skydived19006

I agree with everything right up to the last sentence. Hand cam is here to stay, learn to live with it. A guy who's been skydiving since the late 60s told me that when people started jumping ram air parachutes, the mantra was "it's a fad", and "you guys are going to kill yourself's with those things." Experience is what you get when you thought you were going to get something else. AC DZ

I totally understand the logic of going to Vectran. In 5000 jumps on Icarus canopies we've had zero tension knot malfunctions. And it maintains it's trim! Experience is what you get when you thought you were going to get something else. AC DZ

From a UPT newsletter: "United Parachute Technologies, in conjunction with Performance Designs, are excited to announce the release of the Sigma II tandem canopy. As of September 2010, all Sigma II 370 and 340 tandem canopies will come standard with Vectran linesets, and will also have 2 slider channels so that sliders can be collapsed. Link covers will be provided to protect the lines at the links as well as keep the links aligned with the risers." I find this interesting considering that Bill Booth has been one of the voices opposing zero stretch line in general and specifically on tandem canopies. Seems that Precision/Icarus/Stunts may have got it right a dozen years ago after all. Cudos to Bill, someone else had an idea that may in the end be a better mouse trap. Unlike some others in the industry, and I'm thinking primarily of the other two tandem gear players in the US, he's not so stuck on himself that he has to stick with his idea in spite of the rest of the world. Martin Experience is what you get when you thought you were going to get something else. AC DZ

I have a few comments. One, if that's all the time he had to work with it he must have deployed toward the lower end. Two, I've seen this exact same thing when loaded heavy under an Icarus tandem (he has an "Icarus Canopies" patch on his shoulder), you're in full flight and your knees will wind vain you. You'll notice that they keep settling into a reward (relative to the canopy) facing position. Get the knees out of the breeze, ie stand up, and it'll untwist it's self all by it's self. Or, you can stick an arm and/or leg out as appropriate to help it untwist. I had a similar situation where my drogue had a half hitch in the bridle collapsing the drogue. I deployed at about 8k, and we must have had 8 to 10 twists. I wore my ass out trying to get it to untwist, we were heavy in excess of 475 lbs, so a good forward speed. I finally relaxed a bit and was about to resign myself to chopping it, then seriously thought 'I read about this on dz.com, we're wind vaning.' I asked my student to "stand up", I did the same and from there simply relaxed while it untwisted it's self. I have in the range of 2500 tandems under Icarus canopies, and have never needed to release a canopy due to line twists. I do deploy around 5,500' so have a bit of time to deal when rarely I need to. I'd also ding him for being a vidiot primarily and TI second. There comes a time when you need to forget about the camera and do job number one. Experience is what you get when you thought you were going to get something else. AC DZ

Actually not even then, unless there is an observer... 91.307 (c) Unless each occupant of the aircraft is wearing an approved parachute, no pilot of a civil aircraft carrying any person (other than a crew member) may execute any intentional maneuver.... (d) Paragraph (c) of this section does not apply to (1) Flight tests for pilot certification... (2) Spins... (or other maneuver for instruction) As the pilot is a crew member, if there are no non-crew members, I don't see that he is required to have one. (mind you, I personally think common sense should require one...) So IF there is an observer (who is not a CFI giving aerobatic instruction on the way back) AND the pilot is planning to do aerobatic maneuver after the jumpers leave, then he (and the observer) must wear one... But normally?? JW Is the pilot not an "occupant"? Experience is what you get when you thought you were going to get something else. AC DZ

We generally get that shot with the first tandem, give it a couple of seconds on the step to capture a picture and go. I also love the other picture of kate, so much so that I'm thinking about asking all my tandems to make a silly face at the camera with me. Anyway I agree, often the pictures just before rolling off are nice shots. I also shoot a picture or two through the window of the first tandem pair, then stick the camera out the door filming the exit. The back story of #37 is that Dave's student was saying "I don't think I can do this", they went back and fourth two or three times, so I intervened. Simple "Do you want to do this?!?" She replies "Yes, but I don't think I can!" Me: "You can do it!" and off they went. She said to me on the ground after the jump "I'm glad you got firm with me." Anyway, here's one more. I let the front flip go over exiting toward the tail, here's one at half way point. Experience is what you get when you thought you were going to get something else. AC DZ

Age of consent varies by state, but generally it's 16, so you may be able to "hit that aff chick" after all! That said, be prepared for for a little conference with her father as well. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ages_of_consent_in_North_America Experience is what you get when you thought you were going to get something else. AC DZ

