mfrese

This is cool, some friends and I were trying to come up with names for metal bands that sounded less lame than the bands at a local metal concert a while back...as I recall, some of ours were: PrimEvil Bloody Scabbard (well, maybe "less lame" is overstating it a bit...) Katana Spawn (wonder what inspired that one?) Scytheblade Cold Steely Death (a quote from a swordmaker I met at a Celtic festival a few years ago...) Devilbrood That's all I can remember...funny how easy it is to come up with 'em when you've had a few beers. Good luck! Doctor I ain't gonna die, Just write me an alibi! ---- Lemmy/Slash

"Hey, how'd you get all that road rash on your knees?" "I had to stab it out of the corner, and the LZ was a litle more surfacey than I expected." Doctor I ain't gonna die, Just write me an alibi! ---- Lemmy/Slash

To expand on the "culture" aspect, one of my biggest issues with this sport is with an overall instructional culture, facilitated by DZOs and senior instructors, that tends to push less experienced instructors into jumping in situations they would normally avoid. Particularly during the winter months, as a TI I'm faced with conditions that my "experience" indicates are marginal at best. Cloud, weather and wind conditions can be extreme enough that I'll avoid jumping with my own gear, but I'm expected to take tandems out in the exact same conditions. Why? Because more experienced people are willing to do it; the DZO needs to get the loads up to keep the plane running; if I don't do it, there's someone else on tap who will. Eventually, I see this as the one factor that will drive me out of instructing, because, hell, I'm not in high school anymore, and I don't feel the need to prove I'm one of the cool kids. It's just a shame that many DZs help perpetuate this kind of approach from people who should know better. I've spoken to many instructional peers trying to convince them that they owe it to their students to lead by example where safety is concerned ALL the time, not just when they're instructing. Do they listen? Sometimes yes, sometimes no...but overall, our ability to believe our own myth-making about ourselves will probably continue to lead us into trouble. My only hope is that we do enough with students and low-timers to convince them that they should really do what we say, not what we do. Doctor I ain't gonna die, Just write me an alibi! ---- Lemmy/Slash

As you'll hear us say (snottily) at the DZ when students ask us how much we make: "I'm going to earn in the upper four figures this year." Doctor I ain't gonna die, Just write me an alibi! ---- Lemmy/Slash

You're probably still knotted up from laughing at watching Vinnie's pathetic attempts to jump off the ladder. It'll go away in a couple more weeks. Just take three oxycodone and a couple beers, then try to breath real shallow...that'll help. edited to add: On yeah...you poor little fucker! Doctor I ain't gonna die, Just write me an alibi! ---- Lemmy/Slash

Congrats, Dave! I'm coming up on 800 in a little over three years, and I've gotta say, it's still a lot of fun. Glad you're enjoying them, keep it up. Are there tandem pie rules? Doctor I ain't gonna die, Just write me an alibi! ---- Lemmy/Slash

Brian Germain, very quietly, while videotaping a friend during a canopy course starting a 270 hook turn about 300 feet too low: "Oh, that's not good." ...followed shortly by: "Nice job of not killing yourself!" Doctor I ain't gonna die, Just write me an alibi! ---- Lemmy/Slash

Took my 79-year-old dad last year...he'll be 80 in July, so I'm hoping I can break that record with him! I've taken several other people in their mid-70s, they have never been a problem. As for my dad, he has 10 total tandems, I've taken him three times now, and aside from him bitching about everything (the harness is too tight, my ears are cold, aren't you going to hook me up before we exit?), it's been a great experience. He even got a "Him, him..." on the plane last time, which was probably his proudest moment. Doctor I ain't gonna die, Just write me an alibi! ---- Lemmy/Slash

It was line twists, with a nice easy turn built in that was starting to accelerate. Told my student to return to the "safe" position, pulled green...and had line stretch on the reserve. It was literally about .5 seconds from 3-ring release to line stretch. I was actually so stunned it took me another second to finish pulling the reserve ripcord. Nice slow reserve deployment, no line twists. The reason for my shock is that a normal sub-terminal reserve deployment with a Vector tandem system can take 1000 feet (not picking on RWS here, just happens to be the only one I've had cutaways on). It's generally a good 3-5 seconds to line stretch (plenty of time to hear that "ooooOOOOHHHHHHHHH" sound coming from your student ), and then a few more for the opening. I'll take the Skyhook opening anytime, I was impressed enough to seriously think about getting a Vector for my next rig. Maybe I'll wait for the factory tour first! Doctor I ain't gonna die, Just write me an alibi! ---- Lemmy/Slash

Hey, when we tried to do this last November, you were out gallavanting all over New Zealand on some kind of "work" thing. Maybe we'll try again later this year! And BTW, I had my first Sigma chop with the Skyhook Saturday...I think you may have a convert to RWS when I shop for my next rig.

If all the best quotes were from the road trip, we obviously weren't trying hard enough. You guys all rocked, the "Bash" rocked, couldn't have asked for a better weekend (except more time to play instead of work). Next time, we'll make sure Vinnie and Texas Mike have tequila instead of whiskey...then you'll really get a show. Nice meeting all of you, hope to see you soon, and tell Todd Mike and Lynn said howdy! Doctor I ain't gonna die, Just write me an alibi! ---- Lemmy/Slash

I never say anything funny... But my wife and I were driving around last Sunday, talking about the Pope. She was trying to say something about the fact that at least he retained his mental faculties to the end, which ended up with her channeling some old Eastern European woman and saying: "At least he was not losing the mind." As soon as the last word left her mouth, we both looked at each other and started laughing so hard she had to pull over. I ended up repeating this for the rest of the afternoon about every 5 minutes in my best Steve Martin/Dan Aykroyd "wild and crazy guys!" voice... Doctor I ain't gonna die, Just write me an alibi! ---- Lemmy/Slash

