JohnMitchell

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Everything posted by JohnMitchell

  1. JohnMitchell
    Can you dive out of the plane, swoop down to a formation, dock gently and hover in place while you turn more points? That's the basic skill level you need to achieve. I've seen freeflyers with 500 jumps who could NOT do those simple tasks. There's no way they could qualify for an AFF instructor rating. If you CAN do those things on your belly, sure, go have some fun freeflying. Make sure you keep track of your altitude, though. Tunnel rats sometimes forget they don't have 2 minutes in the sky. My son was a tunnel instructor when he started AFF. His last two jumps for his A license were coaching ME on my sitflying. No problem, but he had shown excellent altitude awareness on every jump. That, plus growing up at the dropzone, he had a healthy respect for the sport. Some people think they can't get killed.
  2. JohnMitchell
    I remember not really being too shocked, just dismayed at another fatality. Anyone who's jumped with students knows (or should know) they can kill you if you let them. Tom's scenario is why I prefer to never be in the air with more than one noobie at once. It DID start a dialogue about AAD's and how you should use them. I remember Cypres's ad in Parchutist saying "Just turn it on in the morning and forget about it. " When I bought my first AAD years ago my DZO/gear dealer questioned why I, an experienced jumper, was buying one. I said "I'd feel really stupid going in with $1200 left in my checking account." That, of course, was the purchase price back then for an AAD.
  3. JohnMitchell
    Ditto. I know so many women that have body issues that just being outside in their underwear would be extreme enough. Then tack on the skydiving and you have some buzz. Anyway, I didn't really listen to the audio much. I'm glad our sport can be used as a form of therapy. I guess I'm pretty mellowed out after a good day of jumping too.
  4. JohnMitchell
    Agreed. Vskydiver and I like to grab a couple of friends and do 4 way. Beats the group therapy dives all to heck.
  5. JohnMitchell
    As a Southern gentleman, I must tell you, young lady, you have a case of the vapors. . . I think you need a big juicy bacon-wrapped T-steak and baked potato with sour cream. Even if that doesn't fix your problems it's still a helluva great meal.
  6. JohnMitchell
    Tim Tams = very good Oreos = tasty treat Girl Scout Thin Mints = cookie crack
  7. JohnMitchell
    Good Idea. Once from work, once from home.
  8. JohnMitchell
    Good job. Keep going. Someday the thought of them will gross you out and you'll never miss 'em again. Then you'll really be free.
  9. JohnMitchell
    There ya go. Looks like you're in the lead.
  10. JohnMitchell
    Thanks. Good note on straightening the grippers.
  11. JohnMitchell
    My wife builds RW suits. Her materials are supplex, super stretch spandex, pack cloth, some acrylic (for the big boys), some kind of cord stuffing for the grippers and leather on the booties. She recommends cold water, regular cycle, take it out immediately after the end of the spin (don't let it sit and have colors bleed) and hang it up to air dry. Do NOT put it in the dryer. So far she's had no problems with this method.
  12. JohnMitchell
    Dunno. Politics have reared their ugly heads. We went to the last one and had a blast! I would go again if they had another.
  13. JohnMitchell
    Okay, but don't try that with polio or smallpox . . . My sickest years were when my young children began school. I would miss almost 3 weeks a year with one miserable head cold or another that they would bring home from school.
  14. JohnMitchell
    More than once I've had to explain to foreign friends that the first boatload over here was a bunch of Pilgrims, and they kind of set the tone for the whole country.
  15. JohnMitchell
    All that stuff used to be legal in our country. But then we decided to make that, marijuana and, for a while, alcohol illegal in this country. And that's why there is no more prostitution or drug use in our country.
  16. JohnMitchell
    Here's a guy who, in 1998, tried to make a go around with full flaps.
  17. JohnMitchell
    Good eye on that. Flaps would have led to a steeper, higher approach angle. If he was intent on nailing the airspeed, lack of flaps might have made him drop even lower, right?
  18. JohnMitchell
    Remi, you owe me a keyboard!
  19. JohnMitchell
    One joint in particular I can think of. . . Wow, if I were single and purchasing her services, I don't think I'd be happy with just cuddling. That's an apres activity, if you ask me. Good thing I'm married.
  20. JohnMitchell
    Yeah really! There should be separate landing areas, shouldn't there? I've done low level aerobatics and loved it, but that was one wild ride. Sometimes I think the video looks scarier than actually being there.
  21. JohnMitchell
    I didn't SEE a plane all weekend. Cloudy and rainy here. But I smoked some great ribs.
  22. JohnMitchell
    Bless you for doing that. What an solemn, sad honor. I'm not tearing up, really. There was so much joy and pride in her version, wasn't there?
  23. JohnMitchell
    Somebody's gotta know him.
  24. JohnMitchell
    In the late 70's it paid $10/student to teach the s/l FJC. That price continued into the late 90's. I think it pays $15/student now for the AFF FJC. I'm not sure because I only teach once a year. It's not worth my time. . . .
  25. JohnMitchell
    Yep, that's how the new kid got stuck with it. Once we had a hot (ungrounded) mag on the 182. I was flipping the prop thru a few times after the pilot had hit the primer pump. Damn engine kicked over and started up. Good thing I treat a prop like a firearm; they're always loaded. . . I had all my stuff out of the way. I guess I looked pretty pissed off when it happened because the pilot was giving me a very clear "I don't know what happened but don't kill me!" look over the cowling.