pajarito

I went in 92 when it was still at Ft. Bragg. I was already a skydiver and had over 500 jumps (more than my instructor). I challenged the course and did the 2 week deal. If you challenge the course, you don't get any second chances. You mess anything up, even if it's your first time, and you get to go home. Anyway, it was the easiest school I'd ever been to in the Army b/c of my skydiving skills. I don't know if that's the case with everyone but it was for me. It rained A LOT and was really windy while I was there. I graduated HALO School with only 9 jumps.

Yes, but gravity is a hell of a lot more demonstratable. Sure, examples of micro-evolution can be demonstrated with bacteria (i.e. exchange of genetic material and mutation), however, there isn't any evidence to show that same bacteria changing into anything other than bacteria. That part (i.e. macro-evolution) is a theory with a lot less strength than that of gravity and would make it very much "up for debate." I think there was nothing wrong with informing students to approach it with an open mind and not to necessarily accept it as a given. It certainly wasn't a sponsorship of religion.

Right...that's probably it...whiskey... I've been there...

This group of Auburn student football fans needs a spell check I think. Is this what you get from a State funded education at a "Cow College?" AUBURN TIGERS!!!

I've never personally used this and am not promoting it or anything but am just putting the info out there. I watched Tom Giles demonstrate his new thing last weekend in order to make a video for the PIA demonstration. The video was done by Lee Morrow. It's like a small drogue/air-anchor that attaches to the rear risers and initiates immediately upon deployment to reduce "snatch force" and opening shock. It works in conjunction with the existing slider. It will be shown at the PIA Symposium in Jacksonville, FL on Jan 15. I asked him about making it collapse like a slider but he said that would complicate it and up the cost. He was collapsing it with rubber bands when I saw it. He said, though that he was going to make it detachable with quick releases for swoopers and the like. He said it makes a terminal opening feel like a sub-terminal one every time. Again, I have no idea if it's worth a damn yet or not but it looked interesting. Open Softer

Troll = Waste of bandwidth The person trolling = Waste of oxygen and space

That looks low. How high were you in that picture?

Chest strap first b/c I like to be able to walk more comfortably out to the plane. I tighten them right before I board.

Tunaplanet and.........whoever.

But where's the fun in that?

"Don't be stupid, boy." - Buddy Blue D-597

I doubt that it matters at all to him/her/whatever... I think we just need to stop the feeding.

It is disrespectful to the country if the country is what the flag represents and it is dishonored. Wow... That almost leaves me speechless. World first...your country second.

That is by far the silliest reason I’ve ever heard not to state the Pledge of Allegiance. The flag represents the people of the United States of America. You’re not pledging allegiance to a piece of cloth with red and white stripes and stars. You’re pledging allegiance to your country and countrymen. As you even stated, the flag represents that. You’re right in that it’s what it stands for that’s important and not the cloth that it’s made of. However, because of what it represents, it should be treated with honor and respect.

I've been meaning for 15 years to get a copy of that video. I also want all that footage from Rayford in the 89-90 timeframe. If I sent you a couple of tapes, will you copy it for me? What a fu#$ing hairy jump that was. Very high winds (pushing the limit), had to practically back into the stadium most of the way, night, chem-lights on 14 other guys in the air too, all of the city lights with the stadium lit up light one big flashlight, ABSOLUTELY NO "outs" given that the parking lots were full and power lines literally everywhere, you and I with a full 7 second delay from 4,000ft (offset due to the winds) from the CH-54 Skycrane, I get what starts out as a bag-lock malfunction, chop it, fly a Golden Knight colored reserve into Legion Field, and land on the 40 yard line. Chuck still up in the air yelling for "Jaybird?!!", "Jaybird?!!", "Where the fuck are you?!!" What a hoot and one hellava first time malfunction. Trial by fire, I say. Needed several beers after that one. What a cool ride, though! Nothing like sitting with your feet dangling over the edge of the open box at the rear of the 54 over Birmingham in the cool night air (with all of your buds). Edited to add: Those were the days. It will NEVER be that good again. We would get one and sometimes two Army helicopters per month (many times twice per month) for "proficiency team training" (i.e. Jump your ass off for free and party like a rockstar! ). The helicopters would come either to Buddy's (Chuck's Dad and my Uncle) Grass strip or would just land in his front yard (which was a surveyed and approved LZ) to pick us up. We'd jump into both. Either at the strip or by his pool (which is by the cooler full of beer). The helicopters were so fast we'd most days come with multiple rigs lined up on the ground so as to make every lift. We'd pack when they had to go refuel. These were the old "Vietnam" era pilots who are gone now (pretty much the last of the breed with any balls) and they'd let us climb all over their helicopters (UH-60 Blackhawks, CH-47 Chinooks, CH-54 Skycranes, and UH-1 Hueys) up at altitude. We'd smear ourselves on the windshield of the UH-1's, make funny faces at the pilot, shoot him a bird, and fall off. At the end of the day, the helicopter pilots would sometimes buzz the field with one of their guy's asses hanging out the window to "moon" us on the ground. Then it was off to Buddy's house to get hammered before going out that night. We'd make it back in sometime the next morning and crash on his den floor b/c we were way too drunk to drive home. Get up "early" the next day to beat the helicopters to the field and do it all over again. "Go Army!!!"

