Ron

The GKs are (for those who want to know). Brooks Weiner John Hoover Scott Janise Matt Davidson And to be honest...I can't tell who the last person is....Anyone, anyone...Bueler....Bueler? Anyone know if Scott was in slot or video? "No free man shall ever be debarred the use of arms." -- Thomas Jefferson, Thomas Jefferson Papers, 334

Someone give this man a prize......He gets it...But he thought he knew enough at 100 jumps though huh? Some people wonder why I am hard on newbies when they give advice.... Most times its cause they have no idea what they are talking about, and can cause more harm than good. Hell I have been teaching since 1995....And if a student asks me a question...I direct them to THEIR instructor. Way to many times we get all excited and try to help...Many times our "help" causes more problems than it fixes. I was doing a tandem for a friend....She kept telling "advice" to the tandem student...You see my friend sucked under canopy....I mean really sucked...And she was afraid of her canopy control. She talked about it so much that the tandem student was becoming afraid....She transfered her fears to the student, and while trying to "help" made the student more afraid. I had to tell her to stop talking to the student...She didn't...She still tried to "help" her friend...I told her to shut up and not to talk to my student....She told me it was her friend and she would talk to her if she wanted to...she was trying to "help"...I told her that she had now scarred her friend..And that if she said one more word to her about canopy control...I was not taking the student up. She also tried to teach the tandem student the Mantis position...and planned a really cool side buddies dive with the student.....Uh No. If you don't know...don't teach...If you think you know but don't have the ratings...you don't know. If you have 100 jumps....you know barely enough to keep yourself alive..... You don't know enough to give advice....Don't. "No free man shall ever be debarred the use of arms." -- Thomas Jefferson, Thomas Jefferson Papers, 334

worst kind of jump to ever be on.... Or I could just REALLY suck at spelling.... Take your pick "No free man shall ever be debarred the use of arms." -- Thomas Jefferson, Thomas Jefferson Papers, 334

Where can I find the charts for the Shipley IQ test..I ran a search...but I found a bunch of crap, nothing really good. "No free man shall ever be debarred the use of arms." -- Thomas Jefferson, Thomas Jefferson Papers, 334

Nope. Lets look at it. I don't get agitated before a skydive.....I have a plan, and know the risks..and have accepted them. I know I might die on any jump...Im ok with that. I have no kids, and my parents will have gobs of money from my insurance to pay off any debts I might have. Why would I get anxious??? I have done this 3,000 times. Its like when you are 16 and your Dad let you take the car to the store to get milk...you were happy as can be. You cranked up the radio and "cruzed" to the store. Now you go...DAMN! Im out of milk and I *have* to drive to the store. Its not fun anymore....Its the same event..But now it's not exciting. The reason? You have done it a bunch, and its no longer new to you. Same thing for me. After over 3,000 jumps a normal boggie jump, is down right boring. So no, I don't get scared...I never felt fear on a regular jump. I knew the risks, but I also knew that training could save me...So I trained like hell and was not afraid. But lest be honest...you don't know how you will be in another 2,500 jumps. That eveything you have done in this sport X4. You have no idea what you will think of feel then..Chances are you will never even get that many jumps. USPA has only given out 1148 Double Diamond Wings in over 40 years. What makes you think you will get a pair? And you can be aware of the dangers and not be afraid of them. Some guy here has a great sig line... You don't have to be afraid of the sport to respect it. "No free man shall ever be debarred the use of arms." -- Thomas Jefferson, Thomas Jefferson Papers, 334

Have you ever read my posts? I spell like shit...That would explain it. Nope, just fact....A normal skydive does not scare me.....Never did..But that ME, not everyone....Plus, several folks can't tell the difference between fear and other strong emotions. I am a very harsh person. I tell it as I see it....This sport is very harsh....Life is very harsh. I don't intend to slam people...I just say what I think. "No free man shall ever be debarred the use of arms." -- Thomas Jefferson, Thomas Jefferson Papers, 334

