sundevil777

You might try measuring the force required to pull the pin, best to do it a few times. This info is not hard to get and will help to get at the root cause/eliminate possibilities. People are sick and tired of being told that ordinary and decent people are fed up in this country with being sick and tired. I’m certainly not, and I’m sick and tired of being told that I am

That is because it exists now, it is readily available, and he wants the enhanced safety. 13 years ago, I think it likely he would have done 10 way. So many choose to use safety enhancements on every jump, or choose to not jump without the enhancement on more risky jumps. What is the problem with that? People are sick and tired of being told that ordinary and decent people are fed up in this country with being sick and tired. I’m certainly not, and I’m sick and tired of being told that I am

Consider that the Cypres can also be just fine for the customer, functioning without a hitch, and then when SSK does the full series of tests including high/low temp, etc. it fails to meet the standards. Does this mean it would have necessarily failed to save the life of the owner if needed? No, but it does mean that the mfg is not comfortable with the self test being the only check on the proper function of the unit. The self test can't check things to the same extent as can be done at the factory. Given the fact that some units with no self-test errors have to be sent back for a major overhaul after failing the std maintenance test series makes me not want to trust the Vigil's self test as the only check during its lifetime. Perhaps the Vigil's self test is much more complete than the Cypres', but I don't have reason to think so. People are sick and tired of being told that ordinary and decent people are fed up in this country with being sick and tired. I’m certainly not, and I’m sick and tired of being told that I am

I can understand wanting the safety enhancement on the more risky jumps. But 13 years ago, I contend they would have done the jumps. So all it means is that they recognize when we are subjecting ourselves to greater risk. If that means we are device dependant to you, I OK with that label. People are sick and tired of being told that ordinary and decent people are fed up in this country with being sick and tired. I’m certainly not, and I’m sick and tired of being told that I am

I think it is the BECAUSE part that causes the trouble. I don't believe that people participate in a more than risky jump BECAUSE of their Cypres. I just think that when someone says, "that's what I got a Cypres for", they still would have done the same jump 13 years ago. Now they know they are a little safer doing a risky thing that they would have done anyway without the safety enhancement. All that matters is if they would have done the jump 13 years ago. If they choose to make sure in 2005 that they always have that enhancement, that is not a bad thing. That's about all I got to say about that. People are sick and tired of being told that ordinary and decent people are fed up in this country with being sick and tired. I’m certainly not, and I’m sick and tired of being told that I am

Well said. We still participated in those same types of higher than typical risk dives 13 years ago. Now we deliberately choose not to do that anymore. For those newer jumpers that are 'dependant', I contend that they would also have made the same jumps if they were jumping back then. edit: If that makes us dependant, then so be it. People are sick and tired of being told that ordinary and decent people are fed up in this country with being sick and tired. I’m certainly not, and I’m sick and tired of being told that I am

I think that is wise. I think that he would likely do the 10 way dives 13 years ago before the Cypres, without much thought about it being too dangerous. Now that we have ways to minimize risk in some areas, choosing to take advantage of it on every jump is wise. We would have done the riskier jumps 13 years ago because they were so fun despite the additional risk, which is not cmpatible with your claim of us being device dependant. People are sick and tired of being told that ordinary and decent people are fed up in this country with being sick and tired. I’m certainly not, and I’m sick and tired of being told that I am

In many places the air is cleaner after it leaves the exhaust pipe of the natural gas powered Civic. People are sick and tired of being told that ordinary and decent people are fed up in this country with being sick and tired. I’m certainly not, and I’m sick and tired of being told that I am

The nose gear looks like it is vertical, but the plane is at a significant angle of attack. Something doesn't seem right. I have no doubt that airport is a cool place to watch landings, but that pic 3 looks wrong. People are sick and tired of being told that ordinary and decent people are fed up in this country with being sick and tired. I’m certainly not, and I’m sick and tired of being told that I am

