skybytch

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Everything posted by skybytch

  1. skybytch
    Yeah, let's make a way for Joe to get back at Bob after Bob slept with Suzy! That's way better than Joe beating Bob up on the dz - Joe could get rid of Bob completely by just lying a bit to USPA. Can we make contributions anonymously too?
  2. skybytch
    1500 feet is fairly close to pattern altitude. If I'm on the same level with someone at 1500 feet and we're heading for the same landing area, I'd be kicking my feet too. It would be nice to know that you see me - if we continue to fly on the same level throughout the pattern, it is possible for us to collide, especially if the "lead" canopy does S turns on final. Kick your legs back if you want. More importantly, create vertical separation if you see someone on your level flying a similar canopy/wingloading. Out of curiosity, did she lose or gain altitude on you after she kicked her legs or did she remain on level with you throughout the pattern? Yeah, I miss the days of post-RW CRW hookups and spiraling down to final too. But remember, we all jumped similar (and slow) mains back then. This new safety you speak of is needed considering the wide range of canopy speeds on any particular load, . The Big Sky Theory is no longer valid.
  3. skybytch
    Yeah, it really sucks that the only people in your area who have been putting them on are both broken (from non-jumping activities)....
  4. skybytch
    No, but a few of my male students developed crushes on me.
  5. skybytch
    AH, so that's what I've been doing wrong. I should have been CHARGING people for my knowledge all these years instead of giving it away like the old farts who taught me did.
  6. skybytch
    He wasn't replying to me. If I liked watching people die, I wouldn't bother saying something when they are taking risks that they may not have the experience to survive. I will say that the headache derived from beating one's head against brick walls may be a good enough reason to stop giving a shit.
  7. skybytch
    Find a dz owned by someone who jumped back in the day. Fairly likely that they will have or know of someone who has something old and round and uncomfortable.... err I mean a PC in a old school container with a belly wart that you could jump. I'll help hand prop your plane for a ride in it!
  8. skybytch
    Oh wow, thanks for clearing that up for me. You're right, there is no distraction involved in flying a camera, all those people with thousands of jumps who say they were distracted by a camera are just losers who shouldn't be skydiving. How could I have been so wrong for all these years?!?
  9. skybytch
    It was. Men were men, women showed their tits, AAD's were for students, helmets were for chicken shits, duct tape was the new baling wire, A license holders could spot and some skill at hand propping might get you a free beer.
  10. skybytch
    Because you've never seen a person there doesn't mean they haven't been there... It's quite possible that they have and they saw something happen that isn't right. It's even possible that they've been there more than once and seen sketchy shit happen more than once. Why, it could even be that sketchy shit happened to them! What does being a world champion have to do with safety? World champions can make poor decisions just like you and I can. To the OP - While I'd advise against Lodi, who she jumps with is more important than where. Every dz has ride operators, but she should jump with someone who has done quite a few jumps with fragile individuals (paraplegic, elderly, etc). Call around and ask specifically about instructor experience with paraplegics. AFAIK both Davis and Byron do have instructors available with that experience.
  11. skybytch
    That's an excellent question to ask your USPA directors...
  12. skybytch
    I'm confused. There's this really nice couple that I know. Both of them have asked lots of questions and did a canopy control course and are flying reasonable canopies for their experience level, but both of them have had GoPro's on their helmets since they had about 100 jumps. She removed it after I gave her shit about it a month or so ago, but it's back on there now. Why would someone listen to and follow the advice and recommendations of USPA and of more experienced jumpers on one area of skydiving - like canopy choice - but completely ignore recommendations and advice when it comes to another area - like putting a GoPro on at 100 jumps?
  13. skybytch
    I had L4-S1 fused 10 years ago. No hardware, just donor bone. Waited a year to get back in the air and then did about 200 jumps the following year. I've also taken up backpacking since then; did 100 miles on the PCT a few years ago. A fusion doesn't have to keep you from living the life you want to live. Be diligent about PT now and stretching and strengthening your core in the future. You may have some lingering pain for the rest of your life but you can limit it with exercise. Be sure to let your instructors know about it when you start your student training. When it's time to buy gear you'll likely want a main with a reputation for slow and soft openings, and you'll want to pay special attention to learning to land it well. Definitely talk to your surgeon about it though. I am not a doctor, nor did I stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night.
  14. skybytch
    I only commented because I've seen several people have a few too many reserve rides after spinners under elliptical canopies with wingsuits. Your choice. Surely nothing that bad will happen to you.
  15. skybytch
    Do "they" recommend the Stiletto as a good wingsuit canopy?
  16. skybytch
    This morning I get to go to the hospital and wait while my man has surgery on his fractured hip (not from skydiving). This afternoon I get to be at the hospital keeping him company. This evening.... I drink like a Viking.
  17. skybytch
    Will the sky not be there anymore if you don't jump this weekend? Will you be severely bummed out if you do jump and end up making your injury worse? Can you support yourself if you do jump and cause further injury and you can't work? Having blown out two discs and had three vertebrae fused, personally I wouldn't take the risk. But that's just me. YMMV.
  18. skybytch
    Luckily that's not a decision you have to make right now. Include an orthopedic surgeon's advice in your decision making process, preferably one who is familiar with your break. Whatever you do, don't rush it. A "rule of thumb" that I've heard is don't jump until you can run at least a few steps without pain.
  19. skybytch
    While you're at it, change out the lines for Dacron. Your neck and back will appreciate it very much.
  20. skybytch
    I figured out how to carry a cup of coffee. Takes a while and it's kinda sketchy but I can do it, damn it!
  21. skybytch
    Don't say things like that, it is a very serious injury. I'm nine weeks out since my break and I'm still far from being able to completely take care of myself. Considering the pain level and the length of recovery, it's serious. I didn't have surgery so what I've experienced is going to be different than what you will experience, but mine hurt like hell for the first two or three weeks and then the pain started to ease up. My cast was halfway up my thigh until a couple weeks ago, which limited my mobility big time. It's way better now that the cast only goes to my knee. The leg still swells up if I'm up for very long, and it hurts if I put too much weight on it for too long. No good advice on the depression. Not being able to do what I want/need to do has been the hardest thing to deal with for me. I've found the end of the internet, read every book in the house, played video games until my hands cramp, learned to crochet... and I'm still bored out of my mind for most of the day...
  22. skybytch
    Half my canopy collapsed while I was on final one day at Perris. Looked down at the spot I was going to die on, thought "this is going to hurt", the canopy reinflated, I landed fine. Then there was the tandem side spin with my 21st real student. No shit there we were. Thanks to Bill and Ted and the techniques they developed, we didn't die. I've never seen eyes as big as my camera flier's were after we got out of it and he caught up to us.
  23. skybytch

