kkeenan

I love it a lot too. Even after a long time doing it, it is something that always has something new to offer. If you get good at Freeflying, try CRW. If you perfect that, go up with a wingsuit, or do RW. There is almost no end to the variety of skydiving. The longer you do it, the more people you will meet who also skydive. They are, as a group, the most interesting, exceptional people you can find anywhere. Kevin _____________________________________ Dude, you are so awesome... Can I be on your ash jump ?

I've actually thought about this also. I think the best way to do it would be this: Paintball Combat under canopy following a high hop and pop. 1. Gun would be mounted on helmet or possibly on the thigh. 2. Gun needs to be remotely triggered by a switch that can be held in one hand, along with the steering toggle. 3. CRW experience would be helpful, because it's going to be dangerous and messy. 4. Full-face helmet should be adequate protection, since the ranges probably will not be very close. Kevin _____________________________________ Dude, you are so awesome... Can I be on your ash jump ?

I have jumped a variety of Lightnings, all using a deployment bag. I get nice openings. I don't think I have ever had what I would call a hard opening using the deployment bag. I have a lot of freefall jumps, and I have had some spankers, so I know the difference. It's sort of a bone of contention with me that people persist in the use of freepacking when it gives them such horrendous openings. My deployments from the bag are, for the most part, soft, on-heading, and predictible. Certainly, I get a "funny" one now and then, but I see plenty of that with freepacking, also. I will concede that the "perfect" freepack will result in a statistically higher chance of a perfectly predictable opening with regard to heading and altitude. This is important to world-class competitors who want to open within arm's reach of the next canopy. However, if you are willing to forgo some of this "perfecton" in favor of not wearing a neck brace or going to chiropractors for 10 years, it is possible. It bothers me that new CRW folks are pretty much told that they must freepack a Lightning. They aren't told why, they just do it. I've given up trying to sell people on using a deployment bag. Sometimes they go to a bag and don't get perfect openings, and give up on it. Well, it's easier to try to work on your packing to get better heading control, etc. (In My Opinion) than to risk a broken neck and constant pain. My point is that there is a clear alternative to the hard openings that some people bitch about. Anyone who does not wish to avail themselves of it can just "Suck it Up, Cupcake". Kevin Keenan _____________________________________ Dude, you are so awesome... Can I be on your ash jump ?

It's a long way from Alaska to PR. But, it is warmer... _____________________________________ Dude, you are so awesome... Can I be on your ash jump ?

Taking a rigging course is really the best way to gain a good overall knowledge of parachute gear, even if you never do any work in that field. It looks like contacting the CSPA office and asking about courses would be the best step. From Wikipedia: In Canada, parachute rigger ratings are issued by the Canadian Sports Parachuting Association's Technical Committee. CSPA issues two levels of rigger ratings: A and B. Entry level includes packing ten reserves under supervision then attending a one-week course given by a CSPA Rigger Instructor. Canadian Rigger As are limited to assembling and packing parachutes - for which they are approved. They can replace components and do simple hand-sewing, but are not trained to use sewing machines. At the end of the Rigger A Course, candidates can chose to be tested on round or square parachutes and they can chose which type of container for their practical test (one-pin sport, two-pin sport, Pop-Top or chest. Certification for packing Pilot Emergency Parachutes (PEP) can only be obtained after passing practical tests on all other types. After two more years of experience - including learning sewing machine operation - riggers can challenge for Rigger B ratings. The SOLO program includes sewing a bag of samples and submitting them to CSPA's Technical Committee. CSPA Rigger Bs enjoy the same privileges as American Master Riggers and are allowed to do most major repairs that can be done outside of a factory. _____________________________________ Dude, you are so awesome... Can I be on your ash jump ?

This is an old favorite... _____________________________________ Dude, you are so awesome... Can I be on your ash jump ?

The main thing that impressed me from my first helo jump was the low airspeed. Don't even try to get stable or do any "freefall" flying right after exit, because nothing will work. On a slow exit, your jumpsuit won't even flutter. What ever motion you leave with will continue ballistically as you fall. If you go off in a roll, you will continue to roll, etc. The point is, just relax and enjoy the view for at least 5 sec., then start trying to control yourself. After that, it's a normal jump. Kevin _____________________________________ Dude, you are so awesome... Can I be on your ash jump ?

