tbrown

How does the ramp open on the boxes you're familiar with? Just fine, thank you. I'm referring to the stress factor of an unstable ship that the pilot may be fighting to control at a low altitude (above 1 grand, but considerably lower than anything desirable). Also concerned about people crowding the rear and the fact that Skyvans are as susceptble to COG problems as Lodestalls. Really not the same as a roll up Otter door in the same world of shit, now is it ? Know what, I'm going to back down from being a bristling combative s.o.b. (I'm posting loaded again). It's a safety concern that I really haven't seen adequately addressed - and a GREAT topic for Safety Day at dropzones that have Skyvans. I think most people have their emergency plans for an Otter or similar type plane thought out and on most of these planes, a plexiglass rollup door is comparatively easy to operate, even under emergency conditions. But I've opened just enough Skyvan ramps to know that the mothers are just heavy enough that under stress and stability problems we SHOULD expect in an emergency, it could be a real problem. And most younger jumpers have no idea what a Lodestar/Lodestall even is, let alone the problems we've had with them, the lives that have been lost, or that Skyvans share the same basic problem with a much trickier exit mechanism. I would really like to hear A LOT more about emergency procedures for Skyvans. Because I really trtuly do love jumping out of them. Your humble servant.....Professor Gravity !

I love Skyvans and have many wonderful memories of DC-3's. But if I had to pick one airplane for life, it would be the Twin Otter, no question about it. The one thing that scares the hell out of me about a Skyvan is how do you get that ramp open for a quick emergency exit ? Your humble servant.....Professor Gravity !

You know this could really ruin your night. You've asked everybody what they think you should do and every last one of them is pleading with you to go to the ER immediately. Are you feeling embarrassed that you might be some kind of a nuisance, or that they might think you're a hypochondriac ? I can understand why you might feel that way, but that's the wrong way to look at these things. Call a good friend who's tough enough to come over and DRAG you to the ER. Bring a good book if it helps you feel better. Now get goin' ! Your humble servant.....Professor Gravity !

Since these assholes seem to think IEDs are a heaven sent judgement, wouldn't be ironic if a conveniently placed IED or two took them out ? No need to transport them to a hospital either, as ambulances and hospitals are staffed with homos. Sometimes there's just no legal way to deal with people who insist on being such assholes. You either put up with them, or you go around the law. It's just a matter of time 'til somebody does and I wouldn't be surprised if the witnesses don't remember seeing a thing. Your humble servant.....Professor Gravity !

Psycho packing... S-folding in reverse order... this... that... or the other thing... it all pretty much boils down to pack more and you'll get better. Pratice packing sucks... its all the work and none of the fun... jump more, you'll pack more and the sooner you'll get better at it! Maybe practice packing does suck, but as with learning to play the piano, practice makes perfect. To you it's still new, still and adventure, and packing at home gives you something to look forward to for the weekend, so keep on doing it. Psycho packing works just fine, I've done it, but don't currently because pro packing works just fine. Since psycho is basically a pro pack up until you roll the thing, you need to learn the pro pack anyway. Right now, pro packing is the basic technique you need to master. Psycho is an extra frill you can consider later on, when you're comfortable with your pro pack. Stuffing any canopy into a bag is a pain. I think the gear manufacturers have a conspiracy that all d-bags must be 2 sizes too small for the canopies that go into them..... Your humble servant.....Professor Gravity !

Yeah, maybe so, but I fell sorry for a world where everybody has to mind everybody else's business too. Besides, my ma smoked, drank too, when she was pregnant with me and I turned out okay. Are we supposed to herd pregnant women into "health camps" to supervise their proper care of their unborn ? Maybe we should just collect people's babies at birth and keep them in government operated nurseries until they're 21 while we're at it. You could find other things to be more upset about. I suggest you do so. Your humble servant.....Professor Gravity !

