skycat

One of my big things is one who will let me watch him pack it. I have no problem bring my rig to his/her house when it is convenient for them. In the last 2 1/2 years in the sport I have had only 2 pack jobs that I didn't get to watch be packed one was my 2nd pack job cause the DZ had just lost it's rigger and I didn't know any others, and the 2nd one was by a rigger that I had already seen pack it several times. Just from doing that I've learned so much about my gear, and how it needs to be packed to be comfortable. (ie. my reflex harness is extremely small and if not packed with TONS up in the ears I can't stand putting it on my back) I also avoid ones that whine that my mirage is to hard to pack cause it's "hard to close". That just makes me feel like they might not do as good of a job as they could cause they don't want to be packing it. So someone who jumps the kind of rig I do is someone I will go to first. The rigger who was the best at packing my reflex where it was super comfy and the pop top never loosened up jumped a reflex. I now jump a mirage, and my current rigger jumps a micron and is planning to get a mirage, beautiful pack jobs everytime and the reserve pin cover flap is always flat doesn't do that bend thing to get into pocket.

Well since some people are wondering, yes I made it to Denver in one cute little piece.

Depending on your local rigger you may be able to buy a lineset from PD and have your local rigger replace them. It may save you a bit in shipping costs and turn around time.

Chris is right it takes alot to make a hard pull on the Reflex. My reflex pretty rarely needs a tightening, but about a week or 2 before the last pack job it was looking a little loose so Derek tightened it for me. Well that next weekend when we went to repack it, we decided to use a spring scale to measure the pull force, (I was worried that it might have been a hard pull), so he made sure the pop top was still snug and with the spring scale we popped it. Pull force was 14.5 lbs, my mirage is around 20 lbs, so unless you really crank down and bend the pin (which btw is supposedly easier to bend than other pins(not possitive just what I've heard from several riggers)) tightening the pop top should not create a hard pull.

I can't wait for the one in AZ to open. I've already got several Eloy trips planned into my winter schedule.

Ok I know this is way way late, but I haven't had computer access in like a week. Anyway, did a tracking dive with hooknswoop to see who could track the farthest and flatest......Ummm...guess who one. Nope it wasn't Mr. super tracker......that's right....I kicked his butt!!!! *happy dance*

Ummm...how about cutting a hole in the slider?

Hmmmm.....you know it's a close one. Lets see....on the VX about 120 sq ft for the top and bottom, and I'd give it another 60 for the ribs which brings us to 180. Now how thick is that airfoil and how big are those crossbraces?? Dang...look what happens when I leave town and he has to much time on his hands.....Hey Derek.....Where is my weight belt since you have so much free time.

Ok I have a question. Lets say you are 5 inches from the end of the seam and you run out of thread. Ok so you take all the stiches out and start over. Now you have a piece of nylon with a whole bunch of holes then you put the material back together and restich. So now you have 2 sets of holes for the same seam, cause it's next to impossible to put those holes exactly back on top of one another. How does that effect the durability of the fabric, meaning with the extra holes does that leave a seam that could potentially fail or not really the seam itself, but the extra holes along the seam? Kelli

Here's the post on how to check the lengths for front riser turns. Well I just re-read that post and the only thing missing is to try the front riser turn without your toggles at altitude, then try it again with toggles. If the pressure is less without toggles your brakelines are to short. Remember do this at altitude.

Richard you learned via AFP right? In AFF after the student/main side JM pulls the Main side JM is suppose to track away and the reserve side JM hangs on until the student is ripped out of his/her hands by the canopy. so the Main side JM is doing the right thing, he/the student pulled and he is turning to track away. Which leaves the reserve side JM to deal with the mess behind the student if there really was one. That pic was probably taken the second after the ripcord was pulled.

Jessica, It makes perfect sense, my first 50 jumps I used a weight vest, then after learning how to fly my body efficiently quit using it. Now that I'm learning to fly the mantis position I need a weight belt (Mirage is too heavy to have it and weight vest on, plus it sits better where my arch is). I'm guessing I'll be wearing that for about 30 jumps or some tunnel time which ever comes first, as I figure out this new position. Btw, for the question on students wearing weight vests. I know some instructors that have no problem putting lead on students, especially if they are small and tend float. The canopy size isn’t an issue either in those cases cause usually the student is WAY under loading the canopy (i.e. me under a 215 at .5:1).

I have no idea, but he was the DZOs son, so other than the rigger having a little talking to with him not much else was done. Supposedly though, he started getting lazy and it was easier for him to keep manage the spring with the bridle out of the way. Of course once he started jumping and had to jump his own pack jobs he suddenly lost the nick name spanky, cause that boy could make even the softest opening canopy slam the shit out of you.

Actually I saw a video where the student pulled the ripcord and the pilotchute came out but didn't launch. The JM grabbed the pilotchute and pulled it out and tossed it into the airstream which launched it. As it turned out one of the packers had been stuffing the bridal between the bottom of the reserved container and the d-bag causeing the bridal to be stuck and not allowing the pilotchute to launch.

Yeah but trust me they aren't going to tell you when they are going to totally change the body style, I bought a Ford Mustang in the curvy muscle body style in late 97, well just a year later they totally changed the style to the boxy one of today. Yes they do come out with a new "model" every year, but only every few years do they totally redesign the model. Did they tell me they were going to change it no, but on the other hand I think the new body style is ugly and am very glad that I have the curvy one. Only thing that sucks is I'm going to be in the market for a new car in a year or so and unless they change the mustang again it is not going to be on the list.

I can think of one landing that should have broken both of your femurs last year.

no no no...it's starts...."So there I was... No shit! Thought I was gonna die!....Had just told bubba to hold my beer......"

*cough* post whore *cough*

damn that chick looks like my neighbor......wonder if she owns a greyhound

Oh my god....she has lost so much weight since then...I never noticed...I mean I knew she was thinner, but DAMN

DOAH!!! And just wait until I get my photoshop working....we will never get out of the dog house.

I wonder if that was his revenge.... Things that make you go ..... Hmmmmm

shit I think it worked....happy hour just crashed.

here you go sweety...here is more recent one of not only me, but the other girl you rarely see....Susan

ohhhh.....it's SUSA!!!!! I so wish I could still be here for the reunion.