Boomerdog

Good bet but all you'll get is 1:2 odds. Not the best return for your $$$.

Putin not only took Obama to the woodshed...he owns him!

Nope! One jump is too many and several thousand not enough!

Ultimately, the decision is yours and yours alone to make. You walked away so it's hard to argue with the results. I had a similar thing happen to me on jump# 50; hard opening, really rang my bell. The right brake line snapped off, left brake line good. The canopy was 1) square 2) stable 3) steerable with risers. I stayed with it coming in on risers. Since I had taken a good canopy course post licensure, I opted for a riser landing. I landed a bit hot but knew how to PLF. I had a few bruises, no broken bones. No one second guessed me but did ask why I chose to "stay with it" rather than cut it away. The questions were more from curiosity rather than critique. A week later, our Big Dog on the Block Master Rigger and I had a talk about the incident and he said I made a good call. If you haven't taken a canopy course, I highly recommend it.

I haven't a clue why you would take pride in such a little thing like that.

My INITIAL point! Let me say that again so YOU understand...my INITIAL point. Good policy is the result of good study and good science. I just maintain the view that one follows the other. The focus of my argument was the science. You are free to believe whaterver you wish.

The basic premise of global warming centers primarily around chemical compounds produced either from hydrocarbon combustion or decomposition, cow farts etc etc. The chemical culprits are alleged to be carbon dioxide (CO2) and methane (CH4). The mechanism proposes that elevated levels of both impede the path of incident sunlight from bouncing off the surface of the Earth and returning out to space in a more direct line of flight. So the best analogy might be that of "molecular bumper cars." it is also theorized that both CO2 and CH4 also act as heat absorbers. CO2 and CH4 are low IR (heat) absorbers and as such produce weak IR spectral signatures. What I do not hear in this global warming argument are the other by products of combustion, chiefly water (H20) and the oxides of nitrogen (NOX). These compounds are high IR absorbers and give very strong IR spectra. So is there a ring of truth to global warming? Perhaps, but there are other variables that require consideration that somehow don't find themselves into the debate. A volcano in Japan has been erupting rather frequently spewing a lot of particulates into the atmosphere. Geologic subduction contributes to natural heating along with the tremendous amounts of heat produced below the oceans in the mid Atlantic and Pacific Ridges respectively. What I do think we can intuitively agree on is that we should be concerned about air pollution and start working and developing the technologies to provide cleaner and hopefully cheaper transportation. Fossil fuels will hopefully be replaced by other fuels but its not going to happen overnight. And OBTW petroleum is not just for fuels, the nylon and other materials used in making our canopy's and other parts of our rigs come from petrochemicals. One last comment. Engineering and physics are part of getting to the solution but so is the chemistry and mathematics and computer science etc. My initial point is the solution lies chiefly in the science and not the politics, alarmism, or the narrative of propaganda. Enough...I'm Done! Time to go study for my Cat B.

I've forgotten more about the subject than you'll ever know.

You are so full of $#!t, you plop instead of squeak.

So...you teach engineering and physics to high school students. I've taught College Chemistry to University Students. Add up all my academic and professional lab time and it's about 45 years. If you want to compare resumes, I'll be more than happy. I can splatter equations all over this board ranging from classical to atomic physics, quantum and statistical mechanics but that would serve no purpose, only insult the readership and make me out to be some egotistical egghead which I am far from but the bona fides you you use to justify your credibility just does not seem to be cutting here with some and definitely not me. So speaking as one of those "right wing anti science guys" who just happens to be a scientist, the proposed mechanism of global warming is certainly worth a good look and scientific investigation. There's some data there that does concern me. On a personal level, I don't want to free fall in polluted air or SCUBA dive in polluted oceans. I would, however, like to see good science done and let the data do the speaking. We've already seen "the books cooked" by left wing scientists over in the UK. Their data sets did not fit the political narrative and they got caught. For the record, I'd like to see fossil fuels go the way of the dinosaur (pun intended) but not at the expense of economic catastrophe. At some point, both sides are going to have to get to the table, face one another and get off this "my way or the highway" mentality. You teach kids, the leaders of tomorrow, don't you think you have the ethical and moral obligation to present both compelling sides of the argument for somewhere in the mix could be the solutions that they will need. Get the "political" out of the "science," and perhaps we'll solve this problem. Until then, your argument rings hollow. OBTW, my graduate work was in digital IR analysis of all plus a few more compounds noted by others in this thread.

