DrewEckhardt

People's judgements are all relative and we don't all agree on how terms are defined. Canopies of the same size+model that are in trim fly pretty close although steering line shrinkage can make one seem to require less control input; but it's almost all perspective. The Stiletto is more sensitive to control input than most other canopies at the same wing loading. Maximum turn rate is high but no too out of line for the performance class. Requiring less control input to reach a maximum rate turn leads some people to call the Stiletto ground hungry. Definately makes it more fun to fly - I'd jump a Stiletto over an Omega, Spectre, Safire, or Crossfire for this reason. I haven't gotten arround to trying a Sabre2. Without control input following a speed inducing manuever it will achieve completely level flight which more modern swooping canopies will not. It will do so in less altitude than most more modern designs of the same performance class and wing loading . For this reason I wouldn't consider it to be ground hungry compared to a Crossfire, Samurai, or FX. The Stiletto is trimmed very flat. You don't need any toggle or riser input to get back from long spots. This may lead you to believe its not ground hungry. The Samurai is trimmed steeper, although it flattens out if you spread the rear risers and I wouldn't consider it ground hungry either. It opens faster than many more modern designs but not briskly like a Sabre or Monarch. I think the Stiletto and Samurai open about right - comfortably without loosing too much altitude. The Spectre, Crossfire, and FX waste altitude that would be better used tracking or getting back from a longer spot. The Sabre (not 2) and Stiletto aren't much alike beyond both being made of ZP and having a PD label on the tail. Pretty much you just have to try it. If you're not competing at a high level, how a given canopy suits you is going to be much more important than how its performance with an expert pilot is assessed with a tape measure. At the very least you need input on how it compares to a canopy you're familiar with. It used to be that pretty much every experienced skydiver had jumped a Sabre (first popular ZP canopy in the US) and Stiletto (first popular elliptical in the US) but there are many more choices now. I put about 600 jumps on my Stiletto 120 at wing loadings between 1.6 and 1.7 pounds/square foot; about 300 on my Samurai 105 at similar wingloadings; and also own a Monarch 135 which is about like an original Sabre.

You could probably land a much higher wingloading without injury on a straight in approach into a wide open field with a slight head wind and no canopies arround you. The problem is what happens when things go wrong - some one cuts you off, there are obstacles you didn't see before, you're landing off the airport into a small area, you're stuck with a down-wind landing, you turn too low (perhaps unintentionally after getting back from a long spot), you are distracted by people within 20', etc. Having that occur for the first time when you're under a lower wing loading reduces your chances of having an accident and the severity of injuries you will receive. No. Plenty of conservative people still get hurt. At that wing loading you may just break your femur or tibia+fibia or you may be OK. Yes. You don't have enough first hand experience to know what can and will go wrong.

The car's worth in dollars to the average buyer isn't relevant to you unless you plan on trading it in. Given that you can't afford to do that, If you can buy a more reliable used car with sufficient life left on its brakes, etc. for $1600 out right plus whatever you can pay off before your situation changes, do that. Otherwise you'll come out ahead financially by fixing yours provided that the expected maintenance costs are less than what you'd be willing to put out in payments until your situation changes. Shop arround for a better mechanic. Honesty about what's wrong and prices vary radically.

I like www.ammoman.com. While not necessarily least expensive, selection and service are good.

I walk to work and drive a 1998 Audi A4 2.8 Quattro 5-speed to get to the DZ and run errands. With just 80,000 miles on it hopefully it'll be good for another decade of no car payments :-)

Kapowsin has a $165 first jump course which is under $30 in 1968 dollars with subsequent student jumps at $65 (under $12). We licensed skydivers aren't paying $4 in 1968 dollars for our 15 minute rides to 13,500 feet. These are the good old days.

Skydiving is all about waiting. You spend days at dropzones just to get a few minutes of freefall time and ten minutes of canopy ride.

.7 pounds/square foot like BASE.

In America, about 15,000 people are murdered each year with guns. About 40,000 people are killed in accidents involving private motor vehicles. About 20,000 of those accidents involved alcohol. Eliminating private motor vehicles (people can just live close to work or take the bus) and alcohol would save more lives than eliminating guns. Should we do that?

$25K is a guess that's probably low by a factor of two. Assuming he's a competant consultant most of that $138,000 is going to be taxed at 33% - which is a $46,000 tax bill just for the Feds. After California steals its 9% his tab for one shot into space is $50K which would take $86K in gross income to generate. I'd have more fun on ten only somewhat exotic vacations (Things like big-wall base trips with a chartered Jet Ranger).

Sure. You can bungee your gear bag to the passenger seat, put it in a pannier, or stick it in a top case (I used a 50L givi) on a rear rack. The last option makes you a little wheelie prone. Both hard luggage options are lockable so you can leave the rig outside when you go in to get a burger. Wearing it would get uncomfortable (even a small rig weighs 20 pounds) and be stupid (the pilot chute will catch enough air to open your parachute at 60-80 MPH).

