alright.

At your wingloading you may not make it back on a long spot. First jumps on it I thought it was a really quick responsive canopy. After 200-300 jumps I was ready to move up to something else.

Everything I liked about it became everything I dis-liked about it after 300 jumps.

Ken

Closed Circuit
Storm Surge
Cryptonym 4



Ken

The brake lines (vectran) on my Samurai have that dis-coloration on the last 12" before the toggles. It's nothing to worry about.

Ken

I had a line twist (6) opening like yours, and kicked out of it too. It was somewhere in my first 10-20 jumps on the Samurai.

Definately body position/ movement. I was also in the habit of looking up, reaching up for the risers on deployment. After that line twist I've never looked up or tried to reach for the risers until I feel the slider coming down the lines. Haven't had a line twist since.

Ken

Quote

Right now the only way to avoid taxes is to not work. This new scheme allows you to avoid taxes by spending less. Which scheme gives you more options with what to do with _your_ money? Which scheme encourages employment and discourages tax-shelter schemes?

If I am taxed when I spend money (flat sales tax scheme) what exactly am I saving money for? Saved or spent it ultimately gets taxed unless it's never spent. Additionally, if americans spend less money what happens to the economy? It will tank. Untaxed cost of goods will increase plus the flat sales tax...

Ken

Those are twins.....


Ken

There is not a single bad thing I can say about my odyssey. Fit is exact and comfortable. I like the colors I picked. I think I need to sell my standard javelin and get another odyssey.


Ken

Many people forget what it is like learning to fly a parachute as a student. Keep in mind they are guessing based on observation. Since other people seem to be able to handle a 1:1 loading on a 150 you probably could too...

Use your best judgement after your friend lets you jump a 170. A jump in size from a 230 to a 170 should tell you enough to know for yourself what size is right for you.

Ken

I could pay them a visit. For some reason I have a knack for talking people out of getting married.

Once, my friend proposed to his girlfriend of 5 years on his birthday. She said yes. They announced at a big summer party a few weeks later that they would be married next year.

I said, " So, Angie, this means you've got a year to get out of it?" Angie laughed uncontrolably for 15 seconds, "Yeah!"

My friend shot me the coldest look of death. 4 months later they broke off the engagement, got separate homes and never got married.

The power of reasonable suggestion.


Ken

To paraphrase the logic of the first post:

If god approved of homosexuality, then (gay/lesbian) mating could produce offspring. Only male female mating produces offspring. Therefore god dis-approves of homosexuality.

This is a logically flawed argument; a fallacy. Why is it neccessary for god to arrange a world in which homosexual relations produce offspring? It isn't. In fact, most heterosexual relations do not produce offspring.

From an epistemic and ontologic point of view it really may not be possible to absolutely know the mind of god.

As for the 'natural selection' argument about homosexuality. Think about it some more. Darwin never defines 'fitness'. "Fitness" is a means of allowing a species to adapt to it's environment over time. To be deemed individually 'fit' all you need to do is get your genes into the next generation (have kids) and make sure your kids have kids.

If everyone had 4 offspring, after 4 generations (you would be a great great parent) there would be 256 people genetically descended from you. Conjecture: perhaps homosexual behavior is a braking mechanism on over-populating the planet.

Homosexuality doesn't apply to darwinian 'fitness'. Everyone knows some one who's mom or dad is gay. Darwin never considered his theory to be used as a moral tool, merely a means to explain how a species changes and adapts to an environment.

Peace!
Ken

Honestly, why can't I ever meet a nice girl like her...

*sigh*

The flaming skull avatar inspired me to find my own avatar image.

Pulled this one out of one of my favorite movies...

Ken