skycat

One of the the guys who is a cop here in town and used to jump brought out his lazer gun and clocked Derek doing 90 under his VX 60. Not sure where in the hook that it was clocked at, but Derek right now thinks he is able to go faster, cause at the time he only had 6 jumps on the canopy, and now he has something like 600.

Actually I don't watch the lifetime channel either, I prefer Tech TV or the Learning channel or even the old plain jane Discovery channel.....but NOOOOOOOO....it's always discovery wings.....he must suffer and there is no better way than making him watch lifetime....MUahahahahaha

Thinking of things Whuffos would buy.....my boyfriend and another guy did hop and pops, and after landing we were walking past a group of whuffos, when one asked why they got out early? My Boyfriend said cause the plane was to heavy so a few had to get out so the rest could get to altitude. Her responce was "Well that makes sence"....

Noooooo.....shhhhhhhh.....don't even say that channels name... It's evil pure evil, sucks in unsuspecting skydivers. Go to my boyfriends at what is on TV....Discovery Wings....Get home from a day of jumping....Discovery Wings....He is doing rigging work, and guess what is on TV....Yup...Discovery Wings.....What is worse is his Roommate watches it too...Only time it isn't on is when movies for guys who like movies is on. That does it I'm going on strike, no home cooked meals from me until they turn on Lifetime

I would actually suggest posting over in the gear and rigging asking about the difference, or what people like or don't like about sabres and triathalons.

Oh exactly, I never actually landed backwards, but there is a sickening feeling at 50 ft and you are going backwards. Wait let me correct that I never landed backwards after I stopped jumping student gear. Anyway winds are something we basically have to learn from experience, I was lucky I learned at a smaller DZ where everyone was family, so if someone said "I would reconsider jumping" I definately went back and looked at the winds, the direction, and how other people were landing. About 90% of the time I ended up pulling off the load. Still to this day I won't go up if don't think it is safe for me, even though thier are loads going up. It is odd though how when I say no I'm not going up the winds are to high or to turbulent, a bunch of other people pull themselves off loads.

With no lead? My exit weight was/is about 120 I backed up well atleast came strait down all the time under my 150 if the winds were over 15, and I never jumped if the winds were over 18. Or maybe more accurately if the wind sock was standing strait out, I was just hanging on the ground. Kelli

Are you the Tiffany that I'm thinking of, long blond hair, bought my old black with pink grippers jumpsuit? Anyway, especially if you are, I put about 100 jumps on a Sabre 135 and also about 100 on a Saber 150. I would suggest staying with the 135 just for the ability to jump in wind. I remember you having a super hard time getting threw student status due to winds. I never had a line over but several times I've had tons of line twists and the canopy was super docile. As for the triathalon I would suggest talking to Diane I'm not sure if you know her, she is about our size blond short hair married to Scott the really tall guy who shoots video, and I think is going to be on a 4 way team out there. She has something like 500 jumps all on triathalons anywhere from a 160 to a 120. Kelli

Well I didn't jump my old crossfire 116 after the mod since my new crossfire 104 was done before my new lineset was ready (I had spectra lines). But the new one flies pretty much the same as the old one, only big difference was the flare was so deep that my arms were almost all the way down before it started to plane out. Had another jumper jump it, and he said the factory mark had already taken into consideration front riser turns, and since I have short arms and don't use front risers yet, we took an inch or so off and she flared like a banshee. He said though that the front riser presure was a little higher, but not much, but we both agreed that the openings were squirly, and much harder than the old one. (He had jumped my old one when the service bullitin came out to see if anything was wrong with it). Basically I like my new one, but would love to have my super soft openings back. Kelli

I see you jump in Houston, if you jump at Spaceland you are already probably jumping a Saber 150. The person to ask would be Chris Miller out there, he probably was not only your instructor, but one of the best canopy pilots out there. If you jump at Skydive Houston, you probably were under a 230 Superboat, but they do have a 190 rental rig for after student status, to help you start downsizing. Also within the next 2 weeks or so the canopy school out there will be starting up and it has tons to help a new jumper threw that period after student status. kelli

Yep I owe beer too...My new little 104 arrived Friday and Saturday put my first few jumps on it. Heck I've already got my landing off out of the way, since the first 2 jumps on it I wasn't allowed to land in the landing area, and both times had to land down by the houses/hangars. Yeah I know I should have done hop and pops, but with $12 jumps I was going all the way up.

If you do it sweety, I'll help you out with Dog food/puppy food. Heck I'll even help nurse them back to health. I'm 2 for 2 with my blue heeler and persian on that end.