The wheels just don't look right, kinda like their retracting or something. I am familiar with the 747, designed stuff at Boeing for 8 years. I can't believe that the beach is not restricted there. That is a close encounter. People are sick and tired of being told that ordinary and decent people are fed up in this country with being sick and tired. I’m certainly not, and I’m sick and tired of being told that I am

Pic 03 looks like the main gear are not fully extended, seems like the tires aren't oriented correctly. Any ideas on why it might look wrong? People are sick and tired of being told that ordinary and decent people are fed up in this country with being sick and tired. I’m certainly not, and I’m sick and tired of being told that I am

If he likes getting on the big ways at the DZ, fixing his attitude might take a talk from the top load organizer. I have pointed out lousy tracking during video debriefs, your complaint is nothing compared to peer pressure in front of all the hot local RW jumpers. Some good jumpers are just lousy trackers and it can look like they get used to everyone else streaking away before they even get in 1st gear, so they figure they can pull. Then you put 2 similar trackers on the same load, or video and you have trouble. People are sick and tired of being told that ordinary and decent people are fed up in this country with being sick and tired. I’m certainly not, and I’m sick and tired of being told that I am

Most likely any walmart type store will have it, it is quite common. It might not do what you want if the booties are really worn. It is more expensive, but I like the idea of getting some leather cut and sewn on as a sacrificial layer. I'm gonna do it to mine soon. People are sick and tired of being told that ordinary and decent people are fed up in this country with being sick and tired. I’m certainly not, and I’m sick and tired of being told that I am

Pretty cool... http://www.vtec.net/news/news-item?news_item_id=350002 Micro-CHP System Will Allow Homeowners to Produce Their Own Electricity While Heating Their Homes ALPHARETTA, Ga., April 26, 2005 – American Honda Motor Company will work with Massachusetts based Climate Energy, LLC to bring a unique and innovative new form of home heat and power technology to market, the company announced today. The system uses micro combined heat and power (MCHP) cogeneration technology with natural gas to provide residential heat more efficiently than ever before, with the added benefit of producing electric power. Honda will supply its compact home-use cogeneration unit to Climate Energy who will combine it with a furnace or boiler, and market the entire system as an alternative to conventional space heating and electric power in new and existing homes. Working in coordination with state and local authorities as well as energy utilities, limited in-home field test installations will occur by late 2005, with more widespread distribution planned from fall 2006. “MCHP technology will provide residential consumers with new levels of comfort and energy efficiency, while reducing their utility bills,” said Wade Terry, vice president of Honda Power Equipment, which is American Honda’s division responsible for overseeing its involvement in the project. “Honda is a name consumers already associate with reliable, forward-thinking technologies like hybrid automobiles, natural gas automobiles, and hydrogen fuel cells, so this is a good fit for us. Ultimately, we think that this technology might set a new direction for the future of home heat and power.” The Honda unit’s compact design consists of a small natural gas-powered internal combustion engine developed specifically for this application, and a small electrical generation system that utilizes Honda’s sine wave inverter technology. Designed primarily for detached single-family homes, the unit will generate up to three kilowatts of thermal output per hour and one kilowatt of electricity, while delivering ultra-quiet operation with minimal vibration. The complete Climate Energy Micro-CHP system, powered by the Honda MCHP unit, results in more than 85 percent efficiency in converting fuel energy into useful heat and electric power. This represents a very large improvement over conventional heating appliances and grid-supplied electric power, and will ultimately provide consumers with a substantial savings in their heating and electrical bills. In certain markets, the system will even deliver the ability to sell power back to the grid at full retail value. Consistent with Honda’s reputation for environmental responsibility, the system is also expected to yield a 30 percent reduction in harmful carbon dioxide emissions as compared with conventional heating appliances and grid supplied electricity. A similar version of Honda’s cogeneration unit has been available for general use in Japan since March of 2003, and is now in more than 15,000 homes, lending the technology a track record of reliability. Honda is the world’s preeminent maker of engines for automobiles, motorcycles, and power equipment, selling more than 19 million units globally in 2004. Honda engines are characterized by the same clean, quiet, fuel-efficient technology that is behind the company’s unparalleled reputation for durability, quality, and reliability. All of Honda’s engine products in North America meet or exceed California Air Resources Board (CARB) and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) emission standards. NOTE: For those who are curious, 3kW works out to about 10,243 BTU/hr, which works out to 10243/12000 ton = 0.854 ton. People are sick and tired of being told that ordinary and decent people are fed up in this country with being sick and tired. I’m certainly not, and I’m sick and tired of being told that I am

