JerryBaumchen

Hi Andy, I guessed them correctly without reading further than your OP. The length is the giveaway; the reserve links need to be longer to go around the wider webbing. At one time they were using different colored thread in them for the differentiation. What is that? Oh yea, . . . . . RTFM, JerryBaumchen PS) Thanks for the little quiz; always nice to get the brain exercised a little.

Hi Dave, There is a guy here in PDX that has his entire head tattood into a checkerboard. I have seen the photos in the newspaper article last year. He even has his eyelids tattood. He works as a cook in some local restaurant and said that he is glad for his job. JerryBaumchen

Hi Jarrett, Pick the airline(s) that you fly with, go on-line & signup. Really very easy to signup. Now getting to use those miles, well JerryBaumchen

Hi All, Since I'm a real old guy I get to look back on a good many years of my life. Now when I do I have concluded that the best year of my life was my 25th year on this good old Earth. So what was the best year of your life ( not the calendar year ) but the age you were? JerryBaumchen

Hi Andriana, What no Lambada? I had a Brzaillian woman teach me that one quite a few years ago. FUN. JerryBaumchen

Hi Nightingale, +1 as there is no reason in my mind why it shouldn't be legal. Works pretty good in Europe, just make sure you ask to see their health card. JerryBaumchen

Hi marc, Interesting. Once when I was there a local jumper/attorney told me that the parents owned numerous coffee plantations and were selling one ever so many years to keep the dz going. JerryBaumchen

Hi bf, The only two dz's in South America I have ever been to are in Campinas, Brazil & Boituva, Brazil. Both were going full-time with Campinas being the more progessive of the two, at that time. But that was in the early '90's. Try Googling AirPress and see what he might suggest. That is a company ran by Ricardo Contel who is a jumper in Brazil. Well, I got up off my lazy keester and found this: rcontel@airpress.com.br Shoot him a line and see what happens. Best of luck, JerryBaumchen

Hi John, I'm with you on that. But, at the end of the day, it is Mike's decision as to what & why he is doing things. JerryBaumchen PS) So is that British rag any good?

Hi Andriana, Whenever you go to a 'cheap air fare' website you should understand that if things go to %$#@ on you and you try to get some assistance from the carrier that you are travelling with, you go to the very bottom of the queue. Your carrier just does not care about you because they have made almost nothing from your purchase of that ticket. I have hand a number of friends find this out the hard way. Try the actual airlines you would like to fly with & compare. Some times for only ~$35 or so you get to purchase the ticket from the carrier; and then you get the service when you need it. JerryBaumchen Over 400K miles in the bank with United

Hi Terry, Like you, I could never find the stuff. I remember Sandy Reid wanting to make the 'orange handle' an industry standard. Easy to say when you know where to get it. JerryBaumchen PS) I've always used small diameter plastic plumbing pieces; works great.

Hi Terry, The 'official' ParaCommander pilot chute used an A-3 spring. Much larger at the top than a MA-1 spring. I think that the canopy of the pilot chute was made of 1.6 Lo-Po material. But definitely wimpy, JerryBaumchen

Re: Start reading, it'll be your chance to finally make a million. A million in skydiving? diablopilot it's easy if you start with $2,000,000 sid Better start out with 2 million! beowulf Wow, what a bunch of naysayers. Those attitudes won't get anyone to pickup where Mike leaves off. OK, he didn't make a million; but he did make a living. And one that I am very sure that he enjoyed doing. 'Boo' to all of you, JerryBaumchen PS) I often did not agree with his position in his editorials but he sure could make you think about things. And that made them all worthwhile.

