steve1

I've got a hornet, and very hairy lower steering lines. Mine are that way from the velcro fasteners. I need to get the velcroless ones. If they are a little hairy, I don't think this is much to worry about though..... Steve1

I did a 360 once as my canopy was deploying in the Army. I backlooped through my risers with full equipment, putting a twist in my risers and suspension lines. It landed fine. Steve1

I too was an Army jumper before going to sport jumping. As was mentioned earlier, about the only part you might be able to skip is doing PLF's. Nobody can do a better PLF than someone who is airborne qualified. The rest of your training will probably all be different. If you were halo qualified you might skip more of the training, but the basic airborne school doesn't teach a lot that is transferable to skydiving. If you've made many military jumps, you'll probably be ahead of your fellow trainees. In other words you'll take right to skydiving. Welcome to the club! Steve1

I've emailed them a couple times to ask about freight charges. So far there's been no reply. If I hear anything I'll post it here....Steve1

I'm sure many ranges would let you rent a gun to shoot, as Dave mentioned. I'd bet you'd end up buying one though. It's kind of like renting skydiving gear. Once you try it you'll like it, and want your own stuff. It might also be good to have someone teach you safety basics (if possible). Firearms, can be pretty lethal. My brother had no interest in guns at all growing up. He lived in L.A. during the riots and found out there was noone to call, if you needed help. So I took him out pistol shooting. From that moment on, he was hooked. He now has two pistols. Even if you have no interest in home defense, they are fun to shoot.....Steve1

I'm glad to hear you guys are finally getting the right to carry. Terrorists are gonna need a whole lot more than box cutters now....Steve1

I love my two daughters a lot. Yet I've done some risky things with them as they grew up. When my oldest daughter was seven or eight I'd take her bow hunting. This included canoeing down river and then climbing way up high in a tree to wait for deer with Dad. My youngest daughter was a few weeks old when my wife took her hunting on her back. My wife's shot both deer and antelope with the youngest sleeping on her back the whole time. And then there are stories I can tell about my family with their horses in the mountains. When my oldest daughter turned 18 she made her first tandem. It was with a friend who had over 6,000 jumps. I don't really want to put their life in danger, but I also want them to experience adventure and some of the better things in life. Sometimes you can't do that by playing it safe.....Steve1

I've been looking seriously at ordering one of these jumpsuits. Has anyone, here in the states, ordered from them before? I'm just wondering about freight charges. Sounds like a great deal.....Steve1

I was just watching last year's video of Lost Prairie. It show's an old guy jumping out of a DC-3. It looks just like Bob. I need to watch this again to tell for sure. If he has a rip-cord on the right side, it's got to be him......Steve1

Mike, I too love my 300 Win. Mag. with nosler partitions, loaded hot, for elk. For home defense I have a short barrelled pump 12 guage, with three inch shells. Hopefully I'll never need it, but it is comforting knowing it's there, if needed. Steve1

Good point!......Steve1

Quotey On the other hand, a .223 Remington round--specifically the Hornady Tactical Application Police (TAP) round, or any other with a poly tip--will discharge almost all of it's energy immediately after contact with a surface. The TAP round will actually come apart most of the time, therefore reducing its energy so much, when whats left of it goes through the next sheet of drywall, it will generally fall to the ground within a few feet. In a gelatin mold test, the 223 TAP performs wonderfully with a huge shock path and excellent wounding potential. reply] I wonder though, if you had an intruder who was built like Haystack Calhoon, and if he were wearing a leather jacket, would this round penetrate enough to do any damage. I know in hunting big game, under penetration can be a big problem. I've seen two antelope that were hit squarely in the shoulder from a 270 (130 grain bullet). Both should have been dead instantly, but the bullet only penetrated a couple inches and blew up on a shoulder blade. They almost got away. I learned not to hit much bone with Nosler Ballistic Tip Bullets. They were too fragile. At least the early versions were, the ones on the market now are more solidly built. But at any rate you have to be very careful with fragile bullets when hunting and I would think the same would be true in self defense situations. They may not get the job done......Steve1

Phillykev, I agree with you a revolver, with a hammer, can be real dangerous, if you carry a full cylinder. I heard of one guy who accidentally dropped is thermos of coffee on his revolver that was strapped to his leg. It hit the hammer somehow firing the pistol. I think he had the hammer on half cock also, but it still fired somehow, shooting himself in the leg. Hammers on most revolvers are something to worry about. As far as an automatic, and carrying one in the chamber, I've always been afraid of the safety coming off and firing. I know the Glock has a trigger safety and grip safety built into it. My brother works law enforcement, and he carries a round in the chamber of his Glock. He says it's fairly safe if you have the proper training. I've always been taught, since I was a youngster, never to put a round in the chamber until the last minute. But again this is for hunting purposes, not self defense. Even in hunting situations, most people cheat and put one in the barrel while hunting most of the time. A lot of hunters get killed this way though, through accidents. I do like the way that most safeties on automatic pistols do block the firing pin. Maybe I'm just being overly cautious in the dangers of carrying a round in the chamber.....Steve1

