tigra

Chris, I think they stumbled out after the SECOND explosion..... maura

What I like about email is that I can take my time to put in writing exactly what I want to say. You don't always get that opportunity in a face to face or telephone conversation; things can get off track or emotional really fast. If I need to email my boss about something, I take my time, present my case, proof it and then wait a bit and reread it before I send it out. I find that is helpful for me in presenting clearly what I need to say. Just my .02 maura

I don't know about anyone else, but I get enough "As The Prop Turns" at my own dz. This sounds like a "spat" between 2 packers from one DZ that is being aired in a public forum. Can't you guys (from the dz where this happened) just discuss it on the packing mats and at the bonfire? Just a thought. Like I said, it is hard enough to keep up with the drama at my own dz. blue ones.....

Bravo Justin, That was very brave of you to post. Please accept my condolences for your loss. maura

Terry, I have a good friend who shattered his ankle 2 years ago. They talked about fusing it at the time and decided to try and rebuild it instead. He's finally back to jumping on a limited basis but has pretty much constant pain due to cartilage loss. Is that where your pain is coming from??? I would guess that fusing your ankle would limit your range of motion and might make things like tracking very difficult since you wouldn't be able to point your toe. But I have seen people skydive with limitations before, so I think it is really just a matter of determination. My advice is to do what you need to do so that you are not living in constant pain. Good luck to you. maura

I'll be selling my trailer at SDC (upgrading)- you can always join the rest of the dz bums..... maura

Cloud 9, Its true, landing unconscious under a reserve is most likely going to cause serious injury or death. But a cypres can buy you some time to regain consciousness. You can get hit hard enough in freefall to knock you out or daze you enough that you can't pull your own main or reserve. Doesn't mean you're down for the count, maybe you just need a few seconds. A cypres gives you those seconds to come to your senses. I got knocked out in freefall last year, only for a couple of seconds, and came around in time to pull my own main for a very short canopy ride to the ground. (and yes, if I was thinking clearly I might have (should have) gone for the reserve) But another second or two? Who knows? I'd hate to come to just before I hit the ground. The situation at SDC last weekend? The jumper fought his mal through cypres firing range BEFORE he cut away. The cypres rearmed itself and fired, but luckily the jumper beat it because he was out of altitude. Altitude awareness is definately the key here, but I like having a little backup in case someone decides to kick me in the head during freefall. Just my .02..... maura

Muenkel, You are not the only one who is glad to see the thread removed, but judging from this post, you still don't get it! What you posted goes beyond "flub", even if you didn't know any better. You owe at least one person a HUGE apology. If YOU have been reading the threads this past month, you should know that we have lost friends, and others are badly hurt. You hit a nerve and pissed off a few people. Take your virtual lumps- you have them coming to you. Everyone on this board has been extremely supportive and encouraging of you and your quest to learn how to skydive. Consider this incident just a part of the learning process. Let's move on. maura

Skreamer, My understanding is that the cypres had rearmed itself AFTER the cutaway and had started its firing sequence but jumper had already pulled his reserve. Like Chris, I am not sure what altitude he managed to cut away at, but there was definately a lot of fumbling for handles, without looking for them. His eyes were pretty well fixed on the ground. It was close, but I think everyone who was there agrees that the cypres would have been too late. There are definately some lessons to be learned from this, and we are all very glad the the jumper walked away without injury. maura

Richard, I don't have kids or any first hand experience with custody cases- I'm the first to admit that. I'm not saying the system is perfect, fair or "evened" out. Only that it does seem to be changing, and the situation with my sister and her ex seems to support that. maura

I agree with Lummy and Philly Kev, but just to add to that.... Times are changing and the courts are not 100% biased towards mothers. My brother in law (ex) has full custody of my niece and nephew. They live outside Detroit, and went through the whole "friend of the court" process. Bottom line, my sister remairried and thought it would be perfectly OK to move her kids out of state, clear across the country and away from their father. The FOC determined (and the judge agreed) that she was not acting in her kids' (ages 7 and 13 at the time) best interest. My brother in law really did not have his s#$% together when he went through all this, (under-employed, etc) and still won. Its been tough on the whole family, but fortunately, my brother in law is a decent guy and lets us see the kids when we can. Good luck and be the best dad you can be no matter what the outcome.

Welcome to the sport. You tried it, you liked it and you want more. AFF or AFP is the next step. You will go through a much more comprehensive "ground school" before making your first AFF jump. And although you will be deploying and landing your own parachute, you will not be alone in freefall. For your first couple of jumps, at least one jumpmaster will be holding on to you until you deploy your main parachute. You will have at least one jumpmaster in the air with you for all of your student freefall jumps, and will most likely have a radio to help you land for all your student jumps as well. As far as the distance to your nearest dz, well, I hope you like to camp!