Hi Dennis, I have a old friend ( we have been friends since 1950 and that is a loooong time ago ) who is an epileptic. He was my instructor for my first jump. I knew of his problem, from our school days, but he only informed a very few, close friends of his condition. He always said that he could tell whenever he was about to have a seizure however he did have one while sitting next to me while I was driving him home one evening. That was an experience I will never forget. He went on to make about 1500 jumps and never had any problem while in the air or at the dz. However, I would agree that the dz management should be informed and know what to do in the case of a seizure & whom to contact. From my experience with him, IMO if you can control things with your medication then you should not have to inform the other jumpers, you are going out with, of your condition. We all can have something happen to us at any time, anywhere, anyhow; there are no guarantees in life. I cannot put myself in your shoes but I do know a little about the problem. Good luck with your jumping, JerryBaumchen

Hi chuck, Since you asked here are my thoughts: I had a Tony Suit and it was miserable. Way off on the measurements/cut & a ridiculous fabric. I even double checked the measurements with the dealer and neither one of us could figure how they could botch it up so badly. I have had two BodySport USA jumpsuits made out of their lightest fabric and would swear by them at anytime; with the exception that the company now has a new owner & I do not know about the suits he is making today. I understand that he is using the same stitcher and software program so things should be the same. Also, I do not know the new owner ( the previous owner is a personal friend ) so I cannot speak to the time-frame nor service backup. But give them a looksee and see what you think, JerryBaumchen PS) How tall are you & what do you weigh? I might just have an offer 'you can't refuse?' PPS) Yes, I know that I shouldn't sell anything 'here.'

Hi pat, Bravo & well put. We also had one here in the PacNW called Chuting The Breeze, but that was a long time ago. One can only hope that someone steps up to fill the void as there surely is a void now. JerryBaumchen

Hi JP, Neither did Mike when he first started out. His first issues were a cut-n-paste on his girlfriend's kitchen table. Poynter gives seminars & writes books on self-publishing. Start reading, it'll be your chance to finally make a million. JerryBaumchen

Hi Madison, WOW! I've known Mike for a long time and that one came out of nowhere for me. If there is one thing this sport needs, in this country anyway, is an alternate look at things. The magazine gave us that. JerryBaumchen PS) My first issue was #2 & I haven't missed one since.

Hi lucky, I would recommend not going to the double pilot chutes; but $$$ can be a big persuader. Attach them both to the end of a single bridle; at least that is how it was done 'back in the day.' JerryBaumchen

Hi ryoder, Don't forget to tell him that they were both on the Grassy Knoll. Jo & Mark Lane, two loonies for a pair, JerryBaumchen

Hi Freefly, I would suggest that you be very careful. There a number of companies that say they can federalize a car for you. But at the end of the day, you are the one responsible. I used to own a BMW and was quite into the car scene with it. A number of the guys were trying to import Euro models & some succeeded. I would suggest that you go to: www.roadfly.com Then go to the BMW forums, then go to the 8 series ( the version that I owned ) and ask around. You should get some very good advice on the subject. Now if that does not work, send me an email at home & I'll put you onto a guy who really knows a lot about it. I won't put you onto him until you have tried the Roadfly thing first as he does not like to be bothered too much. But be very careful, JerryBaumchen

Hi Jeanne, That is exactly what I do. Keeps everything in perspective. Two years ago at PIA/Reno I was having a cup of coffee with John LeBlanc & his wife. His wife was born & raised in Berlin. I mentioned that I had been to Berlin and that I was there, in the crowd, on the day that JFK gave his famous "I am a Berliner." speech ( Jun '63 ). She said that she was born in '63. JerryBaumchen

Hi Girth, That is a wild one. I have never, ever heard of anyone having to build a rig for a ticket at any level. Usually just some patching, line work, etc. If you are thinking of getting a Master ticket then I would suggest that you contact the person who will give the test and see what they will be expecting you to do. It is their call. JerryBaumchen PS) I just upgraded to IE7 and now when I type in this little box to REPLY the fonts are in various colors. Thoughts anyone?

Hi Ron, Then those vendors will refuse to do business with you ( State of California ) and you will have to go to the next higher supplier. Not a way to keep costs down. JerryBaumchen

Hi Girth, Is that a question for me? JerryBaumchen