pilotdave

A cheapo is my other option and might be a better idea. But those can be so damn annoying. When ya want to wake up an hour early one day and you need to hit the set button like 23 times. And you stop on PM instead of AM cause its not well indicated. I want a freaking computerized alarm clock. I want an alarm clock that knows my schedule and knows how bad traffic is to wake me at an appropriate time. And it should automatically go off saturday mornings exactly 2 hours before load 1 takes off. Dave

I NEED a snooze button. If I had to get out of bed to turn the thing off, it'd be going out the window very quickly. This morning I hit my snooze button every 10 mins for over an hour and a half. Damn alarm has that feature where it starts off quiet and gradually gets louder and louder... I always have it shut off before it really wakes me up at all. I really hate alarm clocks. I wish I could design my own. Dave

I've had it with my alarm clock. Time for a new one. But I want one that DOESN'T piss me off all the time. Anyone know of a good alarm clock? I'm on my 2nd GE alarm clock now. I used my first one through most of college and finally threw it in the garbage. It had some of the dumbest design mistakes I think an alarm clock designer could make. For example, when fumbling for the snooze button, it was easy to hit the time set buttons and move it ahead a few hours. When I decided to replace it, I found another GE alarm clock that seemed to have solved the thingsI hated about the old one. But now this one is pissing me off. To reset an alarm, so it stops going off today and does tomorrow, i need to hold down the right button for like 3 seconds. Hit the wrong button (it's surrounded by buttons that all feel the same) and you might be turning on the other alarm or the nap mode which makes the alarm go off in 20 minutes. That's what I did this morning and had to get out of the shower to shut the damn alarm off. Also the damn screen is backlit with a 50000 candlepower spotlight. I swear you could see this clock from space. I need to turn it around so it isn't facing me when I'm trying to sleep. Oh also both GE alarm clocks have just decided not to go off every once in a while for no apparent reason. I'll never buy another GE. Been searching on the internet, but can't find any really good info. I'm looking for something with 2 alarms, a screen that won't blind me, easy to turn on and off, easy to use when i'm only half awake, and generally won't make me madder than I will naturally be in the morning. Any recommendations? Dave

I think it would help if you explained yourself a little more. You've confused enough people with your joke about the 45 degree rule.

That's what I originally thought. But after playing with it in kallend's simulator, I found that it didn't work as I expected. Problem is that when the fast fallers go out first, they open significantly earlier than the slower fallers, giving them more time to drift under canopy underneath the slow fallers still in freefall. Having fast fallers go out last does bring them closer up high, but with any realistic delay, they still open first, but begin to drift out of the way, increasing separation. In reality, I'd prefer to just avoid a downwind jumprun (in significant winds) because I wouldn't trust anyone on the plane to give me a safe exit separation. While it seems everyone knows the 45 degree rule doesn't work, I still do hear "watch the angle the previous group makes with the plane, and don't go till they're far enough back." I've never heard anyone compare upper winds with winds at opening altitude to judge exit separation. But at least everyone's experienced with upwind jump runs. I just wouldn't trust their judgement for a downwind jumprun. Dave

I hate the idea of downwind jumpruns. The biggest problem, in my opinion, is that canopies from one group are flying toward the next group of freefallers. With an upwind jump run, the plane is flying away from the airport. Each group opens farther and farther away, while the previous group of open canopies is moving farther from the opening point, toward the airport. With a downwind jumprun, the plane is flying toward the airport at the exit point. Open canopies from one group are flying toward the opening point of the next group. Better plan separation really carefully to avoid one groups opening point from coinciding with the previous group's position under canopy. Dave

