kkeenan

Boy, that fucker really piled in. I was never aware of "The Rest of the Story" on that B-25. I started jumping in 1971, so the story of the Lake Erie jump was still fresh in the minds of the older jumpers of that day. That sure had to be a hell of a feeling for those folks to break out of the clouds over that big lake. Kevin _____________________________________ Dude, you are so awesome... Can I be on your ash jump ?

Years ago there was a C-119 flying jumpers at the yearly Warbird airshow in Titusville Fla. They had the clamshell doors removed in the back, so it was completely open at the rear. The C-119 had a lot of accelleration with only a few people on board. On the first load, everyone was sitting near the back and as the airplane rotated and left the ground, they all freaked out as they started sliding toward the edge (no seatbelts !). Needless to say, there were a lot of fingernails digging into the aluminum deck. I think they all sat farther forward after that. Kevin Galveston Skydivers Class of '71 _____________________________________ Dude, you are so awesome... Can I be on your ash jump ?

That's a very scary question. What could be done if you did fall into your own canopy? Actually, referring to this thread may give you some insight as to how bad it could get: http://www.dropzone.com/cgi-bin/forum/gforum.cgi?post=2502758;sb=post_latest_reply;so=ASC;forum_view=forum_view_collapsed;;page=unread#unread However, the good news is that it's unlikely you'll get into that kind of jam without extra canopies involved, which happened in that case. The key to not getting your canopy tangled during maneuvers is to keep tension on the lines and to feel the interaction between yourself and the parachute in your maneuvers. If you stall or slow the parachute down, don't just let go of the toggles to bring it out, ease it back up to speed so that the lines have constant tension. As you enter a turn, the parachute turns and then your body turns to catch up with it. If you make the parachute turn a lot faster than your body can turn, there can be line twists - the same with coming out of a turn. The canopy is much lighter than your body, hence less inertia when it comes to changing direction. With practice, you will develop a sense of the inertial and turning forces involved. You can do some pretty extreme things with a canopy without getting into permanent trouble - just do them high enough that you can escape any adverse outcome. Kevin _____________________________________ Dude, you are so awesome... Can I be on your ash jump ?

I'll watch that shit all day. Reminds me of a friend who, in the old days, used to flip upside down in his harness, fly around, and then flip back over in time to land. One day, he got his foot hung up on something and couldn't get right side up in time and whacked in on his head. We all laughed our asses off and he wore a neck brace for a few weeks. Kevin _____________________________________ Dude, you are so awesome... Can I be on your ash jump ?

Yeah, probably. _____________________________________ Dude, you are so awesome... Can I be on your ash jump ?

Why don't you get the training you feel that you need in order to make a jump from lower altitudes, since this does occur occasionally. Did you pay for those rides to altitude when everyone else made a jump ? Kevin _____________________________________ Dude, you are so awesome... Can I be on your ash jump ?

At your experience level, it's really more important to get jumps and more experience than to have a sophisticated jumpsuit. If you are of average build, it is fairly easy to find a used suit at a good price and save your money for jumps. No matter how good you are, you will have landings in your first year that may be hard on gear and jumpsuit. It's a shame to pay $500 for a new jumpsuit, only to rip the knees out in a week. If you paid $50 for one, the rips are easier to take. The same is true for gear. Kevin _____________________________________ Dude, you are so awesome... Can I be on your ash jump ?

I live in Titusville Fla. Skydive Space Center is about 10 min. from my house. Then there is: DeLand - 1 hr. North Sebastian - 1 hr. South Zephyrhills or Lake Wales - 1.5 hr. West Skydive Tampa, Skydive Palatka, and a few more are around if you want to drive a little farther. I think I've actually jumped at 3 DZs in one day. I have a short attention span, so it's perfect for me. Kevin _____________________________________ Dude, you are so awesome... Can I be on your ash jump ?

Prepare the payloads for the Int'l. Space Station to be launched on the Space Shuttle at Kennedy Space Ctr., FL. It's a very cool job. Kevin _____________________________________ Dude, you are so awesome... Can I be on your ash jump ?

Bubbles did a naked CRW jump. I suggest you try that. The post-stacks are always fun. Kevin _____________________________________ Dude, you are so awesome... Can I be on your ash jump ?

