rgoper

**I'm trying to fgure out some way that you should owe beer for this, seeing as how your gonna have $$$ again!** because it's the first time he's taken two uranalyasis? (sp?) will that do? Richard "Gravity Is My Friend"

**Trash pack, pro pack, psycho... they all open about the same for me in distance** i think we may all agree, ("key" word, "may") its how you roll the nose, if you do, and how many times that can vary canopy inflation speed, altitude loss, if not, i've never learned a damned thing about packing, and all of my demonstration tapes are false. i once forgot to uncolapse my slider, it opened in 10 feet! J/K

Jimbo: are you making the statement that how you pack doesn't affect opening sequence/altitude to completely opened canopy? i beg to differ............. Richard "Gravity Is My Friend"

ya'll better stop talking bad about her, i'm shagging her, so there! but her mothers better, lucky "slick willy!"

what kind of main are you flying? what diameter is your pc? there are a lot of variables that determing opening sequences, altitude. i used to fly a triathlon, that regularly "sniveled 600-700 feet, hated it, i throw, look up and go "today!!" do you deploy in a track? how do you pack? what's your "wing?" these are important variables to determine the answer to your question.

...i think "self examination" is a good idea at times as well. i know for a fact i don't always make the right decisions, but i try, and more often than not, learn from my misstakes, and other's as well. from reading a couple of post(s) here in the Safety And Training Forums, i get the feeling, even though we're not at the DZ right now, a couple of "links" have already been formed. be careful........ Richard "Gravity Is My Friend"

**A child is something you cannot ever be ready for.. You can't prepair for it.. Trust me..** i'll go along with that, but i'll add to it, when ya get to be my age, you have grand children (arghhh) good thing about them is, when they're done visiting, ya get ta send em' back home with mom & dad! and, no, i don't change diapers anymore! misty water cooler memories....

as long as we're here in the "Safety And Training" forum, i'd like to share how i have investigated industrial accidents in my profession for the last 27 years. i have always been taught when ever investigating the "cause" of an accident, whether fatal, or non fatal, or simply a first-aid accident to go back to the "first link" in the "chain of events" that led to the accident. in each and every accident, we can probably (more times than not) go back and say "well, if this, or that would, or would not have happned, this accident wouldn't have happned" as i've said previously in these forums, hindsight is 20/20. so what do we need to do? safety awareness levels need to be heightned. a lot of times we get so "in" to the sky dive because we're looking so forward to the adrenaline rush, we forget to leave enough space between ourselfs, and the previous jumper(s) case and point here in this *example* is the first "link" in the "chain" has now formed, what will the next "link" in the chain be? who knows, more often than not, the "links" don't form into "chains" how many "close calls" don't we all witness every time we go out and sky dive? if we're being honest with ourselfs, i'm sure we could all recite at least 1 or 2 "close calls" last time we were at the DZ. so, having said all of that, we must ask ourselfs, "what can i do to make the sport safer?" i think this will draw a mixture of responses, as for my own opinion, i'll scream it from now, untill i die, safety, and training. this is where it starts, and this is where it should end. all too often i see the most common of safety rules being broken, but i am guilty just as much as everyone else, because most of the time, i choose to try and "fit in" and keep my mouth shut, for fear of being chastised by fellow jumpers, and who amoung us wishes to be the "square" that cannot fit in the "round" hole? so we have to ascertain where our priorities lie. sure, sky diving is the most adrenaline charged sport i've ever participated in, also the most dangerous, but, it can be done safely with the whole "community" looking out for that first "link" to a possible forming "chain" take care, be safe

.......i am Bitor, the snow dog! Richard "Gravity Is My Friend"

**I did 50, in one day with the same passenger. (No drogue, 3,500 feet)** Bill: i'm not sure, but that's got to be a record!

**when i was a student i had to wear an ADD. isn't this at every dz??? my instructers told me in the first jump course it is my responsibility to pull and save my own life.** you were instructed properly, and equipped in the same manner. it is your responsability to "pull, and save your own life" we may never be sure of what happned in this particular incident with the aff divemaster. retrospective view is always 20/20. what we can do, is take what we can learn from this unfortunate incident, and learn from it, and evryone do they're level best to insure that an incident of this proportion doesn't occur ever again. this is a very dangerous sport, if any individual thinks it's not, that particular person needs to stay grounded. but having said that, with proper training, planning, and execution of the same, we can eliminate future incidents in our sport that will costs us valuable human life(s) plan your dive, dive your plan, rehearse emergency procedures and be safe, look out for one another and have fun!

