SkydiveNFlorida

I work for a wine importer. It's really tough having to taste all these wines day in and day out.. The long lunch meetings, the free samples, the comp'd meals, sometimes I wonder what the heck I'm doing here. I should just quit and get a job packing. I think I may actually want to change careers now! I can't believe it... a job that actually sucks more than mine?! Sounds like an awesome lunch, lady! mmmm, wine Angela.

I was the leader of a small group of anarchists I don't know if I had a status in high school... I rarely attended. I can't really vote. I don't think I was an outcast.. maybe by choice. But, I definitely wasn't going to be homecoming queen at any point. Angela.

Thanks everyone! :) I will read those articles, too. Angela.

I started skydiving and have made almost 100 jumps in 5 months. My GPA has gone up and i'm now an honors student. I still have my job, and it has actually gotten even easier if that is at all possible. I met a great guy who I really enjoy spending time with. I have met some personal goals which have made me a less dependant person. My car still runs, the sun still rises, and I still get paid for doing very little. This has been a GREAT year! Angela.

LOL!! I don't get to watch TV to often, I miss the Simpsons! Thanks, Liz! Val... I really think you should find a way to break into that drawer and take the donut. That way he knows there is no protection!! :D Angela

This is interesting stuff! :) Why is it that you must take off and land at high speeds on the wing with less span? And you can take off and land at slower speeds on the wing with greater span? Is this due in any part to ground effect? A greater % of the downwash would be eliminated on the craft with a shorter span, therefore the craft will have less induced drag (which is the largest portion of drag at low speed) and therefore greater speed on landing and takeoff? I assume ground effect plays little or no part in parachute landing, unless you have a nice low swoop? Any insight on that? AOA & AOI I may also be a little confused on. I understand about AOI being (-), but i'm not sure I can see AOA being positive? So, the relative wind hits the nose from the front/below? I think I need to spend a little more time watching parachutes fly, rather than flying my own. Thanks everyone! Angela.

HA! Yeah, that's a first. I wonder what the motivation is here. Do they think that the kids are going to cry to mommy about not wanting to eat thumper? Then, mom is gonna go vegan because that is the only proper thing to do at that point, right? whatever! Angela

And with that kind of job, when you actually have to work...damn, the stress goes up to here *raising hand very high above head and shaking it*. There's a reason why I got out of the IT world after a few years. 1. It sucked 2. It was driving me crazy due to high-stress, stupid people and shitty hardware/software combos. Yeah, but it isn't too often. I actually work better under stress. It's difficult to get me to work any other way, in fact. lol! Nope, no way! This is too easy to give up. A coworker of mine went to school to be a legal assistant because she was sick of this job... well, that was two years ago. I laughed when she finished and told her she wouldn't quit cuz our job was too easy. I was right! Yeah, I had them reimbursing me for a year, too. Then, I applied and got grants. The thing with re-imbursement is I felt locked in. If I didn't work for them at least one year after reimbursement then i'd owe them. With the grants, I don't have to pay back:D Granted i've been here 3+ years, so it isn't like I was gonna quit Although i've thought about it, it really isn't a smart move. Angela.

Thanks, Dave:)

So, why, in general, are the max loading for non-ellipticals lower than for ellipticals of the same size? Not taking into account that a jumper of a certain skill level wants an elliptical,... only taking into account that the manufacturer states that such a w/l is most appropriate for some canopy. I see that you note two types of performance, speed & distance... what is it that the manufacturers are recommending for? Is the intersection of those curves deemed "max performance"? And, how is it determined? There are so many confusing concepts that at times seem to counter one another, and are not intuitive. Here are just a few things off the top of my head : increased wing span = greater total drag, but less downwash therefore less induced drag. I assume this doesn't much apply to parachutes because the aspect ratio is likely the same as you downsize, therefore increased wingspan by a certain % is the same as the %increase in total area? smaller wing = increased velocity = increased parasite drag and decreased induced drag. Is this still less total drag? ellipticals create less downwash due to decreased vortices and therefore the induced drag is less. deformation of a non-crossbraced wing = possible disturbance of the laminar boundary layer which would prematurely go turbulant. As velocity increases, pressure decreases, skin friction increases, but would a decrease in pressure also mean a decrease in decreased pressure differential, or is the decrease in pressure uniform about the wing? As you can see, I need help. Are there performance curves where parachutes of different types are compared? Angela.

