Boomerdog

Well...in the interset of full disclosure, my birth certificate says Virginia but I grew up in California and lived there for 40 years before moving back to Virginia. The comedian Robin William's said of San Francisico, "San Francisco is proof positive that God still plays with an Etch-A-Sketch." At the risk of treading into blasphemous territory...there's a ring of truth to what Robin Williams said, if only in jest. I left in '98, glad I did. The whole State is now one big insane asylum. Instead of building a fence along the California-Mexico border, they need to build the fence along the borders of Nevada, Oregon and Arizona. Too many Californians are coming East to Virginia and bringing their looney politics with em' and screwing Virginia up.

Noob input here. You're not the first to have the yips before the first hop and pops...I wasn't exactly getting on the airplane looking forward to the two I had to do for my USPA license (5,500' and 3,500'). The intent I was told (and I happen to agree) is to provide some orientation and confidence of exiting an aircraft in an emergency assuming sufficient altitude. It's already been discussed here how much time you have to drop the first 1,000.' At my DZ, we don't close during the Winter months but the ceiling limits do at times restrict us to low pass hop and pops. On a couple of occassions, we had no more than 3,800' feet of ceiling. I exited and counted to "5" before pitching the pilot chute at about 3,000.' I had a full canopy at 2,600 (according to my digital altimeter). I can't tell you not to worry or that your concerns are improperly placed...such perspectives keep us on our toes. I think, however, as number of jumps; particularly hop and pops increase with time, you'll find they are a lot of fun and increase your confidence in the event you find yourself being told to get out of a bad aircraft...and let's hope that never happens. Good luck!

I have to agree with monkycndo...no statute of limitations and my reposnese to the poll is that it should be worse if you try to avoid it. I'm three jumps from a pie (100th jump). The tradition and the ritual, the utility and the purpose were in place long before I took up the sport. So chance are this upcoming weekend, I will have to take my medicine like everyone else who has gone before me.

So you are implying that all Republicans think EXACTLY alike? I trust you're not implying this for that would be absurd. The question posed here is a "What if." So, there's my "straw man." On the other hand, I could be dead dead wrong.

Go back to Poland and put the missile shield back in. Do the same for Latvia, Estonia, and Lithuania. Increase naval presence in the Mediterranean. Open up domestic drilling and get off as much foriegn oil as possible WHILE at the same time, allowing the private sector incentives to develop alternate energy technologies. Kick Russia off the G-8 and most favored nation status and freeze credit for Russian companies currently doing business in the United States and see if NATO partners will do the same. Maintain current nuclear weapons levels and do not enter into further strategic arms reductions negotiations. Any shots fired or war started in this proposal?

Careful there big guy. There's a Proverb that says "pride goeth before the fall."

Why don't you ask him.

A philosopher laureate in the making I'm sure!

+1

PRECISELY!!!!!!!

Ha Ha!

But it didn't happen in Vegas...it happened in Jean, Nv.

I'm willing to bet this professor drives himself to and from the "hallowed halls of the ivory towers" in his gas guzzling SUV.

Yea...we agree.

Yea, yea, yea Zimmerman/Martin, "Stand Your Ground Law," Florida. Let's cut the bee ess and hopefully we'll both agree that Zimmerman was a bloody fool. But a jury acquitted him of murder2, they could have gotten him on voluntary manslaughter but the DA was an overreaching idiot. Flee if you can even if armed, but don't lose sight of the perp. "Stand Your Ground" takes into account the fact that fleeing and losing sight of the attacker my increase the danger of the situation. The perp started it and if the perp now has "tables turned" and is facing the weapon, they should not forget that they (the perp) put themselves there in the first place.

"Castle Doctrine" applies in Virginia. "Stand Your Ground" does not. Carrying concealed requires the holder; if armed, to leave the scene as safe as possible, shooting the attacker is the last option.

Say whaaat? There is NO duty to retreat INSIDE the home. Intruder INSIDE home does not sent merit a "freeze" command or a warning shot. Shoot on sight and without warning. Where's this "duty to retreat" crap coming from?

May I politely change "armed victim" to "armed citizen." When we are armed and use that deadly force, prudently, judiciously and legaly, we are citizens not victims.

yea...unfortunately, my Gaelic is not that good!

Hmmm...never seen it spelled as the former but always the latter. Irish people don't eat corned beef. Do you really mean that the Irish DON'T eat corned beef or don't have a preference for corned beef. No one ever says "Top of the morning" in Ireland. When I was Ireland years ago, I never heard this either but I'm wondering (and this is not a sarcastic question) how you know this? ...but the Irish do eat potatoes! Soooo....all of this not withstanding, there will be corned beef, steamed cabbage and potatoes with home made soda bread for dinner at my table this coming Monday. Guiness too! and just for a bit of Irish trivia..."The term "Paddy Wagon" originated from New York City as the police force was predominantly Irish. As many of the immigrant Irish (probably some of my ancestors) liked to "whoop it up" and get arrested for drunk and disorderly, it was a Paddy driving the wagon and a Paddy or two in the back of the wagon." So I have read. Erin go braugh!

+1 No bricks to be thrown from my direction.

The difference between 45 and 30 jumps is 15 jumps. I'll assume when you took that altitude on, you had developed skills, confidence, and judgement that ensured a great and enjoyable jump at that altitude. What's becoming apparent, however, is that Mr. Flores may not have a proven pattern of exercising good judgement.

OK...I'll cede your point on rules. Requirements, rules, recommendations. They mean different things. I'll stand firm on carelessness and common sense or more specifically the lack thereof. Not every skydiver is me and I'm not every skydiver. Different people, different limits, different skill levels. I don't think he was exercising good judgement in taking on an altitude that high with the number of jumps he had logged and the pre-flight check of his rig has been called into question.

One thing to remember about this community; some; if not a majority of what what goes on or is reported on is not what it made out to be.

All noted. I'll defer to you with respect to how the lines were tied back together and whether that is an acceptable fix. I don't get the sense that it is. That said, Flores breaking the rules only compounds the problem and doesn't help his case. Pure speculation here but he opens with a malfunction at 13K and has 30 jumps in his log. Scrared? Hyperventilating? I don't know. I know on jump#50, my main opened hard, the right brake line had snapped off, I was at 3,400'. Got my bell rung pretty hard and now I'm looking at a malfunction that for a few seconds, scrared the $#!t out of me. But if you're gonna live, get a grip and get one fast. This one will be interesting to see how it turns out.