mikeat10500

Hi Chris First of all, I would like to say that I believe that DZO's and A/C operators/owners have the right to use any strategy to protect their business including mandatory AAD use or drug testing. It is their money! But as far as safety goes...the safest instructor/skydiver I've ever had the privilege of jumping with was a very bad alcoholic. So bad...they had to kick him off our drop zone. On the ground, you couldn't take your eyes off this guy or he would be in trouble. In the air or A/C this guy was a machine. Flawless in operation. I know you read the NTSB reports. Years ago pilots were known to be a bit on the wild side. Things have changed in the name of safety. Now I think alcohol and drugs are very rarely found to be a factor with pilots. And yet it seems on almost every account, when airplanes crash the report reads PILOT ERROR,some of this,some of that, pilot error, etc, and finally pilot error. And every time a jumper burns in we figure out what he/she should have done to save their lives"pilot error". My point is there may not be a direct relationship between substance use or even abuse and...safety. Now I'm not saying you should be hammered the next time you show up for work! But I think if you fly jumpers...loose the shirt,shoes and wristwatch...get a bandana and act crazy man. Watch Fandango...become Truman Sparks. It's more fun that way. ...mike ----------------------------------- Mike Wheadon B-3715,HEMP#1 Higher Expectations for Modern Parachutists.

Military freefall jumps absolutely DO count. Chuck I think all jumps count...I've had students with 100 static line military jumps and they may not anything about free fall but they still left the A/C 100 times! Sometimes at 600' in the dark with no reserve. Experience is experience...you can't take that away from them! ...mike ----------------------------------- Mike Wheadon B-3715,HEMP#1 Higher Expectations for Modern Parachutists.

Take care of your rig!!! Do not under any circumstances expose your rig to extreme heat/moisture....ever. Never store batteries next to your reserve ...bad mojo!!! ...mike ----------------------------------- Mike Wheadon B-3715,HEMP#1 Higher Expectations for Modern Parachutists.

365 day repack cycle...works for me! ... ----------------------------------- Mike Wheadon B-3715,HEMP#1 Higher Expectations for Modern Parachutists.

If rounds actually did malfunction more than squares, I believe it was because they were modified to the point of not really being round anymore " such as a Para Comander" and people trying to pack as fast as we do today" can't get sloppy with a round...they like to mal ya know!!!" And yet now with the onset of new super high performance canopies I think we will see a clear winner in the "Who Mals The Most Wars". ... ----------------------------------- Mike Wheadon B-3715,HEMP#1 Higher Expectations for Modern Parachutists.

Rob Are you saying you landed and walked away from 3 round parachute mals...that could have been avoided? Who's side are you on? ...mike ----------------------------------- Mike Wheadon B-3715,HEMP#1 Higher Expectations for Modern Parachutists.

I jumped student gear for about 50 jumps " no money either". 288 Mantas all of them! FXC's... all though I never fired one...but was getting too close for (my) comfort. Then one day I used the rent money to buy an old beat up rig. I actually told the land lord " a very hot looking woman" I didn't have the rent on time cause I bought a parachute! She looked at me sort of funny...smiled and said "ok, call me when you have it". 500 jumps later I'm still using it" still got no money". I helped pay for my jumping by packing, chasing students, coaching/instructing and helping out when I can. So don't buy something you will hate cause you could have it a long time. ....mike ----------------------------------- Mike Wheadon B-3715,HEMP#1 Higher Expectations for Modern Parachutists.

I'm not 100% sure but in Canada the pilot would only be in shit if you are doing a Demo with an out of date reserve. MOT does not get involved in skydiving directly but because you need MOT approval for a Demo, you require a current Demo rating and an in date reserve. THIS IS CANADA...home of the free!!! Born... to be ....wild .......mike ----------------------------------- Mike Wheadon B-3715,HEMP#1 Higher Expectations for Modern Parachutists.

When I took my instructor course they had a different kind of drug testing...it went as follows. Thursday afternoon...classroom work..bad weather. Thursday night...party till ya puke...4:00am. Friday morning 7:00am kick your ass out of bed "sleeping in the classroom"...dispatching jumpers " other course candidates" in shitty weather with a very big hangover. Go all day, packing, dispatching, studying for tests etc. Friday night school stops at midnight...party starts and continues till 4:00 am again. Saturday morning 7:00 am back at it...the sun was hot and the thermals tossed the A/C around like a rag doll. We would not be jumping except we need to complete the course. This shit goes on until sunday night. They tested us " and we tested ourselfs" to see how we could perform in the worst conditions. After this I knew my limitations and we all learned to cut back on the drinking and make it easier on ourselfs. I did not complete the course that weekend...I was required to do makeup jumps "dispatching" do to my lack of performance in observation skills. The standard set was very high...and was enforced to the letter. ...mike ----------------------------------- Mike Wheadon B-3715,HEMP#1 Higher Expectations for Modern Parachutists.