Guy Wright's Team Elite weekend at ZHills was a total blast. Good flying by everyone and some excellent, complex dive planning by Guy and Louie. The weather was perfect and it was just a great time. There were plenty of multi-point 36-ways. Great photos by Phil Roberson here: http://www.philroberson.com/teamelite06.html Kevin _____________________________________ Dude, you are so awesome... Can I be on your ash jump ?

That's a nice notice to include with the rig. Thanks for sharing it. Each airport has slightly different procedures, but anything that helps the TSA folks stop and look up their own regs is good. Kevin _____________________________________ Dude, you are so awesome... Can I be on your ash jump ?

Stay safe. If you're not comfortable with conditions, equipment, etc., then you will be less safe. The sky will still be there when you're ready. There's nothing worse than spending a long time laid up, thinking about your last jump and what you should or shouldn't have done. Kevin _____________________________________ Dude, you are so awesome... Can I be on your ash jump ?

As long as you constantly try to improve the skills you have and constantly try to find new skills to learn, it will stay fresh and challenging. Kevin _____________________________________ Dude, you are so awesome... Can I be on your ash jump ?

Oy Vey !! What a stinky splash that would have made. That one would have been talked about around the bonfire for a while. I'll be revising my rubber band protocol to prevent future drama. Kevin _____________________________________ Dude, you are so awesome... Can I be on your ash jump ?

Looking at the current list today, it looks like about three bussloads from the road to the Udon Thani airport. I think this is going to be one very fun big-way gathering. I just saw the dives tonight, and they look awesome. I'm very glad for the currency jumps I made at ZHills last weekend. Anyone who jumped with Guy and Louie got a great workout and had a hell of a good time. It will be good to get back together for another fun weekend. Kevin K. _____________________________________ Dude, you are so awesome... Can I be on your ash jump ?

The people who sell them say they should be replaced often. _____________________________________ Dude, you are so awesome... Can I be on your ash jump ?

Chris is very knowledgable in this area, as I know of several that he has dealt with, and I respect his opinion. Extra prople in the stack really wouldn't help, and as he said, will actualy increase the rate of descent. The extra wraps in the bottom grip is a good idea because an inflated canopy, as we have seen, creates a tremendous amount of drag. If the bad canopy cannot be dropped or neutralized, then it's a judgement call as to what the upper pilot does. Staying with the lower jumper and riding it in may help that person have a survivable crash. Of course, the upper pilot will be participating in that crash - not a pleasant prospect, but something to think about. People wonder why CRWDogs seem to be a closer-knit group than other jumpers. It's because our survival really is more dependant on each other than in other skydiving disciplines. I hope that newbie CRWDogs realize that knowing and understanding what to do in emergencies involves more than reading a few web pages. It involves understanding and being able to analyze the complex dynamics of unusual situations and taking proper actions. Kevin K. _____________________________________ Dude, you are so awesome... Can I be on your ash jump ?

You'll sure notice it if you do CRW. Being under canopy at 13k and flying around for 10-15 minutes will really make you dress warm. I guess that's one good thing about being in a wrap. It's nice and warm and snuggly when you're inside a canopy or two. Kevin _____________________________________ Dude, you are so awesome... Can I be on your ash jump ?

Don't be ridiculous. Nobody can possibly do both CRW and RW !! Jeeez...Get real. Kevin K. _____________________________________ Dude, you are so awesome... Can I be on your ash jump ?

Awesome photos. That's some nice work by the 3 and by the photographer. I'm wondering, how often in practice someone got a smokebomb up their ass ?? Kevin K. _____________________________________ Dude, you are so awesome... Can I be on your ash jump ?

Do you think you can get current in time ?? _____________________________________ Dude, you are so awesome... Can I be on your ash jump ?

Aside from the occasional hurricane, living in Florida has its benefits. Being about an hour away from the Team Elite III event (ZHills) and the Kaleidoscope event (DeLand) are certainly some of those benefits. I'm planning to go to the TSR and since the Z Team 200-Way is just down the road, I guess I'll mosey over there, too. You were right about the FUP, Fortson. It seems easier to get the old dance card punched since last February... Kevin K. _____________________________________ Dude, you are so awesome... Can I be on your ash jump ?

I'm with Jenn on this. Grow up and move out on your own - or is that not considered a sign of maturity in England ? Kevin K. _____________________________________ Dude, you are so awesome... Can I be on your ash jump ?

Hopefully, you performed a thorough preflight of all essential equipment prior to takeoff. Kevin _____________________________________ Dude, you are so awesome... Can I be on your ash jump ?