tbrown

Historically, that's how the first ram airs came about. Domina Jalbert designed his first Parafoil as a kite for lifting and delivering unmanned payloads. the human application as a parachute only came later. Your humble servant.....Professor Gravity !

Oh reeeeally?

On the east coast, it's a popular college pastime to steal road signs around Intercourse, PA (in the heart of Amish country). Signs like "Intercourse 15 Miles", etc. Your humble servant.....Professor Gravity !

Harry Reems Your humble servant.....Professor Gravity !

No it ain't either. I wouldn't be surprised in the least if Nancy Pelosi and Sen. Harry Reid were assasinated on White House property, inside the gates, and it was blamed on al Qaeda. Just because the constitution says Bush can't run for a third term, don't bet he isn't working on it. Your humble servant.....Professor Gravity !

Proof once again of what a bunch of useless fucking idiots school administrators (and not teachers) are. If they had to actually work for their living, they'd starve to death, so instead they take it out by teaching kids blind obedience to the state. Your humble servant.....Professor Gravity !

Somebody needs a water cooled machine gun installed under the hood. The Red Baron rides again. Your humble servant.....Professor Gravity !

Maybe I've got this all wrong, but isn't closing the door something the FAA insisted on after the rash of crashes on takeoff in the nineties ? I was not active in the sport at the time, so I don't really know. But I thought two things the FAA really wanted to see, along with better aircraft maintenance, were use of seatblets and keeping the door closed. Maybe I've got that wrong ? Your humble servant.....Professor Gravity !

Not surprising in the least for an administration that believes the law is for other people. A weekend in the hoosegow might do the girl some good. Your humble servant.....Professor Gravity !

So far I've only had very soft openings on my 210 Pilot. Maybe yours opened hard because you're not packing it yourself. Learn to pack, learn to pack, learn to pack. A Pilot should open soft as a Spectre and in less time. Your humble servant.....Professor Gravity !

'Tis better to fart and bear the shame, Than not to fart and feel the pain Your humble servant.....Professor Gravity !

It is difficult to determine why fatalities occur with the only piece of information was, did they cutaway first or not? Whether or not the main risers are cutaway or not, the PC will still be towing when the reserve is deployed. Getting saddled in under the reserve without the occurrence of an entanglement is the primary goal. A PCIT is a high adrenaline malfunction and requires that the jumper dealing with the situation remain calm, and remain stable while deploying the reserve. Unstable body position while the reserve PC is launched is dramatically increasing the chance of an entanglement - Personally, I am in complete agreement with everything you say. My EP plan for a PC in tow is to go straight to my reserve. I am also in complete agreement that with a PC in tow, the cutaway handle is the one handle that will not save me, hence my choice to forego the cutaway. But for the sake of argument and conceding the fact that USPA says either way is acceptable so long as you've made your plan and stick to it, I was pointing out that there have been cases of very experienced jumpers with PCITs who died after having, or having not, cutaway. I also favor going straight to the reserve after having witnessed an incident where a woman deployed her reserve after being unable to pull her PC out of the pouch. Upon opening, HER RESERVE EXPLODED. She was able to finally extract and throw her main PC and sat in under canopy at about 100 ft. Had she cutaway first, she would've died. We saw this really close up, she would've bounced right about where we were standing, and it made a HUGE impression on everyone who saw it (this was the the Nationals Boogie in Richmond, 1978). So I'm not disputing you, just recognizing there is another side to the debate even if I don't agree. Your humble servant.....Professor Gravity !

I've got a friend who just got his A license and when we jump together I always ask him for a gear check before boarding. I always give him a gear check, usually he'll ask for one. But it sets a good example to admit that I can screw up too and that nobody's too experienced for a gear check. Gives him practice checking somebody else too, especially as we wear different type rigs (my Javelin, his Talon). Your humble servant.....Professor Gravity !

Assuming you're buying a used rig, why not just ask your rigger to do it for you. You'll be wanting them to inspect, install and pack your reserve and the AAD anyway, so a good bath could be seen as a "one shot" expense in the overall process. And then you can pick up an inspected, packed and squeaky clean rig that's ready to roll. Your humble servant.....Professor Gravity !