No. There's a pretty strong causal relationship between new restrictions on gun ownership and an increase in confrontational crimes (mugging, home invasions, etc.) As a non-gun-owner, you're less likely to be the victim of such crimes when the criminals fear getting shot.

Grrr...I'd like to throttle the morons that mandated those. My current house has one so having a plunger beside it is mandatory. Will someone 'splain to me how it saves water when it always takes at least two (or more) flushes ever time you do more than just take a leak? They've gotten a lot better. I was afraid of impending stoppages when my 20+ year old throne cracked last year and required replacement but was pleasantly surprised that one flush on the newer models was enough to handle me; and I'm pretty full of crap. Low flow shower heads are another story.

Current top-3: Beer - Stone Brewery Arrogant Bastard. It's quite doubtful you have the taste or sophistication to be able to appreciate an ale of this quality and depth. Beer - Anderson Valley Barney Flats Oatmeal Stout. It's not just shy sluggin gorms nemeer! Beer - Maritime Pacific Imperial Pale Ale. Lacks complexity but is still quite tasty. I love beer.

A few years after meeting the right person.

It depends on what your situation is. At my home DZ which only had Sky Master 295s to rent for $25 a jump I could have thrown my first rig in the dumpster after 70 jumps and come out ahead financially. If you can jump smaller canopies for a more reasonable sum ($25/day?) you might wait longer and buy something smaller.

When you're not willing to spend $400 on a main canopy, an original Sabre is a fine choice although a Monarch with the final nose configuration will perform as well and cost less. For a $600+ budget, there are modern canopies like the Spectre that open softer, turn quicker, and flare better. Color selection at those price points may be limited (my inexpensive Monarch is mostly pink) and you'll have to shop arround a bit. For $800-$1000 you should be abl e to find an example of almost anything appropriate for you to jump in colors that don't turn your stomache or give you a head ache.

So you'll be about 165 out the door which makes a 170 an appropriate first canopy. It doesn't work that way. While a 150 is likely to be fine for you with 100 jumps under your belt, it's not safe now. I've watched lots of people break their tibia, fibia, femur, pelvis, cocyx, vertebrae, and various other bones. Jumping a bigger canopy now reduces your chances of joining them. You need a rig sized for 170 square foot canopies. In 100 jumps you can definately put a 150 in there. In 300 jumps you might be able to jump a 135 or might need to sell it and buy something smaller. If you want to down size to a 120 after 500 jumps you'll need to buy a new container.

If you weigh 125-135 pounds without gear and can put enough (maybe a couple dozen) jumps on something in the 170 square foot range that might work well. Or not - a lot of small people stand up their landings more consistantly under a 170 as a first main even though a 150 might be acceptable according to the pound per square foot rule of thumb,. If you weigh more or can't get there incrementally you should consider a bigger rig. Smaller canopies that are safe in 100 jumps won't be safe now, and what's safe now might not be too fun in 100 jumps. You may end up keeping your first container for less than 200 jumps; and if you've spent $2000 on it you might have a hard time selling it in a reasonable time frame for a decent percentage of that.

Because we're all bored out of our skulls waiting for things to happen (like the next meeting at work) or the weather to get better.

So the Farm pays you in food and beer? Actually, the IRS requires you to report barter income and pay taxes on it in US currency (two chickens and a goat won't cut it).

Geeze. I need W2s from 3 jobs for me, 1098s on two first mortgages, a 1098 from a short lived second, a 1099-S because we've sold two primary residences in the last few years, a 1099-G from another state, more 1099-INT and 1099-DIV forms than I can count due to bank account proliferation (lesee.. personal savings, personal money market, business savings, business money market, two on-line money market accounts that pay decent interest, the on-line money market account we can move money to from accounts at real banks, the interest checking account at the bank with branches everywhere).... So far I have one form 1098.

I liked the 2003 trip so much I went back in 2005. El Gigante rocks. Just don't land out. That sucks. Do not

2000 miles. The Midwest is a good place to be from.

California has banned .50 BMG. .510 DTC EUROP aka .50 DTC is legal with the same bullet in a case that's .100" shorter. When did california ban the .50 bmg? 2004. You had until December 31st 2004 to buy one and April 30th of 2006 to register the ones you already own. If you neglected to do that you'll have to accept being a criminal (who might not want to use his illegal guns in public and may want to travel to another state where he can legally sell them to a licensed dealer) or turn them over to law enforcement officials for destruction. Maybe. Since all sales must be done through licensed dealers they can be the ones to keep track of what's currently legal and illegal to sell. "There's no way to rule innocent men. The only power government has is the power to crack down on criminals. When there aren't enough criminals, one makes them. One declares so many things to be a crime that it becomes impossible for men to live without breaking laws. " Ayn Rand, _Atlas Shrugged_ Ignorance of the law is no excuse. To catch you up on that here's what your Attorney General has to say on the subject: http://ag.ca.gov/firearms/50bmgfaqs.php?PHPSESSID=1b4715d9d5e68e023aa1b10eaa142b30 And here's the law for the legal minded: http://law.onecle.com/california/penal/12280.html