yardhippie

Aw, you're sweet. You were so proper in giving me a handshake. Next time, just give me a big ol' hug!

Thats ok, they werent in the best shape after all the wind anyways. I just didnt want Don and Spence to have to clean up after us. Goddam dirty hippies piss me off! ~GFD "What do I get for closing your rig?" ~ me "Anything you want." ~ female skydiver Mohoso Rodriguez #865

"Do you guys have any lube?" Blues, Dave Forgot about that!!! but there are so many quotes, that just cant be repeated online, and so many more I cant remember. Oh, and seeing Beezy embarrassed! WOW! Thats a chart topper right there. Goddam dirty hippies piss me off! ~GFD "What do I get for closing your rig?" ~ me "Anything you want." ~ female skydiver Mohoso Rodriguez #865

Dammit Bob! I even hung the lights right at the edge of the tent so you could see em. maybe if you ever organize that stabbin cabbin trip, we can make sure you get your stuff back! Thanks laura for picking that stuff up. What about all my tarps? Anyone other than Don and Spence picking those up? the icing on the cake, katie calls him out cuz hes dont it before! Noice! Goddam dirty hippies piss me off! ~GFD "What do I get for closing your rig?" ~ me "Anything you want." ~ female skydiver Mohoso Rodriguez #865

As I sift through many of my older photos and find ones of Danny, it reminds me of all the stories. I know its going to be tough when I go to Skydive Atlanta this weekend. Danny always did a great job of getting Trey all worked up. Well one day he just decides to park right in front of the hangar, unloads his stuff and gets on a load. Didnt move his car at all. So, Trey trying to get back at him decided to mark around his car with white spray paint and put the name Danny right next to it. Danny proceeded to park there for many following weekends. I know those markings are still there, I know my friend will never park there again. Goddam dirty hippies piss me off! ~GFD "What do I get for closing your rig?" ~ me "Anything you want." ~ female skydiver Mohoso Rodriguez #865

Mandated by the government??? No. They went away because fuel injection works a hell of a lot better, especially when you are trying to keep emissions down and gas mileage up. It wasn't a fuel delivery system law per se, but it was fuel efficiency and emissions standards that ensured the migration away from carburetor, especially as more control was required to manage fuel and air flow. Precisely, and those emission standards continue to drive fuel delivery method technology. Automakers have to find new ways to save power, b/c if you take an engine one year, and have to reduce emissions on the next. Two things will happen, power will go down, and fuel consumption will go up. Then why are we seeing greater MPG than cars built in the 60s? Because automakers find other variables to effective use power and reduce parasitic losses. Goddam dirty hippies piss me off! ~GFD "What do I get for closing your rig?" ~ me "Anything you want." ~ female skydiver Mohoso Rodriguez #865

WTH! You were on that dive!? Nice dock BTW! Dammit people, throw me a freakin bone or something. You must use real names with the DZ.com names! 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 do realize that the folks that live close enough to pick you up, arent that willing to make that drive on a Tuesday. Life in the ATL is based on traffic flow, so if we were to go to the airport in the afternoon and then to the farm, and then home again were talking like a 4 to 6 hour trip depending on the time of day. I'd consider hangin in the metro Atlanta area until Thursday or Friday, or drop Hans a PM to see of he knows of something happening. Goddam dirty hippies piss me off! ~GFD "What do I get for closing your rig?" ~ me "Anything you want." ~ female skydiver Mohoso Rodriguez #865

Ok kids. Its that time again, the weather is getting warmer, the days are getting longer. Its time to make the weekly trips to Neighbors for drinks, foods, and funs. I dont think that we would pick a better time for the lot of us get together and raise our glasses and get shitty! I look forward to seeing you all there! Goddam dirty hippies piss me off! ~GFD "What do I get for closing your rig?" ~ me "Anything you want." ~ female skydiver Mohoso Rodriguez #865

Why tuesday? Tuesday is trivia night. Wednesday is Neighbors. Maybe Thursday, but the cool kids have to work through the week. Goddam dirty hippies piss me off! ~GFD "What do I get for closing your rig?" ~ me "Anything you want." ~ female skydiver Mohoso Rodriguez #865

