NWFlyer

Nunya:17:0 Oooh ooh, I finally have some jump numbers! Thanks to the great organizing provided at the Skydive Arizona Holiday Boogie, I got to jump with not one, not two, but three current members of Airspeed for 13 of those 17 jumps. Thanks to Mark, Eliana, and Craig - had a blast and learned bunches! "There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences." -P.J. O'Rourke

I'm not sure I necessarily agree that these things belong in the same argument. You really haven't given any solid evidence for the "huge number ... aren't serious." For those who just want to throw drogues, why would they even bother at 100 jumps when they can get it 400 jumps later, the weekend before their tandem course (and I've seen a number of those cases, including a guy in my own coach course who traveled from TX to Northern California because he was already scheduled for a tandem course, had a job lined up, and had to punch the ticket of getting the coach rating prior to getting the TI rating, and this was the next available class. Had no real interest in coaching, per se, just needed the rating to get the next step). The coaches I know who get their coach rating well in advance of the next rating (be it TI or AFFI) all seem to be fairly serious about the rating; they're getting it out of some genuine interest in coaching, whether or not they have great skill at it. Personally I might have been able to pass the coach course well before I did it (at a D license and 500+ jumps) but I waited till I felt like I could really bring something to the table, and I'm having fun jumping with students and improving my skills, and trying to get a better understanding the instructional world before I make a decision about trying for the next level. My gut instinct is that what this really ought to come down to is not looking to USPA to "fix" the ratings program, but that like many things (creating a culture that promotes safety, enforcing landing pattern discipline, etc.) it's going to come down to individual DZs doing more than accepting a "rubber stamp" as evidence of competence, no matter what the rating is. If the instructor is not a "home grown" jumper, call around and find out more about the person's experience and attitude before you hire them or let them jump with students. There are lots of other techniques to ensure that you're "vetting" the newbies - whether it's providing more supervision for less-experienced coaches or AFFIs, or restricting the role/type of jump for new AFFIs, or restricting the types of jumps (handcam for example) or size of student or the wind conditions that a new TI can jump in ... that comes down to the individual dropzones making the right decision. And in case the cynics out there say "no dropzone would do that," I've seen dropzones that have done some or most of those things (those weren't ideas I came up with on my own, but ones I've seen implemented). "There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences." -P.J. O'Rourke

Actually, I think ZHills has the best combo of account/tickets I've seen. Each ticket is individually printed with the jumper's name and a bar code. Once it gets used, it's no longer valid. If it doesn't get used, it's still valid. So if I lose tickets, I just ask to have them reprinted. For load organizers who are turning a lot of groups, it's got to be a lot easier to collect a bunch of tickets than to write down names, hope you've spelled 'em right, and get money taken off of all those accounts correctly. There's definitely benefits and drawbacks to both systems - I like the fact that ZHills has combined the best of both worlds. "There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences." -P.J. O'Rourke

http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=ClassicXmas#g/u This is my favorite collection of Christmas cheese. "There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences." -P.J. O'Rourke

kinky? maybe the slow tease? Either that or she was thinking ahead for an easy exit after the fact. "There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences." -P.J. O'Rourke

Who the hell are you? "There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences." -P.J. O'Rourke

I'm pretty sure he's just talking about on-DZ lodging. Everything else you should be able to sign up for once you're there. And seek out the organizers - there's ALWAYS someone willing to jump with a low-timer during the boogie (my first boogie visit was when I had about the same number of jumps as you do now). "There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences." -P.J. O'Rourke