You're either joking or scored a buy on some very bad kool-aid. Also, go check your lithium levels and refill the Prozac perscription then go sleep it all off. WHOA!

Five stars without a doubt! Cant' say I aggreed with his "other" profession but he respected and was magnanimous in pay and praise of all the people he worked with. Roger Nelson must have been "all throttle and no brake." It's a great read and a hilarious one at that. I've been laughing my @$$ since page ten! This is a must read for all in the Skydiving Community!

"- Finally: rights... These are not rights. They are laws/privileges. And they can be taken away. Nobody can take away a right. Please don't bring up semantics... The fact is that your laws currently prohibit things that used to be rights - like owning a slave... And thank goodness this is no longer the case. Your "right" to bare arms can also be taken away if too many people abuse it." Approximantely 160 years ago and back, owning slaves was legal. Today, it is illegal. The ban on slavery is not only codified in State Law but Federal Law as well...and this ban is further clarified in Amendment 13 of the US Constitution which is the supreme law of the land. The important part of the preamble to the first ten amendments reads as follows: "THE Conventions of a number of the States, having at the time of their adoption of thethe Constitution, expresseda desire, in order to prevent misconstruction or abuse of its powers, that further declatory and restrictive clauses should be added: And as extending the ground of public confidence in the Government, will best ensure the beneficient ends of its institution. The preamble further goes on to define the conditions under which The Constitution can be amended i.e. Amendments added or deleted. The Second Amendment is still in force. It is both a RIGHT and it is LAW. The only way this right and law can be removed and something new take its place is through the process stated in the preamble. The government can try to repeal the Second Amendment but it would be very very very very unwise to do so and I'll just leave it at that. Amending the Constitution is much harder than passing regular laws. We are a governed people here in America NOT a ruled people. Note recent statistics for the State of Virginia, firearms sales are up 100% but violent crime DOWN 28%. We dont have the violent crime problem of Maryland and Washingto D.C. Virginia is a "shall issue state." This means an adult over 21 years of age with no criminal record can apply and receive a concealed carry permit...those are the only conditions. Criminals are wary, they don't know if their target is packing or not and are deterred from engaging in violent criminal behavior. Guess what, deterence works. An armed citizenry deters criminals and it deters govenrments from abusing the citizens.

"Oh come on, seriously? Do you think that guy who shot people in a cinema would have hit 71 people and killed 12 had he been armed with a glock instead of an AR-15? Really? Don't think so." I don't think so either but I don't know if that is either the point or the answer you're looking for. The shooter in Colorado was armed to the teeth with the arms and bullet carrying capacity to as we say "put a lot of rounds downrange." And put a lot of rounds downrange was exactly what he did in a very evil act. His trial is forthcoming and the facts will be put forth in the trial. A jury will listen and render a verdict. I want to preface my remarks with some numbers. In the United States, there are approximately 250 - 300 million firearms in the private possession of about 80 million people. This computes to each individual owning on average 3 - 3.5 firearms per person. Given these numbers, it would seem that probability would favor people settling their problems with guns and most of the cities, towns, villages, rural areas in the US would be "free fire zones" with bullets flying in the air every which way. But that's not happening. We humans were endowed with the free will and ability to choose between love and hate, good and evil. Fortunately, most of us choose love and good over hate and evil. Unfortunately, there are some who choose the hate and evil path and some choose to act out such behavior in very deadly and destructive ways. Further, the movie theatre loves customers but forbade customers with concealed carry permits to legally "pack heat" in the theatre. The perp might have gotten some shots off but I'd place a sizable bet those packing heat would have taken him out in as little time as possible. Now comes the whining replies of, "but what about stray bullets etc etc etc?" It's already an uncontrolled free fire zone and if the police were there firing their weapons, stray bullets would still be flying all over the place. "but the police are trained?" Yup and so are holders of concealed carry permits. i know, I have a permit and I train at the range two to three times a month and shoot about 100 - 150 rounds...at paper targets of course. The cops can't help you NOR is law enforcement under any legal obligation to protect each of us. Their job is to enforce the law which means they arrive AFTER the crime has been committed i.e, as the body's are already on the ground. We have a saying, "When seconds count, the cops are minutes away." So why do I (with occasional frequency) carry a gun? BECAUSE A COP IS TOO DAMN HEAVY! Self defense is and always will be...THE FIRST HUMAN RIGHT!

