tdog

Good points... I am not part of any tribe, so if I was going to follow my roots, a tattoo would have to be Irish, German, and Lithuanian inspired... That would be freaky... When I said Tribal, I guess I should have called it "Black Work" as one tattoo artist corrected me. The pattern/design will be my own, and currently I am toying with two lines that intersect then dead end - then start again. Now, I have been looking to real old tattoos, like those reported to be thousands of years old. I really like a lot of what I see, as I really like they are patterns to accent the body, not pictures or images of animals or other things. Thanks again for your comments, they are making me think.

Ah, come on - it is not like our alphabet can be characterized as an ancient art form passed down generation to generation...

which brings me to one *Hi pot, Im kettle , nice to meet you* You got me... Here is one inspired by a movie that is posted at work: "I see stupid people, they are everywhere - and they don't even know they are stupid."

Which brings me to a whole new one: "Line - crossed it."

Sweating like a whore in church.

If someone says, "I am screwed"... Reply, "Well, all I can say is sit back and enjoy it." ---- And, while I understand Bill Booth says it, I have been using it at work longer than I have known of Mr. Booth: Every time I make something idiot proof, all I am successful at is finding the better idiots. (a different version of the post above...)

I am thinking of a 1" wide ankle band, something tribal - all black solid ink... I have a few designs I have sketched... It would be my first ink (and likely only) - so I am thinking hard. It has been in my mind for 10 years off and on, so it is not a impulse buy... The ankle can be shown off with sandals, but still hidden (for work) with socks scrunched up. So, that is why I chose that spot. Words of support or words of advice? Anyone got awesome ink on their ankle they wish to show?

Douva, I understand that the skysurfing numbers are down... Should the event be removed from Nationals??? Well, I don't think so, if you can get a few teams to compete! I want to tell you that I am skydiving today because I saw Troy surf in IMAX. Enouf' said! My wuffo father asked me, "so when are you going to stick a board on your feet?" Being a snowboarder, I am surprised I haven't yet. Most wuffos don't know skysurfing numbers are down. I still find watching skysurfing to be more dramatic and awe inspiring than any other form of skydiving, even though I am currently a 4way guy. And... When I was in San Diego and met (and saw jump) the younger Rob Harris (Crazy Lemur)- I remembered why I got into this sport. It was the memory of seeing Troy surf, not some freefly or 4way video. So, I encourage you to save it any way you can. You may forward these comments to whoever it may help. And, because of that, I believe the USPA should continue to support it until it can't be supported anymore... If that means one team, then why not. Thanks for keeping the discipline alive.

No shit A bee joined us once on the ride to altitude and got out when we did... Made me think that most bugs don't skydive or go up that high... Can you imagine what he told his wuffo friends, "No shit, there I was..."

Word only travels fast because I landed right next to him. We were only feet away, so as I was packing up my gear, I asked how the jump went, small talk.. You are larger than the average AFF student, so the conversation was something like, "I now know what a quarterback feels like right before he gets tackled." Hey, soon as you pass your "A".... I will jump with ya any time... I was the guy with the white helmet on the oposite bench about one seat closer to the door... Tom and I did the tracking dive where we both dove out...

You jumped today at Mile Hi, huh.... If so, I was on your load. I did that two way track with Tom... I am not a instructor, but TOE TAPS worked for me... Feel those feet... And, find a heading and stick on it... Rumor has it, after your AFF I stopped the spin, you did not spin up after he let go the second time... That is good.

If they don't let you "sell" the credit to another jumper or refund the credit (assuming you paid them cash in the first place for that money on your account) - then that DZ just sucks... I mean, they have to understand you are making a life decision to move on and raise a family, and that takes as much balls as it does to start skydiving... Come on DZ, pay the karma forward...

Ya, I e-mailed them and they replied... The land was sold, pure business decision... I would take the money and run too, if I owned it... SO... You live in vegas... It looks like I need to do an emergency trip out there... Any good local jumpn?

