MB38

Is it just me, or does Real TV commonly whuffoize skydiving malfunction videos to the point that it's negative on the sport? I really don't know what I'm talking about.

Really? I thought it was real! I really don't know what I'm talking about.

James Bond did it. I really don't know what I'm talking about.

You walked away from it, so it couldn't have been a terrible decision. The biggest risk seems to lie in the mystical knot that was holding the toggle in place. If it suddenly popped itself out at 100 feet, the three wraps could've made this into a nasty turn. But you have a better idea of how the toggle was hung up than I. I'm just guessing [jump numbers...]. I really don't know what I'm talking about.

Well that's just crappy. Ever find a culprit? I really don't know what I'm talking about.

You're flying a camera with a B license? I really don't know what I'm talking about.

Rehosted in .Mov format. Still needs VLC or several plugins added to Quicktime to play. I think the guy got lucky on body position at deployment, but it's hard to tell from this angle. I really don't know what I'm talking about.

Didn't somebody do a rope jump off of angel falls [or some comparable E] and go in on the second try? He survived the first jump and made the world record, but tried it the next day [with the rope hanging from the day before], only to have the rope snap. I really don't know what I'm talking about.

Beware of my advice, look at my jump numbers. Almost everything that I've been told has led me to believe that a new jumper should focus on relative work for a solid amount of time. Be able to work on your fall rate, turns and docking ability so that down the line you won't have to think about it. I've spoken to freeflyers who started on their ninth jump. Two-hundred jumps later they were fairly proficient freeflyers, but as soon as they got on their belly they were lost. I really don't know what I'm talking about.

Read through the incidents forum here. You'll read of the kinds of things that can go wrong and hopefully learn how to avoid them, but you'll also learn that mistakes and accidents can happen... and that's what this sport comes with. I really don't know what I'm talking about.

http://www.skydivingfatalities.info/ I really don't know what I'm talking about.

An acquaintance of mine created a smuggler system for himself that worked over his normal rig. He bought a normal backpack and cut out the back panel and the underside of the shoulder straps. He took some plastic from home depot and sewed on his own tuck tabs. He would put his rig on [with the leg straps inside his pants] and pull this backpack over it. The shoulder straps had no padding in them, so they would cover his rig's straps and appear "full". The tuck tabs would tuck in between his rig and his shirt, making the "backpack" and rig appear as though they were one unit. The back of the rig would fit inside of the "backpack" and the tuck tabs he sewed in on the back would go in between the rig and the back of his shirt, once again making it appear as though it were all one unit. When it came time to jump, he'd pull the "backpack" off and all of the tuck-tabs would undo themselves. He generally tossed it off before he jumped [it would feather to the ground at a safe speed] and picked it up once he landed. Just do up the chest strap and go for it. He used it to get into several buildings without so much as raising an eyebrow, but lost it almost a year ago when he didn't have time to pick it up after landing. One could put such a thing together with an afternoon, some fabric, some plastic sheeting and a carefully sized backpack. I'll see if I can get any pictures of it. I really don't know what I'm talking about.

I understand the design and functionality of PUD systems, but I've never understood the benefit and the reason for it being restricted to higher jump numbers. I'd benefit from that post as well, JP... and I bet I'm not the only one. But a search is in order for me anyways. I really don't know what I'm talking about.

I'm thinking that the NPS protest jump should be reconsidered a little bit... I really don't know what I'm talking about.

Duct tape. I really don't know what I'm talking about.

I hate to ask, but do your instructors post on these forums? I'd love to hear their perspective. I really don't know what I'm talking about.

Nope ... Good. I really don't know what I'm talking about.

Is there an incident associated with this post? I really don't know what I'm talking about.

If only I really don't know what I'm talking about.

Out of curiosity, did you ever get to chat with the Ranger again? I.E. was he ever made aware of what he could've done? I really don't know what I'm talking about.

www.supercircuits.com check these guys out if you haven't already. I've purchased several cameras from them. I really don't know what I'm talking about.

Shoot, I figured that'd happen. Go to www.apple.com/store and click on the red "Save" image on the right side of the page about a page and a half down. I really don't know what I'm talking about.

.mov or .wmv or .avi files... they're just container formats. They hold different compressions types. A .mov file can use Divx compression just the same as it can use MPEG compression, DVC Pro compression or any of about 80 other compressors. In the format wars, Quicktime has always been the most compatible. While the software does not have the widest reaching playback options out of the box, there's a reason that almost all professional studios utilizing formats from DVCAM to HDCAM to 2K/4K work use Quicktime. Interestingly enough, my Quicktime can play any file I throw at it. That includes any Divx, 3ivx, WMV, ASF, AVI, you name it. It's just knowing what to do with it. Anyhoo, enough of my little rant. Just remember the difference between a container format and a compressor. Quicktime Movie files and Windows Media files are not [by nature] large files. If the person chooses the wrong compressor and the wrong bitrate, the file will be huge. The same can be said with Divx. User error will bork it. I just say use the presets. I can use the h.264 compressor contained within a .mov and compress 1080p to the same file size as most people's SD... and the compression will look just as good. Hooray presets! This post is long. I'm done. I really don't know what I'm talking about.

You can get a kickass system for $500 new or less on eBay. You can also go here: http://store.apple.com/1-800-MY-APPLE/WebObjects/AppleStore.woa/71608/wo/bs1y7Ry55pcR2cvcYHY8RUCDsUM/0.0.15.1.0.8.63.0.0.0.0.0.0.3.1.1.0?100,34 Sure, you can get a $300 PC. You can get a $300 car as well. I really don't know what I'm talking about.

Thanks for adding more... they make great desktop pictures.