When you asked how does know WL help you, I think you answered your own question. You evaluate the other canopies in the air and determine where in the pattern you should be. Have that little bit of info could help you to know about how many smaller or larger canopies to be looking for right? That bit of info coupled with your evaluation of size, etc of other pilots helps to fit you into what you think is your best position. Then you would have to determin if a HP can be performed in the designated place by your position in the pattern. When you jump with the same people you do the same things that I do as I discussed in my response to Skinnys questions. 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, just a different way of looking at things. Take the autobahn in Germany for example. No speed limits in portions of that road, yet there are very strict rules for travelling on it. No passiing on the right, car in front has the right of way, etc, but out of respect for other drivers the slower cars move out of the way. So we have both HP and slow car working together. When I apply that idea to canopy piloting, our wingloading affects our speed. If we develop a plan, lets do it right. Faster more nimble canopies can easily negotiate traffic, enter the pattern earlier, and land earlier. Mind you in this discussion, im not talking about the HP landings. the relieves the amount of traffic in the air, freeing up the space and time for other pilots. that in and of itself should make for a safer landing pattern. Now if we consider pilots who want to make HP landings, first and formost HP pilots must give right of way to lower canopies. No discussion. Second, they must respect everyone else as they move into the pattern and begin their set up. IF, after all that let them play. I know at our DZ that I and other pilots have worked out some resemlance to a landing order. You and I both know that there is no way in hell I could hold in brakes and remain in the pattern behind Brie for example. So we have a plan, she'll hold in brakes and let me on by. Others and I have similar plans, but like Bill said, this type of plan is not possible when you are making 10 jumps a day and on a plane with 22 others. IMHO, wingloading is a factor to consider in the overall discussion of how to prevent this tragedy from happening again. As is flight patters, designated LZs, awareness, and environment. maybe that makes more sense. In the incident that sparked all this, that turn had no business there IMO. If you want to disucss more personal stuff I'll be glad to chat with ya via PM. Goddam dirty hippies piss me off! ~GFD "What do I get for closing your rig?" ~ me "Anything you want." ~ female skydiver Mohoso Rodriguez #865

I'd say I came within less than a second of wrapping up just below 1000' on the downwind leg of my pattern. it was just dumb luck that I caught the other pilot out of the corner of my eye. Neither of us were itintiating any type of HP maneuver. Complacency nearly killed us both. We were over that very same tarmac, the other pilot is a good friend, and has over 2300 skydives, I have over 800. We failed to pay attention, we failed to have a plan. We got lucky. 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 are so right. leave your ego's at home people. We all have something to learn, weather its from that first time jumper, or that guy thats been jumping since before there was nylon! Goddam dirty hippies piss me off! ~GFD "What do I get for closing your rig?" ~ me "Anything you want." ~ female skydiver Mohoso Rodriguez #865

I was there from Wed till Sun and on the first load! It was announced on the PA several times each day! I think some didn't take it seriously till after Sat! The collision was over the normal landing area, I had just gathered my gear and was walking from the the landing area when it happened right over my head, they impacted 6 ft to my right! This should also serve as an example that the skydive doesn't end when your feet are on the ground, you can become a statistic while walking to the packing area! I will NEVER forget this and plan on sharing it with all who will listen! I too was on the first load of the boogie, I too heard it multiple times throughout the boogie. I also had a chat about it with Chris on the first day b/c we were getting a lot of pilots flying toward each other to get to their respective LZs. Awareness is key, if a HP pilot wasnt sure if there was a separate area for HP landings, out of respect for all the other pilots that person should have asked. Ignorance is not a valid excuse. I fly a HP canopy and love my landings, I also went and found out what landing area was for HP landings, looked at the arieal photo, and made my plan. Youre right, the dive isnt over until you put your gear down in the packing area. Goddam dirty hippies piss me off! ~GFD "What do I get for closing your rig?" ~ me "Anything you want." ~ female skydiver Mohoso Rodriguez #865

