NWFlyer

Love Frida Kahlo duck!!! "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 just did a perfect fly-by of my apartment in Oakland. Could not have asked for a better view and I didn't even have to leave home! Thanks, NASA! "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

Come on Lucky... Lets go shopping to Forever 21... Woohoo!!! A year's wardrobe for $100!! Except the clothes won't last a 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

That is all kinds of awesome. "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 love the bright colors because they're bright, not because they're trendy or matchy-matchy. I had a black canopy that perfectly matched my gear (which is black & grey with navy accents) and I hated it because it went into stealth mode. My mains now are 7 yellow/2 orange and 7 orange/1 white/1 navy and no one misses me! "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

Finally, the scientific proof we've been waiting for. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TyXJ1sAQtaY "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

Remember it doesn't have to be all or nothing. You find it easier to buy new to get a container that fits you comfortably, but be able to find used canopies easily. You really shouldn't feel uncomfortable buying used gear, so long as you work with a trusted rigger who can help you evaluate the gear for its airworthiness, and work with trusted instructors who can help you evaluate the gear for its appropriateness for your skill level & size. (If you're lucky, you might be able to find both of those in the same person!). There is an active used market in the sport, and there is nothing inherently less safe about used gear. "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

Take him up on this. You won't regret it.

A FB friend in his 40s posted about a friend who was panicking at his 25th and asked our thoughts about getting older. This was my response, and I think it fits here, too In your 20s you kind of panic if your life isn't on the "path" you thought it would be on. By the time you're in your 40s, you realize that the path is rarely a straight line, but a wonderful twisty turny roller coaster ride that takes you places you never expected. "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

Pay attention to who the people are that get a lot of questions from people. They're usually good resources. As airtwardo says, pay attention to the folks who've managed to stay alive in the sport for a bunch of years and a bunch of jumps. They're usually doing something right. As a general rule, be very careful about the "100-jump wonders." There's a point in the sport (we've all been there) when we've been around for a year or two, gotten our first pie in the face, and think we know everything and can't wait to share it with everyone. Truth is we don't know shit, and probably ought not to be listened to ... much. On a windy day, look around to see who's jumping and who's sitting out in the landing area watching other people land. Talk to the ones in the landing area and ask them why. Sometimes it'll be because they're a student and/or jumping rental gear and are on a wind hold. But they might also be some of the most experienced people on the dropzone, who are watching others get "experience." Shredex mentioned feeling like a "natural." See 100-jump wonder above. Often (but not always) it's the low-time jumpers who have picked things up easily who are the most dangerous to listen to, because they get things quickly and gain confidence before they have context. It's the ones who have struggled a bit and made mistakes earlier who often end up being the ones who stay safe and make good advisers down the road. Some of the better instructors & coaches I've seen are the ones for whom skydiving didn't come easily. They've had to work hard to figure things out themselves, and they're good at explaining to others how to figure it out. If it comes naturally to you, it's harder to explain how, because you just do it without thinking that much. That guy (or gal, but it's usually a guy) that people call "that guy" or the DGIT (Dead Guy in Training), who all the more experienced jumpers are constantly telling to slow down before they kill themselves ... that's not the guy to take advice from. The people who are telling him to slow down might be good to talk to, though. "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

Pull out your SIM and re-read that. Read the advanced sections that you might have not gotten to as a student. Buy (or borrow) a copy of The Parachute & Its Pilot and read that. Borrow a copy of the USPA IRM and read that. Not sure if you're ever interested in getting an instructional rating, but there's some interesting reading in there, either way. (That's probably one to borrow since if you do go for a rating a year or two or more from now, you'll want a current version of the book). But most of all, focus on your rehab and getting strong & healthy because that will help you the most when you come back. "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

Downtown Donny Brown ... I'll remember you for that SMILE, those hugs, the fact that you always had a bright energy about you no matter what kind of tough stuff you were going through (you even gave great one-armed hugs when you were rehabbing your shoulder). I'll remember that shit-eating grin you got on my 400th when you exited the Skyvan on an inflatable jump and wound up with just the head of an inflatable dragon in your hand. . I'll remember all the fun times, but I'll also remember how much you gave back to the sport, always ready to go up on a freefly jump with anyone, always coaching and mentoring and helping to grow the skills of the local jumpers, and always looking out for the ones who were doing too much too fast, and helping them to understand that it took a lot of time, patience, and practice for you to get where you were on your canopy. And finally, I'll remember your love and respect for Courtenay - it's clear you two were a perfect match and my heart goes out to her as you leave us. "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 recently had an Altitrack that needed repair and had quick response following the steps outlined on the repair page. I was under the impression they don't do U.S. repair work anymore - everything goes to Denmark (I do recall from several years ago when I had to send a Protrack in that there was a U.S. address at that point). But, it was a pretty quick turnaround and pretty cheap to send to Denmark (and a Protrack would be even less since it doesn't even need a box - you can just use a padded envelope). http://www.l-and-b.dk/products/repair "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

