miked10270

Hi there, Student deployment method has been something of a controversial subject in the past few years. For students there are compelling arguments in favour of both ripcord & hand-deploy. Each has specific advantages for students under training. Since the tone of this thread is toward students jumping hand-deploy from the outset (which, incidentally I PERSONALLY agree with), I should do the "Devils Advocate" bit.... The main advantages of ripcord deployment for student progression is that once pulled it is completely separate from the deployment of the canopy & thus offers no opportunity for a students mistake with a ripcord to interfere with deployment. by comparison, hand-deploy allows the possibility of a horseshoe malfunction if the student fails to throw & correctly release the deployment handle. In the early stages of AFF (commonly L 1-3) where the student would jump with 2 instructors & is more likely to become unstable & possibly lose one of the instructors, ripcord deployment can be easily rigged to operate with equal efficiency by use if a secondary left-side handle. No such device has been developed (or believed possible) for hand-deploy. Ripcord deployment (arguably) operates more reliably in unstable deployment situations which a student could find himself in. As such, ripcord deployment is "safer" for students, and the proper time for them to change is after qualification when they are more experienced in other aspects of skydiving such as stability. As I said, this is NOT my own opinion, simply the argument in favour of students jumping ripcord. Mike D10270.

OK... I'll bite... I've become something of a Landrover Freak in recent times (believe it or not -for the Europeans- the U-R Quattro just stopped being fun) so... My ultimate "camper" would have to be a Landrover Defender 130", Devon Roof, sleep 6 (carries enough booze to party 300 - or 10 skydivers) Built in shower, bog & kitchen & GOES ANYWHERE!!!!!!! "300 Series" Turbo-Diesel with the big intercooler (80mph & 25mpg) with 38(Imp)Gal. tanks, plus stove/heat fuel. OK... It's not the biggest (or maybe the most comfortable) RV in the world, & at $70K new it sure as hell ain't the cheapest, but by god it's got "character" & the local power company periodically sell off their Landrover 130" vehicles off - so "one day" i'm going to have one to convert.... Dreams, dreams... Mike D10270.

Hi Ditch, You a T-la Billionaire as well? Apparently me & bill gates are.... (Yep, I've got $100 in my wallet!). Anyway, Currently it isn't income that is the issue, it's income Vs EXPENDITURE!!!!!! Right now, I have a partner, 3 kids AND a Bank Manager to support! (BTW... Why is Bank spelled with a "B" instead of a "W"? - Yep... Not best pleased with my financial (in)advisors just now). Still... Summer AND money are just around the corner, hopefully Both will arrive in synch. Mike D10270.

Hi there, gotta share this... (LONDON) Department of Infectious Disease Epidemiology at Imperial College in London has confirmed that the recent epidemic of foot-and-mouth disease has spread to the Lamb of God. "This is a particularly virulent strain of foot-and-mouth," said epidemiologist Howard Campbell. "We've never seen it spread to allegorical animals before." Upon the release of the findings, all metaphoric livestock in the British Isles were immediately destroyed, starting with the black sheep of every household(except Skreamer & Darkzone... Despite Drakzone's protests that his ugly brother Darkzone should "Meet & Greet the Vet). "We are trying to separate the sheep from the goats, since, as usual, the scapegoats will be the first to go," declared Prime Minister Tony Blair. "We are putting a priority on locating any lost sheep, but have carefully tagged the offspring of Her Majesty the Queen to avoid inadvertently sending any of those useless buggers like sheep to slaughter." In America, Southern Baptist churchgoers were startled by the news that not only had the Lamb of God tested positive for foot-and-mouth antibodies, but was apparently on the lam. On Monday, the Lamb of God was discovered by French customs officials while trying to slip into France on the Eurostar train, hidden in the Prada trunk of American Christian and socialite Mrs. Betty Bowers. "Honestly," said a beautifully turned out Mrs. Bowers in an exclusive interview with French Vogue, "Quelle surprise! I had no idea He was in there. When I peeked in the trunk when we were leaving Claridge's, I just thought that Maria had packed my Yohji Yamamoto wool sweater!" "We are warning everyone to wear protective gear when in possible contact with the Blood of the Lamb," said French authorities in Calais. "This includes being washed in the Blood of the Lamb, as well as less enthusiastic encounters. Although, as far as we know, simply pleading the power of the Blood of the Lamb appears to be safe as long as no bodily fluids are exchanged." Mary-worshipping Roman Catholics, the only denomination that actually drinks the Blood of the Lamb during services, have been sent special warnings to substitute South American goat's blood during mass until things blow over. "This is really going to put a crimp in our Easter festivities," declared Pastor Deacon Fred of Landover Baptist, America's wealthiest church. "This isn't like eight years ago when the Lamb of God just got a bad case of the mange. We could work around that. But leave it to those pansies in England to ruin everything. Just because they can't raise cattle worth a lick, it looks like the whole Second Coming's going to be called off. That's why we always tell our farmers to practice abstinence (especially New-Zealanders...)-- it's the only way to be sure stuff like this doesn't spread like the clap in a Chinese whorehouse." Mike D10270.

