riddler

K - what happened to ftp.skydivingmovies.com? Is that one down? I can't access it. Trapped on the surface of a sphere. XKCD

I would be tempted to infer that by sub-terminal, they probably mean cutaway after having a fully-inflated main canopy (intentional cutway or cutaway due to unlandable main). There are other potential reasons for a sub-terminal reserve (low exit, etc), but they seem less likely. I guess I wouldn't think that terminal vs. sub-terminal opening makes a huge difference for the relatively low number of uses that a typical reserve gets. The repacks probably give more wear, unless there's a LOT of reserve uses. But it's all speculation. I usually ask what happened on the reserve deployments. Not only do you get to hear the no-shit-there-I-was stories, but you can be given clues about what not to do on that specific rig. I bought a rig where the previous owner described the only cutaway as happening after installing tube-stows on the D bag. Don't get me wrong - I have nothing against tube-stows, but I took that to mean don't install tube stows on that particular rig. Trapped on the surface of a sphere. XKCD

***Not to mention he makes good stuff.*** Err yeah - I have a Vector 2. I think it's pretty good, myself. Trapped on the surface of a sphere. XKCD

Is it as hairy as his face?? Sorry, Bill Trapped on the surface of a sphere. XKCD

Steve, ya gotta do both if you want to own a dropzone someday. Trapped on the surface of a sphere. XKCD

Are you proposing that hot-dogs have pig-meat in them? I don't think so ... Anyway, I'm wondering if this is some sort of swooping joke about hot-dogs that I don't get. Maybe swoopers consider themselves hot-dogs?? Some sort of swooping joke that I don't get? Trapped on the surface of a sphere. XKCD

C'mon Dave, show her the video. The video! Trapped on the surface of a sphere. XKCD

My G/F got hers in the PO box, but I have not. It's all good, 'cause she don't mind if I read hers on the potty. Trapped on the surface of a sphere. XKCD

Usually the first thing I ask is where they jump. 99% of these types don't even know where the dropzones are. I'm really amazed at how many of these people there are. Why don't people lie about being tennis players or skateboarders or something? Trapped on the surface of a sphere. XKCD

Nice Trapped on the surface of a sphere. XKCD

Jump 47. Why? Because I wanted to learn to pack. I took a packing class, but wasn't allowed to pack the rental gear at the DZ. I knew the only way I was going to really learn to pack would be to get my own gear and pack it and jump it. Trapped on the surface of a sphere. XKCD

0:0:0 Bad weather Planning on jumping Saturday, but rain most of the day. Went out to Brush on Sunday, but high winds and low clouds. I know a few folks in Colorado got some jumps in this weekend, but I'm guessing not many. For some reason, Memorial weekend in CO is usually rainy (except the last two years). Rats. Trapped on the surface of a sphere. XKCD

I have been learning a lot about basic tracking using skr as a coach. Some things I learned about the basics: First, it helps to have a coach. If your coach falls straight down, you can track away and see how far you get. I start by tracking away at 6,000. At 4,500, I turn and look at my coach to see how far I got. Now, if done properly, I will end up above my coach, because he is still falling at 110-120 straight down, and I have effectively exchanged some downward component for forward movement (i.e. 80 MPH down, 80 MPH forward, or something like that). Because I've got a slower downward component than my coach, I end up above him/her (and pretty far out). Another lesson I learned is that I was trying to do too much with body position. I have no doubt that Hook can angle his body perfectly for a max track, but remember that he has a few thousand jumps. I only have 150. By going back to the basics, I was able to get further. Before, I was trying to get flat, move my arms all the way in, dearch, shrug, point toes, convex chest, etc. srk encouraged me to just get into a wide delta and get flat, and I got a lot further just doing that. I expect to continue this for the next few dozen jumps to get practiced, then add one element to go further, and practice that for a few dozen jumps, then add another element for a few dozen jumps, etc, etc. I don't think anyone can reasonably expect to get it all at once. Finally, the way that tracking is taught is a generic method that does not cater to specific body types. I have a lanky body, and video showed that I was bowed (I call it "banana-tracking") for most of my track, which caused porpoising and didn't help me get very far. A good coach can show you the best way to track for your body type, jumpsuit, et al. Trapped on the surface of a sphere. XKCD

Maybe it's just bad packing karma, but I've never had a good opening from someone else packing for me. Usually get lots of line twists, hard openings, etc. Even good packers with thousands of pack jobs can't seem to get it right. I could afford to pay someone to pack for me, but why pay someone to do a job that I'm probably just gonna complain about later? I do pack slow, but the advantage is that there is only one person I can point the finger at for bad openings (me) - and I get them right about 95% of the time. Trapped on the surface of a sphere. XKCD

