EricaH

Oops, I knew risers were part of the container. Guess the fact that they switched the risers w/ the demo gear I got confused bad day!! great idea!! esp since I love going to new dzs (even if it doesn't happen that often). There is no can't. Only lack of knowledge or fear. Only you can fix your fear. PMS #227 (just like the TV show)

Thank you all for so many perspectives!! I've made my decision, I will end up on a 150ish something by late next spring. In the mean time I'll save as much as possible, then borrow the rest when the right used canopy comes up for sale. Also in the mean time, I'll demo everything available, starting w/ a Spectre, Saber2 & anything else I get my hands on in a 170 for a bit then the one's that have the most fun flight characteristics @ 150. I'll keep my big safe canopy for currency re-training in early spring - moving to the new one asap. I know there are huge flight differences between teh canopies. That's one of the reasons I decided against trying the more eliptical higher performing Crossfire. It's also why I was glad for the no wind landing oppertunity (yes, oppertunity... scary, but educational) - It wasn't 'hairy' I put my knees down. I know there's a load to learn every time you jump. That's why I purposly have done cross & down wind landings, it's also why I practice manuvers many times up high, to learn the sweet points of each input item. So... how much do dive loops cost to have put on risers & will it by chance increase the value of the canopy? There is no can't. Only lack of knowledge or fear. Only you can fix your fear. PMS #227 (just like the TV show)

Enjoy the trip as much as possible - you'll go through some gorgeous scenery! Do you have a CB radio? those make for some great fun!! And help keep you awake in the boring times. I know what it's like to be excitedly happy & sad @ the same time. Knowing that there's mucho love for you from coast to coast is a good thing though. There is no can't. Only lack of knowledge or fear. Only you can fix your fear. PMS #227 (just like the TV show)

Yummy!!! Warm wet meat - hmmhmm. It's what I have for dinner at least 2x per week. for those that like it over medium... I have a few pairs of leather shoes you could chew on mighty fine! There is no can't. Only lack of knowledge or fear. Only you can fix your fear. PMS #227 (just like the TV show)

[ ahh you know it wouldnt be the same in the US a girl can wish can't she? Newcastle's the same as it is in England, Heiniken's totally different. Foster sucks both places.... hopefully they'd do it right & use the same water & brewing method. There is no can't. Only lack of knowledge or fear. Only you can fix your fear. PMS #227 (just like the TV show)

Thank you.... most of us to make an effort to be clean. And because of you're redemption of Men... I will not make all the come-backs that were building in my mind. There is no can't. Only lack of knowledge or fear. Only you can fix your fear. PMS #227 (just like the TV show)

Uhhh, Crownies!!! Those rocked!! or VB is great too!! I wish we had either here in the US. There is no can't. Only lack of knowledge or fear. Only you can fix your fear. PMS #227 (just like the TV show)

Believe it or not Eric... I weigh 180, we'll call it muscle mass, strong German bones + soft rounding I did talk w/ the 'pro canopy pilots' @ our dz before even attempting to go from the 169 to 149, I was scared shitless - shakes & all... but love it & loved the experience. the feeling is still w/ me almost 24 hrs later. I actually yelled out in flight, haven't done that since my 1st tandem jump. Perhaps a 1.0 wingloaded Spectre could be aggressively flown in on landings, but that's not even what I'm looking for NOW. I liked that I can do nice simple straight in landings on this 149 w/ the chance of FUTURE hp landings. I like this canopy's in flight characteristics. Plus the possibility of getting back from a long spot due to forward motion is like a whole new world to me. The concern is most def duely noted, perhaps I'll wait another 1/2 yr or so (till next season) & do the demo thing, trying lots of different canopys. Saving $$ is a good idea, no loans available (already have one outstanding ). But right now I hardly even want to strap on my gear now knowing what canopy flight can be like. BB - that story is crazy horrible!! I haven't changed my mind, but it's not made up yet either. You input is very valued. But I bet your camera flier's not on a 1:1 wl either & therefore, like Lenny enjoys his 7-cell more than I am. Bill - will def try my best to be able to get to MN & do a few. Lenny - I'm sure the Spectre @ a 1.3 wl would be much more fun... just haven't tried it yet. David - thank you for the re-direct. The wingloading/safty issue does make me wonder if now's the time to take a loan out though & so does have some pertenance. There is no can't. Only lack of knowledge or fear. Only you can fix your fear. PMS #227 (just like the TV show)