Then stop reading my posts. There are new folks on here every day....You don't like what I write...don't read it. Enough said. "No free man shall ever be debarred the use of arms." -- Thomas Jefferson, Thomas Jefferson Papers, 334

I was not...And it did bother the guys at the DZ. I was going to do it anyway, I trained like hell, other had done it before me and lived. So I had no fear of dying. I knew I could...But like I said I was going anyway. My first BASE was the same way..My first Solo in a plane the same way. It takes a EVENT outside of what I EXPECT to scare me. A "normal" skydive never did. Low pulls...Yes. Mals...Yes. Some jackass in freefall 10 feet from my canopy...Yes. Some jackass cutting me off on final...Yes. Regular skydive...No. "No free man shall ever be debarred the use of arms." -- Thomas Jefferson, Thomas Jefferson Papers, 334

Well, I guess Im brain dead...Cause I don't lie. OR...It could be I have done this 2,500 more times than you, and I know what I am doing. So am I lying, brain dead, or just more experienced? "No free man shall ever be debarred the use of arms." -- Thomas Jefferson, Thomas Jefferson Papers, 334

No. And thats you. I was not. "No free man shall ever be debarred the use of arms." -- Thomas Jefferson, Thomas Jefferson Papers, 334

I have seen enough folks get killed rushing out to buy the new toy as soon as it comes on the market (Nova, Micro Raven-M, Crossfire1). I have seen many others just get big dissapointments (Neptune, ASTRA). That *I WILL NOT* be the first on the block with a new toy. If you and all the other guys just *Have* to have the new toy..thats fine. Some ideas workout fine (3 rings...even though they even had issues) And after about two years if you guys are still alive...Then I would consider the Vigil..Or ANY new product safe enough for me to buy. So my tone is....If in two years you guys are not dead cause of it, or really disappointed with it..Then I might buy one. Anyone still buying ASTRAS? AND I think its foolish to run out and buy the new unproven toys. AND I really hope you are not the first to get killed from it if it is dangerous and kills folks. After the last guy died from a Nova...I bet his family didn't feel better when Glide Path grounded them...then said they were fine, and closed their doors. The simple fact is you don't know enough about new products to know if in "real world" use it is safe. No one does. Simple as that...Maybe Im just a guy that does not like to push the limits and risk my life more than needed. And I think jumping unproven products is risking your life more than needed. What the hell would I know? I have only been doing this 10 years, and seen people die due to having the new toys. For the record, I did test jumps for two different manufactorers. In those cases..I didn't pay for the equipment, and I KNEW I was a test jumper and all hell could break lose. Like I said what do I know...Have fun, and I really hope if there are issues that you are not one of the ones to die or be dissapointed. "No free man shall ever be debarred the use of arms." -- Thomas Jefferson, Thomas Jefferson Papers, 334

Would you not agree that new products often have "new" issues? I personally will not the same price for a product that is new and has not been through "field trials". This is not just about AAD's or even CYPRES vs VIGIL....Its about new product sometimes not living up to the hype...Or even being dangerous. The ASTRA came out and promissed all this hype, and it never really lived up to it. The Neptune had some big issues. The issues with the Ravens blowing up, and the BS line attachment point fix. Novas...well do I have to go there? Original Crossfires. All I am saying is that I am not going to buy new products till they have been proven. You are an adult, and can make your own choice. However, in the last 10 years I have seen folks rush out to get the newest latest toys...Some of them are dead due to them. Many more were just disappointed. Thanks for being my beta test guy. I hope it does not kill you. "No free man shall ever be debarred the use of arms." -- Thomas Jefferson, Thomas Jefferson Papers, 334

Then my bad. I guess I got him and another poster confused....I do that sometimes. "No free man shall ever be debarred the use of arms." -- Thomas Jefferson, Thomas Jefferson Papers, 334

Any other issues such as it being set wrong? Bad Batteries? Missing its checks? What was it blamed on? Are you paying retail for it? If so why a Vigil, and not a CYPRES? Which BTW the CYPRES 2 has already had some minor issues. "No free man shall ever be debarred the use of arms." -- Thomas Jefferson, Thomas Jefferson Papers, 334

