jerry81

LOL, good point. But by "absolute shizznit" (and also "dramatic differences") I meant something that leaves competitors far behind. The way regular ellipticals are already performing now, I personally don't believe such an improvement is possible. But that's just my 200-jump-wonder opinion.

Me, a test pilot? I'm not quite there yet, although I wouldn't mind having a beta version of the Katana. (I do, however, study marketing, so at least in that part of my post I know exactly what I'm talking about) I've no doubt the canopy will be "hot", but will it be the absolute shizznit among non-crossbraced ellipticals? (Hats off to PD if the answer actually turns out to be yes)

Quote It's still in PD's hands, no-one else is jumping it.Quote That's not entirely correct. The brittish 4-way was jumping them at Gap last month. Or maybe they were just beta testing them for PD. Anyway, I don't think there will be any dramatic performance differences between the Katana and other "regular" 9-cell elllipticals. Although PD's marketing tactics are admirable.

Hey, look, I think the guy hanging has a Javelin. Although they forgot to draw the the ball of shit that should be trailing behind him.

I might be off here, but I'd say it's about the distribution of opening force in a harness made especially for that purpose as opposed to same force being applied mostly to the shoulders. Although Greg Gasson's arms didn't seem broken or dislocated after hanging (on a wire, but nevertheless) on the leg straps through opening. But then again, the leverage was different in that case.

Photoshopped...but I'd say just to remove her rig. That little area between her back and his legs doesn't look quite right and she looks "smudged" in a few places.

I think I wrote a little bit about each for the jumper that was trying to decide for an audible, so look in the thread you mentioned. Also, I don't think a comparison would be fair right now, since one of them is a perfected product and the other will probably keep getting better for some time now. I'll just post the urls and let you decide yourself... Neptune L&B (makers of Protrack)

It does look a bit like the Atom Legend. I saw it up close and it looks very solid although I noticed the pin cover flap was quite wide and short compared to the majority of upward-tucking flaps that are narrower and long. I don't know if this design has any advantages or disadvantages. One very obvious difference is the new 3-ring system with the elongated middle ring. As I said, design-wise it looks a lot like the Legend, although the corners are a bit sharper. Personally, I think it would look very nice, if only it came with pinstripes or something similar on the middle flap instead of the big Aerodyne logo.

Ohh...someone cares. Thanks guys! The wingsuit rocked, but I'd need a few more jumps just to get used to the feeling. As for my piloting skills- it's pretty clear to me there's still lots to learn, but I'd really like to see an experienced pilot land this same canopy at the same wl with the same straight-in approach and then hear his comments on where I screwed up. Too bad there aren't that many around.

-back-tracking into a valley and seeing the mountains rise up on both sides of me before I turned to pull. -tracking over a cloud after a great ff dive and seing my shadow inside a rainbow (a glory, to be exact) rushing to meet me. To quote a better known skygod; "I don't think any human being has ever experienced that!" -doing my first or second "successful" 2-way sit, orbiting around my buddy like mad, seeing his grin in the light of the setting sun and knowing mine is just as big. -just hanging in the air on my first wingsuit jump this saturday, seeing people in freefall getting smaller way below me. -and of course, seeing the needle move (so slowly, it seemed) from 1,5 to 1,0km on my first "real" freefall. That actually brought tears to my eyes. I was flying!

In retrospect, this was kinda stupid, really, but since I usually fly an Impulse 135 I didn't think a Sabre 120@1.7 would be a problem. It actually wouldn't have been, except for the fact that the guy I borrowed it from was not one of those who exaggerate when they say "It's beat to shit and has no flare at all". Still, I'm happy to report I was right believing I can land it without hurting myself. Although the ground has never rushed up at me that fast before (at least not without some front riser input), I didn't panic and started my flare at what I felt was the right time for the no wind conditions, got dirty and walked away with a small stain on what would otherwise have been a great first birdman jump. The only bruised thing now is my ego...I don't know if the landing could have gone any better (I tried flaring a few times up in the air and while it did slow me down, it seemed to have very little effect on my angle...no levelling off, no noticeable swinging forward), but I combined two new things on one jump (wingsuit and main canopy), something I knew before was bad juju. I should have insisted on jumping with the Impulse (even the wingsuit manual advises a canopy you're used to for your first flight), but I thought I'd rather try a square, just in case I get a funky opening. I should have payed more attention to the fact the owner has 50lbs less than me and says the landings are hard. I guess I shouldn't even be writing this since I'll probably get way more flames than constructive replies (if any can be written at all), but still I thought I'd share. Learning hurts!

Hey, first of all; if I understood correctly, you have two jumps, so there's still room for improvement. Student canopies really have longer steering lines, so wrapping them around your hands once or twice can be quite useful on low/no-wind days. BUT you should, as with any new canopy maneuver, try it first at a safe altitude. By wrapping the lines too much you can stall the canopy when you try to flare it, which can hurt if done too close to the ground. One thing I would advise to do is look up to see what the canopy is doing while you pull the brakes. Another is to close your eyes and flare (high up, of course) to feel what happens- was descent slowed, did you plane out or even swing slightly upwards? Once again, with two jumps, there's a lot of things that will soon simply come to you without even trying very hard. Most important, if any experienced (or "experienced") jumper gives you an advice, talk to your instructor about it. Some things may require skills you don't posses yet.