First of all, I don't think Islam is the ONLY stupid religion in the world, we have a bit of religious stupidity right here at home as well. But the average Muslim in the Third World doesn't have much of an education either and what little education they might have usually is from religious schools. So they're highly susceptable to manipulation by their religious authorities in a way that can't even be imagined by Americans or Europeans. It's sad that Islam has let itself fall so far from a time when it made real contributions to the sciences, to mathematics (they invented the numbers we use), medicine, the arts and architecture. But what have they done in centuries, aside from killing other people, killing each other, and abusing their women, who they treat like livestock ? Now this President of Iran is openly declaring that he hates our western culture - his words, not mine. And for the third or fourth week in a row, they're raising holy hell about some fucking cartoons printed in Denmark of all places ? They want to burn down the U.S. Embassy in Indonesia because of some cartoons published last month in Denmark ? I don't think so. This a firestorm being created by some very evil and devious people, manipulating a mass of uneducated people. Obviously we can't let a bunch of rabid hothead like this start building nukes. Hate to say it, but I think a worldwide war between Islam and the West is already begun, or maybe it's just a continuation of the one that ended in the 16th century. It's a war of their choosing. They seem to want one, even nuclear war, but I don't think they're going to like it when they get one. Because there's no doubt who's going to lose it and it's going to be horrible. But I no longer know what else to do. I'm not a Muslim, I'ma Westerner. I'm a Christian by heritage, if not strictly by belief. They would think nothing of killing me or my family, just for who we are. So if the shit hits the fan, I have to unplug the human connection and start thinking the same way about them. It sucks, but that's the way it is. If the Muslims want to be our enemies, then they're our enemies and easygoing old hippie Tom doesn't like them anymore. Maybe the sooner we get this nasty business over with the better for all of us, the living and the dead. Your humble servant.....Professor Gravity !

I was surprised at how much I'd found myself waiting for the dytter to tell me when I could pull, rather than evaluating the time. But I'll admit I don't take off my altimeter to reinforce that . I've a number of jumps without it, but I prefer having it. I just recently started using a Pro-Dytter for the first time. At least for now I'm using it pretty much straight up for the altitudes I want to breakoff, pull, and my hard deck. I've always looked at a dial altimeter as breakoff draws near and still do, though rightly or wrongly I'm hanging in there and going for another point before my breakoff tone sounds. My "pull" tone is set at 3 grand, but I find it goes off while I'm in the process of clearing myself and waving off anyway, which validates my long held belief that I was tossing it out "about 28'ish". My hard deck is conservative, if I'm below 2 grand and still in freefall I'd like to be reminded in every possible way, and I won't rule out hiring a marching band. I've thought a lot about setting my audible for "500 below" breakoff and pull, but so far I don't want to while I'm getting used to having the thing. I am working on keeping aware of my visible dial alti, as well as the size of the ground and not waiting for "permission" from some beeper in my ear any more than I've ever waited for permission from a dial altimeter. Your humble servant.....Professor Gravity !

1. is it safe to stall the chute? when I learned to fly airplanes we stalled the plane alot to learn what an approaching stall felt like. is it ok to stall the chute up high to learn? 2. I'm currently flying a saber 2 210 and I'm 175lbs + gear. How will this canopy stall? I've read that some bow in the middle others end cells colaspe. 3. how high would you recommend that I be to try stalling? I normally pull at around 5000. mostly because I like to play under canopy. should I plan to pull even higher? 1.) Yes, you can safely stall it up high. But get instruction and coaching, just like you did with an airplane. 2.) I stalled my 210 Pilot canopy today in a canopy course taught by Jonathan Tagle at elsinore (this is the same "Scott Miller" course, which Jonathan now also teaches as a partner). Difference aside, a Sabre2 210 should be safely stallable - again, under an instructor's supervison. BELIEVE ME, the recovery is every bit as exciting as the stall, don't try this on your own. 3.) We were making hop & pops from 5 grand. That's plenty. If you're above 2 grand you've got all the room in the world for a cutaway if things go completely to shit. (You're still pulling at 5 grand ? Lord, what ARE they teaching you AFF kids these days ? ) Your humble servant.....Professor Gravity !

