GrumpySmurf

I dunno, I think the check out dive is quite a good idea - it guarentees a minimum level of proficiency, especially if the DZ is a hot tourist spot for travelling skydivers - since they haven't been around long enough for other people to jump with them and get a feel for that individuals skills. This way it can be done in one jump and demonstrates that the individual has a minimum skill set and is safe to jump with. It might be a hassle to deal with but it does help protect your butt too. It might be nicer if all the DZ's who want to do check out dives agree on a required set of skills and make the 'blue tag' (or sign off in a log book) be applicable to each other (reciprocity) - so you only have to do it once. And as for paying for it, well you are taking up someones time - at the least - cover the jump ticket and the pack job. I assume the check out jump to get your 'A' license wasn't free, why would this be any different (though charging lift tickets and $100 would be a tad extreme) The 'AD' licenses are a nice idea but require a huge investment in time and skill that could scare off most would be freefliers - maybe shifting them down and make the skill sets progressive - so an 'A' would mean controlled 6 DoF (degrees of freedom) movment in a sit, a 'B' for sit, stand, and progessive tracking, 'C' for headdown, and 'D' for headdown with toys involved. Then make it understood a 'B' is needed to start learning headdown and jumping in a sit with more than 1 other person, a 'C' to start learning the spaceball and jumping moderate sized groups, and a 'D' to play in big ways. Something like that. I'm just trying to avoid starting work today and babbling stream of thought

Yeah, he'll amputate instead. "I don't care about my arm, just don't cut the rig, ok!?"

For experiencing your first day at 28 - you owe - you guessed it...BEER!

I'm flying about a 1.3 loading in an articulated harness and tend to use leg movements to hold and correct my heading back towards the DZ while futzing with the slider (bloody thing never wants to cooperate and just stow without a fight). It *FEELS* like by pushing a leg down and the other up - I am shifting my weight to the outside edge of the canopy (the edge closest to the leg dropped), causing that side of the canopy to drop, while the opposite side rises (due to increased/descresed pressure). This *seems* to cause the canopy to turn toward the side that has dropped. Am no physics guru, just what I noticed. *shrug*

Suggestions... 1) pull higher 2) work on your spotting skills (and when to ask for a go around, and when not to) 3) enjoy the exercise from walking back? I certainly do!

*** waiting for motivation. [/quote/ Or just waiting for something worth waiting for?

I think the advice, "Talk to Lisa." Might be your best bet to not end up with your nickname proving true in real life

Make sure to print it out too. The checkin folk are not gonna have a clue about carry policy with sports equipment - at least this way they know what you are talking about, and it might help to enlist thier aid if the high school drop out in security says no go. Hopefully with the Feds getting involved the training will be standardized to include rigs and CYPRES, since it supposed to involve over 60 hours of class time alone.

Wasn't the Ocean Ranger - cuz dude, who ever worked on that one didn't do a very good job.

Similar - except I work on the crap that we try to pimp out to OEMs that then in turn try to sell to folk like Clay's employer.

And right next to Dildo is Spead Eagle.

Ahh ok, for some reason when someone says 'rental gear' - I'm thinking of Sabre(2)'s, Stillettos, and the like. Grounding the Mantas and thier kin certainly would make sense, else some lucky farmer might get thier field turned early this year as you get dragged across it .

You gotta be kidding me?? Are they that anal about rental gear condition - (in terms of dirt and scuffs, not air-worthiness - you should be fussy about air-worthiness)? I figure a recent 'A' on a no wind day would do just as much damage with botching landings as an experienced person on a windy day. Or is this mentality of 'any wind, no rentals' more widespread?

Ungrateful indeed! Here I give them a roof over thier heads, fed them, and clothe them - well, not clothe them - but 2 out of 3 ain't bad, right? And they should have been quite happy I only cooked the other two 'friends' for dinner - was a wonderful meal, sauteed leg with a nice spicy peppercorn sauce. Quite tastey indeed. Ungrateful indeed! BTW: Anyone looking for a handmade one of a kind lampshade?

Kewl, I had a few too - but they chewed themselves free from the straps and got loose from my closet. Haven't seen them since .

Just please don't get into the habit of 'S' turns on your final. People have died because of this. Even if you do it at a Cessna DZ and are the last jumper out and the highest puller, it could develop into a habit and if you go to a convention or turbine DZ, could turn out to be a disasterous one. The idea of a left/right hand pattern is very good one, just for a safety standpoint since it is a predictable landing set up.

You have friends?

Funny, there was a PBS show on about the Ford Explorer problem and part of it was on how the gov't wanted to mandate gas guzzling SUVs off the road and I guess some senator from the Motor City State got the National Transport Safety Board to basically say if you are in a small car that gets hit by a big car - you will die. And they contribed tests of like Neons getting broad sided by Monte Carlos or something akin to that. Ironicly, this allowed more SUVs to be bought - and the subsequent roll over issue. Poetic justice if you ask me. I hope the insurance industry is having a field day with premiums for SUV owners

I guess they missed that Gr.3 lesson to point your scissors at the floor when walking with them.

Why does a certain incident in San Diego years ago suddenly come to mind?

NO! Stay in the left lane - it's even more fun to pass them on the right, then cut them off

Vette owners - sons of the anti-Christ

Isn't CAFE due to go into effect sometime in the near future that forces each auto manufacturer to maintain a minimum average fuel efficiency across all auto sales? I heard this in passing in reference to the Porsche Cayenne due out in the next year or so (a Porsche SUV) - which could expected to have an efficiency of 15/19 or so - the comment about CAFE was to the effect that PCNA (Porsche Cars of North America) was going to have sell a huge number of Boxsters (with a 21/27 fuel rating) to maintain the CAFE standards to allow further sales of Cayennes. Or did this law also get shot down by Washington with the new Admin - personally - I would love to see the SUVs off the road - it's like a mini-van for insecure people, and they try to drive it like a sports car.

Hmm, interesting - so what would happen if the Western World actually put some real effort into alternative re-newable fuels? Would the Middle East collapse into chaos when thier sole export plummets in importance? I'm suprised the auto manufacturers haven't played this angle yet (probably a bit too touchy a subject) - that the fuel cell cars they are trying to move would reduce America's demand for oil and thus reliance on the Middle East. Hmm, just random thoughts provoked by the article. Then again I guess the Western World also has to learn that just because helping someone might be in thier best interests - they may not want your help, and may come to resent you for it.

Are your hands making you sleep on the couch again?