GravityGirl

I just got done reading a copy of Brian Germains new book, "Transcending Fear". It's a good book that really hits the spot. I highly recommend it. You're feelings are normal. We are jumping out of planes after all. Staying current and getting some jumps under your belt will help you feel more confindent and calm. It takes some acclimation. Welcome to the forums and the sport! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Peace and Blue Skies! Bonnie ==>Gravity Gear!

Are you here now? Call both Hollister and Byron in the morning. It's raining at the moment. It's hard to tell which DZ will have the weather. We were supposed to get weathered out today, but we put up 6 or 7 loads. The last two only got 8,000 feet though. The clouds started to roll in. Maybe we'll see you out at Byron tomorrow. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Peace and Blue Skies! Bonnie ==>Gravity Gear!

Sounds a bit like "Combining the Elements". A film by Fusion Productions that includes BASE, Skydiving, Stunt Streetbikes, Wake, Etc. Their second film is in the works. They are actually melding the extreme sports together. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Peace and Blue Skies! Bonnie ==>Gravity Gear!

That's just messed up. With a Tandem on a Cessna, you make some money. Throw in a couple of upjumpers and it's an extra 36 - 40 bucks profit. Sure it doesn't seem like a lot in the moment, but it adds up. Up jumpers bring more buisness. Up jumpers will be your staff. up jumpers make your job more fun. Short sighted business practice. Sad. Byron is a trek from Paso, unless you have your own plane. But if you venture up, we'll make you feel right at home. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Peace and Blue Skies! Bonnie ==>Gravity Gear!

If you are buying a new parachute, you need to talk to your dealer to find out what is best for your particular application. Without more specifics on wing loading, experience level, and what your application for the canopy is, it's kind of hard to tell you which is better. The most common set up is 825 and Slinks. Dacron will have softer openings but packs bulkier. 550 packs the smallest and has the least amount of drag, but wears quicker. Again. More details.... ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Peace and Blue Skies! Bonnie ==>Gravity Gear!

A 135 at 55 jumps seems a little aggressive to me. But I don't know your exit weight. Still a 135 is not a forgiving parachute. Can you give some more details? Exit weight? PM if you don't want to share that detail. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Peace and Blue Skies! Bonnie ==>Gravity Gear!

Sky Systems makes the Hurricane now. It has the area surrounding the exterior audible pocket built up so a riser strike should not send it flying. Do you know if the nVertigo is built like that too? I'm just curious. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Peace and Blue Skies! Bonnie ==>Gravity Gear!

What kind of helmet do you jump? ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Peace and Blue Skies! Bonnie ==>Gravity Gear!

Yeah. But Rantoul doesn't have free food. And Rantoul is more of an all around freak show. This would be marketed as a sporting event. Colorado seems to be full of sporty people. Each demographic is different. Just check out the wuffo crowd at Rantoul. Another thought that came to mind. If you are selling tickets to skydivers and non skydivers, let the skydivers jump in to the event. Pay for your lift ticket plus admission. Set up a big open landing area. Get the load up early enough for them to land, pack, go get some food and a beer and sit back and enjoy. Now you have free "Pre Game" entertainment courtesy of your spectators. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Peace and Blue Skies! Bonnie ==>Gravity Gear!

In order to charge spectators for an event, you would have to establish the populartiy of an event. You know. Supply and demand stuff. I think swooping is on the way, but not quite there yet. It's closer in the non-skydiver market. If you are trying to market a paid event to skydivers, I would imagine you should throw in some free tacos and a cheap beer concession. Free food and cheap beer always makes sporting events more fun. I think a mix of skydivers and non-skydivers as the spectator would be best. They you can kill two birds with one stone. Use the event to promote skydiving by having Tandem skydives readily available to sell. Also, the skydivers will enjoy a show with lot of new people to meet. If you host a couple/few open house swoop demonstrations and advertise them at colleges, high schools and other sporting venues, then you'll start to peak some interest in the spectator sport. Once the word of mouth get out there a bit and these events are fun to attend, people will easily pay admission. I'm rambling. My answer was, no... not now. Yes, when the event has new faces, free food and cheap beer. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Peace and Blue Skies! Bonnie ==>Gravity Gear!

I just meant that maybe I find it easier, because I've done that particular exit the most. So perhaps it just seems easy to me. I don't think it takes time to get good at that exit. Just knowing good technique. Same for any exit. Did I come across as cocky? ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Peace and Blue Skies! Bonnie ==>Gravity Gear!

