NoShitThereIWas

I think the term you are trying to get at is independent events. Odds have to do with the ratio of the probability of one event occuring/probability of alternative events or a comparison of two probabilities. For example, if I asked you what are the odds for picking a heart card out of a deck of cards? We all know that to be 1/4 but to calculate that statistically, you would say that there are 13 events that would fit/52 total cards = 1/4. Someone was right when they spoke about flipping a coin. Every time you flip a coin you still have a 50% chance that it will land heads "or" tails. If you flip a coin once and it lands heads, your odds don't change the next time you flip the coin to give you a higher odds of getting tails the next time around. Your probability of flipping tails is still 50% or 1/2. This is because flipping the coin is an independent event and does not affect the outcome of future "flips". Prior events can have bearing on future probabilities if you set them up that way. You would simply use the rules of probability to figure it out. If you want to calculate the probability of a sequence of events occuring, like the probability of flipping heads 5 times in a row, you would take the probability of flipping heads which is 1/2 and raise it to the fifth power. This gives you an answer of 1/32 or .03125 chance of those events occuring in sequence. So hypothetically if 1 out of 20,000 skydives statistically has resulted in death, based on the data and numerical information already accumulated, every time a skydive is made there is a statistical chance or probability of .00005 that your skydive could result in death. Also, statistics are just trends or like historical values. There's nothing to say that they are engraved in stone. There are also ranges and standard deviations from the "norm" that take place and should not be overlooked. Roy Bacon: "Elvises, light your fires." Sting: "Be yourself no matter what they say."

OMG Vinnie, That is one of the most fabulous ideas I've ever heard of. Those German people are pretty smart ... I'll bet they do a lot of business. I especially like the part where the women turn them in and get a receipt for their partners, that is funny. Now maybe guys will have some incentive to go to the malls with us. I think we need to adopt that idea here in America especially since lots of women could care less about beer or what game is playing on the boob tube and most guys dread shopping. Nice article! Roy Bacon: "Elvises, light your fires." Sting: "Be yourself no matter what they say."

I think it is just to spread the good juju, the love, the luck and the good comradery vibe. Roy Bacon: "Elvises, light your fires." Sting: "Be yourself no matter what they say."

I think she'll be ready to pack by the time she turns five . Until then, I will just revel in the age of three. She does have one hell of an arch. When my students just don't get it, I can always call on Dakota to show them what's up Roy Bacon: "Elvises, light your fires." Sting: "Be yourself no matter what they say."

I just had to share with all my DZ.com friends how excited I am as I just watched my daughter use the "potty" all by herself all on her own and it's not that she hasn't used the potty before but she did it in a way that was all her and like she was potty trained from here on out, so we'll see what happens. It may not sound all that exciting to any of you, but it was like one of those moments in the movie Parenthood when something is so cool it just makes you want to jump up and down. Those moments in time are part of what makes Parenthood so amazing. Watching someone you love who you created achieving milestones in their life is a pretty amazing experience. Roy Bacon: "Elvises, light your fires." Sting: "Be yourself no matter what they say."

That is a good idea, the problem is who is going to cooperate and who is not? Who is going to keep accurate records and who is not? Who is going to report their jump numbers and who is not? How about the people who do one tandem, go home and never register with USPA? It would not be too hard to keep track of jump numbers made to a fairly accurate level. If each and every DZ in the US (or worldwide depending on how large you want your population to be) kept a year to date log record of every jump made at that DZ and number of fatalities, number of incidents, etc. it could be done. But then what about all of the DZs who aren't USPA affiliated? There are a lot of what ifs and it would require regulation and the cooperation of every skydiver who ever makes at least one jump Roy Bacon: "Elvises, light your fires." Sting: "Be yourself no matter what they say."

Nice job to everyone: the pilots, instructors, students, other jumpers and firemen standing by just in case Roy Bacon: "Elvises, light your fires." Sting: "Be yourself no matter what they say."

Hell Yeah Dude! Enjoy the brainlock and enjoy the fact that you have seven measly jumps!!! The important thing is that you are pulling and pulling on time. As long as you can land your canopy safely and know how to deal with the dirty malfunctions if and when they happen, its all good. Try to relax and visualize a lot and rehearse a lot on the ground. The more you practice and are mentally prepared before your jump, the more room your brain has to let other stimulus in like what it is you are actually doing. I remember watching my Level 1 video with amazement over and over again, that first few moments of standing outside the door holding onto the outside bar of an otter. I honestly don't remember what I was thinking those few moments in time. All I knew which is what my instincts were telling me was hold on. Then all at once I think I remembered why I was there and what I had hoped to gain and experience. I went with the count and simply let go. We left the airplane and they pretty much launched me. I was pretty with it after about the first 5-6 seconds but that first sensational shock was way overstimulating for me. If it wasn't for the video I don't think I would have ever remembered it and that is one jump I would not want to ever forget. I always try to persuade anyone making their "first" jump to get video. Roy Bacon: "Elvises, light your fires." Sting: "Be yourself no matter what they say."

