Skream

I use armor-all. Yeah, the stuff you use on the plastic in your car. No it doesn't make them greasy or smudgy. Works great. Just spray it on and rub it in. Got it as a tip in a woodworking magazine. --- Michael Teator Lexington, Kentucky

The biggest problem I've had with the S/L progression is moving to real freefall from the short delays. It's hard to unlearn the student arch and be in a relaxed arch. It was practically hard coded into my head a big arms out legs out student arch that I learned with the hanging exit from the 182. Always got big plusses for it, but once on to terminal freefall, I could never remember to bring my arms back far enough, first causing a lot of potato chipping, then backsliding. I think I finally got it right on my last jump (jm told me to stick my fingers in my ears... I didn't really do that, but it brought home to bring my arms back...) Looking back, I think just one AFF jump mighta been cool just to learn to relax right in freefall, but other than that S/L has been great. I look forward to hop n pops from low altitudes to keep current in winter... --- Michael Teator Lexington, Kentucky

This whole question of what is safer has already been answered by the insurance companies. Try to get life insurance if you're a skydiver, vs just a licensed driver. Don't knock them for being ignorant or anything... they live off stats and are just like handicappers at a horse race. They're betting on you... betting you won't die (for a long time.) --- Michael Teator Lexington, Kentucky

Maybe if you're drunk driving. Or falling asleep. Or both. --- Michael Teator Lexington, Kentucky

Agreed. A better analogy is would you rather have an impact with a non-moving object in 1) a modern car with airbags and three point seatbelts or 2) an old ass Stingray with a lap belt. --- Michael Teator Lexington, Kentucky

I'm not sure about the wording here. I'm in the US and my instructor was 'behind me' in the plane, but we were facing each other. I think behind the student doesn't mean his front to my back, but behind as in further back in the plane. In this position, after door, I would just swing my legs out and grab onto the strut. Is this just a wording issue? I know there's other confusing wording in some USPA text, as one fellow discovered at our DZ in the 2004 SIM this past weekend (it says in a high wind landing to pull one toggle down hard, and how it's worded it appears to mean before touchdown. How nice, it teaches you to hook into the ground) --- Michael Teator Lexington, Kentucky

My DZ doesn't even charge jumpers till you're done for the day... unless you're a tandem or FJC, they're charged up front. Students it's a no brainer, no jump, no pay. But I guess we're a back woods inbred Kentucky DZ... still writing manifest on paper and working out of a run down trailer. We have a portable toilet too. (though if you want to walk, there's a real one up at the airport office.) --- Michael Teator Lexington, Kentucky

I wish I coulda gotton in on this thread earlier, cause I bet you coulda made a really funny joke about using the umbilicle cord (sp?) as a static line. On a more serious note, I did buy my mother a tandem. She's 49... and loved it. Still makes her nervous, but only her and I can understand what it means to be out there falling. --- Michael Teator Lexington, Kentucky

Hrm 40%. Suprising that many of you start to question your own sexuality just cause some animated meter goes to 100%. Sure doesn't take much to swing you --- Michael Teator Lexington, Kentucky

Do you have any sports shops locally? I've bought some from them in the climbing supplies section. 2" stuff. Also, I think I saw some in the ParaGear catalog. There's some here too: http://www.kitebuilder.com/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=32_106&products_id=497 --- Michael Teator Lexington, Kentucky

What's important is the change in velocity. 120 to 0 and 0 to 120 both have a change in velocity of 120mph. There's no negative involved there. Delta V = 120mph in both cases. Anyways, I remember many years ago watching TV about some car commercial was being filmed, and a skydiver with no opened chute landed between a few of the cars at the place and lived. I don't know anymore than that. I think I like the idea of landing in a giant snowdrift best. If you go in belly to earth and the snow isn't too dry, you should leave one neat cartoon like crater in the snow anyways. --- Michael Teator Lexington, Kentucky

Check out http://www.kentuckyskydivingcenter.com/ GREAT PLACE! --- Michael Teator Lexington, Kentucky

How was it repaired? Self repair while being easy on it for months, or surgery (which of course would imply light use for a while too?) --- Michael Teator Lexington, Kentucky

Boy this is dissapointing to read. I too have had shoulder pain for a while, not sure what started the injury though, I'm fairly positive it hasn't been from skydiving, but who knows. Thanks for the advice, I've made an appointment with my doctor. Hoping for good news though... would hate to have to stop jumping, I just made my first 20 second delay yesterday. At least I still have full motion, so if it is something, it should I hope be minor. --- Michael Teator Lexington, Kentucky

I was thinking the same thing. I got line twists on all 5 of my SL jumps, from a few up to a good 8-10 twists at times. Only about a single twist on my hopnpops, and once on 5 seconds no more twists. After experiencing so many, I'd hardly call them a malfunction anymore... just one of those things you calmly deal with and move on. I don't miss them though --- Michael Teator Lexington, Kentucky