Tonto

When my gear is worn out (and I mean WORN OUT) I have a ritual burning in the bonfire. When you jump tiny gear, there are no newbies that use it to transision to anything. t It's the year of the Pig.

You're such a nice, helpful man. Don't you have a dark side? t It's the year of the Pig.

Hi Jessica - tricky. When I graduate an AFF student, I tell them to listen, and to find mentors. Problem with that of course, is that everyone is talking, and the mentors are busy. So, the next step is to get people to qualify themselves. Are they JM's, I's AFF I's, TM's, riggers (Groundmonkeys - like that... Can I use it?) Do they train with a team? What's their competition record like? Do demo's? Henry Ford said "You cannot build a reputation on what you are going to do." And so you can tell if someone has an idea if they know what they are talking about. "Your Hornet is a PISA Shit. Ha Ha" Are you a rigger? Why is it a PISA shit? "er.. It's made in Africa... by Monkeys! HaHa." Really? On an ISO 9000:2000 certified production line that was deemed so good that Aerodyne felt justified in throwing a small fortune into making it the spot all their canopies and harnesses would be built at for their new company? Or, if you're tired or bored "Oh, Fuck off you bigoted bastard." Try and put people into a position where they can justify their point of view. One of the principles of learning is to justify why the knowledge is needed. I think being female might also have something to do with it. As a rule (and being an emotional coward - like most men) I won't say little stuff about gear to a woman - cos guys are all over her all the time about everything - so they must have covered it, right? If it's safety critical - of course I say something - but then it doesn't really fall into the category you refer to. Skydivers are tribal. There is a distinct "elder" pecking order, and the "alpha males" (Who can be female) of the clans rule. At our DZ we have Tribal leaders for FS, CReW, Freefly, Swooping, AFF, camera etc. Some are masters of several tribes (Freefly-camera-swoop tribe leader) Our currency tribe leader is female - with 980 dives last year - weekends only - and she is also chief coach - Me? I'm tribal elder and wise one. Cos I've been to lots of "gathering of the tribes" (That's Nationals) and a "gathering of the supertribes" (That's a world meet) as well as having done a bit of everything over the last 18 years - including break myself. Being in this sport, we have developed a reverence for gear which is almost superstitious or religious in its intensity. We believe - because Joe survived - that Joe's gear was the best. Or because Joe's gear was built by your super tribe. (country) The Reflex is a "death rig" probably because of the catapult - but people won't ask if you've converted to a regular freebag, do they? We are an organised group of mammals. Some tension always exists in the group as the young and the strong struggle to find their place and seek power within the group. Read "The Human Zoo" by Desmond Morris. It explains a lot about why people are the way they are. t It's the year of the Pig.

For Freefly or flatfly? Big difference there... t It's the year of the Pig.

Hey Aggie. Well - I chop a lot. I'm a cutaway junkie. If my main isn't perfect - It's gone. I have 17 reserve rides from chops or totals - 19 if you count a prem in the door of a 182 and a Tandem where I couldn't get the drouge out. OK. So I've done a lot of 4 way rotation CReW.. I've landed 23ft Tri Connicals, 26ft Lopo's, a bunch of Swift 5 cells, a PD 126, a load of Predator 150R nine cells, PD Tandem 360's, a Tempo 150 and the last 3 on my Tempo 120. I have to tell you that maybe my diagnostic performance sucks - but they all landed just fine and within the design spec expected of the canopy. My Tempo is loaded to 1.65 and I'm 5000ft ASL. And I'm always on the next load. No "running out of flare." Just fly the rag. When someone is all juiced after their chop - and screw up a landing... then wait a week and demo a canopy when they are fine - that's not a better canopy. It's a less stressed pilot. t It's the year of the Pig.

Bill - I'm sorry. But a dude with 400 jumps who does not know what a crossport is, or how to stow his legstraps on the 300 way - I just can't beleive that. It's like a dude who's been in 300 fire fights who doesn't know where his mag release button is, or an olympic athlete who needs his coach to tie his laces. I simply cannot beleive it. ITS PART OF OUR 1ST JUMP COURSE! t It's the year of the Pig.

I agree... although back in the day I was jumping a 220 F-111 7 cell I had a 177 F-111 5 cell reserve. Now I'm on a 120 Tempo, 107 Stilletto. Nice big forgiving reserve. t It's the year of the Pig.

