mattjw916

That's my take on it as well. I swoop a "big" wing and if I let up on the front risers abruptly after putting it in a steep dive it definately climbs without any control input. I have done this many many times on accident and I learned that I need to come off the fronts smoothly because of the size of my canopy and its resulting positive recovery arc. Of course, I'm not a competitor yet, just a beer-line swooper. NSCR-2376, SCR-15080

You are still assuming that everyone subscribes to your uber-nanny philosophy of life. Most of the whuffos I know would probably have been totally okay with the jump even after an explanation of the dangers. They're thinking, "Hell, I'm already jumping out of the plane, how much more dangerous can it possibly be?" Maybe that's her second or third tandem. Maybe she's a packer at the dz. Maybe some people on this forum are too eager to wag a finger at "dangerous" jumpers as some sort of twisted self-affirmation of their own "safety" in the sky. Maybe we don't have all the facts here. I know if I was a TI, I wouldn't have done the jump... but maybe after a couple thousand tandems I would. I'd video it though. NSCR-2376, SCR-15080

Hey dude, don't bitch at me, I know the deal... bitch at the TI instead. I just thought the picture was cool. Mr. Booth also hates Microline but most of us still use it. NSCR-2376, SCR-15080

I roffled at that. That's just your opinion, lol. Mac laptops often self-destruct and incur pricey repairs due to hardware failure. My brother had to basically throw his away because of this. Viruses and Spyware aren't that big of an issue if you don't troll teh intarweb for teh g0ats3x and pr0n all the time and keep up to date with patches. Historically Apples have always been among the most expensive machines, but you get what you pay for IMHO, which is generally good stuff. NSCR-2376, SCR-15080

I don't like the poll either, the wording of it is slanted and there aren't enought options IMHO, but sometimes you go with what you have. NSCR-2376, SCR-15080

Because I thought a TV commercial was _funny_ I am somehow a "danger" to others? Apparently you don't have humor in the Netherlands I guess. edit: punctuation NSCR-2376, SCR-15080

Wow, you soooo missed my point. I said that's NOT what I thought. Maybe you should have read what I wrote more carefully. NSCR-2376, SCR-15080

Exactly at how many years in sport are you granted the mind-reading skill to know what my mindset is? You seem a lot like the grumpy old-schoolers that sit on their lawn-chairs at the DZ most of the day poo-pooing the "newbies" and their "pocket-rockets". Is that a fair assessment of you? Do you really think that's what I think about you when I read your posts? Do you like when someone is unnecessarily judgemental without all the facts? No? If I had a penchant for making snap value judgements about people without bothering to get to know them first maybe I would. But, as it is, I don't. NSCR-2376, SCR-15080

I'm a different "Matt" but thanks. NSCR-2376, SCR-15080

You're totally right!!! _I'm_ what's wrong with this sport!!! /sarcasm I love when the obligatory "dude you're gunna go in" or "you won't last long" posts are made. I actually find them very inspiring personally. They inspire me to never become so jaded that I do nothing more than vent negativity with every stroke of the keyboard. Your tandem fatality example is an apples and oranges comparison. The camera flyer flew above the tandem during deployment and had a collision killing the TM. By your own account then, half the TMs that responded to the poll in the instructor's forum, and said they would possibly participate in a similar jump, are "fucked in the head" too. It appears not everyone shares your sentiment. NSCR-2376, SCR-15080

There's no reason to swoop, do CReW at night, or make world record formations in foreign countries from high altitude either but we still have people that are chomping at the bit to do it. Additional risks be damned. This sport was pioneered by "risk takers". Hell, you think _anyone_ would be able to fly a wingsuit if people hadn't taken big risks during their development? NSCR-2376, SCR-15080

But she can't grab his handle because it's covered by his tee-shirt. Bizarre and unlikely reserve entanglements aside, if the jump was discussed ahead of time and everyone was of appropriate experience levels I still don't see it as the big deal that others are trying to make of it. I immediately thought of a bunch of "worst case" scenarios when I saw the photo too, but most of them are beyond the realm of possibility. I still think it's a "cool" photo... and I have seen faaar more dangerous things. Like the 400-way for example. NSCR-2376, SCR-15080

I wasn't trying to say that there was _no_ additional risk by any means but rather that the additional risk wasn't as catastrophic as some make it out to be. Yes I have witnessed a premature main and reserve deployment first hand and they are inarguably a violent "function" but as was stated earlier _any_ skydive can be "what-if'd" ad nauseaum. I don't see this as substantially more dangerous than some of the 8-way rounds built with tandems in the past. NSCR-2376, SCR-15080