One more issue that Booth has pointed out in the past; take a 14 year old girl for a tandem and see what happens when she accuses the TI of fondling her boobies, or otherwise molesting her. At that point the truth doesn't really much matter, your nuts are in the wringer, and you may spend the rest of your life as a convicted child molester. Granted, if the girl had a history of false accusations, etc. you could be acquitted, or charges dropped, but how many of you boys want to go through any of that? Your face goes in the newspaper as a skydiving instructor accused of molesting a little girl, it's stuck on you. Then when your proven innocent, it's not news any longer so who cares. More fun to "know" the the guys out at XYZ DZ are child molesters! Experience is what you get when you thought you were going to get something else. AC DZ

We strapped gopros on our hand cams late spring. I don't have a picture handy, but with our old PC9s which are somewhat tall in the glove, we simply used some of the reserve stow bungee material to make two bands, slip over the glove and go! It's always been a struggle for us to run outside video, we're small, so the two TIs would trade out video duty for the day effectively reducing by half the number of tandems we could do in a day. About a month ago I removed the outside video option all together, well maybe by special request in the winter? For those who care, I priced HC video with GoPro stills at $65, the TI gets $35, which is what I was paying the outside vidiot. Here are a handful of pictures. Experience is what you get when you thought you were going to get something else. AC DZ

How about if the woman, attractive or not is not passive in the choosing? As in she'd not just waiting around for "Mr. Right" to find her and make the initial contact. What if the woman took the initiative, when she gets to know a guy who she thinks may be comparable she then initiates? At this point if the chick is "hot" she will have a greater chance of her advance being accepted. She chooses your own destiny. If she's 100 lbs over weight, and less than attractive her options are going to be more limited. It goes both ways. Ugly guys have to work a whole lot harder, or lower their expectations. The hot guys have cute girls asking around "Does he have a girl friend?" I had one this weekend ask about one of the TIs. You just don't seem to get girls asking into the "average looking" guys. Experience is what you get when you thought you were going to get something else. AC DZ

It occurred to me sometime over the last week or so that as I say to every tandem student a few minutes before exit "Don't forget to breath, keep your eyes open, and have fun!" That I picked that up from Dennis at some point years ago. I didn't get my tandem rating from Dennis, but must have been on the airplane with him while he was doing a tandem. I guess that he's been with me on virtually every tandem I've done over the last 10 years in a little way. Martin Experience is what you get when you thought you were going to get something else. AC DZ

When Dennis left the Wichita area I figured that I could adopt some of his material. I use the "airplane strapped to your ass" every once in a while. You can bet that in the future if I use that line I'll automatically think of my friend. Experience is what you get when you thought you were going to get something else. AC DZ

Since those articles have a lift, I'll cut/past here. Rosharon resident killed in motorcycle accident By KRISTI NIX Updated: 08.12.10 ROSHARON – An accident on State Highway 288 left one dead early Wednesday morning. Dennis Wayne Anderson, 61, was killed when his motorcycle collided with a truck traveling east on CR 56 . Witnesses say the accident occurred when a 2008 Ford F150 truck failed to yield the right of way. Texas Department of Transportation investigators reported the driver of the truck as Rosharon resident Stuart Bryan Sanderson. The victim, a skydiving instructor also from Rosharon, was driving a 2001 Suzuki motorcycle south on 288 when the crash happened. Trooper Stephen Woodard was dispatched to offer assistance. Officials said the victim was pronounced dead at the scene of the accident. PEARLAND, TX - Dennis Wayne Anderson, 61, of Pearland, TX, passed away due to a motorcycle accident in route to Rosharon on Aug. 11, 2010. Dennis was born on Nov. 21, 1948, in McPherson, Kan., to parents Robert and June (Besecker). He married Denize Kelsch on April 29, 1983, in Great Bend, Kan. He moved to TX four years ago to work at Skydive Spaceland in Rosharon. His greatest passion was skydiving. He was a skydiving instructor, rigger and pilot. Dennis was preceded in death by his father. He is survived by: his wife, Denize Anderson of Pearland; mother, June Anderson of McPherson; children, Traci Anderson of McPherson, and Eric Anderson of Houston; sister, JaNeva D'amico; and brother, Ron Anderson and wife Deb, all of McPherson. Visitation will be held on Monday Aug. 16, 2010, at 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. at Froberg Funeral Home. Funeral Services will be held on Monday Aug. 16, 2010, at 7 p.m. at Froberg Funeral Home with Rev. Robert Magee officiating. Arrangements by Froberg Funeral Home, 115 North Hill Street, Alvin, Texas 77511. Experience is what you get when you thought you were going to get something else. AC DZ