I rarely drink, and never have done any drugs not given to me by my doctor.. I don't like the taste of beer, I am too cheap to pay for expensive "fru-fru" drinks, and I really don't like being "altered"... Now, when I had surgery for an infection and they cut open the infection and tied a rubber band thru the wound so it would slowly cut thru the skin and granulate out... I mixed Vicodin and Percocet together on an empty stomach and slept for a few days... Now that was fun... The truth is, neither alone were strong enough to dull the pain of nerves slowly being cut by a dull rubberband.

"Look ma, I am ready to jump off the roof, come watch."

"See, I told you I can make packing parachutes look sexy."

Going out of business??? SHIT... Now I have to goto Vegas just to get in a few last jumps... How did you know? Is it publicly posted, or did they tell you??? Isn't it the last bungee jump in the USA??? Anyone know of others?

Exactly... If the tunnel coach happens to be an AFF I - then ok... But, it would not be a prerequisite for me, in my opinion... Actually, I would prefer someone who is an expert RW coach over a AFF I (if both, even better), just as long as they had experience building the skills from the ground up, for a total newbie... That is my point... But, Shark, I understand Perris has great AFF instructors, so I am in agreement...

Ya, but they don't dunk you in the pool if you don't go by your feet!!! I have about 30 bungee jumps, and I prefer my feet any day with the pool water up to about my knees on the dunk... Can't wait until I go back to Vegas... I keep my "bungee frequent jumper card" in my wallet just incase I end up there by accident... Not that that hasn't happened before. he he he

Thanks for the info about the "A"s being a bigger deal than the "Ds"... What about the Bs and Cs? Do they behave more like the Ds or As...

Quick note, Mockingbird... You have started an interesting debate on this subject... This thread is quickly moving to having the most replies out of any windtunnel thread. 65 or something now, the record thread is in the 70's... It seems there is a lot of interesting feedback on using tunnels for AFF type coaching. Some people think AFF hand signals and AFF diveflows are the way to go... Others think flying in the tunnel is about learning how to fly and the hand signals don't really need to be AFF specific... Great debate... I guess my two cents... I rather take a tunnel coach in the tunnel (who has hundreds of hours coaching in the tunnel) over an AFF rated instructor who rarely tunnels... After seeing my tunnel coaches use the technology of the tunnel to train, like having me fly 6" off the net as they tell the operator to change the speed of the wind to see if I can adjust to unknown changes without warning, or standing on the net and slowly “manipulating” my body into the perfect shape then having me hold it for a minute or two - I see there are a lot of "tricks" that can be used in the tunnel that cannot be used in the sky... Tunnel coaches know these tricks for the tunnel as AFF Is know the tricks for the sky… So, what I am saying is… If my best friend needed help getting thru AFF, specifically stability and control of the body – and a tunnel was an option, I would NOT ask, “is your tunnel coach an AFF rated instructor” but instead I would ask, “how many newbies has your coach taught in the tunnel?” But, I might be completely wrong, so let the debate continue…

EDIT: I see as I was typing riggerrob posted too... We are quite redundant because our posts crossed in the mail... It is all optical illusions... Drive your car to a brick wall at high rates of speed... Far away the wall does not look to be approaching fast. Close up, it is… The reason… Geometry and angles… If you move the brick wall from 3000’ to 2900’ away, it only takes up a marginally bigger percentage of your field of vision… It might not even appear to be that much bigger. Perhaps the angle of its height is less than a degree bigger. Now, move that wall from 100’ to 0’ – and suddenly the wall went from 50% of your field of view to 100% of your field of view. That is a 50% change in the last 100’, whereas you only had a 1% change when it was far away… Your brain uses changes in angles to determine speed, so closer you get to an object, the quicker you appear to be going. This is all to say, I experienced (and still experience) the same ground rush you mention on landing… It is natural, and with experience you will get used to it… At least I did. You say you flare too low… I am not an instructor so talk with yours first, but I can tell you what I have done to help me… I flared too late for a while causing interesting landings…. I determined (with a canopy coach) how high I needed to start my flare for a nice two stage plane out. It happened to be the same height as a windsock flagpole on the DZ… I simply glanced quickly at the pole as I was landing to determine my height… Quick glances, no object fixation. Really worked to train my brain to “see” that height. Talk to your instructors about your options… Maybe present this idea to them to see if they will sign off on it or something similar for you. That is the accuracy trick. Works well for determining where you are going to land… But once you are landing, I know from personal experience, keeping your eyes up and on the horizon is much more beneficial than looking down at your feet when they touch down… So, I don’t think this trick helps with the flare much, and may actually hurt your landings…

