skybytch

You're just pissy cuz I had to bytchslap you so many times.

5432 1098 7654 3210. Expires 10/05/06. Secret code is 420. Billing zip code is 98765. Lemme know if it works, cuz if it does there's some stuff I want to buy.

Why do that? Use somebody else's credit card and let them pay it off!

I'd trust the manufacturer's opinions on this far more than I would anybody else's opinions. Just because people do things does not mean that what they are doing is safe.

I'm going to wait to get a skydiving related tat until after I'm sure skydiving is a big part of my life. Like maybe for the 20th anniversary of my first jump. If I'm still jumping then, that is.

BookCrossing.com This looks like fun. I'll be "releasing" a few books from my stacks after class tomorrow.

Ummmm.... Byron Boogie?

I just listened to show #3. OMFG!!! How you guys got her to do that... fucking brilliant. That there is some funny shit!

If it was sized for a Sabre 190, a Pilot 188 or Safire 189 will fit, no problem. Determining the pack volume of a canopy is a very inexact science. Canopy bulk depends on a few variables, the biggest of which is humidity or lack thereof (canopies pack smaller in more humid air and vice versa).

Start by talking to your rigger and other riggers in your area. Some are willing and able to teach. You may be able to find one who will teach you for free (or in exchange for work; that's how I did it), possibly on a part-time basis. This is the long way; it takes awhile to obtain the skills and complete the pack jobs required to take the FAA tests. If that doesn't work for you, there are a number of rigging courses available in the US. Some are short term (a week or so - Dave DeWolf puts on a popular one), others are longer term (Rigging Innovations in Eloy offers an excellent course). Regardless of which way you go, pick up copies of Poynter's Parachute Manuals (two volumes) and Parachute Rigging Course. Also, do a search in this forum; hooknswoop posted a thread about this awhile back.

Like I ever do what I should do!

No it's not. It's spelled "Dodgers."

Cool, now I have a good reason to start typing it in every post! pull and flare, lisa

Wow, I had no idea that the Pope looks so much like you, Kreg!

I can't imagine a $300 Level 1 (Cat A) not including the FJC. While comparing prices is an idea, going with the lowest price for your training may not be the best idea. OTOH, sometimes waiting more (i.e. at a Cessna dz as opposed to a turbine dz) can mean more learning time, and it certainly can mean that you'll get to know other jumpers better, sooner. Getting to know other jumpers is a good thing when you get off student status and want to jump with other people - more experienced jumpers are more likely to ask you to join them if they've hung out with you a few times. Definitely! And this is where saving up over the winter will be totally worth it - instead of spending all you have on your student jumps and then discovering that you can't afford your own rig, you'll be in a better financial position to pick up gear if you already have at least part of what it will cost put away.

I'd add to the good - having had the experience of pulling a ripcord and getting an introduction to what flying the pattern looks like from the air. I'd add to the bad - The "feet on the instructor's ass" body position could be a contributing factor in some people's backsliding and/or spin issues on later release dives (Cat C and D).

I listened to this week's show this morning. Now I have the silly jingle for dropzone of the month stuck in my head. Damn you!! Damn you all!!

I've been spending a bit of time reading the forums on rockclimbing.com lately (they have a slacklining forum and rock climbing is the next thing I'm going to try). A post in their beginner's forum caught my attention because it has many parallels to how I feel about skydiving. With thanks and respect to "tenn_dawg", what follows is that post with some minor changes to reflect jumping instead of climbing... __________ When I look back on my first days skydiving I realize that I was concerned in all of the wrong things. I was asking questions about techniques, gear, different disciplines, and yes, shoes. While I was asking these questions I didn't realize that I was missing what was really important about our sport. Skydiving is not about which canopy is best, which discipline is best, fashion and hype. What makes it the most incredible sport in the world is our community, our ethics, and our spirit. I wish that I had been given answers to the questions I wasn't asking. And in my reflections here's just a few of the things I wish I would have been told 15 years ago. Take a road trip as soon as possible to a dz other than the one you learned at. Jump all weekend, camp out, sit around the bonfire and listen. Find the old farts in your area and listen to everything they have to say. Ignore the young guys with too much to say. Get experience in all possible facets of skydiving. Do RW, freefly, try CRW, shoot accuracy, try freestyle, start working toward a rigger's ticket and an instructional rating. Jump with as many different people as you can. You will learn what to do and what not to do in half the time. You will learn what you respect in a jumper and what you hate as well. Emulate the good and don't let yourself become that asshole that we all see occasionally. It is no coincidence that the best jumpers in the world do the least talking about their accomplishments. Nor is a coincidence that some of the worst talk even if no one is listening. Become involved in the community. Join your country's parachuting association. Donate money if you like, but it is far better to participate. Seeing the fruits of your labor, and knowing you have helped make some of the best skydiving memories. Don't complain unless you have an alternative. Don't ask for anything until you have contributed. Karma is real. No matter what anyone says. Learn all you can about the history of your sport. You should be on a first name basis with some of the old guys who were jumping back in the day. They will be on the dropzone. Respect them and their wishes as your own. They were in your shoes at one time, and some of them can probably still outfly you. Never belittle someone for jumping in the fashion they love. Find your own personal ethics early, and stand behind them. Always strive for a higher ethical standard, never let yourself be pulled down. Don't hesitate to argue your ethics around the bonfire. Do everything you can to help other jumpers. They are your family while you pursue this sport, and this family can seem suprisingly small at times. What goes around comes around. Enjoy every second of being at the dropzone doing something you love. You may very well be having the best time of your life. Share the experience with as many people as you can. Give as much as you receive. And don't be that asshole...

It's okay to pimp yourself out on dz.com as long as you follow a few simple guidelines. 1) Don't pimp yourself out in the women's forum. 2) Don't pimp yourself out in the topical forums. 3) When/if you ever get some from a fellow dz.commer, be sure to promptly pay your pimp fees to Sangiro. So now that we've got that sorted out, why are you having such a problem getting yourself laid, Karl? You didn't seem to have that problem when you lived in California. Is it that now you're trying to get laid by skydiver chicks?

You may find this article helpful.

I think we drank all their beer over the weekend. But since Kris managed to get out of here without paying his beer for a couple of firsts he got in yesterday, feel free to hit him up for it when you meet him. Not this time... but y'never know where I might show up; you might as well just stay scared.

That's m'boy; he totally takes after me! Note - For those who don't get this, no, Wingie is not really my son. But we determined a few years ago that he is my son from another dimension, since my real son shares his first name and Wingie's real mom shares my first name.

The jumpers in Davis, California, are sad to announce that our favorite pilot, Kris Hackler, his fiance Diana and the coolest baby in the world, Jet, are leaving us in a few hours to drag their home to Eloy, Arizona, where Kris will soon be flying your butts to altitude instead of ours. Kris is not just a great pilot, he's also an A licensed jumper. Diana is not just a great person and mom, she's also a pilot and flight instructor. So, we the jumpers of Davis do humbly request that you, the jumpers of Eloy, make them feel at home and take good care of them for us. They'll be greatly missed here and we wish them all the best.

Wow. From useful information that might save a life to accusing people of accusing people in only 8 posts.

But you're not 2.25 times less likely to die if you get into a canopy collision after exiting with three other people than if you exit with 10 other people, are you? The prof has a very valid point. It doesn't matter how many other people are in the air with you. Controlling your pattern can help you avoid a canopy collision.