JohnMitchell

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Everything posted by JohnMitchell

  1. JohnMitchell
    This . . . "So. . . you gonna go for it?"
  2. JohnMitchell
    I like to lurk in the General Skydiving forum and sort out bad advice. .
  3. JohnMitchell
    I know that feeling very well. Super congratulations to you.
  4. JohnMitchell
    >>
  5. JohnMitchell
    That's where you are very wrong. Reread cloud clearance requirements. 500' below (no, your jump plane can not legally skim the bases as they let you out) and 2000' laterally. That's about 4/10th's of a statute mile. You are not allowed to "just miss them" or especially JUMP through them legally. The FAA has some very stiff ($K) fines for people doing that. I know what happens in the real world, yes, but don't be saying it's fine to do. It can lead to the other kinds of fines. Plus I've seen operations under FAA scrutiny have to halt operations on some of the nicest days, because of a thin scattered layer at 6000', one that could be safely, but not LEGALLY, jumped thru. I think that's a big problem and a real waste of regulation. And you're right about those pointy raindrops. They really DO hurt...
  6. JohnMitchell
    Flying a canopy in clouds can be hairy, yes, but freefalling thru them can be done safely.
  7. JohnMitchell
    I had a similar experience years ago, having to move around too much in a very cramped Twin Otter. Good advice from you. I make sure to not only check my handle, but will cover it with my hand as much as possible while moving around and lining up in the door.
  8. JohnMitchell
    Pretty clear to me. I think our Johnny just misread.
  9. JohnMitchell
    I read those too. Looking around that website makes me feel like a light weight.
  10. JohnMitchell
    I heard Darpa was thinking these robots would make great ammo carriers over rough terrain. The two robots together gave me terminator thoughts too. Are these machines autonomous or guided by a remote operator?
  11. JohnMitchell
    Ahhh, semper paratus, eh Billy? Funny read.
  12. JohnMitchell
    Hey, my kid's polite. Ladies first.
  13. JohnMitchell
    Ugh, I had forgotten that they're actually in there. I personally still find them horribly confusing. But at least you try to make the best of it and explain. I was teaching skydiving long before they wrote the SIM. I'll keep saying it my way. . . Man, there I go. I'm a f-ing dinosaur.
  14. JohnMitchell
    I heard you were climbing with some good lookin' guy.
  15. JohnMitchell
    Thanks to everyone for all the good info in this thread. I will continue to give my drogues maximum huck.
  16. JohnMitchell
    Thanks for posting that. Is it ironic that this caveman of a tech guy make a clicky for you?
  17. JohnMitchell
    Possibly. I've never really liked that convoluted statement. I've always said "When it's time to pull, PULL!" Then I might add "It would be nice to be stable, but it's more important to pull." BTW, that advice goes double for reserve ripcords. ..
  18. JohnMitchell
    That's written on a word doc on my computer. No, actually it's just an electronic keypad. I can remember 6 numbers.
  19. JohnMitchell
    Years ago a friend of mine, rigger, instructor and also military jumper, jumpmastered a coworker wearing military static line gear (direct bag, round canopy) on a jump from a hot air balloon. He said the main opened super quickly, much faster than he thought it would.
  20. JohnMitchell
    Pretty good outline of what needs to be refreshed. I also include just the usual opening flow of line twists, hung up slider, and closed end cells. One technique I use in doing refresher training is to ask the student to "tell me about obstacle landings" or "show me what you do after you deploy". This lets them actively demonstrate, always a better refresher than passively listening. You can observe and correct, filling in any knowledge gaps, without boring them with the whole lesson plan they may already know. Saves a lot of time. What are the 3 Freefall Priorities? I'm unfamiliar with that phrase.
  21. JohnMitchell
    Well, my wife is a good cook but we certainly share those duties. I've seen a few couples where the man does the majority of the cooking, though. One thing is that I can clean a kitchen in no time.
  22. JohnMitchell
    Uh oh, does this mean several major air carriers are actually hobbies? I have a great accountant that helps me write off all of my business expenses, including repacks, mileage, occasional hotel rooms and more from my annual skydiving income. But I still make some profit every year.
  23. JohnMitchell
    One of the most common weaknesses I observe in some instructors is this one right here. Some of them rarely correct the student who demonstrates tasks poorly or incorrectly. Too many times my "dirt dive" time with AFF 1's ends up being "retraining" time. Train 'em well and your job gets much easier. Edited to add that any practice towards the rating is good practice. You can even practice roll overs on the carpet with a friend wearing a rig and spin stops using creepers. It's not quite the wind tunnel but it lets you work on the technique and practice sight picture. Another thing is to work on flying aggressively. We often worry too much on our belly jumps about making soft docks and not moving the formation. AFF is a different mind-set. If you need to be somewhere, you need to be there NOW.
  24. JohnMitchell
    I went from a 3 car garage with 1 car in it to a 2 car garage with 1 car in it. Gone is the cabinet saw, sawhorses and reloading bench. Still trying to get my 2 car garage under control. The neighborhood garage sale is this July and I plan to make the most of it. Plus, planning a backyard shed to take the lawnmower, trimmer and a bunch of other garden tools out. Too many hobbies, from beer brewing to reloading. Too much business and charity stuff, including a silk screen set up and lots of Vskydiver's jumpsuit manufacturing supplies. Funny, you spend 30 years accumulating stuff just to spend the next couple of decades getting rid of it.
  25. JohnMitchell
    Great presentation so far. Gonna pause it and go jumping, though. I'll finish it tonight.