Rickendiver

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Everything posted by Rickendiver

  1. Rickendiver
    "The Man Who Knew Too Much", with James Stewart Hitchcock style!
  2. Rickendiver
    Yeah, sinus blocks are no fun. I had a nasal polyp surgically removed after having one while flying. I likened that pain to someone driving a nail into my forehead. Made landing that Citabria real interesting. Years later, I also had sinus block issues that kept me out of the air ( and scuba) for about 3 years. Turned out to be a sinus infection that I had for 3 years! (It required a CAT scan to find it) I had no idea that something like that could hang around for that long.
  3. Rickendiver
    Try the VA website. You should be able to get a copy of his DD214, that will list the dates of his service awards, and maybe the award descriptions
  4. Rickendiver
    Skydive California in Tracy would be a great place to get current again. Slower pace than a turbine operation, and the staff there are first class and super friendly. All the rental/student gear is brand new, and the T206U is set up really well for jumping. Probably a 20 minute drive from Mo-town
  5. Rickendiver
    I used to own a 1957 Mooney. Wood wing, wood tail. Never worried much about corrosion - But I was pretty wary about termites
  6. Rickendiver
    OK, I'm bored so just as a point of reference- "Barrel" roll is often a misnomer. Rolls come in a lot of varieties i.e; snap roll, barrel roll, aileron roll, slow roll, etc. An aileron roll is the easiest- just gain entry speed, pick up the nose, unload the wing and bang the stick over. No more than 2 g's, if done right, and the wings don't know that they're upside down- all they know is the 2 g's. Really hard on the gyros, if they can't be caged. Really stupid to do this in a fully loaded PAC with the CG at or near the aft limits. The pilot is responsible for the safety of the passengers and not only is this is an unnecessary risk, but he now has a planeload full of witnesses that can get his ticket pulled (and/or a huge fine)
  7. Rickendiver
    Science is the pursuit of recognition, the next publication & the next round of funding. Research is merely the mechanism for getting these. Science is an industry.
  8. Rickendiver
    Yeah, I still have my CVA .50 Hawken with double set triggers that I put together when I was 18. Haven't shot it in years, but I remember it was dead nuts accurate out to about 25 yds - beyond that not so much
  9. Rickendiver
    101mm 2 stage hydrogen gas gun. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Super_High_Altitude_Research_Project
  10. Rickendiver
    So would this be considered a VTOL operation, or a skydive? http://abc7news.com/news/pilot-was-amazed-at-fast-rescue-after-he-ditched-plane/491204/
  11. Rickendiver
    Anybody use the Delisle scale? How about Newton, Reaumur, Romer scales? If one standard is good, then a shit ton of them is great, right?
  12. Rickendiver
    I remember my experience at being a new packer with a new Pilot 168ZPX in a new Infinity I-44 was that it really couldn't be possible that this canopy was made to fit in this container Then after about 20-25 jump cycles on the rig, everything seemed to get easier. Not sure how much of it was the canopy fabric "breaking in" or me not sucking quite as much at packing by then, but it seemed like the ZPX packed up a little smaller after a while.
  13. Rickendiver
    Yep, I worked a lot on the 4-5-6 platform, TS Shuttle & food court at GCT- Those buggers would walk right out onto the platform late at night We started giving them names after a while
  14. Rickendiver
    I worked in NYC for six years at GCT, PABT & Penn Station - at all times of the day & night (sometimes 24 hrs). I've seen a ton of stuff that I'd like to forget, but I never got injured. I HAVE been hit by cars twice just crossing the street to get to the subway, though
  15. Rickendiver
    I enlisted in US Army 1974-1976. Vietnam Era, but stayed in CONUS (Huey Medevac's). I do consider myself a veteran- but definitely not a combat veteran. I never considered this to have an expiration date: I, _____, do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; and that I will obey the orders of the President of the United States and the orders of the officers appointed over me, according to regulations and the Uniform Code of Military Justice. So help me God."
  16. Rickendiver
    I bought a suit from them last year- Suit delivered on time, and fit perfectly. Hope they resolve this for you!
  17. Rickendiver
    I've a little over 200 jumps on my Pilot 168ZPX, about half of them with Dacron, half with Spectra. Openings are a little slower and super gentle with Dacron, but adds a little to the pack volume. I'll take that trade-off any day. Only have a few Sabre 2 jumps. Opened brisk but not hard, powerful flare, but steeper glide than the Pilot. My Pilot's gotten me back from some loooong spots!
  18. Rickendiver
    The Roshambo docking maneuver
  19. Rickendiver
    Excellent!
  20. Rickendiver
    I was thinking more like going through AOPA. They conduct regular aviation safety seminars and CFI refresher seminars. Getting the info to the CFI population who might then include it in pilot training & BFR's. Just a thought. Last year, while I was waiting in the loading area for the jump plane, a man walked up to me and introduced himself as a pilot and asked about jump operations- specifically how he could avoid flying through skydiver activities. I happily gave him as much info as I could, and invited him to stick around and watch.
  21. Rickendiver
    Yep. vis a vis aircraft operations at a public use airport. There are usually landing pattern direction indicators at a non-tower airport that should keep landing & takeoff operations away from where the jumpers are supposed to be (or for noise abatement, obstructions, etc), but it's not really a guarantee.
  22. Rickendiver
    There are no DZ boundaries depicted on VFR Sectional charts, horizontal or vertical. The parachute operations symbol on the charts is placed only in a vague general location near the airport. Most GA pilots have no friggin' idea what a drop zone is, and there is no specific FAR that prevents someone from flying right through one. Local pilots are probably familiar with DZ activities, but transient aircraft will likely be clueless. Until I started skydiving, to me a parachute was a big seat cushion that I had to use when flying aerobatics. (Which no one showed me how to use) Oh, and there's no requirement for aircraft to have a either radio or a transponder at most non-tower airports. The BIG SKY theory works to keep bad things from happening most of the time, but it seems like it wouldn't hurt to have some kind of outreach program to educate GA pilots. Hello USPA maybe?
  23. Rickendiver
    One of my all time favorite slide players! R.I.P.
  24. Rickendiver
    Nope, just old (And I'm 5'5")
  25. Rickendiver
    I've been using a Crater suit from Body Sport for about a year now. I'm 200 lbs out the door, and I haven't sunk out yet in it. Polycotton, cordura, swoop cords & booties. They size the wings based on how slow you want to fall. The price point was good too!