I don't know, but there was a whole team of Dawg Catchers at Eloy looking for them. _____________________________________ Dude, you are so awesome... Can I be on your ash jump ?

I think this sums it up... _____________________________________ Dude, you are so awesome... Can I be on your ash jump ?

I certainly hope that my reply was not taken by anyone, especially you, as a judgement of CRW ability. It was not. What I meant was that I hope that a lot of people who were not involved with the previous records will come to the camps and try out. A lot of my CRW carreer has consisted of trying things that I was either unqualified for or unproven. Sometimes that has worked out and sometimes not. I've always felt that "pushing the envelope" of one's ability is the best way to increase it. Kevin K. _____________________________________ Dude, you are so awesome... Can I be on your ash jump ?

Fake it till you make it... _____________________________________ Dude, you are so awesome... Can I be on your ash jump ?

That will come in handy for paying those expensive coaching fees that CRWDogs are known for. It's been around for a while, but the Advanced Canopy Control Course, by Sikorsky and Gutshall is still a pretty good syllabus for doing CRW Training. Check here: http://www.dqnt.com/acc.htm _____________________________________ Dude, you are so awesome... Can I be on your ash jump ?

Porno stars jump there. That has to be a plus. _____________________________________ Dude, you are so awesome... Can I be on your ash jump ?

My first cutaway was with capewells. Bad body position and not covering the exposed covers after the release led to having the apex of my 24' reserve caught on one of them. I got it loose in 3-4 seconds, and the reserve deployed just fine, but that was a long few seconds. A lot of folks went in because of those releases. People don't realize what a fabulous invention the 3-ring was unless they had to deal with its Sport Death predecessors. Back to the thread topic, I'd have sure felt stupid if I had cut away from a good canopy that day. Kevin _____________________________________ Dude, you are so awesome... Can I be on your ash jump ?

That's a great video. Thanks. Your NAVY at work. _____________________________________ Dude, you are so awesome... Can I be on your ash jump ?

Levelidity - The property of a skydiving formation refering to the relative altitudes of the participants and the overall co-planar attributes of the dive. Originator: Carl Daugherty, DeLand FL _____________________________________ Dude, you are so awesome... Can I be on your ash jump ?

In the case of some of the people I do CRW with, just getting on the load is almost considered an intentional cutaway. _____________________________________ Dude, you are so awesome... Can I be on your ash jump ?

Once again an anonomous poster of unknown experience and skills expounding upon who he respects. Really, Mr. Decimal, do you think anyone gives a shit who you respect ? Most of the people you speak of couldn't care less whether you exist or not. What makes you think they would be interested in teaching you anything. You think they desire your respect ? Hardly. Kevin Keenan _____________________________________ Dude, you are so awesome... Can I be on your ash jump ?

Now that's a party !! _____________________________________ Dude, you are so awesome... Can I be on your ash jump ?

Oh great. I've just been sucked into the #1 engine. It's always something on these big-ways. _____________________________________ Dude, you are so awesome... Can I be on your ash jump ?

As some may know, I have carried a small, tastefully displayed, rubber chicken on my CRW rig for some time. It was a gift from Cheryl Michaels several years ago. This chicken, although it never had a name, has been a good luck charm and constant companion on many CRW jumps. Well, at this year’s U. S. Nationals, in Eloy AZ, a small whirley wrap resulted in the chicken being decapitated. While grisly and traumatic, this accident was overshadowed by Ian’s mishap at the meet, when he rode a flapping wad of canopies to the ground and miraculously survived. The chicken’s accident received much less press, as it should be, since after all, it’s just a rubber chicken. To me, however, it was my good luck charm, and without its head, seemed much less lively. (It never did run around, as they are said to do, after its head was cut off, since it is bound rather tightly to the main lift web of my harness.) Having been inspired by Ian’s amazing survival of certain death in that wrap, I looked for a solution to the chicken’s problem. Over the years, Jimbo Bolton has kept the CRW community amused by his creative use of Barbie Dolls. Our CRW team, CReWZin’, has traveled around the country with Jimbo’s Anorexic Barbie as a mascot, which, no doubt, led to our historic National Championship in the 8-Way CRW competition. Who better, I thought, to lead the chicken through this life-changing event and to preserve the Mojo so badly needed by every CRWDog to survive this hazardous sport. I’m pleased to report that the Barbie-Headed Chicken jumped at ZHills at Thanksgiving. I couldn’t be more pleased with the good vibes and good luck that this upgrade brings to the CRW World. The jumps at Thanksgiving were great. There was lots of fun for everyone, and not a single bad wrap or problem all weekend – and considering the crowd that was doing CRW that weekend, we’re talking some powerful good luck. You never know what’s going to happen in this sport, so I have always felt that CRWDogs need all the luck we can get. I hope that the Barbie-Headed Chicken can be around for a long time to provide that extra luck to me and all the CRWDogs I fly with. Toward the end of the Thanksgiving weekend, there were rumors that the Freeflyers had begun to worship the Barbie-Headed Chicken. At times, I would find several of them gathered around my rig, hopping and flailing around, and speaking in tongues. It may have just been a dirt dive, though. I’m not too familiar with their customs. Anyway, I can’t pass judgment on the spiritual choices of others. Looking forward to fun and lucky jumps in this coming new year, 2007 – The Year of the 100-Way Canopy Formation World Record. Kevin Keenan _____________________________________ Dude, you are so awesome... Can I be on your ash jump ?

