Tonto

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Everything posted by Tonto

  1. Tonto
    5'11, 165 lbs. I don't have fall rate issues with those from 100 - 220lbs. More than 220, I wear weight. I'm happy with my gear for my experience level, weight, currency and surface elevation/tempreture. t It's the year of the Pig.
  2. Tonto

    tattoo suggestions

    Tonto replied to Fast1's topic in The Bonfire

    I'd wait till I had more dives before I permanently marked my body with something I may not be doing next year. But that's just me. t It's the year of the Pig.
  3. Tonto
    It may be an option on the course, if you mention it. Doing so means you're aware of your potential shortcomings and are doing the right thing to keep the "student (evaluator)" within your range. If they insist on being 5'6 and 95lbs, then put a bunch of weight on them and wear a freefly tent. I weigh 165lbs, which puts me middle of the road. I can keep up with the 220lb jumpers cos I have a spine that others envy, and when I go flat I can stay with the 100lb people if I've put them in something really slick - but we're dealing with laws of physics. Being one of only 2 AFF I's on your DZ means you should try a pair up with someone lightish, so when the students go to release dives - you can "specialise" on your fall rates. PM me if you need more info/insight/whatever. t It's the year of the Pig.
  4. Tonto
    Parts of your post were really scary. I'm not kidding. I can't stress the benefits of coaching enough. When I freefly, I do so with a coach - cos I'm a student in this environment. My coaches have about 3000 dives less than me - but about 1000 more freefly dives than I have. There are few parents who would think that "Learning as you go along" is a viable alternative to a proper education for their kids. Skydiving is no different. t It's the year of the Pig.
  5. Tonto
    Tonight? It's 16h00 here, and an hour before I hit the traffic and go home after a long Tuesday... and I'm closer to the weekend. t It's the year of the Pig.
  6. Tonto
    Hi Kevin. Go to the wingsuit forum. Look for "Moderators" at the top of the page. SkymonkeyOne is a link there. Clicky. At the bottom of his profile page is a "Send PM" link. Clicky. t It's the year of the Pig.
  7. Tonto
    Straight after AFF, ISP, A licence, yes. As always, there are risks to any new endevour, but these can be mitigated by prudent gear choices and the use of a qualified coach, who should be able to help out with those choices. Dispite what some may believe, the transision from belly to feet in freefall is a far smaller one than from feet on ground to belly in air. Ask your AFF I's who the freefly coaches are at your DZ and go and chat to them. They'll help you out from there, I'm sure. Make sure your gear is freefly safe before starting to freefly. (Audiable Alti highly recomended.) t It's the year of the Pig.
  8. Tonto
    I've poured my life into skydiving, but in Africa that's a weekend only gig. The net result is that I get paid little for my "day job" and need to supliment my income by skydiving. Fortunatley, I LOVE AFF. I really do. Nothing matches the feeling of taking people who know NOTHING and turn them into safe and independant jumpers. I do fun jump, but not as much as I would like. The money goes on maintenance for my kids before freefly dives with my GF or birdman dives with my choms, but I have bought a (2nd hand) wing suit, and I do know how to have fun. It's just that 4 way doesn't do it for me anymore. t It's the year of the Pig.
  9. Tonto
    Assuming you have the ground skills, AFF requires 3 primary flying skills. (This is my opinion) 1. Launch and control exits - even when things are screwy. 2. Fly no contact - even when your target is highly mobile, regardless of fall rate (Range is critical) 3. Vertical aggression - for when they go 3D on you. Some flat fly positions don't work here, and you'll need to do what works for you. I did AFF IC course in the US, and it was a blast. I knew nothing about AFF other than the fact that I wanted to do it. I now have over 1400 AFF dives. More than any other "chunk" I have - and I love it. Oh. You'll need someone else to do AFF with at your home DZ. If you don't have the airskills, go on a pre course, or practice with other AFF I's. t It's the year of the Pig.
  10. Tonto

    Currency

    Tonto replied to The111's topic in Safety and Training

    I don't know... I missed a Calender month in March 1987, having bust my femur in Feb, but was jumping in April. Never missed a month since then.
  11. Tonto
    I'm an AFF instructor with over 1400 AFF dives. In South Africa, if you've not jumped for 30 days - regardless of reason, you repeat the last level you passed, as well as recieving a full refresher including malfunction training in the suspended harness. You're doing well, and by comparison to your RAPS jumps, your progression thus far has been excellent. Ask your Instructor to repeat, build on that confidence and finish the program. Don't forget to smile in the door. t It's the year of the Pig.
  12. Tonto
    Yeah... with the gas the US gave him... t It's the year of the Pig.
  13. Tonto

    Bull?

