mattjw916

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Everything posted by mattjw916

  1. mattjw916
    If you plan on doing any demos and want the USPA insurance coverage you will need to have a current log book. Or so I was led to believe. (One of my friends was hosed by this recently but the demo got cancelled) NSCR-2376, SCR-15080
  2. mattjw916
    My goals for the next 6 months, work permitting... 1. complete C license 2. first BASE jump + more hopefully 3. coach rating 4. not downsize NSCR-2376, SCR-15080
  3. mattjw916
    You might want to have your instructor(s) review how to properly fly a landing pattern and the correct altitudes to start your final, base, and downwind legs... Personally I wouldn't worry about where other people are starting their patterns (other than don't run into anyone) since people could be flying vastly different canopies with varying wingloads which will affect this. You can peruse the SIM located here: http://uspa.org/publications/SIM/2005SIM/Section4CatA.htm#1d It has plenty of information to get you on the right track regarding landins and more. NSCR-2376, SCR-15080
  4. mattjw916
    Perhaps some people just don't want to have their names google-able and their comments in a recreational forum that includes massive amounts of references to sex, partying, recreational drug use, etc... used against them at a later date. Personally, no one here has any reason to know my last name, where I work, or what I do to fund my skydiving activities. If someone had need to know I probably wouldn't have a problem telling them. It's just personal preference IMO. NSCR-2376, SCR-15080
  5. mattjw916
    altimeter sub mode... You can set the reference alti to "0" when you get to the DZ every morning by holding select and then lowering the altitude to 0. Just remember the ground gets "higher" as it gets hotter outside during the day. BTW, it won't work at very high MSL dropzones like Mile-Hi since you can't lower the reference altitude low enough... and I really don't want to be doing math in freefall. P.S. I still will switch to my "old fashioned" altimeter for most RW jumps since people like to grab the face and obscure the altitude readout! doh! NSCR-2376, SCR-15080
  6. mattjw916
    I had a crappy opening once on my Safire1 similar to what you described... why? I have no idea, I didn't pack it. Sometimes stuff happens. Ask a rigger or experienced packer to show you some tricks for getting a new(er) canopy in the bag and keep practicing. Psycho packing seems to make life easier on newer canopies the instructions for which can be found here: http://www.icaruscanopies.com/canopies/Safire/packing.htm I didn't get confident/repeatability in my packing until I did a ton of practice pack jobs at home when it was quiet without any distractions. Now, I have a nice rhythm to it and my openings are nearly perfect every time. NSCR-2376, SCR-15080
  7. mattjw916
    go to bed early... not jump with a hangover... repack my rig in the morning for the first jump since the previous packjob was done under the influence. (it would have worked though) NSCR-2376, SCR-15080
  8. mattjw916
    I drive 4.5 hours to get to Eloy 2-3 weekends a month. NSCR-2376, SCR-15080
  9. mattjw916
    By spending a lot of time (reading) on the board since my job affords me a lot of personal time. That aside, I do agree with your sentiment. NSCR-2376, SCR-15080
  10. mattjw916
    ding, ding, ding... we have a winner. NSCR-2376, SCR-15080
  11. mattjw916
    I didn't mean convey that there was no one here like that, but your examples are far less extreme. I know plenty of people that do most of the stuff you listed and more. In contrast, I know plenty of people that are waaaaay more conservative then they really have to be, but that is their comfort level so that is fine. My (only) point is that people will do what they want regardless of how many people recommend a "better" course of action. It is very easy to "shop around" for opinions on gear and such, here as well as at the various DZs. The knowledge is out there, some people are just thick and want to learn the hard way and, I'm sorry to say, no amount of lengthy threads on the topic is going to change that. NSCR-2376, SCR-15080
  12. mattjw916
    I think about once a month someone posts a thread almost exactly like this somewhere on this board... and I really don't think it does a damn bit of good. Maybe that is just the existentialist part of me talking. The problem is the majority of the audience on this forum is not the people with
  13. mattjw916
    I have to agree here. My Precision made Safire 189 feels quite a bit sportier than then Sabre2 190 I was demoing. NSCR-2376, SCR-15080
  14. mattjw916
    This is never more true until you first see someone "go low" right beneath you as pull-time approaches. That's when all those solo tracking dives that people look at you strangely for doing pay off in a big way. NSCR-2376, SCR-15080
  15. mattjw916
    Personally I would try and do AFF all at one time. (As was suggested to me by people with gazillions of jumps when I first arrived at Eloy for a couple tandems) I did them all in one weekend and it made it seem to go very easy for me. Partially I think because I did not have a lot of time to sit around and over-analyze every aspect of each level. YMMV NSCR-2376, SCR-15080
  16. mattjw916
    Essentially I have been lead to believe the answer is no, it won't be done. At least I haven't heard anything new and I am in Eloy almost every weekend. NSCR-2376, SCR-15080
  17. mattjw916
    I am flying with my rig again tomorrow... ELP LAX we'll see how I fare during the holiday travel craziness when all the "amateur" travelers are out in force. NSCR-2376, SCR-15080
  18. mattjw916
    BDUs are just clothes dude... lighten up. I wouldn't have cared if I saw some civilian wearing BDU or DCU pants when I was in the Army and I certainly wouldn't now. Now if you were wearing the same pants with some antiestablishment slurs on your shirt at the same time, we might have a few words. NSCR-2376, SCR-15080
  19. mattjw916
    ...and me as well. I am quite comfortable flying and flaring with rears but I haven't "put it to the test" down low yet. NSCR-2376, SCR-15080
  20. mattjw916
    I am not a super-athlete by any means but I have a martial arts backround as well being in better-than-average shape and I "breezed" through my first couple licenses. I put breezed in quotes since that was how my progression was described by a 10,000+ skydive jumper recently. I think having good coaches and staying current, very current, is probably a significant key to success as a skydiver beyond anything else. Being in good/great shape certainly isn't going to hurt and will probably enable you to "walk-it-off" on some otherwise ugly landings or mid-air antics. YMMV NSCR-2376, SCR-15080
  21. mattjw916
    maybe you should just skydive more if you want to be a better skydiver NSCR-2376, SCR-15080
  22. mattjw916
    Sounds similar to my situation at the time... except I was 210 vs 190 instead. I went with the slightly higher loading and was happier with it (for a variety of reasons). But I also put about a couple dozen jumps on various 210s until I felt ready to try and then buy the 190 (189 actually). The real question, since you already have a few jumps on the 170 is... are YOU comfortable landing it (or would you be)... in someone's backyard, between narrow rows of trees, downwind, crosswind? Just something to think about. If you buy the smaller one, just take some time to get the landings and accuracy dialed in. My $0.02. NSCR-2376, SCR-15080
  23. mattjw916
    I wear BDU pants often as well... the little ties suck; blousing bands would probably work a lot better, I just haven't tried them out yet. NSCR-2376, SCR-15080
  24. mattjw916
    *cough* try Elsinore *cough*
  25. mattjw916
    How about a Mirage M1Z... they take larger reserves relative to the main canopy size. ZP107 main w/PD143R. Something to think about at least. NSCR-2376, SCR-15080