darkwing

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Everything posted by darkwing

  1. darkwing
    Welcome to the US healthcare system. Expect the ridiculous. -- Jeff My Skydiving History
  2. darkwing
    You sure you have that year right? Those were still widely used rigs by up jumpers in 1972. Squares were rare, except fro accuracy jumpers, is that who was handing them down? -- Jeff My Skydiving History
  3. darkwing
    Nude Disintegrating Parachutist Woman, by Budgee -- Jeff My Skydiving History
  4. darkwing
    Old guys call it "gutted 550". -- Jeff My Skydiving History
  5. darkwing
    Tim, one of my oldest skydiving friends is a rigger and a general contractor. One day a construction guy he knew came by and found Tim working at the sewing machine. He thought it was hilarious. People who can sew are respected in the skydiving world, but macho guys in construction have trouble with macho skydiving construction guys who can sew. Your daughters might turn around if you make them something cool. My wife loves to brag that I can hem her pants and dresses for her. Other women find that very amusing, but fairly attractive too. -- Jeff My Skydiving History
  6. darkwing
    There is no useful automatic number of years. The only answer is to have it inspected. -- Jeff My Skydiving History
  7. darkwing
    Most of that stuff is possible on skydiving canopies, but you have to work harder, or be more unlucky to have it happen. -- Jeff My Skydiving History
  8. darkwing
    I'd say the jumpsuit puts it about 1978. Looks like a twin Beech tail. I haven't a clue as to who or where. -- Jeff My Skydiving History
  9. darkwing
    I will add that riggers, like doctors, are supposed to be conscientious enough to say "even though I have a license to do that, I am not comfortable doing it." Being a professional means that you are tough enough to say no. -- Jeff My Skydiving History
  10. darkwing
    seems kind of mean to me. -- Jeff My Skydiving History
  11. darkwing
    You can probably demo canopies in a rental rig. -- Jeff My Skydiving History
  12. darkwing
    According to PD the high speed tear strength of ZP is notably inferior to F-111 type fabric. -- Jeff My Skydiving History
  13. darkwing
    Well, given that they cut big holes in the ribs anyway, why do you feel cheated by the non-ZP ribs? It is likely that the rib fabric has superior strength in some ways to the ZP. I have long thought that a strong, high porosity fabric would be the best for internal ribs, eliminating the need for cross ports. -- Jeff My Skydiving History
  14. darkwing
    short of getting dire warnings to the contrary from the manufacturer, I'd say go ahead. -- Jeff My Skydiving History
  15. darkwing
    I don't know any details about their methods for calculating speed, but I can say that finding extremes in derivatives of noisy data is risky business at best. -- Jeff My Skydiving History
  16. darkwing
    so, what is the solution? -- Jeff My Skydiving History
  17. darkwing
    I have a Mirage g3 M5 and a Pilot 168 and I wouldn't want to put a 188 in it. -- Jeff My Skydiving History
  18. darkwing
    In the old days we made a plexiglass door that clipped in place from the inside ofour twin beech. It worked pretty well. We were convinced that in an emergency we could exit right through it, which was probably true. Unrelated to your question, but I sure wouldn't want to ride at 14,000 feet for 1 + hours, never mind the cold, my IQ would drop by a factor of 4, and I don't have much to spare. Oxygen is my brain's friend. -- Jeff My Skydiving History
  19. darkwing
    Where is the apex in relation to the skirt? In other words, how far down is the apex pulled? It better not be below the skirt. -- Jeff My Skydiving History
  20. darkwing
    I think it is common. There is a war raging in your brain, with the primitive parts screaming not to jump, and the higher, intellectual processes saying I can make this safe, and it is fun. What will fix it is to jump, and have fun. More jumping, more often will make it better faster. -- Jeff My Skydiving History
  21. darkwing
    the biggest optimum is a 143. If and when they make bigger ones, the conventional recommendation is you can go up one size. -- Jeff My Skydiving History
  22. darkwing
    I've got about 600 Spectre jumps, and about 200 Pilot jumps. My Pilots open nicer (softer, smoother and more predictable) than my spectre. Give the dacron a try and tell us what happens. I'd actually consider dacron for my Pilot when it is due for a reline. I like the notion of some extra slammer insurance. -- Jeff My Skydiving History
  23. darkwing
    I remember the procedure when I had it, and I doubt I would have felt comfortable jumping that soon. Your procedure may be more or less difficult than mine was. -- Jeff My Skydiving History
  24. darkwing
    My dz had one at 300. He was that way for a a few years. Great tamden instructor. Doesn't jump now. We miss him. -- Jeff My Skydiving History
  25. darkwing
    Do you have a sense if the twists are happening (or initiating) before the canopy comes out of the bag, or after? If after I'd tend to blame body position, if before I'd tend to blame bag extraction, although there can be co-mingling of causes. Also, don't be too quick to blame or exonerate based on one good or bad opening. -- Jeff My Skydiving History