skybytch

I resent this thread. I am not an asshole. I am a bytch. There is a difference.

Hip rings add comfort, not functionality. Spacer foam adds comfort, not functionality. Skyhook is an optional safety device that some jumpers choose not to use; it adds complexity to the system, not functionality. Magnetic riser covers are no more functional that well designed and maintained tuck tabs. Stowless d-bags still have locking stows; all they've done is to stow everything else like on a freebag, and until they've been available and used in the real world (ie as main d-bags on main parachutes used for skydiving applications) for awhile we won't really know if they are "more" functional or not, will we?

My bad. I was under the impression that frap hats were used because they had those bumpers in them, thus hopefully making the back of the student's head softer than it would be without a helmet of any sort when it goes into the instructors nose.

Head butt. Bad enough with frap hats, I sure wouldn't want to be the person on the back if the person on front had a hard helmet on.

Which brings me to my next set of questions. I'm not an S&TA or a BOD member. Do I have a responsibility to report something like that if I have knowledge of it? If so, does that responsibility come from being a USPA member or from having a USPA instructional rating? If not, who is responsible for reporting such things? While I may or may not be thinking of a particular incidence, that really has no bearing on my questions. I'm curious about what kind of "discipline" has happened in past and how evenly or unevenly those instances are handled (ie is every offender punished in the same way).

The SF Bay area has a thriving live music scene. And it's much prettier than SoCal, and the people are nicer.

Assume that these are jumps that USPA says must be done by an appropriately rated instructor.

Doesn't matter. Assume this is a USPA member. USPA members are obliged to follow the BSR's regardless of whether the dz they jump at is a group member or not. Hm. Then why do most of us even bother to spend all that money getting ratings? Is that SOP or is it on a case by case basis? How long has it been since a USPA member has been disciplined in that way for jumping with students without a rating?

What happens if someone who doesn't hold a USPA AFF rating is found to be doing AFF jumps with non-licensed, pre-Cat F students (in the US)?

Why should any skydiver have to wade through the pages and pages of crap that fill every incident thread to gain information that has already been collected by the organization that we pay money to? If someone found enough correlation between incidents to notify us officially that there "might" be a problem, don't we have a right to know the information that correlation is based on, the information that wasn't printed in the incident reports in the magazine we pay for?

But please, don't pull the trigger until after you've talked it over with someone. Some days I really, really miss you, JP. Keep flying around up there looking over us all, and know that you are still very much loved.

And who won every round? Uh huh. That's right.

Get a signed contract for aircraft for your dates, BEFORE you announce or advertise anything. For non-regular dz locations, USPA can designate the area a dropzone so the USPA 3rd party insurance will apply. Contact your regional director to get that done. Manifest - who's going to do it? If it's an off-airport location, you'll need vehicles to transport people. Don't forget to figure in cost of gas, use of vehicles and someone to drive them. Expect jumpers to whine about the registration fee, and expect that some of them will show up, enjoy the facilities and people, never make a jump and never pay registration. And like Spot said, there's a lot more...

Search "slackline setup" on google or youtube, there's a bunch of info out there. Our bag o' stuff includes the line, two anchors (1" tubular nylon, looped back and sewed with a three point to make loops on either end; one anchor also has a smaller Type 17 loop sewn on for attaching the come along), five carabiners and the come along. For quick and dirty, I put the anchors around the trees and put a carabiner through the loops of both anchors. Attach one end of the line to one anchor/carabiner; attach the come along to the other anchor/carabiner, then run the other end of the line through the come along. Tighten it up and you're slacking. The only real downside to this method is that the come along has to stay in the system, which adds a bit more weight to one end of the line. The Type 17 loop on one anchor is used for attaching the come along when using it to tighten a line rigged with 'biners. Shorter lines can be easily tightened with one or two blokes, but longer ones need something more. With the come along outside the system (ie the excess line is run through it after it exits the 'biners), you can easily remove it when the line is tight enough.

Easy. When the person you love becomes somebody you don't want to hang out with. Or when the person you love isn't willing to make a commitment and you want one. Or when the person you love has completely different values and hopes for the future and you know those will conflict with yours. Or all of the above.

Hog flops are fun too. Build a whatever-way round, break and everyone do a backloop. Rebuild the formation and then repeat until breakoff. Most "points" wins.

I'm not so sure about that. Flaring does two things - it slows your descent rate and then (if you finish it) it bleeds off your forward speed. When jumping into high winds you don't have much if any forward speed, but you are still descending. Flaring to the plane out point when you are coming straight down or going backwards will slow/stop that descent rate and keep your ankles and knees from having to absorb the impact.

Easy way to figure out what MLW should fit you - Take your height in inches. Subtract your inseam in inches (crotch to floor, no shoes). Subtract 20. The result will be an MLW measurement that should fit your torso. Example - I'm 5'8" with a 33" inseam. 68-33-20=15. So a 15" MLW should fit me (and it does).

How 'bout waiting until it's 100% healed instead of 90% healed?

Yes, I am. And your point would be...???

Nice! Can I have your trailer in the ghetto?

No clue. It's an industrial version though so I assume it's relatively heavy duty. I really like it for quick and dirty set ups - no biners required, which is handy since I don't know how to tie that knot you guys use to set up the 4 to 1 .

That's about all ours was, too. I found it handy to add a come-along to the kit; makes it easier to get the line tight without a bunch of strong guys around. Was that you walking on our line down at the lake at LP last summer?

Is pointing out that having an AAD can increase your risk in some ways and that they are completely useless in many situations that can cause death considered to be arguing against them or being realistic about what they can and can't do?

IIRC not many of those guys have died recently in situations where an AAD would have saved them...