CygnusX-1

That's what I thought, but the guy with the pointy tail seemed very interested to have it. Seriously, I waited until I graduated from school and got a well paying job. So I still have all my worldly possessions.

My soul.

I'm not sure any dropzone in FL has nice plains, though. For good plains, you will probably have to go to the midwest or maybe the west.

Especially if the coach has only 100 jumps. No newbee with a half a brain is going to pay $$ for a coach with only slightly more jumps than them. What do you think you can teach someone when you can't even fly yourself. As far a video, being on a team myself there is no way I would pay for video from someone with only 200 jumps. It is critical that we are in frame for the entire skydive. You would have to prove yourself first in order to get your slot covered first. Then after you prove yourself with you paying your own way, would we even consider talking about paying you for your work. Something else to consider. I don't know if this is everywhere, but being from one of the DZs you listed in an earlier post there is no way you would be able to get on staff as a TM with only the bare minimum requirements met. You would be told very nicely to go somewhere else and get some experience. I'm guessing that is probably the same way with all major turbine DZs. When you are a "famous" DZ, you have the option to hire only the best, not just anybody who shows up wanting to work. All of the above is only my opinion.

Come on, you're using way too many letters. It should be: u r a nube 2 jmpin ite?

White pinstriping over the years have turned to gray (at least on my rig). So if you want to see how it would age, look at what it looks like with both white & gray pinstripes. If they both look good, then I wouldn't worry about getting white. Plus you get the advantage of having a new color scheme as the rig ages. The above is not recommended for whole panels, just the pinstriping.

True, but you can also hose up your speed by playing with the temperature adjustment. I don't know if the Viso has a temp adjustment like jumptrack does. But just by playing with that temperature your speed goes up and down. Since I've never gotten out a thermometer at 3000 feet to measure the air temperature each day I jump, I just keep mine set to TAS. Plus TAS corresponds to everyone else's speed readings (Neptune, etc).

I just can't wait for 5 years (or so) from now. All these newbees asking where the cheapest rates can be found. In 5 years, I'll assume that they all have gotten their A-D licenses, their coaches rating, and their AFFI rating. Then they all will go to their local DZO and tell him that they are willing to work for FREE such that the new newbees can have the cheapest AFF course in the country. I just can't wait......

I've got a B and I see no reason to get a C. Maybe one day I'll get a D. But right now I don't see the point in it either - for me.

+1 From the Cypress 2 users guide: I would be very concerned about the quality of instruction you are receiving if the instructors are misinforming you about something as simple as the functionality of an AAD. More importantly I would be concerned about what other maintenance issues at that dropzone have been ignored. Is the plane airworthy, etc? If your concern is about safety, that is not the dropzone for you.

I just got a new Viso II also. I must be missing something when I read through the manual. How do you tell your Viso that you are removing the pilot chute from the BOC, i.e. pull?

That is technically impossible. GPS is based on signals sent to the device at exactly 1 sec increments. Think atomic clock measurements. That is how the device works.

Its good that you are trying to design something to help improve skydiving. That is how advancements are made. However, you come off as having a solution in search of a problem!! This is exactly why so many businesses fail in the first year. You need to do market research (and maybe that is what you are trying to do here). IMO, DZ.com is not the place to do it. You will not get a lot of serious answers like you would if you were talking to people in person at an actual DZ. The question I have for you is, "Are you trying to design something for a class project or are you thinking that this design could be sold to the public?" If you are designing for a class project, build anything you want - whether it is useful or not. It doesn't matter. Although to go to market, takes a completely different level. There has to be a demand for such a device. You have to price it such that people will buy it. When you get out of school, you will learn that price has just about as much importance as design when designing a widget. And don't even think you can sell prototype material. The amount of money to design and build a prototype will exceed what someone is willing to pay by 100 fold. And you have to have good service after the sale. So what would I like to see in an altimeter? Go out and purchase a Neptune. Use that as a good start. Add in a GPS logger that would download to a computer via IrDA. Add a feature where the device TURNS OFF when not in use (save on battery power). Power the device using super-capacitors. Charge the caps using induction (no physical connection). And don't make it significantly larger/heavier than the current Neptune. There is a design problem for you. Notice that I didn't say anything about extra modes of communication (audible, etc). Those in my opinion are worthless. Designing any type of communication device (that works) will take more than your budget (both time and money) can handle. Unless you are willing to spend $250,000 on it.

