3ringheathen

Wouldn't the tuck tabs perform essentially the same function as locking stows? That is keep the pack job in the bag, with the slider all the way up until line stretch. If so, what was the absence of locking stows supposed to prove? -Josh If you have time to panic, you have time to do something more productive. -Me* *Ron has accused me of plagiarizing this quote. He attributes it to Douglas Adams.

My mistake. I had a similar discussion with someone else, it turned out that the stowless bag they were talking about had locking stows. The Berger bag doesn't. Could you describe it? Does it have tuck tabs, velcro, or something? What keeps the bag closed? Yes that can be a problem, however I've jumped properly made collapsible PCs in 28" and 24" and noticed significant differences in openings between the two. YMMV. -Josh If you have time to panic, you have time to do something more productive. -Me* *Ron has accused me of plagiarizing this quote. He attributes it to Douglas Adams.

No ones recomending a 15" pc anyway, but how sure are you that this is true? A 15" pc has less than 1/3 the surface area of a 28" pc. Are you saying that it takes more force to pull the bag out of the tight corners of an open container than it does to open the container itself, or to lift the weight of the canopy? Nor did it necessarily make it wrong. Regardless, that's ancient history, even if you are old enough to remember it. -Josh If you have time to panic, you have time to do something more productive. -Me* *Ron has accused me of plagiarizing this quote. He attributes it to Douglas Adams.

Both have locking stows, which prevent line dump. Oh but it is. It just doesn't fit the contrary side of the argument so it's often dismissed. I can't argue with that logic. Because you want a reserve to open as quickly as possible. If, for some odd reason, you *wanted* a nice, snivelly reserve opening, one of the many things you could change would be the pilot chute size. That still isn't enough of a factor to change my mind. From actual experience I will tell you that switching sizes of P/C's has not changed openings on any canopy I've owned to warrent not using the manufacturers recomended size. I don't doubt you at all. However, *your* experience, is comparatively limited, as is mine. The fact that you haven't jumped any combinations of gear where the pilot chute effects opening speed does not mean that smaller PCs can't be a factor for some combinations of gear. You seem to contradict yourself. If line dump doesn't exist, and PC size doesn't matter, than how can an incorrectly built pilot chute cause hard openings? -Josh If you have time to panic, you have time to do something more productive. -Me* *Ron has accused me of plagiarizing this quote. He attributes it to Douglas Adams.

Be wary of absolute statements, they are almost always wrong. That's what gets some of the other posters in this thread in trouble: Their first hand experience has been that X is true, and then they turn around and assert that X is always true. Having said that, it's very unlikely that a 24" pc recomended by a canopy maker will pose a problem regardless of the official recomendation of the container maker, and it might very well improve your openings. Or it might not, as it's but one of many factors to consider. -Josh If you have time to panic, you have time to do something more productive. -Me* *Ron has accused me of plagiarizing this quote. He attributes it to Douglas Adams.

You can state it a million more times, it's still a gross oversimplification of the issue. From the perspective of a container manufacturer the pilot chute size matters for two reasons that I'm aware of: 1) The pc and pc pouch need to be compatible. That is, you want the pilot chute to be securely held in place prior to deployment. 2) The pc needs to reliably generate enough force to pull the pin/open the container. The 9 year old Javelin I recently sold held a 24" pc snugly even though the pouch is probably getting close to being due for replacement. I'd be very surprised if the pouch on most new gear is too loose for a 24" pc. In the unlikely event that the pouch is too big, swapping it out for a smaller one is easy. I doubt that there is single container at my dz that isn't compatible with a 24" pilot chute based upon the above criteria. Given that, what makes the container manufacturers one size fits all recomendation more valid than the canopy manufacturers? Or for that matter, the pilot chute manufacturer that recommends a specific size pc for a specific size canopy? In contrast, from the perspective of a canopy manufacturer , pilot chute size matters in that: It needs to reliably extract the canopy from the open container without causing line dump. Bill Booth gave specific parameters to help one assess if they're pilot chute is the right size to address these concerns. This isn't a particularly relevant analogy. There are TSO issues with this that may or may not have anything to do with safety. There is a lot less variation in the design of reserves than of mains, so it's not surprising that one pc would work for all of them. They're almost all open nosed, seven cell canopies designed to open as fast as possible. Further, since the reserve pc and freebag are sewn together into one functional unit, the container specific design of the free bag is the primary issue, not the size/type of reserve pilot chute. Off of the top of my head: Bill Booth, Performance Designs, ATAIR, and Icarus all disagree with you. -Josh If you have time to panic, you have time to do something more productive. -Me* *Ron has accused me of plagiarizing this quote. He attributes it to Douglas Adams.

