BDashe

several years ago my dad and i were flying from camarillo california to bakersfield. While climbing through 8000 we saw one of those silver helium balloons. We couldnt figure out how it hadnt popped from pressure, but it was pretty funny to see. took us a few seconds to realize what we saw. i would NOT want to hit that in freefall clear skies So there I was... Making friends and playing nice since 1983

use your judgement, ive seen people dragged a short distance and tweak or break an ankle on a gopher hole, but if you think you can get yourself under control without hurting yourself or others or damaging stuff then try and get your canopy and self under control. Yank on a toggle and hold it usually works pretty well. It isnt a bad thing to cut it if you are already hurt or cant control the canopy and your body as long as you disconnect the RSL otherwise youll have another canopy that you cant chop. It isnt difficult at all to reattach a main to a container. Looks like you did the right thing in your procedures, but dont be afraid to chop it if itll reduce injury/damage. Woolite works for stains clear skies So there I was... Making friends and playing nice since 1983

a hop n pop tandem? So there I was... Making friends and playing nice since 1983

Yes. So there I was... Making friends and playing nice since 1983

my point was that whether it is 60 or 2000 years, its more widely known now due to mass media, and because of current technology, communication occurs a SHITLOAD faster than 2000 years ago, which allows for much quicker, more precise and deadly attacks. why, whether palestinian or jewish, i honestly sympathize with neither, and im freakin half jewish, after decades, centuries, or even millenia, cant these groups find a common ground. much of the fighting is a result of retaliation! "my brother is killed by those damn (insert group here) i hate them they have caused all the problems for us, they are on our land," blah blah blah. each group is so so F*cking egocentric, they cant stop blowing the hell out of each other, and now that we are able to make it globally recognizable, other peoples' money and men get the crap blown out of em. people need to be brought to the 21st century already. It is just logical to stop and figure something out, but when you have coutnries like iran egging em on "israel should be wiped off the face of the planet" or examples like the west supporting evil regimes on a whim based on the current best interest, nothing get s accomplished. so let them figure it out on their own, or keep killing each other of a piece of dirt. It is horrible innocent people get involved inadvertantly, but when you use em as a shield, well...I PERSONALLY will keep paying for my jump tickets while i can afford em and continue to rip through the sky at 200 mph with my friends with the biggest god damned smile on my face cuz i am stoked that i can, and appreciate everything ive got! Peace amigos, stay safe. clear skies edit: i wasnt implying israel is evil, other peops such as the taliban that we supported in the past arent the most rational or humanitarian type. So there I was... Making friends and playing nice since 1983

Hell yes, i had no idea this was coming, thanks for pointing this out. Nor Cal skydivers unite! So there I was... Making friends and playing nice since 1983

Damn it! I just bought some of those meatball sub things today! Whoever is the photographer for hotpockets better win a freakin medal... Pissed and hungry So there I was... Making friends and playing nice since 1983

I may start a huge ball of sh*t here, but here aremy 2 cents. Ive studied the terrorism and conflict and the history of it, none of which really stems from one event. The main modern problem with radical islam (just one of many forms of terrorism/conflict that is in the spotlight right now) has been the formation of israel which stirred up all kinds of hatred between groups. no big new news. what some peoples' interpretations of islam justifies these mass killings whether we view them as innocent or not. you have to see these things through the eyes of the aggressor. If you want to discuss mass murder and genocide, look to Africa: Rwanda, Congo, Sudan etc. After having been to some of these countries, and meeting people who were involved with this type of stuff that is truly gruesome, it made me realize a couple things that were kind of disheartening. First and foremost, in uneducated and less cultured areas of the world with little to no technology or outside influence to the people, opiate of the masses is very effective. so effective, think of a modern society in the 40s of WWII and the nazis, what we view as a western and educated society, kills millions. so imagine the effectiveness on those that we describe as uneducated or uninformed. Granted the nazis werent exactly neighbor on neighbor like rwanda/africa has been, however the truth is millions have died from the influence of a few extremists given the opportunity. What really frustrates me about the issue is that after 60 or so years, neither side has budged an inch, no concessions are made, and if so it is done so with fingers crossed. It really upsets me to see these societies that war for decades and never once stop to think "hey, no one is winning maybe there is a middle ground where we dont have to blow each other up" And Western/European influence doesnt help in the least. when we try to help, we use these people as puppets for our own good, supply one group with training and weapons to fight communism one decade as allies, the next have all our own sh*t shot back at us as enemies. Obviously i am just scratching the surface of this topic and i could go on and debate for hours, but that is my semi informed opinion on modern conflict and terror. The world is full of assholes, they should all convene and just F*ck themselves: think "team america" d*ck, P*ssy, Ass speech clear skies So there I was... Making friends and playing nice since 1983

I have a man-crush on gunnar and chuck owen...no, really Skydive ASC So there I was... Making friends and playing nice since 1983

yes i agree, we are trained to deal with certain circumstances that we become more comfortable with after repetition etc. Also, skydivers learn to trust their equipment and abilities, similar to the war comparison, soldiers are confident in their equipment and skills. I bet lots of soldiers would poop themselves if they are severely outgunned and in the middle of an ambush after taking a round. Most skydivers would be pretty damn scared to a ball of crap twisted around thier legs. diablopilot has a good point too, if you arent afraid of what can kill you in the sport, ya may not be safe and/or protected from it. RESPEK! P.S. much of this is regurgitated info/opionions i agree with from my coaches/instructors/peers that have the experience, im still a new guy! So there I was... Making friends and playing nice since 1983