It's not a need so much as it is in the opinion of many including myself, a right. And it's a never ending argument. We have come a long way from single shot smoothbore muskets and flintlock rifles. Many argue that our Founding Fathers, yes those evil dead white males who owned slaves, could never have foreseen the advent of automatic and semi-automatic weapons. While they might not have foreseen this technology, they were historical scholars who had seen warfare go from swords to bows and arrows to gunpowder weapons in the form of cannons and muskets. If you visit our Civil War Battlefields, you'll see many cannons lined up and used by both sides. These cannons have been altered to be safe but make no mistake, as old and outdated the cannons are, they are still to this day, lethal weapons. An AR-15 in its appearance looks pretty intimidating. But there is a difference between intimidation and power. The bullet size of 0.223 inches or 5.56mm is rather small but there is sizable charge of powder behind the bullet that makes it quite effective within 180 meters or 200 yards. The added power of the weapon is due to the size of the ammunition magazine. A thirty round magazine can put a lot of rounds down range in a quick hurry. Now let's talk about "hunting rifles," rifles used in hunting say, deer, elk, moose. Hunting rifles carry about four to five bullets in the magazine. But lack of quantity is made up for quality. As an example, a Wetherby .300 magnum rifle is quite a powerful weapon. The bullet size is three tenths of one inch or 7.62 mm. This is a big round with a lot of powder behind the bullet. At 1000 yards (914 meters) this round is still traveling at supersonic speed and can still pack a lethal punch to a deer, a moose, and yes a human being from this distance. So a known, identified and legitimate hunting rifle is also one very good sniper rifle. So, an ugly looking assault rifle like an AR-15 that is lethal out to 200 yards or a .300 magnum hunting rifle that can "reach out and touch you" from 1000 yards. The result is the same you're still dead! The AR-15 is just the popular trendy focus of a larger and heated debate about what guns can be owned by private citizens like myself and which cannot. If humans were angels, we would not have the authoritative structures of government but those in government are not angels either and the power they wield needs to be checked, first by the ballot box and debate and i hope it stays that way. But the fact is that deterrence works. We own firearms for many LEGAL reasons here. But the Second Amendment is not about hunting or target practice...it is about an armed citizenry providing an ultimate check against out of control government power. Can it happen here? We certainly hope not but like playing poker there's an old saying..."trust everyone but always cut the cards."

Unfortunately, his civil rights are guranteed with respect what the government cannot do versus private property owners form which he rents. But now that guns have been banned in his apartment complex he ought to get the hell out of there. Those apartments are now a target for burglars, crack dealers, robbers, rapists and other "pillars" of society.

