JohnMitchell

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Everything posted by JohnMitchell

  1. JohnMitchell
    Was it originally the manufacturers or FAA that required it? Before the USPA took over? I had to carry a class 2 at my job, so I didn't have to go out and get the 3.
  2. JohnMitchell
    What Piisfish said, basically. There are 2 DZ's in our area. One is a wanna-be tandem mill that wishes the fun jumpers would go away. The other is a twin turbine DZ that does tandems, AFF and tons of fun jumping. The owners are all fun jumpers themselves and make sure they provide the capacity to get everyone in the air. Their jump tickets are $3 less than the first DZ. Each DZ is exactly 60.0 miles from my driveway. Guess which one I go to.
  3. JohnMitchell
    Too bad the instructor didn't let you grab the toggles and steer the canopy. I let almost every student help me fly the canopy around and I think it really helps to hold off the motion sickness, putting them in control. It's safe to do, too, and I think they get more out of the jump that way.
  4. JohnMitchell
    I own mostly Fords and do a lot of my own work. It's not too hard. Do you have a manual for your Audi? That can help a lot.
  5. JohnMitchell
    A little self doubt is normal and fine. You can hold heading, your unwanted turn was minor, don't worry about it. You are so steep on the learning curve right now I predict you'll do twice as well on your level 4. Remember, your experience level is almost doubling with each jump when you're this new in the sport. Whatever you do, arch, breathe, relax, watch altitude and pull.
  6. JohnMitchell
  7. JohnMitchell
    Welcome back. Get (or rent) modern gear with an AAD, do a complete review of all your emergency procedures and dive flow, and make sure you're comfortable with whatever choice you make for your return jumps. I bet it will be like you never left.
  8. JohnMitchell
    Their clients are the TI candidates. The IE's should not concern themselves with what some DZ's may or may not want, or the USPA may or may not want, but with doing their job to certify TI's properly. I know, I know, this is all pretty politically naive on my part.
  9. JohnMitchell
    And the snow blowing is still a little slow. Welcome back, Cocheese.
  10. JohnMitchell
    Damn, that's a shame. He was good. I enjoyed many of his great stories. . . I'm guessing heart attack. He always seemed, in his photos, to be enjoying the good like.
  11. JohnMitchell
    Absolutely.
  12. JohnMitchell
    The reason I teach to "chop" the total is because my DZO tells me to. Fine. It's their DZ, their student program. Why didn't your DZO curb Mr. Moron teaching that crap?
  13. JohnMitchell
    Hmmm, seems you can hear a loud bike in any direction, really. Those little straight pipes aren't exactly sonic lasers.
  14. JohnMitchell
    That would be cool. I've never met Bob in person, but I got to ride in his Mustang "Ole Yeller", now owned by John Bagley in Rexburg, ID.
  15. JohnMitchell
    That sure gets your attention, doesn't it? When doing my drogue fall handle checks, I often find it hard to get to cutaway and reserve handles while the student is arching w/shoulders back. That's one reason I like to "tap" their arms back into the harness while I deploy. So far I've got about 6 tandem cutaways, one a high speed streamer, and have had no problem finding the handles.> Thanks for sharing your experience with us.
  16. JohnMitchell
    That would be me . . . again. And yes, I know how to spot.
  17. JohnMitchell
    Or just a fast acting RSL? I couldn't tell either. Nice screen grab, BTW.Thanks. Boy, that sure looked like bad packing to me, but I'm no expert. Sometimes $hit does happen, and that was $HIT! I noticed you stayed with it for a while. Were you pumping the toggles a couple of times?
  18. JohnMitchell
    Downsizing? Heck, at your weight that would be more like "appropriate sizing." Seriously. If you were at my DZ I'd have you on a 220 at most, maybe a 200. That's still a .95 wing loading, assuming 30 pounds of gear. That's under the limit for an A license and you would probably enjoy it more. Strength? Can you actually do chinups? Most women do not come into our sport with the upper body strength men do. No matter how good of shape you're in, hitting the weights won't hurt.
  19. JohnMitchell
    Kinda gotta agree with ya there, Squeaky.
  20. JohnMitchell
    Perfect example, thanks.
  21. JohnMitchell
    Cute video. Now come make one with me. I'll give you an altimeter and let you open the main canopy, check canopy and fly it. Then I'll teach you the AFF FJC.
  22. JohnMitchell
    Yep, French jumper.
  23. JohnMitchell
    We've got a number of jumpers in the NW that jumped out of the bomb bay when a B-17 was making the rounds up here. Lots of video, lots of smiles. One friend didn't get to jump because the bomb bay doors wouldn't open. He had to land with the plane so they gave him a full refund. Is it the Collins Foundation flying those around? Anyway, give 'em a call and ask. I keep debating. $450 is a lot of dough but why not?
  24. JohnMitchell
    15 YO boys don't have hips like that. Sure, they're skinny, but beautiful women come in all sizes, Squeaky. I don't judge, I just enjoy.
  25. JohnMitchell
    Maybe he's started to do his "checks of 3" now.