BigMikeH77

Well at least the gear was recovered. This guy is long gone I will say, though, that it's incredibly awesome (usually) how close knit the skydiving community is. This goes to show how the vast majority of "regular people" just don't get it.

Oh what sad economic times indeed..

I have my own opinions but those can't be used to define art as opposed to vandalism. To me, a tag is not art. I'm sure a lot of folks would disagree though. Street art is generally for public consumption and recognizable. It inspires thought, emotion, action. I don't feel inspired by tags.

Whaaaaaaaaaat theeeeeeee fuuuuuuuuuuuck?

You're absolutely right.. And I hadn't even considered the impact of Banksy's work on local tourism until that video was put out yesterday of the guy in the hood charging all the people $20 to take a picture of the gopher. At first I was put off, but then I thought "how perfectly capitalist of that guy." When I visited Amsterdam a few years back, there were Van Gogh souvenirs everywhere. Yep - postcards, prints, keychains... You get the idea. It sounds like the same thing going on, to a degree, with Banksy. I agree with you 100% on the comment about tags. Especially after seeing some of the crap that was put over his work throughout NY. It's not about art, it's about turf to the taggers. Really a small minded way of thinking but unless there's a city council who's going to put a plan into action to protect the stuff, that's just the reality of street art. It's not going to be around forever.

Just try sneaking a midnight snack line of blow in and then going back to sleep

I'm sorry that happened.. I'll keep an eye open here in Denver too.

I really like his work. I think its a shame that it usually gets undone so quickly, but such is street art. Be careful not to discount the medium or the stencils... Banksy's stuff causes all kinds of emotion, thought, opinion, and reaction. That's art.

The guy who just needed "something for the walls" probably is getting the most out of it. I have to wonder, if I were in his place would I sell them or keep them.

I have to agree with the comment above... Not sure what reaction you were hoping to invoke. Probably not too many folks on here are real keen on students/tandem students/pax jumping video. Read around a little and find out why. Boasting that you shot this at a non-USPA member dropzone is, to me, kind of like saying "Hey look at me I wanted to do my own thing, ignore the advice of most everyone else, and actually did it - Here's the crappy video to prove it!"

Congratulations Ask your instructors LOTS of questions, understand their answers, look at Brian Germain's YouTube channel, and when it gets tough and you find yourself struggling, try to remember to relax and smile.. this is FUN!

Looks like the Citizens for Quiet Skies lunatics posted a link to the forum here on their FB page.. So here's what I have to say to YOU, Gibby - since you're on our turf now and you want to show the world how we "mean spirited skydivers" just want to harass you.. I take the things said by the Citizens for Quiet Skies: mainly just Kim, but also the kool-aid drinkers like John, Lynda, and Oscar, at face value and nothing more. When I first learned about your coalition, I really respected your opinions and agreed to disagree. When there are multiple parties in a standoff, and everyone has a valid argument, there really is nothing anyone can do but laugh. Those things happen. The more I read into your own Facebook posts and begin to understand your ilk the more it disturbs me. I’m certain that there are some pretty darn interesting psychoanalytic points to be made about how your group goes on and makes itself out to be more important than it actually is… Bigger than it actually is. Your reposts from groups in different countries whom also consist of nothing more than a handful at most of people who are bent on complaining proves only that mental illness isn’t confined to members of CQS. Nothing will ever satisfy your need for ego boosting. When there aren’t any planes running you’ll complain about the trains. You’ll complain about the traffic. You’ll complain about having to complain. When you’re out in solitude, I bet you’d complain about the birds singing. Recently you complained about not being alerted about when to complain. During the terrible floods, you posted on your page that people shouldn't call in to complain about the Otter because it was doing survey work... But then as soon as things started to get back to normal, you blasted not MHSC but SKYDIVERS IN GENERAL for being "so thoughtless when there's so much suffering going on." And that, without any doubt, is a prime example of immaturity. I find it doubtful that you will ever get the attention that you crave – perhaps the attention that you lacked as children or the attention that you find lacking in personal and social relationships. It’s unfortunate. Now, you have been called out (even the FAA I think gave you a "strong warning") about ridiculous complaining and you have taken enough time away from the legitimate business of the Longmont Airport Advisory Board. You’ve spent every courtesy offered. Now there’s nothing left to go around but a feeling of general disdain for the Citizens for Quiet Skies who are now threatening “legal action” and to “let the courts decide.” You’re wasting everyone’s time and energy with every single complaint that you register with poor Tim. But… I won’t allow a single one of you to take any more of my attention; not for a good laugh, not for a gasp of “Oh my God are they SERIOUS?!”.. Nothing. I have a great life. I have a fantastic job, am in a relationship with someone who loves me as much as I love them, and have met friends that are the best people in the world. Even when things are rough, I like to take ownership and do what I can to pull myself up and carry on. I wager that if any of you had ever bothered to meet a skydiver and get to know them you might be amazed that they’re not all rude and inconsiderate. There is simply no fixing you. Not a single one of you – Kim, you can keep your “live well” motto. Words are easy, but I actually DO live well… As for the other four or five of you, you can only fix yourselves and I hope it’s not too late – but that’s your issue to deal with. Airports, airplanes, and skydivers aren't keeping you from living the life you want to live. To find that cause, each of you will have to look deep inside your own selves. Now if you'll excuse me, I have a life to live.