I understand your confusion on my post, I was trying to make two points instead of one, and managed to ramble on without completing my thought. I'll try to make sense of it. I was thinking of the "segregation" of HP pilots vs. "typical" pilots. That segregation would only further divide our sport. We all have to work together to decide on what is going to work. No one dicipline has all the answers. Sorry, I ramble sometimes. And for the record, I agree, take it around, which, I was on one of the otters that had fun jumpers on it for one attempt of those big ways, we got a second pass. I agree there is no way possible you can remember every single canopy, every singe wing loading, but is a series of 3-4, yes/no, questions too tough? For example. Who here has a WL under 1.4? Raise of hands. 1.4 - 1.8? 1.8 and above? That shouldn't even take 30 seconds and at a minimum give everone and idea of whats on that load. Im not claiming it would fix anything, but just that little tidbit should help everyone know that they would have x number of jumpers loaded above 1.8 falling out of the sky past those who are loaded lighter. I spose I should have been a bit more detailed, but I didnt want to write a book here. In response knowing about each others landings. This, IMHO, comes back to the plan, having a HP area, having a straight in area, having flight patterns prescribed for those areas, etc. So, if those things have been put in place knowing a rough number of who going to be performing a HP landing should let you know what amount of traffic you'll be encountering in each pattern. I belive that, even with our current group's memories , if a DZ has a prescribed traffic managment pattern, LZs, in addition to the do's /donts we have in place now. We can virtually eliminate the chances of this happening again. Truthfully, big ways scare the living shit out of me. Thats why I dont do em. I dont like being in traffic with 40 others wondering where Im going to end up with all this traffic around me. We say things like: you must do a straight in approach for big ways, well then you must define what that approach is going to look like, b/c some pilots might make a long sweeping 90 onto final to gain some speed. then you have to define how many is a "big" way. This definitions, if you posted a poll, will vary wildly. Then to say that you can perform a HP landing, but what if I went way the hell over there. For instance the far end of either landing area at Dublin. No one landed there unless the spot was bad, yet there were trucks to pick up those that did land there. Even the folks landing straight in were cramming into the two pieces of real estate right there by the taxiway next to the wind sock. Granted none of them caused this incident, but its still not the safest thing to do. I know there was twice I aborted HP landings last weekend b/c I deemed it unsafe. I just wish we all did that. 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 were segregated. 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 a canopy pilot is to be practicing maneuvers of anykind, they need to be done up high and AWAY from traffic. If an entire otter load in different groups all pull at 3500', none of them has any business practicing skill sets with 24 peeps in the air all shooting for a given piece of real estate. Braked approaches, flat turns, riser turns, and other modes of flight do not fit into an approach to or within the pattern, because from other pilot's view points it is errattic, and/or confusing. Now instead of focusing on everyone around, they have to focus on you b/c of the non-typical flight. Again I preach a little, education is key. No one is immune. Make a plan, from the time you get into an aircraft until you put your gear down in the packing area again. Have a plan, discuss it with others. Stick to 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

You induced line twists at 1400'. Weather or not you think you make a radical toggle maneuver, i havent seen a canopy just spin up on a light turn on a light wind day. IMO, you made this happen. What is your hard deck, i dont know anyone with a hard deck of 1000' or below. If your jump numbers are correct, I would seriously look at deciding on that hard deck and stick to it. Surely someone at the DZ saw this and could speak with you about it. We can sit here and speculate all day, but we werent there. Often times its not how quickly you pull a toggle, its how quickly you let it up, and in relatiion to how soon after you've pulled it down. Its easy to induce line twists with a toggle. Part of skydiving is the canopy flight, take the time to learn it, up high. Have a plan and stick to it. Blue skies. Goddam dirty hippies piss me off! ~GFD "What do I get for closing your rig?" ~ me "Anything you want." ~ female skydiver Mohoso Rodriguez #865

I still chuckle at you saying, "it's easier to beg forgiveness than to ask permission" when somone said we should run your plan by Spence. Well it was 10:30 in the AM and I was not thinking clearly already. Nothing is much better on a cold rainy morning than some shenanagins! One of the best lines was when I said we needed something to do and Trey looks at me with this serious look on his face and says: "Well, what have you got?" The rest: history! Goddam dirty hippies piss me off! ~GFD "What do I get for closing your rig?" ~ me "Anything you want." ~ female skydiver Mohoso Rodriguez #865

I am considering this now. Ive just ordered a new container that will fit my main properly, but Im not interested in ditching my current container. I was considering another high performance non-CB canopy, but why not something a little more docile, say if I'd like to do wingsuit one day. Going back to a Nitro is a consideration, or even a Sabre 2. Im still a ways away from deciding, but its something Ive had in the back of my mind. Goddam dirty hippies piss me off! ~GFD "What do I get for closing your rig?" ~ me "Anything you want." ~ female skydiver Mohoso Rodriguez #865

Some more good times: Psychobob and his cooking-why in the hell did you cook baked beans one night and chili the next. You, my friend, are a sadist! Those that bought supplies for the stupid skydiver tricks, like I said Im only an ideas guy. Now convincing Spence that I was doing nothing when I was carrying a sawzall, THAT was a tough one! Here are the four most common answers to questions: You can park there, you cant park there! Wal-Mart. End of the road and hang a left. Home Depot. And the Skydive Atlanta tent was filled with people from all over not just the DZ peeps. Long Island, Florida, both Carolinas. Although, next time I think we'll pay for sides rather than fight the tarps! Goddam dirty hippies piss me off! ~GFD "What do I get for closing your rig?" ~ me "Anything you want." ~ female skydiver Mohoso Rodriguez #865