Just kinda a random thought, throwing it out there: #AAD fires RSL/Skyhooks that functioned correctly just like to see that the safety equipment is workin! Clear skies So there I was... Making friends and playing nice since 1983

i hope this uploads... but the first pic is an attempt to look really cool and slide into a backtrack at break off from a 3 way sitfly at ASC in Georgia. The result of which is what you see: a "What the F*ck is wrong here im not moving ANYWHERE?!!!" i eventually rolled over with my tail between my legs and tracked off. I did not discover till i was on the ground and saw the pic how vertical my legs were...oops. You can see my good friend Laura lauging appropriately at me in the background. "My mom says im cool" The second is just me feeling good and happy cuz im in the air clear skies and thanks for for pics noah! So there I was... Making friends and playing nice since 1983

Ive had back an neck problems since i was sixteen from a football injury (thats american football to all you damn world cup junkies) and i went through intense therapy for about 6 month hich included a tens unit, personal E-stem thing that fits in your pocket, that i had to wear 24/7. I stopped the therapy and managed to play another couple seasons of football, but it still bothers me today. Im about to go to a chiropracter for more therapy but ive been told itll never be the same, however it can be improved :-) so thats good, and ill live with that. but yeah, just get some therapy from a chiropractor or an othopedic surgeon or both and learn the home exercises and stuff. good luck, spinal injuries suck, i feel for ya! Clear skies So there I was... Making friends and playing nice since 1983

Pyramid Amberweisen, check the spelling on that, an amber beer from pyramid famous for their hef. Not bad, first time ive had it and i approve emphatically. Thank you. So there I was... Making friends and playing nice since 1983

Sent some good time campin vibes from california, hope she's having fun! Clear skies So there I was... Making friends and playing nice since 1983

I doubt you did the harness adjusting, and like you said too tight is probably better than too loose. When you jump your own rig you can adjust the straps as you see fit. I had problems with rentals before i got my own not cuz the harness was too tight, but cuz it just wasnt cut for me. All the padding was far from the highest pressure points. Id have half circle bruises after 3 jumps in a day. I can make as many as i want now without any probs cuz of a properly fit harness. Tandems are designed for all sizes and shapes, so are student rigs. O yeah, on one of the rentals i used it was still a bit small and id get bruises in the upper chest/shoulder area. If all you ever get are a few bruises from skydiving, you've got an awesome career ahead of you! clear skies So there I was... Making friends and playing nice since 1983

No interest at all in skysurfing, looks dangerous as anything. Id BASE before id skysurf. :-) So there I was... Making friends and playing nice since 1983

Go naked, i did it on my 100th, not the classiest thing, but its fun as hell anyway. maybe a 5 way naked jump out of the cessna? good stuff :-) So there I was... Making friends and playing nice since 1983

When the chips are down, your landing off, the wind conditions have changed since the time the airplane took off with powerlines and trees all around and there are dogs barking, houses everywhere and you have to put your canopy down in a very tight area. So dont think of the difficulty level when everything is going as normal, but consider when everything is shit. 50 Sq. foot in this situation may be a HUGE difference. Totally accurate- from my life experiences OUTSIDE of skydiving- murphy's law is always lingering around the corner, as well as human error. anyone seen that recent video with the guy who spiraled down while landing off and miraculously landed between powerlines, open fields everywhere? not worth it! clear skies! So there I was... Making friends and playing nice since 1983

Ive been flying at a little over 1.25:1 since about my 15th-20th jump. other than my first couple AFF i was pretty accurate with my landings. I used to fly gliders a lot so i was kinda used to the whole what goes up must come down idea and planning decents, judging distances and stuff. um, the canopy i fly is still big, a 189 and 190s back then, and not very elliptical so i still kinda have a boat over my head. I felt comfortable after trying it once and kinda went with it. I dunno if this is considered an extreme loading for my previous jump numbers, but i felt comfortable and so did my instructors that fle wwith me. I would not have jumped anything below a 190 back then. Peace, be safe! So there I was... Making friends and playing nice since 1983

If I take out anything relating my GF for the past couple years, fraternity, or skydiving (all of which unfortunately include beer) for a point of originality id say the ocean, more specificly the ocean with my dad. The ocean is the most peaceful place to me, especially when most secluded either on a beach by myself or out fishing with my pops. I love spending time with my dad, and that's where we spend the most quality time.

I like the look of the mirages and have jumped em a bunch. I see mostly javelin and mirage at my dz, just curious about the other stuff i ahvent seen but read about. As for voodoo, i was just lookin to see if it was a marketing ploy or if i was over looking some super progressive freefly mod. Thanks for the comments, feel free to add. being a student i have practically no money, so when i buy skydiving stuff, or any expensive stuff, i like to research a bunch first and get opinions from the field.

Good deal. Thanks for the info. I realize that mirage, javelin and voodoo etc. are all freefly friendly, im happy with my wings right now :-) Thanks for all the rest of the info, i wasn't sure if there was some defining feature for function or comfort on the voodoo. I havent seen too many around, so hopefully ill come across one when it comes time and give it a try. Thanks again, clear skies. So there I was... Making friends and playing nice since 1983

Just looking ahead- Most people I jump with encourage mirage even though VooDoo claims to be the ultimate freefly rig. Much of a difference? any thoughts on either mirage or voodoo? ive jumped a bunch of mirages, never a voodoo. just looking for any thoughts from those with experience, thanks!!! So there I was... Making friends and playing nice since 1983

This will be of limited help as i have limited knowledge, but here are my 2 cents: I know nothing about the installment process, but i jump an older safire1 and just put vectran lines on it, rather a rigger did. for details on that email chuting star rigging loft. i love the lines, openings are even better that before, the flare still sucks. and i guess the lines are much more resistant to shrinkage so they stay in trim better. Anyway, vectran was a good choice, got em from icarus. couple PST guys encouraged the vectran too so i trust them, im happy! be safe, clear skies So there I was... Making friends and playing nice since 1983