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I think Eric means a Tandem Instructor that has an illegitimate CYPRES fire on his personal sport rig while doing something other than tandems. Arrive Safely John

I am compiling a list of English Language Skydiving Magazines. Based on results from a forum search, here's what I have so far: Parachutist - USA Skydiving - USA Skydive The Mag - UK CanPara - Canada Can y'all help me add to it? I am interested in skydiving periodicals from any country that publushes them in English. Arrive Safely John

I wondered where that came from! He was at home flying jumpers, and contributed in a big way to the "vibe" at Raeford when he was there. Arrive Safely John

Sadly, Dan McFadden - Otter pilot at Hartwood, VA and formerly Raeford, NC - died in a Twin Bonanza crash at Hartwood Yesterday. Dan was a fellow Dotcommer, posting as calphoto. There is a thread HERE in the Incidents Forum for discussion about the facts of the incident so we all might learn from it. Thoughts. prayers, and remembrances should stay here in Bonfire. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Dan had some professional training as an actor earlier in life, and had several routines he would do in the airplane to entertain the tandem students (and their instructors). He was an excellent pilot and a blast to be around. I will miss him. I wish you a windshield full of breathtaking sunsets forever, my friend . . . Arrive Safely John

Post the link please. Arrive Safely John

If it's just loose sand dried onto the fabric, inflate the canopy with a fan one cell at a time, giving it a gentle shake from the front each time. Then hang it up by the tail and let the sand inside fall out of the nose. Then pack it and jump it! Arrive Safely John

I have been a Red Sox fan since 1975. I have ridden the rollercoaster with the rest of the faces you saw on camera in between pitches tonight. I saw last night's game to completion and was so pumped I couldn't get to sleep. Tonight's finish (David Ortiz - AGAIN!!!) deserved a late night beer and a post. Here's to you, BoSox! See y'all Wednesday night in NYC. Arrive Safely John

HH, Browsing "New Ads," no matter the day, I notice that "Description" is misspelled in the headers. Arrive Safely John

I totally agree with encouraging the reporting of all incidents, especially tandem incidents, to the proper organization (we all learn from the outcome). I just want to clarify that this conversation stemmed from participating in another thread, referenced in my original post - not a specific incident. Cheers, Arrive Safely John

A spinoff from this thread regarding Perris' new 30-day grounding policy for jumpers that have an "illegitimate" CYPRES fire. This prompted a side conversation via PM with another Dotcommer and this question: If a Tandem Instructor has an "illegitimate" CYPRES fire, due to lack of altitude awareness or failure to follow correct procedures - emergency or otherwise, what should the consequences be? At what level should they be dealt with - DZ S&TA, USPA, Tandem Rig Manufacturer? Please keep all of the responses objective and free of emotion so we can enjoy healthy discussion on this issue. Thanks! Arrive Safely John

Stevie Wonder - "Bad Mamma Jamma" Arrive Safely John

I just sold my Sabre2 190, DOM 2002, with 111 jumps on it. I sold it for $1150 here in the Dropzone.com Classifieds. Arrive Safely John

-When I was training for my Private Pilot's license here in the U.S., I was taught that the most dangerous part of an aircraft flight is takeoff. -For pilots, there's a big difference between a "crash" and an "emergency landing." -For some aircraft, FAA Regulations (FARs) require the pilot to wear a parachute - something to do with proximity to the open door. Therefore a pilot wearing a rig in a Cessna 182 is not unusual. I PMd diverdriver, our resident expert on jump aircraft statistics, to chime in on this one. Arrive Safely John

I forgot one . . . I used to house-sit for a neighbor named Marianne Hook, who was a Captain at the time. "Captain Hook." Arrive Safely John

Is that Skydive Kansas City? Arrive Safely John

Real people with funny names: Tom A. Hawke (my great uncle - short for Thomas Alva) Aiken Payne (his college friend) Shanda Lear (from the Lear Jet family) Ima Hogg (famous Texan) Richard Head (I bumped into this real name in the Army) I had a book once full of these. Maybe a Google search will yield a larger list. Arrive Safely John

Thanks, Betsy! A dotcommer from Europe PM'd me a while back about her CYPRES fire. During the online conversation she alluded to serious consequences from a CYPRES fire of this type (loss of altitude awareness or disregard of established pull altitudes). She mentioned losing her job and ratings. Unfortunately I no longer have the PM and I can't find the thread. It sounds like there are other policies like this in place elsewhere in the world. I'd like to hear from some others on just how widespread this is. Arrive Safely John

I worked on a rig once that had a kangaroo scrotum pouch in place of the hackey handle on the main pilot chute. Arrive Safely John

3-Ring Mechanical Advantage Chart PM Bill Booth for his recommendation on what kind of risers you should jump. Personally, I am 250 out the door and jump Type 17 mini risers so I can pull my slider down behind my head. I keep the risers well maintained and the cutaway cables cleaned and lubricated. Arrive Safely John

It's time to execute the Raeford contingency plan. The weather is beautiful here! Arrive Safely John

What a great article! Congrats to both of you! I know you invited Micheal Futch to come back out and make a skydive of his own, right!?!?! Cheers, Arrive Safely John

My rules of thumb are quite like Senor Azul: 1) Smooth landing surface = flare at the normal height, ensuring a good finish, pick up the landing gear, and slide it in. Be careful about putting your hands down, and sit up as much as possible once you're on the ground to keep your rig out of the dirt & grass. I'd rather have to patch a jumpsuit than a container. 2) Rough or unknown landing surface (e.g. masked by tall grass) = flare at the normal height ensuring a good finish, and do a PLF. I do a lot of night jumps, and I follow a lot of airdrop bundles (landing out on purpose). I always used to try standing up whether I could see where my feet go or not. One day in Arizona, I followed a bundle into the desert, intending to call the pickup vehicle with my radio. I ran out the landing successfully in some mesquite bushes & desert grass, then saw as I was recovering my canopy that only three or four more steps would have sent one of my legs right down a gopher hole that had been dug out by a coyote. After that experience I always do a PLF if I can't see where my feet are going. In general, if I have a lot of vertical speed left over despite my flare, I do a PLF to dissipate the impact rather than absorb it all with my tail bone. With horizontal speed left over, I follow the rules above. Arrive Safely John

Some people call it the DZ somewhat near their home, where they skydive the most frequently. Some people call it the DZ where they learned to skydive - the start of it all. To me, there's no steadfast rule . . . call where you want home. You can change it if you want, or keep it the same forever. Follow your heart! Arrive Safely John

I believe JP was speaking from the standpoint of being a responsible gear dealer. Please handle any specific transactions via PM or email. Thanks! Arrive Safely John

Questions to make things a little more clear: 1) Is it to be used as a student rig, or for a beginner just off student status? 2) What canopies are intended to be used in it? 3) What is the body weight and experience level of the jumper to be using it? Arrive Safely John