Yeah, but LisaMarie's post count went up by, like, a zillion. That was the point of all this, right ?? She was famous there for about, what, ...15 minutes ? But, hey, we got all philososophical and shit. It was groovy. _____________________________________ Dude, you are so awesome... Can I be on your ash jump ?

The great thing about skydiving is that no matter who you are, there are folks with more experience and folks with less. You can always look both ways on the spectrum. If you have one tandem jump, you are looked up to by the person who just walked up, and can tell them some helpful stuff. If you have 10,000 jumps, there's always sombody with 20,000, who you probably look up to. It's not really about jump numbers, however, it's what you have mastered in those jumps. With so many disciplines, it's more complicated. Someone with a ton of jumps in one discipline may have a respected mentor in another discipline with half the jump numbers. I think the people deserving of the most respect are the ones, regardless of jump #s, who have a good sense of what they are capable of and what they're not, and who consciously push themselves to always get better in knowledge and skill. Kevin K. _____________________________________ Dude, you are so awesome... Can I be on your ash jump ?

I think a hop and pop from the jet would be a pretty rude experience. _____________________________________ Dude, you are so awesome... Can I be on your ash jump ?

It seems that many newer, less-experienced jumpers want to see the USPA rules, guidelines, etc. made into laws with criminal penalties. Most older, more-experienced jumpers do not want that. My feeling (older opinion) is that skydiving has always been about freedom. Freedom in the air and freedom from over-regulation and enforcement. The basic principle is Man/Woman vs. Gravity - you jump, you have fun, you live. What could be simpler. The perceived threat from a "rogue illegal student tracking into me" or some of the other scenarios presented is, I believe, overblown. There are many ways to get hurt or killed in skydiving. Very few of these involve other people, at least in the student setting. The most likely thing that could happen in the "illegitimate jumper" scenario is that the illigitimate jumper, himself is injured or killed, through his lack of actual training. While this may be tough on the "student", especially if he burns in, I can't see that it affects the rest of us that much. The one entity who would be most affected is the DZ. That is why it is their duty to themselves to be certain that if someone goes in, they do it "legally". This means that the jumper signed a waiver and complied with their rules. Many people in many walks of life want to be cared for and protected. They want the "law" to assure them of a safe and healthy life. They want laws to keep them from hurting themselves. They want firecrackers that can't blow off their fingers if they hold them, lawnmowers that can't cut off their toes if they stick them underneath, and guns that can't kill their kids if they let them play with them. In short, they want someone to assume the responsibility of doing their thinking for them. I'm sorry that this has turned into more of a social commentary than a skydiving post, but that's where the question leads. More regulation - especially legally-binding legislative regulation is the worst thing that could ever happen to skydiving. The Law of Gravity and the principles of Charles Darwin create a perfect regulatory framework for skydiving. It's not a Barbie Tea Party, contrary to what certain marketing campaigns would have us believe. For those who need additional structure and guidelines, I understand that both Golf and Bowling offer safe alternatives. Kevin Keenan _____________________________________ Dude, you are so awesome... Can I be on your ash jump ?