winsor

I think I do. Right now the kewl thing to do in canopy competition is swooping. Okay, so some of the best in the business occasionally break every bone in their goddamned bodies, winding up maimed or dead, but, hey, it sure is photogenic! Before the NSL came about, RW competition had become nearly a professionals-only affair. If you weren't Airspeed or the Knights or some other heavily-sponsored group, you were wasting your time. Now you have people training for Beginner or Intermediate class, and thinking it is a good investment of time, money and effort. An equivalent "Canopy Rally Circuit," if you will, could make learning to fly one's existing canopy enough of a challenge and rewarding enough that you have fewer people downsizing to canopies that they then fly in a fatal manner. If DZOs got on board and considered that these canopy skills were pivotal to keeping their customer base alive and in one piece, and if the challenges did not automatically give the advantage to Major Drop Zones with the attendant infrastructure, you could develop a canopy skill/safety movement from the ground up. I'm still contemplating a syllabus that would serve the purposes I envision. The elements I want are that it should be fun, challenging, a bit humbling, sure to improve one's canopy kinesthetics and awareness, and an ego boost. If one dropzone has a score that demonstrates some real canopy skills, and is head and shoulders above another, this could be the kind of feather in the cap that keeps raising the bar (okay, I'll back off on the mixed metaphors). The two areas that I would like to see are Sport Canopy Formation (as opposed to classical CRW, which has problems with microline and 9 foot bridles) and Sport Accuracy, which is better for canopies that don't like deep brakes. I want to keep this the hell out of the USPA domain, since safety isn't a bureaucratically-mandated condition. The Triathalon caught on as an all-around canopy, and I think the pendulum can't swing much more in the direction of Unlimited Class canopies as the standard. Going back to CruiseLites and whatnot is not the answer (though I still like to jump them), but a canopy flying standard that makes it hard as hell to do well on undersized equipment could make it clear (and unappealing) when someone has bitten off more performance than they can handle. In any event, even though I haven't come up with a coherent overall approach, I think I have narrowed down the list of elements that could make it work, and I've had a lot of good input. There is more going on than a lot of hand-wringing and regulation-proposing. I want to keep it as fun and free as possible. More goddamned rules have yet to be the answer to much of anything. Blue skies, Winsor

You bet your sweet ass.

Do not be quick to attribute to conspiracy that which is easily explained by incompetence. I'm not sure from whence I acquired that truism, but I heard it somewhere. In any event, you have to be able to tell the difference in order for it to be a lie. Ignorance is another issue altogether. Are you suggesting that our Fearless Leader had done his homework for the first time in his life? Not too bloody likely. Blue skies, Winsor

You mean you're not spending $5 for a coffee from a corporate whore? I don't think there's a Starbucks within 1,000 km of here. When I consider what I used to spend on drugs, and given the fact that caffeine is about my only remaining vice, cost is not really an issue. When I get to Paris, I can assure you that I will indulge in cafe filtre. I'll probably go for a vente mochaccino (sp?) the moment I get back to the States. In the meantime, I willingly swill whatever the Balkans have to offer. Blue skies, Winsor

Full of caffeine, hold the sugar. In the States I've taken to the sugar & fat free French Vanilla stuff from General Foods I think it is. It's easy, tastes decadent and has caffeine. Over here the coffee blows (I think it may be the tap water). The normal Turkish variety involves putting water and coffee together, heating it up and you're done. It's nasty, but it works. The Cappucino is better, but Starbucks it ain't. Blue skies, Winsor

I hail from Pennsylvania (North America, last time I checked), but am in Serbia at present. I'm 12 km from Romania right now, and have bicycled there (once) just to do it. The difference between the Serbs and Romanians (particularly the Gypsies) is nontrivial. I could do with a Wegmans or Shop Rite or something about now. Blue skies, Winsor

