yobnoc

My initial question had to do with what metrics I should use as a guide for when it's appropriate to downsize. I don't see how any of his reply was appropriate for the given question, but ok. Does that apply both ways about following the rules? If he has the choice to read and respond to my post, is it OK for him to break the rules and start out with a personal attack calling me stupid? Also, so I can avoid it in the future: what specifically did I say that might be considered a personal attack? I'm sorry, Bill. I'm not meaning to be argumentative with you specifically. It just feels like a bit of an injustice for me to be called out for levying a personal attack (which I still don't know how anything I said is a personal attack), when I'm simply reacting to someone who lobbed one at me.

Your assumptions are incorrect. I've taken a lot of advice from people. The problem is when you get conflicting advice and how to sort through it. I was encouraged when I was getting ready to buy gear to start out with a 190 main by someone who had been in the sport for almost a decade and who is a senior rigger and who had seen me fly a 200 several times. I also had another person S&TA qualified tell me that was a bad idea and I should start out with something right around what I was flying as a student. I ended up taking their advice together, mulling over it, and settling on 10 square feet less than the student gear I was jumping (I mainly jumped a 220 as a student, but had a few jumps with a 200). So I went with a 210 Main at a 1.2 WL. I'll say this: I'm not interested in advice from ufk. You say I'm overreacting, but you're looking at it through a biased lens; you don't see at all how he misrepresented and made incorrect assumptions to fuel his rant? Do you think I'd still be allowed at the same DZ if they thought I was making unsafe decisions and/or causing a safety hazard to others? Don't pretend that there isn't a pack of feverish people at every drop zone looking to find (or make someone out to be) the next "sky god" and mercilessly torture that person until they run them off. I've witnessed it at every DZ I've been to. I won't be that person, which is why I ask permission to do just about everything short of using the bathroom when I'm at my home DZ, and I really don't like my character maligned by people who assume that all newbies to the sport are all the same. This is why personal attacks generally garner a warning; it tends to get messy when you call someone names.

Yeah, it was going really well with lots of good advice and questions I hadn't asked myself, as well as suggestions of how to inprove, until UFK or whatever his name is decided to derail it. I asked for the mods to lock the thread, but he said it hadn't yet gotten to a point where he saw the need for that.

The most "offensive" thing I "lashed out" with was saying "grow up" Yet you're telling me to "man up." Should you get a warning too? I'd contend that your chauvinistic remark was worse than telling someone to grow up. Am I acting too girly for your liking? No, I don't think it's actually any of that. What you want is for me to "know my place," and to allow someone to disrespect me and misrepresent my statements without challenge. Won't happen. I'm all about constructive criticism (see prior posts on this thread), but there's no need for destructive criticism at all here. What you're advocating for is just simply excusing bad behavior and mistaking a sport we do for fun as if it's some sort of ruling class/peasant class society. All I'm saying is don't be shitty. It's completely unnecessary. I won't be chided into silence for standing up to a bully.

Yeah, you know, there’s a difference between giving constructive criticism - like sending a link to a helpful article or asking probing questions - and wholly misrepresenting my original post in order to satisfy someone’s need to be a bully. I know full well that it’s not just hurting me if I get injured or killed doing this sport; it also hurts the community as a whole. What I don’t get is the attitude that some people have (there seems to be one at every DZ) that the best way to get your point across is to bully someone or patronize them as if they were an adolescent. I’m not here to measure dicks. As for the comment about “lashing out,” and how I should be banned by the mods: I can only assume you think I should be banned because I won’t put up with being called stupid or having my words twisted or misrepresented. If that’s the end result: fine. But I refuse to let someone un-man me like that. You give respect, you get respect. Simple as that. Look back at all the folks who voiced honest and blunt criticism without having to resort to bullying tactics, and see my response. “I appreciate your input,” “Thank you for the helpful links.” Let’s not promote being shitty toward each other for the sake of being shitty when there are much better and more constructive ways to get our point across.

I didn't ask if you thought it was possible. I asked if you support the idea.

