tdog

You know, my parents liked it... But I was not all that impressed... It seemed to lack theme - and the "tricks" became redundant to the point that the announcers were apologizing for the lack of energy in the stadium, and the TV director felt obligated to take cutaway shots of the stadium to keep the show interesting. I liked the fact that they incorporated a skier and a snowboarder into the show - but if that was the theme - athletes - why did they also incorporate a clown??? Just seemed like they could have done a little more to give the routine a plot - or a story line to follow - or some freefly/transitions that would have impressed the audience used to seeing pretty awesome maneuvers on the halfpipe, ski slopes, and ice arena... Even the tube they flew could have had the country flags or something to give it an Olympic theme...

Thanks, Hook... You should have seen me in the tunnel last night. Taking a belly flier and getting him to freefly is hard... But I was able to fly on my back finally... But, then I was working on sit and lost my balance and flew up, jammed my knee a bit, and JP did an awesome save on my way to head down. But we digress... I understand that the RSL sits idol doing nothing if you fire your reserve only or if it is not connected to the main... But, in a non-rsl rig, you strip away the reserve pin, likely so much you throw your handles thousands of feet away. But, the RSL stays there, if unused, flapping around the flaps, near the reserve as it deploys... I guess I never really thought about the very unlikely event that the RSL pin end becoming a snag hazard, should it be unused. However, in testing, obviously they had to design a system that would work in this state, because pulling your reserve without the main activating the RSL is "normal" within the design of the system, like if you can't find your hacky and have to go for silver...

Hook, On my vector 3 with Skyhook, I have hooked my RSL to the reserve cable housing when I have done RSL-less jumps... It seems out of the way and in a snagless location. To clarify, do you, as a rigger, see this to be a-ok??? The only "malfunction" I can see is that if somehow the reserve pilot chute gets bound to the RSL, the RSL is attached to the rig, and could create some kind of horseshoe... But, at the same time, lets say I went to my reserve without deploying and chopping my main, the RSL would be connected to the main, so this "malfunction" could exist if the RSL is hooked up to the main risers too... T

And, what was that you were telling me today about a new team being in town??? Or, should the beans not be spilled yet - after all the carpet in the tunnel is brand spanking new, and spilling the beans would make a mess.

If I timed this right, this useless post is the mile stone of 500 posts to this thread... he he he The tunnel still rocks... Mary was giving out Go Fast tonight as JP was coaching me on silly stuff, like back flying.

Show up to the FJC... Pay attention. Have fun. If you spend too much time preparing, you will get overwhelmed, overstressed, over amped... It is easier than it looks... Your instructors will make it easy. Reading here and books is good, but I found myself overwhelmed in the beginning when I read the books and thought, "I could never do a front flip and pass that." I passed easily.... There is a line from Spaceballs that come to mind.

I agree... I owe Brad one - because his suit did not have grippers and was pretty tight since he still had to be dressed as a tunnel instructor for the other people flying... I rolled him over probably 50 times, and each time I am sure I got some skin, as I just could not get enough fabric in my hand... I am thankful he kept doing it with a smile and offering in any way he can to help out... Sorry Brad for the pain. My favorite skill he worked on with me, was flying my slot ungripped, while doing the bottom end dance (giving the pull sequence), while carving up around the tunnel quite quickly... It was fun to go up from the net to above the glass, while carving around the tunnel, while giving the pull signal, while taking a dock and assisting with the pull... Had to use my legs to do all the work. Just awesome experiences... Lots of confidence boosting... Another one, how to do a roll over in the middle of the bottom end and adapt to a unplanned event... Or a roll over after a spin stop. Or three roll overs in a row... Or a roll over where the student just does not want to roll... Thanks guys... I would highly recommend this tunnel as a place to learn to be an AFFI...