An experienced camera flyer shouldn't have any trouble staying with a tandem doing a few flips. -Josh If you have time to panic, you have time to do something more productive. -Me* *Ron has accused me of plagiarizing this quote. He attributes it to Douglas Adams.

The wingsuit that fits the tall, skinny guy is not the same airfoil as the one that fits the short, fat guy. You have to compare Walt apples to Walt apples. -Josh If you have time to panic, you have time to do something more productive. -Me* *Ron has accused me of plagiarizing this quote. He attributes it to Douglas Adams.

I got by without a cameye just fine for years. My old PC 7 had a reasonably big switch and record button that was hard to mess up. Up for record, down for VCR, center for off. I just glued a bit of plastic mirror to my alti to double check the record light, and was good to go. However, with my new camera (HC 30) the controls are really small and difficult to operate blindly. Plus, you have 3 different functions to accidentally switch between with the same movement: Switch up 1x = record, 2x = memory chip record, 3x = VCR. I've got to say that now that I have a cameye, I really like it. I'd even put one on my old camera if I had it to do over. -Josh If you have time to panic, you have time to do something more productive. -Me* *Ron has accused me of plagiarizing this quote. He attributes it to Douglas Adams.

I forgot to follow up: the cameyeII works great on the HC 30. I really like my little camera so far, though I've still not done tons of jumps on it. FWIW: Several people at the DZ have gotten jealous after looking it over and finding out how cheap it is compared to theirs. As for size, the HC's are a little longer, but actually shorter than the 109. They're both the same width. For a top mount, I want the shortest camera. (HC30) For side mount, I want the narrowest. (tie) Near as I can tell, unless there's a feature(s) that you really, really want on the 109, save your cash. For that matter, what is it about the HC 40 that's worth the extra money over the 30? The better still photos? YMMV. -Josh If you have time to panic, you have time to do something more productive. -Me* *Ron has accused me of plagiarizing this quote. He attributes it to Douglas Adams.

OK. You are wrong. -Josh If you have time to panic, you have time to do something more productive. -Me* *Ron has accused me of plagiarizing this quote. He attributes it to Douglas Adams.

It's premature to favor any particular theory about the origins of that Sarin bomb. However, the CIA has a disturbing history of disregard for the health and well being of US citizens, so such a theory isn't totally unreasonable. -Josh If you have time to panic, you have time to do something more productive. -Me* *Ron has accused me of plagiarizing this quote. He attributes it to Douglas Adams.

That's the general consensus amongst our collectively low to moderately experienced local crew. I've gone hand held from 250 and still had roughly eleven seconds of canopy flight with a Mojo. There may very well be a difference in average opening time, but so far I haven't been able to *perceive* it. Maybe some experimentation is in order over memorial day weekend? Can I borrow a rig? In the name of science, of course. -Josh If you have time to panic, you have time to do something more productive. -Me* *Ron has accused me of plagiarizing this quote. He attributes it to Douglas Adams.

I occasionally get extraordinarily intense headaches that feel like someone has plunged an ice pick into my skull. Mine are unusual in that they tend to come on fairly abruptly, and rarely last much more than a minute or so. They sound like clusters in that they are pretty intense, tend to happen fairly frequently for a while, and then stop for months on end. I don't know what to make of them. They sometimes occur on the ride to altitude, but never on jumprun or during a jump. I suspect that the increased heart rate, blood flow, and adrenalin that accompany a jump tend to prevent or mask such symptoms. I'm also fairly certain that I could manage to function anyway if my life depended upon it, but there is no freaking way I would jump if one were in full force just prior to exit. YMMV -Josh If you have time to panic, you have time to do something more productive. -Me* *Ron has accused me of plagiarizing this quote. He attributes it to Douglas Adams.

well, I think the first wrong move would be only giving yourself a 3ft margin of error. Point taken, but that's part of what makes swooping dangerous, and not entirely avoidable if you insist upon swooping. The difference between skimming accross the ground with your legs underneath you, or skimming the ground with your legs pulled up as far as you can get them is about 3 feet. Swoop much higher, and it's not really a swoop, plus the end of your swoop might range from interesting to injurious as you run out of lift and drop to the ground. Swoop much lower, and it's likely to range from injurious to incompatible with survival. Note that swooping too high is the lesser of two evils here. -Josh If you have time to panic, you have time to do something more productive. -Me* *Ron has accused me of plagiarizing this quote. He attributes it to Douglas Adams.

Well said, John. It's kind of like driving: stomping on the gas or the brakes is fun, but usually you won't speed up or slow down as quickly as you could with smoother techniques. -Josh If you have time to panic, you have time to do something more productive. -Me* *Ron has accused me of plagiarizing this quote. He attributes it to Douglas Adams.