I'm with you on that one. But fingers and tongue are only good if the user KNOWS what the hell they are doing with them. That goes for men AND women. Educate yourself. You make a good point there! I 3rd that!! And would like to reitterate... ain't nothin like the real thing babie!! There is no can't. Only lack of knowledge or fear. Only you can fix your fear. PMS #227 (just like the TV show)

I know you're all giving excellent, wonderful advice... but NO the Spectre can not fly like the Safire. Just simple turns (way up high) were so much for fun. I actually looked forward to jumping solo so I could pull @ 7!! It would be a small loan for less than $1000 so I could buy a used canopy. I know it's a high performance canopy & is a big step down. But the 169 barely felt different - fun but not REALLY FUN!! The Icarus guys told me the wing loading after I gave them my 'w/o gear weight'... I didn't see how they did it. Did a few jumps, one in bout 10 mph wind, some inbetween & @ sunset... one w/ NO wind. The no wind landing was a bit rough, but no were near as scary as some of my 1st landings. Oh & the $$s from the profit sharing portion of my 401k... $$ I never actually earned. There is no can't. Only lack of knowledge or fear. Only you can fix your fear. PMS #227 (just like the TV show)

12/20... been too long since I studied Anatomy/Physiology oh, well. Love parmesian cheese; but now I know why it stinks. There is no can't. Only lack of knowledge or fear. Only you can fix your fear. PMS #227 (just like the TV show)

So for the last 120 jumps I've been on a Spectre 190 (1 wingload) - nice save docile, Volvo like canopy. This weekend I demo'd a Safire 149 (1.38 wingload) & LOVED IT!! More like a BMW 525M or a sporty Audi A6. Now I know why people do hop-n-pops, why they become canopy pilots & even more as to why bird's sing. So to buy a used canopy, do I take a withdrawal on my 401K plan, pay a 20% tax & a 10% penalty or do I suck it up?!?! It's not a loan & doesn't have to be paid back... And the sale of my current canopy would help pay back the loan I originally took to buy my complete rig. I honestly don't know if I can drive my volvo again & be really happy. There is no can't. Only lack of knowledge or fear. Only you can fix your fear. PMS #227 (just like the TV show)

grrr... you made me cry on a Friday evening There is no can't. Only lack of knowledge or fear. Only you can fix your fear. PMS #227 (just like the TV show)

oop, missed the ie vs. hai part - see, that's why I don't speak it anymoe. When I was studying Russian the CCCP actually made sense, but that was about 10 yrs ago & I have NO IDEA now. It is actually fun to learn & once I could read the writing I felt really good. Almost thought I could feel my brain growing . Good luck! In 5th grade I tried to get a friend from Mexico to teach me Spanish & in return offered to teach them piglatin. They didn't take me up on it - hum, wonder why? Seems like I could study a language w/ a Roman alphabet... but now I'm deciding between Hebrew, Turkish or Polish. You do deserve the kind words! Prob Squeak don't care how old you, so long as you have boobies - OR he could just actually be a decent person & enjoys the go-get um, tear it up, no bones about it attitude you display. There is no can't. Only lack of knowledge or fear. Only you can fix your fear. PMS #227 (just like the TV show)

Goin tonight - fun, fun!! Meeting up w/ A & P there. Good to know it's a blast! There is no can't. Only lack of knowledge or fear. Only you can fix your fear. PMS #227 (just like the TV show)

actually, that's I do understand. wakarimasen is I don't understand.... that's one of the few words drilled into my brain from my 3 yrs of diagako de Nihongo no kurasu. I too minored in it cause Japan was about to buy out the world. figured just as nearly everyone in the Western hemisphere speaks English, cause those countries are most influential... then since Japan was most influential of Eastern countries, most people in the east would speak Japanese. Was I WRONG... oh well, looks good on the resume. Russian is very cool!! Only know a bit of that though - good luck learning it. The alphabet is FUN!! There is no can't. Only lack of knowledge or fear. Only you can fix your fear. PMS #227 (just like the TV show)

I've said that in at least 3 other threads... must make stickers for boogies!!! Plus, there are people I can't even remember they're names only the avitars & now they've gone & changed or removed them so I can't remember who it was rrhhgg - stupid, stupid!! There is no can't. Only lack of knowledge or fear. Only you can fix your fear. PMS #227 (just like the TV show)