The most important thing you can pack in dealing with TSA and your rig is a smile and some patience. It goes a *long* way in making your day go smoothly. I've traveled with my rig a lot, and I've had to talk only a couple of TSA agents "off the ledge" with respect to either allowing me to carry my rig on at all or with respect to needing to open the rig. I've never had to check it*, and I've never had to open the reserve. Not saying that might not happen, but so far, so good. The more typical scenarios: 1) Rig goes through screening, you pick it up on the other end, no questions asked. No problems. 2) Rig goes through screening, you're met by a TSA agent on the other end who asks if they can send it through again in the bag (scenario 2a. is sending it through again outside the bag). No problems. 3)Rig goes through screening, you're met by a TSA agent on the other end who asks if they can open up your carrying case and do a visual inspection and/or swab the rig. Smile, let them do their thing, keep an eagle eye on them, request that they not pick it up by that silver handle, ask if you can rearrange/reclose the bag when they're done. Most agents I've dealt with are extremely respectful and don't want to fuck it up either. Most of 'em touch it as little as possible. 4) Rig goes through screening, screening agent looks confused, calls over other agent, who looks confused, calls over supervisor, who either says "Yeah, so, it's a skydiving rig, so what" or encourages the agents to go to scenario 2 or 3 above (or does scenario 2 or 3 himself). What is most likely to cause confusion, I've found, is the AAD. More specifically, the battery pack looks "funny" on the x-ray. Explain what it is, show them the card if they still seem confused, use it as a teaching opportunity, not an opportunity for hostility. *There was one time I was on Air Canada coming back from Toronto to the U.S. and I was told that I had to check it because of a 10KG/22 LB carry-on weight limit, but that had nothing to do with the fact that it was a rig and everything to do with the fact that it weighs more than that. "There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences." -P.J. O'Rourke

So who are you? I'm sure people more "in the know" than I have figured it out but for those of us who look at online profile information to figure that out, you're just some anonymous person on the internet (or two, I'm not sure since you appear to have two user names now). Tell us your name and maybe that'll help us determine your credibility relative to the others who have posted in this thread under their real names. "There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences." -P.J. O'Rourke

That sucks, especially considering how supportive many of the communities near the trailheads are of the hikers. My brother thru-hiked over two summers several years ago and he always had great stories of the "Trail Angels" who would leave food at the trailheads for the hikers to pick up. My parents live not that far from one of the road crossing points and have played trail angels themselves on occasion. SpeedRacer - very cool that you're doing this; I know it was a truly memorable experience for my brother and that he met some amazing folks (and some real characters!) along the way. His trail nickname was High Speed (cuz he certainly wasn't!). "There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences." -P.J. O'Rourke

I'd like to ask you a question - you've now posted about this incident in three separate threads: 1) Retired due to injury 2) "Am I still a skydiver and 3) this one. I'm asking with all due respect - is there something specific you're looking for from this community in posting about the incident multiple times? "There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences." -P.J. O'Rourke

But see, so was I. I consider a lot of that to be basic politeness. Then again, if you're only doing those things for women, I guess it's chivalry. I'll hold doors for people, ask if anyone needs a drink when I'm going to get one (or at any point if they are a guest in my home). As for giving up bus seats - I'll do it for someone who seems to need the seat more than me - someone who is disabled, or schlepping a kid and/or a lot of stuff around, etc. Gender's not the determining factor there. I'll hold doors for people (I consider letting them close behind me when someone's just behind me to be rude), and if their hands are full, I'll make an effort to get ahead of someone to help them with a door. What I want most from men is to be treated like a human being, not an "other." I'd like to be respected for who I am, and allowed to be who I am, not told that I need to conform to some predetermined standard of "what a woman should be." Flip side is that I'll try to respect men for who they are as well. Kinda boring and it probably won't sell any self-help books or magazine articles, but I've found that treating people as individuals, regardless of gender, has worked pretty well for me so far. "There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences." -P.J. O'Rourke

Sigourney Weaver talked a lot about the process from an actor's perspective on Monday's Daily Show. Clip here: http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/mon-december-14-2009/sigourney-weaver Definitely interesting but still not enough to make me want to see the movie. "There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences." -P.J. O'Rourke

Well, that just erased any lingering doubts about whether I'd go see it. Now I have even less interest. "There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences." -P.J. O'Rourke