I'll have to try that on a fun jump with a couple of other instructors. All of the 2 out, 1 in exits I've done have had the student in a crouched position. Yuck. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Peace and Blue Skies! Bonnie ==>Gravity Gear!

What kind of KA do you have? How wide is the door. Also if you do an exit 300 times, you get good at it. How does your student stand in the door? ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Peace and Blue Skies! Bonnie ==>Gravity Gear!

You are right Tom. I was implying that the spring loaded main pilot chutes are more subject to wear and tear. As they age, they loose performance. On the other hand, the reserve PC is NOT subject to the same wear and tear. And, as you state, it's maintained by your rigger. That's not to say that it may not hesitate. At terminal in a good arch, I've felt that ever so slight hesitation, and it felt like minutes! That'll make you clear that burble in a hurry. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Peace and Blue Skies! Bonnie ==>Gravity Gear!

We have that graphic on our Tandem Gift Certificates. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Peace and Blue Skies! Bonnie ==>Gravity Gear!

How many jumps on your canopy? ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Peace and Blue Skies! Bonnie ==>Gravity Gear!

When was it. Didn't feel a thing out here in the sticks (Byron). ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Peace and Blue Skies! Bonnie ==>Gravity Gear!

Happy Birthday Steve! You should go bowling with Tall Guy. It was his birthday yesterday! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Peace and Blue Skies! Bonnie ==>Gravity Gear!

#8 is very unique. I think it's cool. Make sure you take a couple of swatches and hold the two colors up to the light. The purple under the yellow gives it a greenish hue. Still cool. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Peace and Blue Skies! Bonnie ==>Gravity Gear!

A reserve pilot chute spring is generally stiffer. The pilot chute is also not used as frequently, so it will not wear out like that on a student main. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Peace and Blue Skies! Bonnie ==>Gravity Gear!

What time do you get out of work? Byron is just over an hour from Sunnyvale. But if you get off at 5pm, forget it. Bay Area traffic is not fun. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Peace and Blue Skies! Bonnie ==>Gravity Gear!

I always tell my customers that if they pay full retail, the first 100 pack jobs are free and I'll throw in the case of beer they owe for new gear. So far no takers. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Peace and Blue Skies! Bonnie ==>Gravity Gear!

About a year ago, I was walking through a parking lot and some guy had this kid over his shoulders who was kicking and screaming, "I want my Mommy! Put me down! Let me go! Mom! Mom!" I looked around and didn't see a Mom. So I walked up to the guy and asked him what was going on. He said the kid was just throwing a tantrum so he took him out of the store. So I asked the kid where his Mommy was, and he pointed to the store. Still in histerics. I asked him who the guy holding him was. He said, "My new Daddy." So I waited until his Mom came out of the store. I felt like an ass for embarrassing the parents of a kid throwing a tantrum. But I wouldn't have been able to sleep if I didn't find out what was going on. Fortunately, I never saw that family again. And I'm also lucky that my kid has never thrown a full blown tantrum. Whiny, yes. Tantrum, no. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Peace and Blue Skies! Bonnie ==>Gravity Gear!

At Byron we have a front float peg and a rear float peg. Reserve side JM is front float and Main side is rear float. Student is center. After a check right and check left, the front float can lean back and offer some prop blast to the student and allow them to look at the prop. Front float needs to get a good launch off the plane to allow the student clean air. If they leave late, they hose the student. I'll even cheat it sometimes. We have the student trail their left leg. I'll put my right leg between the student leg. Lean out after the check in from student. Then as the student peels towards the prop blast, I can actually arch and encourage my student to arch by using my hand and hip. I've done the exit with one JM inside and the student facing the prop blast in the door. These jumps were less sucessfull than the three out. The tendency was for the student to not get into an arch position quickly enough. I only have around 700 AFF jumps. About half are from King Airs. Lots of C206, Caravans, a few tail gates and some Otters. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Peace and Blue Skies! Bonnie ==>Gravity Gear!

I sell both. I have jumped both. I would have either in my rig. I choose to have a PD reserve because I like the flight charactoristics slightly better. It glides in and out of the turns smoother. Both are constructed well. Both flare great. By the way, I jumped a PD113 and a Smart 120. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Peace and Blue Skies! Bonnie ==>Gravity Gear!