skybytch

At 9, I got paid to clean the bathrooms at my dad's auto repair shop twice a week. At 11, I had a job washing dishes at a local steak house. It shouldn't be at all surprising that my two least favorite things to do now are clean bathrooms and wash dishes.

My rigger has over 12 reserve rides on his own pack jobs. He packs my main too.

Was his last S/L jump from the same airplane? It sounds like it wasn't. Isn't the first freefall on S/L supposed to be exactly like the last S/L jump? The only difference should be the deployment device. I agree, repeated ground practice is free and very, very valuable. Were his exits that bad on his S/L jumps?

Congrats! Chasing a flailing evaluator is about the most fun ever, and it's even more fun when it's a real student!

Me too. That first evening was tough though... watching my Sharks get abused by Detroit sober...

Do you have a watch? Put it on your left wrist and get down on the floor in a neutral body position. Without moving your head, look at the watch. Can you see it (not necessarily read it, just see it)? How little can you move your head so you can see it? Next time you're at the dz, do the same thing with an altimeter. Find the combination of eye and head movement that lets you read it without moving your head very much. For where your head goes, your body will likely follow.

You're a lot closer to reality than the seller is. Assuming no damage history and that it wasn't jumped primarily in Eloy or Perris, I'd offer $750. If he doesn't bite, walk away. I know used 230's can be hard to find but $1000 for an outdated design is a bit much.

But that leaves out those of us who've been two pills away from the great beyond but still hate pain enough to jump lightly loaded conservative canopies.

Not so sweet. I'm sure I'll be cursing him in a week or two.

I'll give ya $55 if you'll cover shipping. To the OP - if what you're looking at is a currently produced model, take the current selling price for new (which may or may not be the list price), subtract $100 for putting that first jump on it, then about $1 a jump after that. Age of the canopy, as long as it's been stored correctly, doesn't matter a whole lot from a fabric degradation viewpoint, but you may be able to negotiate a lower price based on age if you can determine what the selling price was for it when it was new. Age may matter in that the manufacturer could have changed things over the years (examples would be the various line trim configurations that have been available for the Triathlon and the different slider sizes available for original Sabres). The above is only a starting point. Other adjustments to price can include line condition (new linesets run a couple hundred bucks), where it was jumped (a canopy jumped exclusively in the desert is probably going to have less "life" in it than a canopy with the same number of jumps jumped primarily in Florida), damage history (any patches?), and even color choices. Not to mention how badly the seller needs to get rid of it and how badly you want to buy it.

530.753.2650. Ask for Ray.

Awesome program Mike! Now for all of us who wish other dzo's would do the same, I have a challenge. Make a personal commitment to be a mentor to one new skydiver this year - not just to the A license level either. Jump with them on your own ticket. Give 'em your phone number and encourage them to call you with questions when they aren't on the dz; if you don't know the answer to their question, direct them to someone who does. Help to integrate them into the dz's social scene. You don't need a rating. If you have a D license, talk to the S&TA and get "blessed" to jump with pre-A licensed who are cleared to self-supervise. If you don't have a D license, start talking to them early in their progression and start jumping with them once they have the card stamped. The only caveat would be to not "give away" the pre-A license required "coach" jumps if doing so will cause bad feelings between you and the DZO - but there's nothing stopping you from giving the newbie back the money that you were paid for the jump, is there? Not only will you be helping to retain new jumpers at your dz, you also might make a new friend.

Gee, I was hoping to hear that you were giving up that whole Detroit fan thing... maybe after tomorrow night's game.

If you have an issue with the religion behind the practice of giving something up for Lent, please hit the back button now. Your input is not needed or wanted here, feel free to head on over to SC where your vitriol will be appreciated. I haven't been a practicing Catholic in 30+ years, but once again this year I'll be (attempting) to give up alcohol for Lent. Not for religious reasons, but in honor and memory of JP. I love and miss you, my friend... So anyway, what will you be giving up?

Davis has been fairly busy on good weather weekdays lately (Weds-Fri; they're closed on Mon-Tues).

New convert here. My updates are always so incredibly interesting, you know you want to follow me.

Agreed. Unless/until "you" (using the generic term, not directed at anybody in particular) have been there, there is no possible way for you to understand what makes someone think that the permanent solution to a temporary problem is the right answer. I thank a certain someone almost daily for being there for me. I wish I could have been there for him.

That's smart. But... if reading about what you'll be doing will help to make the wait tolerable, there is one place on the internet that is worth your time and won't steer you wrong. Go to uspa.org and download the Skydivers Information Manual (SIM). Read through the first jump course material - it's the exact same stuff they're going to teach you in your FJC.

Don't sweat that. Your first freefall on the S/L program will be almost exactly like your last couple static line jumps (on which you will be pulling a dummy ripcord). Same exit, same body position, same pull sequence. Only difference is you'll be saving your life instead of the static line saving your life. Your instructors won't let you do it if they don't think you're capable of doing it safely.

A gear check - which is something that you need to do regardless of who owns the rig you are jumping, and is also something that should be taught to you by your instructors long before you are signed off for self-supervision - should assure you that everything is good to go. It's not dumb to ask what canopy is in the rig. It shouldn't really matter who packed it; many dz's keep no records of that so they may have no idea who packed it. You can certainly ask to watch it being packed, but if you're that worried about you may be better off learning to pack now so you can pack it yourself. You're paying an instructor to teach you. Ask questions. Good instructors love to answer questions; if they are too busy to spend the time required to answer at that moment they will direct you to someone else who isn't as busy. Anybody who is always too busy to answer a student's questions is probably not all that good of an instructor. You'll get a lot of info here, but do remember that an awful lot of people here don't know what they are talking about. This very well could include me. Take everything you read here with a big ol' grain of salt.

ummmm.... #5?

How many cigarette and booze smugglers shoot other smugglers? Stop? No. But I'd think most people who do the drugs wouldn't purchase from the "criminal element" if they can purchase or produce them legally, which would severely limit the dealers customer base. Look at prescription drug addicts - they'll shop doctors to get the scripts they need to purchase the drugs legally at the pharmacy instead of paying street prices. Kids are getting cigarettes and alcohol as it is, now. Shouldn't we make it harder for them? The same folks who care for babies born to alcoholic women or to women who die of lung cancer because they smoked cigarettes. It's even easier to just say don't legalize it, but there are ramifications that have to be considered and not just appeasing the want or need of a portion of our society - in this case, that portion that profits from the continuation of the "war on drugs."

No... all because people in this country won't legalize dope. If it's legal, there's no reason for the "drug cartels" to exist because there won't be nearly as much money to be made - freeing up customs and the Border Patrol to concentrate on other important issues. If it's legal, there's no reason for drug dealers to be in business - freeing up all law enforcement to concentrate on other important issues. If it's legal, thousands of non-violent inmates can be released - thus saving taxpayers a couple million per year. If it's legal, the government can throw a sin tax on it - thus creating more revenue. Which is better - throwing good money after bad trying to stop something that is never going to stop? Or turning what isn't going to stop into a never ending income stream for the government?

More assholes with too much money. They're really gonna be pissed when the swoop pond goes in.

What do you think they're doing behind those closed doors between loads? Watching video? Yeah, sure they are...