gus

That seems to backup what I thought nacmacfeegle's funky diagram was showing: that the horizontal lift (Dan's 'spreading force'?) generated by having a curved wing helps it keep its shape. Gus OutpatientsOnline.com

I bought a complete second hand rig when I had about 35 jumps. Swapped in a smaller main after about 200, then put the main/cypres in a smaller container/reserve after 400. Hoping to downsize the canopy again in another 100 or so. Gus OutpatientsOnline.com

Imagine you're flying your canopy directly behind someone else, see how the wingtips are noticeably lower than the middle of the wing (spanwise)? Why is that? Aren't aircraft wings pretty flat? Couldn't you just trim a canopy to be flat? Why wouldn't you do that? Gus OutpatientsOnline.com

Not sure if this is workable given that some dealerships sponsor dz.com but.....we have loads of gear reviews, why not review dealerships? People must have good stories to tell that would help people when buying kit - and bad stories that might help other people avoid the same mistakes. Any thoughts? Gus OutpatientsOnline.com

Do you jump video? Watching your old tapes is a great way to kill a couple of hours and it's bound to cheer you up

An even better one (not practiced by me) if you've opened low is to wind your alti up 1000 feet, film it, then put it back - undeniable proof! Gus OutpatientsOnline.com

I personally know of one guy who won't jump with a ProTrack for that very reason! Gus OutpatientsOnline.com

If you think you might get into wingsuit flying or speed skydiving then you'll love playing with the extra features of the ProTrack. Unless there's a really compelling reason not to, then buy L&B. I've never contacted L&B about a problem with my ProDytter/ProTrack (they've never gone wrong) but I have emailed them with some technical questions and they've always responded very quickly and seem genuinely happy to help me out. Gus OutpatientsOnline.com

Last weekend (after a good ff jump) I tracked off, tossed out the pilot chute - and nothing happened! It can't have been more than 1 or 2 seconds delay but enough to be obviously different to my rig's normal deployment. As I was trained to do I twisted my body and looked over my shoulder to deflect some air over my back and get the pc moving, sure enough there it went and everything was ok. However, since then my whole right side, starting at the base of my shoulder blade and running down to my lower back has been really stiff and occasionally quite painful. I can only assume that when I twisted my body I did it really quite vigourously and strained something. It's nothing serious but has anyone got any good suggestions for stretching exercises or something that might help to make it better? Deap Heat? Thanks, Gus OutpatientsOnline.com

Alright thanks everyone, I think I get it now. I will take Sonic's advice and watch the sequence on the ground to see exactly what's happening. Gus OutpatientsOnline.com

Ok, this has been bugging me for a while and I really want to understand the gear I'm jumping so here goes..... Can someone give me a detailed description of why a collapsable pc collapses? The kill-line runs from the apex of the pc, down through the bridle and attaches at the dbag, right? It seems like all the forces at work are trying to keep the thing open so what draws the kill-line in and collapses the pc??? If I'm just being dumb feel free to tell me!

I think the interesting thing there is his switch from a Sabre 150 to a Stiletto 150 and the number of jumps he put on the Stilletto before downsizing twice more in 'just' 500 more jumps. Makes for interesting reading, thanks dude. Gus OutpatientsOnline.com

Chuck posted a description of the h-mod a while back. Gus OutpatientsOnline.com

Yes, fjc's have made BASE more accessible but I don't agree that the natural consequence is that people with the wrong attitude or the 'unworthy' will start to BASE jump. I haven't been on a fjc, not have I BASE jumped, but I can only assume that if you turned up for a fjc and you were obviously not suited to BASE then you'd get told so pretty quickly. The BASE community doesn't strike me as the type of people to value earning a few dollars by teaching a fjc over someone's life. I do see where you're coming from: the 'old school' BASE jumpers really had to work to get into the sport - to prove themselves and earn the trust/respect of their peers, where as the 'new breed' can stroll along to a fjc and have it handed to them on a plate. But I don't think it's that simple: there's a trade-off between the exclusivity of the BASE club and the availability of professional training. I for one would rather be taught by someone who really knows what they're talking about. After all, a fjc does not make you an expert BASE jumper, nor does it exempt you from having to 'earn' your place in the BASE community. Gus OutpatientsOnline.com

I believe Langar has done a few "all you can jump" weekends but I can't remember how much they were (Craig participated as I remember so he might know). They're always careful not to do them in the summer when you stand a chance of getting your money's worth.... Gus OutpatientsOnline.com

I would have thought that well designed velcro-less risers are much less prone to premature toggle release. Velcro on a rig does not by definition make the rig unsafe but it's my perception that a poorly maintained velcro-less rig (and there are many I'm sure) is safer than a poorly maintained velcro rig, including its risers. Disclaimer: As a general rule I don't really know what I'm talking about!

Clickidy-click! £25 for a lift? And April's temperamental weather..... Gus OutpatientsOnline.com

Hmm tricky one but I'd go for the velcroless risers since they're more of a safety issue (?) and on a 170 a non-collapsable pc isn't going to make such a huge difference to the performance of the canopy. Gus OutpatientsOnline.com

I just found this via the Newsround page on skydivemag.com and couldn't find any previous posts about it: Perhaps I shouldn't be suprised by this kind of stuff...but I am. It is surely impossible to enter into skydiving without realising the risks you're exposing yourself to and who is ultimately responsible.....? Gus OutpatientsOnline.com

I do the same thing, grab the left cable with my right hand and the right cable with my left hand to give them a quick tug before exit - I've seen someone discover loose cables on the ride up using this technique. Gus OutpatientsOnline.com

My cousin Walter jerked off in public once. True story. He was on this plane to New Mexico when all of the sudden the hydraulics went. The plane starts spinning around, going out of control, so he figures it's all over and whips it out and starts beating it right there. So all the other passengers take a cue from him and they start whipping it out and beating like mad! So all the passengers are beating off, plummeting to their certain doom, when all of the sudden, the hydraulics kick back in. The plane rights itself and they land safely and everyone puts their penises or, whatever, you know, away and deboard. No one mentions the phenomenon to anyone else. Spooky. Gus 'Brodie' HB OutpatientsOnline.com

I wonder what Skreamer's opinion on this is.....

At least you're wasting time on dz.com at not really working . Gus OutpatientsOnline.com

How 'unsteady' is the video with steadyshot turned off? Gus OutpatientsOnline.com

No! It seems to be quite variable which is weird. I'm using a Sony PC9 zoomed all the way out and a Kenko 0.5 wide angle lense with a step-up ring (30 - 37mm?) in a 2K Composites FFX (enclosed/built in dbox style). Any ideas? Gus OutpatientsOnline.com