TALONSKY

Yesterday, I parted with my very first car. I held onto it for 20 years and recently realized I had no desire nor funds in the furture to fix her so I sold her. When they were loading her up I almost started crying. Well atleast I got $7500 for her. Kirk

When I got into skydiving, I asked my wife did she want to hear the truth about my skydiving or did she not want to know about what happens and live in blissful ignorance of it. She choose the truth so I am always upfront about my skydives. Kirk

It almost sounds as if you are at a small DZ. I mean at the larger DZ there is always competition rather it be as a tandem instructor, video guy, AFF instructor, Coach, or even packers. Hell, quite a few look at skydiving and think wow it would be cool to do this as a full time thing or even just pay for my skydiving. I sure that is how you got started doing videos, I know that is how I got started. In the two years I have been a TI, I have seen a quite a few new people trying to make some money skydiving( this is just a fact of life). The best way I think to deal with it, is to find some other direction to go (other ratings). I am currently getting into videoing tandems and teams not to take work away from the video guys but so when we need a video and do not have anyone to do it ( I could fill this niche. During the winter months we seem to end up with more TI’s and less video guys). In the end you need to just start finding a way to adjust for the handycams and also get use to competition because you will have more always. Kirk

I have used a large variety of rigs for wing suit flying (Talon, Javelin, Infinity, Eclipse”not a recommended”). I find that they all preformed fine without cut corners. I would suggest longer pilot chute and in my opinion one of the most important things in deploying is to throw your PC as far away from you as possible. Most of my line twist on other funky openings happen with a weak throw of my PC. As far as rotating your bag, I personally rotate my bag about 45° instead of the full 90°. Kirk

I currently have one used rig and one new rig . I like my new Infinity best but at almost double the cost of my second rig (which is also a very nice rig) I really have trouble stating that new is the best. Here is the cost break down of each. New Rig Infinity $1500 PD 143 $800 VX109 $1000 Cypres $900 Total $4200 Used Rig Eclipse $250.00 PD 126 $670.00 Xaos 98 $1200.00 Risers $130.00 Total $2250.00

I personally would not buy a custom container which will be a very tight fit for your current main. First it makes packing a complete nightmare. Secondly you may find that you will want to stay with this size main for a long while or you may find yourself being more aggressive and downsizing quicker. The point being if you drop the money for a new container you may be getting rid of it in a year or so and losing a fair amount on the resale. I would suggest for first rigs buying used. This way you do not take the risk of losing alot of money on new gear depreciation. If in a year you have found that this use rig is the size you want you could always resale it and buy new then. Kirk

http://dropzone.com/cgi-bin/forum/gforum.cgi?post=1671303;sb=post_latest_reply;so=ASC;forum_view=forum_view_collapsed;;page=unread#unread KIRK

Not to bypass the question but I sure hope you are not looking at jumping a crossbraced canopy with only 400 jumps spread over 5 years are you? Kirk

Way back in 1987 I lost 110 LBS eating fast food. The trick for me was I only ate two small hamburgers a day and nothing else. Kirk

I have a few comments to make on your post. First if you look at any thread here where some one makes a mistake most of the time they are scrutinized a lot (if you are going to post a screw up on this web site you had better be prepared to be a lot of sh*t for it. Which apparently you were not prepared for I am not sure if you live a sheltered life where your never given a lot of sh*t when you screw up or not, anyway you need to get use to it if your going to post it). Secondly you seem to point blame at most everyone else but you for your mistake. I find it interesting that you would accept help and cheats for things that your life will depend on. The knowledge in the SIM is just not there for reference manual for test it is there to help teach all the correct information (myself I read the SIM cover to cover at least 8 times). If you make a mistake it is your mistake (you knew that you should have not accepted the help with your course but you did accept) it is truly your own fault that you did not know the SIM Lastly, as far as really windy conditions most all of us set our limits on wind after having a bad experience with them. Kirk

Thats how we do it, it just is still not that comfortable and then when the plane is full people start complaining that we take up too much space even though we really do not Kirk

I like a straddle bench for doing tandems, however they are a really pain for wingsuit flyers. Kirk

I have never had any problems with my Protrak other than losing them. You should contact L&B. They have the very best customer service and I am sure they would gladly help you out. Kirk

I would suggest getting a job ASAP and use the money to buy a house unless you already have one. It is generally hard to come up with a down payment and since you have that taken care of. It is much better to be putting money into your own investment rather than putting money into someone elses investment. Hell if you are not ready to buy a house just bank it and wait. Kirk

I can not speak for everyone but at my DZ, after getting the tandem rating at some point new TI will sit through the course giving by others. Then S&TA will sit through the first few the new TI gives. In your case you could just as to sit through the course with the first time tandem students Kirk

Well not that I am in any way an expert but I know that if you put way to heavy of a coat on it will leave a white film on the fabric. Hell that is easy enough to test if that was it. Just take a can of Scotchguard and spray a very heavy coat on some fabric and see. Kirk

It sucks when something goes wrong with new gear especially when it is owner caused issues. Once again it looks like Velocity sports is doing a stand up job with customer service. I mean a customer makes a mistake and the company is still right there trying to fix it for them. I gotta hand it to Kelly and Velocity they are one class act and I would buy their products any day again. Kirk

Well in the past I dated a stripper for 5 years and over that time period I spent a lot of time in the strip clubs with her. Since then I have not been in any strip clubs.

I got 12 out of 12. I think I have spent way too much time at the strip clubs up here. My wife always says I am a breast man Kirk

If you are truly interested in skydiving and do not have the money, get a second job and put that money into an account for skydiving. I have always had a second job to pay for my skydiving at first it was a true second job for almost three years now it is being a tandem instructor. I believe that where there is a will there is a way( just do not try getting a free ride there are way too many people in this world trying that now) Kirk

I do not have chronic pain but due to a skydiving related ankle injury, I now limit my workouts to keep from agrivating it. Kirk

Very true.

IMHO every canopy has an angle of attack. The wing is tipped so that the leading edge is lower then the trailing edge by pulling on the rear risers you can take that attack angle out so it has more of a flat glide. Now it is my understanding that some canopies glide better using toggle verse rear risers. This only would apply if your upwind of the DZ. I would also suggest that you pick an altitude that is your cut off point to making it be to the DZ. It sounds to me that the 700 AGL is a bit low to be making that call. I personally would be making that call closer to 1500 AGL. Kirk

I generally try to leave in a poised exit from the strut, that way your flying right of the plane. The only thing I dislike about that is usually I end up having to turn 180° to fly back to the DZ which no matter how you turn you still lose some altitude(I will turn with my legs to avoid alot of altitude loss).

Just wanted to mention that although some of us sometimes (as in this case) pull at our normal deployment height(for regular skydives without wingsuits). It is advisable to always pull higher when flying a wingsuit. It does take a little bit of time to deal with the unzipping the wings and the lower you are the less options you have if some unforseen problem (line twist, long time to unzip, malfunction) arise. Kirk