slotperfect

Does antone know where I can find one of those slider keepers made of bungee and a plastic ball that goes around the reserve pin protector flap?? I found a lot of conversations about them in older threads, but no references as to where they can be bought!?!?!? I'm looking for a US online source. Arrive Safely John

This really wasn't a poll. I disabled it, since the data in the responses would have no value. Next time, please choose "Post New" instead. Thanks. Arrive Safely John

A forum search would have revealed a couple of existing threads on the subject. Arrive Safely John

There are now four different threads in this forum regarding the Mirage SB. I posted a link to this new one in this thread, which best fits the subject matter. I am locking this one so we can keep the conversations from getting too fragmented. freeflyzoro: I encourage you to fill out your user profile . . . it helps us get to know you better, and helps lend your opinion some credibility. Not so much from experience, but from knowing that you are a real person and not a troll. Thanks! Arrive Safely John

Here is a spinoff thread that I locked up so we can keep this one going. Cheers! Arrive Safely John

Congrats Cayce! Enjoy the freedom and flexibility the license brings! Arrive Safely John

Thanks! It's always interesting to me that the only feedback I get about what I do is positive - just like yours. Those who oppose my line of work never say a word. In 20.5 years I can't say I have ever had anyone say anything negative about me being a soldier. Arrive Safely John

Let's keep the G&R thread going!

That is PRICELESS! Thanks for making my day! Arrive Safely John

EXCELLENT post, Liz. Thanks for your contribution. I have moved this thread to Safety & Training so it won't get pushed off the front page so quickly. I will tell HH about it as well . . . maybe there's a database in our future?!?!? Well done. Arrive Safely John

Diffferent people send and receive information better through certain mediums. So, 1) Those who hav ethe questions/comments need to be receptive to requests by BOD members to comunicate in ways that are effective fot them. and 2) BOD members need to be receptive to member input from ALL mediums, including those that they feel they are the least effective in using. Arrive Safely John

It was 100% not fun editing it out and taking the time and effort to reply to that part of your post. Well stated. Arrive Safely John

There is a terrific piece about Pedro in the "Spotlight" column of the January 17, 2005 issue of US New and World Report. http://www.usnews.com/usnews/issue/050117/usnews/17spotlight.htm The hard copy of the magazine has a picture as well. Scott - PM me your snail mail address in theater and I'll send it to you. Arrive Safely John

Bold emphasis mine. Arrive Safely John

Assuming you are speaking about the proper CYPRES loop length for a Mirage, you can refer to the manual, or PM Mike Gruwell (chutingstar), who runs an Authorized Service Center, and is a regular poster here in the forums. Arrive Safely John

ROFLMAO!!! That made my day. Thanks Sparks! Arrive Safely John

II Kings Chapter 11 - David & Bathsheba. Feel free to PM me the specific reason you are looking in the Bible for that reference . . . I may be able to support your effort a bit more (there are other Scripture references that come to mind). I'm not trying to get in your business, mind you, but knowing the context will help me help you. Arrive Safely John

I'm assuming from context you mean his gear was old, not out-of-date. The debate over old gear being "safe" vs. "airworthy" has been raging on in the forums for a while now - if you do a search you will find it enlightening. My quick two cents: just because it's old doesn't make it unairworthy. Does the jumper incur more risk using his old airworthy gear rather than a spiffy new rig with all of the other attributes you mention? Yes - that's a no-brainer. It remains the individuals personal choice to assume that level of risk and to choose his reasons why. I'm sure he really doesn't care whether you and your buddies judge him or not. Have you thought to ask him why he jumps that particular gear rather than something more contemporary? That is one man's opinion. Quality of gear, the quantity of safe gear, what the gear will do, and the number of ways people are using it have travelled light years since I started jumping. That's just one example. Availability of professional advanced level training in multiple genres is excellent. There you have it - another man's opinion. The day our training has become "good enough," and we don't need to change it any more - it's time for me to go. Training is an evolving being with a personality all its own. The difficulty lies in deciding what's at the heart of it - driving the need for change. Putting a band-aid on a broken leg isn't as effective as keeping the leg from getting broken in the first place. The condition you described most likely comes from people not understanding others' motivation for wanting more training. There is a difference between training and regulation. Right now people are killing themselves under fully open canopies, and it is widely accepted that SOMETHING needs to be done. There are many ideas as to what - personally I hope somebody chooses from what's important and does something soon to send that trend in the opposite direction. The result of "the hard work of smart people" - your words. The thing you have in common with them is that you care. Many people don't, and they drag our sport down. Take a close look at the USPA A License proficiency card, then research what the A License requirements were 15 years ago. The tools only work if we use them, I admit. But there are more tools available to us than ever before, including this website. I am genuinely interested in what specific regulations you feel need to be adjusted, and how you think they should be adjusted. You are absolutely right, and some of them in the pile were close friends. Join me in never giving up trying to keep the pile as small as possible. Your forward looking attitude is encouraging. A little advice - do some fact finding to fully understand where we (the sport of skydiving) came from, and communicate your ideas to people who can make a difference. You could even figure out how to become one of those people yourself. Be careful about judgements about people doing things outside your comfort zone . . . it may have a limiting effect both of them for you as well. Arrive Safely John