BUGGER!!!! Didn't post... OK... Try http://modernhumorist.com/mh/0104/1040w BTW Sangiro, How do you post pics or copy & paste on posts? Mike D10270.

Hi there, Just remember, you saw it here first!!

IT's good to know that the British Army still leads in at least one "area" of modern warfare. You former Colonials simply do not know or fully understand the psychological impact of such tactics... I have personally seen a couple of W.O.IIs & W.O.Is (Sergeant Majors) wearing frocks, pantyhose & high heels (DON'T ask about the exact circumstances - suffice to say it involved A LOT of alcohol). Frankly the results were TERRIFYING!!!!! As Wellington (the Duke, not the waterproof boot) once said "I don't know about the enemy, but by God, they scare me!" With the smaller, modern British Army, the effectiveness of each individual soldier becomes ever more important. In any future conflict I envisage that the sight of a force of 250lb transvestities advancing on the enemy in floral pattern dresses & white stillettos with the leg hair sticking out through the mesh of their black pantyhose will only encourage mass surrender by the enemy... Specifically in the direction of the REAL girlies, whether silicone enhanced or not!!!! Mike D10720.

Hi there, Slinks on a main are good... They are actually stronger than "Maillon" mini links and if the link does fail, then it fails all the way (I remember a skydiver who had what he thought were a couple of broken lines - it was only after landing that he realised he had a maillon link failure - when the 3 remaining lines on a front riser fell off the link!). At present I don't agree with the idea that slinks are safe on PD & Raven reserves but in some way unsafe on others. Personally I think that Slinks should be legally safe on all reserves or unsafe on all reserves - It's a link, an alternative to what is ineffect a standard metal link, realistically what difference does it make which reserve it's connected to, the issue of which harness (reserve risers) it's connected to hasn't arose! Mike D10270.

Hi there, Just a point that has kept my Sabre(170) tamed since new - A FAA Rigger who used to work for PD advised me not to bother rolling the nose, & NEVER to stuff it into the centre cell. What he DID recommend was to make sure the slider was quartered and the front was brought well out. also - ROLL & ROLL & ROLL THE TAIL!! IT's always worked for me. Mike D10270.

Hi Cdunham, "I hate to sounds cynical, but what do you want to bet that her CO, or some other unmentioned senior officer had a hand in this?" Isn't that a somewhat dangerous accusation to make either before or after the event!? Mike D10270.

What's the problem?.... $3,600 well spent - not only is the soldier happier, I guess the entire base sees an improvement to morale - plus it improves the individual soldiers combat effectiveness: "Hello there... Wanna surrender?" It sure as hell beats the idea of putting Guns and Pepper sprays in Brassieres! Mike D10270

Hi Moose, How about "Isee you speak English.... Are you english or are you one of those easy foreign sluts?" Perhaps best delivered while wearing a Z1 or Oxygyn... Mike D10270.

Hi there, What always cracks me up with the new partners of skydivers is their surprise at what they get for their birthday/christmas..... Yep, the "mandatory" FJC! Mike D10270.

Err... Skyhawk, I'm a bit confused, when you say "Sheep in NZ & Roos in Australia" do you mean carnal connections or shooting? The reason I ask is that it was my understanding that Australians shot kangaroos & had sex with Emus.... This was because when faced with a "Sex Starved antipodean the average kangaroo would bounce away at high speed while an Emu would just bury it's head & dream fondly of the days when it's ancestors were dinosaurs & it could get revenge on this particular sex-pervert mammal! Mike D10270

HEh Heh HEh... The girl that does our canteen has just come back from helping with lambing - gotta give her this..... Mike D10270.

Hi Froggie, What about a RI Genera, Tempo 150 reserve & Hornet 135 main? At 5'1" I'd guess that there won't be much out there second hand but if I remember correctly there's at least one dealer doing "package prices" on this or very similar. Mike D10270.

HI Kirils, The AR-11 was manufactured by Aerodyne Research - good glide & nice (Sabre-like) handling. It was "prone to quirky openings" & I suggest you contact Aerodyne for packing suggestions & tips. Mike D10270.

OK... Here we go again. There is ONE standard for sport parachutes in the US - TSO C23d. The PISA Tempo reserve meets that requirement the same as PD Reserves etc... Now a little history..... In the dark days of apartheid in SA, and the high moral sanctions against SA implemented by Western governments that didn't segregate the races (anymore), South Africa had to be self-sufficient - particularly their military. PISA was set up as part of the military indepenence ideology. Imagine if the pentagon decided to set up a material manufacturing factory and a parachute manufacturers!! With all their capital costs covered, (as PISA had). They then "take up the slack" with sport versions of their military kit (as PISA had). In short, the tempo design can act as a reserve for a military HALO jumper at 350lbs+ so I doubt that TSO C23d holds any real terrors for them. Mike D10270.

