hukturn

Why does anyone book a seat on an airline knowing that they do not fit in the seat? I flew from Baltimre to Charlotte today with 1.5 hours on the runway sitting beside this guy who was "flowing" into my seat...seriously, my arm was literally pinned to the seat behind his. He is even a pilot (so he sid and he sounded legitimate). I think that the airlines should have some degree of commitment to enforcing this. Y'know the metal overhead compartments simulators that they have at the ticket counter? I think they should also have an airline chair at the counter. If you can not fit in it, you should either have to buy an extra ticket to accomodate your ass, purchase a 1st class (wider) seat or not be allowed onto the flight. Air Rage? This will do it!!

I took out a signature loan from my Credit Union. Of course, the rig was only $650 (2pin mirage /24' Phantom / Raven III) but I was only making a whopping $8/hr at the time. Just buy something safe and have fun. I even used my Visa to pay my Mastercard once just to be able to skydive. Okay, not really but only because Mastercard doesn't accept Visa. I have worked for skydives.

Got caught in a hailstorm once. Now, THAT sucked!!

The last time I jumped in the rain I didn't have to take a drink for 3 days. Was it raining beer?

So then, if the pre-planned dive was sequential but the second point did not complete is the first point still a state record? If the second point completes, you would have records for both largest state single formation and largest sequential state. Can state records be largest formations of their type? I mean, the 100 way jewel was a helluva of a quest. It is recognized as a significant accomplishment. But is it a record even though it is not the largest formation ever built?

Yeah...get a couple of hundred jumps, learn to long dive and you never have to stand in the door. Just chase the formation out.

Safety is realitive. If you want to be safe, don't push your limits. If you want complete safety, good luck. You can die living your life or you can die running from risk. In either event, we all die.

I say the instructor. Primarily beacuase you are student who knows very little. But, I am sure that you have been taught to do exactly as the instructer sys. So, what if the plane lost a wing and you were lower than your pre-planned jump altitude? The pilot is going to tell you guys to get out...should you second guess it? The instructor fucked up. End of story. Catch 22 - Were YOU aware of your altitude during the jump? If not, you should still fail the jump because that is a requisite to all static line and AFF courses. Altitude awareness is a very important aspect of your skydiving career.

DB Cooper comes to mind. Not to mention the possibility of someone carrying a bomb onto an airplane, arming it and exiting. I hate the airline politics but some things are rational.

All of the 1999 attempts in Louisburg were 80 ways sequentials. If you do not meet the specifications of the pre-planned dive, I thought it was barred as a record. Fun, but no record. Feedback?

Style tuck.

Easy way to clear up container lock -vs- bag lock; eted71 - Was the main parachite still in the container when you landed? I am not so sure about the stow band arguement. I mean, my unfounded tendency would be to believe that a round tube stow would promote the possibility of decreasing baglock due to the roll of the band (it is round). Whereas the flat rubberband will provide more friction due to a larger surface area (rubber bands are flat) against the line groupings. Of course, I have spent my last 1000 jumps using only two locking stows and a pocket on my bag, so what do I care?

amyg...that is so fucked up! But it is so cool. I just don't know exactly how to take this in. The only thing I was wondering was if the chickens wings wer broken thereafter? I mean, they are really stretched out in free fall. "Thanks" for sharing! What i sthe terminal velocity of a cat. And, would he land feet down? Nah..I can't do it.

Alrighty...I guess I am older than I wanted to admit. I pierced my nipple in 1993...pretty exotic back then. But, what is a "hood"...or a "frenum"? I mean it sounds like these go together..."hey guys check out the hood on my 1966 Dodge Frenum". Throw a little help this way.

I go about 230 without gear at 5'10 these days. I can typically do well with fall rates until late in the day when everyone starts getting a little lazy. Or, I encounter the 125 pound dude with an ego who says "I don't need weights". I also have a harder time on some DZ's where fall rates are slower. My home DZ has always been pretty quick. Of course, I will admit that my best skydiving is when I am at about 210 pre-jump weight. BTW - with these weights, I use a Michigan compsuit with no wing. I think that you don't need a baggy jumpsuit. You just need to find people who understand that skydiving is easier for everyone with a brisk fallrate. More air passing your body means that minimal movements have greater reactions. When I was hitting 20 and 40 ways hard at 210 pounds, I was often strapping on 6 - 8 pounds.

Survival rate on the 300' static line rounds should be pretty good. In the Army, static line training jumps are supposed to be at 800' and real world is supposed to be 500'. I have gotten out lower than that, AGL. Having alot of jumpos before Jumpschool, I was a little more reserved than most. Most of the guys are saying "look how high" and I was thinking "look how low". To the original question, I have exited 1700' on a main in an emergency. I would go a little lower because you are opening into the realative wind then transitioning into vertical descent. I would exit to reserve at any altitude in a true emergency if the pilot wanted me out. 1000' plus, I am going to main, 1000' feet and less straight to reserve, but that's me. -Matthew

"Thanks" for sharing the video. And, don't worry; there are computer geeks skydiving everywhere...and Lawyers. But what is really cool is that Danny did not care. Sure, he joked about it and poked fun at everyone. But, to Danny, you are a skydiver. From your first jump you were accepted into a brotherhood in Danny's eyes. My best-friend and I took Danny's Fandango-like static line course in Chester, SC. We went through the PLF evaluations of "if you land like that you are gonna blow out your knee" and he even made a student cry during the course. She asked "well what if I don't pull my chute?" and Danny said point blank "you will die". He didn't sugar coat anything which is what I loved about him. Unlike the 99%, Danny and I always got along. I didn't take his crap. He was my hero and my mentor. He had such lofty expectations of people and somehow I feel like I have let him down. Not with relation to these incidents but in general. I miss him so. Be thankful for the time you had with him.

