GravityGirl

Hmmm. That sounds familiar. I'm a stalker seller. I call both USPA and the DZO or S&TA if I sell a very high performance canopy out of state, or if I don't know the jumper myself. But that's only because I like to sleep at night. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Peace and Blue Skies! Bonnie ==>Gravity Gear!

Hmmm. Holding back.... Same "Mom" lectures year after year. This thread was started in response to JPs thread about the 300 jump wonder that broke his back jumping a way too small, way to high performance canopy. JP (Diablo Pilot), do you remember me telling you your canopy was too small once upon a time. Then do you remember hobbling around and me making fun of you for it? JP (Deuce), do you remeber me nicknaming you Divot? Not as an insult, but as a slap in the face to hopefully wake you up to the reality of this sport. We are all really cool. Much better than the "Old Guys" that came before us..... .....that is until we get enough skydives under our belt to realize that no matter how sporty, how cocky, how durable we are.... ....we are ALL mere mortals. Made of flesh and blood. We bleed. We brake. We die. We bury our friends. We bury our lovers. We visit our sisters and brothers in the hospital. Then we go home and cry. And when we go back to the drop zone.... ... we look at that new kid.... we cringe.... But we muster up every ounce of strength to give him as much advise and shit as we can to keep him/her alive.... because in the end.... we care.... and we can't stop caring... jumping.... loving.... ....and the circle goes 'round and 'round. I'll quote Missy Nelson now, "Never give up." ... ....On anyone... Ever... We are family. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Peace and Blue Skies! Bonnie ==>Gravity Gear!

Very cute! Can I play too????? Here is mine: ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Peace and Blue Skies! Bonnie ==>Gravity Gear!

It is not my intention to advertise here, but I know a guy at our DZ selling a rig with an accuracy canopy in it. It only have about 15 jumps on it, and he is letting it go really cheap. It's a Foil 282 in perfect condition. It was used for demos. PM me if you want me to dig up the info... ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Peace and Blue Skies! Bonnie ==>Gravity Gear!

Dan Fairchild is a para, and we built him a skydiving rig that had an extended but cusion in it. Also attachment point to clip his legs in place after he opened. Hookkit? You out there. He helped rig the harness, so he'll have a better picture of the logistics. When there is a will, there is a way! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Peace and Blue Skies! Bonnie ==>Gravity Gear!

No. I think the ideas is, if I turn the hand crank, then a puppy is BORN, not killed. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Peace and Blue Skies! Bonnie ==>Gravity Gear!

This guys line has nothing to do with skydiving. Guys say anything to get the chicks. He just reaching into his past to find an "in". I'm sure when he hangs out with his buddies, he doesn't even bring it up. One of the coolest skydivers I knew was a guy with 35 jump in 1969. He drank at my local watering hole. He still talked about jumping. Hey! Skydiving is cool. He had great memories that lasted him a lifetime. He was always curious what jump number I was at. He'd see me walking down the street and yell out, "Hey Airbourne! What's the count this week?" So, I guess my vote, is once a jumper always a skydiver. But in your guys case, once a cheese-ball, always a cheese-ball. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Peace and Blue Skies! Bonnie ==>Gravity Gear!

Great! Now I'm responsible for a whole litter this week! So I guess when the Pilot is off on a trip, the Pilots Wife is home making puppies! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Peace and Blue Skies! Bonnie ==>Gravity Gear!

Hookkit, didn't you know we have a high rise window washer right here at our DZ? ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Peace and Blue Skies! Bonnie ==>Gravity Gear!

Ease into it and out of it a bit more gently... ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Peace and Blue Skies! Bonnie ==>Gravity Gear!

I guess I was being a bit sarcastic. But thanks for the constructive information. I have to remember that the typed word is FAR different than the spoken word. When I jumped the Pilot demos, I felt they went into and came out of the turns very gracefully. We have several demos in my store, and I have been keeping a keen eye on their performance. So the post that stated he didn't like the "oversteer" seemed out of left field to me. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Peace and Blue Skies! Bonnie ==>Gravity Gear!

That's what I was going to tell. Pilot has very decent glide ratio. However, I dislike Pilot's oversteer. Explain oversteer. Is it as in, "When a new jumper, trys an unfamiliar canopy, they tend to oversteer? ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Peace and Blue Skies! Bonnie ==>Gravity Gear!

You DO know that was a joke, right? ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Peace and Blue Skies! Bonnie ==>Gravity Gear!

Here is the new upgraded Gravity Gear office. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Peace and Blue Skies! Bonnie ==>Gravity Gear!

I like the Pilot so far, based on your criteria. It has a decent glide ratio. Add a bit of brakes, and it has an amazing glide! Better yet, take it deep and you can sink it in if need be. It makes a most excellent "long spot" or "landing out" choice. It is tapered, or as some prefer to label it, Semi-Eliptical. Does very well in and out of turns. Where are you? Maybe you can get hooked up with a demo. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Peace and Blue Skies! Bonnie ==>Gravity Gear!

Sometimes friends forget what it is like to be new in the sport. You will learn a lot on the 190. And it will keep you from spending a fortune on rental gear. Jump it until you have enough experience to decide for yourself what you want. This will not be your only rig purchase if you stay in the sport. But it will get you from point A to point B. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Peace and Blue Skies! Bonnie ==>Gravity Gear!

Hate to disagree with someone in a grumpy mood, but.... If a reserve stalls on the flare, it can result in an injury. If a reserve doesn't flare it can result in an injury. Sure just broken tailbone or ankle perhaps, but an injury none the less. We have held several demo days to let the locals fly reserves. And I am quite confident that most jumpers will have a great landings under their PD reserves. We have a few Smarts on the DZ now too. Same holds true. I have 8 reserve rides. My first two were great. I have had the displeasure of having to use a couple of reserves that had little to no flare and ended up with sprained ankles. My last two have been on my PD113, and they were quite comfortable. In todays market there are so many great products to choose from, and no need to settle for something that doesn't perform. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Peace and Blue Skies! Bonnie ==>Gravity Gear!

I don't like that it has plastic slider stops and only 4 instead of 6 of those. I also don't like that it is simply a F-111 Triatholon. I don't think (from watching landings) that it has a good flare. Derek I think that from flying it myself, it has an excellent flare. Side by side, I would choose the PD-r over the Smart because I am splitting hairs. The PDr has smoother turns. But I would jump either canopy, any day. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Peace and Blue Skies! Bonnie ==>Gravity Gear!

I'm looking forward to the day my nephew comes home from Iraq too! I promised to take him through AFF. He had a short return home after an injury and we went for a tandem jump. Then he healed up and got shipped back. He is a Marine too. With your skills, you may have worked with him.... who knows? I really look forward to all of you guys coming home. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Peace and Blue Skies! Bonnie ==>Gravity Gear!

Hmmmm. Thanks for the idea! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Peace and Blue Skies! Bonnie ==>Gravity Gear!

So I guess that is like an airline bailout in itself?!? ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Peace and Blue Skies! Bonnie ==>Gravity Gear!

Cool. See you here! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Peace and Blue Skies! Bonnie ==>Gravity Gear!

It's not always themselves the hurt or kill. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Peace and Blue Skies! Bonnie ==>Gravity Gear!

Hand the keys to my husband. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Peace and Blue Skies! Bonnie ==>Gravity Gear!

When I was on a 4-way team, I got my then employer to sponsor our jumpsuits. Then whe we were deciding colors, I said, "Anything but pink or purple." Our first jumpsuits were white, pink and purple. Doesn't really matter. Just fly your ass off and get noticed for that. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Peace and Blue Skies! Bonnie ==>Gravity Gear!