So, I print out a sugar cookie recipe, and walk to the printer to get it. The guard asks what it is I do when... I say, when what? ... he asks, well, when you're in there..? ? So, what is it that I do in here? I answered with "mainframe stuff". But, that just doesn't seem good enough. I guess I just make sure jobs run... the cpu is used as effectively as possible.. and run a few other small processes. And, i'm here incase the mainframes crash, and to prevent them from doing so by watching the aux storage and disc activity. But, really... there is so much downtime. But, someone has to do it... how can I make this sound more glamourous than "mainframe stuff", without sounding like a total geek?? Who, me? I play on computers, read books and do homework for a living... and now and then I do some work, too. Angela.

I am trying to understand more about aerodynamics... specifically of a parachute. I have read that once you load past a certain point on a canopy, it will actually lose performance. Can someone explain to me why this would be true on a crossbraced canopy? I would assume deformation of the wing would likely be the culprit sooner than other factors would come into play on a non-crossbraced. Is it due to the velocity of a highly loaded wing favoring parasite drag rather than a balance between parasite drag & induced drag? Does the angle of attack remain as it is designed to be past the manufacturers recommendations (ie, do all points where the lines connect to the parachute have even weight distribution), or is your angle of attack no longer ideal? I also notice that ellipticals seem to be able to be loaded more highly before experiencing this decline in performance. Is this due to the tapered wing having creating less downwash and therefore less induced drag? Or, why is this? I'm a little lost. Trying to get through this book with an actual understanding of how aerodynamics work, rather than just reading through it and having a bunch of new terms to show for it. So, any help is most appreciated. Thanks.

They are! That's why I sold my condo. If i'm gonna own something, dammit, i'm gonna OWN it! HOAs piss me off! It's ALWAYS something. God forbid someone should go in the pool after dusk. Or that your dog bark while you're not home. Screw that! Now I rent. . Hey, at least they can't foreclose. I will just rent until I can afford to have something that is mine all mine! Good luck, Andrea. did they say you had to take it down? Angela

Congrads, Jen!! I'm with ya, the end of the semester is definitely cause for celebration!! I dunno about "its a wonderful life", lol!, but some type of celebration:) I found out that I actually made all "A"s this semester! That is a first (BEER!)!! I finally have an honors gpa! :D I'm trying to read this Aerodynamics book for "fun" ... man, this is not easy reading Angela.

Whatever, man. I consider myself good looking, but I don't cash in on it by stripping for a living... I work, I go to school... I get complimented by guys, just like most girls do, but I prefer to cash in on my other qualities, such as my brain. Just because someone is beautiful doesn't mean that's all they are. Angela.

Good point, Dove. Photagraphy is art. I have just always found porn and naked pic mags to be distasteful. I have an oil painting of a naked woman in my home. I think it is quite beautiful and tasteful. Angela.

Just curious as to when this statement ever ends. Seems like "# jump wonder" can be said for anyone with less jumps than he who is speaking. I understand you have 2000+ jumps, Ron, and that is very respectable. But, why so little respect for people with say 300 jumps? Why are they called "# jump wonder" ? Also, I understand about wanting to be safe... but a .75 w/l is just not something i'd be willing to stay on. It is boring. There is a dz here in Fla that banned me from jumping there unless I got a larger canopy. The next size up i'd load at .75:1,.. .um, sorry, no. I feel just fine at my 1:1 w/l, and have found that many other instructors agree with me. Angela. (100 jump wonder)

I don't want to argue about this. It is just my opinion. It is degrading to sell yourself. Maybe no one else feels like this is selling ones self, but I do. I'm all for nakedness... just not for profit. I think it really lowers and degrades to put a price tag on it. Again, jmo, you don't have to agree. Angela.

GWAR!! They really put on a show! Angela.

Too bad you're degrading yourself by judging the choices and actions of others.

Definitely!! :D You come ff with me for a couple jumps, and if you want, i'll do a couple 2-way rw jumps with you,.. although I don't know if you'd really want to go with me cuz i'd likely suck, and we wouldn't get to execute what we planned fully, lol!! Whereas with the ff dive, we probably just wouldn't plan anything, and therefore it would go perfectly lol! :D Angela.

Cool, Rosa! Hey, did you post an account of your sitfly camp in Fla? Can you link me? Angela.

My hair has come out numerous times in freefall. I try to get it into a tight bun because it is a complete pita to comb out if it comes out. I spent an hour in the tub with conditioner getting it out one time when it came out twice in one day. ugh. She's a pretty girl. Too bad she feels the need to degrade herself by appearing in Playboy. jmo. Sorry she stopped jumping. :( Angela.

That sux! I have been borrowing someone elses bonehead for several weeks and have definitely noticed that it loosens. Boy am I glad nothing has happened to it, I guess I just never thought the thing would fly off! I think i'll put a stitch in my new helmet. Thanks for the heads up! Angela.