Just curious if you would care to share that story. I had lost my Zak knife on the previous dive, and the only replacements had the wrong size snap for my pouch (small instead of large or vice-versa). I decided to put off replacing it, since the chance I would really need it was pretty slim. While finishing stowing my lines, I realized that my rig was canted so that the risers were uneven. I straightened the rig, unbagged the canopy, gave the cocoon a shake to straighten things out, rebagged it and finished packing. I said "it'll probably work" when I did so. After lurking a two-way while practicing shooting camera on my back, I turned and deployed. The opening was strange, and the parachute was flying in a shuddering turn. Looking up, I saw that the left side was kind of wadded up from a lineover. Figuring I should attempt to clear it before chopping, I grabbed the brakes, buried them and let off briskly. The left side went slack then tightened up abruptly, throwing a half hitch around my left hand and altimeter. I tried to clear the line, but by now I was on my back spinning wildly. Concluding that I wasn't going to outdo 1,000# line by brute force anytime soon, I decided to go to plan B. The dilemma I faced was that if I cut away I would still be dragging the main behind me. I also risked snipping off some fingers by being hung from the line for any time before going to reserve (I suffered nerve damage in my ring finger that took 6 or 7 years to recover). Thus, I grabbed both handles and effected a gunslinger cutaway. On the video the reserve pilot chute and D-bag are seen spiraling past the trash with scant inches of clearance. I wound up under reserve with like 4 line twists (I had been really spinning), with the hung up steering line dialed into the reserve suspension lines. I kicked out of the line twists and focused on getting to the ground alive. I figured if I gave any thought to the line around my hand, I could get unencumbered too late to effect a survivable landing. The good part of the deal was that I didn't have to look for my main. The bad part was that dragging the main behind me made flaring the reserve impossible, so I arrived like a ton of bricks, spraining three toes. Luckily, I had another rig so I wasn't grounded for the rest of the weekend. In any event, I keep hook knives available no matter what I'm jumping. The tuition on that lesson could have been a lot higher. Hey, I'd rather be lucky than good. Blue skies, Winsor

Speak not of what you know not.

So would you recommend the Jack The Ripper knife or is there another brand that you prefer since you said you would go for a JTR at a minimum? I'm asking because I'm fresh out of AFF and looking to get a hook knife for my first rig. Speaking of AFF, why don't instructors discuss the use of hook knives during AFF training? -syn The Jack knife is fantastic for cutting through anything short of cable. Its only down sides are that it can hang up in the sheath if the sheath is not sewn to something like a jumpsuit, and it can break. The breaking part is not during use, like with a Zak knife, but if in a gear bag being tossed around by bag handlers, for example. I have one that's in two pieces from trauma during shipment. The shorter aluminum knives are way durable and easy to deploy. I'll probably wind up with one of the aluminum Jack clones, since I really like the double blade setup. FWIW, a Zak knife is better than nothing. Often it is one line that is hanging things up, and a Zak knife will usually do just fine for that. It's usually when you have to cut a lot of microline that a Zak gets dull enough to require enough force to break it. Thus, I have a few Zak knives on hand, but use them as primary or secondary backups. If you have nothing and see a Zak for sale, buy it - it's much better than nothing. As far as AFF goes, my opinion means nothing. When I started jumping there was no such thing, and I have never seen fit to get an instructor's rating. Blue skies, Winsor

I've had a pierced ear for 32 some-odd years and have a few tats here and there. No big deal. With pierced noses all I can think of is boogers. I can't think of any way it could not be gnarly. At one point I had a sweetie with a pierced nipple. It did nothing for me. The sensation of having a chunk of metal there was so incongruous that it was anything but erotic (to me, at least). She said she had considered pierced genitalia, but backed off at the thought of unintended nerve damage. The thought of having to compete with mini-barbells in that arena kinda leaves me cold, so I was just as happy that she had not gone that route. I'm afraid my idea of sexy is pretty simple. You can have all the Victoria's Secret stuff; I prefer someone who looks good in jeans and a t-shirt, with basic cotton skivvies underneath. I will take a woman who is into soap over make-up every time. Squeaky clean rules. I don't understand the nipple shield thing. If a woman isn't attractive to me without such embellishments, the hardware isn't going to be an improvement. Blue skies, Winsor

