slotperfect

LOLOLOL! I knew someone would ask me that! We had one of those days that the windsock was moving around a lot - in this case more than 90 degrees. What I do in those situations is pay attention to the changes from about 1500 feet to my turn on final, then I "split the difference" and commit myself to the dominant wind line. It worked like a charm - we had a beautiful seated landing. And to lisamariewillbe: I didn't mind the question - hopefully someone learned something from the exchange. Since you reconsidered and chose to remove your post, I removed the reply in which someone quoted the text you removed. Arrive Safely John

So why not just bump the original thread instead of starting a new one? Then people who have not read the original can see what the replies contain before responding? I never answered the first one . . . as a Tandem Instructor on staff I would not object to you bringing your friend to our DZ to make your milestone 1000th tandem. Of course since I'm not the school owner or the SZO it's not up to me. I'm not in it completely for the money anyway, so the money is not a factor for me. Also, your friend may not have come to our DZ to jump anyway if it wasn't with you, and I would be happy enough knowing that she is getting another skydive - I AM in it for sharing the sport with others. The business owners have the choice of saying yes or no . . . you're just going to have to find one that is as open minded as the rest of us. Arrive Safely John

I tried three times to express in writing the joy I experienced yesterday taking young John, who is confined to a wheel chair due to cerebral palsy, on a tandem skydive for his 20th birthday. Then Arvel (BlueSBDeath) sent me the pictures. Simply sharing Arvel’s email along with the pictures seems the most fitting way of expressing how he and I both felt about our experience with John. You can see it in my face! My only regret is that I didn’t get Arvel in any of the pictures. This was John’s second tandem, and my first with a wheel chair bound person. (Yes, I bought x 24). It was an honor to skydive with someone with a heart and level of courage as big as his. It is true what they say: when you give and give without expecting anything in return, it comes back to you one hundred fold. Arvel’s email: Arvel, here’s to many more like that one my brother. You are the ultimate people person! John, you are truly a gift to this world – thank you for sharing yourself with us! Many thanks to TonyT, British Bob, and Packajoe for their support and to Chris at Eloy for the strap design. John

I will requisition you a box of kleenex. We still love you here at Rayferd (like in prison). Arrive Safely John

That was probably Judy Norton Taylor that played Mary Ellen, the eldest sister. She was a skydiver at one point . . . I remember watching a documentary of sorts in which she was broadcasting from the aircraft and under her deployed canopy. I think that was at Perris if I remember correctly, about 15 years ago. Arrive Safely John

Fixes Everything! Arrive Safely John

The last one of these I did was for a girls group at a local Church. I did a pull down on my work rig, and had the girls crawl backwards into the cells so I could take a picture. THey helped me pack it up, and I jumped it the following Monday - emailing them that it worked just fine! Arrive Safely John

1885 jumps and 12 years Arrive Safely John

3412/99426 I raise my glass to the Mods in that forum! They have a tough job! Arrive Safely John

While I agree with Mark, I think he may not have meant it that way . . . In the military we call them passengers, and we call the jumper wearing the parachute a "Tandem Master." The FAA calls them "Passenger Parachutist" and "Parachutist In Command." I switched to calling myself a "Tandem Instructor" and my customers "Tandem Students." Whether it is a "working" tandem (Tandem Progression) or a "fun" tandem, my customers ALWAYS learn something . . . sometimes about skydiving, but most times they learn something about themselves. I ask my students why they came out to make a skydive, and sometimes the answer allows me to personalize the experience for them. Getting back on topic, I responded that I take more women . . . it's pretty close to even, but I think we get more women at Raeford. Maybe some of the other Raeford TIs have a different perspective. Arrive Safely John

OK . . . this thread is back in the mix. Please keep it on topic. Arrive Safely John

I Scotch Guarded my rig when it was new. I got some grass stains on one of the leg straps one early morning when the grass was wet and I lost my footing. I treated the spot right away with Shout Wipes, and simply blotted the stain out with a wet was cloth when I got home. It came completely out of the Cordura, and mostly out of the binding tape. In your case I would let the dirt and stains dry completely, brush it thoroughly, then blot it with a wet wash cloth to get the rest. Edited to add: I have heard of folks using a shop vac as well. Arrive Safely John

I chose the first response, but that only applies to my sport rig and military gear. Doing tandems I touch all of my handles after throwing the drogue on every jump. Arrive Safely John

What Remi said! This otherwise extremely useful thread was inappropriately and hopelessly hijacked by cat jokes. Most of that content was moved to Bonfire or removed completely to preserve the effectiveness of the original thread and the on-topic replies. Topical forums are not a place for a ton of one-liners, and completely hijacking a thread is not welcome either. I'm gonna lock the thread so everyone gets the point, and stick it to the top for a few days to make sure the author and anyone else who can use this information doesn't miss it. Arrive Safely John