******************************************************************************** ** Report created 6/15/2004 Record 1 ** ******************************************************************************** IDENTIFICATION Regis#: 1076T Make/Model: B06 Description: 206A/B/L, 406, TH-206 JETRANGER, LONG Date: 06/10/2004 Time: 1910 Event Type: Accident Highest Injury: Fatal Mid Air: N Missing: N Damage: None LOCATION City: GRAND CANYON State: AZ Country: US DESCRIPTION PAPILLION HELICOPTERS, COPTER 30, N1076T, A BELL 206L-1 ROTORCRAFT, AT 7500 FEET, REPORTEDLY HAD FRONT SEAT PASSENGER JUMP OUT OF THE AIRCRAFT AND WAS FATALLY INJURED, 10 1/2 MILES NW OF THE GRAND CANYON AIRPORT, GRAND CANYON, AZ INJURY DATA Total Fatal: 1 # Crew: 1 Fat: 0 Ser: 0 Min: 0 Unk: # Pass: 5 Fat: 1 Ser: 0 Min: 0 Unk: # Grnd: Fat: 0 Ser: 0 Min: 0 Unk: WEATHER: NOT REPORTED OTHER DATA Activity: Business Phase: Cruise Operation: Air Taxi (On Demand) Departed: GRAND CANYON, AZ Dep Date: 06/10/2004 Dep. Time: 1838 Destination: GRAND CANYON, AZ Flt Plan: VFR Wx Briefing: N Last Radio Cont: UNK Last Clearance: UNK FAA FSDO: LAS VEGAS, NV (WP19) Entry date: 06/14/2004 Dave

Yahoo mail has been acting funny during the switchover (new look, more space). But it's mostly been working fine for me. Dave

I'm about 20 minutes away... but no craziness during the week for me. Damn work and grad school always getting in the way of my fun. Dave

Yeah I just got the email from yahoo saying I now have 2 gigs. I was wondering what was gonna happen when they upgraded the free accounts to 100 megs since I've been paying like $20/year for 25 megs. I figured it'd be generous if they gave 250 megs. But 2 gigs? Damn, that'll take me a while to fill. I hope they increase the number of blocked addresses and mail filters. That's what I need more than lots of space. Dave

Smores is my favorite. I once made the mistake of buying strawberry without the frosting. Man was I pissed when I opened one. Who the heck would buy (on purpose) an unfrosted pop tart??? Dave

My first tandem was the instructor's 7th. I dunno which of us was more nervous.

0 injured knees (finally):10:a few First helicopter jump, first jumps with booties, first jumps with my new altimaster neptune, and 200th jump. Helicopter (Allouette II) was awesome. Booties are great. Tracking is sooo fast. Didn't get much time to try turning fast, but they definitely seemed to help. And suddenly I'm falling much faster. I think it's because I'm keeping my lower legs more vertical. But I did two RW jumps with no weight on today and did fine. Haven't jumped without weights in a long time. The neptune is cool. Wore it on the hand mount to play with it, but i'll probably use it as an audible in the future. So far I really like it, but there are a couple changes in the software I'd like to see (for example showing total freefall time at each jump so it's easier to log). My 200th was a cool load. Sunset load saturday evening. On the plane was another guy doing his 200th, and one doing his 500th. All just randomly fell on the same load. Dave

As much as I'm enjoying your replies, I gotta say it's time to just sit back and shut up. Seriously, this one thread is damaging your reputation. I mean, I was shocked to learn that you're not just a troll. I can't believe you actually think this way. But it doesn't matter what I think or what 99.9% of the other people on here think. What matters is the people that know you in person, and obviously their opninons have changed. You should know by now how small a world this is. Your reputation will follow you for a long long time no matter where you go. You've made it clear here that you're not willing to accept any advice, or even pretend to take advice. That's not a good reputation to have. Try to minimize the number of people that know your reputation. Continuing to post this stuff here is a baaaad way to do that. You can continue to skydive with a bad reputation... unless you get blacklisted by the DZOs. But don't expect to be a happy skydiver. But then again, canopy flight is a solo sport, right? Dave

In today's AvWeb Newswire: "These guys prove you don't need a license to fly ... but maybe it helps if you're certifiable (kidding, please don't write). "Wing suiters" are taking the latest thrill ride to extremes, jumping miles from the normal parachute drop zone and swooping cross-country to the target at about 90 mph laterally and just 40 mph vertically. The special suits also extend the "freefall" to more than two minutes from 13,000 feet, at least twice the duration of a normal drop. "It's really spooky …," Tim Mace told Popular Mechanics after a demonstration in South Africa. "You get to the point where you think you're going to be there forever." And then, there's aerobatics. The sleeves of the wing suit have vents on the leading edge of the arms. Inrushing air inflates tubular cells, forming a web-shaped wing that spreads arm-to-arm across the diver's back. Triangular wedges also form between the diver's legs to form a tail. Wing suiters are able to do basic flight maneuvers and the 15-hour training course Mace runs also teaches barrel rolls, spins, dives and (we'd have to see this to believe it) loops, according to the magazine. Beginners need not apply, however. Minimum requirement is 500 regular parachute jumps." Dave

