NickDG

Man, I'd be flying then . . . NickD

I like 4x4 square motors, but Revtec? Lot's of horror stories there . . . NickD

I actually demo rode a Crossbones recently and that Twin Cam had plenty of grunt but I still think the Evo is the best engine the MOCO has made so far. And it's a lot more rebuildable than the Twinkie motor. I had a Shovelhead in the past and the EVO is enough of a jump in technology for me. And I think the TC motor will probably go down in history as the missing link between the old school Harley motors and the liquid cooled ones, which I'm pretty sure is what's coming next from York, PA . . . Anyway, I made some progress today. I got the forwards on and the tires mounted. This being a low buck build I went at the wheels with soapy water and three tire spoons. Two hours later I finally had them mounted! The front wasn't too bad but the rear low profile tire was a bitch . . . I got the tanks situated, going with 5 galllon Fatbobs, and now I have to fab up the mounts. I haven't welded in a while, and that's not like sex or skydiving, so I'll have to run some practice beads first. I notice a lot of guys now are running Villian style tanks but I gotta have my fatbobs. Like I thought the internal fork stop has me stymied, so I couldn't get the front end mounted, and I so wanted to go rolling down my driveway this afty! But, I'll figure it out eventually. For those that asked the frame is a Santee, and I had a Jockey shift on my Shovel (no front brake either) but I'm going footy shift this time. And yes I've watched some of those Chopper shows but I've always been a biker it's just that skydiving got in the way. And it's probably why I gravitated early on to the outlaw aspects of B.A.S.E. jumping. I'm going back out to the garage now and open another beer and just stare at her !!! NickD

More pickys . . . NickD

It was kinda like an early Christmas when my UPS guy showed up yesterday . . . The frame is six up, four out, 40 degree neck with 5 degree trees, and ten over forks. I'm running Metzler 200 rear and 90/90 front tires. I'm mocking her up now and today I'll mount the forward controls and the front end. The fork uses internal fork stops I've never used before so I'll have to figure that out. I'd like to go with a S&S motor and Baker six speed, but my wallet is leaning more toward a Harley Evo crate motor and a five speed. (If you hear of any bank stickups in my area, I swear, it wasn't me!) And if any of you other builders have any unused stuff laying around let me know. I'm going to try and fab up my own solo seat (there's woman where ever you go so no use packing one around) but I need fenders, brakes, drag bars, and what not. I'll check in again in about five years when it's done, LOL! NickD

"Merry Bump" NickD

Wow, rough crowd tonight . . . Hang some mistletoe and have a beer . . . NickD

There is if you have prostrate gland and want to do tandems . . . NickD

- There stand against BASE that lasted 20 years. - They banned Blast Handles. - Eliminating Jumpmasters for Coaches. - There reticence to denounce the "Nova" canopy because of Glidepath ad buys even after they knew that canopy was killing and crippling people. - Jerry Schrimsher. - The Flat Bed Ten. - There silence on Tandem Mills. - The joke that's the Pro Rating. - Skyride? What's that? - The persecution of Jan Meyer. - Letting the I.E. rating languish then spending money on bringing it back. - Appointing the Exec Dir instead of electing him or her. - No naked chicks in PARACHUTIST, WTF . . . - I could go further back, but I'm trying to stay within your limited timeframe . . . NickD

Dude, every harebrained USPA "program" is someone's idea. But they were pushing it . . . All I ever wanted from USPA was them to be more like the NRA and to come down like a ton of bricks anytime anyone tried to limit skydiving. That's all! I don't need need them to me tell how I should jump, where I should jump, what gear I should jump. Who I should jump with. And most of all, how I should teach newbies to jump . . . USPA is irrelevant. NickD

Neither, it's Betty Page all the way . . . http://www.vampress.net/bettie/main.html RIP, Sweet Dreams Princess . . . ! NickD

They finally lost me, after screwing things up for years, when they came out with "Atmospheric Dolphin", WTF . . . USPA is irrelevant . . . NickD

In the U.S. you just need to have two doctors . . . The FAA one, "I'm good, Doc, no problems at all. Never felt better." And a private one, "Gee, doc, this burning and dripping is killing me!" But how come every time I bend over for the glove love the doctor always says, "By the way Airtwardo says hello!" NickD

Hey All, First, thanks to all you that helped out in the past years, but this year more than ever some kids out there are facing a very bleak Christmas. "Letters to Santa" are written by children (and even some adults) and collected by the U.S. Post Office. And most unfortunately will go unanswered. Some kids ask for the moon but some just ask for clothes, shoes, or school supplies. Many ask for nothing themselves and just something for a younger brother or sister, or a warm winter coat for mom. If you can drop the price of a couple of jump tickets on one of these children please do it! You can contact your local post office to see how they handle these letters or you can go to this website for more information. http://www.beanelf.org/?gclid=CPyszN3JwJcCFRNOagod_hGKSA Thanks! NickD