Hey, since you are an employee... I have a beef with the tunnel... Last night I was actually sweating inside, and it was below freezing outside. In all seriousness, it was warm enough that we customers need to learn a hand signal to give the operator to open the louvers a degree or two, to cool it down a bit. Seriously guys... I am so impressed with this tunnel. I have been working in the tunnel on some AFF instructional skills, and the instructors at the tunnel can transition from teaching a complete newbie, to being an "AFF student" for us, rolling over, spin stops, ignoring altitude awareness, etc... The staff is real well rounded, many being AFF instructors, and I am learning a lot... For an example, one instructor was helping me fly with my hands on my butt... I never have done this in RW training in the tunnel (no grips back there). Another instructor saw something I was doing a little wrong, so he flew in next to me, showed me the correction to apply to my elbows, and BOOM - I was flying stable in a whole new body position. One of the hardest things, a few people have told me, about opening a tunnel is getting great staff... I am so impressed with the well roundness of the staff here... And diablopilot has volunteered to help me on some skills, offering to go out of his way to be there for me... Bravo...

Would you have rathered us sitting on the bench, looking proper, sipping our afternoon tea.... Come on, this is a tunnel... It is required to geek any camera in the tunnel... This is clearly explained in the "manual", in section 1.9.a, on page 982... It says, "Any camera that enters the tunnel, anti-chamber, or building in general, shall be geeked by any and all, even if the battery is dead or out of film. Be careful about being behind any camera pointed at the glass, because you might be seen in the reflection, and should you be, it would be in violation to not be geeking in the reflection too."

Did you see what Brad typed on the screen in the tunnel when we were flying? "Future 98 point average international 2-way team." I think we did GOOD.... (now, perhaps a coach would say my cross referencing was not good enough if I was reading what Brad was typing, but... Oh well, situational awareness I will argue is a good thing.) Trust me.... I want you on my scrambles team... So, I will have to use a hat with names in it to make sure all is fair and I don't always stack my team to win....

Hey - in your "thumbs up" photo you can see me in the back making an fool out of my self geeking the camera too. (Gray suit, white helmet half on)

Alan, I could not agree with your post more. I was fortunate to earn my coach rating with Don Yharling as one of my evaluators. He taught me so much, along with Djan (regional director) as the Coach class instructor. My first real student pulled at 6.5K in my face while I was still docked in a two way. My second student tracked in a circle around me. My third student came at me with such speed for the dive and dock that if I did not move out of the way, it would have been a nasty crash... We dirt dived the jumps on the ground perfectly... Student 1 told me the ground looked big so he pulled. Student 2 swore the track was striaght. Student 3 knew what happened and made a great dock on the second pass. All of those things I was ready for, because my instructors drilled me on them. Doing a jump with a student is not as simple as "Lets turn a few points then track and pull." Teaching is a huge responsibility. The cause and effect is something that I am learning is one of the more challenging things to learn. AND I consider myself the biggest student of all right now, only starting to appreciate everything that goes into instructional jumps... So this thread is full of arguments: Problem Not enough coaches, so open the group up so "real" instructors can work on real student jumps and let "Experienced" skydivers help out the newbies. Answer Don't remove the training, assist with the training. DZO's needing more coaching should help people get the training. Problem Once a coach has a rating, they are charging for their services - thus making it more expensive for the student. Answer Establish the mentality - "We at the DZ helped you get your rating - now pay it forward." Even without that DZ investment, I have done a lot of pay-my-own-slot jumps, especially when the "customer" is saying things like, "I have only enough funds to do one jump this week." I know other coaches who are passionate about teaching who do the same. If a D licenced jumper is willing to invest in a newbie, let them invest in a weekend in an instructional class. I paid some money, spent the time in the class room, and have, in joy and money, earned every penny back. I am starting to think that DZOs will have to do more governing over their student programs if the USPA keeps making it easier... I know the DZ I jump at has the attitude, "instructional ratings are so easy to get, that they are the bare minimum required, not the key to, being an instructor here."

she can write off all the jumps, registration and the local tunnel time gift certificates for CSL participants as business expenses I all reality, Mary can't afford NOT competing in any meet, it wouldn't be good for her new business {was that laid on a little thick? I think it was just right} You want to come out and be our marketing guy???