This is a bit if a general response to a few posts here, and to Ian's analogy of traffic control at busy airports. I have stepped up my involvement at the DZ I spend most of my time at. I will continue to step up that involvement until I stop seeing stupid shit or the send me packing. Just as with ALL diciplines of skydiving swooping is here, and its not going away anytime soon. While separate landing areas second passes or low passes for them only segregates that particular portion of skydiving. That creates resentment and animosity amongst our family. How many of you have been on a two or three way freefly dive when a large RW formation was on an Otter and you ended up with a long spot? Then you say: "damn RW folks, hosed our spot" Oh well, thats the way the sport works. WE as a GROUP, have determined that the safest exit order is for that group to be out first. We understand that. We must do the same with landing patterns and canopy piloting. We often preach plan the dive and dive the plan, but how many of YOU on those larger dives have continued to plan after the break off portion of a dive? Is that not the remainder of that dive? Shouldnt that be part of the plan? Shouldnt EVERY SINGLE JUMPER, be aware of how many others on that dive had larger or lower wingloadings than themselves so you can plan for when in the vertical separation you should be? We all have to understand what those other pilots are thinking. We have to have something more detailed than: "left-hand pattern, hangar on the ______". If our heads are on a swivel, like they should be, we can easily see the tiny HP canopies coming out of the sky. The large squares are even more obvious. I know I have a fairly high deployment altitude, 3500', and I also have a very high WL. I know that I need time for: potential malfunctions, stowing my gear, getting prepared for entering the pattern, AND seeing what the other traffic is doing. BUT, even if im 1000'above some other jumper with a WL of 1.4, its not going to be possible to hold in brakes and stay above them. Hell, I can deploy at 14,000 and still land just after the tandems. I understand that this means I cannot always make some great turn for a swoop. I also know that it is so common for someone on a less agressive canopy at a lighter WL spiral down to my level. That is unnacceptable. If I was the higer canopy, and I could hold in brakes to maintain that vertical separation I would have to do that. If you've ever seen the planes land at ATL airport (there are 5 parallel runways there), you'd see that no two planes land at the exact same time, and its one of the busiest airports in the country. The 'problem' is not about these pilots should be HERE, and they can only do THIS. It is about education, and understanding. We ALL have to pay attention to those we are sharing the sky with, we HAVE to have a PLAN. Why is it so hard to take 30 seconds to discuss who has what WL, where they like to deplooy, and what type of landing they are anticipating on performing. Thirty seconds people, talk to each other. Make a plan. As far as performance landings in bigway dives, I believe its up to everyone on the dive to determine what is safely possible and what is not. There is no golden number of where you can say: "nothing more than a 90 or 180 or whatever." its an evaluation. We are able to save our lives again and again. Look at the facts, listen to your peers, assume nothing, because complancency kills. I had a close call this past weekend. Those that have seen the video, know how sickening it was. The other jumper was a good friend of mine and we nearly collied on level in perfect weather below 1000'. We got lazy, we both made assumptions about what the other was going to do. We had been on the same level every jump that day, and it nearly got us. We SHOULD have had a plan. If there is enough intrest I'll post the whole story, but for now Im done. Goddam dirty hippies piss me off! ~GFD "What do I get for closing your rig?" ~ me "Anything you want." ~ female skydiver Mohoso Rodriguez #865

I got there Tuesday night so I've had a great time. My thanks go out to all these people: Spence, he makes this boogie happen. Don, he really is the boss, just dont park there! Carbones, is it really a boogie if Scotty isnt rambling about something and Tammy doing all the work? Pilots and supporting DZs-is how we do what we do. The kidz in the Skydive Atlanta Tent-you guys were most helpful in keeping our house one of the most organized and great places to hang out. To all the new peeps Ive met, let's do this again soon. I'll say a "Im sorry" to all the peeps I wanted to jump with and couldnt, and those that wanted to jump with me (why I dont know) and I didnt. Lets do more of that soon. There are just too many great stories. I'll start with the 1st checkered otter 8way this morning that went to a zoo dive. I did that jump with my friends to remind myself why I do this, and is because of how we all come together and have a great time. Goddam dirty hippies piss me off! ~GFD "What do I get for closing your rig?" ~ me "Anything you want." ~ female skydiver Mohoso Rodriguez #865

Thanks go out to Chris, Don and the women who keep them heading in the right direction. I had such and amazing time. I will never forget. Im making a post in the Bonfire about all the great stories and my thanks to others that helped me in all my endeavours. Goddam dirty hippies piss me off! ~GFD "What do I get for closing your rig?" ~ me "Anything you want." ~ female skydiver Mohoso Rodriguez #865