JohnMitchell

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Everything posted by JohnMitchell

  1. JohnMitchell
    They had her doing a dead hang, and being in pretty good shape she did well. I'm not familiar with the flexed arm hang. How flexed, and for how long?
  2. JohnMitchell
    At the state fair the Marines have a booth where you can do chin ups on a bar to win prizes. 5 will get you a USMC lanyard, 10 will get the hat, and 20 will get the t-shirt. No cheating doing those Crossfit half chins. These are full up, full down. My dozen chinups got me the hat. My 20-something daughter, being a female, only had to "hang from the bar" for 60 seconds to get the t-shirt. . . Even the Marines are going double standard.
  3. JohnMitchell
    Thanks. I have a lot to be modest about.
  4. JohnMitchell
    When the trees get to be a certain size, I know it's time for the reserve. This advice does not work at Eloy, Perris, etc.
  5. JohnMitchell
    If you're in imminent danger of hitting an obstacle or building, you're probably not in the traffic pattern for most landing areas, so that may be a small comfort. I have seen people fly THROUGH the landing pattern on their way to land in a different area. Those are some of the scariest people ever, because there is NO predicting just what in the hell they intend.
  6. JohnMitchell
    In today's crowded skies, S-turns on final are about as safe as weaving across all the lanes of traffic on the freeway during rush hour.
  7. JohnMitchell
    I tried to do my part, 3 girls and a boy.
  8. JohnMitchell
    I didn't know they were trying women in the Rangers. Probably not a good idea if they can't meet the basic requirements. Didn't the Israeli Army find the women, though capable of combat, reduced the effectiveness because the men worried too much about them? We're probably going to SC with this.
  9. JohnMitchell
    One person pointed out that she is a former Olympic athlete, very celebrated for that, who is holding her head high in the face of prejudice from many people over a physical trait she can't control. They drew a parallel to Jackie Robinson, who, of course, led the integration of major league baseball in this country. Not saying it's exactly the same, but food for thought.
  10. JohnMitchell
    Sublime. (And all these posters trying sound so disparaging towards Red Bull would gladly sacrifice a testicle for the opportunity to fly like that.) I know a number of the Red Bull folks and they are very talented, some of the best. With that said, that video, though visually very cool, was not the extreme experience I thought I was clicking on. Heck, a regular jumper like me could have done that one. But like one friend of mine who's done quite a bit of skydiving stunt work for Hollywood said, it's not about how dangerous the stunt is, but how you sell it.
  11. JohnMitchell
    Was one of them making a hook turn? What was the wing loading? Seriously, this kind of thing happens quite a bit. There are about 25 midair collisions, almost always between small VFR aircraft, every year in this country, usually within 5 miles of the airport. And people wonder why I jump out.
  12. JohnMitchell
    I saw the cover pic but haven't really followed the story. That's what I love about TV remotes and the internet, always something else if you're bored with what you're watching.
  13. JohnMitchell
    Well there you go. As I watch the decades go by, I'm glad that our society is becoming more accepting of those whose lives are different from the mainstream. I've seen friends wrestling with questions of their own sexual identity, causing all kinds of problems in their lives. I'm hoping someday everyone will be comfortable being who they are. Currently it still takes a bit of courage to come out of that closet, but it's getting easier, IMHO. At the same time, "hero" is a word bandied about lightly. I would like to see it used more sparingly.
  14. JohnMitchell
    Why, he's the very definition of flying Solo.
  15. JohnMitchell
    Don't be a hater, Johnny. BTW, the last one was man boobs. Ya into bears?
  16. JohnMitchell
    Coke may be "the real thing" but I'm sure a lot of those were fake.
  17. JohnMitchell
    Light pollution is getting more and more attention. There's a group called Dark Skies, I believe, that campaigns for more awareness of and action on this issue. Small changes in building and public lighting can make big differences in the night sky. Camping way back in the mountains in Utah gave some great views of the stars too.
  18. JohnMitchell
    WTF? I hear reports of his death have been greatly exaggerated.
  19. JohnMitchell
    All of those things are too new-fangled for the USPA.
  20. JohnMitchell
    Wow, come to our DZ in WA state. I'd say 35-40% women, quite a few AFF instructors and TI's are women. Hey, as far as your jump... 1. Practice the dive flow on the ground until it becomes automatic, without thinking. 2. In the airplane, spend your spare time visualizing the PERFECT jump, over and over, slo mo, full speed, whatever. Don't fill your head with a bunch of negative "what ifs" on the way up. 3. When you exit, ARCH, breathe, smile, relax, then do your circle of awareness. You have plenty of time. Don't rush. Good luck.
  21. JohnMitchell
    I hate to say it, but Zak had a track record of not turning on his AAD when he could get away with it. The AAD spoiled the "purity" of the experience for him. I talked to him when he was filling out his waiver but didn't see him again. I've said it a hundred times. No one can see the future. In our sport you need to play the odds. The odds favor people using RSLs and AADs.
  22. JohnMitchell
  23. JohnMitchell
    To think that 80 years ago we thought our galaxy, the Milky Way, was all there was in the entire universe. We live in an amazing age of discovery, unmatched by any other.
  24. JohnMitchell
    6 days, man, that's a long time to be PIC.
  25. JohnMitchell
    Riding up in the Twin Otter today doing a Level 1 AFF and one of the other instructors shakes several tic-tacs into my palm. I go to toss them in my mouth but duh! my Cookie G3 blocks my hand. One tic-tac goes in my mouth, the other two . . . somewhere. We're on jump run, so I ignore it, get my guy ready and we jump out and do a nice little first jump. Soon as the pilot chute leaves his hand and inflates, I'm out there, tracking flat and fast. Suddenly a pair of tic-tacs appear right in front of my nose, bouncing around inside the visor, bobbling in the breeze. I don't know if it was my tongue or just luck, but I managed to snap one in my mouth and start chewing before I had to wave and pull. Great little game to play while you're tracking off.