MarkM

I'm just curious as to why you would choose someone with more years rather than more current in teaching a FJC. A person with more years will have seen more at the DZs, seen more changes go through the DZs and have a longer view context of things. A person with more jumps in a shorter time will have more skill, but I don't see where that is as important for a low end student because you're just teaching basic skills.

Brian's The Parachute and its Pilot is a good book to read for understanding your canopy and yourself as its pilot. http://www.bigairsportz.com/publishing.php

Trust in what way? If it's a rigger, I'll take the 25 year guy. Ditto with an instructor teaching a FJC to a friend.

Get a new job so I can afford to jump as much as I want.

I've had that a few times, especially after I boffed in a landing once. It's pretty sad that when you're getting on the plane you're not scared of the parachute not working, you're nervous about landing under a perfectly good one. When I bought my container 2 years back it was based on suggestions of "you'll get bored of a 150 pretty quick and move down to a 135". I ain't bored of the 150, won't be any time soon, and now I get to spend the next 2 years packing a 150 into a container that better fits a 135.

Just grab her by the back of the head and give her some good ole tongue. Unless she's someones grandmother. Then forego the tongue.

LOL, this is a funny thread. I have no idea how my handshake is and frankly could care less what anyone thinks of me because of it. The only time I've had a problem with another person's handshake was this young(er) kid who just about crushes my hand every time we shake. I think he has self esteem issues.

I run Linux you insensative clod!!

Which part of Florida? It's a big state.

Because a lot of students don't know what they're doing and need basic simple instructions they can remember after a brain locked skydive that won't cause them to get themselves into any more trouble. Tell a student to watch the canopy inflate and they may get confused and cut away a good canopy while it's sniveling or something(heck, some students have been known to cut away from simple line twists). You're pulling at 5-6k, you have plenty of altitude to give your canopy a full 5 seconds to inflate. When you get experienced enough to be pulling at lower altitudes, you'll have a feel for the deployment and will probably know something is wrong within a couple seconds without having to count or look.

Ripcord systems are good for when you're in an unstable body position. They were used on student rigs most everywhere up until recently because of that. You have a good chance of being unstable when you're pulling your reserve. As an experienced jumper pulling your main you're likely in a stable body position. Ripcord systems have minor quirks(PC in your burble, having to hold your ripcord) that BOC systems don't have so people prefer BOC on the main.

A thousand feet. But that's why you pull at 5k, no?

I am the Google God http://www.straightdope.com/mailbag/mdick.html

I dunno, I've heard theories that people will invent danger in their lives to compensate for a lack of it. For example, the whole terrorism scare going on. You have an absurdly remote chance of being killed by a terrorist, yet there's a huge panic about it. It also explains why people like scary movies and carnival rides. We like to feel safe, but also seek the arousal of danger. Probably a needed instinct for predators otherwise they'd never seek out prey.

Does the pilot have the color line tabs? I have a Hornet that was relined by Aerodyne and it has color coordinated tabs where the lines attach to the canopy. Makes it soo much easier to sort my lines out while packing.

Alright, now that was fucking funny. And the poem was a trip too.

This made for a good laugh. I have a Hornet 150 and had been getting some nasty slammers recently. I started stuffing the nose of the canopy and that cured it though. Now I have nice, soft, off heading openings I'll get it perfected out eventually though.

Relative Work: People too old to freefly. FreeFlying: Young punks with tie dye rigs and wierd hair. Wanna-be skate board kids. Freestyle: For women(and men who want to look gay) who like ballet. Accuracy: For people too old for RW. Crew: For people who like knives and need an excuse to carry 20 of them on their rig. They also like the idea of being called a "dog". Wingsuit: For people that used to freefly because it was no stress and fun, but needed something else once VRW took off. Veritcle Relative Work: RW's who are having a mid life crisis and have started freeflying to feel young again. Base: Crazy mofo's. Tandem Masters: Men duped into thinking they would be strapped up to hot super models, then after spending thousands on training to be a TMI are too broke to quit once they find out it was all a lie. I miss anyone?

I've had minor headaches that've lasted a couple months caused by an issue now fixed, and I couldn't imagine having to deal with long term pain like you've had to do. I can totally relate how you're scared of getting more headaches now and the only thing I could think to say is that one day you will not have this problem anymore and the pain and suffering you feel today will be a memory that fades and 10 years from now you'll remember the good parts of this time in life and not the bad. Keep digging for the cause, it's the only way you'll get cured and it can take docs a long time to nail the issue. Tough it out, do what you have to do to get through to the other side. That other side is a great place to be and well worth the trip to get there.

It's not funny, it's pretty sad. And seriously dude, you can try for a better insult than "you never got laid". Yes I answer my door and yet amazingly enough only the people I want inside my home actually get into it. But maybe I have a magic door. Or no, maybe I just have control of things and don't blame outside crap on stuff going on in my life that I have control over. It's funny you title the thread after the Vanilla Sky movie, because ultimately the problems in the lead character's life where caused by himself. He poorly handled the crazy woman that messed up his life, he got into the car the morning when she drove it off a bridge. He even admited at the end of the movie that he never should've gotten into the car that morning, a final admission that the choices he made in life were poor ones. The entire theme of the movie, the events spinning out of control in his mind, were entirely in his control if only he would've taken lead of things. The IT guy in his mind told him as much over and over. The only thing we really have in life is control of our lives and yet people piss it away with bad reasoning and excuses. "OMG, it's one of those crazy bitches, what can you do about it??" You don't see the connection between the guy's actions and why he has this crazy chick issue and what he could've done to avoid the issue at several steps. That's what makes the situation sad.

That was his mistake. If he didn't want her around, he should've told her to get the fuck out and not to show her face around his place again. Instead you guys are playing the "he's not around" while he's hiding up stairs, you're pulling down neighbors to try to make her "uncomfortable", etc etc immature games. Yeah, hiding upstairs to avoid her is really shutting her down. And please don't tell me he didn't deserve this shit. He was the one that went out to the bar and picked her up, he's the one that fucked her, he's the one that didn't have the balls to confront her when she was showing up randomly.

Yep. Jump prices went up 1 buck at Sebastian and 2 at Miami.

Ahh the voice of reason. It takes 2 people to create and maintain a fucked up situation like this. Your friend could've shut her down in a heart beat early on, but apparently he liked the ass too much so now he's in over his head playing dodge ball with someone else's emotions.

I've got a Z1 full face and free fly fine with it. My main complaint with full face helmets is that it's hard to talk in the plane when you're wearing it. But I wear braces, so I like the mouth protection.

I was really curious about this too when I saw the ad. I always thought companies had to put a no purchase option in the contests to prevent them from being considered gambling.