PLFKING

My personal hard deck is 1500 ft. I haven't had to cutaway yet, and I want to give myself every opportunity to fix the canopy that's already open, instead of relying on my second one to deploy cleanly. I'm sure this way of thinking will alter once I do have a reserve ride, but for now......no hard turns under 2000 ft, and nothing but braked turns under 500 ft. I've snapped steering lines twice on deployment (on my old canopy) but landed both with rear risers. I practice flares and turns with rear risers on at least every other jump, so I felt confident in my ability to do so, even though I was questioned about that decision on both jumps. If I got anywhere under 800 ft and had a major problem, I would do the canopy transfer also....wait until the reserve was 45 degrees up, then cut away. I've had opportunity to think about this a lot, too. One of the guys I went through student training with actually had the tops of three cells ripped off his canopy by the wheel of the plane while on his crosswind leg of his landing pattern (approx 200-300 ft alt.). It scared the shit out of all of us who saw it.....he flew it in with one toggle all the way up and the other one buried, just to fly straight in. He was sinking pretty damned fast, too. He flared at the last second (about 5 ft) and rolled up in a ball, and got out of it with only cuts and bruises. We talked it over on the 2-hour ride back to our hometown......he felt more comfortable trying to land it than with pulling silver --and that's his decision to make -- but I thought and still think that I'd execute a canopy transfer in a similar situation. What would you have done in that instance ? Point being that something catastrophic CAN happen under your decision altitude, and you always should be thinking of what your response to such an occurrence will be..... Don Btw....I agree wholeheartedly with what Richard said....students should listen to their JMs, and their JMs only. I am always extremely careful of what I say to and around students.

Ummmmm.....I'll tell him you said Hi........

Yeah......like eastern Georgia is anything to brag about..... Don

Reckon so, and I can't blame them. After all, they paid good money for their dates......and you'd just be trying to horn in for free ! Don

Well, Clay, you know I think you're a pretty cool dude, but that might not be a good idea. You see, i live out in the country, and there are several farms in the vicinity, and the farmers around here don't take too kindly to people paying midnight calls on their livestock. I'm just afraid the temptation might be too great for you to resist. Don

I've had about 10 people ask me if it was the "female" symbol....... you know what i mean.....the "male" symbol is the circle with the arrow sticking out of it, and the "female" symbol is the circle with the straight line running down, and the 2 lines across..... And after I told them what it actually was, i had 2 people ask me "Well, if it opens your container, then how do you stretch it all the way around your body while you're falling ???? " I had to laugh.

It's all done outta love and admiration, Lisa.... I'm glad to see all these Hornets out there.....validates to myself that I made a good choice....I love mine ! Manta 288 about 30js Skymaster 260 2js Sharpchuter 245 1j PD-230 about 30-35js Hornet 190 current 21js.....loaded at 1.34:1 Don

Well, they may do things differently in jolly old England....

I jump there a lot. 2 fairly quick Cessnas, covered packing in the hangar, and they were installing showers last time i went. There are always people camping on the weekends also. Two large landing areas, and lots of outs if you need them. Great group of people with a wide range of experience. Small DZ atmosphere. Unbelievable scenery from altitude......lakes, coves, inlets, islands, mountains, forest........sometimes it's hard to concentrate on the actual dive ! Don

I always try to Finnish, but sometimes the stimulation just isn't there, or I'm too drunk.

1) I'm too considerate of others. 2) I always please my partner before pleasing myself. 3) I tend to fall asleep while compiling lists. 4) I often.....zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz...........

Hmmmmm......guess you BOTH owe beer !

Blasphemous......how dare he ! Have you considered delivery of a small thermo-nuclear device ?

But you already HAVE a second reserve......it's called "prayer".

Thanks, Paul.......guess I'll keep experimenting. I like some noise -- it lets me relive my jumps over and over. Maybe I'll try a piece of foam next..... Don btw.......I liked your pics of the DZ.com record jump.....

Hey, y'all..... I just got a Sony TRV-308 and started jumping it. My problem is that the built-in microphone is too sensitive.......it sounds like a freight train in freefall, and under canopy during turns and dives. I tried a piece of duct tape.....but it killed ALL the sound. I tried a piece of felt.....but it muffled everything that was said. I still want to be able to pick up talking back and forth under canopy, but dampen the wind noise in freefall -- but not eliminate it completely. Any suggestions ? Thanks. Don

Good job, Ryan.....hope my first goes as well..... Don

20.6%.......which puts me in the "normal" category for THIS group ! Said the good little girl to the bad little girl, "Gee, but it's hard to be good." Said the bad little girl to the good little girl, "It's GOT to be hard to be good." Don

Parachutist Sports Illustrated Guns and Ammo Readers Digest Boobies Quarterly (just for the articles) Farm Animals Weekly (gift subscription from Clay) (I'm quite the well-rounded individual.....)

Well, that begs the question....."Who here would eat a little shit for $50,000.00 ?" I would think about it......as long as it was wholesome cow manure.....(no way I'd eat pig shit, though !) Don

Oysters. I never could eat them......but my mom had a dinner party for friends when I was 9, and told me I WOULD eat them, and not make a fuss and embarrass her in front of company. I ate my salad, then ate an oyster.........then everyone got to see what my salad looked like again, because I threw up ALL over the table. My mom was mortified........and I never had to look at oysters again.

Hmmm.......I don't think I ever saw her without her plastic "accessories"..... Don

Who's hot : Jacklyn Smith, still..... Who's not : Never thought Pamela Anderson was hot to start with. Don