Hmmmm, that would mean that every time we jump out of an airplane, we are taking a statistical risk of 0.00005 or 5^-5 chance of death. That is an interesting numerical value and seems like it would be a ligitimate guess if nothing else. I wonder how accurate USPA's data is regarding number of jumps made at any given time. I'm sure they would have the most accurate data out there but I would imagine there would probably be a small amount of error associated with it just because I don't think there is any way to know the exact number of jumps made at any given time. I'd bet that overall though, that kind of error would probably be pretty insignificant in the big picture. Roy Bacon: "Elvises, light your fires." Sting: "Be yourself no matter what they say."

I met Jim and Kari at Quantum Leap this summer stopping through on my way down South and they were way cool. Being from the west coast, for a DZ I had never heard of not only was I really impressed with the DZ itself, but the entire staff there is really nice and seem to be like a cohesive team. I am sure those two are going to be missed. Happy Trails, Blue Skies and Warm Temps Jim & Kari! Roy Bacon: "Elvises, light your fires." Sting: "Be yourself no matter what they say."

I haven't read everyone else's answers but the answer I am going with is Inertia. If I remember right from Physics, Inertia is an object's resistance to change. The greater the inertia of something, the less likely is to change; kind of like those sayings: Objects at rest remain at rest until moved by means of some outside force or objects in motion stay in motion in the same regard. In skydiving the resistance we feel in freefall is due to the air restistance of air molecules colliding with the leading edge of our bodies which by nature is a kind of frictional force. The more weight we wear multiplied by our acceleration due to gravity, the greater our inertia and the greater our resistance to the opposing frictional force of air resistance while in freefall. Roy Bacon: "Elvises, light your fires." Sting: "Be yourself no matter what they say."

SkyBeerGodd, I think YOUR tattoos are HOT! But then again a HOTTIE would only have HOT tattoos Roy Bacon: "Elvises, light your fires." Sting: "Be yourself no matter what they say."

F___! I don't know anymore. I just want to finish with my degree already. One of the hardest friggen majors and I'm not sure I like the sounds of either no one having a job or one that they dislike. Looking at job ads, I've seen quite a bit that sounds interesting ... but then again I have looked in many areas. I am not bound to any area. Hey Meg , Long term I am hoping to get my teaching credential and teach Biology and Marine Biology. That would be my first job goal but that is a ways off. In that case, I can also hopefully do some AFF in the summer. I am checking out jobs with State Parks & Fisheries and Forensics. I guess it all depends on where I end up living. If I were living in Florida I would want to be in the marine community, same with California. But I don't think I will end up in either of those places. Where are you going to grad school? Are you doing research? Roy Bacon: "Elvises, light your fires." Sting: "Be yourself no matter what they say."

Just wondering how many of you are out there in the skydiving community? I am taking Genetics right now and have a midterm on Wednesday ... my brain hurts from 5 chapters of Genetics and 5 Chapters of Ichthyology for 2 midterms on Wednesday. Anyone else endured this class??? Roy Bacon: "Elvises, light your fires." Sting: "Be yourself no matter what they say."

Peter, You were on a hijacked plane??? Roy Bacon: "Elvises, light your fires." Sting: "Be yourself no matter what they say."

Canuck278, I was just wondering which species of shark you had this encounter with. I had the same type of experience with a few whale sharks off Bahia de Los Angeles in the Sea of Cortez. However, in that situation, we spotted them from shore with binoculars, grabbed our gear and headed off towards them in our boat so we could get close to them. We scoped them out for a little while and let them get used to our boat and it wasn't long before we were in the water with them. Those animals are HUGE let me tell you. Also, you don't want to be anywhere near its tail. My friend almost found that out the hard way ... their tails alone are at least 5 feet tall and are what they use to propel their massive bodies through the water. I just remember thinking to myself, they are "supposed" to be plankton feeders but ... I got in front of one at one point and thought it is a good thing they move pretty slow. I found the best way to approach them was from their dorsal side. We later heard about 2 weeks after we were there, a great white was spotted off in that same location. When I think back to all of the things we did at night out in that water ... our instructor even went through the trouble one night of setting up speakers all around the shore where we got into the water and played the theme song to JAWS. I would feel lucky to find or know where some species of sharks hang out (knowing that species ahead of time) and then tracking out to find them. I have seen lots of sharks snorkeling and diving, but none I would consider terribly dangerous. I've come across way more dangerous things underwater that wouuld kill you within minutes if you even touched it let alone a little shark. With all that said ... Great Whites, Tigers, Bulls, Blues and Makos are a different story altogether. Roy Bacon: "Elvises, light your fires." Sting: "Be yourself no matter what they say."

I'm not sure about this, but your probability of winning the lottery may be no different even though a family member of your lady's hit it. Since I think they are independent events, your odds would be equally as bad as your family member's. I could be wrong though ... Roy Bacon: "Elvises, light your fires." Sting: "Be yourself no matter what they say."