I think he is talking NORMAL jumping...Like the "What the Hell am I doing? type"...I have never been afraid of skydiving. I have had things scare me...such as a jackass cutting me off. I never get scared of jumping. Its like driving a car for me. But there are EVENTS even driving that scare me. "No free man shall ever be debarred the use of arms." -- Thomas Jefferson, Thomas Jefferson Papers, 334

To get the right stats...you would have to use all roads or just jumps from a Cessna. And where did you get the 1.163 per 1,000 jumps? "No free man shall ever be debarred the use of arms." -- Thomas Jefferson, Thomas Jefferson Papers, 334

Never....And SKYDIVING is one word. If you know the risks...And how to reduce them. and accept the fact you may die anyway..And really accept that. There is no fear. "No free man shall ever be debarred the use of arms." -- Thomas Jefferson, Thomas Jefferson Papers, 334

I can't think of a true CYPRES misfire. I know of some that did not work. But they were due to lack of maintenance, or bad batteries. I don't consider a low main pull a "misfire"...You did not deploy your main at an altitude that it was designed for you to be opening at. However this unit seem to have had one low main pull fire, one rigger caused error, and now a misfire at 3 grand. It all just goes to show why I say never be the first kid on the block with the new toy. It still has bugs, riggers don't know how to handle them yet, and they have not proven its reliability. I don't want to pay 1,000.00 to jump a device that is unproven, and could kill me. "No free man shall ever be debarred the use of arms." -- Thomas Jefferson, Thomas Jefferson Papers, 334

Im really not trying to slam you. But you would quit if you could not have an AAD? "No free man shall ever be debarred the use of arms." -- Thomas Jefferson, Thomas Jefferson Papers, 334

Rumor has it that that unit had also not been in for its 4 year and was over due. "No free man shall ever be debarred the use of arms." -- Thomas Jefferson, Thomas Jefferson Papers, 334

You can do it. You will never be the best. You may not be current enough to be the safest. But you can do it. Things do ave to give way. Money will run out. Time will run out. But it can be done. I started flying R/C airplanes again.. And to be honest I would rather fly them than skydive at times. Skydiving has gotten a little boring. "No free man shall ever be debarred the use of arms." -- Thomas Jefferson, Thomas Jefferson Papers, 334

No problem..I understand you are trying to help me... As for the Skydiving club... He is at USF, I am at the University of Phoenix. If I can help I will, but Im not a student at USF so I don't know what I can really do. "No free man shall ever be debarred the use of arms." -- Thomas Jefferson, Thomas Jefferson Papers, 334

Its about kids skydiving. It turned into Kids on a DZ.. I have been a kid...And I have been jumping 10 years. You have kids so you know more about them than me... But you know NOTHING about most DZ's. And very little of the ONE you have jumped at. Keep your head in the sand and think its all good. Im not replying again. In fact Im not EVER going to discuss anything with you again. You think you know it all, so why should I even bother? Im just waisting breath. "No free man shall ever be debarred the use of arms." -- Thomas Jefferson, Thomas Jefferson Papers, 334

You don't know ANYTHING about skydiving yet. Yet you act like you know it all already.... Yes, you know more about kids than me.. But you know SQUAT about DZ's I am done...I am not going to argue with a "know it all" And you claim to listen, but don't. "No free man shall ever be debarred the use of arms." -- Thomas Jefferson, Thomas Jefferson Papers, 334

Again you want to argue about something you don't know about... So, Im done here. You think you are right....Fine. Its not my kids. But my kids (If I ever have any...Don't count on it) Will NOT be hanging out at the DZ... But what the hell would I know about DZ's? I have only been to like 50 DZ's over the course of 10 years. You have been to what two over less than a year? Feel free to think that you know more...like I said they are not my kids. again Im done here, I hate to argue with someone that already "knows" it all. "No free man shall ever be debarred the use of arms." -- Thomas Jefferson, Thomas Jefferson Papers, 334