demoknite

You can use your BPA membership in places with better weather, and unless those places are the US or Canada, their insurance still covers you. The sticker thing is just the same as a lot of places, the difference being... wait for it... you get a sticker. Less whining, more skydiving. Or at least, if you're going to complain, understand why the situation is what it is - one sizeable hint being, it's not because the BPA thought it would be cool. Joel Not affiliated with the BPA except he has to give them money, same as you do Not whining, just stating the facts. I dont drink the BPA's kool-aid, I just pay my money and jump like a loyal subject should.

And most places close late in the fall and dont open until spring. So you actually get 3/4 of a years coverage. You cant jump with anyone else unless you have certain stickers in your logbook. It's a testament that they actually have a decent skydiving scene in that country. However, their top performers get the bulk of their training done abroad.

A lot of the T10s and T10 reserves are being converted to be used on cargo loads to save money.

I didnt know Geordi La Forge was HALO qualified...

As a private rigger myself, I usually pack my own rig. But with that knowledge I know how a parachute works and how a reserve is designed to be that much more reliable than the main. I would let anyone with the ticket pack my reserve and not think twice. Youve trusted the manufacturer to construct your rig based on federal standards, why would you not trust them to go ahead and pack/assemble it based on federal standards? Funny how people will throw their rig on a pile and let some 16 year old "packer" pack the main under the dubious "supervision" of a rigger, but OMG I only trust my own personal rigger to pack the reserve. More than likely you dont know the person who serviced the aircraft you jump from, the car you drove to the DZ in or the roads you drove to the DZ on and they all have to be up to a federally mandated standard. Jump that shit.

I heard it is a bad idea to mix tube stoes and bands I do exactly the same thing. Tube stows to close the back and small bands for the rest of the stows. I never ever double wrap. I have never had a problem with that set up.

So what would you do with your bike during the winter??? Its the same sort of situation. You dont see too many people out on their bikes in February.

The U.S. military is always hiring.

I love doing high pulls. I did one in July in the UK at 14K in shorts and a tshirt and damn it was cold. The first thing I though when I was cruising along was, "I wish I had put on some chapstick."

Rigger here. I happened upon a two pin CYPRES2 when shopping for an AAD. I have a one pin system, so I just coil up one of the cutters and put it in the control unit pocket. Easy day.

If youre not a TSgt or have a line# for TSgt you wont get the job due to the new job description. Its one of the best kept secrets in the Air Force though if youre qualified. Its the closest thing the AF have to the Golden Knights and there are a bunch cadets doing it.

He pays money to get on the load just like you, it is in his right to not want his jump messed up by a new guy. I dont know what tone the OP's conversation in, but these two comments are in a nutshell the attitude that I think the OP was talking about.

I looked on the classifieds as well but I didnt spend that much time, because I really dont particulary care. During my quick look I saw complete rigs that were mostly built in the 90s for that price, and some that fit a a more skilled demographic. I quickly looked at a dealer website that was offering a full kit for around $5K, but I didnt read the fine print so who knows what it really entails. I added 1K for the rounded out price of AAD for quick math purposes, hence my 6K figure. My example was based on what wouid be a highly desirable used rig in a common configuration that would still be sought after by people looking for a first rig. And the rig in my example would have only been two years old. So of course I skewed the stats to make myself look like a used gear genius. I thought thats what we're supposed to do here. I guess Im doing it wrong.

I may not have worded my post in the way that I was thinking it. To keep it easy: If you pay $6K for a whole rig with AAD (most people take it out and put it in their next kit). Your a 5'8"-5'10" 170 lb male and you have a mostly black Javelin Odyssey with some blue accents, throw in a standard 170 reserve and a popular 170 main (Pilot, Sabre2, etc). You have it for two years and jump it 500 times and in the mean time you take quite good care of it. Now, if you have the upper end size of container it could possibly fit a 190 main which are in quite high demand for people just off student status or people who are happy flying something a bit more conservative. I dont think it would be out of order to ask $4.5K for it and maybe get talked down to $4K maybe high $3K. Now you have sold it for $2K-$3K less than you bought it and you still have an AAD in your pocket, and you are 500 jumps more experienced. Your mileage may vary, of course. Thats what I meant when I said "near". I didnt mean a couple hundred bucks.

Depending on your job and credit situation getting a signature loan at your financial institution could be a good way to go. And although rigs do depreciate in value, if you get a popular container in very conservative colors, are of an average build, and take good care of the system you will find that you will be able to resell it for near what you paid for it.

Ive found the best thing to jump in thats not specific to discipline are the pants that are popular amongst outdoor people. These come in brands such as The North Face, Mountain Hardware, Arcteryx, etc. Some of them are very similiar in style and material as freefly pants, they are durable and they wash (relatively) easily if you grass 'em up. Plus you can wear them whilst not skydiving and still do fine. The neon orange and hot pink free fly pants only go over well at the DZ and even then you still get the raised eyebrow...

If you jump enough, you will eventually have a cut away. If you pack enough someone will eventually cut away your pack job. Its that simple. Dont sweat it.

I lol'd.

A MICH with Peltors.

Yeh. The first thing to look for is the cost of living. Anywhere in the southern US generally fits that bill. Then you look for weather. It tends to rain a bit in the summer on the gulf coast but there is a ton of good weather and good drop zones along the gulf coast. So basically, Texas and Florida are you best choices as others have mentioned. And being near international airports near Houston, Dallas, Tampa is a major bonus. Major airports also mean there are good job opportunities not related to skydiving available. So pretty much Texas and/or Florida.

Just to play devils advocate since this is the internet and nothing will ever come of it... Have you not seen this on people with over 500 jumps? Camera or not? DZ.com always needs something to bitch about it seems. It used to be low turns, then it was downsizing, now its go pros. First it they were bitching about the quality, now its those wanting to jump it. I predict that they will be allowed to be jumped at around 100 jumps or coaching will be raised to 200. Its funny how technology sort of creates discussions. Not very many years ago someone with 200 jumps would have been well respected and thought to have done a lot of jumps. With innovations in aircraft and parachute technology someone with 200 jumps still gets chump attached after it. I think we are due for a re-evaluation of what can be done at what number of jumps, and not just in relation to go pros.

I'm not sure that waiting until they bounce is the best way to identify those who may be distracted. So do you believe that 200 is the magic number to no longer being distracted????? Do you think we should implement a camera cert course? Maybe 7 camera jumps with an instructor to get signed off?? I am a firm believer that some people are simply more capable of multi-tasking or staying focused in general. I think these people will be as competent wearing a camera at 100 jumps as someone who is less focused and has 500, 1000, 2000, jumps etc.... I don't think the 200 jump requirement should be lowered... I just think that wearing a camera may be a big distraction for some and not a distraction at all for others. If you can be a coach at 100 then you should be able to fly a go pro. Or raise the coach limit to 200. Its almost like the 18 to vote and serve in the military but you cant drink until 21 argument. Also I think there is a difference between having a "proper" camera on the side of your head and a stills on the top and all the crazy bite switches and cutaway chin cups that go with it and then a go pro. Most people with a go pro arent videographers. They just want to see what ends up on the camera and put it on youtube. Im probably in the minority but I have no problem with small cameras at less than 200.

God I hope not...those things will KILL ya! ...not to mention the video quality sucks! Ive seen better resolution on a VHS!

I guess we wont be talking about go pros in this thread then.