kkeenan

Sort of like the popularity of Michael Jordan's tennis shoes. Even white guys who can't jump buy them. _____________________________________ Dude, you are so awesome... Can I be on your ash jump ?

I think that was to build dramatic tension. _____________________________________ Dude, you are so awesome... Can I be on your ash jump ?

I like the caption on the bodyboard photo: "Skydiver on Bodyboard Hovering in Air" I guess he could have stayed up there all day... _____________________________________ Dude, you are so awesome... Can I be on your ash jump ?

I have a feeling it's not the "climb up your ass" list

Screw their looks and comments. Here's 100 people doing a H&P together last November... Kevin K. _____________________________________ Dude, you are so awesome... Can I be on your ash jump ?

At least it's "Truth in Advertising". That way those who want to jump in a storm won't miss it... _____________________________________ Dude, you are so awesome... Can I be on your ash jump ?

Sure sounds familiar... -------------------------- SALT LAKE CITY (AP) -- An extreme skier died Tuesday from injuries he sustained after jumping off a cliff for a scene in a documentary film. Billy Poole was flown by helicopter from the backcountry of Big Cottonwood Canyon to University of Utah Hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 1:30 p.m., hospital spokeswoman Vickie King said. The 28-year-old Poole was sponsored by Salt Lake City-based Black Diamond Equipment Ltd., maker of ski and climbing gear. Chief executive Peter Metcalf described him as a rising star among big-mountain skiers. "His stature was increasing. He was inspiring, outgoing, friendly, the perfect ambassador for a company like Black Diamond," Metcalf said. "He lived the life of big mountain skier on just enough money to support his habit. "In this sport," the executive said, "death is part of life." _____________________________________ Dude, you are so awesome... Can I be on your ash jump ?

Now we just need a way to shoot those contacts about 20 ft. _____________________________________ Dude, you are so awesome... Can I be on your ash jump ?

With as many times as I have heard people say, "That Moderator can just go fuck themselves", I just assumed they didn't have partners. _____________________________________ Dude, you are so awesome... Can I be on your ash jump ?

My advise is to ignore the tail pocket and use a d-bag. You will avoid a lot of wear and tear on your neck from hard openings. Kevin K. _____________________________________ Dude, you are so awesome... Can I be on your ash jump ?

Dang!! You experts always have to destroy the magic of cinema. _____________________________________ Dude, you are so awesome... Can I be on your ash jump ?

Wow. I feel so much better, now...Uh, I mean I'm sorry to hear that they haven't been delivered there yet. I hope you get them soon. _____________________________________ Dude, you are so awesome... Can I be on your ash jump ?

Word is that the weather is great, but the winds are smokin' bad. _____________________________________ Dude, you are so awesome... Can I be on your ash jump ?

All have their challenges. Anchor slots are key because certain sections rely on those in order to build past a certain point. However with current techniques, folks should build in their slots whether you are there or not. Slots in any aircraft other than the base plane are tricky in that the navigation can be difficult. The base may not be where you expect, and if it turns, you may not be aware of it. This makes finding your slot tough, sometimes. Really, the only hard slot is one that you're not prepared for, either physically or mentally. (Dress for Success.) If you're far back and not dressed for it, you may go low. If you're close to the front and can't fall fast enough, whether due to lack of weights or arching enough, you can really mess things up. Each slot has certain characteristics that you need to evaluate prior to the jump in order to be prepared. If you haven't picked out key people from the base all the way out to your slot to use as navigation checkpoints, you may get lost or at least be ineffecient in your approach. Kevin _____________________________________ Dude, you are so awesome... Can I be on your ash jump ?

Yeah, but don't they all start as a dream... My DVD was mis-routed in the mail and I finally saw it last night. Nice work by everyone involved in filming and production. Mant thanks to all for the great memories. Kevin K. _____________________________________ Dude, you are so awesome... Can I be on your ash jump ?

