darkwing

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Everything posted by darkwing

  1. My history is an open book (see link below), but I still count from the very beginning, the real value of the number is what have you seen, so if I didn't count the years I jumped little or not at all, people would think I missed the 1970's, 500 jumps on rounds, conventional gear, etc. -- Jeff My Skydiving History
  2. How about a name? Most of the early pioneers were somebody's uncle. -- Jeff My Skydiving History
  3. Pulled myself off a tandem/rw jump that was getting too big for comfort. Casually practiced my EPs in front of a newbie, so he'd notice a "big gun" was doing it. Also practiced EPs when nobody was around. Pestered a guy I knew into letting me check his pins on jump run. The end of his reserve pin was only about 2 mm past the loop. Saved some lives there. Jumped with beginners a lot, and enjoyed it. -- Jeff My Skydiving History
  4. I'd do it for free and let you watch and learn, but I wouldn't fault a rigger who would charge you a little. Definitely don't do it yourself, unless you have it inspected afterwards by a rigger, and you run the risk of making it harder to fix it than if you had done nothing. -- Jeff My Skydiving History
  5. I'm pretty sure I met someone up at Raeford that had a dactyl. I don't remember a name though. I had a teammate in the old days who jumped one (in 1976 as I recall, at the World Cup). He did some CRW too I'm pretty sure. -- Jeff My Skydiving History
  6. You did just fine. -- Jeff My Skydiving History
  7. My 600 Spectre jumps says to do a standard pro-pack, and do nothing with the nose, just let it hang. -- Jeff My Skydiving History
  8. I have launched a 3-way of 2 sitters and one belly (me) from an Otter by having the two sitters outside (facing in), and me inside with a legstrap of each in my hand. This worked quite easily, but I think (modestly) that the inside flyer slot is the tricky one. I have an unfortunate ability to fall fast, one that I have acquired at the dinner table in recent years. Just as for any piece launch, it is all about timing and presentation (and being a good flyer when the timing and presentation aren't quite right). -- Jeff My Skydiving History
  9. No, but I threw up at 40ft on a scuba dive. The fish loved it. -- Jeff My Skydiving History
  10. darkwing

    OUCH

    I'm not even going to try and convince my IC of that truism! I was an IC and it was definitely true for me. Also for me, most bleeding incidents were exit related, on things other than 4-way. -- Jeff My Skydiving History
  11. 2500 ft. (which is higher than I used to, but I'm an old guy). 3 reserve rides in 2300 jumps. One was a test jump so it sorta doesn't count. The first was at about 40 jumps, and wasn't scary. I just did what I was supposed to do. -- Jeff My Skydiving History
  12. The slider slows the canopy opening down. If the slider wasn't there you would pretty much die due to hard/fast opening of the canopy. -- Jeff My Skydiving History
  13. that will do it. Many years ago I experimented with nose design, starting with a stock strato-star. As I did things that closed the nose off I had to use less and less slider. Note that there are lots of ways to make it smaller, and each has aerodynamic tradeoffs in other flight regimes. -- Jeff My Skydiving History
  14. nose design. -- Jeff My Skydiving History
  15. darkwing

    OUCH

    There are two kinds of jumpers, those who have bled in freefall, and those who will. Lack of blood, like lack of funnels, means you aren't trying hard enough. -- Jeff My Skydiving History
  16. The unasked question here is WHY? This just sounds suspicious. -- Jeff My Skydiving History
  17. Designing things invokes the "law of unintended consequences." So beware. One concern I have is the long tail on the container is a snag point for a bridle. -- Jeff My Skydiving History
  18. I know there was a thread on jumping/DZ in China in the past few months, but searching yields nothing. I even posted on it, so it would be easy to find, but the search function seems messed up. Anyway, I will be in central China for 6 months beginning in July, and I'd really like to find that thread. It mentioned a location, somewhere in Sichuan I think. Also a contact email for a person in the know. Anyone, anyone... Buehler?? -- Jeff My Skydiving History
  19. I think I can see the face of the anti-christ in the background. -- Jeff My Skydiving History
  20. If you want some support you might check these out... http://www.metropolitanuniform.com/browse.cfm/4,659.html http://www.copshoes.com/c-tactical-boots.html http://www.flyingtigerssurplus.com/big-id-3-shbgid-5992.html But the question of boots for skydivers is kind of like helmets for regular driving. Sure it would be better in some circumstances, but most jumpers would rather not wear the extra protection routinely. -- Jeff My Skydiving History
  21. Glad it was only slightly interesting. It could have been VERY interesting. -- Jeff My Skydiving History
  22. Some quality work there. It would work, but it is ugly, and not a confidence builder. It isn't my work is it? -- Jeff My Skydiving History
  23. Dan, many people, including me, prefer analog wrist types. "Real" skydiving digital altis are OK, and wristwatches masquerading as skydiving altis are not good in my opinion, due to small numbers, and infrequent sampling. One reason to wear an altimeter is so other people can read it, which to my mind is best with analogs. Don't get me wrong though, I usually wear two audibles, in addition to a wrist analog. -- Jeff My Skydiving History
  24. I don't care what they do, as long as they don't make it my problem by putting my name on it. If they put my name on it, I will be seriously irritated. -- Jeff My Skydiving History