pilotdave

I posted this before, but my concern with low pack volume mains is that, given container sizes that are available now from most manufacturers, a new jumper might be tempted to buy a reserve a couple sizes small in order to get the tiny container that will last his whole skydiving career. An optimum might be a good choice, but they also cost a lot more than many other reserves out there. If a Pulse 170 packs 2 sizes smaller, it would fit in a container made for a 135. A cheap used container might fit a 135 main and 120 reserve. I own one. Might be a tempting purchase for a first rig, since it'll hold everything from a 170 main to a 120 or smaller. Dave

When you're ready to jump a camera, get a helmet designed for it. You can attach a camera to anything if you really want to, but a mamba will not give the support you'll need and the safety you'll want. Don't worry about cameras yet. I know you probably want to save money, but skydiving is going to take every cent you make for the rest of your skydiving career, so there's no reason to worry about having to buy another helmet a long time from now. You're going to buy a lot of stuff, and soon enough you'll be like me and have a gear bag full of skydiving stuff you barely ever use. I have enough gear I don't use to fully equip another skydiver... if he was my size and shape. Dave

That was my thought exactly. When I'm tracking as fast as I can after a bigway or any other skydive, the last thing on my mind is a hard opening. My sabre2 doesn't much care what I do before I pull. I have a PD150 and a Tri 120 that aren't so nice to me though. Dave

Is he too old for these shenanigans now? Dave

Thanks for the info guys. Any idea if it'd have a bridle attachment point? Might be fun to try as a main. The container is a Strong MiniHawk. I might buy it just because it's so cute.

It's called a Glory. Dave

We used to have a lot of racers. They've mostly been replaced by Vortex rigs. Almost never see those anywhere else, but we have tons of em because of a couple people. UPT can make an accuracy rig too... we have one acc guy that uses a Vector3 specially made for acc. They left off the internal riser covers. The nicest looking acc rig I've ever seen is a Wings, BTW. Looks like a sport rig. But most of our acc guys seem to like the RI Classic Pro rigs, or Racers. Dave

Go to a dropzone to jump and get measured while you're there. The DZs in your profile both have good gear stores. Or call them and see if you can find a rigger or someone else (that has measured people for rigs) in your area. Dave

Anyone know anything about the Pioneer Phoenix reserve? I'm borrowing (or more like storing) a rig equipped with one. The owner told me it's a square... as in... square, not rectangular. I've never heard of it before, and I'm just wondering if there's any special reason why it'd be totally unsafe to jump. I'm not worried about condition... it was packed by a master rigger only a couple months ago. Just curious if all the rest of them have been destroyed for a good reason or something.

Some recent and not so recent ones... Dave

Pretty sure these are the two injuries that resulted from that competition: http://www.skydivingmovies.com/ver2/pafiledb.php?action=file&id=120 http://www.skydivingmovies.com/ver2/pafiledb.php?action=file&id=121 No descriptions (who runs that site??) and I can't watch em right now, so I'm not 100% sure that those are the videos I'm thinking of. Dave

As I said before, repack time isn't logged. Why not assume a repack time of 11:59pm if you're going to worry about minutes instead of dates? Dave

Really? It's done all the time in magazines. They don't like to show planes flying off a page... it's awkward and draws the readers eyes in the wrong direction. They often flip images to the plane is flying toward the middle of the page. Same technique is used on web pages all the time. Used for cars too. I've never felt insulted by it. Dave

I thought Taken was great. Not very realistic (he should have died about 20 times). It reminded me a little of Man on Fire... but not as good. And I absolutely hated gran turino. Dave

Measured how? When you can define the correct way to measure a canopy, someone can tell you if PDs are bigger or smaller.

