yoink

I don't know of any precise definition, but I don't see why crabbing can't apply to flights both upwind and downwind. So if the wind is from directly behind, and you turn say 45 degrees, you are both running (heading a significant amount downwind) and crabbing (heading partially crosswind). Those are sometimes referred to as, Running Crab Holding Crab Cool. Didn't know that.

Not feeling the flare - I think there are a couple of things: 1) You said you started your flare from a half-brakes position. This will always result in a weaker flare than transitioning from full drive. You have to be ready for it. 2) Not sure about your position relative to the wind - crabbing is usually done upwind, and running is downwind, so you can't rally be doing both. If you're between those positions you're going crosswind... but again, at your level you're probably only used to flaring into the wind and the timing is definitely different in those situations. 3) Timing - it's always possible you've still not quite nailed the overall timing of your flare. I've seen people with hundreds of jumps who still haven't quite nailed it, so don't feel bad about that! When you might land off you need to start thinking further ahead than a typical skydive. There are a few key steps to make landing off as safe as possible: 1) Hopefully you took notice of wind direction before you got on the plane - I always oriented myself into the wind before boarding and then looked where the sun was. That way I have a good idea of wind direction if I'm landing off, but even if you don't, you want to try to find out a way of identifying it at the same time as you're picking your landing area. 2) Picking your landing area - there are a few key rules to stick with. - Recognize the problem early and start planning alternatives. If you ever find yourself going 'I might make it back to the DZ', that's the time to start looking for outs. - Big open spaces are your friends. Stay away from buildings and trees which may cause turbulence. - Avoid straight lines. Straight lines don't really happen in nature, so chances are there's something manmade there. Sides of roads, fencelines, tracks etc all tend to have cables running along them or crossing them. Aim for the MIDDLE of the big open space you picked. 3) Don't leave it to late to abort to your alternate. Many, many people have been hurt trying to get back to the dz. 4) Don't fixate on getting back into wind.Use some jumps on the dz to start practicing cross and downwind landings. Turing low to get into wind because you're afraid of any other position has hurt lots of people. 5) Flare well - a good positive stroke, but PLAN TO PLF anyway. - Feet and knees together, and a roll through your thighs and shoulder.

I've got an old laptop that takes about 15 minutes to boot up. Might have to take that with me and then go for a coffee when they want it switched on during rush hour....

Seeking advice is part of learning. Assuming you know enough to plan every detail without asking anybody for advice is pretty arrogant and could equally lead you down the wrong path. Now blindly following advice from people you don't know - fair enough, that's dumb. But ASKING for advice? We should never berate that in a forum environment.

That's not what I'd consider to be a great option as an out. Make sure you're really practiced your water landing EPs. In my mind they're a really dangerous option. I'd even consider taking a SpareAir bottle with me.

So maybe you should fuck off if this place is so worthless? For the OP: In typical skydiving conditions there shouldn't be a large amount of force on your clavicles. Opening always seemed to put more pressure on my thighs than anything else. That said, in skydiving it's a really good idea to plan for the worst situation, rather than the best.... I can imagine that if you're head low on an opening, or in a funky orientation then the risk of pressure being applied there might increase some. Personally I'd get a suggestion from my doc on the change in strength on my clavicle. If he says 'after a year or so it should be pretty much back to normal' I wouldn't worry about it, but if he said 'it's always going to be as fragile as glass', well, then maybe skydiving is a bad idea, you know?

I've got a pair of Bose QC-15s - they're comfortable enough that I regularly wear them for 8 or 9 hours at a time over glasses, and the sound quality and noise cancelling is great. I've never found in-ear ones comfy - I might just have a weird ear shape. It's one of the best investments I've made in recent years.

Getting an ad from Toyota on my mobile that's covering all of the navigation tabs on the homepage...

I typed out a pissy reply to match yours, then thought better of it... There's nothing wrong with F111 in the right condition and environment. My post didn't suggest otherwise and you could have seen that if you weren't so keen on scoring internet points. In good condition, with limited jumps on it, on in a situation where you're not necessarily going to put hundreds of jumps a year on it then it's a great fabric. But if you're buying F111 second hand you have to be aware of its limitations. With the prevalence of ZP now, we have to remind people of F111 specifics as it's just not as common, and probably isn't as available in the general knowledge base to beginners.

