ramon

Best one I've ever made was a belgian ale with extra amber malt put in for kick and some dextrose. I've never made a stout, but it is definitely on my "do list". Just moved here, I have to clean all my stuff and get my CO2 canister (keg ...baby!) charged. bloo skies ramon

They have a 30 day money back guarantee and you can get a brand new custom main quicker than a demo. If you're going to buy anyway.....try it and send it back if you don't like it. he he he

I thought it was pretty pointless myself. I did stare at it for a while wondering.....WTF? Parachutist is pretty much gloss and photos (compared to Skydiving magazine) and it is what we expect Wuffos to see when we represent our sport politically via the USPA. I thought that photo was unrelated to promoting the sport, and it was gross (even T&A value lost by the nasty hot dogs)...ha ha ha. bloo skies ramon

I agree with Dutchboy. I would not buy a brand new Mirage G3 as a first rig. If you freefly, you can buy a used Reflex, or Javelin (or Vector III if you can find one). Used gear can save you money and you can pass it on to someone else when you downsize for a long while and get a nice rig. Informative note, my friend has a Voodoo and his toggle came out of his Mack Daddy Freefly rig and he had a malfunction. I own a reflex (used $900 with PD reserve) and I have seen myself in video in a sit and have never seen my main flap open, but I have seen many others main flaps open. My Reflex also has no bridle exposed anywhere (you can't beat that). All you have to do is keep your pop top snug (get a rigger to help you and inspec t the reserve pin afterwards). The new Racer Elite NOS are very tight also and I don't think they will open at all but there is a lot of velcro to keep clean. The Mirage G3 is very nice no doubt. Vector III is very nice but they have a very long delivery. Voodoo is nice, but my friend Wane (malfunction boy) is not convinced, ha ha. New Javelins are nice also, I just don't like the main flap. Eclipse and Talons are nice. Just note that new used gear is more likely to have better bridle and riser protection. Some older rigs had bridle and risers sticking out eveywhere. Look at everyone's rig at the main pin and riser protection so that you know what you are looking at and then seek out a good deal on some used gear. Everyone has an opinion, but, I have seen more main flaps flapping on Javelins and old vectors. bloo skies ramon

Non jumping..hmm On the beach in Cancun, a little snorkeling and some margaritas from the beach stand at Melia Cancun. or more plausible surf fishing with a Guiness in Galveston bloo skies

During the middle of our Freefly boogie this weekend. Scotty Carbone (famous old fart from the 70s) announced that the next two otter loads were free if everyone would suit up and meet the plane. Half of us actually started getting off our butts to suit up when the DZO made him say April Fools. It might have been funnier if he waited to see people suit up, but then he would have had a mob of angry skydivers. bloo skies ramon

Congrats dude. ramon C- sumthin

Racers are hotly debated People Luv them or hate them. I looked at my friends Power racer and it seemed very very secure at the main flap and the riser covers (for free flying) Not including reserve repack complaints by some riggers(BFD) 1. What is negative about them? (I have heard of quality problems but some say it is BS) thanks ramon

Oh, okay. I assumed it was straight pin. I get a bad enough burble if I don't throw out hard with my little 24" pilot chute and baggy ass FF suit that I don't need a straight pin. bloo skies ramon

A PUD is liked by a lot of freeflyers because the are definitely pulling the pin out and opening their container I think it gives them some security from a horseshoe. If you have a big freefly suit or a birdman suit the pilot chute can easily get caught in the burble. I personally like a hackey and a throw out becuase I will get my pilot chute in clean air..

Skydive Spaceland is hosting a Freefly Festival this weekend.(Friday Mar 30- Sunday April 1st) Rook Nelson (World Champion) and Chris Fiala (Gen freefly) Will be organizing loads. There will be Tracking contests, Pylon races, freefly competition and RW organizing from Jack Burke and the occasional swoops on the monstrous 350' ditch or the pond. The Otter will be acompanied by a grand Caravan which will stay while the Otter gets a new set of -27s engines ("super otter status") installed after the boogie. There will also be freefly seminars from our famous guests. There will be a party Saturday night with a band and lots of beer. Come join the fun. bloo skies ramon

Still haven't figured out who you are at Spaceland yet. I've asked three people. Was one of them you? ha ha ha. ramon

Some places don't allow them and yet they are done all the time. Several people here have very good descriptions of hooking and swooping, in general though turning low is bad and most hotshots (not FX or VX pilots hooking at 500' but people on old school parachutes stilletos etc) tend to do very quick or snappy turns in order to plane out on the ground with maximum speed. When I here the term hook I think of an intentional sudden low turn to build up speed. Some of the newer canopies can be turned higher and the pilot can control the length of the dive by grabbing both front risers, although this builds up speed, it is safer because they always have the option to hook higher than perfect and control their dive. You can get a little swoop with a double front riser input gradually let up about 10-15' above the ground and then planeing out, that is much safer than doing a suddun turn at 100'. Myself, I prefer a slow carving front riser turn if I have lots of space and no one in front of me, I build up a lot of speed, and I can bail out of the carve at anytime and land safely. Ramon's .02 bloo skies

