labrys

When I click the link to upload I get redirected to my account information. Is this a premier service? Owned by Remi #?

I'm not sure why you are directing this to me.... Owned by Remi #?

If you're USPA, you won't have to go through AFF, you'll just have to do a recurrency jump (whatever your DZ thinks is best). We often have people with long layoffs take a small test to make sure they don't need some refresher training on procedures. Owned by Remi #?

No, probably not. See this thread: http://www.dropzone.com/cgi-bin/forum/gforum.cgi?post=3103071 That ad looks a lot like the scam discussed there. Owned by Remi #?

Well then... remember that "unappreciated" feeling the next time you're tempted to mock someone. Owned by Remi #?

If you think that a canopy doesn't need forward motion to create lift you're way wrong. It's not a contradiction at all. Wind relative to the nose of the canopy is forward motion for the canopy, even if it isn't moving relative to the ground. That's very basic. Owned by Remi #?

I'm not being glib. The mechanics are simple. You might hold small helium balloon on a string all day long and consider yourself "suspended" under it, fine. Feel free to exit at a few thousand feet with said balloon instead of a canopy that's designed for proper flight and enjoy the ride down My point is that just because a kite can stay aloft even if it's got an unusual shape does not mean that any shape of canopy will work. Edit to add (because I'm a little annoyed by that "doesn't fully understand the mechanics involved" remark. A canopy needs forward motion to generate lift. Your suspended weight under the canopy combined with the angle of attack of the canopy give it the forward speed it needs. The lift it generates keeps you from plummeting into planet earth at an unreasonable speed. Once your feet are on the ground, the canopy no longer has the suspended weight it needs to generate that lift. That's why it doesn't pick you up and carry you back into the sky when you kite it (unless you present it to a high enough wind speed to overcome your weight). Box kites do not generate lift with suspended weight. Kites shaped like dragons do not generate lift with suspended weight. Want to tell me exactly where my understanding of the mechanics of canopy flight vs kites is so misunderstood? Owned by Remi #?

Ummm.... if you were suspended, nothing would keep the kite from flying away That's the point. Since you aren't suspended, the kite can't fly away. You're anchoring the kite. In other words, the kite is suspended from you, not the other way around. Owned by Remi #?

It's lovely. Here's my kitteh Owned by Remi #?

So this is what it's like to get a pap smear? Owned by Remi #?

That sounds like a nice progression Owned by Remi #?

You don't have control over the "blips" That's the point. Owned by Remi #?

If your feet are on the ground then you are not suspended. Nope. Not suspended, not at all. String doesn't load the kite very much. Owned by Remi #?

I progressed from a Hornet 210 to a Hornet 190 to a Sabre2 170 and now a Sabre2 150 loaded at about the same as the OP. So I guess I've been jumping canopies with pretty similar characteristics all along... I noticed a huge difference going from the 170 to the 150. The first two changes were moderate. The 150 really seems a lot easier to screw up with. Owned by Remi #?

I think you're refering to having an image put on the canopy and not having the canopy shaped like a dragon, right? Owned by Remi #?

It's a really fun idea but kites don't have any suspended weight and can be a lot of shapes while parachutes have to support our fat asses (well, mine anyway) Owned by Remi #?

That seems totally reasonable. That's a good point, but if the forums support the ability to limits posts "per forum", couldn't there be a forum set aside for those types of situations? Owned by Remi #?

Limiting posts sounds like it could be a good idea, but would such a high number help? Seems like even most of the really prolific postwhores around don't average 20 a day. Owned by Remi #?

Do you require students to do tandems before doing a single JM AFF? That would factor into the overall price. Owned by Remi #?

You're pretty much asking for all the information someone needs to be a licensed jumper. Way too much information to write here. There's a first jump course video for sale here: http://www.downtoearthrigging.com/Video/tabid/55/Default.aspx Or you could just rent Fandango In the immortal words of Truman Sparks: Owned by Remi #?

Listen up. None of the things you're considering are likely to lead to anything but disaster. Each DZ's instructors know it's aircraft and the best methods for student exits. Those methods are proven and lead to the best possible student exits Your odds of a tail strike are astronimically low compared to the mayhem that's going to occur if you attempt to fling yourself out the door like a flailing cat over a bathtub trying to avoid a problem that doesn't exist. I strongly suggest you get hands-on instruction. If you're really the type who can't be taught in person, then skydiving might not be a good idea right now. If you just need someone to talk to and ask questions about jumping without the pressure of dealing with an instructor in person feel free to ask here in the general skydiving forums or gear forums. Watch for answers from people with their profiles completed and instructional ratings listed for the (hopefully) best answers. Keep in mind that most dropzones vary in equipment, aircraft, and training methods so what one person says is correct might not be the way it works if you go go get training in person. Good luck Owned by Remi #?

Good luck with getting out there and actually making your first jump! Just to clear things up in the quote above. What we commonly call "handles" are not used to steer the canopy. The canopy is steered with "toggles" that are also sometimes called "brakes" "Handles" are deployment and emergency release mechanisms (ie, the main deployment, the main cutaway, and the reserve deployment) I just had a thought.... you seem very keen on learning even though you may not have commited to actually jumping yet, and that's understandable. It does concern me a little though that if you do decide to go jump, you might be bringing some preconceived notions (that may or may not be correct) about the gear into your training. That could be a bad thing. First jump training is designed for people with zip-zero knowledge of jumping and the equipment. The class teaches you everything you need to know. You might consider slowing down on the book work a bit. The last thing you want to do is train yourself to pull a toggle when you really need to be pulling a handle. Someone else suggested going to a DZ to hang out. I'd suggest that if you really want to learn about jumping without commiting to a jump, ask at the DZ if you can sit in on the first jump class one day without the "jump" part. I doubt they'd have a problem with that. At worst, they might charge a nominal fee. Owned by Remi #?

While I agree with your intent, I also understand that the most popular forum is at the top. What's the big deal with minimizing the communities forums? You only have to do it once, not every time you visit the forums. One click and you never have to see them again. Because I like to edit: This isn't so much a skydiving website as it is a forum for skydivers to chat... it turns out that most of the people reading the forums prefer to gather around the Bonfire thread and bullshit. Owned by Remi #?

SheeeIt. 2-3 cells open is MORE than enough Owned by Remi #?

$78 dollars in parts(plus a few bucks for a hacksaw) and 4 years later She's drying the clothes like a champ Owned by Remi #?