I won't be out until Saturday morning, but Hookitt is right on as usual...not much happening anywhere else in town, just stick to the airport. Make sure to ask Tom the pilot and AP Mike if they want to go party at the bowling alley later. There are a few decent places for food and beverages, but we've been semi-banned from a few of them (like the Vault). Just don't let them know you're skydivers until after you order and you should be fine... Doctor I ain't gonna die, Just write me an alibi! ---- Lemmy/Slash

That sucks, Bryan...and I was gonna give you a chance to take me out on my 2000th jump, which is certain to happen this weekend! I may be hucking some tandems on Saturday, but I've already told Aviva I'm NOT doing a work jump for my 2000, so it'll probably be Sunday. I'm thinking a nice ACS-record-tieing hybrid of some sort. Maybe I can get Hookitt and Cliff to organize something workable... Who's in? Doctor I ain't gonna die, Just write me an alibi! ---- Lemmy/Slash

I've never had anyone freak out completely, and in my experience (3 years and about 750 tandems), the older folks are generally pretty calm. You do have to make allowances for their physical condition, but generally they're not a problem. I've taken two 80-year-olds, and will probably add to that later this year when I take my Dad for the fourth time for his 80th. (Of course, he's got 10 jumps and did his first on the same load I did my first on, so he does have some experience.) One of the things that seems to help people a lot is something I picked up from Brian Germain's canopy course: after the canopy is open, tell them to take a deep breath. Brian recommends this for swoopers to re-center yourself and transition from the freefall to the canopy flight, and it seems to work wonders with people who are still getting their pulse rate under control from the freefall. Anyway, sounds like fun, hope she has a blast! Doctor I ain't gonna die, Just write me an alibi! ---- Lemmy/Slash

I'll be there, and I'm asking not to work so I can have some fun for a fuckin' change! Time to take the Anvil and Captain Chris head down and see if we can break the sound barrier! Doctor I ain't gonna die, Just write me an alibi! ---- Lemmy/Slash

Andrea, I'm on my way right now to pick up my new "progressive lenses". I've had the same problem, finally got tired of squinting all the time...I'm looking forward to it, it's gonna be COOL to see clearly again! Of course, I'm old......but you're still a kid, especially if you're still counting by quarters...

Vinnie...all I can say is...Tequila, STAT! Come out to Hollister for Pop and Seb's blowout in April; we'll make sure there are enough roosters for everyone to kill.

Man, deja vu...I can't remember how many useless evenings I spent with friends at Bob's Big Boy balancing everything on the table with salt. It'll work with just about anything that won't roll away...we did it with coffee cups, water glasses, the napkin holders...just takes patience and endless supplies of coffee. We did it for three straight evenings once, leaving everything balanced on the table when we left. On the fourth day, we snuck in the Super Glue...needless to say, when the waitress spotted us watching from outside and howling laughter, we ended up paying for a new table...

He could be either, for Pop is the Poop...but we're all neglecting the fact that Pop is probably on the Pipe...hard, considering his posting lately. Doctor I ain't gonna die, Just write me an alibi! ---- Lemmy/Slash

Sucker. Now that we own you, you'll never get to skydive! BWAHAHAHAHAHA! But seriously, congrats, it's about time! Doctor I ain't gonna die, Just write me an alibi! ---- Lemmy/Slash

Great thread! Working at a DZ that regularly does 18K tandems, I've had to change the way I approach my breathing for some time now. I've always made it a policy to breath deeply during the climb to altitude, and I've started having my students do it as well. For 18K loads we start supplemental O2 at about 7K, so I breath slow and deep up to that point, then switch to a 3-4 shallow, 1 deep pattern. This seems to keep hypoxia symptoms down, even on days where I do 5 or more 18K loads. I also try to make sure I do most of the hard work (attaching and tightening laterals and such) by 10K, and I keep the O2 on until we start moving toward the door. If you do any more experiments, please post the results...maybe you can get a smoker to try the same experiment as well, and get data from them. It might convince a whole lot of people to quit! Thanks, Mike Doctor I ain't gonna die, Just write me an alibi! ---- Lemmy/Slash

That's very, very, cool! My dad actually got me started in this sport almost ten years ago, talking my wife and I into doing tandems with him shortly after his 70th birthday. I got to jump with him lurking a couple tandems he did after I started jumping, and since I got my tandem rating, I've taken him for his last three birthdays (had to do it early last year as he was scheduled for surgery for colon cancer). He's completely recovered now, and I'm hoping I'll get to take him again later this year for his 80th! Great pics, thanks for sharing them! Mike Doctor I ain't gonna die, Just write me an alibi! ---- Lemmy/Slash

I've done 5 jumps with her! No kids, she's got 60+ jumps, but broke her back a few years ago from a bad landing. Her back is healed, but she has yet to reach a point where she feels ready to do recurrence training to get back to jumping by herself. So she gets to air out with me once in a while! Doctor I ain't gonna die, Just write me an alibi! ---- Lemmy/Slash

1) The male lead in any "Lifetime-Television for Women" produced movie, as you are certain to be exposed as a smug, self-centered, rapist-child molester-robber-scam artist-misogynist before the third commercial break. 2) The last guy out of the plane on the 14-way as the pilot is yelling "Hold it! Ground winds just jumped to 40 knots!" 3) A Bob. Seriously, is that any kind of name? 4) The subject of any "Check out THIS video!" thread on dropzone.com. Doctor I ain't gonna die, Just write me an alibi! ---- Lemmy/Slash