Hey Scott: It's been several years...maybe 5-6 years ago: I recall you spinning up your Batwing at what I guessed was a wee bit less than a grand. No shit there I was, I thought you were going to die. I'd guess that the Batwing is a little easier to spin up than some others? -Josh If you have time to panic, you have time to do something more productive. -Me* *Ron has accused me of plagiarizing this quote. He attributes it to Douglas Adams.

An awful lot of heterosexual couples are also illegitimate by the same reasoning. Maybe we should draft a constitutional amendment requiring couples to breed within 5 years of getting married? Each of these presents unique problems to society insofar as how best to regulate (or not) and provide equal treatment under the law. In an ideal world polygamy amongst consentual adults probably ought to be legal, even if you and I can't fathom why someone would want to enter into such a relationship. It'd certainly present some problems relating to division of property in the event of death, divorce, and health insurance. As for incest, it's held in disdain for reasons that are broader and deeper than any specific religion. It usually occurs between an adult and children, as such it's wrong for reasons that span every religion and culture I'm familiar with. Show me an adult incestuous couple, and we'll cross that bridge when we come to it. As for a man marrying his horse, the day a horse can hold a job, provide an income, insurance and so forth to it's husband or wife, I say go for it! -Josh If you have time to panic, you have time to do something more productive. -Me* *Ron has accused me of plagiarizing this quote. He attributes it to Douglas Adams.

Upon what do you base these claims? I always kind of thought the primary goal of the state was to protect each individuals right to swing his arm as long as it doesn't strike anyone else's nose. -Josh If you have time to panic, you have time to do something more productive. -Me* *Ron has accused me of plagiarizing this quote. He attributes it to Douglas Adams.

I don’t know what to say to that other than the statement sounds like someone on a raft drifting in the middle of the ocean with no idea where he is or where he’s going. I accept that you don’t agree and respect your opinion. Good luck! Better to drift than to expend precious energy paddling westwards only to die of dehydration when if you'd just conserved your energy, you would have drifted ashore! Sometimes doing nothing is better than arbitrary action. I like the image you paint though: Religion as a type of existential panic. -Josh If you have time to panic, you have time to do something more productive. -Me* *Ron has accused me of plagiarizing this quote. He attributes it to Douglas Adams.

Read this one again. Very interesting. Some of our founding fathers were Christian. Some were deists (believed in some sort of more abstract god), I'm sure some held other beliefs altogether. What they clearly agreed upon was that no religion, even their own, needed or deserved the endorsement of government. -Josh If you have time to panic, you have time to do something more productive. -Me* *Ron has accused me of plagiarizing this quote. He attributes it to Douglas Adams.

I agree 100%, but I think it's important to emphasise that it's a double edged sword: Along with the rights associated with marriage come equally serious responsiblities. -Josh If you have time to panic, you have time to do something more productive. -Me* *Ron has accused me of plagiarizing this quote. He attributes it to Douglas Adams.

Your hypothetical god owes us nothing, but if he created us, he gave us the ability to think, reason, and question. Surely he wouldn't be upset if we used those gifts? How about simply choosing to think about it, and letting the logic take us where it may? Again, we were born with the gift to think and question. Were we not intended to use it? What sort of cruel joke is that? Are you talking about Christians now? Hey, if God appeared to me in the form of a burning bush and spoke, maybe I'd believe too. The thing is, he's been strangely silent for some 2000 years! I see. That explains birth defects, the Platypus, and Michael Jackson. Hey: I don't have any proof either, but you owe me $10,000. Pay up or suffer the consequences! -Josh If you have time to panic, you have time to do something more productive. -Me* *Ron has accused me of plagiarizing this quote. He attributes it to Douglas Adams.

You didn't need to repost it, I got that the first time, and it doesn't make any more sense this time around. You all but admit that it doesn't make sense when you write: "I agree. It is beyond my human comprehension also." And yet you continue to have faith. That my friend, is the blind faith we're talking about. You are shutting your eyes to that which you don't understand. The question is Why? -Josh If you have time to panic, you have time to do something more productive. -Me* *Ron has accused me of plagiarizing this quote. He attributes it to Douglas Adams.

Referring to a non believer, Pajarito wrote: "Good luck with your plan. You'd better be right." This is called Pascals wager, and it's flawed, too. For to become a Christian just in case, is neither faith, nor reason. -Josh If you have time to panic, you have time to do something more productive. -Me* *Ron has accused me of plagiarizing this quote. He attributes it to Douglas Adams.