Hook Laugh if ya want...but hooked that bad boy over a fence once at about 30 feet agl. I don't try to stand up the landings, but I probably could. I always pick the spot where I will land...sometimes it's not until 30 feet agl! ...mike ----------------------------------- Mike Wheadon B-3715,HEMP#1 Higher Expectations for Modern Parachutists.

Oh I believe ya Rob...I had a look through Dan Pointer's manuals once. Well that explains the mals...I demand a retest!!! Yes this is why I jump a square main. You can pack it half drunk in the dark and it still works...I never packed a mal I could not land! ...mike ----------------------------------- Mike Wheadon B-3715,HEMP#1 Higher Expectations for Modern Parachutists.

You will find opening times for my reserve on pg36 of Para Gear #67. 1.1 to 2.5 seconds. Why don't all reserve manufacturers advertise opening times? ...mike ----------------------------------- Mike Wheadon B-3715,HEMP#1 Higher Expectations for Modern Parachutists.

Parachutes are round. The ram air inflated wing is a toy for swooping or CRW. If you want to slow down a 300mph+ dragster you use an aerodynamic decelerator...and they are round. If you want to lift a 10lb bag off your back you use a pilot chute. Ok lets get out our pilot chutes, wave them around until inflated and check what shape they are. You see...you rely on a round parachute to open your square every time. If someone put a square in where you reserve goes than you have to mains. .......mike ----------------------------------- Mike Wheadon B-3715,HEMP#1 Higher Expectations for Modern Parachutists.

If safety or performance are concerns...why bother with drug testing? Move directly to dismissal. If someone performs well...then should we test for performance enhancing drugs? ...mike P.S. Sugar is the most widely abused drug in North America and Tobacco is the most dangerous. I use them both! ----------------------------------- Mike Wheadon B-3715,HEMP#1 Higher Expectations for Modern Parachutists.

Most excellent!!!! I can only guess how much fun it was to get those rounds together...even if they were PC's. ...mike ----------------------------------- Mike Wheadon B-3715,HEMP#1 Higher Expectations for Modern Parachutists.

Yea..thats how I learned,I'm sure there is better ways now, but it was all very exciting!! ...mike ----------------------------------- Mike Wheadon B-3715,HEMP#1 Higher Expectations for Modern Parachutists.

Um... if I say no, would you believe me? -_ --- Nope! ----------------------------------- Mike Wheadon B-3715,HEMP#1 Higher Expectations for Modern Parachutists.

Hook Did it work? ----------------------------------- Mike Wheadon B-3715,HEMP#1 Higher Expectations for Modern Parachutists.

I too thought you may be a little heavy for that canopy vrs expenience. What have you jumped so far? ----------------------------------- Mike Wheadon B-3715,HEMP#1 Higher Expectations for Modern Parachutists.

Lunchtime, doubly so. Excellent!!! P.S. As for the rest of you " Don't become a slave to the 4th dimension". Oh...and through away those wrist watches...yes that includes you pilots too! ...mike ----------------------------------- Mike Wheadon B-3715,HEMP#1 Higher Expectations for Modern Parachutists.

Time is an illusion. ----------------------------------- Mike Wheadon B-3715,HEMP#1 Higher Expectations for Modern Parachutists.

Yep...that about sums it up...the girls pay attention during instruction cause the want to do it right and they know it's dangerous. The guys joke around untill I open the door...and then the fun begins. ...mike ----------------------------------- Mike Wheadon B-3715,HEMP#1 Higher Expectations for Modern Parachutists.

Hey Bags Cool...thats my PD-210. I was checking out your profile and see your a S/L instructor. I thought about it ,and broke out laughing...too many people that should be "riding the Reading", get on the wrong train, and end up on the "Short line". ----------------------------------- Mike Wheadon B-3715,HEMP#1 Higher Expectations for Modern Parachutists.

Hi Ladyskydiver 74 jumps and 1 cutaway...your ready to start phase one. Read everything you can find on CReW. Find someone that will teach/coach you. Plan a safe dive like any other skydive "not to complicated". When CReW is done right...it looks good from the ground, when it's done wrong...it looks spectacular! ...mike ----------------------------------- Mike Wheadon B-3715,HEMP#1 Higher Expectations for Modern Parachutists.

One of the biggest health risks associated with the sport today is AIDs...Altitude Induced Divorce. ...mike ----------------------------------- Mike Wheadon B-3715,HEMP#1 Higher Expectations for Modern Parachutists.