yardhippie

Wow, and here I thought he was only in his 40s! j/k. Happy birthday Lee. Goddam dirty hippies piss me off! ~GFD "What do I get for closing your rig?" ~ me "Anything you want." ~ female skydiver Mohoso Rodriguez #865

What!? this make Hippie mad! Oh, and I hear that jessie is stuck down in Venezuela. Oh, yea. You guys did good. come home in one piece.

Sure..............but not to learn how to swoop. I think you should learn without these tools, then integrate them to refine your skills. So I ask. Why if you have many tools available to you, why not use them all? Do you believe that it gives a new pilot too much to learn in the beginning? Is learning the "old ways" a great progression, and such you learn more appreciation for the 'tools'? Please dont think im calling you out, just trying to understand your position. I personally dont have a digital alti. I know I should have one, and its one of my purchases through the off season. I have learned to use my analog alti and my eyes. I think with the use of a digital alti, I could become more consistant. Goddam dirty hippies piss me off! ~GFD "What do I get for closing your rig?" ~ me "Anything you want." ~ female skydiver Mohoso Rodriguez #865

You say that like youre not willing to change just because you were taught something. Thats precisely the attitude we don't need. Theres no way that any one rule is THE rule. We have to work together and educate each other. Not all DZ's have the luxury of a decent landing area that allows for landing into the prevolent winds. Landing into the winds at our dz could put you above the the runway at less than 500 feet or above powerlines and/or a hangar. The landing pattern for the main landing area is hangar on the left or hangar on the right. If you want to land "into the wind" land somewhere else. Those are the posted rules. Every DZ will pose its on set of delimmas. The DZO, the S&TA, and other significant figures have to decide on a plan, and stick with it for a given operation. There have to be rules and consequences. With that, not knowing the rules should be just as large as infraction as breaking the rules. Just as with laws, stupidity is not an excuse. Our sport does not allow for excuses. Plese, everyone, be safe. Goddam dirty hippies piss me off! ~GFD "What do I get for closing your rig?" ~ me "Anything you want." ~ female skydiver Mohoso Rodriguez #865

Ive told the "I was that guy and shattered my left ankle" story so many time, some folks could probably recite it. Some have listened. Some havent. I learned the hard way to listen to my peers, and more advanced pilots. I often regurgitate the advice I have been given. Please folks, listen to what others are tellin you. Educate yourselves. Learn your canopies for ALL modes of flight. Goddam dirty hippies piss me off! ~GFD "What do I get for closing your rig?" ~ me "Anything you want." ~ female skydiver Mohoso Rodriguez #865

Oh, I agree that some swoopers have attitudes and won't listen. What I'm pointing out is that some of us "old timers" also have attitudes and sometimes we also won't listen. If we can all get over ourselves and work together to educate all skydivers, we can reduce the number of funerals we have to go to. Is it going to be easy? Nope. Is it a worthy goal? I think so... You aint kidding! I fall into the "hotshot" category as discussed in this thread. I follow the rules as closely as possible. I respect that if youre in the pattern and below me, I either have to wait on you, or land elsewhere safely. Does this mean that if you come straigt in to our designated swoop lane, you wont get a talking to? No. Did we land safe and live to talk about it? You bet. I think that too much of the time we've got both sides of the canopy flight fence pointing fingers at each other. Most problems are solved via compromise. The guys that have been in the sport for decades with 1000s of jumps and think they know it all and/or that the rules dont apply to them need to be respectful of the swoopers just as the swoopers must respect all others. Ive seen just as much attitude from the "old school" just as much as the "new guys". I think we have something to learn from everyone, no matter what their time in the sport / jump numbers. I agree its a great goal. The more we work together the better we make the sport. We should work on this as a community. Not expect/hope a govorning body will regulate it into submission. Goddam dirty hippies piss me off! ~GFD "What do I get for closing your rig?" ~ me "Anything you want." ~ female skydiver Mohoso Rodriguez #865