New Zealand Black Mac . . . My first night there, after jumping, the local Puplican (the third party the U.S. desperately needs) was explaining the finer points while I was used to knocking back twenty or so American beers in party mode. When he got to the hops part, and I was on my sixth Black Mac, I fell off the stool . . . Afterward, he said most Yanks can't get past five. I was representing . . . NickD

I've also built a few over the years. The last one was for Bob Celaya in Cal City. His wife Judy fondly called it "Nick's Errection!" The only tip I'll give you is if you measure a Cessna on the ground remember the gear on 172s and 182s are sprung. So in the air the gear leg (and step) will be a couple of feet further below the wing than when the aircraft is sitting on the ground . . . NickD

Good stuff . . . But now I'll have to drink beer and get laid to forget I ever heard the phase, "Tandem Modern Fly" . . . NickD

Yeah, but once upon a time our novice ranks were filled with people who managed to go it alone, and now . . . ? NickD

>>First, tandem operations have become an essential part of today’s skydiving industry.

What you are proposing is too all over the place. You'll have to drill down to get something that will flow. The best movies don't start with a lot and whittle down they begin with a simple premise and build from there. So first start with the truth of it. Here's the pitch . . . "Dropped – A Life on Thin Air" FADE IN - A rudderless and confused young man named Lance Airworthy goes to the local DZ and makes his first jump and that night, for the very first time, he drinks beer and gets laid. Lance loves skydiving and quickly becomes an Instructor and that night he drinks beer and gets laid. After a while Lance gets his Rigger's ticket and that night he drinks beer and gets laid. Right after that Lance survives his first plane crash and that night he drinks beer and gets laid. Lance eventually gets a little bored with skydiving and makes his first B.A.S.E. jump and that night he drinks beer and gets laid. Back at the DZ Lance becomes the chief Instructor and that night he drinks beer and gets laid. Lance soon has a falling out with the greedy DZO and that night he drinks beer and gets laid. In trying to get away from the DZ "may I" system Lance starts organizing night bandit beach jumps for his friends and in the day time he drinks beer and gets laid. Lance goes freelance with his skydiving instructing and rents Cessna aircraft and takes them out into the desert to do his own version of private AFF and at night he drinks beer and gets laid. Lance sees the USPA going to hell and decides to run for elected office, five minutes later, he comes to his senses and drinks beer and gets laid instead. Lance gets too old for the day to day DZ grind mostly due to sore liver and groin issues and becomes a fun jumper and that night he drinks beer and gets laid. Lance has his first bad B.A.S.E. jumping accident and spends a year in plaster sipping beer through a straw and painfully getting laid. Lance, now late in life, never saved a dime over his entire skydiving career and finds himself in deep financial straits. Running out of a convenience store one night after stealing a 12-pack of beer Lance is gunned down by a rookie police officer. Lance needed the beer because he was on his way to get laid. And although he thought himself forgotten by his fellow skydivers hundreds of them showed up at his memorial and that night they all drank beer and got laid. - FADE OUT Now all you have to do is fill in the little bits and one day soon we'll all be applauding as you walk out on stage and they hand you that little golden statue . . . NickD

Oh boy, this thread is rich. And I'm sure I'm not the only "older timer" who sees the irony in it. This Sangi sounds like a lot of you guys did to us back in the mid 90s or so. Belly is dead, Freefly is sick and swooping is the schnizzel, blah blah blah . . . We sat around in denial calling you guys lawn darts while laughing at your fishbowl helmets, electronic gizmos, and how you killed yourselves in droves under good canopies. But we didn't see the freight train that was coming our way. And by the end of the 90s the sport we knew and loved was changed forever. But we had a good run as for almost 40 years the sport stayed relatively the same. We had the time to produce the best relative workers, the best CRW dogs, the best camera flyers, and the best Instructors and Riggers. But during that last ten years I can't tell you how many of you took delight in telling me how my way of skydiving was, "so last decade." But change is a runaway train. It keeps coming faster and faster and sooner than later we all get run over. But you poor saps barley got going, and Ha Ha Ha the freight train is already coming for you! And engineer Sangi is at the controls, wearing his jaunty cap askew and blowing the whistle and ringing the bell. And guess what suckers, the bell tolls for you . . . But take heart as all is not lost. We all became Air Trash and the beer's still cold, the sky's still blue, the funnels are still fun, and the parties are still hearty. And there's room in the DZ parking lot for you too. You'll just have to come up with a new club name. Free Garbage is available. NickD

I doubt Perris (which owns the airport and also retails fuel) pays "pump" prices since they buy Jet A by the truckload at what must be wholesale figures . . . NickD

>>Hmmm...Nanette Studebaker. If that IS your real name.

"What a Country!"

http://www.vidmax.com/video/57293/A_Family_Of_Four_Kids_Have_An_Awesome_Band/ NickD