Well, cloud suck could be as high as 1000 FPM lift or more... What is the sink of your canopy??? If you encountered it, I bet a spiral dive would get out of it... There are ways on a paraglider to get out of it too... And, would you be there in the first place - as you can't jump thru the cloud by rules in many countries???? So, to get there, you would need to open in the cloud or right below it... I guess anything is possible, but I never have heard a skydiver talk about it as a real concern, whereas it was "basic common knowledge" in paragliding first-flight-classes.... But, I have hit thermals on my skydiving canopy where I have gone up 500 feet... And that was without clouds - just a hot day... So, going up is not uncommon. Being sucked into a cloud is not likely...

Very true with a wing as big as a paragliger that has little sink already... You can struggle to get out of the cloud. Clouds are made from thermals. http://www.ushga.org/article19.asp

Bawhaha, that's a good one. There is no way I'm a ringer I'll try to make a scrambles meet. That is if I get time off. Hey look... I know at least two of the investors in the tunnel... Remember, you introduced me to them. Don't make me yell at them - because, well, I would like you to be part of the CSL, and I am sure your visits to the DZ can be called "marketing" as your team will win each time I am sure once you have god-zillion tunnel hours (or even without the hours).

I honestly don't think I will be the one judging the video, or maybe I will, but who knows... I think we will just charge $100 per second of additional working time, or $150 for unbusting points, and $200 for points that never happened... This will be payable to the "everyone who participates gets tunnel time fund". Just kidding... I probably should not even be joking about dishonest scoring... I really think the league this year will be concentrating on skills over points... With a new tunnel, wouldn't it be cool to see some real clean crisp moves, even if they are not at world cup speed? I would love to see some people who are turned off by the scoring and competition in the sport come out and do some awesome RW work... I say this all today with tons of bruises all over my body after spending all day yesterday trying to prove to myself in a heated competition with myself, that my 31 year old body can hit some rails and jumps on a snowboard... Turns out, I actually have paint on my pants from the rails-gone-bad. So maybe we will have some heated competiton this year in the league with people trying to do their personal bests???

Poor bastard. Talk about losing credibility with customers pretty much instantly. Sure, for the super rigid full of testosterone football players who have something to prove to the guys - who probably won't loosen up and be let go because they will be bouncing on the glass... Probably no credibility lost for the slightly nervous, girls, who would appreciate something like that, who will loosen up and relax and outfly their boyfriends

Team... But - get coaching... Not every day, but enough so you guys can improve... Coaching options: 1) Hire a coach on the ground to help you engineer your dives and review the video. 2) Hire a player coach - someone who will be your fourth in the sky, but do all of item 1 above. 3) Find someone who is really qualified to be a player coach who does not charge you to be a teammate... My experience has shown that the coaching I got for my first 100 4way team jumps (50 of which were at 4way coaching camps with Airspeed/Perris Performance Plus) not only taught me to be better - but also to see what I am doing wrong - so in the future I don't have to have as much coaching because I have the skills to self evaluate...

you got it

Well... It sounds line a road trip is in order, if you are spending 3 months solid jumping... I have stayed at the bunk houses at Perris and Eloy - and both are less expensive per night than a jump, and are nice enough for me... Perhaps you spend a month in California, visiting a few DZs... You will get top notch coaching at Perris. There is a tunnel there... Then, drive down to Eloy... Another tunnel, and great fun, with awesome coaches. Then, on your way out east, stop at Colorado/Mile High - another tunnel, and a huge pond to watch (or do if you have the skills) some awesome swooping... No bunk houses, but plenty of tent space at the DZ, and people even have been known to sleep in the hangar or even in the king air over night. Then, I would hit up Florida... Orlando - another tunnel, and a bunch of DZs - although I have not (yet) been to the DZs down there... If you want 3 months of solid jumping, why limit yourself to one DZ???

