mr2mk1g

I happened to be round the factory of another major helmet manufacturer about 6 months ago and they had just designed the exact same thing. I wonder if both manufacturers got their ideas from the same place...

Apparently they also practice ti-chi http://www.lastrefuge.co.uk/images/html/lemurs/sifaka_2/dancing/pages/s-sifaka07.htm

Wise this man is - hate leads to the dark side. hmm - a freeflyer he will become.

My friend and I travelled to the states and back with 3 rigs only a couple of months ago. We went Air France via CdG airport and had no issues whatsoever. I have subsequently heard that CdG airport (what's left of it) do not allow rigs at all and if they'd realised we had rigs probably would have stopped us. Who really knows though - call the airport/airline. My only other advice would be dont travel Air France. The service sucks ass.

That's my understanding of it also - I just couldn't find the section in the FAR that states such. The only thing I found in the 2 minutes yesterday when I wrote the above is in the glossary which states that a "rigger" is someone certified by the FAA... now obviously a BPA rigger is not certified by the FAA. exactly

Everyone's forgetting you live in NZ not the USA. If the seccond hand gear market over there is anything like it is in England (tiny with a huge demand for 170-190 size canopies) then you can pretty much get what you want for it. In England what you list can easily fetch upwards of £1500 - that's going on $3000. The US gear market is always significantly cheaper than anywhere else as it is much bigger. Hell, try for $3000 and if you don't get it then drop your price

Ok, so you have a few arround you. I think you've already found the closest. I've never been there but it sounds like a very small operation. This is the sort of place that needs students to keep them running so if you like it, stay there. You'll get a very personal, one on one style instruction. If you want something a bit bigger, then there are other places arround. It looks like your considering going abroad to train anyway. See this map for details of UK DZ's. The rest of the website is also quite a good resource for UK jumpers. http://www.bpa.org.uk/dropzone/dzone.htm

What town do you live in? We should be able to tell you which is the closest DZ to you and also which is the DZ we would go to if we were you, (it might not always be the closest).

1) MONTY PYTHON'S Life of Brian!

I don't get the whole loss of privacy argument. Let's first assume that these cards are only required where we currently require ID (whether or not that will be true in the long run is admittadly an argument but lets just put that to one side for the moment). Now I already need a card to prove I can drive. I already need a card to prove I am who I say I am in order to get into another country. Now why is it a loss of privacy if that same document holds my finger print or eye scan instead or as well as a picture? What does it matter? Are people really that worried that joe bloggs might find out what their eye looks like? If you're worried about the roll out of these cards to other area's of life then don't attack the fact that they're biometric - that simply prevents (or at least significantly reduces the threat of) fraud and identity theft. If the roll out worries you, attack it - attack the idea of rolling out identity requirement measures. If I'm stopped in the street in America does the police officer not ask to see some ID already? Does it matter if it's biometric? I think it does - it means it's really me and some drug pusher hasn't "become" me. Does it matter that he's allowed to ask for it? Now that's a different question... one that is being confused at the moment for the first one. They are very different issues.

You'll find the relevent sections of the FAR in the SIM on line here: http://www.uspa.org/publications/SIM/2004SIM/section9part105.htm First look at the definitions section: So parachute with a TSO is an "Approved Parachute". A "foreign parachutist" is a foreigner who is using a rig that was not made in the USA. (ie I wouldn't be a "foreing parachutist" even though I'm English as I jump a rig made in the USA). Next zip down to the bottom to: Sec. 105.49 Foreign parachutists and equipment which is quoted in full in an earlier post. Here it only refers to "unapproved" parachute systems, which according to the definitions is a system without a TSO. Therefore Sec. 105.49 does not apply to gear with a TSO. If the rig is "approved" (carries a TSO) then it doesnt matter who jumps it or where they are from, you follow US rules which are in Sec. 105.43 Use of single-harness, dual-parachute systems (ie 120 day repack, packed by certified rigger). I think FAR105.49 might provide a pilot with the authority to allow the use of parachutes outside of 120 day repack scheduals provided the jumper is a foreign jumper, the rig is a foreign rig and is maintained to whatever their home regs are. Since this section specifically adresses the issue it probably carries more weight than the more general regulation in FAR91. It is interesting when sections conflict though and the draftsmen don't notice. Millions get spent on such an error when things end up being litigated.