Yup...I use it. Wifeypooh gave it to me a few years back for Christmas. After the past few years fighting with editing, blah, blah, blah, it is being retired into a skydiving camera. Like I said, it will be more of an "in formation" camera as opposed to "on top". I just need to find a use for it since I rarely ever use it, now. Editing in this use will be easy since it will really just be real-time recording and burning to DVD, with no editing. No, I do not want a box on the helmet when I kayak. I would like to remive the box & camera to kayak but re-attach for skydiving. I would like to be able to cross-use the helmet and sincethe Gath has several water applications, it is appealing to me. Truth be told, the camera is nice but it is extremely difficult. I just want to get a little use out of it. -Matthew

Alright, I have always been on the receiving end of the camera. I used to shoot some team video but I have, generally, left the great video shooting to the pros. Those who have taken this on as a discipline just like the avid RW jumper, the Instructor, Swoppers, et cetera. But, I have decided to some "light" videography within the formation(s). I would like to use my Sony MicroMV with a small open face. I would really like to use the Gath helmet since I would be able to take off the camera and use the helmet when I kayak. Has anyone developed a side mount for the Gath? Preferrably, one which houses the unit rather than leaving it exposed. I know, I know...I am asking for the world. But, what are your general thoughts and responses to my questions above? -Hukturn

While I regret not knowing Bob since I have read so much about him, I am sure that everyone’s comments have only scratched the surface of his personality. But, I have known Danny for about 15 years. March the 17th will be a hallowed day for me. It marks St. Patrick’s Day, the anniversary of my sobriety and now the death of my friend. Please do not misunderstand my post but I am not in total agreement with your statements. I believe that we need to take greater responsibility for our actions. Implementing more regulations does not fix the problem. By comparison, I am equally sick of hearing stories about won lawsuits over spilled hot coffee. I am equally sick of having to wait for extended periods in Airport security. We have sacrificed our freedom as a country by introducing frivolous laws and awarding people for their lack of common sense. So, let's just say that we segregate swoopers from non-swoopers. That does not eliminate the problem. This can still happen when two swoopers collide in a remote area. It can still happen when people simply get tunnel vision. There are ALOT of professional swoopers these days. And, I am referring to professionals who attend swoop festivals along with those who are non-competitive but very accomplished. But accidents do happen. Should we also segregate jump loads by experience? We all know that students are not able to react to problems as quickly and they may fail to pull and collide with my canopy while in freefall. What about the jumper who pulls high below me and places my life in needless jeopardy? While I do not like these thoughts, they are a very real part of my existence and I accept that risk. I did not sign a DZ waiver that said they would protect me from anything nor anyone. And I accept that responsibility and I accept the very real possibility of death due to someone else’s mistake. I, too, have been skydiving for a long time. I evolved through static lines into accuracy competitions into RW and swooping. I take a more reserved approach these days. But, I still like to jump without a helmet (thought not as often), I still do not use an AAD and I still enjoy many of the freedoms that the sport represents. That is my choice. I can spend my money rock climbing, motorcycle riding, BASE jumping or anyplace I choose. But, the possibilities for human error will always be present…my error or errors of those which may affect me. I am not condoning negligence. I just do not think that more rules are what we need in our community nor in our country. I, too, am frustrated with the growing needless fatalities. Remember, I lost my friend, too. But I believe that true awareness and training is the answer...I do not believe in more rules. It is easy to take this reply out of context but please do not. I love the sport, I love my friends/family, I love my life and I love freedom. And I hope that nobody tries to take away any of these. But life is all about balance. Living in fear is not really living.

Man, I haven't thought of Catalyst in a long time. Yknow, MEL, when you, Mark, Pete and Danny took me to Raeford, I had no idea how what the hell I was in for. Danny talked me into competing in Style at the Raeford Council meet in 1992. While there, he said "go ahead and shoot accuracy, too". I told he to get bent...the drop zone was so small and I was worried (I believe I had about 50 jumps). So, Danny smiled at me and said "the size of the DZ doesn't matter...you are trying to land pn a quarter". So, I shot accuracy. Danny was my static line instructor in 1992, he did my night jumps, my water training, my Falcon Award, my first twenty way and he put me under my frist Zero-P at 100 jumps (big deal back then). The last time I saw Danny was in Louisburg in 1999. Man how great it was to see him after such a long time...man, how I miss him, now.

I just received a brief word from a friend of what happened. Is there a thread with more information someplace else? I am going to try to make it to the memorial but, man this is growing way too often. Thanks for the night jumps, thanks for the water training, thanks for the first jump course, thanks for the falcon award...Thanks for the times and thanks for investing in me. BSBD DR Page! -Matthew

Tipping should be a personal choice. I mean, I feel that this is a scenario that would not necessitate a tip but if a client felt inclined then they should be allowed. I do not believe that a tip should be expected nor should it become the "norm". If you receive poor service from a restaurant, tipping is lowered or not given. Would you tip a cabby for taking you to the wrong address? So, if your tandem master goes to reserve, or an AFF student has a main malfunction, should your skydive be free? Well, the DZ will probably not refund your money, but a restaurant would. Poor service comes in many forms. Just buy your beer...that has alway been tip enough in the past.

I recall when Jay would put up a high number, Cheryl would come back the next year with a higher number. Seems like they did this for about four years. I can't even recall who has the most at this point. Most I have ever made in a day would have been about 15-17. But, that was yesteryear when we had the C-Note boogies.

Oddly enough, I concur. Not for everyone, but caffeine makes me "jumpy" (no pun). Caffeine will cause me to "overamp" and I will misjudge stopping turns, et cetera. I guess some people would do fine though. Personal choice.