Last year I bought a used canopy in one of PD's stock patterns (7 orange, 1 navy, 1 white). When I first looked at the listing, the seller had listed it as having orange, navy, and "tan" cells. Huh? PD doesn't make "tan." Of course, canopy had mostly been jumped in desert environments, so that cell really did look tan even with only about 100ish jumps. "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've found that most if not all of the regulars who smoke at my home DZ take the same approach as you. I can't remember the last time I've had to walk away from someone because they were smoking too close, or had to ask someone to move to a different area if they were smoking somewhere that could bother people or damage gear. If I'm in a conversation with a smoker who wants to light up they'll usually make a point of making sure they stand in such a way that the smoke's moving away from me. "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

Those of you who've been around a while might remember when livendive was a regular postwhore here. Somewhere along the line he got a life and stopped posting as much - it might have something to do with meeting Erin (TheStepchild), the woman he made his wife on Saturday night. (As his best man put it, Dave looked like "the luckiest sonofabitch on the planet" that night!). Beautiful wedding and a great party afterwards. Congrats, Dave & Erin! "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

Good advice. Also, may I suggest this thread is a good read (not just because I started it, but because there's lots of great contributions from the community). "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

Even trying to go really far back and obscure with silent film actors I can't get higher than 3. "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

As others have mentioned, a flat-trimmed canopy at a light-to-moderate wingloading will give you a nice long canopy ride. For your experience level, two options to consider would be the Pulse from PD and the Pilot from Aerodyne. I've owned both, but am partial to the Pulse (I have them in both of my rigs). See if you can demo both and decide which one you like better. "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

Sounds like the right head space to be in. If I were single when such a declaration came about, I'd approach this person as I would any other potential dating partner, and evaluate whether we fit together as the people we are now, not the people we were 24 years ago. And I'd try to make sure that the other person was doing the same, not idealizing some 24-years-ago version of me. To me, someone who approaches a potential relationship with that "you're the one that got away" statement might even require a little more emotional caution than anyone else, if only because I want to make sure that he likes me, the me that I am today, not some version of me that he's created in his mind for some portion of the last 24 years. I have a good friend who pulled that kind of thing a lot with his partners; he'd meet, "fall in love" almost immediately, with the "manic pixie dream girl" version of a woman (yeah, he's that guy). Given that he created that version of her in his mind incredibly quickly, no matter who she was, she wasn't going to live up to that image. So just be careful that he's not doing something similar with you, because as you reveal your complete self (good and bad), chances are it won't match up to the you he has in his head. He may learn to truly appreciate the person you are, or he may just be incredibly disappointed that you're not the person he thinks he knows. "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

According to a link from their FB page, Skydive Spaceland has responded to this by instituting a "wingsuit agreement" that must be signed by all wingsuiters. http://campaign.r20.constantcontact.com/render?llr=xvlv8diab&v=001-9B9G95DKuoJ6ifXhrr_C-Ed4c9iB-i6ubM7IPHFAcXNCsiCYeDYG2SFsIBG-K7qI4XOFnDWi6A35VgDv2-56syZBovd5c6EWtM59H9YiuNNGzjA6334yO-hm1djqRLZ (Scroll down to mid-page). "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 thing that's made them memorable is the people who are on them. "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 don't think anyone's trying to assign responsibility to the seller. But in a sport this small, these kind of "reference checks" are still a good thing to do.

Couple threads on that topic recently with lots of discussion. http://www.dropzone.com/cgi-bin/forum/gforum.cgi?post=4348610 http://www.dropzone.com/cgi-bin/forum/gforum.cgi?post=4349115 "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 with USAA now (my dad finally joined and I was able to get eligibility through him) but I was with Ameriprise before that. I only had to file one claim with Ameriprise, for a stolen laptop (stolen from my apartment). I had a separate rider for the laptop, and the whole process was super-easy with no hassles whatsoever. YMMV, but there's at least one company to look into. (If you're a Costco member, you can get a policy with them through Costco that has a good discount). Definitely ask about riders - both my current policy with USAA and my previous Ameriprise policy didn't have riders for sporting goods. They just had specific categories of high value items (like jewelry, electronics). So, I just made sure that my general coverage was enough to "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