Better you than me! Now go to school and learn dammit! Goddam dirty hippies piss me off! ~GFD "What do I get for closing your rig?" ~ me "Anything you want." ~ female skydiver Mohoso Rodriguez #865

The King Air at our dz spoils me bad. its perfect unless you need to launch something really big. Ive seen 5 way HD lauched out of it! Not to mention that 15 min calls all day long! An otter takes a close second, as long as its a super otter. man that door is great, just not quite as fast. Screw a bunch of tailgate aircraft. Theres not really any skyvans flying anymore, I did like the climb on CK's, and the bar! CASAs are just too slow to climb, and if youre doing small way stuff and get stuck as one of the last groups out.... hope you can get back. Goddam dirty hippies piss me off! ~GFD "What do I get for closing your rig?" ~ me "Anything you want." ~ female skydiver Mohoso Rodriguez #865

Youre welcome. I too have much to learn when it comes to swooping, but then again I find that most of the really great swoopers, think the same thing. I prescribe to this quote. I cant remember who said it first, but it rings true with me. "In swooping, there are those who have been hurt, and those who will..." Well, I have been, and it could have been prevented if I'd only listed to my peers. The people that jumped with me every weekend. Now I listen with great intrest. Not only because it might save my life, but because the more information you can absorb. The better prepared you might be for the future. Safe swoops.

yea, but I dont thing they grew those trees just to make a separate landing area! But back to the topic at hand: I just sent an email a a DZO about this very thing. Not necessarily boogie related though. Education is a great first step. When you show up at a new place, educate yourself on the landing pattern, swoop areas (if any), student areas (if any), # of high performance pilots on your load (s). Not to mention many other things that are great to know. I used "educate yourself", because safety always begins with the individual. Not every DZ will give you a briefing the first time you show up. You might have to ask for one. If one is incapable of seeking out the knowledge they need to be safe at a new DZ, they are a potential statistic. There should be rules in place. They should apply to ALL, regarless of student/experienced/instructor/skygod status. You break the rules, you get punished. Period. End of discussion. Im not suggesting that this is related to the recent incidents, just what I have seen at some places over the years. Random, maybe even freak, accidents can and will happen, BUT maybe with more structured lading zones and patterns, followed by consequences for infractions will help us all reduce potential for those accidents. Goddam dirty hippies piss me off! ~GFD "What do I get for closing your rig?" ~ me "Anything you want." ~ female skydiver Mohoso Rodriguez #865

If anyone takes anything away from this post, is should be "pace yourself". Do people get hurt because they think they are "ready"? YES Do people get hur because they think they are "good enough"? YES Do people get hurt because they think they have it "figured out"? YES But my piece of advice to you is: No set-up is exactly the same as before. No traffic patter is a mirror image of another. The ability to adjust to the changing conditions can and will save your life. Some things you said make me nervous: "consistancy and sticking to the plan. if you walk out there and say your going to do a 180 at the pea pit at 320 at half breaks do your best to do that to the t." If youre doing a braked 180 at 320 feet that puts you flying against traffic. Bad juju. "i wear the digital alti everytime to set up i do the exact same front riser dive method the same and i start it the same exact altitude." Please dont rely on this to save your life. The digital altis are a tool that helps. If you put too much emphasis on one tool. You could fail. You have to be able to take in a massive amount of information is seconds: altiude, your position in the pattern, other traffic and their possible routs, sight picture, your outs. Also temperature, humidity, and mostly altitude density affect your canopys flying abilities. You make some great points in your post, but I as a learning swooper, encourage you and everyone else in the sport to work with experienced pilots. Get their input on your flying. then get some more help. I consider myself very young in the sport of jumping/swooping, but I have had the luck to be in an area that has lots of experience pilots willing to help others. I have LOTS to learn. Safe swoops.