In that case, I'd say you have two options; Protrack or Neptune. The Protrack is proven to work well, and Larsen&Brusgaard bend over backwards for their customers. A Neptune is 10 or 20 bucks cheaper, waterproof, can be used as a visual altimeter too and has a lot of potential since its firmware can be upgraded very easily. I believe the Neptune can, given some time, easily evolve into an audible/datalogger comparable to or even better than the Protrack, which is why I decided for one. (also, I'm a gadget freak who likes new toys ) However, if you like a product with an excellent reputation rather than one with potential, get a Protrack- I'm sure you won't regret it.

Well, my Neptune has so far performed quite well, but that's probably not much help to you. Are you just looking for an audible or do you want it to log your jump data as well. There are currently three models on the market that do that- the Protrack, Skytronic FX and the Neptune. The Protrack has an outstanding reputation for functionality and great customer service. The Neptune was introduced a few months ago and is still not completely finished as a product (you can update it over an IR port), but, as I said, as an audible it functions correctly, while the Skytronic FX...well, I haven't heard much good about that one. If you just want something that will beep in your ear when it's time to break/deploy you can get a Prodytter from the makers of Protrack or a Timeout (you can get one quite cheap) and I'm sure there are some others available. (btw, a Digitude is just a digital-readout altimeter, not an audible.) So think about why you want an audible. Also, keep in mind it's just a backup- you should learn to at least roughly tell your altitude using just your eyes. A 2-way here almost went in a month ago when the Skytronic FX one of them had (the other had nothing) decided to stay silent.

I don't think the FXC has many advantages over the Cypres. It's a spring loaded mechanism that pulls the pin on the reserve (or on a main). It can be armed again in a few seconds without having to replace any parts (like the Cypres cutter), so I guess using them on student gear makes sense as far as finances go. That is, if we assume aad fires are more frequent with students. Otoh, an FXC won't open the reserve if the pin gets stuck (bent, broken) in some way. Also, they tend to be less accurate and often fire a little above the set altitude (take this incident for example-the FXC was set for 1000 but fired a bit below 1500 feet). I think they have to be checked regularly just like the Cypres. I've seen a few FXC saves (and some activations that weren't really saves, but anyway) so I can say it does work as it's supposed to, but if you want an aad in your rig, the Cypres is a better choice by far. (who would have thought, huh?)

Yes there are. The holes over the ears are shaped differently! We use them for students and I wore one occasionally before I got my Evo. It fits well and even reduces some noise if you leave the padding over the ears inside. If you take it out, you get an opening (two, even!) that could accomodate a dytter, although I wouldn't put one in without attaching it with wires or some sort of clip.

Mine's still missing an important part (reserve), but first impressions were quite good. Riser protection seems rock-solid, the pin flap is the tightest I've seen so far and the rig looks just wicked. Btw, my leg strap padding is the right length. Also, it took them only 6 weeks to make it, tie-dye and all. Regarding canopy sizes; I have a V2 model which is made for a 135/135 combination. Considering pack volumes, a Tempo 150 will fit in without a problem, while the smallest main that can be put in is something cross-braced in the 100sq.ft. range. So I think my Voodoo should serve me just fine for a couple of thousand jumps.

Well, who else is starting the weekend early? I'll have to work for my jumps, but since I don't consider skydiving-related work to be real work, I guess I can say I'm jumping for free tomorrow. Yay!!

I think he is in for some serious soreness and skin peeling. Or is it callled molting? Anyway, I'm definitely not talking from my own painful experience.

...breaks record, kills whole litters of kittens. Story here and the clip below; Kaneel Shatters Masturbation World Record! October 1, 2003 It's official, Kaneel is the new king of masturbation. In a stunning feat of endurance and determination, Kaneel achieved 36 orgasms in a 24 hour period! Sleeping intermittently during the 24 hour marathon, Kaneel remained focused and aroused by his impressive library of pornographic films. With over 400 films in his library and 3 televisions playing movies at all times, he had a continuous stream of footage to aid him in his quest. It is apparent by the massive development of the muscles in his forearm that Kaneel is not your average masturbator. In an interview with UJ reporters after the record setting event, Kaneel was quoted as saying, "masturbation for me is a way of life. I've been training for this day since I was 13 years old and I'm happy with my performance today". This record was formerly held by German Student, Hans Blickstein who achieved 27 orgasms in a 24 hour period. Mr. Blickstein was not available for comment. When asked what his next world record achievement would be, Kaneel said "my immediate goal is to get a bag of ice and some lotion on my penis to soothe the burning". Can this be true? And if it is, can this record be beaten?

From what I understand, a slightly domed slider does the trick pretty well.

Forever. That's how long it will apparently take me to complete my rig. Forever:10:2 Spent the last four days helping out with students and jumping (almost) for free. Granted, it was mostly hop&pops, but at least I got some nice landings. Did my 200th yesterday (beer bought) and my first zero-g exit today. I also resolved my first seriously f'ed up situation (5-6 linetwists with the canopy spinning downwards) without cutting away, but I don't know if you buy beer for that as well.

A borrowed Wings system. Are some containers more prone to this than others?

With my limited knowledge, I'd say I agree with this. However, I did get a pc in tow on a hop&pop yesterday which was caused by me pulling as soon as I was clear of the plane. When the parachute finally opened, my body position was probably somewhat less than perfect, resulting in linetwists and a diving canopy I almost had to chop. I'm definitely not saying that tight closing loops are bad, just that from now on I'll rather pull at 2500 and be sure the pc has enough force to extract the pin than risk another opening like that.

Not the first time I heard of it, but wow! You could probably make a fortune off towels you steal there.