And you have that right. I risked my life and many of my friends continue to risk and sacrifice theirs so you'll continue to have the right to refuse to say The Pledge of Allegiance.

The CH-54 Skycrane can beat it. Sorry....replied to the wrong person.

The Sikorsky CH-54 Skycrane but it's been retired by the Army since 92. Fastest climbing, best jump aircraft made. "The Alabama Fun Machine!"

Ssssssalright!!!

What are you talking about? I haven't been arguing the "whether God should be in there" thing. I was just arguing that you should do it even though you have the right not too (if you're a US citizen that is).

I would stand for the National Anthem of another country if I was at an event where it was expected of their people. I would do that out of respect. I, however, would not pledge allegiance to their country for any reason. I understand that you’re trying to differentiate the two but I think they’re both very important with regard to US citizenship. As a US citizen, one should think it an important demonstration of respect and loyalty to both stand for the National Anthem and state the Pledge of Allegiance. Even if you don’t happen to like who’s currently holding office. I never said that they should. I just said they were free to leave. Just like they’re also free do disrespect their country. However shameful it may be. There are plenty of freeloaders out there. Many of whom say the Pledge of Allegiance. I think I was specific enough in my previous post, however, to make it clear the type of person I was referring to. It’s one thing to say it. It’s a completely different thing to say it and really mean it. Those that don’t say it out of protest or whatever and even those who do but don’t mean it are freeloaders and I have no respect at all for them.

I don’t see the difference between stating The Pledge of Allegiance and standing for The National Anthem. Why one should be done but not the other. However, I never said one should have to do either. I just said that it was a great sign of disrespect not to. I support the 1st Amendment and believe that a person should have the right to refuse to participate. I, however, believe that just because one has a right to do some things doesn't necessarily mean that they should (i.e. flag burning). I think very poorly of a person who takes for granted the great sacrifice of others who’ve died to ensure the rights of that person to exert their right to disrespect their country. That kind of person, in my opinion, is a freeloader and doesn’t amount to the scum on the bottom of my shoe.

When I was under 50 jumps, I did some 2-way RW with a more experienced jumper friend of mine (she only had a couple hundred herself, though). This is before the days of dytters, before most up-jumpers wore automatic opening devices, and before reserve static lines, etc. We got carried away with the dive and took it down to about 1400 - 1500 feet. It scared the piss out of me when I glanced at my altimeter and could also see the faces of the people on the ground MUCH better as my parachute was opening. Stay alert - stay alive!

Even if he wasn't a supporter of Desert Storm, what an awful display of disloyalty and disrespect. The USA is much bigger than Desert Storm. He had the right to disrespect his country in such a manner only because of people like those currently dying overseas. Just because you have that right, however, doesn’t mean that you “should” exercise it in that manner (i.e. burning the flag). Maybe I should use another example because he's probably not a supporter of the current campaign. How about like those who died gaining our country's independence and freedom. Standing for the Pledge of Allegiance is like saluting the office of the Presidency. You may not like or even hate the person holding the office but it's bigger than that. You salute because you're an American. If you don't want to be one, you're also free to leave "and give up your citizenship."

Real commandos don't wear underwear in the field.