Some SUVs are quite small and get relatively good mileage for the bad aerodynamics they have. I think there is a lot to criticize in vehicles that get lousy mileage, but the SUV is usually singled out, and that doesn't make sense. So let's pick on all vehicles that guzzle gas, not just the SUV. People are sick and tired of being told that ordinary and decent people are fed up in this country with being sick and tired. I’m certainly not, and I’m sick and tired of being told that I am

I have a few issues with the Airbus cockpit (this applies to all of their fly-by-wire planes A320/A330/A340 series also, things that I think are a bad idea for a commercial airliner. 1) The sidestick controllers They give no feedback when the autopilot is flying - no movement. I think that seeing the control column/wheel move is a great way for the pilot to know what the autopilot is trying to do. There is also no force feedback as you try to make the plane do more severe maneuvers. When a pilot moves from right to left seat, they have to 'train' their other arm/hand to use the sidestick controller (it is on the outboard side). I think this is inherently a bad idea, for a commercial airliner. The sidestick controllers are not linked, so when one pilot is flying, the other stick does not move. So what happens if both are trying to fly? There is software logic that decides this, and it is indicated which side is in control with an indicator light, and the pilots can override/take command on their side with the push of a switch. The thought of the logic not working and the pilots pushing buttons to take command is not comforting to me. 2) The autothrottle They do not move in the normal mode, meaning that as the autopilot adjusts power, the handles stay in one position. You can see by instruments what it is trying to do, but not by movement of the big handles. In the normal mode, it is just a big rotary switch. Again, I think seeing the throttles move is a great way for the pilot to know what the autopilot/autothrottle system is trying to do. 3) Envelope protection/limiting (fancy term for the computer doesn't let you do stupid maneuvers or overstress the plane) I don't think it is a good idea to have the fly-by-wire system prevent the pilot from putting too much stress on the plane. We are talking about a airliner, not a fighter. The pilots will never overstress it just for practice. If they need to go beyond the design structural limits to try to get out of a dive, for instance, then I say they should be allowed to try. Airbus was so confident of their 'envelope protection' that it caused a crash of an A330 many years ago. An airline CEO and top pilot were being treated to a demonstration flight. Airbus decided to impress them with how the plane could not be made to stall, so they planned to take off very aggressively and immediately idle one engine and turn off one of the hydraulic systems. However the flight control engineers had never figured on such an aggressive, very high pitch rate climb being combined with the other 'failures', and the plane could not stop the stall. They ran out of altitude. The investigation found fault in how the Airbus pilots decided to create their own scenario during the pre flight briefing that would impress the customer, completely confident that the plane could not be stalled (as they had been claiming). This incident received much less attention than the crash of the A320 at the Paris air show because no normal passengers were on board. The Boeing fly by wire system on the 777 still uses a traditional control column/wheel. There is some distinct advantages to the sidesticks, such as reduced weight, and much more room in front of the pilot for a worktable to use maps/manuals/etc, It was tempting, however Boeing decided that it was a bad tradeoff overall. Boeing also decided that strict envelope protection was a bad idea, and that increasing force feedback (it is 'artificial') was a better way of preventing pilots from doing stupid things while not limiting their ability to fly the plane how they see fit. Both Boeing and Airbus have a switch on the overhead console that puts them into a 'direct' mode that cuts out the complex flight control logic and uses separate/simpler software that results in a less 'refined' feeling for the pilot. This requires time to activate it, and I would rather the pilots have complete control to try what they want without having to look up and back to activate a switch first. It probably will not surprise you to learn that I used to be an engineer for Boeing in their flight deck group during the development of the 777, hence the 777 in my username. Of couse Boeing has had problems, such as 737 rudder reversals, 747 cargo door latches, and uncommanded 767 thrust reversals. However, I think their choice on the column over the sidestick controller, and the flight control logic are examples of interesting, and important points of discussion. People are sick and tired of being told that ordinary and decent people are fed up in this country with being sick and tired. I’m certainly not, and I’m sick and tired of being told that I am

