mikeat10500

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Everything posted by mikeat10500

  1. I like the loud freefall noise and wind in the face...I do not notice the Protec (full), at all in the air. They said I would be deaf by now. They said that about the music too! ----------------------------------- Mike Wheadon B-3715,HEMP#1 Higher Expectations for Modern Parachutists.
  2. Try backsliding steep...the opposite of a dive...better visibility and backing away so not to be over top. When far enough back and down change to a delta towards the novice , down to their level, but don't get too close....crazy things can happen when people learn to fly. As already mentioned you must antisapate in advance. ----------------------------------- Mike Wheadon B-3715,HEMP#1 Higher Expectations for Modern Parachutists.
  3. I had a 26" Lo-Po reserve in my Talon container when I bought it. Replaced it with a PD-160 and it isn't a loose fit, so a swooper could do it fine if they desired. "headoverheels" Wings is about half the size of your Talon. Some are smaller. ----------------------------------- Mike Wheadon B-3715,HEMP#1 Higher Expectations for Modern Parachutists.
  4. Round reserves are not cheap. A lot of nylon goes into one. Old FXC's maintained correctly cost as much as a CYPRES. Used gear is cheap. My gear was cheap, used and mostly baffed out when I got it. No AAD, no RSL, very old round reserve , not even full diaper. 600 jumps and zero injuries, 4 reserve rides...three landed on the DZ. I did 2 terminals and 2 sub-terminals on reserve. Dispatched and documented over 1000 IAD students and much less freefall studends on Manta mains, in bullet/sidewinder containers , phantom reserves, FXC AAD's. My loads had near zero injuries, no broken bones, no Ambulance rides, no AAD activations, no pukeing in the plane, very few refusals, no power line strikes, no tree landings, 2 reserve rides, one "jumper induced" mal and one very cool cuttaway by a confused FJ student. Today I jumped from a biplane
  5. My reserve and container are not modified, 2 bite diaper,line stows in pack tray, 2 risers on L brackets, steering lines, little metal rings at the end of them. My lo-po has large slits in the back that open when you pull a toggle for fast turns ----------------------------------- Mike Wheadon B-3715,HEMP#1 Higher Expectations for Modern Parachutists.
  6. I saw a Pioneer KXX used once and it was dragging a 200sq ft seven cell with a skinny guy under it....it wasn't coming down slow! Cat's eye my ass...bigger is better. ----------------------------------- Mike Wheadon B-3715,HEMP#1 Higher Expectations for Modern Parachutists.
  7. I never try to stand up a round...plf fall down...be happy
  8. That is the problem at hand exactly....better to have a small rig and look cool than a giant canopy over your head when the shit hits the fan! I have a Protec too...not 'cause it looks cool. Pack volume is large on my beast...old one with extra lateral bands. Big on any round...they are big parachutes. And a parachute in the true meaning "Decelerators" not "Wings". The don't fly but limit air speed...different kind of cat. Para=to gard against Chute=fall Ram airs attempt to control air speed not limit it. Description: Lo-Po reserve canopies have become known as the standard round reserve parachute of the industry. Over 30,000 canopies have been manufactured to exacting standards. The term "Lo-Po " means low porosity fabric, it is manufactured with an additional finishing process called "calendering". The Lo-Po is extremely strong, reliable and often called indestructible. ----------------------------------- Mike Wheadon B-3715,HEMP#1 Higher Expectations for Modern Parachutists.
  9. All this talk about rounds again and I just remembered that my 26 ft strong lo-po turned 26 years old in apr of 2005. I guess I should retire it soon....I'm gonna miss that big ol' jelly fish P.S. I love the Hot Dog pilot chute almost as much(11 years old)
  10. Inflight: I have turned students FXC AAD's back on (hip mount sensors)and pulled cuttaway and reserve handles from under main lift webs on pre-exit pin checks. I used to have to warn my pilot that having 3 feet of loose lag strap on his softy may make for a nasty opening! ----------------------------------- Mike Wheadon B-3715,HEMP#1 Higher Expectations for Modern Parachutists.