Until it gets worn out then crashes you into the ground regularly. I've seen people hurt from jumping F-111 gear that's well past its prime. Hell - I've jumped F111 stuff that required multiple wraps to get even a weak flare. Considering F-111 also tends to require a different flare style to ZP, and given that 99% of all second canopies are going to be a ZP one and therefore requires a bit of relearning, I'm not convinced second hand F-111 canopies are that good a choice for new jumpers any more.

Yup, but I just think it was entirely predictable that the reaction would be over the top, and as such can't be complained about too much. If you get caught jumping off the Eiffel Tower or Houses of Parliament I'd put money on it that more aggressive 'justice' would be applied than if it was just a no-name building in the same city. Not saying it's right, but to think they'd get away with a slap on the wrist seems overly optimistic. They're throwing the book thrown at them and will be charged with whatever they can make stick. Yes, it's wrong. But I'm afraid I have no sympathy for the jumpers...

Try and see the other side. The Freedom tower is an iconic representation of american pride - at least that's how some people see it. At the very least it was a pretty tacky thing to do - It's a memorial to thousands of people killed in a terrorist attack and to use it for sport, basically a few guys having a laugh, could be seen a cheapening what it stands for for a nation. That sort of national pride is a bit of a strange concept to us Brits - it's taken a while of me living here to get used to it. I don't believe for a second that the guys doing it didn't know that it wasn't a typical BASE jump and that if they were caught then it would be a media circus. You don't get to do something illegal and them complain when you're caught. I agree that going after the DZ where the guy was an instructor is fucking daft, but the guys who made the jump? they made their choices and they have to accept responsibility for the consequences.

I totally would have done too! sundevil PM'd me some good advice in case I decided I really wanted to.

Krav Maga classes. She took it to the dealers this morning who managed to recover the ring - saves me taking her car to pieces over the weekend!

Thanks folks! That was my guess. My mum used to have a 1940s Austin that you could actually see the road through the gap to the giant old handbrake. I was pretty sure time has moved on... :) I'll break out the tools on the weekend.

So this missus has lost her wedding ring. Again... We've only been married since Feb and this is the second time she's panicking from misplacing her ring. This time she took it off in her car (Honda Accord) and it slipped down into the groove of the handbrake... Can you believe it? I'm working away at the moment and she's going crazy that it might be open to the road down there and the ring is going to fall out as shes driving home. I'd guess it isn't, but can anyone confirm? I might just tattoo one on her....

$3800 for a computer, ANY computer, is ridiculous. Even if you say the software is $1000 (and a quick search shows it's available for less that) it's still a huge waste of money. I'm prepared to bet that you don't need a fully tricked out iMac... Like one? sure... but need? I just built a high end watercooled PC for under $1300 that eats up video editing.. At least going that route would let you easily install a illegal copy of the software you need until you have cash to spare to buy valid licenses. Or buy a cheaper version of the iMac. Top end, branded bundled computer goods are NEVER good value. Settle the divorce agreement and then build a budget PC and budget camera that will tide you over for a couple of years to bring in some cash.

That project was just bizzare. I asked some mates what a 'whimsical' building would look like and got everything from shoes to blobs. My favourite was a building which had clockwork conference rooms on the outside which crawled around the outside of the building at random. You could book a room, but you'd never know where it was going to be and could see all the mechanism on the outside of the building. I still think that's a brilliant idea. The project eventually got canned because the the head honcho didn't like the designs the architect was coming up with (after 18 months of trying), but still couldn't explain what he really wanted except 'Whimsical...'

That is super cool. Props.

The design brief for a million sq foot office building I worked on last year was 'whimsical'... God know what that would have ended up looking like.

More Buel-ish, I'd say I was thinking Ducati Monster-ish.

I love the look and idea of it, as well as the relatively short charge time. I'd like to see the range improve a little, but it'll all come down to price. If it's relatively cheap, it could be a fun little toy. If they price it higher I'd rather get a traditional sport bike.

Yeah. that of landing on your butt.

By the time you get it there'll be a new version available!

T shirts? BAH! I my day we got free pull-up cords and counted ourselves lucky!