So you probably spend every weekend planting trees? We jump out of airplanes that burn a lot of fossil fuel. People are sick and tired of being told that ordinary and decent people are fed up in this country with being sick and tired. I’m certainly not, and I’m sick and tired of being told that I am

Why do people pick on the SUV? What about large trucks, vans, high performance cars and large luxury cars that also get lousy mileage? People are sick and tired of being told that ordinary and decent people are fed up in this country with being sick and tired. I’m certainly not, and I’m sick and tired of being told that I am

The 787 is quite advanced, and Airbus can't get their competitor to it, the A350 to get enough interest from airlines. It will be very interesting to see if the A380 is a financial winner. I think it will not be nearly the flop of the Concorde, but not at all a big winner. Scrapping their supersonic airliner was one of the best decisions Boeing ever made. People are sick and tired of being told that ordinary and decent people are fed up in this country with being sick and tired. I’m certainly not, and I’m sick and tired of being told that I am

I do not see how your completely deployed 2-out situation shows that cutting away would be better. Cutting away from a biplane/side-side runs a serious risk of entangling your main with the reserve. The departing main, including the risers, can grab your slider, or lines and cause big trouble. I would only want to cut away from a 2-out if it was downplaning. There are a lot of 2-out incidents with no entanglement. Evaluating the relative importance of all the plus/minus points for the PC in tow scenario is a subjective thing. But the PD/army study leans to not chopping, and so did a decision tree chart that Relative Workshop used to have on their website. People are sick and tired of being told that ordinary and decent people are fed up in this country with being sick and tired. I’m certainly not, and I’m sick and tired of being told that I am

The first Boeing 777 had a door that can be blown off, and a deflector that could fold out to help you get away and down before the airstream took you. On the very first 777 flight, they started doing tests right away, and this included an intentional shut down of one of the engines (2 engines on the 777). I don't know if that is unusual, but it surprised many at the time. The 777 also had about 40 kegs and a lot of piping to allow water to be transferred for easy inflight weight/balance adjustments. Maybe one of them is really a beer keg? People are sick and tired of being told that ordinary and decent people are fed up in this country with being sick and tired. I’m certainly not, and I’m sick and tired of being told that I am

We don't need no stinking arti-cu-lated harness! People are sick and tired of being told that ordinary and decent people are fed up in this country with being sick and tired. I’m certainly not, and I’m sick and tired of being told that I am

Very good for DZO to have friend in ATC... People are sick and tired of being told that ordinary and decent people are fed up in this country with being sick and tired. I’m certainly not, and I’m sick and tired of being told that I am

It seems a lot of car mfgrs care little about visibility. A lot of them, but not all... People are sick and tired of being told that ordinary and decent people are fed up in this country with being sick and tired. I’m certainly not, and I’m sick and tired of being told that I am

A hemispherical shaped combustion chamber used to be different. Now it is the norm. It is pure marketing with no substance. In fact, now the best engines have much flatter combustion chambers, a high dome piston and head can provide for large valve sizes, but it is bad for a lot of other reasons. Hemi=bullshit People are sick and tired of being told that ordinary and decent people are fed up in this country with being sick and tired. I’m certainly not, and I’m sick and tired of being told that I am