  11. I will see your crazy pilot and raise you mine! This is the latest e-mail from my favorite jump pilot of all time. He just built a DZ in his back yard. "Brad View Contact Details View Contact Details To: mikeat10500@yahoo.com Subject: RE: 'Cinnamon Girl' Date: Thu, 08 Sep 2005 10:32:46 -0300 Fuck'n "A" Brother!!! Blue skies, Black Death!!! Got Cinnamon Girl painted on the nose yesterday. Hot scantily-clad lesbian skydiv'in vampire to follow shortly. Check out the 2005 NS International Airshow site. Theres a picture of her in the display aircraft section. Heading down tonight or tomorrow. Doing a couple of media flights tomorrow prior to the show. Goddamn insane summer. Wayyyyyyyy too much fuck'n vodka. Not just regular vodka. "Super" vodka. It didn't taste like vodka. Burned so bad, you couldn't taste it anyway. 3 hours after you stopped drinking it, you were still getting drunker by the minute. Fear and Loathing in Poland. Dude, if you can spare a day on the weekend; I'll fly down and get you. ( This IS a helicopter ). I CAN land in silly places. And I'm just silly. I should really be locked up somewhere. We'll scrounge up a rig for you. Beer, jumps, travel, and accomodations on me dude. I convinced Wellman he should do CReW with me. Bruce and Wellman slapped together a bi-plane a couple of weekends ago. Wellman and The Unit actually camp out in a fucking tent here all weekend. Silly old bastard. You should probably fly my plane too. It's silly. I'm teaching Lisa to fly it. ( and no, ). . .... and she's hot. Welcome to the Flying Circus. Call me on my cell. I'll come and get you you crazy fucker. Yeehaw Batman!! If you think the plane is cool, you should see our firepit. It's obscene. You can cook a whole fucking cow in the thing. Bruce went crazy with that island. Most excellent to here from you. And I will send vampire lesbians to your house to kidnap you if I have too. Brad ----------------------------------- Mike Wheadon B-3715,HEMP#1 Higher Expectations for Modern Parachutists.
  12. If the openings were not brutal.....than the material was week. Excessive exposure to UV rays(sunlight) before, during packing will shorten the life of a canopy. F111 would loose it's lift on landings(clue to condition), ZP just explodes. .........mike ----------------------------------- Mike Wheadon B-3715,HEMP#1 Higher Expectations for Modern Parachutists.
  13. Never packed a mal.....but a little wild CRW can heat up the action. Last 2 reserve rides...reserve not packed by my rigger but a fellow jumper(300jumps) who shows an intrest. He has similar gear and likes to pack his own reserve under the supervision of my rigger....prefers to practice on mine first. He is very fussy....and knows I will use it sooner or later. No complaints so far. ...mike P.S. No charge and he don't drink! For you rigger types....lopo w/2 bite diaper. ----------------------------------- Mike Wheadon B-3715,HEMP#1 Higher Expectations for Modern Parachutists.
  14. Oh ya...it's a jumpship! I have yet to get out to the new DZ to try it out, but many others have already had the pleasure. I am taking a little time off....I have not jumped in 11 months. ....mike ----------------------------------- Mike Wheadon B-3715,HEMP#1 Higher Expectations for Modern Parachutists.
  15. My pilot from hell....or fun with Brad #1 Big Brad (bad) Mckay. Brad started flying the same year(1993) I started jumping , at the same airport in Debert NS Canada. A wild group of young pilots were taking over the airport we used for jumping in the spring, when our DZ was still to wet to use. We always used comercial pilots so Brad and I did not cross paths again for some time. Brad and his buddies would party hard and used the overnight bunkhouse on the airport as their home. One New Years Eve 2 pilots including Brad made a formation flight c172 and c152, right down the main drag of the nearest populated town of Truro at very low altitude, in very close prox. at exactly midnight....over their favorite bar and grill. Of course they wanted all the fame and glory they could get and trurned back for a second pass. The RCMP had no trouble making out registration numbers from the ground...at night. After his little talk with transport, Brad went on the get his comercial lic. He had big plans for multi-engine time down in Bolivia. He got the job and would be flying DC3's carring cargo over a mountian pass on a daily route. The head pilot would take him up and show him the route in a c152. As they entered the mountian pass this pilot told Brad how important it was to maintain 12.000 feet 'cause the lowest point to cross over would be at 11,500 feet. Brad became concerned (hands off right seat) when he noticed they were at 11,000 feet and not climing in the hot thin air. The pilot did not show any concern so Brad thought he must know what he is doing. The hills were closing in on the sides and the A/C had dropped to 10,500 feet. Time to turn around Brad thought...but said nothing. Then soon there was no room to turn around and the mountain closed in from the front....Brad ,then knew it was bad. The pilot tried to clear the top... striking a tree about 200 feet tall removing one wing. the A/C then corkscrewed down a tree stopping 60 feet from the ground inverted. Then it fell the rest of way nose first. Brad was hurt but ran from the wreckage until he came acrossed the engine,...stopped, felldown and found he had a broken leg (compound). He turned back to the wreckage to find the pilot alive and moving around. No first aid kit, no ELT, no flight plan, no rescue comming. They made down the mountain with the aid of locals. Brad had a bad head injury a would return home to Canada ASAP. Brad becomes the last pilot for the Riverbend DZ. To fly with Brad in a c182 is awsome. I kept a eye on the pilots we used over the years so they would not kill me or damage our jump ship. He was safe...they all were. But he understood flight...not just numbers...but how it feels. He never super cooled the engine or overstressed the airframe. At the same time he would perform breath taking landings after a wild ,crazy aproche. My favorite was a 90 deg angle to the runway...100mph...100 feet agl. He could almost stop that thing in mid air. We had a lot of fun a laughed all day long taking up loads of students. Brad even helped dispatch them. Brad went to Poland 2 months ago and brought back an AN-2 Colt. He flew from Poland,Norway,Iceland,Greenland,Canada.....accrossed the North Atlantic...in a single engine A/C against the trade winds. He made it back. .....mike ----------------------------------- Mike Wheadon B-3715,HEMP#1 Higher Expectations for Modern Parachutists.
