skybytch

If all you're doing is zoo loads with your friends on your belly then yeah, it's not so bad. If, on the other hand, you want to learn to fly on your belly with other people and actually complete the planned formation(s), use the right tool for the job from the beginning.

Or a flat turn? Might be a handy skill to have when flying an elliptical at any wingloading.

I'd like a spot on the board please. Who can I paypal the $5 to?

I'm a bit taller than you, but still can't do better than tiptoeing on my b/f's Suzuki DRZ400. But when I asked a mechanic friend what enduro I should get, he highly recommended the same bike and told me that the seat height can be lowered. As soon as we have garage space for another bike, I'm hoping to find out for sure.

Why can't you fly in deep brakes on any load?

Sure ya can. Have you flown it in deep brakes yet?

Some things never change...

Nope. But the controller works for all the SNES and Turbografix and N64 games on the virtual console, so it was worth the extra $20, imho.

Yup, I'm resurrecting a way old thread. Pilotwings is now available for download on the Wii virtual console. $8. You have to have the classic controller (another $20) to play it. It's just as fun as it was in 1991. And I still suck at landing the hang glider.

You didn't like my note? Dammit, and I tried so hard to be funny. Y'know, hundreds of people go to LP every year. They set up camp away from manifest and then they set up another area to hang out in during the day near manifest. In the morning, they grab their gear and go spend a few hours down by manifest, with everyone else that is jumping. These people only complain about not hearing manifest when one of the wonderful manifestresses forgets that airplanes are louder than PA systems. And they're usually nice about it too. I camped right across the road from you guys last year. We couldn't hear manifest, but we didn't need to because those who were jumping during the day were hanging out down by manifest, not in camp. Like everybody else. The first rule of complaining is to only complain to someone who can do something about the issue you are complaining about. Repeated complaining to someone who CAN'T do anything about it accomplishes nothing other than irritating both you and the person you are bitching at. FYI for next year - the wonderful manifestresses at LP can't do a damn thing about the volume of the PA.

Depends on the manufacturer. Flite Suit jackets have about 4 inches of spandex at the bottom that is supposed to be tucked in under the pants. Seems to keep the jacket from going anyplace. You'll be happiest with your suit if you talk to some experienced freefliers - in person - about what fabric/fit is likely to work best for your body style before you order anything.

From what I've seen, it's not uncommon. I knew a guy who was 100 jumps or so shy of the AFF requirements, followed by a month of unjumpable weather on the west coast, and yet somehow he had enough jumps to go for the rating in January. I'm sure many others know people like that. Requiring a signature probably wouldn't keep someone who would lie to get/renew a rating anyway from forging the signatures or finding a "nice" S&TA to sign off the lies. It would put one more roadblock up for honest candidates and add another task to the S&TA or supervising instructor's (unpaid, unappreciated) list of responsibilities. I'm not sure it would be effective enough in the real world to justify the extra effort - but I would support it if others thought that it would be.

Fifteen coach jumps within a year are already required to renew a coach rating. Be fairly simple to require that an AFFI or ride operator candidate have a coach rating that they have renewed at least once. We already trust that S&TA's are checking logbooks that haven't been falsified to be sure that those jumps were actually done. Requiring a supervising instructor to sign off on each jump adds another task to what will likely already be a thankless and unpaid job, and if applied solely to coach jumps also gives the impression that someone who is just a coach can't be trusted to not lie in their logbook.

If you know something is best, why not do it? You may want a little more speed in a short time. I know many people who did. You may not. I know many other people who don't. You may be just fine at 1.15 until you learn how to handle it in all conditions. I know many people who have been. You may not. I know many people who weren't. You can buy a container sized for the main that's right for you now. When you really are ready for more speed, you can sell that main and replace it with a smaller one. In the same container. Then when you think you're ready for even more speed, with most containers you can sell that main and replace it with a smaller one. If you aren't a hot shot with mad skillz (which, if you're honest with yourself, you probably aren't now and probably won't be 50 or even 500 jumps from now either), that's easily 500 jumps without having to replace the container, reserve or AAD. So why not start with a main canopy that will allow you to walk away from the inevitable screwup? Especially since you "know 1:1 is best to start out at for wing load."

And I, in turn, wish you a season full of unfulfilled hopes and dreams, ending in humiliation and disappointment. Y'know, kinda like every season for a Sharks fan.

Not likely here. Sleeping with the S&TA kinda negates any possibility of receiving an award when the recipient is chosen by said S&TA.

Who is that amazingly awesome reserve side instructor? I'd date him. Here I am watching my student's opening. Pic by Phil Zidek.

Not an issue. Cock it yourself before you turn the rig over to the packer, and check to be sure it's cocked before you jump it.

Jealous! I'll definitely be following your journal. Hope it's everything you expect and more!

Yup. Especially if it's a federal government job. Having a script in a state that allows compassionate use really only protects a patient from getting arrested by local or state cops for possession, cultivation and/or intent to distribute. AFAIK, the law doesn't address things like job loss for using it. 2010 should be an interesting year in California. Closest we've ever been to legalizing it completely. Sure be hilarious if weed ended up "saving" the state's budget

Thank you. I think this will go over well if we take any breaks during our all day marathon D&D session Tuesday.

Until I got talked into going to see a skydiver who is also a dentist, I hated them and therefore refused to go. Skydiver dentists are cool (if you're anywhere near Reno, Dr Nick Furchner is the MAN - hands down the best dentist ever for those of us who are dentist-phobic!). I'm even looking forward to my next appointment (weird!). Root canals suck, especially on back molars (too much keeping the mouth open), but the post-op pain probably won't be nearly as bad as what you've already been dealing with from the abscess, and even if it is, it will go away in a few days instead of being a constant issue. Hot tip - Make someone else drive you there and home so you can take a pain pill before the novacaine wears off (before you leave the dentist office if you can), and take them even if you think you don't need them for the first few days. Oh yeah, since this is the dorkzone, I must say - did you ask your dentist these questions? Seriously though, if you did and they didn't answer them, or if they don't have time to answer them, find another dentist. Good on ya for getting it done; I hope your dentist is as slow, patient, careful and awesome as mine!

What are you loading the Swift at? Probably not the best reserve to load over about 1.0. I loved my Reflex. Comfy and freefly safe, Best used gear deals out there right now, I think.

Every AFF jump is nerve racking. On the first one. you're jumping out of a freakin' airplane! WTF are you thinking? You could DIE doing that! On the second one, you're jumping out of a freakin' airplane, AGAIN! You survived it once, wasn't that enough? Don't you EVER think? On the third one, they're going to LET YOU GO! You could roll over or spin or... OMG, what ever made you think you could do this shit? Front flips and back flips come around jump 6-7. A bit nerve racking because you are intentionally creating instability, but not nearly as scary as your first solo will be. But by then, you're not a whuffo anymore. You're a skydiver. And if you didn't know it before, when you land after that first time being completely alone in the sky, you will.

The other one to watch for is links in status updates. Pretty sure that most all of my friends aren't "making money on google" or wanting to be sure I see the latest dating site. Click on the link and soon you'll be sending out the same status updates. If it's not posted via the facebook link thingie, don't click on it. And change your password frequently, too. This public service message has been brought to you by Tang.