I was going to mount my PC-5 on the side of my old bonehead mindwarp, or buy a new halfrak. When I tried on a brand new Bonehead mindwarp, it fit so snug and comfortable that I decided it would be a fine camera helmet. I never realized how loose my old Bonehead was. I mounted a D-box ($195...sheesh) on the side of the mindwarp and that is a pain in the butt because it doesn't mate up to the helmet surface. The half rak was also very comfortable, and a little easier to mount, but I did not want all that bulk. bloo skies

Next to the Clutch right? I've got about 50 jumps on a Space/Alpha 150, which have slightly deep brakes, yet the "bump the sweet spot" method seems to work fairly naturally and instinctively compared to a stilleto which is also very easy to flair. I was just wondering if the toggles where going to be at my hips (FX, Safire) or my elbows (space) or shoulders (stilleto) when I surf. bloo ones

You may know this but here is what Brian Germain (of Jedei fame) does with is new Samurai canopies. Our lines are Spectra, with the exception of the out-board line and brake lines, which are made from Vectran. This proven method extends the usable life of the lineset significantly above customary methods.

www.pierltd.com might have adapter rings for your camera and or lenses that fit. I got a .5 Kenco from them for the PC5. It required an adapter ring. I could have bought a Sony Lens made for it, but it would have been more expensive. bloo ones ramon

I was 220-230 out the door and my first chute was a Triathlon 175 (30 jumps I had, I just could not fit the 190 in my container). That was about 1.25-1.31 and I was ok, but a triathlon is a little more forgiving (more sink less glide, pulls out of dive very quickly) than a sabre. I jumped a sabre 170 after about 80 jumps and I had no problem what so ever. Try one and if you feel confident, it is up to you, just remember you have to plan your flight a little more ahead as you size down. If you think 10 seconds ahead you will be ready when that hot shot cuts you off. You won't unintentionally dive into the ground but you will flat turn or you will take a gradual cross wind landing instead of panicking and forcing a turn. People did die last year at 1.3, just be really careful and fly straight in the first few times. Ask your S&TA or a respected canopy pilot for guidance. bloo ones ramon

I've got a Space 150. Shouldn't be too different. Just wondering where the brakes are.

I have heard that JVCs flutter a little during a skydive. No actual experience. I have a PC5 and it is pretty cool except I don't like the touch screen it is hard to see in sunlight and it gets dirty. ramon

I got a 150 on the way (1.45) ha ha Any recomendations, I've read all the reviews and posted one myself, but at 1.15 loading (180). bloo skies ramon

What?

They wear Freefly suits... Disclamer: I am not very good at tracking dives, I can keep up, but I can't like do bareel rolls between someones legs and grab their feet and such. Maybe your suit is too baggy. My old one was not baggy enough and I could really track in it (not like an RW suit though). I'm a little heavy (195) so my new suit is baggier and it buffets a little when tracking, You can raise your arms up and down to flatten your track, if you raise them up you will go a little more down (pick up speed and when you flatten them towards the earth a little more you will flatten the track and move horizontally a little faster

Spaceland has way exceptional instructors, dude.

People have been hooking low since the 70s. You can hook a paracomander Round (I don't know from experience, my rigging instructor preaches this to me.."Back when we jumped...etc"). Difference is back then bad landings were broken ankles. As canopies become more winglike and less parachute like (glider versus decelerator) piloting skills are challenged more. Most people at my DZ intentionally hook low for fun. Most of them have 1,000s of jumps and are planning outs and emergency maneuvers during flight. Me and my lower jump buddies 250-500, tend to make mistakes or turn low un-intentionally. My mistake was that I was dead set on turning into the wind instead of landing cross wind away from traffic. I was lucky (scraped nose, tangled in lines of my Space 150 loaded at 1.55, scolding form everyone at DZ and hurt pride). Now I always plan multiple landing routes and plan outs for any approach incase of a sudden cut off. Getting hurt because you turned low intentionally is embarrassing and dangerous, but at least it was sort of planned. Getting hurt because of a un-intentional low turn (unseen jumper cuts you off etc) can be unpredictable and fatal. Practice Braked turns. See the high performance canopy handling manual at http://www.apf.asn.au/pubs.htm it has good advice and habits for safe and fun canopy flight. fly free ramon