Unstable

Depends on the glasses and it depends on the girl... I wouldn't say that it makes them hot per say, but sometimes it adds to their look and if their character is in line, it brings them out and helps make them more attractive. Methinks it's complicated... =========Shaun ==========

Yeah, I didn't quite catch that either. He blurted out some strange acronym and then proceeded to giggle like a little girl at recess... =========Shaun ==========

I Agree 100%. I made myself endure 30 minutes of that crap just so I could see for myself if it was really as bad as I heard. I've never seen human pain, suffering, and broken trust kneaded like that for pure ratings and enjoyment. I couldn't help but think of the Gladiators in the Roman era massacred for the sake of entertaining a worldly society... =========Shaun ==========

I dunno man - I give the man props for standing up for what he believes in and his faith...I have respect for people who actually live their faith and try to make the world a better place because of it. This seems a bit bold, but then again how many Christian Churches out there claim that they are the only true church? As I read more about Scientology, I see a lot of weirdness. Xenu, the great Alien Emperor 75 Million Years ago..... I think that it distorts reality in some degree. =========Shaun ==========

NOOOOOO!!! It's your fault!!! =========Shaun ==========

I saw that article on Yahoo News a week or two ago - I about fell out of my chair laughing. I'd give her a high five. Too many parents I know just seem to accept that teenaged drinking is a part of life and that teh consequences are minimal. My Ex-girlfriends father is a pretty well-to-do principle in the rich suburbs of Houston. (Her earns probably 5x what a teacher with his same experience earns, but that's another SC thread..) but his own son, while going to his high school, would throw pool parties in their backyard and he's supply all the booze they needed for a grand old time. Whatever, another sign that this generation is going to shit... =========Shaun ==========

I don't know what to say..... 250 Billion dollars is ridiculous. When the Stock Market Crashed after the Roaring 20's, the Government, instead of giving out handouts, gave out jobs building and rebuilding the country. Something tells me all of the displaced New Orleans Residents living in Temporary Trailer home who are able to work, are not actually doing so. What are they waiting for, a $555,000 Dollar check to be dropped off in their mailbox? =========Shaun ==========

Yeah Sorry Man, you were the last man on the totem pole so I replied to your post - =========Shaun ==========

Lets get the facts straight on the issue, I'm seeing a lot of speculation and not much good info. I know she was an outspoken member of the board, but if she is being impeached for what we are speculating, I would be up for organizing a petition, especially if they are going to pull this stunt before the General Membership meeting. =========Shaun ==========

I'm addicted to the history channel. It's all I watch. I too think TV's going to shit, because even the History channel is getting trashier and trashier each week. Screw good shows and documentaries on History and mankind's progression, all they show these days is stuff on UFO's and monsters in peoples backyards. =========Shaun ==========

Depends on what you're into =========Shaun ==========

I respect smokers, but I don't have any respect for smoking. I can handle the smell okay, but the breath of a smoker *right* after they finish is enough to make me gag. I dunno... Chewing isn't any better.... =========Shaun ==========

I went ahead and called straight to Illinois to the North American Distributor, Gippsland Aero, and I spoke directly with the Manager, Harry, for almost a good hour. I got a LOT of good information about this aircraft, and he spoke very frankly about this aircraft and more specifically it''s abilities as a jumpship. Used quite frequently for this purpose in England, pointing out that in the UK, several DZ's are limited to roughly 10,000' AGL due to airspace restrictions. It's climbrate on the website is listed at 748' ft/minute, but loaded with 8 jumpers and fuel, Harry noted that it climbed closer to 400-450 ft/min. This is slower than a standard 182 on a hot summer day with 4 fat jumpers. Harry said that the Diesel version will most likely start sales in Sept/October this year, but more importantly, in a few months they should be announcing a Turbo-Charged verrsion, suitable for cruising 9 jumpers to 13,500 without breaking a sweat - but a newer model may runupwards to $750,000 with a beefy engine ready for jumpers.... =========Shaun ==========

Correct me if I'm wrong - but wasn't the lap-style parachute manufactured for a WWII style bucket seat? I'm pretty sure that this rating is obsolete.... =========Shaun ==========

I don't think I agree with this 100%. I think we'll see the club dropzone come back onto the scene. I currently jump at a good club dropzone, and because of this we have cheap tickets, good gear, and a good, well maintained C-182. 15 years ago, we had some 8+ club style Dropzones in Kansas, now we are the only ones left. Now we have a few people trying to start them up again. They'll never have a PAC or an Otter, but it'll keep us jumping. =========Shaun ==========

hmmmmm, that could make for a good jumpship.... =========Shaun ==========

Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't McCarren the #3 busiest airport in the US? Wouldn't it be wonderful if the ATA could add "Skydivers" as another reason "all of your flights are delayed" so they can take a $50 "jump tax" per load to help pay for their bills? =========Shaun ==========