Remember that....

Do you have a tunnel nearby?

Talk to your instructors, DZ manager (as there's usually at least ONE person who advises folks on prospective rigs), or S&TA. Are you aware that a Spectre is a 7-cell canopy? I think you should bring it up with the people you already know and the people who already know YOU, rather than seek advice here. You know, just to be sure. No one wants to buy the wrong equipment.

Give yourself some credit. Not only are you jumping out of a plane, you are now trying to catch up with the nutcase who jumped before you, maintain your stability and altitude/situational awareness, and convince yourself that this is FUN! I am on the opposite side of the spectrum, as are a few of my jumping buddies. We fall like greased safes. I wear a loose and big jumpsuit, and during my AFF and coaching my instructors/coaches were usually sure to wear tight, slick jumpsuits or no jumpsuit at all. Sometimes I would get as big as I could to slow my fall rate and it still wasn't enough. Again, give yourself some credit. On my very first jump I managed to lose both my instructors. In my very short time in the sport I've pulled off exits that I consider to be glorious, and some that are just atrocious by anyone's standard. Hang in there and keep at it. Brian Germain always says to breathe slowly, relax your muscles, and smile. It works, honestly. You're probably still dealing with door fear and that combined with the mental drilling of the dive flow, EP's, etc., can be a lot to handle. Different body positions burn altitude at different rates - you're learning this, and that's a good thing! That's the spirit! You'd be hard pressed to find ANYONE here or at any DZ who at one point or another didn't feel the same way I think that coaches and instructors are much more wary of a student that thinks they already have the mad skillz than one who knows what they need to work on and has the sense to ask for help in those areas. I postulate that you're probably not as "bad" of a student skydiver as you think. Talk to your instructors, ask lots of questions, practice, visualize, RELAX.. AFF is a journey, not a destination.

Shattered tib/fib. Tib plated with 9 screws. He's slowly getting better. Thanks :-) People are being flooded out in the middle of the night, trapped in cars on main roads.. this is insane! But by God, the roads to the Casinos are still open!

Gov. Hickenlooper said we got a years worth of rain in 24 hours... equal to a hundred-something inches of snow. Did anyone hear about the kid on his bike that got hit by a truck? That was my son. This is a lousy week. Even missed my canopy course on Tuesday because of the storms.

So much for "serious" question Small life policies are easily obtainable, even for skydivers. USPA has group rates, and insurance companies LOVE term policies. Even if you're a veteran and receive VA memorial benefits, your final expenses will include more than a headstone, funeral, and salute. Chances are, your bank or credit card company offers FREE life insurance, five or 10 thousand dollars.. all you have to so is sign. Try looking into that. Keeping life insurance is a smart and responsible thing to do, regardless of your marital or parental status.

Hello and welcome! Any specific reason for your tandem jump?

Perhaps you should look into a "Major Medical" policy. They are put in place to cover, well, major stuff... Excludes dr visits, preventative, and the like. I would seriously reconsider your position on life insurance though, especially if you are married and/or have children.

I don't know, man... The door on the new King Air at MHSC doesn't seem all that much wider than the other one. And as far as door jitters go, I've somehow trained myself to become quite relaxed while sitting alongside it. I think the hop n' pops helped a lot. The narcissist (and Aries) in me likes to be the first in line and the first out.

I'm liking the different stories everyone has to tell... Here's mine; I was "blown up" six times in Baghdad by IED's. The closest one was less than three feet away from my truck and shrapnel pierced both the steel plate armor and the compressed aluminum door which stood between me and the device. The force of that blast was so great that it moved my 5-ton truck to the other side of the dirt road. ANYWAY, I remember each time my truck hit an IED. It hurts, ALOT! It's hard to explain, but the enormous amount of energy that is released by a well made IED instantly passes through every cell in your body, and its like you can actually feel that happening. It's very strange Then, of course, all the drugs and training kick in. God willing, you hear every voice in your truck shout out "I'm good" for a few seconds.

Oh that's BRILLIANT!

He is 22 and has no idea what he's about to get himself into. Suggest that he live his life first, that he can do that with his girlfriend and there's no immediate rush to get married, and they'll most likely be happier for making that decision to not rush into it.