Since the repack time isn't logged, I think it's safe to assume all repacks are completed at 11:59 PM. Dave

Don't do it! There's nothing wrong with Racers themselves, but Racer jumpers are a cult! If you start jumping a Racer, you'll get sucked in and you'll never get out. You'll be posting positive gear reviews within days. And then you'll cancel your voodoo order and you'll order a brand new racer (which can be at your door 3 minutes after you order). And every time someone comes on dropzone.com to ask if they should buy a Javelin or a Mirage, you'll pipe up and suggest a Racer out of the blue as if anybody wanted that opinion. It's a sickness! Don't you see that it's happening already? Just by touching the thing, you want to jump it. It only gets worse. BURN THE RACER! Or just jump it. Dave

Depends on the dropzone and the deal the team makes with them. Some DZs have standard team rates and others negotiate with each team. I have done video for a 4-way team for the last 2 years at 2 different DZs. Both gave us free video slots, and one gave discounted jumps as well ($3 off or so). One required us to sign up to a certain number of jumps for the year, the other had no minimum (though we did not end up having to pay the difference when we didn't meet the minimum). And one required us to compete locally using the DZs name in our team name, the other had no specific requirement. I think the reason why some dropzones give discounts to teams varies. Teams can help keep planes flying. We were starting early and making 10 loads a day when we trained. But at some dropzones, that's a major nuisance. We also competed at nationals using the dropzone's name in our team name. Good for exposure I guess, but it's not like they were sponsoring a top team. Dave

I think you asked me how they have hurt me personally? They haven't. It's not personal. I don't have any idea what point you're trying to make. Skyride is bad for the sport. That's my opinion based on what I've seen them do for years. I take it you don't agree with me and see skyride as a company that only causes problems for whuffos that we don't need to care about? Dave

Yeah, I have bookmarks for the weather, the dropzone webcam, and even the manifest screen (which also shows weather). On many winter weekends, I'll often get out of bed when I see people are starting to manifest for load 1.

I see you haven't been around long. Do you know the history behind anything you're talking about? Do you know how many dropzones and skydivers have been wronged by skyride? Do you have any idea what dropzones were started with drug money and when? Skyride steals from skydivers. They have a long history of it. No, they don't come to your home and take money out of your wallet. They steal intellectual property, business (through lies and deception), etc, etc, etc. There are plenty of references where you can look up the details of what they've done and what they continue to do. You make it sound like there are all kinds of dropzones in the drug dealing business. That's not the case. There are however a few dropzones affiliated with a company that has profited by stealing from other dropzones and skydivers and through tricking OUR customers and potential skydivers. Research who you're talking about and I think your opinion will either change. Or maybe you already jump at one of their dropzones? Dave

I'm rereading what I wrote and I'm not sure what you're getting at. I'm not saying I don't care about criminal behavior. I hope the skyride guys go to prison. I'm just saying that many skydivers, maybe most skydivers, are willing to ignore lots and lots of bad behavior when it doesn't affect them personally. I can see why you don't give a crap that the owner of your DZ is a piece of shit (he's not on here, so that's ok to say, right?). Lots of people wouldn't give a crap if their DZO funded his dropzone by doing lots of horrible things. But I don't think you see that skyride is bad for skydivers. You SHOULD care, even though skyride is nice enough to let you jump out of their planes. Some of us get very annoyed at those of you that support skyride dropzones because we see how they hurt us. Dave

That's why I like the concept of low pack volume reserves. I think low pack volume mains will have the exact opposite effect. I'm not saying they don't have advantages too. I absolutely agree with you that they open up gear options, especially when combined with low pack volume reserves. I'd love a smaller rig without having to downsize anything. But I do think a side effect of low pack volume mains will be jumpers downsizing reserves in order to get that smaller container. I'm looking forward to container manufacturers catching up with the times (my idea of the times anyway) and designing rigs with main containers for fun canopies and reserve containers for appropriately sized reserves. I don't see it happening though, when companies like PD keep coming out with smaller and smaller reserve sizes. Dave

I think the difference is that skyride hurts US. Skydivers. The fact that there are DZs that were funded way back by drug dealing or whatever just doesn't have an effect on us now. Skyride is a cancer. It's not just that they're immoral and criminal, it's that their "business" affects skydivers. I know a lot of people don't see that... especially those skydivers jumping at skyride's awesome dropzones. But, in my opinion, that's pretty freaking short sighted. Ignoring immoral and criminal behavior is the norm. Ignoring a threat to our sport should not be the norm. Dave

That's the exact type of lens flare I got with a cheap canon UV filter (see below spiderman's chest strap). When I realized it was the culprit, I upgraded to a B+W multi-coated UV filter and the problem went away. But that filter is pretty pricey in 77mm size, so I didn't get one for my 10-22. No regrets so far... but I haven't dropped that one. Yet. Dave