Elisha

Well, I kinda beat you. I had my 100th over two weeks ago and my 30th B-day was about 5 months ago.

Yes, and he also implied it was "gutter-gear" and said he'd trash it or sell it "...to the next person that believes that everything PD makes is solid gold." I wasn't the first person to defend the canopy.

Read mattt's posts.

Hopefully moving on...since this is about Hard Openings.... Maybe I should start this in the BASE forum, but they look hard on every video I've watched. Are they? I realize they need to be fast, which is another discouragement to BASE jump IMO.

This doesn't sound like a paranoid ranting or malinging against PD? This supports my point about the # of hard openings simply due to the law of large numbers and the lengthy history of the Sabre. Or how about this? Now compare these first two posts against this: Wouldn't the above be much more charitable while conveying the intended message? Well, your above replies seem to indicate you DO in fact have something against PD. As to my container, it's actually a Talon 1 , but that's besides the point. The whole rig was a rental that I had jumped from my DZ that was the right price that was for sale. I'm sure there are many others that were in a similar situation, in fact mnkycndo here has the same container and main as me as well - his first rig too - and he jumps at a larger dz than my former home. But again, it is used, a first rig, and I will move on to something else newere when I can afford to. By your profile, you jump at Eloy. Not all of us are as fortunate to have all the resources of Eloy at our disposable: tons of jump planes, instruction, wind tunnel, on site gear shop with all types of canopies, etc.

I'd love to attend, but have plans. Have fun w/o me.

And thank you for providing more context. Again, if you look at Matt's recent statement that I referenced, it is much better than his initial statements which seemed to be maligning and unqualified generalizations in nature. The message I get from his initial statements are: a) my canopy is "death/paralyation on a stick" (to quote livendive from another thread). b) PD is/was irresponsible or deceitful for making a cheap and/or design flaw c) I was a fool for buying a Sabre d) My DZO is an idiot or wasn't looking out for my interests This whole issue of a Sabre1 being "modded" is new (to me) and certainly makes a difference. I asked earlier and will again - are there many unmodified Sabre1's out there? How would one know?

No, I am not "Muddying the waters" at all, but providing a proper context and perspective to the discussion. Go back and read your first few posts on the topic (of Sabre1's) and then the post on Oct 6 which I referenced. Think about it for a little while and try to be objective wrt your own posts. Basically, you are maligning PD and accusing them of perpetuating a defective, inferior product for a long period of time. Even if you disagree with this, I still see how this isn't any different than saying "How much is your life worth?" to get someone to purchase a Mirage (to pick a more pricey container) over a Dolphin if maybe a Dolphin suits someone's needs, if maybe we are only talking short term and this is understood by all.

billvon, Please refer this to the thread about short cutaway cables a month or so ago. A masterrigger has gone over this in the meantime and I will be having him modify it to get more length at my repack at the end of the month.

In the context of how the Sabre is being portrayed, they indeed sound like paranoid rantings. First of all, it has already been pointed out that: 1) Sabre's have always had a higher liklihood of hard openings vs other canopies. 2) and ANY canopy for that matter can slam you if you don't pack it right or for just some random opening w/o any apparent reason. Now, for an example. There have been several fatalities over the years at Perris Valley - I count 3 in 2004/05 at least by just searching on 'perris' in the fatality db on dz.com. (Sorry to pick on Perris, but they are big. You could probably substitute Lodi, Eloy, or some other large DZ for that matter.) Now, because there have been fatalities, should I just assume Perris is a dangerous place? Should I automatically point the finger at their S&TA(s)? Should I assume there are dangerous jumpers there? NO! That would be silly. Even if you assume the same fatality RATE for Perris as any other DZ regardless of size, there is a much higher liklihood of seeing A fatality at Perris vs some other cessna tandem factory due to the Law of Large Numbers. Now, if you look at this compared to canopies, someone correct me if I'm wrong, but wasn't the Sabre one of the most popular canopies purchased/used during the time of its production? Due to the number of Sabres that have ever been made/flown, if you just apply the rate of a canopy having a hard opening for even a non-Sabre, you will still get many instances of hard openings. This doesn't even account for the dated design of the canopy. Furthermore, what we are initially talking about is probably different for different people wrt purchasing a rig. Are you just off student status and looking for a first (probably used) rig or an experienced jumper looking for new/relatively new equipment? Have you been jumping at a large or a small DZ? What is the advice, experience and recommendations from those from your DZ? Who do you trust to sell you equipment and why? What is available on the market (whatever the market means to you)? Should I now believe that my former DZO was ignorant or in fact malicious? Sorry, but I don't. Therefore, mattjw916's first response indeed sound like paranoid rantings. I will say that his response on Oct 6, 2005, 5:52 PM was much more reasoned.

Rock on man! Die Evil Empire, Die!

woa. That's some scary shit! All I can say is I hope this was something planned with even the passenger being a consenting experienced skydiver. If not, then ya, ground them!

Improved to .1938

Visualize Using Your Turn Signal

Jumping in the cold sux. I can handle a few winter jumps here in NorCal to stay current, but it probably is still above 0 F at altitude here in NorCal, which is about all I'm willing to handle.

Male, Age 30, best avg = .2064. Also doing this with my left middle finger and I'm right handed. I mouse with my left because I have scoliosis and my right shoulder muscles are tighter.

I think right about 3 sec for me.

I take it you didn't make it to Cloverdale. I jumped at Byron on Sat. See the Santa Rosa thread in Events/Places.

So I'm guessing you never made it to Cloverdale on Sat. I considered going up there Sat since there was wind at Byron....but not enough to keep me from jumping. Good for our Reg. Dir. Q for encouraging me to drive to Byron! Just don't let him eat Pizza!

Na uh! Na uh! All these problems could've been avoided if you would've gotten a Wings!

Dat's a purdy one!

My prior 4 jumps (before yesterday) were on a Pilot 140 I demoed at a boogie. Then jumping my old Sabre 150 all my turns seemed damn slow by comparison! But I think the windy conditions contributed....like making almost no progress on my first jump yesterday on final against high-teen mph winds. ick.

Ummm...grue? Read below.

0:3:0 3 jumps at a somewhat windy Byron. Sucessfully lurked the Mad John 4-way (they turned lots of points) w/o f-ing it up.

Actually sounds scary....because you'd have to repack a new friggin' canopy!