Definately talk to someone who has jumped your type of canopy. As you know I normally jump a crossfire, actually this weekend I'll be doing like you and relearning my canopy, my 104 arrived today and I'll be loading it almost as much as you. Anyway, canopys even of the same type fly very different, such as my crossfire has very little overstear I let up on the toggles from doing 360s and it wants to fly strait, where as when I jumped a friends cobalt of basically the same size (116 vs 120), that thing really wanted to keep turning and diving. So you may really need to get advice on that canopies quarks from a Stiletto jumper. Also if you should get 1 or 2 line twists on opening, look up and make sure your links are even. If they are not, make them even, just don't ride it into the ground trying or if it's only getting worse, cut away. If you can get them there or they are the canopy should fly strait and you should be able to kick out. I've gotten out of 6 or 7 line twists several times before by doing this. Be safe and have fun *hugs* Kelli

Truthfully Paula I would suggest doing hop and pops, it really makes learning a canopy so much easier. Especially since you don't have to worry about someone cutting you off on final.

ok this isn't really about a suit, but I've discovered that pants work the best for me for increasing my fall rate. They are fairly tight in the hips/butt upper legs, kind of baggy at the ankles and I use the type of long sleeve shirt to adjust fall rate. I normally wear a fairly tight shirt which is helping out now that I'm learning head down since there is a lot less drag on my arms.

You know I applaud the USPA for updating the requirements for your A license, now why can’t they do it for the other ones. I mean I never did a single style type thing until I wanted to get my C license.

Are you flexable? Alot of the big guys at my DZ are not flexable at all and I end up flying dearched to stay up with them. I'm 5'1, 105 lbs, and don't wear lead, but I'm very flexable so I have no problem doing anything from like 95 to 120+, anything faster and I strap lead on just to make it easier on my body. Also do you stretch at the start of the day, not just your legs and arms, but your hip and lower stomach muscles? Lay on the floor on your stomach, and do a kind of a push-up where you keep your hips on the ground, this stretches a lot of muscles. To avoid cramps in your back after you are done roll over on your back and curl your legs to your chest to re stretch out your back. Kelli

I have to disagree, for me the customer service was increadable. The harness didn't fit quite right, so after sending it back to them and probably spending 30 min or so talking to the designer, 2 weeks from the day I shipped it, my baby was back in my gear bag, and that was after they replaced the back pad/yoke and other parts. The new fit was perfect, and as a bonus they replaced the stainless legstrap hardware to that new pdf kind for free. I think since they reorganized their customer service, things have improved there from before. Downsides to the rig, cost....it's a very pricey rig. Also my rigger at first whined about how hard it was to close reserve, but since that was his only complaint about it, it didn't count in my books. Actually he is planning to get one as his next rig to replace his micron.

According to Icarus they were out of vectran line for the longest time, my lines were finally ready last week, after having been bugging them since Oct about getting my new lineset. One of the guys at my DZ that had the mod done said that the front riser pressure increased so much that now he can't pull them down at all, and the flare completely sucks, other people have jumped his canopy and said the same thing. Another girl said that hers now flies like a dog, neither of them are very happy with the mod. Unfortunately, I won't be able to jump my canopy with the mod since my new canopy is to arive in the next day or so.

Heck at one of the DZs in town they gave out an award @ the x-mas party for the person who can stink up the plane the best. (Actually 2 people were awarded, I think they are called Mr. and Mrs. stink now (yes they are dating))

The kill line should never be under tension. The tension is on the ribbons inside the pilot chute. If you don't have those ribbons in your pilot chute you should have a rigger look at it. Per a rigger on checking your pc for proper kill line length. ------------------------------------ The Spectra kill line shrinks from the heat generated from sliding through the bridle as the pilot chute collapses and the bridle stretches over time, affecting the original calibration. Because the change is so gradual it often goes unnoticed until you begin to experience hesitations on deployment. To check for correct kill line length, cock the pilot chute and watch the kill line. Does it become taunt before the two white ribbons that run from the apex (the top of the pilot chute) to the bridle? If it does, then the kill line is too short, not allowing the pilot chute to completely inflate. When cocked, the two white ribbons should be taunt and there should be some slack on the kill line. Also, if the handle of the pilot chute being pulled through the small opening at the base of the pilot chute on deployment, the kill line is too short. Your rigger should be able to replace the kill line, or if the kill line was manufactured with enough excess line, your rigger can simply extend the kill line. ------------------------ btw.......my pilot chute doesn't streamer when I pull out the kill line, it inflates properly. Kelli

Errrrr....if the centerline brakes you will not have a PC in tow, you will just have a PC that won't collapse... Kelli

http://www.robertburns.org/encyclopedia/AuldLangSyne.5.html http://www.worldburnsclub.com/newsletter/auld_lang_syne_what_about.htm Try these sites

My rigger recomended cleaning the cables and flexing the 3-rings about once a month depending on how much you jump if it was dusty, yadda yadda yadda. Basically i've just gotten in the habit of doing it once a month whether it needs it or not.

You mean that is a bad thing? My boyfriend and I went to see Lord of the Rings for NYE, good flick, except my ass was numb by the end. Would have been better if we could have been at the DZ, but silly clouds and a cold front kept us at home for more quality snuggle time. Kelli