I have a friend that is a blind jumper and needs audible alarms at higher altitudes (over 8,000 feet AGL). Does anyone know what elevations of the audible alarms can be set at? Trapped on the surface of a sphere. XKCD

So imagine you're a group of advanced aliens from another planet. (I believe). Anyway, you have your spaceships and you're exploring the galaxy, when you come across an interesting group of relatively hairless bipedal primates on a distant planet in one corner of the galaxy. You establish the usual team of observers, and after 100 years or so, you notice that they follow the basic patterns of living creatures, subject to the most basic primal instincts in the evolutionary framework (survival, reproduction), along with a few more specific instincts (territorialism, social heirarchy) that appeal to lower life forms, as well as one bizzare instinct (ritual) that must be the result of some lack of good breeding. No big deal, really - all very interesting. But then, just within the last 50 years, you notice a trend of a very small group of bipeds that engage in a weird habit of cramming into archaic thin-fluid traversing machines (known locally as "airplanes"), ride them up to wholly usafe altitudes (notice the direct contradiction to the first prime instinct - survival), and voluntarily chuck themselves out. What could this be? Some new form of travel? Hardly - they don't seem to make any circumglobal progression. A solitary experiment in physics? Don't think so - the same creatures seem to engage in this activity several times a day. Why would otherwise normal creatures engage in such non-productive and obviously self-destructive behavior? Of course UFOs are going to hang around dropzones! They want to know why we do it. Keep your eyes on the sky at the DZ. And if any small grey people with big eyes ask about doing a tandem, make sure they bring a case of Arcturian Beer. Trapped on the surface of a sphere. XKCD

Question: "What are the winds right now?" Answer (all licking fingers, and speaking in unison): "Here, let me check" Trapped on the surface of a sphere. XKCD

When Square1 didn't list it, I thought Paragear surely would, but I guess there aren't enough of them out there yet to warrant listing them on the website. Good thing this is for my Voodoo - RI should definitely have one for me. Trapped on the surface of a sphere. XKCD

This is really changing just in the last few years. I got an Air Z (Nitrox) dive computer from Scuba Pro. It sends information about tank air pressure via a hoseless (wireless) link directly to your wrist computer. The wrist computer is smart enough to calculate a whole heap of things, starting with how many minutes of air it estimates you have left at the current depth, max depth, minutes you have to decompression, starting (above water) elevation, and current dive time. Then it gets really fancy and records multiple dives and can tell you in advance how to plan your next dive, giving you various times at various max depths, as well as current off-gas time. It senses whether your above water or diving automatically. The only real thing I need to tell it is air mixture (for Nitrox/rebreather diving). Of course, you still should know how to do dive tables in case the computer breaks, but doing both, I've found that the computer can easily double my diving time, since it doesn't rely on as many estimations from square tables. Computers are becoming almost necessary for most divers these days and let you focus on diving, rather than crunching numbers. Dive masters are starting to take two in case one breaks. Trapped on the surface of a sphere. XKCD

Going to Honduras in July for a week of diving off of Roatan Island. Belize last year. Cozumel the year before. Americans are pretty lucky to have such a good reef area to dive. Trapped on the surface of a sphere. XKCD

Where can I purchase a low-profile metal reserve handle? Trapped on the surface of a sphere. XKCD

I'm thinking Bill could handle this one. Heck - if I've done it, I'm guessing Bill could do it in his sleep. The others are good, though. Needlepoint. Trapped on the surface of a sphere. XKCD

Let me just say - it's not worth it! Take that fancy degree and get a job far, far away from the aerospace field. Good job. Trapped on the surface of a sphere. XKCD

I could argue all day on this one. Better is a hard word to define. We worked with Russian engines at LockMart and found them to be very good *for their technology*. But their technology was often 40 years behind ours. If Americans kept the same level of technology with minor improvements over 40 years, we would have good 40 year old technology too. Americans have money and desire for major improvements in design and concept, so we do it. We use solid rockets, because they are generally better (and a little more unsafe). The Russians continued to use Kerosene (basically) and became the best makers of liquid engines because they dedicated a lot of time to older technology. But back to skydiving, and speaking of older technology - did you notice on one of the pics that everyone was jumping rounds? Old photo? Trapped on the surface of a sphere. XKCD

Good job! The harder you work in AFF, the more you appreciate it when you're done. I'm thinking you will be a jumper for life. Trapped on the surface of a sphere. XKCD