I'm not looking for approval, champ. The "locals" are encouraging me to downsize quicker than I had intended. My accuracy isn't bad. It's just not where I want it, which is dead-nuts because I'm a perfectionist. The discussion about buying used vs new gear had nothing to do with what kind of gear I purchased; and I've gotten some sideways glances about the reserve size once it comes up in conversation. What kind of miserable life do you have that you go full keyboard warrior with someone you don't know? Do you think that the meaner you sound, the more likely I am to hear you? Take a look at your comment vs the comments of others on this thread and ask yourself what's so wrong with your life that you're trying to belittle a grown man who you've never met? Grow up.

You seem nice

Let's back up a minute...Ron, do you support Christian theocracy in America?

I decided I was tired of paying for pack jobs and wanted to re-learn how to pack. I watched a bunch of videos on youtube, and then went and asked a packer who is close to the same build as me if he'd take some time and assist me if I get stuck during any part of the pack job. He was really cool about it, and while it wasn't a true "packing class," I learned everything I needed to know just asking him to help me through the parts that were the most vexsome for me. I skipped the important bit: I asked him beforehand how much he charged for a packing class. He told me $35. I gave him $50 up front that morning, and asked much less of him than a dedicated packing course. I got what I needed, he got way more than he expected, and everybody's happy. Take care of your riggers, and they'll take care of you!

Thanks man, I appreciate your input as well. I just did Canopy 101 and 102 this past weekend with Maxine Tate, and it was a huge eye opener of skills I need to work on under my wing, but also helped me identify my strengths and the things I'm doing much better than the average bear at my experience level. My accuracy improved drastically under her guidance, and my flare and landing is "textbook" as she told me several times throughout the course, though the courses certainly helped me identify some finer points of how I can have even better, softer, and more consistent landings. I'm not averse to the idea of swooping someday, but it's not really on my radar at this point of a goal I'm working toward. What I want is to be able to control my canopy at an expert level and maximize fun without sacrificing safety.

Modern reactors are built with poison-tipped control rods, which can cause a small power spike still, but cannot send the reactor prompt-critical. Bill, you know your shit; did you work in the industry?

I just purchased life insurance specifically for skydiving. Took 30 minutes.

I do consult with the elders of the sport often at my DZ. I've observed it's a good way to get on everyone's shit list if you try new things or basically make any decision without running it by every Tom, Dick, and Jane with any experience. I caught a lot of shit for buying my first rig brand new, but ultimately decided that the people who were giving me the hardest time had no idea how hard it was to find a full rig in my price range that fit me, because I'm a large-sized human. Plus, I didn't really think it was appropriate to tell someone else how to spend their own money. Ultimately, I got a rig that is custom fit for me and comfortable, and I got it for an incredibly low price (lower than anything I could find in the classifieds or on facebook). When it comes to anything that might affect my safety, someone else's safety, or the reputation of the dropzone, however, I always consult with the experts. Again, thank you to all for the valuable input.

Yeah, it's really more about fun for me, and conquering new challenges. Who knows where I'll end up in this sport; I'd like to think eventually I'll be a TI someday. Some things don't make sense to me about human nature either. Why do people climb rock faces with no tie offs? I can't think of a good reason why, other than that there's something inside them that's fulfilled by it. I like to challenge myself and my limits.

Yeah, and for the accuracy jumps I need for my B, I probably will resort to doing hop n pops just to avoid that traffic. As for the flat turn, I'm gonna consult my S&TA about that maneuver...

Awesome! Yeah I was told by my S&TA to do at least 30-40 more jumps on this canopy before I downsize, which was surprising to me. I planned to do at least 75-100 more before considering downsizing, dependent on dialing in my accuracy. Right now, my accuracy suffers mostly due to my being uncomfortable with high traffic and not wanting to get in anybody's way. I don't see it as much as an imperative that I land within 10M of my target as getting out of the way of more experienced jumpers, so I tend to abandon my target if there's any chance I might disrupt someone else's flight/landing.

