ltdiver

Very nice, Viking! Cool pics for very HOT day here in So. CA. Thanks.

Oh, the pain! It hurt to even look at that pic... So sorry for you. How the heck did the helmet get loose? ltdiver ____________________________________________ LightDiverCam

geanky, Just a simple answer to your question. Print film is more useful 'cause you can show it more easily to your friends at the dz without bringing along a slide viewer (or squinting in the sun). Slides are more acceptable for publication (if that is where you want to focus). Better resolution and contrast. Don't use something as high as 400. Most conditions we skydive in are much better with 100. Better resolution...less grainy with enlargements. Fuji, Kodak....both are equal in quality if these are the two you are looking to use. Ease of development? Gosh...does Puerto Rico have less access then the states for this? Wouldn't think so. Just drop off the film and wait for it to come back. Recommend, however, that unless the shots you take are just snaps that you don't really care about, that you stay away from the one hour service centers. They've botched up a couple of my rolls and I now go exclusively for professional developing only. Hope this helps. Any other questions? ltdiver ____________________________________________ LightDiverCam

Haven't sold anything near as interesting as cars or houses for jump $$. Instead, I invested in a hobby as a child that looted me enough for my first rig when I sold out ($2500). Anybody heard of the little plastic horses called Breyers? Well, they increase in value and the hobbiests really go nuts over the hard to find ones! Had one that I bought for only $7.95 that I sold to a collector for $750. Another one for $12.00 that was sold for $1,000! On the negative side, I've never had credit card debt before I started to get my AFFI rating. Now the bills just -won't- go away! Quit the full-time job as well and went per diem. Why? To Skydive!

Shark, Looked at Elsinore's web page. Couldn't find the big-way or John LeBlanc seminars listed. Bigway is next weekend? What about LeBlanc's seminar? I have someone who really needs to sit down and hear his lecture. ltdiver ____________________________________________ LightDiverCam

Mmmmm, Vincenzo's!! Wonderful eats. Very nice people there as well. Gotta get over to Elsinore again soon! What's going on there this month, Shark? ltdiver ____________________________________________ LightDiverCam

DAMN!! ____________________________________________ LightDiverCam

The Silken Tent Robert Frost She is as in a field a silken tent At midday when a sunny summer breeze Has dried the dew and all its ropes relent, So that in guys it gently sways at ease And its supporting central cedar pole, That is its pinnacle to heavenward And signifies the sureness of the the soul Seems to owe naught to any single cord But strictly held by none, is loosely bound By countless silken ties of love and thought To everything on earth the compass round, And only by one's going slightly taut In the capricousness of summer air Is of the slightest bondage made aware. ____________________________________________ LightDiverCam

So...what did they tell you the problem was coming from? Why did your canopy need relining? Lots of R&D means they got more than a few reports of opening hiccups. ltdiver ____________________________________________ LightDiverCam

Any chance of posting it in the video section here? ltdiver ____________________________________________ LightDiverCam

Simple Friend vs Real Friend Anyone can stand by you when you are right, but a friend will stand by you even when you are wrong... ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ A simple friend identifies himself when he calls. A real friend doesn’t have to. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ A simple friend opens a conversation with a full news bulletin on his life A real friend says, “what’s new with you?” ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ A simple friend thinks the problems you whine about are recent. A real friend says, “You’ve been whining about the same thing for years. Get off you duff and do something about it.” ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ A simple friend has never seen you cry. A real friend has shoulders soggy from your tears. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ A simple friend doesn’t know your parents’ first names. A real friend has their phone numbers in his address book. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ A simple friend brings a bottle of wine to your party. A real friend comes early to help you cook and stays late to help you clean. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ A simple friend hates it when you call after he has gone to bed. A real friend asks you why you took so long to call. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ A simple friend seeks to talk with you about your problems. A real friend seeks to help you with your problems. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ A simple friend wonders about your romantic history. A real friend could black mail you with it. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ A simple friend, when visiting, acts like a guest. A real friend opens your refrigerator and helps himself. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ A simple friend thinks the friendship is over when you have an argument. A real friend knows that it’s not a friendship until after you’ve had a fight. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ A simple friend expects you to always be there for them. A real friend expects to always be there for you! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ____________________________________________ LightDiverCam