You forgot a couple... If a conservative is a pedophile, he becomes a catholic priest. If a conservative doesn't believe in abortion, he wants to ban it for everyone. If a conservative sees someone who doesn't believe in his god, he wants to convert that person, or kill them in the name of his god, in the name of security, or just good common practice...

Nice... And since I voted for you (twice), I can assume that you will take me with you guys if you win.

Maybe you could tell us what you would get if you won?

The first new otter off the production line and it's not even used for skydiving? PTTTH, let us know when the first one is sold to a DZ. Now that will be news.

You mean you still have grass? All I see in my yard is this brown dead stuff which I think used to be grass/weeds.

I voted even though it showed you doing sit flying and not doing 4-way.

If it is a nicer hotel then, I would suggest you put it into their "lock-up". Not sure what the right terminology is for it, but usually they have a room where you can put stuff and you get a ticket for said item and the hotel is then responsible for the item. Talk to the concierge. If you were planning on jumping on Wed, then I would really find out what your company policy is. I know with my company, if I was jumping at the start of a trip and got injured such that I couldn't attend the meeting, I would not have a job when I got home. I know these things, because I debated doing exactly what you are doing on one of my business trips. But after finding out the company policies, I determined it just was not worth it. I did stop by the DZ, though.

First, if it were me, I'd take my own gear. But here are a few points to think about. 1) You only have 3 jumps on your gear right now. So in reality you don't know your gear that well, imo. So going from that to rental gear isn't that big of a difference. 2) What are you going to do with your gear while you are on business? Are you going to leave it in a hotel room? Are you going to lock it in your rental car? Are you going to take it with you to your business meetings? 3) How long is this business trip? Is is possible to jump more or less days? You say you could jump 2 days. Could that possibly become no days due to business and/or weather? Could it become 4 days due to the right conditions? The main points I'm trying to make here are is it worth the risk and/or hassle of taking your own gear vs renting gear. How would you feel if your gear was stolen (from your car or hotel) while you were doing business stuff? I would look at renting gear as more of insurance against something bad happening to your own gear while you are on business. But only you can make that decision for yourself. Like I said, if it were me, I'd take my own gear. [edit to add:] Oh ya, forgot one thing. How would your company feel if you got injured while jumping on a business trip? Some may look at that as an unnecessary risk and if you miss your flight back, you may have to find (pay) your own way back and/or any other expenses along the way.

I would guess it means 17:00 to 22:00 - i.e. 5 o'clock to 10 o'clock. But IDK, I'm as confused as you are.

Go to Deland tomorrow (this weekend, e.g. Saturday). Ask for Martin Sutton. He is organizing jumps for low timers/bigway kind of stuff. Dirt dive is at 9 AM. That is, of course, if your profile is not correct and you are actually off of student status. Edit to add: oops. Today's not Friday.

I totally disagree. My canopy opens by itself. I do nothing to take the canopy out of the D-bag and unflake it and get it into the air to fly. The slider comes down the lines by itself. Well that and the opening canopy. My visual altimeter displays the altitude by itself. My audible altimeter gives me warning sounds by itself. After I press the record button on my camera, it continues to record the skydive by itself. My helmet stays on my head by itself. My rig stays on my back by itself. (I don't physically have to hold either of these on during a skydive.) etc... [end of sarcasm]

Ground-to-Ground I like my hearing so I never take my ear plugs out during any part of the dive.