pilotdave

The F-14 was designed to be the "fleet defender." It was meant to take out incoming threats to the fleet. They're now being used also for attacking. So they gave it the nickname "bombcat" which rhymes with tomcat. Dave

In planes, wingloading is a pretty good measure of how the plane will handle turbulence. Planes with very low loadings will get thrown around by small gusts, etc. Also, typically, the higher the loading, the higher the landing speed. Just like a parachute, the smaller the wing, the faster it's gotta be going to produce the same amount of lift at the same angle of attack. Dave

Good luck. My first internship has lead me on a path directly to my career, which starts in June. Internships are great. Dave

So I'm moving to CT in a couple months, and I found a flying club right near where I'll be working. They have a whole fleet of Grumman Tigers/cheetahs/travellers (all the same airframe basically). I've been doing some research since I've never flown one of those. The wing area is 140 sq. feet. My freaking canopy is bigger than that! It's got a wing loading of over 17 at gross weight. Everything I can find about it says it lands kinda fast. YA THINK? It's not really a high loading for a plane, but I just feel like a 4 seat plane needs a bigger wing than my single seat parachute. Can't wait to fly em though! I keep hearing great things about em. Any pilots on here have any time in em? Dave

Very valid point. Perhaps ratings need to be assigned for each person in each forum. Bill Booth should have a very high rating in the Gear and Rigging forum, but a 0 in talk back. Certain other people (I wont name names) should have huge talkback ratings but low ratings in the...ahem...meaningful forums. I'd think each forum needs a completely different rating system to make this work out though. Dave

Naah, it's the Disney World/Land TFRs that are protecting the country from terrorism. Dave

Well, I have no clue how much "protection from above" they have in chicago, but I know here in the DC area, the skies are constantly being watched by an AWACS plane...somewhere. They're designed for watching for low altitude, transponderless targets. If it's flying around here, they see it. Stopping it is another story. The idea that the TFR or the closing of Meigs has any effect on security is a joke. In about 3 months I'm graduating and moving to CT, where the skies are nice and clear. Can't wait to get out of the airpspace here. Course I'll be flying about 15 miles outside New York's messed up airspace, but outside is outside. Dave

Why bulldoze the business parks when you can just bulldoze the airport? Seen meigs field in chicago recently? They bulldozed bigass Xs all down the runway. The mayor (who's been trying to close the airport unsuccessfully for years) says he did it for security reasons. MY ASS. Dave

My first bunch of jumps were (and still are) spread out over a long period of time. I'd often go a couple months between jumps, or even longer. Every time I'd go back to the DZ I'd be asking myself "why the hell am I here? This is just stupid." But I knew I liked skydiving so I'd get back on the plane and go again. Right after opening I'd always think to myself "Oh yeah, now I remember why I came back!" I am (till I "retire" in a couple months) president of a skydiving club. AFF students tell me after their first jump that they will definitely be back do do it again, no matter what. When they tell me that, I always tell them to remember how they feel RIGHT NOW because they won't be feeling it in a week. If they want to make another skydive, they either have to do it right away or else just try to remember how they felt after the jump. If you want to skydive, make yourself go to the DZ and do it. It's the only way. You have to force it sometimes. Just think about how you will feel after the jump and you'll remember why you want to do it. Dave

3djumpsancarlosvenezuela.mpg moved from /UPLOADS/ to /misc/ outdoor adventure-michel1e.avi moved from /UPLOADS/ to /from%20tv/ doug.WMV moved from /UPLOADS/ to /wind%20tunnel/ Cathy 1st session.WMV moved from /UPLOADS/ to /wind%20tunnel/ Fly-Free-But-Not-Cheap-2nd.mov moved from /UPLOADS/ to /misc/ freefly tunnel.WMV moved from /UPLOADS/ to /wind%20tunnel/ Freefly Money Meet Eloy '03.mpg moved from /UPLOADS/ to /freefly/ pclaunch.avi moved from /UPLOADS/ to /cutaways/ Voodoo1ReserveDeployment.MPG moved from /UPLOADS/ to /cutaways/ FlyFreeButNotCheap.mov moved from /UPLOADS/ to /misc/ kevexit.wmv moved from /UPLOADS/ to /exits/ teamsokeat.WMV moved from /UPLOADS/ to /freefly/ Hessu.WMV moved from /UPLOADS/ to /landing/ Satu.WMV moved from /UPLOADS/ to /misc/ SLKjad.WMV moved from /UPLOADS/ to /students/ Snowylanding.WMV moved from /UPLOADS/ to /landing/ T10landing.WMV moved from /UPLOADS/ to /landing/ Lare.WMV moved from /UPLOADS/ to /landing/ tow_van.wmv moved from /UPLOADS/ to /misc/ Andrei1stTandem.mpg moved from /UPLOADS/ to /students/ MikeOrtizCoachedSitfly.mov moved from /UPLOADS/ to /freefly/ MikeOrtizCoachedSitfly.txt moved from /UPLOADS/ to /freefly/ Skydive Reality (15 mins).wmv moved from /UPLOADS/ to /misc/ TombRaiderBirdMan.WMV moved from /UPLOADS/ to /from%20tv/ kytandem.wmv moved from /UPLOADS/ to /students/ kytandem.txt moved from /UPLOADS/ to /students/ Balloon Jump Repel.mpg moved from /UPLOADS/ to /misc/ Balloon Jump Repel.txt moved from /UPLOADS/ to /misc/ more to come... Dave