I don't really think that it's much of a story really. He stored his goggles in the sock, then stored the sock in his Protec. I never asked him about it, but guessed that it was something he did one day, then just kept doing. Experience is what you get when you thought you were going to get something else. AC DZ

Damian Hrdlicka wrote: "I will always remember every time I asked DA to do something the answer was alway SURE!!! We did some crazy shit, me and that boy. I love him and miss him." Damian wrote that on facebook. When I read it I could almost literally here Dennis' voice saying "SURE!!!" Experience is what you get when you thought you were going to get something else. AC DZ

Dennis had been jumping mainly in Texas for the last few years since he "retired." He was from Kansas and had a great influence on skydiving in the mid west. He was one of the early tandem IEs, and trained a whole lot of TIs over the years. The guy was a dynamo, he could work circles around folks a third his age! One funny story regarding Dennis; he did a demo years ago and jumped a tandem rig with a pig in the student harness. The pig went on the fire for the party later. A year or two after the jump I got a picture in an email ezime from Australia. Always easy to find Dennis in a formation with the sock in his Protec. Martin Experience is what you get when you thought you were going to get something else. AC DZ

Here's the long-short of it all. Call it a DZ.com take-away! Martin Experience is what you get when you thought you were going to get something else. AC DZ

I just mined this thread for a change in material. One I've been using quite a bit of late. "Are you nervous?" I'll then ask them to hold out their hands to see if they're steady. Then I stick one of my hands in front of the camera visibly shaking. Then reply "Steady as a rock, not like mine!" "That's just because you don't know what I know, But you're about to find out what I know!" Martin Experience is what you get when you thought you were going to get something else. AC DZ

I catch myself doing that, especially toward the end of a long day. I've closed the flaps then think 'I didn't even "look" at that.' Start over and concentrate what I'm inspecting. I've found a misrouted three ring a time or two. Also, I don't like going as low as 4,500', especially considering a slow opening can go 1000'. Everyone on my DZ pulls between 5,500 and 6k. Experience is what you get when you thought you were going to get something else. AC DZ

I think I have something over 100. A bit off topic, but have you ever eliminated someone because they post way too much "Went to Walmart...", "Just had a great BM!" or the like? I have one or two un-friends in that category. Experience is what you get when you thought you were going to get something else. AC DZ

We give a certificate and a handfull of business cards. The certificates cost me bout $.25, and $.15 in business cards (I print cards 5000 at a time). I figure that they're all leaving excited to share their experience and can hand anyone who shows interest a card. My cards now have a short discription of training methods on the back. Seems to me that most people don't seem to want to put bumper stickers on their cars any more. Another Ks DZ trains tandem progression. They give every student a card stock log book. I think that it's printed both sides with four jumps per side. Experience is what you get when you thought you were going to get something else. AC DZ

I've ran a few TV commercials over the years, but knew a sales man and got a pretty good deal. Still, don't know that it was a break even deal. We try to send every student away with a warm fuzzy feeling and a hand full of business cards. It works! Experience is what you get when you thought you were going to get something else. AC DZ

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5CB27K-wIsM&feature=related This one has an interview. He said that he G stalled the airplane. Experience is what you get when you thought you were going to get something else. AC DZ

It's not 8882X pictured, but her sister rolling off the line two airplanes ahead of 82X. The picture is not clear enough, the "6" looked like it could have been an "8." Anyway, N8862X little sister has been hauling skydivers in Kansas for quite some time. Reminds me of this line from the Outlaw Josey Wales: "I didn't surrender, but they took my horse and made him surrender. They have him pulling a wagon up in Kansas I bet." Experience is what you get when you thought you were going to get something else. AC DZ

We pack our tandem canopies over a hook. It tends to be slower, the lines stay evenly tight packing over your shoulder. Over a hook you'll always spend time pulling even tension on the lines before laying the canopy down. We pack over a hook because it's easier, and never or seldom in such a hurry that one or two minutes makes a difference. I have something over 2000 tandems all on Icarus or Precision. One malfunction being broken suspension lines on what seemed like a normal opening. I've had a handful of line twists that required work to extract ourselves. It sometimes takes a "technique" to do with a tandem main in full flight, especially if you're heavy. Never cut away from line twists though, I open above at 5,500 so have time on my side! My opinion is that Dacron line lends it's self to tension knots. You could do what I did, buy your own DZ and all the sudden you're making all the decisions! Martin Experience is what you get when you thought you were going to get something else. AC DZ