For future reference to everyone else out there running courses, posting a link to your own page here about a course and adding a general description is fine. Posting prices, slogans such as "the best value for the money", etc, is not. It's actually best to have someone other than yourself post about these upcoming courses. That's cool, you got a job to do to uphold the standards of the website. I would like to say that I took the Basic course today and it was fantastic ! This is by the way, the "Scott Miller" course, Jonathan is a partner in the venture now. I've wanted to take a canopy course for some time now and had been repulsed by the price of some of the competing courses that offer the same things as far as I can tell. This one's a real deal - at a price the average skydiving family man or woman can afford. Your humble servant.....Professor Gravity !

If you're going to smoke, at least smoke pot and get some benefit from the damage you're doing to your lungs and heart. Your humble servant.....Professor Gravity !

Well, since you've posted this in Speakers Corner and not the Bonfire, I'll assume you're serious. Number one, there's all kinds of ways you or the little lady can make money on the side without her renting her body out to anybody. Some questions arise. Would you ask her to turn a few more tricks to help you buy a new car or canopy ? And just how many guys would she have to do before you got upset about it ? Three ? Ten ? A hundred ? Or maybe never ? The guy who "can set her up with some clean clients" is a fucking pimp. You can choose to become her pimp instead of him, but I don't know if that's any better from where she's lying on her back. And IF you pimp her out, then YOU are committting a felony of pandering and can do some serious prison time where you can bet somebody else will be pimping your ass out. If your GF really wants to explore the wonderful world of hooking, she can at least do it legally in Nevada. Look up websites for the Moonlit Bunny Ranch, Chicken Ranch, Kit-Kat Ranch, etc. She can get a 2-3 week hitch at any of these establishments, with weekly medical exams and full time security to protect her from physical abuse. Have you even considered what you would do if "Guido" were to stop by and explain the benefits of your GF working for the local Mafia ? If he doesn't just air condition your brain as his way of saying hello ? Fantasy is one thing, the real thing is quite another. Rape fantasies can be fun, rape is not. If you want to do like Jack Lemmon, pay your GF for "tricking" you on Friday nights. This is altogether different. And you KNOW it. Your humble servant.....Professor Gravity !

That or else like good old American sledding in an ice chute. I also really like those snowboard races with 4 people at a time. I just LOVE the Winter Olympics ! They can keep the summer stuff, if it has snow or ice in it, it's just more exciting & beautiful. Your humble servant.....Professor Gravity !

Hard deck at 2 grand, I figure if I'm still in freefall below 2 grand I want it brought to my attention before I'm any lower. My pull tone is set for 3 grand and usually goes off as I'm clearing myself and waving off. I set my breakoff tone for whatever we're doing on a given dive, usually 4 or 4.5 grand, sometimes 5 grand. Your humble servant.....Professor Gravity !

Analog needles can get hung up too. I've seen people pull way low because they were waiting for a hung up altimeter to give them "permission" to pull. Whatever kind of an altimeter you use, you should not be watching it for the exact pull altitude. You should be looking around you for other people and you should be looking at the ground to get an idea of how big the ground looks at pull time. So here's an idea. If you're pulling at 3000 - 3500 ft, go ahead and check your alti down to 4 grand. At 4 grand forget the alti, take a good look around for traffic and a good look at the ground and throw it out. When you're open, you can check your alti again to see what your altitude under canopy is. Because if you're wearing an altimeter on your wrist, you're not going to be able to read it at all while you track. You'll need to learn how to give it a quick look at breakoff and then track for 5 or several seconds, wave off and pull. Your alti is an aID, it's not a task master. Your humble servant.....Professor Gravity !

