mattjw916

Members
 View Profile  See their activity

  • Content

    2,083

  • Joined

  • Last visited

  • Feedback

    0%

Everything posted by mattjw916

  1. mattjw916
    Personally I don't pick my rig components for "look". There have been a few threads about mixing and matching risers and it doesn't seem to be a big deal. I just bought an extra set of Mirage velcroless mini-risers and they look pretty solid to me, have good brake-line slack keepers, and properly sized (for me) front dive loops. Can't ask for much more IMO. NSCR-2376, SCR-15080
  2. mattjw916
    What is it with this site and people calling troll all the time!!? Just because someone has a dissenting opinion, doesn't make them a troll. NSCR-2376, SCR-15080
  3. mattjw916
    totally... I had to remove half the tail section to top off the primary and secondary rear brake fluid resevoirs since the ABS diagnostics kept flashing lights at me. but hey, it starts first time, everytime so I can't really complain... NSCR-2376, SCR-15080
  4. mattjw916
    Depends on what you are looking to use your bike for. Personally, I'd never buy a "cruiser" under any circumstances they are heavish, have weakish brakes, and marginal suspension. Ducatis are cool, I've owned 2 of them and still own 1, maintenance is a bit pricey though but they sure sound sexy. Hondas are super-reliable and all-around great bikes (the sport ones that is). Harleys are for parades and posseurs and are over-priced. The V-Rod's pretty cool though. I'd be hard pressed to find a bike to replace my BMW K1200RS for commuter/travel duties though. With electronic cruise control, ABS, heated hand grips, power outlets, etc it rules the sport-touring segment IMO. NSCR-2376, SCR-15080
  5. mattjw916
    It was just quiet since everyone was at Nationals I bet... That said I'll be there from Thursday to Sunday. Eloy's over 1000 miles away from home for me now and I still jump there more than any other place. That should be an indication of how much I like it. Cheers! NSCR-2376, SCR-15080
  6. mattjw916
    late-day thunderstorms are a way of life in longmont... the weather, when it does hit, tends to blow through very fast. most of the time the sky just ends up looking scary but never quite moves in. NSCR-2376, SCR-15080
  7. mattjw916
    yeup... that is totally the way to go for batch-converting images esp if you want them to have copyright info, watermarks, specific sizes etc, etc. NSCR-2376, SCR-15080
  8. mattjw916
    None... I try to learn from other people's injuries so I don't have to have any. NSCR-2376, SCR-15080
  9. mattjw916
    stuff I have owned: 70 Volkswagon Type 3 fastback 95 Kawasaki Ninja ZX-7 96 Ducati 900SS SP 98 Dodge Dakota R/T 97 Ford Contour 85 Chevrolet Celebrity 01 Honda S2000 98 Ducati 748 02 BMW M Roadster 03 BMW K1200RS 04 Chevrolet Impala ...still have the last 4 and gave the Ford to the parents. NSCR-2376, SCR-15080
  10. mattjw916
    There is no "travel" involved to get to Eloy's tunnel, it is at the dropzone. Of course, if it's hot outside, I'd rather drive down the little road than walk it. That said, I have been to Eloy, Elsinore, Perris, and about ten other places and I'd have to say that Eloy is where I'd choose to go over them all. Example: I show up there recently after not having been there in many months, manifest still remembers my name and it's a 2 second update of the computer before I can jump again, no hassle. I walk out into the hangar, say hi to Tom, one of the LOs, and within 2 minutes I'm dirt-diving an 8-way with video, no jumpsuit, no stress, all fun. As an added bonus the likes of Yoko and Amy C will often get on the mic and practically beg new people to come and jump with them... that's just cool IMO. I'll take Eloy anyday but I really love Elsinore's vibe too. NSCR-2376, SCR-15080
  11. mattjw916
    a weekend... my level 7 was basically a fun-jump, so I guess that one NSCR-2376, SCR-15080
  12. mattjw916
    Put a bottle of excellent gin (or vodka) in the freezer. Put the glass in the freezer. Wait until they are c o l d (saves you messing with ice cubes and diluting the mix) Pour 8cl of gin or vodka directly into chilled glass. Lay 2-3 drops of extra dry Vermouth on top. Cut a thin twist of lemon and run it around the rim and place it in the glass. Olive optional. This is a summary of Salvatore Calabrese's build method. I prefer Bombay Sapphire Gin and Vox Vodka, but there are plenty of other good ones. Oh yeah, if you take cheap Vodka and run it through a Brita filter a bunch of times, you get expensive Vodka. NSCR-2376, SCR-15080
  13. mattjw916
    getting the crap kicked out me during deployment/canopy mals were my only real concern... I started jumping a Safire and don't worry about that anymore. NSCR-2376, SCR-15080
  14. mattjw916
    naaaah, Keith's just hiding his water-wings under there so he won't drown... NSCR-2376, SCR-15080
  15. mattjw916
    I guess we have to define a what kind of a turn constitutes a "hookturn". In my short time in sport here's my take: hookturn? - any turn which somebody doesn't like NSCR-2376, SCR-15080
  16. mattjw916
    Somewhere around $3000 2 tandems 7 AFF 2 high solos 1 low solos 12 coach jumps 1 fun jump Took me a few weeks to do, haven't stopped since. NSCR-2376, SCR-15080
  17. mattjw916
    skyride? - the thing people like to rant about on dz.com but I have never heard mentioned elsewhere, not even once. freeflying? - it's what people learn to do when they get fed up or bored with flying around in the pull-position. swoooping? - it's what the latest generation of skydivers do to piss off the last generation and generally frequently injure themselves while doing so. NSCR-2376, SCR-15080
  18. mattjw916
    Mine's kinda complicated but basically I sold some of my company stock since the market wasn't going anywhere at the time. If I had held the stock it would be worth about $700 more now than it was, but then again having a nearly flawless Mirage was a good trade-off. NSCR-2376, SCR-15080
  19. mattjw916
    Michigan gets my vote NSCR-2376, SCR-15080
  20. mattjw916
    ...and in a stroke of having very little imagination, it is also the name of the canopy. Either that, or they are big Kill Bill fans. Aerodyne sure has some dorky canopy names. Look on the back cover of Skydiving mag for their new ad. NSCR-2376, SCR-15080
  21. mattjw916
    My sprint phone doesn't work in the bent prop at all... it works fine outside though. NSCR-2376, SCR-15080
  22. mattjw916
    I vote for titanium hardware personally... I know it has been discussed here before, but hopefully it will become available in the next ten years, at least as an option. NSCR-2376, SCR-15080
  23. mattjw916
    Slow your roll there dude, you really have to not take comments so personally here. I jump a Safire too and like Tonto said, the majority of the flare is at the bottom of the toggle stroke, not up around your ears like a Sabre 2. Does that mean the Safire has "no flare"? Nope, it means that each canopy is trimmed differently and both can be swooped and landed well once the pilot learns to "feel" the canopy as Tonto put it. Flaring should not be a "muscle memory" thing, it should be more akin to pushing on the brakes in your car. You don't hit the brakes as hard or as fast when driving different models of cars since they each have a different "feel". NSCR-2376, SCR-15080
  24. mattjw916
    Consultant for super-secret gov't agencies that make baby jesus cry. NSCR-2376, SCR-15080
  25. mattjw916
    Each manufacturer uses a different numbering scheme. For example: my Mirage container is an "M5" size which means roughly 190-170 main and 176-160 reserve. A Javelin with same sized the canopies is called a "J4K". Check the websites or call the manufacturer to find out what canopies should fit. edit: oops NSCR-2376, SCR-15080