Dan... You always take an innocent post and turn it into naked tug of wars... Remember - the tunnel league likely will be a lot of two-ways, and I hear the net can grab hair, so I reserve the right to keep my clothes on....

MINUS 8 outside. Record cold temps tonight. My windshield washer fluid, rated not to freeze, froze... But, I flew with my shorts and tee-shirt under my RW suit... And I was warm. So, let me put that in perspective, in the terms of 's. 1st time flying in a tunnel - and sleeping in my own bed that night. 1st time flying in a tunnel - and snowboarding the next day. 1st time flying in a tunnel - on my way home from work. 1st time flying in a tunnel - with my Colorado friends. Gee, how much beer do I owe? Well, the instructors are just finishing up their training... They have a lot of non-skydiver "entertainment customers", who are friends of friends, coming in for the final instructor training. I have tunnel time in Orlando, Perris and Eloy... I can say - this tunnel is my favorite... Ok, I might be bias as that I live here - but... It is true that Eloy is a bigger - but I did not feel cramped, even flying the big/long two ways (open, half phalanx, cats, etc). The anti-chamber is huge. We were able to dirt dive with ease, with people sitting on the bench. And the bench is comfy. The facilities are for sure the nicest of all the tunnels. With the curved grand staircase with glass railings, top notch construction, the tunnel really projects the right image to the non-skydiving community. Did I mention it is quiet? I think the anti-chamber and tunnel itself was much more quiet - I did not have to strain to hear when we were talking. The gear they have on the shelf is real nice. There are cool little things - like the computer readout on the screen tells the exact wind speed and power level. As I looked over at the speed before starting to fly, I learned exactly what to expect and, in the future, I now know what to ask for so the first few moments are not fumbling around. Ok, so you guys probably don't want to know about the restrooms (which are going to be real nice, two people can actually use them at the same time!)... You want to know about the air. Smoooooooooth.... My grips were light, we were staying in the same spot vertically, flying my slot felt easy, none of that up and down fighting you feel when a tunnel reacts to outside intake disturbances. I just think this place is going to be special... As I said, tomorrow I am going snowboarding... How cool is that? What does this mean for skydivers??? Well, how many skydivers want to plan a family vacation where everyone gets to have fun??? Or, maybe those of you with a wuffo boyfriend... In the summer, the mountains are still beautiful for a visit - and the tunnel is just a light rail train ride to the baseball stadium, downtown, etc. In the winter, you can, take the light rail to Union Station, and then take the ski train to Winter Park... Without renting a car, you can truly ski and fly in the same day. Or, maybe Sixflags at the end of the lightrail line is more up your kids alley? Oh, and what about my piece partner tonight... Well, for a "big way" girl as she called herself, flyangel2, can really fly... I don't know if you guys have visited www.coloradoskydivingleague.com yet - however as league director, I am real excited that there will be a tunnel league... Like a kid in a candy store, I am...

It seems that this thread was hijacked from topic. I have a skyhook, and I have visualized what you said... Being in tow (drug on the ground/roof/etc) and cutting away my main, to find it pulling my reserve out... Now, the slider will still be up, but it might inflate quickly... And I would have a reserve open without a single toggle in my hand to shut it down too.... The few times I landed where I have been worried about shutting down my canopy after landing - I have released the skyhook at about 300' just in case I needed to chop after landing. It is kind of a catch-22... I really don't want to disconnect the skyhook until I am low enough that I know the skyhook will be useless... The skyhook technology shines in situations where extra quick reserve deployment is a good thing, like a collision where the main might be torn and useless. By then the only other options are deploy a reserve into the torn main, or hit really hard... And say I panic and chop a really screwed up canopy collision low, like people have in the past, the skyhook might be the difference between landing under a barely flying reserve and landing with nothing out... (yes, if I get this far, I already have screwed up a few times, but anyone can screw up, especially under abnormal conditions)

Funny, last time I was there, the staff and owner of said sushi place were flying in the tunnel... he he he The last 10% always looks bad, but goes quickly... And since the fans have hours of time on them already, that is all that matters...