Well Doc, welcome to the biggest Lay's Potato Chip outside the supermarket where one jump is too many and several thousand will never be enough! You're an ER Doc with a desire to jump...you sure do like adrenaline don't you. You might think about doing a magnanimous act and leaving your brain to science once you leave this world. It would be interesting to see how the ol' noodle of yours is wired. But I digress.. Door anxiety eh? The good news is that it's not uncommon, many here write of the same concern. I suffered through it early in AFF training as well. What acft are you jumping from? I did all my training jumps from a Cessna 182P where the door is up close and personal There's also a Cessna 206 at the DZ as well and that door is up close and personal too. Speaking for myself and only myself, the door yips are now down to a safe and manageable level in the noise line but I can sense some of it is still there. From Category C on, there is a required task to demonstrate proficiency in spotting the aircraft and your instructor and/or jumpmaster will train and walk you through it all. I can't say it was easy for the first or second times but over the long haul, I've learned a valuablie skill in spotting. One of the first things I do when I get to the DZ is look at the winds aloft board and calculate the spot and check with my instructor (yes he's still my instructor eventhough I'm now licensed). I then get on a load and ask to spot which allows me to open the door and get out first. Once I'm out and in the air, all is well. This was for me, the best way to beat back the "door monster." Other techniques may work for you and never ever be reticent to talk this over with your instructor. You'll get a lot of unsolicited advice here and my ONLY intent here is to share my experience rather than advice. Your first and sole source of training is your instructor and the coaches the instructor designates to you...they will know you best. The tunnel is invaluable. I've got about 30 minutes of tunnel time and it was of great help. I've learned that skydiving is counterintuitive in the sense that by getting as relaxed as you possibly can and let gravity and the wind be "welcome partners in the process," you'll have much better control and situational awarenes during the jump. Finally, why isn't your wife jumping? My wife and I went through AFF training together. In fact, skydiving was her idea. Maybe they should look at my brain too!?!? Blue Skies

Newly licensed guy here. Popsjumper's input is absolutely sound. My instructor would advise me when it was time to buy a certain piece of equipment. Instructors understand "the learning curve." Having the training experience still fresh in my mind, my own personal observation and conclusions are to concentrate on the training block you are in. Along the way, they will show you how a rig works, it's principle parts and packing but again let your instructors set the pace and remember, mountains are moved ONE ROCK AT TIME. Blue Skies

Welcome Back!

Welcome and congratulations...you just took a bite out of the biggest Lay's Potato Chip out there and you thought you could "eat just one?" Silly you! Not to worry, we all ate that "first potato chip once and look where we are at? Screw world peace, as long as I have a drop zone, I'm good! Again, Welcome!

First, congratulations on making your first tandem...not something many people do. Sorry about the hard opening but every now and then they happen. Ya think you've packed it right and wham...hard opening. I had one on my 50th jump...not enjoyable but I got down OK but did not jump for two weeks due to a sore groin. My sense of your writing is that you are engaging the sport soberly and sensibly. To give you some idea about skydiving over here in "The Colonies," there are approximately 36,000 licensed skydivers in a population of about 317 million people. This is 0.1% or 1 in 10,000. This is not a good or bad statistic, just a fact. And I'm newly licensed myself and what I've found so far is quite a community of serious people who enjoy both a sport and a level of friendship and community I've never seen before but quite happy I'm part of now. Quite to the contrary, skydivers do not have "screws loose" or are crazy. I've never seen or been a part of a community who give the highest premium to safety. If your serious in pursuing a license, someone here said another tandem might be in order before making the first AFF jump and I think its safe to say that should you decide to pursue at least one AFF jump, they will prepare you well. As for the "adrenaline rush," I know that I enjoy the free fall with a relaxed but heightened state of awareness. If that's adrenaline rush then so be it. What I enjoy are the people, the challenge of developing my skills with each jump I log and getting the hell away from my job. In total,it's a great time. Blue Skies

It's a good thing people don't go apeshit crazy in California. I left that pace in 1998 and I was going apeshit crazy then." California, proof positive that God still plays with and Etch-A-Sketch!

Radley Balko has a book out, "Rise of The Warrior Cop." It's a good read. Sounds like the LEO's once again overplayed their hand on this "killer deer caper."

With respect to the barn. It was a strange mix of: 1) The wind was taking me there. 2) Fatigue. Electing to ride the risers down is the "mother of all workouts." 3) Altitude The wind plus the fatigue would not allow additional turning. As soon as I saw the barn in my track and little alternative, I checked the altitude on my digital altimeter. I was at 270' AGL...not good altitude for radical turns. I did a quick eyeball of the projected descent track over the barn and was confident I would clear it and I did clear it but not by much. The other dilemma to consider is canopy inflation. Had I accomplished any more turns, the canopy once righted would take another 10 seconds to get back to full inflation and I was coming in hot already. I needed as much lift possible to minimize the impact of the landing. You make the decision and you live with it up or down. That day, I put one in the "up" column.