Got a gift from my s/o last night... his mom bought me a necklace while she was in Poland!! Get to jump a CASA this weekend Get to sign people's log books w/ my new C license weather looks promising. There is no can't. Only lack of knowledge or fear. Only you can fix your fear. PMS #227 (just like the TV show)

Gosh... there's so many!! Obviously in this type thread the more common the poster will be more noticed. I know there are at least 50 more people that I've thought at least once that I really really wanted to meet - I just am HORRIBLE w/ names. I had to go back through old threads to pull many of these out of my ass hat. I was happy to see that at least one person I want to meet also wants to meet me

I'm in total agreement!! Isn't that why one of the terms given WFFC is 'family reunion'. I can jump a Super Otter almost any day of the week & a tailgate almost montly. I can do any kind of a dive @ home that can be done @ a boogie w/ the exception of the really specialty planes. I go to party, get to know friends better & meet new people. Not to mention the crazy antics that go late in the night making my first load around noon & hot tent sex . Plus, when the boogie lasts longer, you can alternate drinking days w/ jumping days. I did feel bad for the Super Otter organizers @ WFFC though... it's such a common plane now, no one seemed overly excited to get on a load. They almost sounded like auctioneers trying to get people on their planes. There is no can't. Only lack of knowledge or fear. Only you can fix your fear. PMS #227 (just like the TV show)

There are positives & negatives to each & every dz. I however will not be going back to DeLand. A friend visited there for the New Year's boogie & had a great time!! She was on student status & so was kept busy - so we included it in a spring tour of FL dzs. We came round noon & set up our tent & ate, there for almost 2 hrs & no one talked to us. Went to do tunnel camp & cam back round 7:30/8pm... the place was deserted!! So we went to the bar. We practically had to jump on the bartender to get her to serve us, she was so engrossed in conversation w/ the only other 2 people there. She served us while continuing said conversation. After 2 drinks we went out for a smoke. Some random dude walked up & asked to bum a smoke, I said sure, but only if he'd talk w/ us. He made short nice-nice for about 3 min & then just had to leave. Our first jump of the AM was bumped due to teams filling the planes & finally after about 2.5 hrs of waiting we got to do a jump. The only time someone acknowleged our existance was in the loading area to see if we were belly or free fliers since we had on FF pants & t-shirts. I've traveled around a bit in my 1 year of jumping. Jumped @ 12/13 dzs & visited 14/15... never, never have I seen such a lack of personality as there. Not even SoCal... where I actually expected it. I'm FROM FL & will be visiting family there quite often. I love Z-hills, didn't get to jump there on our tour due to weather & was there for much less time than DeLand, but left w/ at least 4 new friends. Lake Wales is almost Chicagoland's winter home & I love that place as well. Apparently DeLand doesn't need the fun jumper's $$ & that's a good thing cause they won't get any of mine. No matter how great the food is or how nice the beer selection is - the supurb attitude & welcoming feeling from LW & Z-H will always draw me there. We also visited Sebastian & Titusville... both places met lots of people & were invited to hang out after - Titusville doesn't even HAVE a bar or food & it was a blast!! There is no can't. Only lack of knowledge or fear. Only you can fix your fear. PMS #227 (just like the TV show)

Very gorgeous!!! & amazing scenery too!! thanks for sharing! There is no can't. Only lack of knowledge or fear. Only you can fix your fear. PMS #227 (just like the TV show)

I can't believe that your a stutterer... that's not evil @ all - I'm a Springle Rin Dancing Dwarf, don't think I wanna be a dwarf, but whatever. Evfin:Menequellewen Dwarven: Gorin Marbleshield Orkisk: Borsnik the Slaughterer yahooo, to Englishize these I'm a Manequin, a shield of grown marble or a killer of Borshik. There is no can't. Only lack of knowledge or fear. Only you can fix your fear. PMS #227 (just like the TV show)

I'd take Heidi Flyod any day!! mine are: Paige Raintree (middle name/street name) Izzy Faith (1st pet's name/street I grew up on) but then again I grew up on at least 6 different streets over time, this was the one I lived the longest! FAITH for Christ's sake - that's no porn name!! There is no can't. Only lack of knowledge or fear. Only you can fix your fear. PMS #227 (just like the TV show)

Mmmm -- can I come live with you? You'll need a crew, right? Wendy W. Most def... If we got a few more people, it could be a huge house boat (sometimes called a yacht) Ahh, to live in international waters all the time. Who's rules would we follow? our own of course! There is no can't. Only lack of knowledge or fear. Only you can fix your fear. PMS #227 (just like the TV show)