definitely bullshit. When you bid, you enter an amount. you dont with buy it now. big difference. make him pay. Dave

True, but a canopy is shaped very differently from a plane. A fuselage typically has a destabilizing effect on a plane, because usually it narrows toward the tail so in a sideslip or angle of attack, the foreward part creates more drag than the aft part. The total center of pressure is moved back with the vertical tail... something a canopy is missing. I recently had a homework in my aircraft design class where we had to solve for the rudder deflection needed to keep an aircraft flying straight after an engine failure. The effects of the fuselage and tail and everything else are very important for determining lateral stability of an aircraft. A plane WILL turn into the wind when hit by a crosswind gust. It's not unreasonable to believe a crosswind gust will have SOME effect on a canopy. I have no problem with the idea that a canopy MIGHT turn in an unsteady crosswind. Anyone ever watched their canopy before it collapses after a crosswind landing? Does it rotate? Which way? Dave

Sorry. I deleted it. Not appropriate for the site. Dave

A quick search of www.skydivingfatalities.info shows a LOT more deaths associated with static line than AFF and tandem combined. That says nothing about accident rates, so maybe it really isn't any more dangerous. Anyone know the percentage of students doing static line vs aff and tandem since 1995? I know there are a lot of static line fans out there, and I can't say I've ever even witnessed an actual student static line jump, but I just don't get it. I fully understand why a DZ would offer static line... It's a whole lot less expensive for them. But why any student that has other options would ever choose it is beyond me. Ok old people, go ahead and yell at me! Dave

I had the same problem. He kept signaling me, but I had no clue what he was trying to say. Finally he went around, grabbed my feet, and moved my legs for me. I think the tunnel is great but I was just there for fun with no real plan. If ya wanna learn something specific there, I'd definitely say it would be best to get coaching before going in and if possible split your time up so you can be debriefed between sessions. You can see me and my flailing legs in the tunnel in /wind tunnel/dave_tunnel_3.wmv at skydivingmovies.com. Dave

Yeah like others have said, Be A Pilot is not a company. It's a huge advertising campain sponsored by a whole bunch of organizations and companies. I believe both the AOPA and EAA are involved, and last I heard the advertising is working great. It is NOT like 1-800-skydive, which is all about getting students to go to participating dropzones. Be A Pilot is all about getting more student pilots to start flying. They will only refer you to participating flight schools I'm sure, but thats because they can only offer certain prices for schools that agree to those prices. The whole idea is that a certain percentage of people that take into flight lessons goes on to finish and get licensed. The more people that start, the more will finish. Nobody is getting rich off Be A Pilot. Definitely a good program, but it's also not the only way to go. Check the yellow pages for flight schools too. You may very well find a better deal somewhere else on an intro flight. It's a great gift though! Dave

I went for a ride in a '29 New Standard at the Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome years ago. Would probably make an interesting jump plane. Pretty much looked like a Stearman but held 4 passengers plus the pilot. Dave

http://www.avweb.com/news/profiles/183671-1.html Dave

Ugh. They shut SA off in the first place because they created the ability to turn it back on regionally. Why doesn't the government just lock us all in our homes and not let us go out so we're perfectly safe all the time (except in the bathroom, where 90% of household accidents occur)?

moved to /misc/. Thanks for the video! Dave

Ahhh that story made me smile. Awesome. Dave

It was sewn to the bag. Dave

Was that for me? I have no clue. Came with my used Reflex but I doubt it's the original. No label or markings that I can find. Dave

Take some pics, see how they come out, try to sell em. Dave

Damnit I liked the $300 better! Dave