Write a review in the dropzones section. In fact, whether or not a DZ charges a credit card fee might be a good piece of info for the dropzones database here. Dave

Good comeback. But no, I meant your level. You're the one that said it. But anyway, I'm gonna go on a limb here and guess Ron may be slightly more skilled at canopy flying than I am. To think otherwise would be absurd, wouldn't it? And I only have a few more jumps than you do. Dave

Just as capable? Why in the world would you think that? I've never met Ron, but I just assume he's not such a slow learner that he's only at your level after so many jumps. I totally agree with you there. When you're all by yourself in the sky, go ahead and jump whatever you want. I just wouldn't wanna be in the area! Problem is, this is a sport where you can kill others, not just yourself. You dont have to lack confidence or have demonstrated that you're dangerous before to screw up. And as its been demonstrated many times, the faster your canopy is, the more less leeway you get when you screw up. Out of curiosity, do you think airplane pilots should be treated the same way? Would you be comfortable under canopy, flying in the national airspace system, knowing that the planes flying around you are being flown by pilots with an unknown level of training? The guy flying that learjet might have 100 hours... That perfectly fine as long as he's managed to land the thing without killing anyone a few times? But anyway.... I'm REALLY enjoying this thread. Keep disagreeing with people that were once in your shoes and have learned from it. Dave

Your instructor will only be scared if he owns the plane. Other than that, he won't be there so what's he care? Have a great time. I loved my solo cross countries. Course I did mine to like 5 different states... guess down there that gets kinda far, huh? Hardest part of the whole thing is figuring out where to park to go get your logbook signed... at least at the small airports. Easiest time I had was a class C airport. Lineman came out with the wands and guided me into a space, then they literally put down a red carpet for me. Fun trip! Dave

Hey I believe it. Now do a cost/benefit analysis and show the FAA there is a reason to spend all the money and effort it would take to make the change. You don't have to convince skydivers that there's a good reason for this, you need to convince the FAA. Less wear is meaningless. Prove something they care about. Dave

Tried PMing him? He's billbooth on here.

You probably forgot to pay your bill this month. I'll show you an inexplicable lack of site functionality real fast! Anyway, since ya never mentioned how I went out of my way to retrieve your password (before I noticed this post of course), I thought I'd go ahead and mention it.

They just rewrote part 105 a few years ago with, in my opinion, all positive outcomes. I think it's pretty clear they won't be making any more changes for a while. I think it'll be very hard to prove a real benefit to going to a 180 day repack cycle. Dave

Do you mean to be agreeing with bill? Because you are. His point is just because it's worked for one person doesn't make it a good idea. You seem to be saying the same thing. I assume you mean to be saying that being too conservative can be a bad thing. And I agree with you. That's why nobody's suggesting we all jump manta 288s for our entire lives. Dave

Well, I think its slightly more complicated than that. Laptops come in different varieties. Even if I could afford a laptop with a 17 inch screen, I wouldn't buy one. I'd prefer a little tiny light one with a 12 inch screen. The little tiny laptops often sacrifice power and features that the big ones have, but if portability is important to you, tht might be the better way to go. I personally have a crappy dell. It was a piece of crap from day 1. Luckily it was my brother's, not mine. I ordered it for him, and chose to have a floppy drive and CD drive. I was pretty shocked to open the box and find out only one could be installed at a time. Didn't happen to mention that little tidbit on the dell site. He ended up giving me the laptop when it drove him totally insane and he moved on to a compaq or something. I fixed most of the issues, but now diagonal rows of keys tend to stop working every once in a while, and the touchpad randomly just starts moving the cursor for no reason sometimes. But I don't complain when I'm given a free laptop. Dave