    WFFC

    skybytch replied to skyjames's topic in The Bonfire

    If it wasn't for WFFC, I probably wouldn't have gotten together with the best thing that ever happened to me. And Getting to meet, drink and jump with so many people I met on here and through work was awesome too. I missed Quincy, only made it to Rantoul in '02, '03 and '04. But I packed a lot of memories into those weeks, most of which are either not suitable for a public audience or kinda blurry from the alcohol.
  24. skybytch
    Bingo. I first heard "no more than shoulder level input" in my FJC. I've heard many other instructors give the same instruction. Flaring from this configuration is not difficult, and if the jumper has any worries about how to flare it after doing a control check they can chop it. I always drilled them on it in the harness too. "You're in a slow turn to the right. what do you do?" The correct response is to give some left input until it flies straight; if input is shoulder level or above a control check is next, if input is more than shoulder level a cutaway and reserve deployment are next. I'd drill them on both situations.
  25. skybytch
    Every student I've ever taught knew that a turn that requires more than shoulder level toggle input to make the canopy fly straight is NOT controllable. A turn requiring 1/2 to 3/4 toggle input on one side is not going to flare real well, even for someone with a lot more than one jump under their belt (which is the reason behind the no more than shoulder level toggle input thing). Did you do a control check before deciding you could control it and safely land it? Doesn't a control check involve flaring the canopy? Had you done a control check prior to your hard deck, you would have known that it was going to turn you into the ground if you tried to land it.