it is my belief, and contention that this most unfortunate incident will heighten all aspects of the training phase so no jump master ever has to be in this situation to begin with. training is the beginning of successful sky dive(s) i know there are many different ideas, and perspectives on this subject, and all of them heartfelt, all we can do is train ourselves to be better trainers. Richard "Gravity Is My Friend"

**I can out track anyone I jump with** in my opinion, your setting yourself up here, with overconfidence. i'm not saying you can't "out track" anyone you jump with, but it's a *bit* cocky, and could wind up getting you in a bind. Richard "Gravity Is My Friend"

Hook: i hope you never have to find out either. but on the other hand i know you have back up plans, for back up plans. so come on buddy, out with it, what's your plan? me, 2500-2000 they're on thery're own, but hopefully, it will never come to that. Richard "Gravity Is My Friend"

to obtain my USPA coaching license, and my aff, and td1 ratings. i'm an instructor/teacher by nature so i would like to teach others our beloved sport in a safe, and timely manner. having said this, i will never know it all, i have my mentor(s) and i will always listen to input/advice from anyone, no matter what the jump experience is.

Hey Hook: what's your procedures? just curious. i think if they got out of control on me early, way early, i'd deploy them early, (give them the pull signal first) let em' ride it down. Richard "Gravity Is My Friend"

i only have one objection to tunnel prior to, or during aff, afp, iaf, whatever the program, my problem with it is the "newbies" may think freefall will last for ever, and eventually someone will lose altitude awareness. this is my toughts and opinions only. take care, be safe everyone!

a guy in the corp=? your room mate=? where's "bottle cap" alley? congrats are in order here. dave, as you know you have been part of a world renowned tradition that many individuals can never experience. you can now hold your head up high, for the rest of your life. congratulations on your accomplishments, as they are something that will be with you for the rest of your life. now all you have to do is convince your kids to go to A&M.

on each pack, do you trace your steering lines all the way to the toggles to remove the twists? i was experiencing the same thing until i started doing this, just a thought. Richard "Gravity Is My Friend"

**Malcom X convinced a lot of Black Americans that "we were the Devil" that also sparked a lot of hatred and conflicts.** there will always be a Malcolmn X, the present day one's name is Louis Faracon. he swears the white man created the aids virus and sent it to africa to eradicate his people. now i understand some nimrod is drawing up a class action lawsuit to sue white people for enslaving they're ancestors, that's about the most ludicrous thing i've heard this year. nonetheless, that's life. racism is a horrible thing, but it's going to exists, whether we like it or not, and that's a fact. i ignore it, i think it's foolish, but i'm sure my ignoring it will bite me one day. just one man's perspective on the K.K.K., and oppression of any race. (my wife is hispanic, so i guess i'm a mexican lover!)

**Yea, I paid attention, but I hadn't heard any referrence to the 3 S's since my classroom training for my first static line jump, 75 jumps ago.** ************************************************************************ 75 jumps ago? c'mon man, what about your next 75, and the next 75? ************************************************************************ "the "big 3": 3 handles, 3 buckles, 3 rings, a "must before boarding, exiting the aircraft." do NOT become complacent, complancey kills. at deployment the S.S.S. check, you should NEVER have forgotten it, rehearse the big 3, (before boarding the aircraft, until you're sick of it, always do a pin check, (and browse othe jumper's gear as well) and a big 3, and just before jumping, check your handles, not a "quick look" either, take time and visually inspect them, as if your life depended on it, (because it does) always protect you handles as well, i keep my hand on my hackey constantly, before going up, i "get into the zone" and the triple s's under canopy, and make sure you have a hard deck....always. Richard "Gravity Is My Friend"

the elusive jpeg...

go to square one's website, and look at the bonehead "havok" i've bought one, and absolutely love it! you can wear your prescription lenses with it, two internal audible ports, two external audible ports, for the right price! see attached jpeg.

finally, at long last a "brother" in the petroleum industry!

Jack: i applaud you commentary, and even admitting you inadvertently initially reported a tire strike as being erouneous information, hats off bro. sounds like the dz is stepping up to the plate on this one, and handling it well, thanks in large parts to the DZO's, and managers. when a report from the DZ comes out, it puts the stop to a lot of erroneous speculation. accidents happen, we were fortunate no one was hurt, we can build another aircraft, but not another sky diver. in all my years of accident investigation, i have learned that the "initial link" in the "chain" is formed, then another link, leading to a "chain" of events. i always like to go back to the first link and investigate the whole chain, not for curiousity's sake, but so we can obtain data, and improvise ways to insure it never happens again. the sky diving community dodged a bullet, as well as the bird man, accidents are like rattle snakes, there's always two in the bush, now is no time for complacency, stay on your toes, be safe! Richard "Gravity Is My Friend"