NWFlyer

Sounds like we have the same plan and about the same usage patterns. Mine's $71/month with everything, but I have a corporate discount. "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

Other stuff. I dunno. I suppose back in my first year or so of jumping, I was at the dropzone pretty much every good weekend, and even some weekdays in the summer when the days were longer. But even then, and especially after then, I've kept my life pretty balanced. I'm a 100 or so jump a year jumper, on average, so that means I spend a lot of time doing other things. I have other hobbies and interests, I sometimes travel for things other than skydiving, I spend time with family and friends. Life is good, and skydiving is a part of 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

Nobody likes a quitter, Remi. "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://current.com/shows/infomania/88941392_sarah-haskins-in-target-women-yogurt-edition.htm This is really gonna change the yogurt company marketing. "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

Yes that you know or yes it is a SkyVan? Yes. "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

Yes. "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

If your main concern is packing ease, then consider a used ZP canopy. If you like the Pilot, why not look at a used Pilot 188 in standard ZP? It'll cost you a lot less and someone else has broken it in for you through the nasty packing period. "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

Remi may be safe, but I'd watch out for Karen. "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 not just you. This morning at breakfast the Today Show was on (but muted) where I was and it was like a train wreck; I just couldn't look away. Scary. "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

Neons are notorious for fading. I'm not sure if it's because the colors themselves actually fade more, or if it's because the fading is just that much more noticeable because of the initial brightness of the color (I'm sure someone knows that answer, but I don't). Your best bet is to keep the rig out of direct sunlight as much as possible by keeping it inside or covered when you're not actively using it. "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, insurance companies have "coordination of benefits" departments that put a lot of energy into figuring out who's the "right" company to pay a particular bill. If you have a $1000 hospital bill, it's not as if each of them will cut a check for a grand. I was involved (as the pedestrian) in a car-vs-pedestrian accident that involved one health insurance company and two car insurance companies. Rest assured the total amount paid by the three was not more than the total amount billed. "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 a training tool. One analogy I've used is that it's like comparing an indoor climbing wall/gym to actual rock climbing. "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

Yes. Many dropzones include tunnel training, and many charge for their packing classes. Edit to add: I paid for an actual packing class, but all the additional hands-on packing assistance/teaching that I got after that from packers, instructors, and other jumpers was free. "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

Stick around the sport a while longer and I think you'll find that's about the going rate for a boogie with specialty aircraft and name organizers. Go or don't go, but don't try to make these guys out to be evil for ensuring they cover their costs (btw, those ferry fees and organizer costs are pretty much fixed even if it rains all weekend). "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 personally don't wear my full-face to look cool & groovy. I wear it to protect my face, and it also has a nice side benefit of improving my sinuses (particularly in the tunnel, but also in freefall). It's also warmer in the winter. As for cleaning, for some brands, even a soft cloth isn't good. Soap and water, rub it in with your fingers and rinse off and allow to air dry. "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 I guess you'll be bowling that weekend instead? I'm sure you'll have more fun than the folks who are enjoying a specialty aircraft, big-name organizers, and beer (none of which are free, last I checked). "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

There may be one or two people who weren't scared of jumping out of a plane their first time (or first few times), but they're probably not right in the head. The rest of us had what is a perfectly natural human of what is, when you think about it, a very unnatural thing for the human body to do. (But after you stick with it a while, somewhere along the line it starts to feel almost as natural as breathing ...) And yes, skydiving instruction is very much a progressive thing. The first jump course is the most involved, to get you ready for your first solo jump; there's quite a bit of classroom and practical training involved. From there, each subsequent student jump should reinforce what you learned on that first day, and add additional skills and competencies, up to the point where you earn an A license. Then the real learning begins - with an A, you've been deemed by your instructors to be safe enough to progress in the sport. If you approach it with the right attitude, you'll take the A as a "license to learn" not an "I know everything there is to know now" free pass. "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 a look at the PD Pulse. A 210 Pulse will pack the same size as a 190. I've put about 350 jumps on Pulses and had reliably soft openings. "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

Skydive Elsinore posted this gem on their [URL https://www.facebook.com/skydive.elsinore1]Facebook page[/URL] this morning that answers your question: That's fairly typical for a bigway of this size; larger jumps will often exit at a higher altitude. "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

Old guys (and gals) rule! "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

Maybe not this guy, but maybe the next guy who doesn't know what he doesn't know. Remember, the people these messages reach are often unknown because they read it and say "Huh, never thought about all those angles, maybe I'm not ready to start doing [X] yet." But they never post and say "Wow, thanks for opening my eyes." They just make a better decision. "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 have been looking for a first rig and I think the upsizing craze started by this thread has largely depleted the available rigs of normal size. Only tiny stuff out there or everyone is clammering over the few for sale. No less than 6 people said they wanted a 210 rig that came up for sale yesterday. No, that's pretty typical, especially this time of year (beginning of the season in many parts of the world). There's a smaller pool of available gear in the 210/230 range and if it's in good shape and well-priced, it'll go quickly for those who want gear in that range. "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's a really interesting point re: time with instructors during slow times on weekdays. In retrospect, I appreciate the amount of time it took me to get my A license (over the winter/spring in Washington State), where weather delays were par for the course and I had lots and lots of (mostly) weekend time sitting around the dropzone waiting for clouds to clear where I could spend that down time with instructors. However, I imagine if I'd been a weekend-only student at a larger, better-weather DZ, I probably wouldn't have gotten as much time as I did. So - if the students and instructors do make the most of that time in the "A in a week" program, sounds like you can achieve many of the same informal learning benefits as the "extended plan." However, I agree with others that rushing it just for the sake of getting it done in a week could ultimately wind up being detrimental. I know that as a student more than 3-4 jumps in a day was too much for me, so getting 25+ in a week (plus all the ground work) might have been too much. Others are obviously more able to push. "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

You'll probably hear it referred to as your "decision altitude" in your student training. "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