DrewEckhardt

I got 600 jumps out of my first Freedom Means Choice freefly suit before the first arm blew up and another 200 until the second one went.

You can fly in deep brakes especially when there's some wind. Obviously you want to have enough forward speed to get a decent flare on landing and will want to release the brakes before you get too low so the surge doesn't occur too low. Before you get to final approach you can do that or 1. Fly a bigger pattern. If things aren't good on your down-wind leg you can fly away from where you'll be on final approach. 2. Loose more altitude in turns. Opening at a reasonable altitude gives you enough time to gain (brakes) or loose (spiral) altitude relative to other canopies so you aren't landing at the same time. Watch what the the other jumpers are doing and pick the course of action most likely to give separation (if they're being aggressive and not under a wing that's too much bigger let them land first. if they're making gentle turns have whoever's sinking faster land first). Wing loading and your place in the exit order will influence which works better, although modern canopies do have a _huge_ range - you can slow a 105 samurai down to the same descent rate and forward speed you'd have under a 170 spectre.

There's a simple solution: Every one travels naked without carry-ons and with a pre-boarding cavity search. As long as it saves at least one life it'll be worth it.

Make sure the base is composed exclusively of guys whose nickname starts with "Big." Example: Big Al, Big Ben, Big Bird, etc. Have them skip their baggy jump suits. Big Ben goes 150 MPH on his belly without trying.

With your torso straight up and down one or both arms need to be back far enough to match what you're getting from your legs and feet. As long as you're not rotating the drag on opposite sides of your center of gravity is balanced. Moving your arms too far back will cause you to rotate until you achieve a new equilibrium leaning forwards. Too far backwards will have you reclining on a lazy boy. In the middle you'll have posture that will make grandma proud. A slow sit with your thighs 90 degrees to the relative wind requires more correction and a near stand less. Wider sits take less correction and make hand docks in front of you easier.

Ocassionally I'd add up my first two log-books, the transcribed totals from my Sky Tronic, and the total off my pro-track. Then I misplaced my pro-track, and haven't been bothered to get a print-out from manifest (which they're only willing to do at the end of the day). Since I don't care about getting my octa-nona-diamond freefall wings having 1500 or 1700 doesn't matter.

Your reserve and main should be sized such that you wouldn't mind landing either one in a packed parking lot on a hot summer day with no windsock. This is probably more likely under a reserve. At lower wing loadings the limit is set entirely by the size canopy you'd be willing to fly. With higher loadings tecnology has its limits - I'll jump a smaller cross-braced than conventional elliptical and smaller conventional elliptical than a square. Reserves land differently than contemporary mains but not easier and you probably won't be familiar with one when you use it. You may also want a larger reserve so you can survive the landing unconscious or incapacitated (as in a Cypres fire, shoulder dislocated in freefall, leg broken on exit). I think the lesser of 1.3 pounds/square foot or your main wing loading is a fine reserve wing loading limit. Obviously this limits your container options when you choose smaller mains. Have a PD143R demo sent out.

Things feel real different. I usually jump slider-off in Moab and was stalling on deep-brake approaches during the Royal Gorge Games

It's your life so it doesn't matter what we think. People also vary enough that you can't generalize. Do you define dating as a chance to have fun with the appropriate sex or the search for a life-long partner? You both need to be of legal age and have enough physical attraction for either definition. If you want a partner you need to resonate with each other and have goals/values that aren't incompatable. More years give you more opportunities to figure out what's really important to you, develop confidence, and act closer to who you can be but are no guarantee. I know plenty of 40-50 year olds who are less developed as people than the 20-30 year olds I know. I also know a lot of 40-60 year olds who haven't lost the spontaneity and joy of youth. Chronological age is only directly relevant when it comes to life expectancy (I'd rather have 30-50 years of joy with my soul mate than none at all), pro-creation (I don't want children), and when you can cash-in your retirement accounts. It may or may not influence your families' support. My soul mate/true love/fiancee and I love each other more than we thought was possible, understand each other, want the same things out of life, amuse each other, and otherwise really enjoy each other's company. Although age and experience differences got us to where we are, the present and future are what's important.

While having a 'better' home would be nice, I'd much rather have the flexibility not worry much about periods of unemployment. A smaller home meant that I didn't need to change my lifestyle when unemployed for 3.5 months and not paid for 2.5 more.

In Colorado there's an initial waiting period (1 week), you don't collect benefits while they were processing your claim, and the maximum benefit is $407/week pre-tax. Working is a far better option.