Not quite. A pud is a little pillow attached to your pilot chute much like your cutaway handle. It's there in place of a hacky (hackysack) or a toggle (short section of plastic tubing) and is the bit you grab to deploy your main. Pud's are commonly found on pull-out deployment systems but are now becoming more common on thow-out deployment systems as well.

Does a PdF reserve and container carry a TSO 23C ? Riggers? If it does your harness is an "approved parachute" and must follow USPA rules. Why don't you call / e-mail ahead and find out what they are gonna say. DZ rules don't always directly tally with the actual rules At least that way you'll know for sure.

I guess the point is - can you hurt her? If you push all the way and hurt her then you're in as far as anyone could go and well, that's obviously far enough. Any extra length is just wasted outside. If you can't poke her so she dig's her nails into your leg and swears at you then think your self lucky that you don't have to worry about going too hard.

If you're demoing a canopy you can even do altitude hop and pops on a CRW pass to have plenty of time to mess with it. Just make sure you stay the other side of Goetz road till 2k. (assuming the boogy doesnt mess this up)

What needs to be added to the above quote from the FAR is the definition of a "foreign parachutist". This is: So you are only a "foreign" parachutist if you gear is not made in the USA. Now some people have interpreted this as being gear which does not have a US TSO - but that's not quite what it says. So, to correct myself, if neither your reserve or container (and probably arguably the main) are made in the USA then your local rules apply and not US rules.

If either the reserve or the container carry a US TSO then yes - 120 days and a US rigger must have packed it. If both are not TSO'ed then whatever your local regulations are apply. In practice DZ's you will not have a problem with the USPA rigger requirement (I don't believe the realise that is the letter of the rule) and DZ's openly turn a blind eye to the 120 requirement - at least up to 160 days as we have in the UK and in Canada. I can't say they would be willing to bend the rules quite so far as a whole year though.

Well that's one way to pose the queston

She's probably off on a jolly of her own somewhere and will turn up again all by herself thinking she's done something great. Don't lose heart.

When we do a tracking jump we have 1 leader and then everyone else can direct them as nessasery. Whoever's closest will give the backtracker directions as they cannot see the ground (for obvious reasons). Same would go for cloud. FAR's don't apply - he's in England - we can bust clouds all we like... well, at least legally, whether it's a good idea or not is another matter.

I'd hesitate to reccomend them right now as I've just had a few suits back from them that plain don't fit. They have offered to make new ones though for free so I'm waiting to see if I should give them the benefit of the doubt.

The quickest way is to see how much they are selling for on e-bay. Simply pretend you're a buyer and go look. You can base your selling price on what everyone else has on the market - besides, who's gonna buy from you if someone else is selling at $100 less?

1:1:1

funny - I'm disorganised

Hahaha – I can see it now. “Ok everybody and welcome to another edition of Washington Peace Talks with me, your host, President Jerry Springer. Now; up on stage we have Palestine sitting on the right and Israel sitting on the left. Palestine is upset because Israel stole the West Bank from them. [Audience boos] Israel says that the West Bank loves them and doesn’t want to be with Palestine any more. (The West Bank is waiting back stage right now in our sound proofed booth and can’t hear what’s going on). Not only that but Israel now says that Palestine is seeing both Egypt and Syria behind their backs. [more booing]. At least now both Israel and Palestine will recognise each other when they’re out but relationships are still as strained as ever. So how about we bring the West Bank out from back stage and see what the argument is all about. [West bank comes out and starts to take it’s clothes off while the crowd chants “Jerry , Jerry, Jerry” – Palestine suddenly throws a punch at Israel so Israel retaliates by launching a chair a Palestine, Steve comes up on stage wearing a light blue hat and holds the two apart. The audience goes crazy.]