So, the reserve PC gets catapulted clear of the tandem (since the reserve bridle is very long) and the hangar gets yanked off, ouch! Not a high probability of "killing everyone" there. Corking while hanging is not a violent act and the impact would be trivial... I know, because I have done it before. What problems specifically? I have been base, hangar, stinger, and outside video for hybrids and have yet to see anyone killed because it didn't go perfectly. NSCR-2376, SCR-15080

So, then what's the _big_ problem? Premature of the hanger? Why is that anymore likely on this jump than any other? I've done faaaar more "dangerous" stuff than that then. NSCR-2376, SCR-15080

Perhaps you should explain to us why you think this is _so_ dangerous? Knowing what I do about the Sigma tandem system (not an expert though) I don't see anything inordinately dangerous here. NSCR-2376, SCR-15080

ROFL!!! NSCR-2376, SCR-15080

Plenty of hybrids happen every weekend without anyone getting killed... you can "what-if" yourself to death on _any_ skydive that is not a solo. NSCR-2376, SCR-15080

Disclaimer: I am _not_ a rigger. That said here are some things to think about. I personally "lark's head" my d-bag to the canopy attachment point. I do not use a link of any kind but I can't tell from your picture if it is feasible or not since my kill line stops at the d-bag grommet at a rapide link inside the bag IIRC. Secondly, the lines on your canopy are Vectran, not Spectra like your Sabre and will look different and "dirty" much faster than Spectra. The discoloration is not cause for a reline, they all look like than as they age. PM masterrigger1 if you have questions regarding a reline. He is an Icarus service rep. NSCR-2376, SCR-15080

Skinny guy hanging from skinny girl... doesn't seem _that_ dangerous to me. Personally, I think it's rather cool. NSCR-2376, SCR-15080

Well since he was listing Wintel parts I assumed he wasn't buying a Mac and since he didn't specify the program he was going to use I was using Adobe Premier Pro 2.0's requirements as a general guide since I am only familiar with Adobe's offerings. Here are their specs for the interested people though: Windows * Intel® Pentium® 4 1.4GHz processor for DV (Pentium 4 3.4GHz processor for HDV; dual Intel Xeon™ 2.8GHz processors for HD; SSE2-enabled processor required for AMD systems) * Microsoft® Windows® XP Professional or Home Edition with Service Pack 2 * 512MB of RAM for DV; 2GB of RAM for HDV and HD * 4GB of available hard-disk space for installation * Dedicated 7,200RPM hard drive for DV and HDV editing; striped disk array storage (RAID 0) for HD * Microsoft DirectX-compatible sound card (multichannel ASIO-compatible sound card for surround sound) * DVD-ROM drive for installation * DVD+-R burner for DVD creation * 1,280x1,024 video display with 32-bit color adapter * OHCI-compatible IEEE 1394 video interface card for DV and HDV (AJA Xena HS for HD) * QuickTime 6.5 software * Internet or phone connection required for product activation * Adobe-recommended graphics card for GPU-accelerated playback (see the full compatible hardware listing) There's no way I'd even think about limping along with anything less than a dual-core processor for _any_ HD video variant personally. That, in addition to the ludicrous transcode times if there was going to be any DVD-authoring taking place, would suck the life out of me. Since laptops usually are a significant investment for the purchasers I always encourage people to buy as much system as they can afford. A "desktop replacement" type system, which is bulky and heavy, vs. an "ultra-portable" business-traveller-style laptop is more in-line with his needs IMHO. It's hard to have your cake and eat it too with portable systems and the final purchase usually ends up being a compromise of performance vs portability. NSCR-2376, SCR-15080

What program are you planning to use to edit video with? Use the programs's requirements to determine what your memory and processor selection should be. The sys requirements for editing true HD video are serious and realistically cannot be done on a laptop that will be "small and light". NSCR-2376, SCR-15080

RTFM 3333: Excessive variations in ambient air pressure have been measured during the self-test period. The unit is unable to obtain consistent values for the ambient air pressure at ground level. Possible reasons could be that an attempt to switch CYPRES on has been made in a car driving uphill or downhill, in an elevator or in a flying aircraft. The switch-on procedure can be performed several times after a "3333" error was displayed. If the 0– is displayed, the unit is fully functional and can be used for skydiving. NSCR-2376, SCR-15080

Personally I'd go with a pre-built system from a reputable manufacturer with a warranty. If you insist on building it I'd at least double the RAM and buy as much processor as you can afford. You are going to need way more than 1.2Ghz unless you enjoy waiting for stuff to encode. NSCR-2376, SCR-15080

I use the same method... NSCR-2376, SCR-15080