skybytch

' Good idea. If you are at all worried, just pick up some electronics to do your job for you. No worries, they always work, regardless of what those old asswipes try to tell you.

Regarding his Dancing with the Stars appearances - "I'm in the hands of a professional, so as long as I just strap myself on to her, jump out of the airplane... . It's kind of like tandem skydiving, [you] just hang on and hope the shoot opens." Gee. I always thought tandem skydiving was supposed to be a method used to learn to skydive, not an amusement park ride. Silly me.

Go for it. What could possibly go wrong. All those people saying it's a bad idea are just old boring fuckers who don't want you to progress because they're afraid you'll be better than they are. What the hell do they think they know anyway, with all their jumps and years in sport? Asswipes.

Pull out your cameras, creativity and fancy clothes - it's time for the Second Annual SkyDance Fall Film Festival! There are two parts to this event - the contest and the party. THE CONTEST - Everybody - jumper or not, SkyDance regular or not - is encouraged to enter a film. There are no limits on subject matter; it is not required that any of your footage be shot in the air or be "about" skydiving. Solo or group projects are welcome. All video and stills used in Festival entries must have been shot between September 9 and November 5, 2010. This is to level the playing field for those who do not shoot video on a regular basis. All entries must be between 2 seconds and 5 minutes in length (5:00 is fine, 5:01 is not). All entries must include at least 2 seconds of consecutive footage that is easily recognizable as having been shot at SkyDance Skydiving. All entries must be turned in to either SkyDance Skydiving manifest or Keith Wyatt on or before November 7, 2010. $5 entry fee per film; 100% of entry fees go to CASH prizes! THE PARTY - Starting shortly after sunset, the packing hangar will magically become the Fallies Theatre. All Festival entries will be shown on the big screen; winners will be determined after all entries have been viewed. Two prize categories - Judge's Choice and People's Choice. Judges will be selected from party attendees, including the jumper with the most experience, the jumper with the least experience and one non-jumper. The People's Choice award will be judged by audience volume. BYOB and DRESS TO IMPRESS!!! We'll make sure there's a heater in there this time. ;-) This event is brought to you by The NonDescript Red Cup Brigade in cooperation with SkyDance Skydiving.

No you don't. You hate it. Just like all Canadians hate their universal medical care. That's what all my conservative friends here in the US tell me and there's no way that they aren't right. To the OP - If you're going to jump while you aren't covered, at least get an accident protection plan. You don't want to start your adult life with huge medical bills and/or a crappy credit rating dragging you down.

Holding a USPA coach rating means that somebody with another USPA rating thinks that you can safely jump with post Cat E, pre-A licensed jumpers and adequately teach a few basic skills to them. That's it. Your current skill level is likely far above that of somebody with 10 jumps. Pretty much anybody with decent verbal communication skills can teach basic skills. It ain't rocket science.

In 1993, a brand new Javelin was about $900. The reserve could be a Raven I (181 sq ft), a Raven II (218 sq ft), a Raven DashM 181 or a Raven DashM 218; in 1997 they were available new for $600-800. A 1993 Javelin is not "freefly safe" like 1996 and newer Javelins. It may still have soft cutaway housings (you don't want those). Depending on condition, value is between $200-$300. Be aware that the original Raven reserves (Raven I and Raven II) are NOT reinforced and should NOT be loaded over 1.0, no matter how good you are (being good doesn't help much when your canopy blows up over your head). They also do not land well when loaded over 1.0. The DashM series can be loaded heavier, but will have the same landing issues. Original Ravens are worth a couple hundred bucks, the DashM maybe a bit more. Personally, I'd pass on this one, get ahold of a gear dealer who knows gear and work through them. Much less likely to get completely ripped off that way.

How about practicing your canopy skills and learning more about your main? Practice flaring from full flight, 1/4 brakes and 1/2 brakes, play with the front risers, do some flat turns and figure out which method works best for you, play with the rear risers, stall it with toggles, stall it with rears, figure out what control inputs give you the best glide... Standard disclaimer - Be sure to talk to someone who knows canopy control about any maneuver that you haven't tried before you try them.

Awesome.

What he said. A couple ideas for what to do with them - I like to plan jumps that allow the newer jumper to work on something without feeling pressured to get it right (ie making it feel like a "training" jump, which most new jumpers have had about enough of). One of my favorite things to do is put a 2 way open accordion into the dive - once you get it, both jumpers put their legs out and their other arm back and it spins hard until you can't hold on anymore. Loads of fun, and getting back to a 2 way gives the newb a chance to work on closing distance in a no-pressure situation. "Hog flops" are fun and work the same skills; build a 2 way, break, both do backloops, redock, continue until breakoff.

I already do. No fees on craigslist. No shipping or worries about scams either if you only deal local and only accept cash.

+1. And I'm a smoker. Butts belong in the trash.

I was very sentimental about stuff. Until I lost about 3/4ths of it to a hurricane. I'm much more into collecting experiences and memories than I am stuff now.

I'm with her. Two months before an neurosurgeon cut me open to find that my lower spine was so unstable that he had to fuse three vertebrae, I went to the ER because I was in incredible pain. That fucking bitch wearing a nurse's uniform gave me a shot right into the spasming muscle, then told me "you have chronic back pain and you just need to get used to it". I hope every disc in her back goes out and she has to have her entire spine fused. And I could get hit by a car at that ER's doors and I would insist on being taken elsewhere. Ten years ago and I'm still that pissed at that bitch. So for those working in the field - not every patient with pain you can't see is a junkie...

I don't. If they wanted to jump, they'd do it.

You have enough experience to get a coach rating, which would allow you to jump with post-AFF, pre-A license holders. You have enough experience to jump with a new A license holder. Actually, you may find them to be some of the most challenging jumps you've done so far. Have fun!

How do you talk about other things that are for "grown ups" only - driving, for example?

Thru hike the Pacific Crest Trail.

Even if your brand new gear breaks apart on the first ever jump, it's on you.

http://www.eastonlawoffices.com/ Just in case any SoCal jumpers need a good lawyer... might not want to use this one.

There is no guarantee that a reserve deployed by you pulling a ripcord is going to deploy correctly. How can it be guaranteed that a reserve not deployed by you, with you probably in a less than ideal body position, will deploy correctly?

If you don't like the pre-planned pattern, feel free to land out in whatever direction you'd like. Otherwise, stick to what was planned beforehand for the entire load - for if you don't, the pattern is no longer predictable.

Why not give the manufacturer a call and ask them? Bet they know more about Vectors than anybody else...

Doubt anything can trump this. The list of those alive but paralyzed for life? At least they can talk to us.

The list of dead friends.