Z-Hills had a beauty of a Lodestar in 1977, called 3-Lima Mike. It had a really plush interior and the outside was painted in "Howard Johnson" shades of orange, blue, and white. I think later that year it was up in Ganonoque when somebody forgot to lower the gear for landing and it sort of got wrecked bellying in. I remember another Lodestar at Perris in '79 once or twice, it supported the '79 Rumbleseat Meet and was there for the Thanksgiving Boogie too. I've heard that Skyvans can be just as twitchy, I know the one at Perris has a line that no more than 8 jumpers are supposed to cross. Between that and how you'd ever get the damn ramp to open in an emergency I'm thinking I'm in love with a dangerous airplane. Your humble servant.....Professor Gravity !

He said actual sex acts are needed to help win prostitution convictions. Convictions against who ? Against the owner of the establishment, who may be holding the women in outright slavery, without their passports, without even paying them, or letting them leave the premises ? Against the customers who create the demand in the first place ? Or against the women performing the acts, for the gratification of the customers who flock to the establishment and pay the owners ? I'm no big fan of prostitution, but it plainly needs to be licensed and controlled both for the protection of the women (or even the men who engage in the profession), as well as for the sake of public health. License it and tax the shit out of it, just like anything else people find fun or amusing. Your humble servant.....Professor Gravity !

If it ever happens, I would have to say it's a failure of the American system's belief in its own people. If you consider that this country has weathered a foreign invasion (the Brits in the War of 1812, they burned down the White House for pity's sake), rebellion and division into two countries, with the bloodiest war in our history, numerous stock market crashes and depressions, the destruction of San Francisco by earthqualke and fire, a killer flu pandemic (1918), a World War with real powers of evil who almost conquered the world and that was finally settled only with nukes, and a Cold War that came within 3 hrs of world anihilation, I'd say we would be giving up too easily. We made some mistakes along the way. We shouldn't have permitted slavery, we shouldn't have tried to exterminate Native Americans with whiskey, starvation and smallpox. And we shouldn't have locked up loyal Americans of Japanese ancestry. Bottom line is we cannot let it happen. American soldiers are citizen soldiers. Their officer corps is the most educated officer corps in history (but sadly, so was the Nazi SS in their day). The American citizen soldier is going to have to realize they are responsible for what they do to their own families, and that it really is okay, even required, to disobery an illegal order. Never forget that in 1864, Abe Lincoln insisted that a fairly contested Presidential election had to be held as scheduled. His advisors told him he could cancel the election in the name of national security. But Lincoln knew that if he couldn't be legitimately re-elected, the war would be lost. The election went on and one of his own generals ran against him, on a peace platform that would've recognized the Confederacy. Lincoln won by a landslide, mostly on the votes of citizen soldiers who were tired and miserable from a war that had already dragged on for over 3 years. (Of coiurse Lincoln also suspended Habeaus Corpus, so he wasn't exactly a saint either....). Your humble servant.....Professor Gravity !

The real deal. This is excerpts from a new book on American husbands. The reasons why they get married and why they stay married. A great article. It takes a whole book to explain blowjobs ??? Your humble servant.....Professor Gravity !

I can't fucking believe this shit. I remember watching this on live fucking television the fucking 20th of July, 1969 and wondering what was wrong with the fucking transmission, it sounded like shit. Must have been some poor asshole at fucking NASA going out of his fucking mind trying to edit this shit. And it's about fucking time the record was set straight. Your humble servant.....Professor Gravity !

No, hey this is depression we're talking about. Alcohol does NOT help and it isn't even funny. But in response to Lindercles, there's no shame in having to go back on meds. When I go off meds I slide back into the deep dark hole myself. Horrible place to live. So I go back on the meds and like a good Scout I try to get some counseling. But once the meds start to work, I can't think of a fucking thing to tell the counselor anymore and I just get another "crazy" mark on my insurance records. My personal conclusion is that depression simply IS a chemical imbalance. For me Lexapro does wonders AND I can still get a good woody with the wife, so life is good. These people who push this "just say no to drugs" agenda are assholes. Drugs are GOOD for us, they relieve all kinds of pain and disease. You can bet the "just say no" brigade will want pure heroin if they ever have to die of cancer. See your doctor, find the RIGHT med (maybe your last med wasn't the right one for you), and then if you want to spar with a shrink, go for that too. Your humble servant.....Professor Gravity !