My maker's mark bottle will be empty with my next drink. I still have vodka and Jager though! Goddam dirty hippies piss me off! ~GFD "What do I get for closing your rig?" ~ me "Anything you want." ~ female skydiver Mohoso Rodriguez #865

who cares what else we do. Any evening that starts off with a drunk at 6:50, has got to be good right? So, get ur bottles down and lets get smashed! Then, lets _________!? So, what is it? Goddam dirty hippies piss me off! ~GFD "What do I get for closing your rig?" ~ me "Anything you want." ~ female skydiver Mohoso Rodriguez #865

Im not sure about that "myspace" thing. Why do you have to check that box again? Can you just like box? Goddam dirty hippies piss me off! ~GFD "What do I get for closing your rig?" ~ me "Anything you want." ~ female skydiver Mohoso Rodriguez #865

Thats makes two of us! I can stand myself, maybe thats whats wrong with me! Merry xmas bro, stay safe! Goddam dirty hippies piss me off! ~GFD "What do I get for closing your rig?" ~ me "Anything you want." ~ female skydiver Mohoso Rodriguez #865

they got you a card?! Oh, I didnt sign it. I dont like sheep fuckers in Iraq. Goddam dirty hippies piss me off! ~GFD "What do I get for closing your rig?" ~ me "Anything you want." ~ female skydiver Mohoso Rodriguez #865

Sounds good to me. So which Fine Wine should I Bring?? MD20/20 or Boones Farm?? Thunderbird or even better Night Train. Goddam dirty hippies piss me off! ~GFD "What do I get for closing your rig?" ~ me "Anything you want." ~ female skydiver Mohoso Rodriguez #865

Then head down to Neighbor's for drinks with skydivers! I know a few that are going! Goddam dirty hippies piss me off! ~GFD "What do I get for closing your rig?" ~ me "Anything you want." ~ female skydiver Mohoso Rodriguez #865

FYI, touching might not be sfw. For a few folks. Goddam dirty hippies piss me off! ~GFD "What do I get for closing your rig?" ~ me "Anything you want." ~ female skydiver Mohoso Rodriguez #865

So I came across the on another forum I visit. I hadnt seen them here and when speaking of them last night, the folks looked at me like I was crazy. So here ya go, I lauged, but I also like... oooh, shiney. Goddam dirty hippies piss me off! ~GFD "What do I get for closing your rig?" ~ me "Anything you want." ~ female skydiver Mohoso Rodriguez #865

17.641 18.719 20.718 10 or so tries. Goddam dirty hippies piss me off! ~GFD "What do I get for closing your rig?" ~ me "Anything you want." ~ female skydiver Mohoso Rodriguez #865

Last year my holiday bonus was a $20 gift certificate to Kroger. Everyone complained and said the company was being cheap. So this year we get nothing. Goddam dirty hippies piss me off! ~GFD "What do I get for closing your rig?" ~ me "Anything you want." ~ female skydiver Mohoso Rodriguez #865

See! This is "the holidays" for me! My anniversary is xmas eve, the xmas. In 5 years, this is the first with a tree, but still no presants. whoohoo! I do things for my wife, friends and others throughout the year. I consider that 'giving'. Why should I have to give "and extra amount" this time of the year than any other just b/c marketing tells me so? Also, this year, I get to spend xmas with my Mom for the first time in 5 years. For the first time I'm cooking HER dinner. The whole thing, complete with the dishes she used to cook for us as kids. Im excited about that. I took my wife out to a super nice dinner last friday, it was simply amazing. She told me the next day not to plan for anything more for our anno or xmas, cuz that dinner was what she wanted. I just want to hang with family/friends and enjoy some great company, have some drinks, eat until I'm miserable, and pass out in the wee hours of the am. Goddam dirty hippies piss me off! ~GFD "What do I get for closing your rig?" ~ me "Anything you want." ~ female skydiver Mohoso Rodriguez #865

the ones that wont play! Goddam dirty hippies piss me off! ~GFD "What do I get for closing your rig?" ~ me "Anything you want." ~ female skydiver Mohoso Rodriguez #865

Hey, if ya'll do end up in a white girl harem. FOR THE LOVE OF SKYDIVING, let us know where it is so we can come 'visit'! Goddam dirty hippies piss me off! ~GFD "What do I get for closing your rig?" ~ me "Anything you want." ~ female skydiver Mohoso Rodriguez #865