SniperCJ

Lets try this again. I might be too ignorant to do this....

Oh no no, mine are WAY nicer! Less "tactical" and more along the line of a "Gentleman's" folder. Lemme see if I can figure out how to post a pic...

Unfortunately custom knives are my second downfall (after skydiving). I have WAY more than my fair share. I'll try to post ya a picture of my favs when I get home. Got a couple of Jeff Chaffee folders thatll make youre eyes water theyre so pretty.

4 cats, 2 mine, 2 my gf's - small 14 y.o. black and white female (my baby girl!) - LARGE (18lb) black and white male - old crochety male tabby - temperamental but beautiful Russian Blue male 2 tanks full of fish, African Cichlids for those fish peeps out there. Just lost my biggest fish the other day (BIG C. Frontosa for those cichlid peeps out there..) BUMMER!! He was about 7 years old tho, but MAN was he pretty! JC

Sorry Dave, it isnt quite THAT broad... Deadly force is justifiable to prevent the imminent commission of arson, burglary, robbery, agg robbery, theft during the nighttime or criminal mischief during the nighttime. Covers quite a bit and yes, technically TP'ing someone's house IS criminal mischief.... So shoot em!

In my martial arts class we call that a TARGET...

14 years as a police officer for a suburb of Dallas, 11 of that on the SWAT team (hence the moniker). Currently working vice / narcotics. I agree with Skycop when he said skydiving was the best thing he's ever done. Cops do tend to close themselves off and only associate with other cops. Now I hang out with way more skydivers than cops. How I got started: Dad was a Dallas cop for over 20 years. Seemed like a good idea at the time. It definately has its moments. JC

Thanks Lew,,,thats what I meant!

Also, if I'm not mistaken APS cannot be enlarged, or maybe it CAN be but its expensive or turns out bad,,,or SOMETHING about enlarging APS....

Your video camera should have a 35mm conversion factor listed somewhere in the specs. I think my PC9, wide open, is about the same view as a 43mm lens on a 35mm camera. Use that number and multiply it by the wide angle lens conversion factor to give you your new 35mm conversion factor. On the PC9 with my .6 lens, gives me the same view as about a 25mm lens on a 35mm camera (which is nicely close to the 24mm lens I use on my still camera). That help? JC

4 tats, one ear pierced, considering a 5th tat...

Ive jumped my Tempo. Opened great. Saved my ass. Flew straight. Flared fine for a stand up landing. Ill keep it! JC

Damn, Gary, thats some serious $$$ in tunnel-time. On a slightly different note - what effect does camera-flying (wearing camerasuit) have on your freeflying? Does it improve it at all, or are the two totally non-related? (Not really hijacking your thread CJ, I think the questions are kinda related.) Will I agree, theyre related. Ive noticed that even though I'm not that great a freeflyer, my 'freeflying' type skills (sit, headdown, other unusual body positions) have improved since I started flying camera. Whether thats due to flying a camera suit or from concentrating more on maintaining the shot I dont know. Ive flubbed several exits on tandems that have been saved by some pretty good (if I do say so myself...) flying on my part. I'll also note that since I posted this question, another (more experienced) camera flyer and I went out and faced off in a layback sit and worked on slowing down. My Pro-Track logged an average fall rate of 125. Sounds like if I work on it some more I can get it slower still. Basically I was in a layback sit with the wings pulled pretty tight. Was able to stay right with him and dock a couple of times and kept good heading control. Like anything else its gonna be one of those get-out-there-and-practice skills. JC

Sorry, that might have been good info to include. I have a Bevsuit with the large wing. Clips to the outside of my thigh, not the inside. JC

OK, ive been tying to cultivate a good backfly position for shooting tandems and under formations and such... I, so far, havnt been able to slow down enough in a sit to hang with a tandem. I assume its a matter of laying back more to expose more of the wing to the relative wind, but when I did that yesterday (with a tandem) a backslid like a fiend. Managed to maintain reasonable altitude control. Is the backsliding more a wing position issue or a leg position issue (like in a sit)? Thanks in advance. JC

And since no one else has mentioned it yet... If your profile is up to date and you really DO only have 100 jumps, consider another 100 or so before you even start THINKING about straping on a camera of any kind and complicating things. With the added distraction of camera flying plus the added danger of an entanglement, not to mention other jumpers 'forgetting' youre up there and dumping in your face, theres more to camera flying than just 'strapping it on'! I waited until I had over 300 jumps before I started and I was also "lucky" enough to have had 2 cutaways prior to jumping a camera. I mention the cutaways because it does give me a nice feeling to have dealt with a couple before adding the camera to the mix. Give it some thought. As to your questions: Lots of us jump a Canon Rebel 35mm of some sort. Theyre inexpensive and durable. I agree however that starting with video might be a better way to learn. Dont forget the added costs of a wing suit (if thats the direction youre wanting to go), audibles, a recording indicator (like the Cam Eye), a trigger switch for the stills camera, and the list goes on. Its expensive to get into even if youre trying to go cheap. JC

"Thats bold talk for a one-eyed fat man" "Fill your hands you son-of-a-bitch!" Rooster Cogburn

Pulp Fiction Phenomenon (chick flick category) Last of the Mohicans (epic drama) Unforgiven (western) "We all got it coming Kid"

I climb too. It wasnt breaking anything that ended MY climbing life, it was "starting this skydiving lark"!! Ive only been climbing twice in the 3 years since Ive been jumping. JC

My 2 favorites these days are "Knocking on Heaven's Door (the GnR version) for the pre-jump stuff and Teach Me How to Fly (off the Spiderman soundtrack) for the freefall. But man, theres a buncha good tracks out there! JC

Most excellent! Thanks for the input. I'll hafta put that on the Christmas list for Santa! JC

Lets say you the 4th man in a 4 way... If you look straight across the formation at your mirror, how much of the other 2 jumpers will you get with the Diamond .3?? Ive been thinking about this one for inside stuff just to play with, but dunno about spending the bucks. I figured I could get it and sell it to a freeflyer if I didnt like it. Thx JC

Ive had 2: the first one I fell away kinda in a sitting position.. The second one, I arched really hard as I cut and fell away in a perfect arch JC

I did my training at Skydive Houston. My gf lived in houston at the time and I went down there to train with her. She has since moved to Dallas so we both consider SD Dallas our Home DZ now. Still go to SDH occasionally tho.

You gonna make any other day of the weekend? I'll be around there Friday or most of the weekend, but I'll be in East Texas for Thursday. JC