Sparky, Thanks for your reply. You are right... And previously, I would have “instinctively” made that decision based upon the following tests, which would have occurred in the first 10-20 seconds, maybe much quicker if one failed: 1) Hands free, how does it fly. (Assuming no brake fire, if it flies straight or near straight, continue to step two) 2) Pop brakes, full speed how does it fly. 3) Full flare, how does it fly. 4) Full flare held for a while (near stall) – how does it fly. 5) Back to full speed quickly, how does it fly. -BUT- This thread has me wondering, from your and other comments: 1) What happens if there is damage unseen, like a top of a cell about ready to rip off at 500’. This is the hardest part of the equation for me right now… I guess I would have to go on a gut feeling….. Did the canopy open “normal” or “abnormal”. How hard was the opening? What did it look like as it opened??? 2) Without reference points (like the ground) – will I “know” how the thing is really flying during the tests? Could the flare be really inefficient, but feel fine at altitude. I previously thought I would “know” since I have done a lot of high pulls with my canopy and done a lot of “what happens if I do this” type things… If nothing else, this thread has moved my awareness to be more likely to chop a canopy with broken lines… At first I thought – “even if half are broken and it somehow keeps it shape and flies, why chop?” My attitude has become a little more aggressive thinking this thru… I agree… I have always been the guy who takes a perfectly working piece of equipment and takes it apart to see how it works… In fact, I became mechanically inclined at an early age when I had to “fix” the things I “broke”… Thank god the reserve is sealed and the cypress is hidden from my tools... Very good point… I thought someone would “call me” on my comment… I have 100% faith it will operate like a very well packed parachute – which means it still might not work at all. I guess my point is, I would not (and have not) choped EVERY abnormality just because it is abnormal… Fair, right??? Oh, and I watch my rigger pack. I am 100% confident that he is a trained professional (7,000 mains under his belt, and hundreds of reserves) and can do a better job than me – so I actually will stick with (watching) the rigger instead of becoming one myself, at least for a while – especially for the “faith in it working” factor… Thanks again for your incite.

Oh, for cryin' out loud, guys, you make it sound like Para-Commanders were death rigs that pile-drove you into the ground. In fact, they were safe, reliable, and gave very decent landings to thousands of jumpers. I loved my first PC, and didn't have a single cutaway on it in about 150 jumps. (My first reserve ride was jump #57, jumping a cheapo, and that was a 4-pin ripcord hard pull-total; not a canopy malfunction.) The cheapos' landings were a bit harder, but not terribly so (for us skinny kids), and they opened quite reliably if you were a student with [ahem] stability problems. Oh, and one more thing: once you had a "perfectly good" round over you, it was almost unheard of that you might still die under it. My point is that I see how far skydiving has come by looking at older equipment and the way thing used to be done... Someone who has experienced the changes and knows how to fly more than a square earns my respect. I am sure in 30 years I will look at my rig, which is cutting edge 2005 technology and think, "I jumped THAT?" and the new kids will be making fun of me.

All about Mile Hi: 12.5K AGL, 18K MSL. O2 is on the plane if you ask. Every Otter or KA load will have fun jumpers - most loads will have a hop-n-pop or two for the swoop course, a 4 way group, some solos, some freefly, an AFF, a Tandem or two, and a wingsuit... Rarely sky-surf... Lots of weekends there are 8 ways every few loads... So you can see it all on one plane. The pond is under construction, and it is going to be big. Load organizing tends to be more impromptu "hey, wanna do a jump?"... On that note, PM me when you are in the "hood" and maybe we can do a jump...