Sriracha is great, but Dave's is my all-time favorite. You really have to watch it, since it gets in your bloodstream and really changes things. If I put more than 6 or 7 drops in scrambled eggs, it hurts to PEE the next day. I was told that an equivalent amount consumed by a nursing mother gave her baby diaper rash. Apparently it tinged her milk slightly pink. I have regular Dave's on hand, as well as his Ultimate Insanity and Special Reserve sauces. It takes a couple of years to go through a bottle. Blue skies, Winsor

In that I'm in Serbia as I write this, I suppose I can say "yes" to having been places other than the US of A. Asking what is the best in any group requires some standard against which to measure. If you want to know whether a Ferrari is better than a minivan, it depends for what purpose it is intended. For picking up Cub Scouts and schlepping around suburbia, the Voyager is the choice hands down. For wailing around curves at significant Mach numbers, the Quattrovalvole is the way to go. Where I am in Serbia (Vrsac) is a case in point for why our standards are not at all universal. Despite the economic damage inflicted by Wesley Clark's NATO alliance, this place has a lot to recommend it. People are well educated, well groomed, phenomenally hospitable and extremely family oriented. Booze is a part of the culture, but drinking to excess is not. The quality of life has it all over many more upscale rat-race locales. By some standards I would pick Vietnam, by others the South of France. I would settle in Southern Germany in a heartbeat if I could pull it off, and might go for Switzerland if I ever had more money than God. There are things about the US about which I am entirely chauvanistic, but I think some Americana is downright horrid. Then again, I've yet to be anywhere that I thought was 100% together. In any event, I don't think any place is all things to all people. Blue skies, Winsor

I have like 3 or 4 CYPRESes and 20 some-odd rigs. Actually, two CYPRESes aren't even installed at the moment. Which rig I use is entirely independent of whether it's AAD equipped; if it's there, nice, I'll turn it on, if it isn't, too bad. I have at least one hook knife and usually two on every sport rig. I avoid the cheapo Zak type, and go for a Jack the Ripper at a minimum. I had one jump where I really needed a hook knife and didn't have one (NOT CRW), and very nearly died. It made a believer out of me. The AAD is a nice touch, but a hook knife is a fundamental tool. As far as CRW goes, there's no way I will do CRW with someone who doesn't have a hook knife. If you're in a wrap with nothing but teeth and fingernails, you have a real problem on your hands. This is not like whether I'd jump with someone who's AAD-dependent. In a wrap, my life may be dependent on the actions of the other person. As an aside, on the ride to altitude at the Convention, I overheard a couple of low timers planning to do some CRW after opening. Since only one of them had a hook knife, I had the other guy put on my spare Jack knife, and he was on his way to buy one when he returned it after the jump (it was uneventful). Blue skies, Winsor

A) I never undo any straps. I loosen them to take the rig off, and tighten them when I put it on. B) I always request that everyone on the load perform a final gear check two minutes before jumprun. I have had a number of improperly attached chest straps and inaccessible handles show up when I asked people to check their gear. I really don't give a rat's ass if the truly hip people roll their eyes when I ask them to do so (actually, most don't). I know of too many cases where people were maimed or killed, and would have been just fine if they had performed that final check. Thus, I request that people do so every time I'm on a load. Actually, if Orly King is on the load he usually beats me to it and gives his standard safety briefing. Since his is more elaborate than is mine, I'm more than happy to defer. Sometimes being reminded of what you already know right before the jump can make the difference between pulling it off and being hosed. Having others look out for me has saved my ass on more than one occasion. Blue skies, Winsor

Since it will be a cold day in hell that I voluntarily watch a football game, I really don't care what goes on at half time. Since my interest in hip hop/rap is identical to my interest in football (less than zero), I consider it fitting that someone chose to put the two together. Blue skies, Winsor

CAMEL/IA 5,500+ hrs, 2,300+ skydives. First took the stick of a Cessna Skymaster in 1965. First jumped out of an airplane in 1971. I have a Piper Cherokee and over 20 rigs of various descriptions. I'd rather jump than fly. I've flown for a living, so I can see it as a job. I stick to recreational parachuting. Blue skies, Winsor