I'm looking at the 90 degree flat turn at 50 feet. I'm pretty sure if I tried that at my home DZ I'd get the shit kicked out of me by the other jumpers behind me in traffic, and either temporarily or permanently banned.

I appreciate all the thoughtful comments, especially here where I was expecting at least 3 people to say "Can I be on your ash dive?" I recognize that I'm at a WL that is not recommended per the chart until I'm at 260 jumps. During my AFF I was placed on a 220 at the discretion of the DZO and S&TA who had observed me closely on a 260 and 240 during my training. From there, while I was between AFF and my A license, I was placed on a 200 for a couple jumps. These are Navigators though, so we're talking about a docile canopy to begin with. A 190 is not ideal for my reserve, I'm aware. I made the decision for a number of reasons, but a 190 is the largest reserve canopy that will fit in my container. Am I looking forward to my first reserve ride? Ehhh...let's just say I'm going to PLF that landing intentionally. I do not know what it's going to be like riding a 7 cell, because I haven't ridden one before - true. There's a reason I've gone and purchased extra insurance for skydiving, and I have a pretty good ST and LT disability program at work. Trust me: I'm thinking about these things as a father of two little humans. I want to remain as safe as possible while still challenging myself to learn. Thank you for the input and the resources; the list of canopy skills is definitely helpful. I'm looking forward to jumping with you folks someday, as my wife and I are incorporating this sport with our travel and vacation plans. Blue skies!

Hi all! I'm sure I'm going to catch some serious crap for this, but here it goes anyway: Before you all chime in about discussing with my DZO and local S&TA/coaches, I've been doing that consistently. I'm just also looking for general advice from the broader community, though I may end up regretting it. I started AFF last memorial day weekend, so I've been in the sport only just over a year. I currently only have 67 jumps. I fly a Parachute Systems Vortex container with a Volt 210 and a decelerator 189 reserve. I'm also 6'4 and 225lb, so I'm at roughly a 1.2 WL, which is considered way too high for my experience level according to all the literature. That said, I'm very comfortable flying this canopy, and with the exception of accuracy, which I'm working on (I'm not terrible, but I'd like to get better), I have very consistent, soft, and stand-up or jogging (depending on wind speed) landings, with very few exceptions that are moreso due to my being a little clumsy and tripping over my own feet. So, I guess my question is: should I heed the literature and stay where I'm at until I'm up in the 600 jump range? Seems like a long time. What exact skills should I use as a metric to decide when it's time to go down? Edit: The reason I'm asking is not because I'm in a rush to downsize for the hell of it. It's because I can't do any more than a 270 on front risers without the loop ripping out of my hand. And that's with going into it immediately after a toggle stall.

It's easy these days. Americans have been dumbed down for decades with reality TV and sensationalism. I get really depressed when I think about the state of reality in this country. People obsessed with the Kardashians or the Bachelor or The Apprentice...meanwhile I haven't met a single right winger who can point to Benghazi on a map (I've tried this experiment more than a few times), though they're utterly convinced that something nefarious happened there because Hillary. This is a result of sensationalism and half-baked conspiracies. They gain so much traction with people who have been dumbed down to believe the "reality" productions they are seeing on TV are based in reality. I think these things are tied together. My entire family is convinced that Trump is some great businessman based on his TV persona, when all the available evidence points to his riches coming mainly from his father's business acumen, along with his propensity to engage in shady and illegal financial arrangements and outright tax fraud. So all these foreign governments have to do is make the wild accusations...the creatures on the right wing will do the rest of the legwork for them. Fuckin Space Force...are you kidding?

The bums always lose!

Everybody keeps saying Trump can't be beaten. All it takes is 70,000 votes across three states who sat out last election. Trump's base has not expanded by one vote. As for who I like: I'd like to see Pete Buttigieg get the nod.

You're starting to understand Turtle like the rest of us already do. Welcome!

That's a strawman, but I'll give you this: If giving mortal aid like water or shelter to a person that otherwise has a high chance of dying without it is against the law, then yes. I absolutely am for breaking that law. Is your argument that legality=morality?