  16. I think sliding in is a really bad idea, but people are doing it because nobody is teaching them how to do the PLF / judo roll motion. ( Insert standard rant about the quality of some of ( today's training here. Skr I agree sliding can be bad habit, but only because it will not prepare you for a hard vertical landing. To walk away from a landing with high verttical rate of speed you need a real good PLF. Bad landing I made 2 years ago or so, involved me jumping 3 different sets of gear back to back, saving my own rag for last. Going from smaller faster ZP things back to my old baffed out canopy during a busy work day, I forgot what I was flying and put myself in a strong carving turn way too close to the ground. I had already screwed up once and not pulling off a perfect recovery would break my back for sure! I was not directly under the canopy and the gound was comming up very fast. I drew a striaght line in my mind from the center of the canopy above...down through my skull,back,knees,feet and point of impact. Feet and knees together with force(it would be bone jaring), knees slightly bent. I struck the ground at full toggles about a 20 deg from vertical( close as I could get) buckeled and rolled....jumped up and dusted myself off checking for damage. I was ok, but it took two days to be sure. My mussles took a hard hit. My heels and shins hurt for a week. The process is best described by www999"s "Feet, knees, thighs, hips, across back to opposite shoulder -- that gives your whole body the opportunity to roll over (dissipating energy). " I had to modify my last PLF when crashing down through tree branches...the landing would be soft enough, but having a small branch stuck through the middle of me would not look good at the campfire later. Landing a spinning mal would have high vertical speed....you can't slide that. On the other hand if your doing 60 mph acrossed the packing area in wet grass...I think I would rather slide than roll. .....mike ----------------------------------- Mike Wheadon B-3715,HEMP#1 Higher Expectations for Modern Parachutists.
  17. Sensory overload is what we called it on our DZ. I have seen it many times in my first jump students(IAD). It normally ends with deployment..wake up time. I found it easy to understand as I suffered from it myself on my first jump. Some are more prone than others by far. It is a dangerous creature that you must never turn your back on...it sneeks up. On jump #54 I used my reserve for the first time, in responce to a high speed mal. After extracting the ripcord fully to see with my own eyes the pins had been removed completely, it happened....during the longest 2 seconds of my life I could feel the fear swell up from inside me....lossing control of my brain...no longer thinking about how to stay alive....just stunned. When can it happen? If you are more sensitive to high stress levels, uncurrent,inexperienced, or biting off more than you can chew. Ever see someone jump a canopy they are not ready for and as the action picks up close to the ground....they choke...stop flying it...reach for the ground or something equally dangerous? Sensory overload can range from loss of vision and motor skills to minor brain farts. Getting and staying current is the best defence. ....mike ----------------------------------- Mike Wheadon B-3715,HEMP#1 Higher Expectations for Modern Parachutists.
  18. Yes..100% correct. 90% deflated 90% of the time...saw video from above. Partial inflation in turns...never fully inflates after canopy opens. I used it on a Hornet 135 I was jumping, but only 3 times. I'm no swooper...yet. ----------------------------------- Mike Wheadon B-3715,HEMP#1 Higher Expectations for Modern Parachutists.
  19. Don't try this either...but if you cut your bridle short enough. The PC will lay in the dead air at the trailing edge of the canopy(on top). My PC is only visible in this "side on" photo 'cause the top skin is distorted. Non-collapsible, non-retractable, non-complicated. P.S. Not-approved by anyone. ----------------------------------- Mike Wheadon B-3715,HEMP#1 Higher Expectations for Modern Parachutists.
