SkySlut

PD says that rolling the nose doesnt do much for the opening other than make it off heading. The most important things to do for nice slow openings is to make sure the slider is all the way down (push down on the grommets with a bit of gentle force) and quartered. I make sure the front of the slider on the nose side of the canopy is fully exposed because that usually catches air first...then I roll the crap out of the tail making sure that I dont roll any lines into it. Get well soon...you are going to have some jumping to do!!! Scott Miller will have a packing class that will go over a lot of your questions at the Search.

I had NO PROBLEMS making my money back, but I was lucky. I was at avery busy DZ that had a extremely fair distribution of work system. As a fulltime Instuctor, I made about 300 AFF jumps @ $32.50 another 100 coaching jumps @ $25 this season (5-6 month season). You do the math...and that doesnt even count FJCs that I had done with was $50 per person and it wasnt unusual to have as many as 10 in the FJC. I dont have my tandem rating and dont plan on getting it. Making your money back can be difficult if you arent going to be a fulltime skydiver. The weekend warrior Instructors get put on the overflow students whereas the fulltime staff get at them first. If you are a weekend warrior tandem Inst. then you are going to get a lot of work because there are way more tandems than there are Aff students. So if you are in it for the money...get your tandem rating, but keep in mind the beating that your body will take. You have to really want to do AFF to do it full time if you arent going to get your tandem rating. I assumed the AFF instructors "postition" quite a bit this summer...my ass on the couch while watching tandems go up and down all day long because of wind conditions. The good thing is that when you arent jumping you can take your students aside and tell them more about spotting, packing, gear knowledge, canopy control, etc. So there are a lot of times where you are at the DZ and not getting paid but you are still working. But, thats part of giving back to the sport that has given so much to you...

Whooohooo! Thanks Mark!!!!

I know how you feel...dont you wish that it was all put together so you could get more of a complete picture and more importantly....jump the thing!!!

That was quick...

Yeah, I have been to a bunch of different sites, I would love to get some live coverage, but with this shitty analog connection...it aint gonna happen.

Thanks...dont work too hard!!!

Kinda odd sidenote: I am at the DZ right now and I am getting all my information on this from DZ.com. We dont have a TV here, which I find weird, but all the other websites arent being updated to quickly. I remember being at the DZ for 9/11 and having a bunch of friends huddled around the TV watching. Now, I am huddled around my PC with you guys. Thanks for all the info.

Here is what they were talking about on the news last night... "On launch day, a piece of insulating foam on the external fuel tank came off during liftoff and was believed to have struck the left wing of the shuttle. NASA said as late as Friday that the damage to the thermal tiles was believed to be minor and posed no safety concern during the fiery decent through the atmosphere."

I coulda sworn I hear something about a damaged wing last night on florida news...anyone else hear this??? I am trying to find articles on their websites...

uh oh...this week was the anniversary of the challenger disaster. I'll never forget that day, especially because I was going to school in NH and they had a NH teacher on board that mission. We were all sitting in class to watch the launch. What a nightmare.

I heard something on the news last night about a damaged wing and how it could affect the landing...Didnt really think anything of it. It was just a quick news blerb and I had a couple of beers in me. Hope all is well.

Another fee that the USPA hits you with is $120 to actually get your rating. The MOST expensive shirt that I have bought (they send you a collared USPA AFF I shirt along with a certificate that you can frame, if you were so inclined). I was kinda bent about that fee.

Oh, thats funny stuff...open mouth insert foot, out of the frying pan and into the fire!!! hehehehehe!!! FUNNY!!! Sorry to make light of your situation, but you are proving your point quite well! I would be pissed too. Hell, you have waited this long...whats another 6 months??? Good luck in your search for some new pants.

They have a bunch of the trailers on the little mini-computer DVDs at the Drop Shop in Sebastian. I think that I am going to be heading up to Deland at some point next week and I could drop some off at the gear store up there as well. If anyone is going to be at either of those DZs...look for them. Hey, they are free!!!

Go with the ShuGoo or if you are too lazy and don like killing brain cells with chemicals...you shold be able to give it to a rigger...I have sent 100s of suits to Terry Pike in Deland. He does it all the time.

It will be available on DVD...I would assume, considering that the version that I saw was on DVD. When Lyle was showing me the website...I asked him how much it was and we couldnt find it listed anywhere. The official site was only put up a couple of days ago so I think that they are still working out some of the kinks...a lot of the links arent working yet. But he did say 29.95, which I think is a really good deal as far as skydiving movies go (at least when you compare it to Norman Kents stuff). The great thing about this movie is that it was put together by a professional company...VERY well put together. But as far as the price, that is what Lyle told me but he can be a bit flighty sometimes. He left for Brazil yesterday with Jim make history again with the PST. GO PST!!!

Thats "the Monkees"

I just got Joey's rig and its got them. I am wondering if he had this done post manufacture or if he had Terry Pike do it...Those toggles are SOLID though. The way that it is done is quite impressive...there isnt too much velcro, but it does keep the toggle in place. The tuck tabs can tend to get weak as well...causing brake fires. I have had that happen before.

Thought that I would post this here as well... I got a chance to see the Pro Swooping Tour's (Icarus & Go Fast) new video that they are putting out. Its called "Out of the Blue" and it features the trip that they did to Europe swooping Mt. Blanc and some other really cool stuff. It is EXTREMELY well put together...lots of AMAZING footage. It is for sale on the PST website and will be shipping in the March timeframe. I believe that the price is going to be $29.95 for the DVD...excellent. Lyle was telling me that this is also going to be available in all the major stores like Best Buy, etc. by the end of the year. PST ROCKS!!! Phenominal video!!!

I just picked up a another rig, Odyssey and it has velcro and the standard tuck tabs...every seen this???I am pretty happy about it, but I have never seen it or even thought about it. I would imagine that brake fires are going to be pretty difficult with this sort of configuration.

I got a chance to see the Pro Swooping Tour's (Icarus & Go Fast) new video that they are putting out. Its called "Out of the Blue" and it features the trip that they did to Europe swooping Mt. Blanc and some other really cool stuff. It is EXTREMELY well put together...lots of AMAZING footage. It is for sale on the PST website and will be shipping in the March timeframe. I believe that the price is going to be $29.95 for the DVD...excellent. Lyle was telling me that this is also going to be available in all the major stores like Best Buy, etc. by the end of the year. PST ROCKS!!! Phenominal video!!!

Excellent point...I agree 100%.

I bought a complete rig on line and have since bought a few canopies...no problems at all!!! All great equipment. It is important to ask the right questions and sometimes, buy through an intermediary who can hold the money and check the gear out for both parties. It quite nice, but buy beware!!! (so they say)

If its a factory repair...buy a new one. When I was working in Deland, the company was taking up to 6 months to get them back to you...so unless you want to sit on your ass or keep borrowing one...get another one. Buy a 6 pack of 'em!!!