Hi Pammi, Relax... Bear in mind that Judges are generally VERY conservative in their outlook on life. They tend to adhere to the "Nuclear Family" model where "Daddy" goes out to work and provide while "Mommy" raises the kids. As such, if "Daddy" is expected to work & provide, then how much time could he spend with the kids? You don't say how long you've been separated but I asume it's been a while and that the kids have stayed with you since the separation. This raises the issue of "continuity of upbringing"... I.E. such a massive change is NOT in the best interests of the children!!! How much access has he exercised with his kids since seperation - if it's not much, then he's not forming the bond - if it's a lot then what difference in quality time with the kids would there be if he actually had custody AND worked? Now to the issue of your "repeatedly attempting suicide" (Skydiving). Impress on the judge that "Yes I skydive". "It is an established sport and I jump at places where skydiving is regulated by the USPA & FAA" "All the equipment I use is maintained in accorance with FAA regulations (just like airlines)". "The chances of actually dying or suffering irreversible disability is rather less than minimal". "For example, if road accidents were reported in the same depth as skydiving accidents, then each daily paper would be roughly the thickness of The Encyclopaedia Brittanica Large Print Edition"!!! Do a little research - like #No. of skydiving deaths & serious injuries per annum against #No. of fatal & serious Road Accidents, Firearms accidents in the home... Etc... Now for a small suggestion as to his motive... "He is seeking custody of the kids in an effort to avoid maintenance". Hint at his payment record, never mind his suggestion that you don't spend it on the kids, Judges have heard that one all to often before & their attitude sems to be "Keep Paying in the meantime". Good luck, not that you'll need it, Mike D10270

No...No...No Cyber, A "Skydivers Apartment" is actually defined as "A residence wholly owned or rented by the skydivers girlfriend wherby she pays all living expenses in return for getting out of buying jump tickets for her boyfriend". Glad we cleared that one up..... Mike D10270

Hi Darkzone, You WILL buy the beer, this is 'cos you will keep landing over the Beer Line until you pay up!!! Bear in mind that at any DZ the "Beer Line" is set by the CCI based not only on the obvious safety issues, but also on how badly the CCI wants beer from each individual. I have been present when the Beer Line has been "Significantly Moved" as someone has been flaring. This decision was obviously reasonable ('cos I wasn't the one 2 seconds from landing over the new Beer Line). Mike D10270.

Hi there, The point is that an audible IS purely a backup - it shouldn't be uesd until the guy shows he can use altitude awareness from ground appearance, time sense & a visual alti. I can't argue with his keenness, but if he's "an incident looking for a locus" then perhaps he's better off grounded before he kills himself or someone else. Mike D10270.

Amen to that.... And let's not forget to sing "Jerusalem" a couple of times nice & loud so Johnny Foreigner & The Colonials are well reminded of their innate inferiority. Mike D10270.

Hi there, The advantages of Pull-Out or Hand-deploy over ripcord came about as RW formations got bigger... The hand deploy or pull out are "Fire & Forget" in that having deployed, both hands are completely free. You are not left holding a ripcord which you have to secure before doing anything else. The advantages of this come if you are facing a canopy collision or malfunction (where you would have to ditch the main ripcord. Just as an aside, I've got my gear "all-risks" insured & its of note that the insurers cover everything EXCEPT main ripcords being lost for whatever reason. The other advantage of pull-out or hand-deploy is that it's (so far) impossible to manufacture a collapsible spring loaded PC. Having such a PC enhances both performance and safety with higher performance canopies. As for the Pull-out Vs. Hand-deploy debate, This has been covered pretty thoroughly in past threads. Personally I feel the relative advantages & disadvantages of Hand-deploy outweigh those of Pull-out, making the BOC Hand-Deploy the overall superior deployment device... But this is ultimately a matter of personal choice. Mike D10270.

Right... Let's get this straight... My favourite brew must contain 2 elements simultaneously! 1. It contains ALCOHOL!!!!! 2. It's available NOW!!!!! As such My favourite Brew (currently) is Fetzer Eagle Peak. It fulfills the above 2 conditions! THat said, (being from the North-East of England (born if not bred), I'm frnakly SHOCKED at someone having the gall to chill Newcastle Brown Ale!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!. It's drank(?) WARM (room temp) & from a half pint glass! The idea is that you pour a glass, & top up the head from the remainder of the pint bottle (philistines!). Only then, and afet 12 bottles can you truly appreciate the subtle mix of Rocket Fuel & liquid headache that is "Newcastle brown Ale". BTW... The Consequences of drinking same are best appreciated from behind the bars of the drunk-tank... Mike D10270.