  20. a picture is worth a thousand words...video is like a thousand pictures... The good,the bad and the ugly(Wet Dog) IAD video 7mb slow server fun to watch. http://mikeat10500.tripod.com/index.html ----------------------------------- Mike Wheadon B-3715,HEMP#1 Higher Expectations for Modern Parachutists.
  21. Yes TFTM=to far to measure....it was about 3000m or so. ----------------------------------- Mike Wheadon B-3715,HEMP#1 Higher Expectations for Modern Parachutists.
  22. Don't expect to learn a lot from this...but it was stupid! Log Book #1 jump #85 July 28 1996 Exit Alt 3500' Delay 15 sec Winds yes Dist to target TFTM Entry 4way blender Bob Al Andy Me Everything your not supposed to do! ====================================== From memory Tropical storm Bertha...rain no jumping, eye, lets go, take mike on first 4 way
  23. Have you mentally rehursed this maneuver? Something like...left hand on reserve riser, right hand on cutaway handle. I don't think cutting away with a main steering toggle "in hand" would be cool. ----------------------------------- Mike Wheadon B-3715,HEMP#1 Higher Expectations for Modern Parachutists.
  24. From Chantelle Now that Vancouver has won the chance to host the 2010 Winter Olympics these are some questions people the world over are asking!!!!! These questions about Canada were posted on an International Tourism Website. Q: I have never seen it warm on Canadian TV, so how do the plants grow?(UK) A: We import all plants fully grown and then just sit around and watch them die. Q: Will I be able to see Polar Bears in the street? (USA) A: Depends how much you've been drinking. Q: I want to walk from Vancouver to Toronto - can I follow the railroad tracks? (Sweden) A: Sure, it's only Four thousand miles, take lots of water. . . Q: Is it safe to run around in the bushes in Canada?(Sweden) A: So its true what they say about Swedes. Q: It is imperative that I find the names and addresses of places to contact for a stuffed Beaver. (Italy) A: Let's not touch this one. Q: Are there any ATMs (cash machines) in Canada? Can you send me a list of them in Toronto, Vancouver, Edmonton and Halifax? (UK) A: What did your last slave die of? Q: Can you give me some information about hippo racing in Canada? (USA) A: A-fri-ca is the big triangle shaped continent south of Europe. Ca-na-da is that big country to your North . . . oh forget it. Sure, the hippo racing is every Tuesday night in Calgary. Come naked. Q: Which direction is North in Canada? (USA) A: Face south and then turn 180 degrees. Contact us when you get here and we'll send the rest of the directions. Q: Can I bring cutlery into Canada? (UK) A: Why? Just use your fingers like we do. Q: Can you send me the Vienna Boys' Choir schedule? (USA) A: Aus-tri-a is that quaint little country bordering Ger-man-y, which is....oh forget it. Sure, the Vienna Boys Choir plays every Tuesday night in Vancouver and in Calgary, straight after the hippo races. Come naked. Q: Do you have perfume in Canada? (Germany) A: No, WE don't stink. Q: I have developed a new product that is the fountain of youth. Can you tell me where I can sell it in Canada? (USA) A: Anywhere significant numbers of Americans gather. Q: Can you tell me the regions in British Columbia where the female population is smaller than the male population? (Italy) A: Yes, gay nightclubs. Q: Do you celebrate Thanksgiving in Canada? (USA) A: Only at Thanksgiving. Q: Are there supermarkets in Toronto and is milk available all year round? (Germany) A: No, we are a peaceful civilization of Vegan hunter/gatherers. Milk is illegal. Q: I have a question about a famous animal in Canada, but I forget it'sname. It's a kind of big horse with horns.(USA) A: It's called a Moose. They are tall and very violent, eating the brains of anyone walking close to them. You can scare them off by spraying yourself with human urine before you go out walking. Q: I was in Canada in 1969 on R+R, and I want to contact the girl I dated while I was staying in Surrey, BC. Can you help? (USA) A: Yes, and you will still have to pay her by the hour. Q: Will I be able to speak English most places I go? (USA) A: Yes, but you will have to learn it first. ----------------------------------- Mike Wheadon B-3715,HEMP#1 Higher Expectations for Modern Parachutists.
  25. Not the same rig, but check out the golf container. the Russians make a lot of cool copies and add refinements. ----------------------------------- Mike Wheadon B-3715,HEMP#1 Higher Expectations for Modern Parachutists.