darkwing

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Everything posted by darkwing

  1. darkwing
    In many ways, helmets are like shoes. No one kind is best for everyone. YOU have to try some on and check them out. I personally have owned a Z1, but am blissfully happy now with my Bonehead Havok, mostly because of my glasses. -- Jeff My Skydiving History
  2. darkwing
    I'm bummed that my home dz, Blue Sky Adventures, in St. George, South Carolina, has closed down, likely for good. The end of an era. We are now orphans. Now it is 3+ hours to a turbine for me. A great boogie, the Harvest Moon Boogie, is no more. -- Jeff My Skydiving History
  3. darkwing
    I've been around a long time and have never heard of it happening. -- Jeff My Skydiving History
  4. darkwing
    A nice wrist mounted visual altimeter is not only readable by you, but by others. -- Jeff My Skydiving History
  5. darkwing
    Damn, it misses my spring break by a week. I'll probably be there anyway. THE LIST -- Cspence Cspence's wife Keith Kramer Lisamarie Namgrunt Nanner Darkwing -- Jeff My Skydiving History
  6. darkwing
    Now that I am orphaned due to the probably permanent closing of Blue Sky Adventures, in St. George, SC, I may get up to Parkton on occasion. sounds like good things are happening there. -- Jeff My Skydiving History
  7. darkwing
    There have been many threads about tracking, and often (always?) they end up being discussions about descent rate, which I think is a grave mis-application of some numbers. Does descent rate equate to horizontal separation? I think not. I'd like someone to present some arguments though. Until then, stop the talk about descent rate as evidence for an effective track. I have watched a fair number of medium to big-ways, and from the ground viewer's perspective there is a very wide range of "horizontal effectiveness" (for lack of a better phrase) on any load. I bet everyone thinks they are pretty good trackers though. -- Jeff My Skydiving History
  8. darkwing
    You should print out the important posts and the excel spreadsheet that is cited in this thread and anonymously give it to that person. ALso, maybe post it at your DZ. -- Jeff My Skydiving History
  9. darkwing
    I'd like to hear some debate, but my current view is that there should be a ceiling, and my vote is for 20,000 ft. I'd even be willing for it to be lower. I also would consider a working time limit. Didn't there used to be an FAI-imposed limit on either altitude or working time? I do think it dilutes the accomplishment to just keep doing it from higher altitudes (not to say that it isn't quite an accomplishment!) Going from 25,000 feet is crazy. Premature openings can become lethal at that altitude. But that isn't central to my reasons for wanting a cap on altitude. -- Jeff My Skydiving History
  10. darkwing
    Chester is probably your best bet, but I think it is a very slow time of year for any of the SC DZs. My home DZ is Blue Sky Adventures in St. George, and I'm virtually certain it won't be open during the week, maybe not at all. You should contact the DZ and ask. -- Jeff My Skydiving History
  11. darkwing
    My tip: Get video, so I can add it to my collection of "Mr. Bill Gone Wrong" videos. Be very careful. I know more people who regret attempting a Mr. Bill than those who tried and are glad they did. -- Jeff My Skydiving History
  12. darkwing
    Damn. I guess I have to go somewhere else. Ganja too. -- Jeff My Skydiving History
  13. darkwing
    Some of you are way too serious. Yes, I am an old fart, and I am certainly not very clever. I thought I did a decent job in my original post of "unseriousing" the whole thing. I will try to be more clever in the future. I am already pretty good at being safe, fun, and myself. -- Jeff My Skydiving History
  14. darkwing
    Have him give you the serial number on the canopy, and any other details, like color pattern... Then Check with PD to see if they think it is stolen. There are other stolen gear databases too. I think USPA has one, including DZ.com. -- Jeff My Skydiving History
  15. darkwing
    Well, part of me feels that a DZ, or any business, can ban someone if they want. It is a business decision, and can backfire, but it is a choice they are allowed to make. I'd like to hear both sides of the story though. In this particular case I reserve judgement. There are cases in which I would agree with either side. -- Jeff My Skydiving History
  16. darkwing
    Being too fast on a one-hand-on-each-handle cutaway is not without its hazards. Having your hand slip, or having a hard pull on the cutaway handle can result in an entanglement of biblical propostions if your reserve gets pulled too soon. -- Jeff My Skydiving History
  17. darkwing
    I think this is a reflection on my age, but it drives me crazy to hear people call a canopy a "chute." My brain equates the speaker with a whuffo. Are beginners being taught to use the word "chute"? I realize I should have searched the forum before bringing this up, but I didn't. I also realize that nobody cares. I know that freeflyers and belly flyers will have different strongly-held views on this topic. People who jump Vectors will disagree with people who jump Racers. -- Jeff My Skydiving History
  18. darkwing
    Now there's a left-handed compliment for a helmet. Being in good shape is good. Coming off your head twice is very bad. -- Jeff My Skydiving History
  19. darkwing
    Bonehead Havok, since it makes wearing glasses a breeze, and is easy for communicating prior to exit. I had a Z1, which was OK, except for major glasses hassles. -- Jeff My Skydiving History
  20. darkwing
    Yes, that was posted a while ago, but I am too lazy to look up the thread. -- Jeff My Skydiving History
  21. darkwing
    I'm a tool, and I've trained teams. Does that count? -- Jeff My Skydiving History
  22. darkwing
    "back in the day" we'd just ignore monor burns. -- Jeff My Skydiving History
  23. darkwing
    As far as I am aware it is merely to reduce drag by cutting down the frontal area of the riser and making it more streamlined. It was suggested by Bill Booth quite a while ago, although I don't know if he originated the notion. As said above, it would seem to me that people often do a thing which will make a difference, while ignoring other things that will make as much or more difference. -- Jeff My Skydiving History
  24. darkwing
    That can't be real 10-way, it doesn't look close enough to funneling. -- Jeff My Skydiving History
  25. darkwing
    All is well with my Pilot, but be advised, there is NO CANOPY that is not subject to occasional problem openings. The only real question is how often. The Pilot is well respected in my area for nice openings. -- Jeff My Skydiving History