Because we as a society want cheap meat and there are powerful entities at work to protect the status quo. Go rent the DVD of "Food Inc." Read "The Omnivore's Dilemma" or "Fast Food Nation" or "The Compassionate Carnivore" or many other books on the topic to learn more. It's a wake-up call that has me changing some of my purchasing habits (though I know there are many more I can change). (Oh yeah and this was fun in Bonfire but I see it heading to SC real soon) "There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences." -P.J. O'Rourke

I think it's one thing to say "hey I've got a circular saw if you need it" and gift it at that point (good for everyone - saves money, keeps things out of landfills, etc.). It's entirely another to give it as a substitute for a birthday or Christmas gift - that would very much depend on the recipient's mindset/values. I know some parents-to-be who would be thrilled by a shower gift of gently used baby clothes that the giver's own kid had outgrown; others would find anything but brand-new stuff "tacky." So you definitely have to know your audience. For me, if it's in good shape and you know that I can use it, awesome - you've given me a gift that is targeted and thoughtful and I always prefer that to another generic "I have to give you a gift" gift like candles or soap. (Not that I'm ungrateful for any gift, but the thoughtful ones are particularly special). Another option is to find a local NFP organization that could use it - a lot of time they post "wish lists" on their web sites and you might find an organization that's just been clamoring for what you have. "There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences." -P.J. O'Rourke

Nope, because I don't get it either. Zero interest. "There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences." -P.J. O'Rourke

Hope you have incredibly generous insurance because otherwise that canopy could become very, very expensive. "There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences." -P.J. O'Rourke

It's important to ask the DZ where you plan to go whether they can handle someone who wants to complete AFF and 3-4 days. Certainly it's possible, but factors like weather, instructor capacity and availability, and your own energy/concentration level need to align. Most DZs are probably going to recommend no more than 3 jumps a day in the early going (and your first day will likely only be one jump since you'll be in ground school for several hours). If you only have 3-4 days weather could also make it very possible to go home completely disappointed (weather such as high/gusty wind or low clouds that might not otherwise interrupt a good vacation could still make it impossible to skydive). If you want to go to Hawaii to be a tourist in Hawaii, great; but you may find you'll have better luck meeting your AFF gaol in other parts of the U.S. where there are larger dropzones that may have more full-time instructor availability. Your best bet would be to contact the DZs in Hawaii to find out if they can accommodate you before you make definite plans. "There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences." -P.J. O'Rourke

Agreed, and I can confirm that the movie is quite different. I enjoyed the movie - definitely one of the year's better movies and I could relate to the road warrior lifestyle (though certainly not to that extent!). "There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences." -P.J. O'Rourke

Why do you want to downsize? Why do you want to fly a Stiletto? Why do you want to do those things now? "There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences." -P.J. O'Rourke

A fruitcake. No, seriously, my dad actually likes fruitcake and Harry & David makes an awesome one. But we've pretty much gone non-commercial in my family the last few years and do greetings and time, but not gifts (or if there are gifts they are small ones). "There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences." -P.J. O'Rourke

Sure is, and that doesn't change whether you have 1, 10, 100, 1000 or 10000 jumps. Keep that in your head as long as you're in the sport and you'll be a much more headsup skydiver than the ones who think as soon as they have their license they're done learning new things. "There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences." -P.J. O'Rourke

Knew exactly what you were describing without even opening the photos. "There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences." -P.J. O'Rourke

I'm nervous about how many people will be there. My biggest boogie was Lost Prairie's 40th year. Totally getting nervous about a new dz and loads of people. ETA: But I'm super excited to meet lots of new people! You'll be fine at ZHills. The pattern discipline is much better than Prairie! Landing area is large and there are good outs on the airport property. Plus, more organizers than you'll know what to do with. I really need to stop reading this thread because it's making me sad that I won't be at the Hills this year. (Though I am looking forward to a quickie trip to Eloy which is all that's in the vacation budget this year). "There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences." -P.J. O'Rourke