MikeStafford

Members
 View Profile  See their activity

  • Content

    42

  • Joined

  • Last visited

    Never

  • Feedback

    0%

Everything posted by MikeStafford

  1. MikeStafford
    Actually I base my statements on pure fact (or pure BS, whichever seems appropriate). Statistics is a confusing thing. If you choose your numbers carefully you can seem to prove anything. My point is that if you choose your sample to be the jumps made since tandem developed and compare to comparable data for static line skydiving, you will see that the rate for static line deaths is less than tandem. Most studies include military static line jumps, which should not be included since they are low exit altitude jumps with different emergency procedures because of that. Their inclusion skews the results. Along the same lines: experienced jumpers are statistucally far more likely to be killed than are newcomers. Why? They kill themselves because they choose to fly parachutes which offer no forgiveness for dumb mistakes. The original ram air parachutes raised the safety level. Today's parachutes have lowered it. They may be more fun but they are also more dangerous. The fality reports show that.
  2. MikeStafford
    I'm trying to classify this post. Is it silly like my posts and the poster is being funny? Or it it dumb because the poster is a skydiver trying to give medical advice? It's a tough call. I'll go with the second choice.
  3. MikeStafford
    Good point, but the thing that really f**ked this guy was the fact that he half did his chest strap. It was done enough through the keeper to look at a casual glance like it was done, but functionally it might as well have not been there. Why do that? Cheststraps should either be done properly, or not done up - no middle ground. It serves no purpose and, as this case shows, causes problems. You are almost right! But when you said "or not done at all" you went astray. When you climb aboard the aircraft your gear should be ready to exit. That exit may be only a minute after takeoff at 1500 ft when someone's reserve opens and tangles with the tail with an open door. And any time you find you made one mistake, look carefully for all the other mistakes you might have made. As much of a hassle it would have been to make a g-oaround that was the proper action to take, and get a complete pincheck during that time.
  4. MikeStafford
    Thanks Flyboy! Hidden within every stupid post I make is a kernal of truth. After six or seven beers you could find it. Read the fatality reports. Jumpers with 15,000 jumps doing stupid shit that gets them killed despite all their knowledge and great equipment. I read other posts about skydivers wearing two audible altitude warning devices. Does that prevent them from bouncing? Nope. They will scream to the ground wondering "what the fuck is that irritating sound?" Trying to convince someone they should or shouldn't be afraid is pointless. They will do what their brain tells them to do. They won't respond to your rational arguments. They will shit themselves while at the same time hearing you tell them that skydiving is safe (which it isn't, but you can't figure that out). Skydiving is dangerous. You may be killed. People do it because they think the rewards outweigh the risks. Damn that's an inspirational speech! I'm totally stealing that if I ever become an AFFI! :-D
  5. MikeStafford
    Ths reminds me why I like the American fighting man, he doesn't take shit from anyone! If we ever meet I owe you a jump just for your service. Actually I and the poster who told you are putting the cart before the horse are the only ones who are offering you sensible advice, but you too blind to see that. Eveyone else is acting as your enabler and catering to your foolishness. Worrying about disciplines when you can't even fall stable is childish. BTW you aren't "being prepared". You are being stupid. And your tours in Iraq have nothing to do with skydiving, unless you got prepared for combat by worrying about which military disciplne you wanted to pursue. You are what ia called a wannabe. Do you wannabe this, wannabe that, or wannabe something else. Get to the fucking dropzone and learn to jump, and quit worrying about you wannabe.
  6. MikeStafford
    The nice thing about BASE jumping is you don't need to pay anybody for training or airplane rides. You can get a T-10 military chaute surplus, tie some kite string on to replace the cutoff lines and go jumping. Cost will be about $40. A hardcore guy could combine BASE, style, RW and accuracy on every jump. I wouldn't recommend swooping though. I didn't actually read the original post cause it was too damn long, but the general rule is those who try to plan evrything out before they have any experience end up going nowhere.
  7. MikeStafford
    You should never be afraid skydiving. Fear makes you numb and senseless. Always keep in mind that the worst that can happen is you will be killed. It will be quick and painless. That should make you feel better. And forget about how good the equipment or training is. That's not what will do you in. I am sure you will find a way to misuse the equipment and ignore the training. So get up there and skydive!
  8. MikeStafford
    Mea culpa. I was wrong about that. The truth is if it was a jump day I would cancel the surgery and get to the drop zone. Have the surgery when it's raining.
  9. MikeStafford
    I wouldn't jump the same day as the surgery. If the answer a skydiver gives you is different from that of your surgeon, I would take the advice of the skydiver. Surgeons don't know jack about skydiving.
  10. MikeStafford
    Statistically tandem is more likely to result in a fatality than static line.
  11. MikeStafford
    The real mistake was after he fixed the chest strap. Notice he didn't bother to check anything else?
  12. MikeStafford
    There shouldn't be any age for jumping. Old enough to drool, old enough to pull. Works on both ends of the age curve.
  13. MikeStafford
    Simple rule: The pilot doesn't tell the jumpers how fast to fall, the jumpers don't get to tell the pilot how fast to fly. IT AIN'T ROCKET SCIENCE.
  14. MikeStafford
    Just put a skydiving rig on the observer. Then they are engaging in sport parachuting . If the FAA is there tell them the "skydiver" chickened out and came down with the plane. ________________________________________________ To every sufficiently complex problem there is a solution that is simple, obvious, and wrong.
  15. MikeStafford
    I would buy a jump plane. A Caravan is a good choice. Buy a nice airport and start a drop zone. You'll have plenty of time to choose a discipline later.
  16. MikeStafford
    I think his hair fell out from drinking too much Iron City beer. Or maybe not enough. Maybe it was from the tension of being a Safety Officer. He got a little nervous when we built a 3-way and started our breakoff at 2500 feet, with 500 stacked openings. Luckily we were a little down wind from the target so I could start my final approach without turning. Still married?
  17. MikeStafford
    Truth is Butch Walker was only 4 feet tall. But if you're 3 feet he would look like a big guy!