pilotdave

Lots more examples, from the same site as this incident, here: http://www.skydivingmovies.com/ver2/pafiledb.php?action=file&id=2501 Dave

And I want a free smoothie, but you don't see me complaining. Oh wait, I complain about that all the time. Plan a Maryland Skydiving trip to CT already. Dave

You need DivX. Dave

I hope not. Dave

That's a super cub... they've got metal leading edges I think. He still got lucky that he missed a rib though! Dave

SkydivingMovies.com just had its 2000th video uploaded, pushing the total file size to more than 29 gigs. There are now over 17,000 registered users, 4200 comments about videos, over 960,000 downloads over the last year and a half alone. Thanks everyone! Keep the uploads coming...we've gone PLENTY of free space!

But for some people, it's attitude, not actions that make people perceive them as a danger. They don't necessarily have to do anything wrong/unsafe. Some of em just need a constant reminder that they need to think about what they're doing. A good near death experience can help too!

To start over elsewhere? Maybe someone shouldn't be jumping at all, but a DZ can't usually make that decision. They can only send him elsewhere. I think some people miss the point that the whole thing IS pretty sick and twisted AND THAT'S OK! This isn't kindergarten. We don't all have to play nice. If a grounding is the equivalent of beating someone up, this is the equivalent of a sonic wedgie. Dave

When you say alti II, you're talking about a bigass altimaster 2, right, not an altimaster 3/galaxy (alti-2 is also the company name)? The neptune is great... I use mine as an audible but I know a lot of people that use them as visuals. They've all been happy with it, aside from a few issues like a cracked screen (which was replaced for free). They make a rubber cover for the neptune to help protect it when you've got it on your wrist... definitely use that if you buy one. But anyway, you can't go wrong with an altimaster 3/galaxy/whatever they are now. Well, unless that's what you have already and don't like. BTW, another cool thing about the altimaster 3 is that you can get a custom face on it for free... http://www.alti-2.com/AnalogAltimeters/custom_dial_faces.htm. I gotta remember to get that done this winter when I'm not using mine (as much)! Dave

I can see both the benefit to a site like that and the downside. Sure, it may be cheaper advertising than other forms. But lets say my DZ buys a gold listing. The other DZs in the state still show up, right? What if they buy gold listings too? It's like buying an ad in the yellow pages only because your competition does. It's like accepting skyride GCs only because your competition does. So you're not the one left behind. Do you plan to not list DZs that accept skyride GCs? I found one on their already that (I think) does... at least that's where Skyride wanted to send me when I called... I can PM you with the DZ if you want. Also, how will you deal with DZs that are close to state lines? A DZ may be very close to a major city in another state. DZ.com has a dropzone locator that uses actual distance to the DZ as opposed to what state it's in. Wouldn't it have made sense to take advantage of what already exists on the internet? I think it's great that you've helped DZs with their websites. I agree that so many of them are in dire need of help. But I don't know what that has to do with this site. I'm not accusing you of anything here. I'm just asking what this is really gonna do for anyone. Move skyride down the list on google? Once dropzones stop accepting their certificates, they go away. Dave

Better than skyride, but $95/month for a "gold listing" (with the same type of info available for free right here on dz.com)?? What percentage of that goes toward the "ad campaign" to promote your site? I'm sure you have great intentions here... convince me. I just get creeped out when I see something that has the appearance of someone trying to cash in on a situation that's bad enough already. Not saying you're doing that and I'm 100% sure you are not... just saying your site sure looks like the sort of thing someone would make who was trying to cash in and use dropzone.com to advertise "under the radar"... Dave

If you survive a certain number of jumps, do you get the cash? That's how it was done where I used to jump, just for one guy when he bought a VX 74. Everyone picked what jump number on that canopy he'd go in on. If he survived 100 jumps, he won the money. I tried to make a deal with him... "I'll pick jump #50... go in on that jump on purpose and I'll split the winnings with you." He said "Thats a good idea! Oh, wait a minute..." He won, btw. If you know you're not dangerous, forget the list and prove it. After a while, nobody will want to bet on you. Threatening a law suit or other action (which of course you haven't done directly), especially at a dropzone like that, isn't going to make you very popular. You obviously earned your way onto the list. Complaining will only make it worse. Being safe will make it better. Dave