Fudd. Your Hornet has crossports in all it's ribs. t It's the year of the Pig.

"But as hook has pointed out, he knows several very talented skydivers with thousands of jumps that have absolutely no idea what a cross-port is" Well that was Hookitt actually - with 2 t's

"Did it not cross your mind that it's possible for someone to be perfectly accomplished as a skydiver" It never crossed my mind. Not for an instant. If you think you've ever done a single perfect skydive - or are "perfectly accomplished" you are wrong. There is no perfect skydive. That's why the worlds best are out there training. t It's the year of the Pig.

You're trolling, right? You have a Cobalt and you don't know what a crossport is? t It's the year of the Pig.

I don't leg lock. They fly themselves, and do what they do. I fly me. In trying to catch legs you can never see, you can be assured both body positions are poor. I only have 700 tandems though, so I'm sure there are loads of more qualified opinions out there. t It's the year of the Pig.

If you look at comp rotation crew rigs, you will see blocks. Why? Cos there is no time to look for loops. As for the lack of hand strength... work on it. Blocks are bulkier, but WAY safer. No fingers stuck in loops. Also, the release of a block is an open hand movement only - as opposed to an open hand and pull out move, which can (and does) result in the occasional loss of a toggle - with all that that implies. t It's the year of the Pig.

Well how big are you? I think going from a 143 to a 113 is madness on any downsize - let alone a reserve. I have a 120 Tempo loaded to 1.65, and I'm landing hot at 5000ft ASL - and I've had no problems on my last 3 landings at all. Shorter swoop sure, but not harder in any way. My main is a 107 Stilletto. t It's the year of the Pig.

I do do hook turns and also plan to die in my bed! Planning ahead is the key. Sometimes, after my AFF student pulls at 5000ft, I pull right away. I lurk about on brakes until everyone else is down, and I land alone. I don't spiral, as this is disorienting and WILL affect you judgement. From opening to landing should be one fluid thought. Its all there. Watch it, plan it, wait for it, do it. t It's the year of the Pig.

Yeah... but a lot harder to catch a tracking student than a spinner. If you're turning, you're asymetrical. Get symetrical. It's that simple. I understand that by tracking you are increasing the radius of gyration and so the spin will momentarily slow, but I've seen lots of jumps with newbies who don't track straight. t It's the year of the Pig.

You're right - there is. I was there in 94, and came back and did it here. It's great for jumping with newbies as you have good eye contact and can reach further to pick up canopies on the dock. The canopy still goes the right direction when you pull a toggle. Landings can be interesting, particularly on comp CReW canopies. I would not recomend this on highly loaded Elipticals, or for HP landings. t It's the year of the Pig.

On my DZ no-one with under 100 jumps can jump a canopy smaller than a 170 without CI consent. If you're little and chat to the CI, then wing loading and performance becomes the decieding factor. After 100 dives it's up to (un)common sense and peer pressure - but we seem to be doing an OK job. People are happy and alive (But we still have the odd 1000 jump plus hammer in...) t It's the year of the Pig.

Stalker - How did you get ahead of me? t It's the year of the Pig.

Ist goal. 200 dives a year average... and I've achieved that, weekends only, for 18 years. Present goal. More dives than days per year. (365) Managed last year - with 384 and with a month off to climb Kilimanjaro This year, 122 dives to date, for 118 days, so on track, but will do more dives in the winter when things cool down a bit. Next goal - over 100 dives a year for each year of my life. Currently 41 years old with 3825 dives, so around this time next year I should get it... Ahh, how we spend out time! t It's the year of the Pig.

Computer games.. I don't feel at all guilty about Air time.. It's the year of the Pig.

Sorry to hear that. We have a lot of people solving issues like that out here... People thinking they own other people. Nothing in the past matters. Move on, and take only the best from each day. t It's the year of the Pig.

5'11", 165lbs t It's the year of the Pig.

Tigers - with a lanner falcon a close second... t It's the year of the Pig.

My goal is a dive a day for the year - jumping weekends only of course. Last year I did 384. This year I'm on track again with 122 dives so far for the year - after 118 days. Previous goal, for the last 18 years, has been 200 dives a year - which has been slightly exceeded each year. Next goal is 100 dives a year for each year of my life - which should happen next year around this time when I turn 42. Ahh. The games we play! t It's the year of the Pig.