I've scrupulously avoided mind-altering substances since 1987. I gave up cigarettes in 1990, and sugar last year. I lost 15 pounds when I knocked off the booze, gained 15 lbs when I quit cigarettes and lost 18 pounds when I laid off the simple carbs. I have nothing against alcohol in general. I expect I'll bring back another load of firewater when I come back from Serbia again (Slivovitz & Grappa are plentiful & cheap here). I'm rarely around when people are pounding it down anyway. I go to sleep early, and see the antics on video the next day. Blue skies, Winsor

Aw, hell, the best I can do is an LAR Grizzly Big Boar. Then again, after giving it much thought I decided that going for a magazine-fed semi-auto really didn't make economic sense. I shoot my .458 Ruger No. 1 at about an identical rate as my .460 Weatherby, so the magazine-fed repeater part of the bolt action is wasted. Also, I have a little more latitude in what kind of reloads I assemble without affecting functionality. Most of the handloads I've assembled have pretty much duplicated factory/MilSpec ballistics, since I have rather a few lesser rifles around if I'm not in the mood for full-throttle entertainment. I have never had anyone complain that my .50 BMG was a single-shot. Usually comments are along the lines of "holy fuck!" Having said all that, I think the Barrett is too cool for school. Have fun! Blue skies, Winsr

Hmm, stated goals: Progessive system of taxation. Realistic, historically consistent national security policy. Support for public education. Realistic consideration of family planning. Not sending our troops to war unless absolutely necessary. What part of that agenda do you object to? The progressive taxation bit is particularly offensive. If I were to, say, spend a decade in poverty working my ass off to get a bunch of degrees, my reward would be to pay a higher percent of my resultant income NOT to repay debts incurred in getting so situated, but to subsidize "unfortunates" and their progeny. I'm not buying it. This socialistic concept that you should only have so much money after taxes, regardless of how much you make, is criminally stupid. With a flat tax, someone making twice as much pays twice as much. They still don't get more services for their money - in fact, they are likely to receive less. They are more likely to send their kids to private schools and colleges, while the offspring of indigents are likely to get a free ride from Head Start to Grad School. This is why I see that bastion of the Liberal ethos, the Democratic Party, as the natural choice for losers, deadbeats and parasites. Physicians are predominantly Republican, Attorneys are predominantly Democrat. Blue skies, Winsor

we welcome you too, after all the policies of GWB could hardly be called libertarian No, but voting Democrat to address the shortcomings of Republicans is like a dog rolling in particularly fragrant excreta to get rid of that "wet dog" smell. It's a change that is hardly an improvement. Blue skies, Winsor

Are you suggesting there's anyone who jumps without at least a walkman? Don't be ridiculous! If you didn't have SOME kind of entertainment available, the jump would be, well, BORING! Jeez.... Blue skies, Winsor

If you try to make something idiot-proof, they will build a better idiot. The goal of doing so is fundamentally flawed. The lowest-common-denominator mentality is repellant. I prefer to limit the effect that stupidity has on my life, rather than treating it as a driving force. You can live in a Nerf world if you choose. I try to avoid people who seek to do so, and do not grant them voice in my affairs. Blue skies, Winsor

Half a dozen of each. I prefer the .45 for social purposes, but they're both fun for recreation. Blue skies, Winsor

I don't. It didn't agree with me.

Based on the stance you took and your explanation for why you did so, it seemed a waste of time trying to convince you of anything. I have given you the benefit of the doubt in that your misconceptions were the result of ignorance,which is correctable with education, instead of stupidity, which is inherent. It is not my job to set you straight for free. As I said, if you want to attend the course you are welcome to do so. If you do, check everything you think you know at the door, since it is all wrong. You somehow expected to be taken seriously after demonstrating repeatedly that you know less than nothing about the subject. I can't bring myself to humor you in that wish. Blue skies, Winsor