One of the most important questions I ask is: "What made you want to make a skydive today?" Drawing out the real reason while they are there often provides me with an opportunity to "customize" the skydive a bit to fit their reason for being there. My favorites are those who are truly afraid of heights or flying, and have come there to conquer their fears. I made one this weekend, and the emotional reaction I received when we arrived safely on the ground I would not trade for anything. Deep breaths. Often . . . beginning on the ground after we walk through an exit at the mockup. Reassurance that they are doing great helps as well. Also, include them in any cameraderie activities on board the aircraft like the "secret handshakes." They often enjoy being included. Some of these work well with everyone, but as already mentioned you have to consider your audience. Be wary of other skydivers making those types of jokes - they have not spent any time with the student to get a feel for their personality. I ask them small talk stuff to find out more about them, point out the airport below (out the window), and such. Don't overdo it . . . give them time to themselves as well. Arrive Safely John

We use the RWS briefing followed by a briefing in person by one of the Tandem Instructors. I have suggested that we replace the Ron Reagan jump at the end of the RWS video with an updated version from our DZ with our people and our airplane. Arrive Safely John

Please fill out your profile . . . this will help us get to know you better and will lend some credibility to your request (there are people that post anonymously here with less than honorable intentions). Also, there may be some folks here who would like to support your effort - how can they make a contribution? Best of luck in accomplishing your mission. Arrive Safely John

My Dad passed away in September, and after a brief and thorough period of mourning my Mom began getting accustomed to her new circumstances. She could have moped, been depressed, and lived in the past . . . rather she chose to experience life in the world in new and different ways. She went to Europe (England) for the first time in March with very close friends, and just returned from Peru two weeks ago (even closer friends). Then last Saturday she came to Raeford to make a tandem with me! It was definitely the highlight of my tandem career thus far. She is 75, so I had been a little nervous about it prior to jump day. Once that day arrived though, I was quite relaxed and enjoyed it almost as much as she did! She said it was an over-the-top experience, and commented about the obvious camaraderie that skydivers share. She was very appreciative of the way everyone included her in that, especially on the ride to altitude. Our only difficulty being a practice exit in the mockup! I want to thank Tony Thacker (TonyT) for the gracious Raeford hospitality, and Arvel Shults (BlueSBDeath) for the crafty camerawork. You s made her experience a special one, and I greatly appreciate it! My only regret is that I let her get away without buying her case of beer! Arrive Safely John

Added isaiah85 from Performance Designs.

Tuesdays With Morrie. Great book. Arrive Safely John

Black Team Schedule: MAY 30 Apr-1 May Ft Lauderdale, FL 7 May Baltimore, MD 14-15 May Langley AFB, VA 20-22 May Andrews AFB, MD 28-29 May Wantagh, NY Gold Team Schedule: MAY 14-15 MAY Tyndall AFB, FL 20-22 MAY Milleville, NJ 25 May Jacksonville, NC 28 May Pope AFB, NC/ 29 May NASCAR, Charlotte, NC Arrive Safely John

The "condolence" threads you suggest happen already for most incidents, shortly after they are posted in the Incidents Forum. The problem is that some people don't respect the Moderators' request to use those threads for condolences and the incident thread for discussion of the incident itself. People as in "B" above can post in the incidents thread, but should steer clear of speculation. The tendency to "what if" things immediately after the incident doesn't help the situation. Newbies as in "C" above can post to the thread all they like with valid questions. Again, speculation should be avoided. The other alternative is starting a more general thread about the nature of the accident in Safety and Training to get your questions answered. For example, if the incident involved a horseshoe malfunction, you could start a thread in S&T about horseshoe malfunctions in general to get your questions answered. Multiple threads about the same specific incident should be avoided. Arrive Safely John

I was looking for skydiving graphics (clipart type stuff), and found a whole bunch that Sangiro had made. Although I don't remember exactly how I found it - I think I linked to it from the site with the graphics. The earliest I can remember exploring Dropzone.com was 2000, but it may have been earlier. If I remember correctly, the original site color scheme was navy blue and white. Arrive Safely John

Check these out: http://www.dropzone.com/cgi-bin/forum/gforum.cgi?post=1466491;search_string=slocks;#1466491 Arrive Safely John

That doesn't explain why this fact makes you skeptical. What concerns you about the fact that Raeford trains 16 year old students? FYI we have been training 16 year old skydiving students at Raeford for as long as most of us can remember. Arrive Safely John