    Tonto replied to Tonto's topic in Speakers Corner

    Word. Thanks for the feedback. t It's the year of the Pig.
  14. Tonto
    "And God so loved the world that he gave his only son..." Amazing what a little perspective can do... Is God a thoughtless murderer? t It's the year of the Pig.
  15. Tonto

    Bull?

    Tonto replied to Tonto's topic in Speakers Corner

    http://www.usvetdsp.com/casual.htm t It's the year of the Pig.
  16. Tonto
    Season start?
  17. Tonto
    Wrong. http://cns.miis.edu/research/safrica/chron.htm We had 7, and they were very publicly dismantled under UN supervision in the early 1990's while the "government of national unity" under dual Nobel peace prize winners/presidents Nelson Mandela and FW De Klerk ran SA prior to the 1st democratic elections 10 years ago. They were developed in the late 1970's and early 80's as the world began to turn against SA after the Soweto riots in 1976 and the UN arms embargo came into effect. t Edit; Added link. It's the year of the Pig.
  18. Tonto
    Max! We agreed on something! The US will always be critisized, both from within and from the outside. I believe they'll continue to do what they do. I also believe they'll always listen to the views of others, within reason. Right now, that's tough, but life is a long road, and as long as we all keep trying, we'll get there in one peice. t It's the year of the Pig.
  19. Tonto
    There are several legal, established, responsible nuclear powers. I can think of The US, UK, France, Former USSR (no idea who has all those now) China Then there's the not so responsible but established. India Pakistan Then there are the rouge states who developed weapons outside of the NPT. N Korea South Africa (With help from Israel, I think..) Israel (With US help) Now of those countries, which do you think has the most influence on the current world scene as a result of their foreign policy? t It's the year of the Pig.
  20. Tonto
    I havn't read the whole thread. I jump in Africa. Surface elevation is 5000ft AMSL, tempretures in summer simmilar to yours. The normal 206 simply couldn't get to 10500 AGL before everyone would have been hypoxic. You need the turbo. t It's the year of the Pig.
  21. Tonto
    Ah, the irony... The US did just that until their own base in Hawai was attacked while their heads were up their asses over 2 years into the war. The US is really good at two things. Doing fuck-all when they're expected to do more, and doing too much when they're expected to do less. Even if you one day got the balance right, the world would change the balance on you. This is the cost of being the only superpower. Everything you do, almost without exception - is wrong. t It's the year of the Pig.
  22. Tonto
    I have no idea... Reminds me a little of the "Eat your dinner! There are kids starving in Africa!" line given to me by my parents. It's a noble thought, but organisations are unlikely to want to help, and where should the stuff come from or go to? I know in the past, when I've got new gear, I've always "gifted" some kid at the DZ with stuff worse than mine with my old gear. Since they saw it work fine on the last load - they usually take it. I exchanged my last harness and main for a cypres battery with my rigger. He'll fix it up, make a few $ and hand some OK airworthy gear to someone else - while it would have just stayed in the cupboard like so much of my other gear did for a decade or more. t It's the year of the Pig.
  23. Tonto
    No problem! I'm a long way from perfect - and I have proof! t It's the year of the Pig.
  24. Tonto
    Yes. Read my apology 2 posts above yours. t It's the year of the Pig.
  25. Tonto

    bush or kerry?

    Tonto replied to Zeemax's topic in Speakers Corner

    No shortage of blury lines here! The four countries mentioned were the "Front line States" in the war against Apartheid. It was a Police action in the same way Vietnam was a Police action. I think it was a fucking war, and vets from both sides agree with me. SA gave up their nukes in the early 90's, prior to the 1st democratic elections while under a government of "National Unity" ie - no opposition party. It was voluntry, and I think it was the right thing to do. We didn't need nuclear capability for our conflict. t It's the year of the Pig.