I was watching the U.S. vs New Zealand this morning over breakfast. It sort of reminds me of Bocci Ball in some ways. Your humble servant.....Professor Gravity !

Daniel, when it finally happens that you need to cutaway, you should have had plenty of practice on the ground. It will be more disorienting than you'd imagined and you'll be breathing pretty hard and thinking "oh god, oh god, oh god" a lot. But what you really have to do is pretty basic. Just point your toes and LOOK at your chest for those handles. No matter how bad you're being spun, your chest will always be straight down, below your chin. Find those handles, peel the cutaway handle with one or two hands, whichever way you were trained and practiced, and get a visual fix on your reserve handle. Then punch your cutaway all the way out to full arm's length and go for the reserve handle. At your experience level, you should have a RSL, but you're going to pull the other handle too, even if you're already getting line stretch under your reserve (which you probably will be). At this stage of the game, don't worry if you drop one or both handles. When you look up and see your reserve, you'll breath a huge sigh of relief. Check your altimeter, look around for where you are, where the dropzone is, or where you can make the nearest safe out landing. Pop your brakes off, quick practice a flare or two if you've got altitude and fly a pattern to your selected landing spot. When you land you are going to feel REALLY GOOD about yourself for cheating the Reaper. You may go hundred, or even thousands of jumps before you have to do this. You may never have to do it. But be ready EVERY time, because you never know. Your humble servant.....Professor Gravity !

So Michelle Kwan FINALLY stepped down, about fuckin' time. She shouldn't have been on the Olympic team in the first place. Oh my, what's that ? She pulled a muscle ? Oh dear, we aren't going to let this interfere with her coronation this time, are we ? Last time out she got her ass beat by a teenage girl who simply blew everyone's mind with a stunning performance. But this year, because she "was likely to win gold", the losers on the US Olympic Committee let her on the team without even competeing, and kept a girl who worked hard to win 3rd place off the team. The girl, Emily Hughes, happens to be the little sister of Sarah Hughes, who beat Kwan's ass in the '02 Olympics. Now Emily is trying to catch a plane out of New York to get to Turin in time to compete. Good luck kid, the weather's not being much help. Of course if they'd told the Bitch Queen she actually had to EARN a place on the team by COMPETING, maybe Emily Hughes wouldn't be stuck at JFK in a blizzard today. Or maybe they should just wheel Kwan out on the ice in a wheel chair and give her the fucking gold medal she feels so entitled to.... Your humble servant.....Professor Gravity !

But that's exactly what the kids are going to think in 20 years when they look at your Javelin/Micron/Infinity/whatever, with your 9 cell elliptical that might even be cross-braced, with its collapsible p/c, and your freebagged 7 cell reserve. And the Cypres/Vigil unit ? It will send shivers up their spine ! But this is the best gear we've ever known, and thirty years ago an early model Wonderhog or Racer, with a hand deployed 5 cell Strato Star and a 26 ft. low porosity conical round reserve was the cutting edge. And a decade before that, a Mini System with a 3 pin ripcord deployed Paracommander, and a CHEST MOUNTED round reserve was the cat's ass of a rig. Notice I don't even mention AAD's because we didn't have them, didn't trust them, and didn't want them. They were for students only. But we all jumped these rigs with confidence, because they worked. Even the cutaways worked and the reserves opened. Hell, my first rig was entirely military surplus and it opened every time (obviously). we still don't have perfect rigs. We still don't have a foolproof way of dealing with a pilot chute in tow, or preventing a ram air from collapsing in the wrong kind of turbulence. AAD's still won't re-arm themselves quickly enough from a cutaway below a grand. Our gear's better, but there's room for improvement. And I doubt the perfect rig will ever exist. As for the grins on all those faces, well that's a no brainer. They wuz skydivin' ! They wuz feelin' GOOD. Your humble servant.....Professor Gravity !