As you see, there is considerable debate about the wisdom of always cutting away. The pilot chute in tow is an especially terrifying malfunction precisely because there is no sure cure. People have died whether or not they cut away first and I would only add that the best cure is PREVENTION, by proper maintainance of your rig and ALWAYS making sure to set your kill line, especially before leaving your rig with a packer. But you do raise an interesting point. It's important to have a plan and stick to it. Practice it, internalize it, be ready to use it. Consistency helps here a lot. There are a lot of jumpers who choose to follow one uniform set of procedures for the consistency. They feel they don't have to improvise or make any additional decisions beyond initiating their EPs. A lot of jumpers (myself included) don't agree, but it IS a respected method that is taught at many reputable schools. I think as your experience grows you will broaden and modify your views, but at least for now if this is what floats your boat, there is nothing objectionable to your one standard procedure. Disclaimer: I am NOT an instructor, just an opinionated skydiver who tries hard to be safe. Your humble servant.....Professor Gravity !

I used to be stronly in favor of gun control, and maybe in a more perfect world I still would be. But Hurricane Katrina and what happened to New Orleans has changed my mind. Law and order disintegrated in an American city and the only peole who were able to protect their homes from being looted were the ones who dat out on the front porch with their guns in plain sight. What happened at Virginia Tech could still happen, even with stricter gun control laws. But the actions of one criminal, or crazy person, do not make the case for denying law abiding people the protection guaranteed them by their Constitution. And that's all there is to it. Your humble servant.....Professor Gravity !

Aaaarg, though they sail the seven seas, many are blown ashore. My friends milfs are into their seventies now, but I do remember some hot ones from long ago. They sure didn't become mommies sittin' home squezin' their knees together. An old west bawdy house, ala "Deadwood" has its attractions. Your humble servant.....Professor Gravity !

Could we skip around and toss things over our shoulders in such a carefree manner too ? I think not, but it might be fun to try. Yup, this is a shameless bumpy to keep a worthy thread up topside. Happy Monday y'all ! Your humble servant.....Professor Gravity !

Paul Wolfowitz is the perfect example of a spoiled rotten little shit who goes around making a mess of everything he touches. Then he blames it on someone else (like Iraq, which he now blames on Bush for not having done it the Wolfy way). And now this World Bank mess. In keeping with tradition, he's had the woman banished to some far outpost and expects all to be forgiven and forgotten, because he's special. Why, so he can go on lecturing Third World countries about corruption ? He needs a couple years in prison with a 300 lb tattooed husband to straighten out his misconceptions. Your humble servant.....Professor Gravity !

Abstinence education reminds me of Orwell's "1984". There was a "Youth Anti-Sex League", or something like that in the book. In fact the hero Winston Smith was fucking their leader. I think it's a good idea to give kids reasons, healthwise and emotional, to delay having sex until they're older. But that also involves telling them about the dreaded birth control and safer sex practices. Which they need to know about, because the damn kids are going to do what they want anyway. Your humble servant.....Professor Gravity !

Choose the hot packer wisely or don't be surprised if a a little fight breaks out. Good luck. The brunette hottie was a bit of a slut if I remember correctly. Didn't she get eaten by a giant iguana or something on the beach after the head honcho dude built her a little love shack ? Your humble servant.....Professor Gravity !

Because it was field-packed at the beginning. It was a common practice back then if you weren't going to pack it immediately, you would just pull the sleeve down over the canopy, s-fold it into the container, and close the container by pulling the bungees across to the opposite flap to close it. That looks the condition of the rig at the beginning. By god, you're right. Forgot all about that. Sometimes I wish I could just pull a sleeve down over my 9 cell and throw it in the car at night. Thanks for the reminder. Your humble servant.....Professor Gravity !

It's a waste of water not to. After you've washed the schlub off your bod, why not pee in it ? Otherwise you'll just have to divert clean water to the toilet, which makes no sense at all. Al Gore should promote shower peeing. Your humble servant.....Professor Gravity !

Oh god, Julie Newmar's Catwoman. At the time, sex hadn't really been expained to me yet, but my evil little brain new it wanted to do SOMETHING with her. Your humble servant.....Professor Gravity !

Good point. Emma Peale (Diana Rigg) can kick my ass anytime she wants - and I'll LIKE it !! Your humble servant.....Professor Gravity !