Yes, I remember! Welcome back to the Forums! I sent you a PM with a couple of helpful forum hints . . . For everyone else's benefit, Denise saw me reading Skydiving magazine and stopped to introduce herself. Turns out she skydives with a couple of fellow Golden Knight has-beens. It continues to be a small world . . . Arrive Safely John

I jumped the B-17 used to film the "Memphis Belle" movie, owned by restauranteur David Tallichet. I exited from the bomb bay (left side), facing aft. When it comes to aircraft, that was my favorite. Shoot, RIDING in that airplane was a blast (from the past). Worth it, for sure. Arrive Safely John

Thanks, Mike - you da man! I stuck it to the top and PM'd HH to see if he''l link to it from the Home Page. Arrive Safely John

Be careful there. "Been there, done that, seen it, jumped it, etc." along with low D license numbers is not a direct reflection of the individual as a whole. I do not know Sparky personally, but have had numerous and highly successful interactions with him here in the forums. In his case, he does have a huge amount of experience and contributes a great deal to our virtual community. I have personally benefitted more than once from his advice. In this case, he got his buttons pushed, and I have to say that the post he replied to had me shaking my head as well. My D number is not any where near as low as his, but because I keep an open mind and endeavor to keep learning I am able to gain valuable knowledge that may one day save my life or someone else's from people with D numbers a lot higher than mine. It continues to amaze me how much there is for me to learn . . . Arrive Safely John

Agreed. Good grammar and spelling is a plus, but not critical. Trying to support someone by helping them improve their spelling doesn't start that way - a PM suggesting the use of spell check may have done the trick. Credibility doesn't come from one's DZ.com profile - it comes from the integrity, experience, and knowledge of the individual behind the profile. Lack of credibility here in the forums does come from folks posting strong opinions and having a blank profile. This arose from people registering and posting anonymously so they didn't have to be held accountable for the content of their posts. HH and we Mods do the best we can to detect and deal with people intentionally creating alter-egos to stir up hornets nests here in the forums, but human nature dictates that we will never eliminate it completely. People are free to omit details from their profile - e.g. some people protect their real name, location, email address for personal safety reasons. It does require compromise in accepting the fact that some people will give less credence to their opinions because they don't know who's talking. Regarding the incidents forum, it is important to stick to known facts regarding an incident right after it happens, and stay away from speculation. Public record (police reports and mass media) published immediately following an incident rarely reflect what actually happened. Family and friends are grieving. Authorities are investigating the incident to determine the cause. Injuries ae healing. Sometimes people are fighting for their life in the hospital. Sometimes legal action is being generated. Out of respect to those directly involved, those of us who are not should be patient and wait for the facts to show themselves. Third party speculation here in the forums spins up to be a frenzy of "what-ifs" and "maybes" and does not forward the situation at all. The bottom line is that before posting in the Incidents Forum people unfamiliar with it should do a little homework to see what they are getting themselves into. Numbers and ratings in many cases are not accurate measurements of a skydiver's character, credibility, and quality of knowledge. I do think they support everyone in this two-dimensional environment in effective virtual conversations. I hope you'll reconsider keeping your profile up-to-date and not base your decision on one post. Arrive Safely John

Please post a link to the original post you are referring to so we can see the context of your comments. Thanks. Arrive Safely John

I just watched it. Nice segment Mike - well done! One of the highlights is Cara being called a "hero" by one of the hosts for her efforts at Ground Zero after 9/11, and wagging her tail when the audience applauds. That was cool. I'll have some questions for you at symposium! Arrive Safely John