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7*:0:0 *roller-coasters ridden at Busch Gardens! Woohoo! Arrive Safely John

I have had a couple, but cleared them both by pulling down on the entire line group (riser) and letting it "snap" back into place. The momentary change in tension on the knot took care of it. Mind you, this was with big, square, F-111 canopies, not highly loaded ellipticals. IMHO the best way to avoid tension knots is careful packing, including taking the twists out of your brakelines routinely when you pack. There's really nothing to it, and it saves a lot of problems in the long run. Arrive Safely John

I took to it pretty well but still had some issues as a student. After I gained some experience and took on something new, I would not take to it as fast as some of my peers. What has served me well is some advice I got early on in my career: two of my instructors who I was (and still am) good friends with told me not to be in a hurry, rather to get really good at where I was first, then move on to advanced maneuvers or a smaller canopy. Those were magic words for me. The result, so many years later, is that I have become a skydiver who is very good at very basic things. I am a "utility" skydiver who can adapt to many things and many disciplines. Also, I have never been hurt other than a sprained ankle or a bruised heel. On the other hand, I have taught and have been around many "natural" skydivers, including a good friend of mine who has nailed every single thing he has learned from the git go. It used to frustrate me, but now I just learn from him and make myself better. He does the same from me and we kind of feed off each other. Arrive Safely John

Mine is Chuck Madison. A guy I work with is lucky enough to have had a first pet named Max, and have grown up on Cannon Ave. You got it - "Max Cannon" Arrive Safely John

Actually, I had forgotten all about those! The guy who makes them had PM'd me back saying he would ship me two. That was right before I left for the desert. When I got back, that was one package that had not shown up . . . I didn't realize it until you mentioned it just now. I'll dig up the thread and PM him again. Arrive Safely John

I wear a hand mount (left hand) all the time. When I do AFF, I wear an additional wrist mount inside my right wrist. This way I have an altitude reference no matter which side I'm docked on, and also a spare in case my student's altimeter breaks in the airplane. Arrive Safely John

I'm off to Busch Gardens Williamsburg this weekend with my family and another. Time to break loose from the normal routine and just have some fun (for all ages). Enjoy the weekend - I hope the weather brings blue skies, cool temps, and mild winds. Arrive Safely John

If it were me, and the Odyssey is what I really wanted, I would wait for it. Arrive Safely John

The pic of the lady from the article (the one of her in the goggles) is priceless! Arrive Safely John

Congrats Mike! I wish you years of happiness and many many rewards! Arrive Safely John

Great pic, Betsy! You da bomb! Arrive Safely John

This is Tessa . . . Arrive Safely John

I am a US Army Rigger, and I'm Military Free Fall (HALO) qualified, so I guess I may be one of the dotcommers you seek. I have been at Ft. Bragg since 1984 and I too remember three clubs here. At one time I was a member of two of them simultaneously. I spent three years as a demonstrator on the Golden Knights and can also attest to the fact that the SF guys on the Team are few and far between. Jumping is a huge part of my military life, and if I didn't get paid for it I'd do it for free. I love it that much. As far as the Army goes, there are a few prime assignments that yield a lot of free fall jumping. They are worth seeking, but will require dedication and patience on your part. You may spend several years in regular units waiting for the opportunity to serve in those units. Hope this helps. Arrive Safely John

True statements already given about the material . . . just to add that regarding construction there are three canopy fabric combinations all zero-p, all low-porosity, and a "hybrid," which will have a zero-p top skin and ribs/bottom skin constructed of low-porosity material. PD's Silhouette is one example. Arrive Safely John

SCIENCE! ROFL!! Arrive Safely John

Great tip on the goggles!

I am hearing that they don't understand what it is we have, and choose to make judgements about it instead of learning more. Despite that, I will always wish to introduce them to this wonderful sport of ours. That is one of the most rewarding parts of the skydiving experience for me - sharing someone's first skydive experience through tandems or AFF. Arrive Safely John

I answered "weekends and holidays" but my jumping includes military free fall jumps at work during the week. There is no routine to my skydiving, although I can say I do it regularly. Of course, I would love to be able to jump more often!! Arrive Safely John

Excellent! Congrats! You got in under the wire . . . I have been rallying those who are close to 200 jumps to hurry up and reach that mark so they can test and get their D before the USPA/FAI alignment. The fax machine at USPA will be smoking in the next few weeks! Arrive Safely John

Skydiving is defined as an intentional jump from an aircraft in flight . . . BASE jumps do not fit the definition. Arrive Safely John

Call SkyKat and ask Tony about that mod . . . Arrive Safely John

First of all, with female students I am a gentleman, and treat them with respect. When I adjust the chest strap, I will do what is necessary, explaining what I am doing. If I make inadvertant contact with a breast, I say excuse me. When I tighten the diagonals in the back, I brace my hip against them so I don't pull them all over the room, but I explain what I am doing. If I need her to spread her legs apart to adjust the legstraps, I ask her to spread her feet apart. It does the same thing and is much less innuendo-ish. When I want their helmet strapped to their chest strap for the walk to the plane, I ask them to do it. I ask all my students, male and female, large and small, to sit in my lap. I prefer that method because 1) there is much less moving around in the plane, 2) I can get them tightened down effectively and evenly - every time, 3) I don't need to ask the rest of the full Otter load to "move down for the tandems" because I create my own extra space, and 4) I am a big guy, so I can handle any size person in my lap without discomfort. I don't smoke, but if I did I would save it for a break in the action, not when briefing a student. "Zoo breath" is just bad business. I am careful to always have gum so any offending onion-breath or whatever does not interfere with the student's experience. I also swap shirts throughout the day so I am not soaking them with my sweaty jumpsuit. Bottom line: I make every effort to be professional and to make the experience all about the student and not all about me or about the money. I get a lot of fantasitc results that way. I learned from some really great people, and their advice has served me well. Great post - BTW! Arrive Safely John

I agree with this completely. To exclude those who want to understand more about the intructional process or those who aspire to become instructors would be counterproductive. I originally championed the suggestion for a separate tandem forum, then shifted my support once the separate instructor forum was suggested. Thanks for bolstering the idea, Dave! Arrive Safely John

My personal minimum with non-skydiving passengers is 6000FT. For paying customers, I don't think it's worth the ride at any less than 7500FT. I have never made a tandem with a paying customer from less than 10000FT. I have made two effortless tandem emergency exits from 4000FT - one with a first-time student. Arrive Safely John

You'll be fine with the right equipment and instruction.