So I did some more snooping. Turns out they took my wonderful business idea (which of course i was never gonna do anyway). This site is a business that puts tandem videos online (for a price). They seem to charge a few bucks per video. Dropzones seem to be able to sign up, and download the special software needed to upload videos. Dave

Interesting. Enter last name test, first name test. That'll give you a some xstreamid's to work with. For example, try 135. Make sure your popup blocker is off. My computer is way too slow for this. Interesting though... protrack data showing with the video. Looks like I have some competition! Dave

2000 foot snivels from hop n' pops? How long does that take, 30 seconds?? Mine inflates slowly during hop n' pops, but it probably only takes a few hundred feet... Dave

There are some WILD guesses here. This is pretty funny. Where are you people coming up with this stuff?? I'm pretty sure wgrayw was right.... looks like a Stinson to me. Maybe a different model/year than the one in his link, but it's DEFINITELY not anything anyone else mentioned. O wait, I think it's a PAC 750XL! Dave

I have off heading openings every time on my sabre2. Got about 325 jumps on it or so. I might get an on-heading opening every 90 jumps, if that. It's totally possible my problem is body position, but I have trouble believing that I don't get it right by mistake more often. It snivels on heading...then just as I'm thinking "ahhh, on heading," it pulls to one side. Anywhere from ~90 degrees to ~360. Rear risers are totally ineffective during that time... I've felt it going right, yanked on the left, and it just keeps going right until it feels like stopping. Openings are always soft... the off heading doesn't bother me much, except when there's a lot of canopy traffic (that's when it guarantee's a turn toward the nearest canopy

The sabre2 has a huge range for where I can start my flare and still land nice and soft. If I flare high, I just flare slowly... come to a stop at 1 foot or less and just plop down softly. Or I can flare about the time my feet touch the ground. Just flare quicker and even pick my feet up if I have to. So it's hard to say if one is higher than the other. Just takes practice... you should be reaching a full flare just about the time you touch the ground. Just gotta figure out what that height looks like. Dave

I hear more about all those stories of hard openings than I hear about hard openings. I think the talk about the talk about hard openings makes it sound more common than it is. I have a Sabre2 so I tend to pay a lot of attention to things like that. But I hear about hard openings on Spectres and other canopies just as often. The one guy that broke his leg from a hard opening is the only one that's sounded really unusual. Comments about other people's stories of hard openings make it sound like it happens on every jump. Where's that poll of what canopies people jump.... I think there was definitely a big spike on the Sabre2. I've got something like 325 jumps on my Sabre2 and no hard openings. Always off heading (unless it does a whole 360), but never hard! Dave

I did look pretty sexy in those, didn't I? I've got a gift certificate for $195 off a bev suit... maybe I should buy me a replica! Dave

My PD150 openings were always firm, but usually not HARD. Every once in a while I'd have a harder opening. Landings were just like you describe... at the right height, FLARE! I bought a sabre2 next and find it much easier to land... just keep flying it till I'm on the ground. The PD flare takes much more timing to get right. Flare a little low and you'll hit a little hard. Flare a little high and you'll hit a little hard. Keep practicing and when you get tired of it, you'll probably be ready for something new (so you can relearn how to land all over).

She looks way better in that jumpsuit than I used to! Dave

Thatd' be The World Famous Tink! That's my favorite part. Dave

You guys don't have to be nice. Bobby has to learn that he totally sucks one of these days. The only way he can improve is through nasty nasty comments about his awful work. Now if you want to see what a promo for the club SHOULD look like, see http://www.skydivingmovies.com/ver2/pafiledb.php?action=file&id=549. Note that every clip or still is of a club member, unlike Bobby's sucky video that's full of clips of non-members. Yeah the skydiving is better in Bobby's, but the other one gives a little better representation of what the club is all about. Oh and I made the other one so I'll ban you from the site forever if you say Bobby's is better! Just kidding. Nice work Bobby! Dave

Thanks! http://www.skydivingmovies.com/ver2/pafiledb.php?action=file&id=2467 if anyone can't find it. Dave