skybill

Hi again 1399, You're getting there. Like I said, get a Poynters Manual, it's the where you will find just about everything you want to know about how parachutes are built but didn't know where to look or who to ask book. Have fun. SCR-2034, SCS-680 III%, Deli-out

Hi 1399, Ya' gotta' look at the big picture. The geometry of the whole rig is designed to take "X" shock load at "X" MPH with "X" lbs. in the saddle. If you want to get into the values of parts, get a Poynters manual and start reading. FYI the Lbs. rating on webbing, tapes, etc. is done by pulling the test sample apart in a test machine where the jaws are pulling the sample at a "constant" rate of 3 inches per minute!! Lots of fun, a piece of T/VII sounds like a .45 pistol going off when it finally breaks!!! Also, the "given" value is the minimum strength rating. Another piece of engineering fun is calculating joint efficiency. Look at the bottom of your canopy and figure out the "joint efficiency" of where one suspension line attaches?? Where's the weak link there? In the attach loop? In the loop of the susp. line? At the insertion of the loop of the susp. line? At the "end" of the inserted piece of the susp. line? Try the "end" of the inserted piece of the susp. line!! Notice the taper of the inner piece, the longer the better! A blunt cut is bad stuff. Run your fingers down the insertion on your lines down to the taper. If it is smooth like the inside piece is cut at a shallow angle (45 deg. or less) it's ok. More, (blunt) bad news. Onward and upward, get your Poynters Manual and start reading!!!! SCR-2034, SCS-680 III%, Deli-out

Hi Sky, Ya' got 50 jumps, hang out at the dz a lot and wonder what it would be like dating a whuffo?? Look around! There are more (available) guy skydivers than girl skydivers just about everywhere!!! You got your pick!!! Generally speaking though, if a guy skydiver dates a whuffo girl it usually works. On the other hand, if a girl skydiver (one who jumps regular, has her own rig and is really into the skydiving scene) dates a whuffo, the date may last 30 minutes to an hour at most especially if she even hints a little anything about the sport!! With whuffo guys, especially with a serious case of matcho, it's about intimidation!!!! Good Luck. SCR-2034, SCS-680 III%, Deli-out

LOL!!! Aggie Dave hit the nail!! All that coke and no JD!!! Also good in coke is Rum and a squeeze of lime (Cuba Libre!!!!) SCR-2034, SCS-680 III%, Deli-out

Try Dropzone "C" With no air time in two years and no rig I'd say that you're a bit rusty. How was your progression before you layed off? Were you on top of your game or???? Keep us posted on what happens. AD pretty well sums it up. SCR-2034, SCS-680 III%, Deli-out

Hi Nick, LOL

Hi Mr. G, If you jump good gear that's well maintained, and you don't do stupid things than probability is on your side. Even when you cover all your bets, you may still have a "unexplainable event!!!" I had a couple of mals on cheapo's, one classic chop on a P.C. out of 500 P.C. jumps and on ram airs, 5 so far. Have a good reserve, a sharp hook knife and keep a cool head. Last reserve ride was in '93 and the one before that was 09SEP79 at Perris on a Viking. That was the best of the bunch!!! After that Mal, I reworked the canopy with crossports and new lines with different trim settings, opened fine after that. SCR-2034, SCS-680 III%, Deli-out

Hey Dar, Unless you live in a major metro area, (NYC, LA, SF, etc.) it seems there's a radio waste land out there unless you have sattellite radio. When I drove truck OTR it seemed that the only good stations were near big cities. I've heard better sounds come from a clothes drier with a couple of sneakers in it than come from some radio stations!!!! Every now and then to keep myself from going totally mad, I go into my archives, find my old original 45rpm single of Chuck Berry's "Johnny B. Goode" and play it!!! Remember, John Lennon is suppose to have said at some time," If they didn't call it Rock and Roll they'd have to call it Chuck Berry!!" Get to the Roots of it all. Turn off your radio, get your guitar and strum C-Am-F-G, have fun. SCR-2034, SCS-680 III%, Deli-out

Hi Lou, Cool Beans!! Did you jump up and down on it to get it closed or use a "Ram??" SCR-2034, SCS-680 III%, Deli-out

Hi Remmy, Sorry man, the whole trip is really kinda' an esoteric legend steeped in obscurity, mystery and obfuscation not necessarily in that order! SCR-2034, SCS-680 III%, Deli-out

Hi Wardo, We got "Bag locks" where the good stuff won't come outa da bag and then there are "Brain Locks" Where everything is going fine on the skydive until you "forget what to do next!!!!!!!!!!!" SCR-2034, SCS-680 III%, Deli-out

Hi CK, True that "Frappe" my mean shattered in French,"BUT" it is also true that a "Frappe" is a term for an ice cream malt/milkshake here south of the border (US/CAN) and was more popular in the US Northeast (Probably New Jersey??) and has fallen from the common jargon in recent years. As far as skydiving I remember the term eminating from "THE GULCH" circa early 70's referring to going in high speed as in,"He Frapped!" The term Frappe referring to the consistancy of the corpse after the fact, about like that of an icecream milkshake, "A FRAPPE!!!" Sounds grim but it fits. For sure ask Mike or Bob?? But that's another story! A lot of our terminology is local in origin and and its origin is lost in obscurity. A "Classic" example is the chant,"Blue Skys, Black Death!" There is a thread devoted to it and the note by Pat Works covers it. SCR-2034, SCS-680 III%, Deli-out