Michelle, I was (still pretty much am) one of those fast falling, not skin and bones, super arching females. A few years ago, when I was not too long off student status, I landed after a 4 way attempt with the DZO and 2 other low timers. The DZO (who had caught me while the other 2 floated above) said "you need swoop cords and booties!" So, my first suit was a Tony Swoop suit, I think the poly cotton material, with swoop cords and booties. Both will help you control your fall rate, but using swoop cords can have some drawbacks as well. My newest and favorite suit, (which gives me the most range and control), is my Zute Sute. It has a spandex wing, with swoop cords in a channel. I can tighten or loosen them very easily, (even in gear, on the plane, etc...) and I can't do that with my 2 Tony Suits. Zute Sute has a SKYChix suit which is designed especially for women. Now I am partial to Zute Sutes. As far as cost, I think the standard "base price" is around $185.00 for a Tony or Zute suit (RW), but with extras like booties, swoop cords, fat grippers, reinforced knees or butt (which I recommend) you can get to $300.00 pretty easily. Realistically, think around $225.00 to $250.00 for a custom suit with the options you need. Fabric- A heavier cotton blend, with a "blousy" fit. Not baggy, but not skin tight either! Timeline- 6-8 weeks is probably realistic unless you are willing to pay a "rush" fee. I say yes to booties OR toe loops, with a zipper on the legs to make the suit easier to put on and take off. I would also recommend swoop cords WITH a spandex wing- (I love the extra control). They will help slow you down when you are approaching a formation and docking, and if you don't need them you don't have to use them. The spandex wing with the channel is just a much better design than what I have in my Tony suits. (I'm pretty sure Tony offers that now as well.) Unless you are doing "hardcore" rw, you probably don't need the super fat grippers, or the inside leg grippers. This is only your first suit. As you get more experience you will be able to control you fall rate better, and you'll have a better idea of what kind of skydiving you want to focus on. Maybe you'll move on to the "dark side", maybe you'll fall in love with 4 way! Most important (besides the colors!) is to get good measurements taken- do not do it yourself! And, about the colors, hey this is a custom suit. Have fun with it and get what you want! Definately for RW, you need a properly fitting suit with grippers. It will make a lot of difference in your flying. And yes, they do say "Fly your body, not your suit!" but they also say "Dress for success!" Good luck! Hope that's helpful! Blues! maura

Chris, I see you are getting the hang of this whole "springtime in the Chicago area thing!" I think it took me 2 spring times as a skydiver to realize that sunny and warm in April or May usually means windy too! maura

I've got to side with Milo on this. Just based on the article, it does appear that the airline accepted the responsibility for this couple and dropped the ball. It isn't outrageous to compare a 70 year old woman with Altheimers to a 4 year old child. Perhaps neither should be traveling alone, but in this case her husband made the effort to inform the airline personnel that his wife had special needs. Indeed, she demonstrated that herself. Its sad that the police were not notified for over an hour, even sadder still that this woman has been missing for months and it has not been headline news. If this was a 4 year old child, her picture would have been on the front page of every newspaper in the county, and the lead story on any news cast. Just my .02

Funny?? or just plain scary?????

Got me-- jaded at 36 jumps?? I still grin from ear to ear after a multi point skydive!

Dove, I broke my ankle in July 1998. A plate, a pin and 7 screws. Had them removed in December 1999. The pin was painful, especially on cold or damp days, and the screws were visible through the skin within 3 months of having the cast taken off. Also, as my doctor explained it to me, the bone doesn't grow properly with the metal in there. Even if the hardware wasn't bothering me, he would have recommended taking it out. Having the harware taken out was nowhere near the same recovery time as the initial break, and my insurance covered everything. And I am very glad I did it. I scheduled the surgery for the "off season" and was jumping again when the skies were sunny and the air was warm! Hope that helps! maura

That's great, Lisa! Hope all goes well for him! maura

I have some very fond memories of Munich and Amsterdam! Have a great time. Enjoy the coffeshops and the biergardens! maura

I'm raising my hand with Skybytch. **sigh**

I got in Saturday afternoon, visited with friends, etc. I spent a lot of time hanging out at the Zute Sute booth, then Sunday I did catch a few of the seminars. Opted against staying in my trailer Saturday night and got a room at the Holiday Inn instead. I missed the festivites in the upstairs lounge, but I heard there were some "interesting" moments..... Sorry I missed you Marc! Andy, why would I hide???? Blues, maura

I didn't see Bev suits, but Zute Sute WAS there.

So sorry to hear about this Lisa. My thoughts and prayers are with him. I hope he hangs on and gets the transplants he needs. He sounds like a great guy. This may sound kind of morbid, but I've made it pretty clear to anyone who is close to me if I should die..... harvest what you can, burn the rest, drop my ashes out of a plane and have a big party. Blue ones, maura