It seems strange that an experienced rigger would hold such a belief. Maybe he was told that at some time, never questioned it, and has always used SSK boxes. Then again, maybe he is screwing with you. He didn't offer to sell you a box, did he ?? The SSK website has all the info you need. Reading it will also give you a lot of insight into why it is a good idea to have electronic safety equipment like this bench tested. Another brand of AAD relies on a possibly faulty unit testing itself and telling you when it's not working right. Ever since the HAL 9000, I've thought that was a bad idea. Kevin _____________________________________ Dude, you are so awesome... Can I be on your ash jump ?

Posts like this (from the OP) always amaze me. I can't imagine an instructor not giving a debrief addressing these points and answering the student's questions. However, I suppose there are instructors out there who feel their job is to supervise the student on the jump and then go on to work with the next student. It just seems bizarre to me that a student would get down from a jump, not be talked to by anyone, and then resort to asking a bunch of i-net yahoos how to learn to skydive. Another scenario is that the student feels that his local instructor is nowhere as skilled and knowledgable as the "experts" on DZ.com. So he barely listens to his debrief, hardly able to wait until he can post his questions and get the "real" answers from this "international panel of skygods". People are funny. _____________________________________ Dude, you are so awesome... Can I be on your ash jump ?

I think all you learned from this event is that you can do stupid shit, get yourself in a deadly situation, not even think to pull your reserve, and still live on to ask how the video turned out. The RSL was invented to allow brainless students to survive. I don't recall ever hearing someone announce so proudly that they were one of these. Kevin K. _____________________________________ Dude, you are so awesome... Can I be on your ash jump ?

Thanks for the research references, Hoop. I think I first met Drew at ZHills. He had a Twin Comanche with modified engines that was the fastest recip. aircraft I think I've ever flown in. His was a very bizarre story...all the way leading to Cowboy's Caravan. If there was anything stranger than Florida aviation in the 80's, it was Florida skydiving in the 80's...and there were more high-profile names than Silly's that came up occassionally. Kevin K. _____________________________________ Dude, you are so awesome... Can I be on your ash jump ?

Got one back in the 80's from Martin Caiden, author of "Six Million Dollar Man" and a bunch of other sci-fi novels. He owned a WWII Junkers Tri-motor that he flew jumpers in occassionally in Florida. _____________________________________ Dude, you are so awesome... Can I be on your ash jump ?

I received an award back in the 80s called the "Parachuting Piss Artist" Award. This was given out by a group of Irish jumpers who were in jumping at Palatka, Florida, at the time. This involved drinking several beers quickly with the final one being consumed while standing on your head. This was followed by drinking a large class of Irish whiskey. (Or maybe the whiskey was before standing on your head). In any case, you had to be pretty drunk to even want to do all of this, and definitely more drunk when finished. I think if you puked, you were eliminated. It seemd a lot like Cardinal Puff, but not so complicated. I believe this occurred during the St. Patrick's Day Boogie, which Palatka held every year, so we had green beer, which added to the effect. They just don't have fine athletic competitions like that anymore. The award was a round sticker with a 4-way formation depicted in front of a glass of whiskey and the Irish flag as a background. _____________________________________ Dude, you are so awesome... Can I be on your ash jump ?

Happy Birthday, Jim. It sounds like the Spaceland folks did it up right. Kevin K. _____________________________________ Dude, you are so awesome... Can I be on your ash jump ?

Sure, for the Owner/Operator, it is a great plane. For the jumper ...not so much. The positives are all factors that put more $ in the operator's pocket. The negatives are all factors that the jumpers have to live with at probably the same jump price as an Otter. Kevin Keenan _____________________________________ Dude, you are so awesome... Can I be on your ash jump ?

I've only used a hook knife once under canopy, and that was a rather mild situation. I like the safety of the folding knife, (less likely to cut something unintentionally) but I think that in a hectic situation, unfolding the knife would be much harder than one may expect. That's why my vote would be for the "ready-to-cut" models. Kevin _____________________________________ Dude, you are so awesome... Can I be on your ash jump ?

I also think Dean's info is good. Going to a guy named "Slasher" for hook knife advise is always a good move. As was said before, the Square 1 knives are good. The poly one is very reasonably priced, and is very strong - not like the old orange plastic ones. Kevin _____________________________________ Dude, you are so awesome... Can I be on your ash jump ?