Aggie Dave, I know most police carry a round in the chamber on their automatics. The thought of this always scared me, from a safety standpoint. I think you're smart not to carry it that way. Steve1

I took my daughter out pistol shooting last night. I tried to find some 38 special loads to put in it, to lessen the recoil. Since I couldn't find any she ended up shooting full power loads in 357. She's barely five foot tall, but she did a great job of shooting it. It jumps a lot, and makes a lot of noise, but it's sure an accurate pistol. (It's a S&W revolver with 6 inch barrel) For long shots I'd choose it anyday over an automatic. But for close in self defense scenarios the automatic would probably be a better weapon as long as you were carrying a round in the chamber. It takes to long to chamber one up, and then start shooting. Taking it off safey might also slow getting off the first shot with an automatic, unless you have a Glock. I love talking about guns almost as much as BSing about skydiving. I guess I'm way off the subject again.....Steve1

I once hummed it down to about 500 ft. (back in the olden days). Noone was watching their altimeters and four of us about burned in. I had less than 100 jumps. It was back in the good ole days, before AAD's or dytters. Groundrush from that altitude will definitely take your breath away. Steve1

Narcimund, You jumped there a lot more than I ever did. I jumped there several days, but never for an extended period. I even jumped there once without any proof that I was a jumper, no log books or anything. I just showed up, and started BSing with Ted, and he let me on a load. It sounds like things must have been pretty loose back then......Steve1

I hate to add a question to a question, but I was just wondering if anyone knows what happened to Ted Mayfield? He had a few people bounce at his drop zone in Oregon about 15 years ago (partially due to neglegence). He also had a stolen aircraft. I heard he could never operate a drop zone again. I think this was a USPA decision. I was just wondering if anyone knows any details, or where he is today. He seemed like a great guy. Maybe a little too much on the wild and crazy side, but I always felt safe jumping there......Steve1

I don't have the experience to have much knowlege on this subject. On a recent trip to Eloy we all chipped in $20. for the day to pay our load organizer for six jumps. We had two people flying camera (including Mike McGowan). It was kind of a stressful time for me, because I still have plenty to learn and we were threatened with getting cut before every load. It's hard to hide your screw-ups when it's all on video. All in all it was money well spent for me and I learned plenty. I don't know who our load organizer was, but he must have been pretty good. In the last Parachutist Magazine he was pictured after a jump with mostly Arizona Air Speed jumpers. I guess I was lucky to jump with him, and the others on our load. Considering what I learned that day, $20. was cheap..... Steve1

What I don't understand is why post something just to draw fire, or start shit? What's the purpose? Does it make people feel smart to see others losing control? Does it make them feel powerful to have started an angry (if content-free) thread? Do you think you get better responses? Is it just more fun? I know I spend quite a bit of time counseling kids for conflict resolution. A lot of kids try to get an angry response out of others in the school. It may be another kid or even a teacher. If they can get an angry response they often do feel powerful, and will continue in that kind of behavior as long as they can get the desired response. ............................................................ I know that the forums are being monitored closely now for any type of disrespect. (Which is good!) But I also think some people (on the forums) may be trying to see if they can get some other individuals fired up, and even kicked off these forums. In other words they may be baiting others. I guess adults aren't that much different than kids. Steve1

I'm glad you're doing this. I even flamed someone a few days ago and said some things I shouldn't have. I'll try to clean up my act in the future. I appreciate being part of this forum. Steve1

My wife runs about five miles, almost every day. She buys a lot of running shoes. There may be better ones on the market, but Saucony are very reasonably priced. She orders them out of a running catalog. Shin splints are no fun. I got these from running on pavement, in combat boots, in the army. Good shoes are important. Steve1

I've heard Thailand is really a cool place. I think B.J. Worth was putting on a big boogie there, sometime this winter. Maybe it's already over. Steve1

I went to my 30th a few years ago. Yes, I am an old fart. I jumped into it and then drank beer with old friends. Very fun. We had a small class, and most of us were orangutangs in high school, so I enjoyed seeing most of them again. A lot of reunions involve people trying to impress each other with how successful they are. By jumping in I let them all know, I'm still nuts....Steve1

Does this mean I have to show a picture of my fire proof and shock resistant Fire King file cabinet? But I don't know how to run a scanner!......Steve1