darkwing

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Everything posted by darkwing

  1. darkwing
    I do it for the history. I try to get signatures from new people I jump with, maybe just in case they get famous. It is also a way of welcoming visitors and new jumpers. They think you care if you bother to ask them to sign a logbook. -- Jeff My Skydiving History
  2. darkwing
    I bought a Bonehead Havok because I got tired of glasses hassles with my Z1. The Havok is great with my glasses. I have had 3 different pairs and all are fine with the Havok. I haven't seen anything that would tempt me to switch from my Havok, unless I stopped wearing glasses, then I would get a FreeZR. -- Jeff My Skydiving History
  3. darkwing
    It is going around. One of my 10-way teammates broke some ribs riding his dirt bike. Then his alternate broke some ribs during exit on a practice jump. Other things happened on that exit too. Take care. No sneezing, laughing, or hiccups. -- Jeff My Skydiving History
  4. darkwing
    tough question without specifics, but one response is to say "I can't do it both legally and right, so I won't do it." -- Jeff My Skydiving History
  5. darkwing
    I'd like to think that any rigger should easily tell the difference between red E, and seal thread when sealing a rig. Having said that, I'm not against back-up safety procedures, such as breaking it by hand. I just use the same spool of seal thread. -- Jeff My Skydiving History
  6. darkwing
    Scotchguard is a chemical stain resistant treatment for fabrics. It has been used for at least 25 years on skydiving rigs, but the original formula was withdrawn from the market due to (I believe) health concerns. Scotchguard did have a very good reputation for its beneficial effects on stain prevention. -- Jeff My Skydiving History
  7. darkwing
    there are other issues that relate to joint strength than just the thread strength. First, shear and peel are quite different regimes in terms of failure mechanisms. In peeling for example, the load is concentrated at the peel junction, and any thread more than about 1 stitch away from there doesn't contribute to the strength. Also, Friction between the fabric (or tape or webbing) layers is a player, and it is related to thread tension, as well as stitch density. -- Jeff My Skydiving History
  8. darkwing
    PD asserts that for main pilot chutes at least, the PC is more consistent if made of F-111. I couldn't find their document which describes it in a quick search though, but I have read it. -- Jeff My Skydiving History
  9. darkwing
    The nice thing about Florida is that there are several DZs, so you can do a tour of them all. -- Jeff My Skydiving History
  10. darkwing
    Damn. Netflix doesn't have it. They do have Gypsy Moths though. -- Jeff My Skydiving History
  11. darkwing
    Maybe check in the Photography and Video Forum. -- Jeff My Skydiving History
  12. darkwing
    There are several reputable dealers who sell both new and used gear. Square1, Sunshine Factory, SkyCat. -- Jeff My Skydiving History
  13. darkwing
    no-sew thread on DZ.com here is the direct link to Jumpshack's instructions. There is also at least one other useful link in the thread cited above. I have used it on the line I use with my Pack Boy, but you have to do it near the end of the portion that goes furthest into the line also, else it creeps during use. So there are three places you do it for a Pack Boy. (No funny lines please). -- Jeff My Skydiving History
  14. darkwing
    I like contrasting fabric, thread, and tape colors, as it aids inspection greatly. A long time ago there was a belief among jumpers that white canopies packed smaller, but that has (rightly) passed out of common lore. Mine reserve is solid yellow. From a safety point of view I think it useful to have a color that is easily seen from a distance, so you can find jumpers on the ground, so no black, brown, or green. It is also nice to be able to easily see in the air that someone is under a reserve. I like to follow someone under a reserve if they are heading for an off-field landing (I did it two weeks ago), and that means I have to be able to notice that they are under a reserve. -- Jeff My Skydiving History
  15. darkwing
    It is unfortunate that you and they are not tough enough to take some deserved "you are a dumbass" to provide negative reinforcement to both you and others. I bet that there isn't a jumper alive who has been jumping for a few years who hasn't done something they wish they hadn't. Me included. I should be called a dumbass in public, for my sake and for the sake of the beginners who haven't made all of my mistakes. If I did it I ought to be man enough to stand up to the public heat. I owe it to others. -- Jeff My Skydiving History
  16. darkwing
    How about some discussion regarding this thread from about a year ago. It had multiple "authoritative" sources and no real resolution. I have my own long-held view, but I'd still like to see the real answer. -- Jeff My Skydiving History
  17. darkwing
    I'm a BSA regular. We have a Grand Caravan these days, and are very easy to get to. about 4 miles off of I-95 south exit 77. I can send you very explicit directions if you want. Our 10-way team is going to Lake Wales at Christmas. Where you heading? -- Jeff My Skydiving History
  18. darkwing
    there is a poll a few days old in this forum about RW jumpsuits. You should read the comments there. -- Jeff My Skydiving History
  19. darkwing
    I looked closely at FAA AC 105-2c, which is at USPA web site and it most certainly does NOT state anything like what Matt asserts. I may be a dumbass though, so everyone please look at it yourself and let me know different. If anyone can give concrete information to support the notion that matt alleges I'd love to see clear evidence, e.g., a specific citation in an FAA document that carries some weight, such as the FARs, or even an advisory circular. None of this is to say that I'd want to put a bunch of jumps on a reserve used as a main and then use it as a reserve! jeff -- Jeff My Skydiving History
  20. darkwing
    About a year ago I did a lot of research, and looked at a lot of jumpsuits, and decided Michigan was the way to go. Being a locally influential guy, several of my locals bought Michigans based on my recommendation. Unfortunately, we had a lot of trouble--mixed up orders, poor fit, etc. At my DZ now, nobody will buy a Michigan again. I'm going Bev. -- Jeff My Skydiving History
  21. darkwing
    No help here, except to curse you for making me remember when I owned one. It put me in the hospital with opening shock. I had an early one, no relief slots in the top and no slider. yuk. I think I hate you. -- Jeff My Skydiving History
  22. darkwing
    I demoed a sabre2-170 but chose a Pilot-168. I much preferred the Pilot's openings, so I bought the Pilot. -- Jeff My Skydiving History
  23. darkwing
    The best thing is to get someone who knows their way with sewing machines to look it over and show you what does what. Most machines are actually pretty similar to one another. -- Jeff My Skydiving History
  24. darkwing
    I don't think it has ever been that way, so it hasn't changed. -- Jeff My Skydiving History
  25. darkwing
    ANY canopy can open hard. Some canopies open hard more often. A hard opening need NOT be associated with a packing error. Sometimes they just happen. I believe the previous four sentences to be fact, not opinion. I realize that belief does not make fact though. I also believe that one individual's experience, even spanning thousands of jumps, is not particularly relevant. -- Jeff My Skydiving History