At the little DZ where I learned, their landing area was 3 miles from their smaller airport and right in the path of Palm Springs International's landing pattern. Yes, they did stay in communication with ATC and have radio contact with DZ ground personell at the landing site. The jump ship (C-182) had to recieve permission from both before a jump was made. Every time. There were a more than a few times that the visual from the ground alerted our plane to go around 'cause of a private pilot passing too close. Kept the operation safer than most, and there were never any close calls. In fact, one time the van didn't make it to the landing site, and the pilot (and DZO) turned the jump plane around and landed back at home base. He didn't want the added risk, and he knew the regs of having to have communication (on some level) with the landing area. As a student skydiver, this importance of everyone working together became very clear. As billvon said, "If it's required for safety, then it has to be done. End of story." ltdiver ____________________________________________ LightDiverCam

Oh Master Yoda, teach me more!

Lucky Dog! ltdiver ____________________________________________ LightDiverCam

Holding a tube during deployment would just freek me out! I haven't jumped a tube, and don't know if I will. My thought was that you guys dumped the tube -before- deploying! [shivers] ltdiver ____________________________________________ LightDiverCam

I've heard that the Cobalt is a nice canopy. Thought of trying it myself some day. Glad you haven't had any brisk openings. Nice canopy pic. Just one question....how the heck did a tube get so close to your deploying canopy?! ltdiver ____________________________________________ LightDiverCam

iynx, Awareness of where you are, and where others are in the sky is paramount in the annals of safety. Learn from -others- mistakes spoken of here and also at your DZ. Keep your eyes and ears open to learn. I see you asking very good questions here on this newsgroup. Keep it up and learn! You're on the right track. Try and limit your own poor judgement experiences, but when they do keep your mind open to listen to those more experienced (and have proven themselves trustworthy and knowledgable). Best yet, stay after jumps, buy the beer, and sit around the campfire and learn. This was one of the best pieces of advice my own FJC Instructor gave me when I first started in this wonderful sport. Where do you jump again? Remind me. I'd love to meet you some day and swap stories.

Recommend -not- looking at your canopy on deployment. All it take is one slammer opening to keep you on the ground for a long time. I know some very experienced cameraflyers who -do- look at their canopies on opening, and most of the time are ok. However, they have had 'neck-breaking' openings on rare occasions and have been grounded for weeks with an extremely sore neck. I choose to -not- look at the opening, have had a few hard openings, and have been fine and able to continue jumping. In fact, I've just decided to slow my Spectre-135 (loaded at 1.35:1) down a bit more! btw, what canopy are you flying? ltdiver Physical Therapist and Cameraflyer ____________________________________________ LightDiverCam

None other. ltdiver ____________________________________________ LightDiverCam

Glad to know I have a kick-ass system!

Yes, of course. However, I was addressing a student skydiver with this thread (Iynx) and thought that perhaps grabbing at risers was a bit too much information to add to someone who's learning what "shape-spin-float" felt like. I know that I didn't grab at the rear risers while I was a student (of course, I learned under a -very- docile canopy (Goliath-378!) whilst being a student) Of course, I always do! As you've stated already here, I too have had to avoid other canopies flying at me on deployment. One skydiver in particular I've black listed and won't get on an L.O. load with him anymore. After I talked with him about his near deployment (and he denied that he -ever- could do that), I offered to show him the video. He still denied that it was -his- fault (even though as a cameraflyer I deployed in the center directly at break-off as planned). So...thus the black-listing. And he knows about it. ltdiver AFFI ____________________________________________ LightDiverCam

First Prize!

That's GREAT, Skybytch!!

You grab the front risers? That would bruise me too! Try the rear risers, if at all.

Try e-mailing Perris' Canopy Flight School. They use comunication radios in flight from instructor to student with every jump (under canopy). I'm sure Jim Slaton could answer your question. ltdiver ____________________________________________ LightDiverCam