Hi Packer, Dirt Alert, #2 also goes by the term, "Reaper Beeper." SCR-2034, SCS-680 III%, Deli-out

Hi Steelie, You gotta look before ya leap!! Termites are sly and crafty characters!! They will eat into a painted2x4 board and just leave the paint!! As a real estate agent said when I pointed out a house I wanted to look at,"No I already cased that one out and if the termites quit holding hands it'll collapse on top of us!!" Best bet if you got em in your house is get a pro to kill em and get a contract (Year to year) if they show back up the agent will 86 them again. Hope you don't get those formosan mites like they have in New Orleans!! SCR-2034, SCS-680 III%, Deli-out

Hi H.B., Charlie don't surf, Charlie don't skydive, but he's sure gonna huff and puff and try to blow your door down!!!! So, we got this Bonnie and Charlie?? Sure hope they don't become a Bonnie and Clyde for Florida and the East Coast!!! SCR-2034, SCS-680 III%, Deli-out

Hi Snap, (Overheard in the DZ Bar),"Ya' wanna' make a small fortune in Skydiving??? Well, start with a 'LARGE' one." SCR-2034, SCS-680 III%, Deli-out

Hi PC, I'm surprised that no one has posted------- CRATER, the gingerbread man shaped hole left at ground zero of a high speed (very little or no canopy out) landing. Very "Impressive" in soft dirt! SCR-2034, SCS-680 III%, Deli-out

Hi PC, Snivel, #2. What your parachute is doing when it has exceeded its' "normal" opening time!!! Hum job, Hummer (not the vehicle), Hummit'. What you are doing when you 'Intentionally" exceed normal opening altitude and go noticably low!! Most impressive when a loud "Yahoo" is heard on the ground from the participant before chucking their pilotchute!! Pud, the object attached to the top of your hand deployed pilot chute for the purpose of securing a grip for deployment as in, "Pull your PUD!!!! Whuffo, Contraction for "What for" in the Southern dialect. On the DZ the comment usually heard from curious "Hayseed" spectators,"Hey bowah, 'whuffo' you jump outta' dem par-shoots huh?????" Hence spectators are "Whuffos." Frappe, A Northeastern U.S. term for an icecream milkshake. In Skydiving, same as Bounce. SCR-2034, SCS-680 III%, Deli-out

Hey Philly, See if you can find a copy of the Lost Prarie 25th anniversary boogie video. There's a great naked tandem jump on it!! "Hey Lady Godiva!!!!!" SCR-2034, SCS-680 III%, Deli-out

Hi Chaos, Congrats on "da JOB!!!!" Hope they gave you some more $$$ too!! If you get near Fayetteville, N.C. come hop at Raaeford. The DZ has an Otter and a great Bar!! SCR-2034, SCS-680 III%, Deli-out

Hi Sky, Soloed a 7AC Champ when I was 16, made my first jump when I was 18 and got my Private (SEL) when I was 34. Over the years I've spent more time skydiving than flying but it's all relative. Oh yes, I've also been building and flying model airplanes (AMA 87838)since I was old enough to glue two pieces of balsawood together and get it into the air!! It's about "FLYING!!" I love it all!!! SCR-2034, SCS-680 III%, Deli-out

Hi DV, Dumpster's info should get you going in the right direction. Also, make sure your connections are secure. I was having trouble with my rig (low range) so I unscrewed the connectors, cleaned them with a small wire brush and "what a difference!!" The antenna connector is out in the weather and should be monitored. SCR-2034, SCS-680 III%, Deli-out

Hi PC, At 5'11" and 160# with your rig add 20 or so #'s you should do ok. At 99 jumps you are just getting into the swing of things so onward and upward. One thing that will definitely help is a slick tight suit. Try a leap in a spandex workout suit and you'll probably leave a contrail!!! Also, people always talk about arching hard to go faster or some other hard, tight, tuck or whatever. Try just the opposite, go limp, like a wet dish rag!! Get flat on the air and R-E-L-A-X!!!! Let the air hold your arms and legs like wet spaghetti!! You want to move? Just push in the direction you want to go!! There's no hard and fast rules here, just some ideas to work with. Hope it helps. SCR-2034, SCS-680 III%, Deli-out

Hi 2k, If there is somebody around that you absolutely detest, take the laces from their sneakers!!!! They make great pullup cords!!!!! Nah, that's not nice. When you get to WFFC, look around for someone that's using an old round canopy for a shade/tent. Ask for a couple of pieces of the suspension lines. If it's Mil-C-5040 T/III, 550# line, cut a piece, gut it and bingo, you got pull-ups, closing loops and more!!!! SCR-2034, SCS-680 III%, Deli-out

Hi Mailin, My prayers to you and your Kitty. My Fartsarelli had the hyperthyroid thing also. We thought he had cancer or something and were going to lose him. Vet said it was hyperthyroid whatever and had some drugs to control it. Farts hung in there with us for another year. He lived to be 17. I hope your Kitty gets better. SCR-2034, SCS-680 III%, Deli-out