At 1700 jumps a decade I figure I'll get to 10,000 when I'm 80.

The idea (reserve D-bagged off main) is the same but the implementation substantially different. The Skyhook is not attached - it stays on or comes off depending on the direction it gets pulled by the RSL or reserve P/C. If it comes off accidentally at skydiving cutaway altitudes you get a normal RSL deployment with a skydiving sized spring loaded pilot chute. The Sorcerer static line system is attached via a loop/cutaway cable system and can only be manually disconnected (by using the reserve pull-out). It's not going to come off accidentally at BASE altitudes where a small spring loaded pilot chute isn't going to do the trick. I've static-lined lower and would chop a sorcerer at 250', but wouldn't count on the sky hook doing the right thing.

But might need to dearch in order to see it. I was never able to see my student ripcord or ROL throw-out. If you want the rig otherwise, find a rigger who does good work and ask whether he'll convert it after you buy it. Assuming he says yes, have it changed before you jump it so you don't get used to the wrong location and run into problems.

I bought my first rig (EOS) used because the harness, container, and canopies were my size and the price was right ($1700 total). Bought a Reflex for #2 off-the-shelf because I liked the design and one was available immediately in the harness+container sizes I wanted. Should have ordered custom to get a better harness fit. Bought a second Reflex custom for the same sized canopies because I liked the fit, wanted one set of spares for both rigs, and I got 40% off.

Stall speed is determined by wing shape, angle of attack, and wing loading. When you keep those parameters the same it doesn't matter whether you started from a 60MPH swoop or in half brakes. Starting with added speed is usually more fun but isn't appropriate for all situations.

That would include an awful lot of people who aren't citizens, including illegal aliens. What's wrong with that? Economically they're contributing more than teat-sucking citizens. Phillosophically they might not share the American ideals (belief in a system of limited government with powers limited to those spelled out in the constitution) although that also applies to our government and plenty of citizens.

Master accuracy with one ball - you throw it diagonally so it drops into your other hand. Then add the second ball, throwing when the first is at its apex. You can swap the two back-and-forth. Then start with two balls in your dominant hand and throw the third when the second hits its apex. Opinions vary as to what to do next. You can let the third ball drop if things aren't perfect, or try to salvage it. I think the later option is best because it helps when you're passing and not getting good throws. Sometimes I try to work on four balls (usually a four-ball pattern with just three balls) or clubs (I've heard that two balls and a club is the trick) but haven't made any progress. I tried to get three for a few months but couldn't do it until they cancelled my !@#$%^ flight and I was stuck in the SFO airport for a few hours with nothing but my balls to play with. I don't like juggling square objects as much - it seems that if you're close to making a bad catch and snag a corner the object rotates and makes it even harder. Softer balls are best.

Something's off (canopy or technique) if you're getting more distance and flare out of the sabre. Stilettos build more speed in a dive and have a lower stall speed at the end of your swoop. While they don't stay in a dive after a hard turn as much as more modern canopies, I think you get a little more than a square like a sabre or monarch. You really want to make a carving approach. Recovery when you get off the front risers is fairly immediate - on my 120 I can level out by getting off the front risers or just taking the slack out of the brake lines (toggles at ear height). As the line set aged (I put 600 jumps on new lines) on my 120 the openings got a bit squirly towards the end and I had to replace the brake lines twice due to shrinkage although it didn't swoop poorly. Stall speed probably increased some too. I should have replaced the lines after 500 jumps - maybe you have a trim problem. You might get the trim specs (Kola can send them, or you may find them on the web site) and check that.

8/10 Missed the golf-ball (thought it was CGI) and the table/chair (same).

You'll be more likely to accidentally over-control the smaller canopy (note incident reports reading "he/she was not a hook turn type person"), and it will be going faster when you're not current + landing out in some one's back yard. On the bigger canopy you can choose a slower approach when the landing area, weather, your currency, or a hang-over call for it.

Everyone paying taxes should be allowed to vote, and anyone not footing the bills shouldn't have a say in how the money is spent.

Getting old leads to memory problems as well. Might as well choose an 18 year old rigger who abstains from drugs and alcohol. If you're worried you can insist your rigger use a printed check list that includes a tools in/tools-out count. Or just pack it yourself.

The packing data-card is much easier to alter than the rigger's log. An entry in the log-book is the most reliable indicator the given rigger packed it on the indicated date.

You cross-check it with the rigger's log-book.