Sort of reminds me of that couple, Ron and Valerie Taylor. They are the husband/wife diving team who work primarily with large dangerous sharks. They constructed that "shark-proof" suit made out of steel mesh. While demonstrating the theorized effectiveness of the suit, Valerie Taylor was out off the California coast with Blue Sharks (Prionace glauca). These sharks do not fear divers at all. The suit was only covering half of her body and protected the skin on her upper body from being torn by the shark's razor sharp teeth but did nothing to protect her from the crushing power of the shark's jaws (duh!). Also, that same day, she ended up getting bit in the leg as the suit only was protecting half of her body. In the meantime, she also got to experience what it was like to watch a Blue Shark try and take off her arm. She got to look into the fish's eyes as it's nictitating membrane flicked back and and stared into her eyes with eyes "black as ebony". This shark was 6 and a half feet long. She claimed "Being pulled back and forth by my elbow was uncomfortable, but while it looked agonizing, it wasn't." It is my understanding that sharks are actually attracted to the electric fields produced by metals like steel. I think I read or heard somewhere that there are "real" shark repellents out there which utilize a "reverse" electric field or something to actually use electric force to repel their senses. I have not done much reading about this topic, has anyone else heard of this? Roy Bacon: "Elvises, light your fires." Sting: "Be yourself no matter what they say."

TCOOE (Tears Coming Out Of Eyes) Roy Bacon: "Elvises, light your fires." Sting: "Be yourself no matter what they say."

Dude, how high ir maybe I should say low are you in that picture??? OK shit. I don't think I am going to be able to make the boogie. My gear is out of date and I have been so busy that I have not made it down to Monterey yet to have Tommy repack my reserve. I have 2 huge midterms on Wed and 2 more the following Wed and I'm skippin town for 5 days in between where I plan on doing nothing but relaxing. Now, if I knew how to pack my own reserve, that might be a different story. I'd probably be packing it right now. (One more reason to become a rigger ). and I wanted to meet VanillaSkyGirl too ... Anyone know a good local rigger that can pack me by tomorrow? I just don't have the time to drive all the way to Monterey and back before tomorrow. Maybe I can make the party Friday night. Roy Bacon: "Elvises, light your fires." Sting: "Be yourself no matter what they say."

Dear SkyMadness, Hang in there and don't be so hard on yourself. Yes you are asking a legitimate question. But it is my belief that if you don't have fear there is something wrong with you. I mean, you are only basically jumping out a perfectly well functioning airplane from safety into the unknown and for all purposes committing what your brain computes as suicide until you are supposed to pull some little hackey or ripcord and that is supposed to make it all stop and save your life. It is a lot of confidence to put in something you aren't completely familiar with. Last summer I was on a 10 Way team. I was my first time doing 10 Way and our team went to Nationals. I remember when I joined the team people told me 10 Way was like full contact skydiving. People would get knocked out by the door, taking a hard hit is not uncommon and speed is the name of the game. I was a base diver and every jump was so intense. Every synchronized breath, step, grip, squeeze, touch, grab, look, key between the team meant something. The intensity and adrenaline of trying to beat the clock in a round of speed formation is a kick. In my position (#4 out the plane) the door was my biggest obstacle and cutting the angle of the exit so it wasn't too steep. Variation in my exit from what my team was used to meant I or potentially someone else hit the door (more than likely Gary our #10) would be unable to clear the door and his calves would get smacked into the upper part of the door jam. Ouch! Skydiving can be a little intense at times and at other times it can be lay back and relaxing. It does take a little getting used to plummetting at the Earth at 120 mph ... Sometimes it may take a little bit to get out there and just do it. And AFF can be a little intimidating but just take the bull by the horns is my advice. When you get somewhere in the neighborhood of 30-50 skydives your views will probably start to change. Do whatever it is you feel comfortable doing. If you just want to hang out at the DZ and learn tidbits of info. do that, if you feel like making a jump, make a jump. Get to know your instructors. Ask them questions, practice a lot on the ground and learn as much as you can. Practice on the ground is cheap. Time in the air goes fast and is expensive. Fear is just a small part of skydiving. Overcoming fear is another part. The best is yet to come. Be safe and good luck. Roy Bacon: "Elvises, light your fires." Sting: "Be yourself no matter what they say."

No Vinnie, no Ronnie, no Haley??? I am starting to get seriously bummed. Hey Vinnie, can you make it out Friday night? Bring your bro up, we can carpool and party in Byron Friday night. I am probably only going to stick around to make a jump or two Saturday morning ... Roy Bacon: "Elvises, light your fires." Sting: "Be yourself no matter what they say."

If I could relive any time in my life, off the top of my head I would have to say it would have to be the week of August 7th through the 14th, 2003. That week of my summer was so cool in so many ways that if I could relive that week whenever I wanted ... sigh, life would be so cool.

Dude, Trent ... that is a schweet picture. Looks fun and looks fast. Roy Bacon: "Elvises, light your fires." Sting: "Be yourself no matter what they say."

YEAHHHHHHHHH!!!! Chop Chop. How in the hell did you guys pull that one off? Roy Bacon: "Elvises, light your fires." Sting: "Be yourself no matter what they say."