I can imagine with the nature of the area, there is a loss for good skydive-able airports in the Las Vegas Region. Whereas many of the smaller airports are quickly overtaken by private jets and right in the airspace of the big mama downtown. What would be really nice is a good airport, skydive-able up in the lone mountain region...... That would still be accessible to tandems from the strip but for the upjumpers not a long drive away...... oh to dream.... =========Shaun ==========

The Gippsland GA-8 Airvan From the literature I'm reading, I am really impressed with this aircraft! I'll post a few exerpts from their website and we'll open this up for some good group discussion. Still being powered by a Piston Lycoming engine, I would imagine that this aircraft would fit the bill for MANY small to intermediate sized dropzones. From a purely economic standpoint, the harsh jump from piston to turbine is near impossible for many DZO's. Especially with the Caravan's unusually high buy price for it's type, and the common problems experienced with a 206, I would imagine that this aircraft could fit the bill quite easily. this too is right from their website. Whereas the standard 208 price has been sneaking up and it now close to 2 Million, does this mean that the price for this aircraft is... What, less than $500,000 USD? If it can hold, say, 8 or 9 jumpers and not burn much more fuel than a beefy 206, then this may or may not be the key for an expanding Dropzone. Any AU or NZ jumpers familiar with this bird? Any special experiences or comments you may have about it? * Edited for Spelling only. * =========Shaun ==========

In my recent relationship woes, I have come to realize exactly how true this website is..... =========Shaun ==========

I've had plenty of business with flight concepts, and I have nothing but good things to say about their company and the products they make. I think that their line of reserves and sport main canopies are #1 in under rated products in this sport. we have a jumper who when buying his first set of gear, ended up with a Sentry 170 main with less than 200 jumps, and after I took it up a few times just for the hell of it, it has really impressed me as a good, quality, mid-range performance range canopy comparable to a Sabre2 or Pilot with a touch firmer openings. =========Shaun ==========

I think that this is the best comment made yet. If the holes are there due to "usual wear and tear" you need to question the integrity of the fabric elsewhere. I've seen holes in perfectly good reserve canopies for a number of reasons, and the two biggest bone-head ones are.... 1. A slipped temporary pin and easily run through several layers of fabric and this is an extremely easy mistake for an inexperienced rigger to make, especially when trying to muscle a reserve container closed instead of using proper technique. 2. Over zealousness in pull testing. Yes, people do it. Don't know why, but people do it. =========Shaun ==========

No, I've never owned one of those on the List, but I put about 100,000 on a first Generation Ford Taurus (The full length station Wagon Body) and I would vote that Automobile on the list any day of the Week. Even though I loved the car because of some of the good memories in it, it was just not a well build touring machine. 2 transmissions, a couple head gaskets, a jerry-rigged wiring system, and it's ability to guzzle fuel at an alarming rate are a few of my complaints. =========Shaun ==========

I too would be interested in the answer to that question - was it of US Soldiers or Nazi war Criminals? I too am not really satisfied with the methods of execution we employ... While I agree that yes, there are some circumstances where the death penalty may be required, it does not need to become some spectacle for public entertainment or involve some overly expensive or over-engineered death machine. Also, I want to bear in mind that while we need an efficient manner of ending a life, we need to be careful not to make the method such that we have an "assembly line" method for applying the ultimate punishment. Okay, this is the speakers corner, so I'll speak my mind. Each year, hundreds of people are suffering, dying in need of an organ transplant. While I agree it is wrong to capitalize off the execution of another human being, if we make the method such that no internal organs are destroyed then we can give the condemned an option to do one last bit of good before their time is up. Electrocution, Lethal Gas, and Injection all destroy tissue such that they are rendered unusable. Perhaps China is onto something when the just put one bullet in the back of the head.... =========Shaun ==========

See, I just don't understand a lot of this. I plenty of jumps from both the Pac and Otters, and honestly the differences are negligible. I guess I just don't get it when I hear a lot of complaints about various turbine aircraft. Maybe it's because in this part of the midwest, where we are 8+ hours away from a turbine in any direction. The existence of the PAC in the first place has done wonders... Our club can afford to bring a PAC down for a week, whereas we would not be able to afford to do so with any other turbine aircraft minus the Caravan. =========Shaun ==========