Trae

Sounds a bit like that guy that held up a commercial aircraft with a rusty grenade a few years back and then jumped out with a home made parachute after getting the hostess to help him open the door.

Be You Tea Full

I'm noticing a bit of a trend here. What appear to be older more "well" established jumpers seem inclined to tell me to take up another sport for trying to get value for money ??????? Whereas the highly informative replies seem to be from more fresh hearted people. Thank you by the way ..very good . Go Figure

in rep2 "Who the heck would say such a thing? " The point is some people out here DO try and hold people back 'cause it would show them up or something I don't know I don't get it either. I wasn't suggesting U do..sorry if my inadequate comm.skills implied otherwise. in reply to "You don't know me very well " I don't know you at all . but you seem OK to me Nothing personal was meant so I'm sorry if you took some form of offence..... I''ll take it as a compliment on the basis that 'you can only be offended by people you respect.' in rep2 "I'm not taking a student on an intentional head down. That's simply dumb. " That's simply your inclination & opinion which you are entitled to in a free world. 'Make sure your rig is freefly friendly.'

Perhaps we would all have our own specific whistling noise vibration which produced different tones so that flocking would sound like an orchestra................ perhaps not

inreply to Sparky....touche

in reply to "Years ago, armed with no real suggestions but try it .... exactly how you described ... I did... the after I opened 2 instructors from an AFF jump passed me on either side. Woops.. Wasn’t quite head down.... see what I'm getting at? " Sure do . And I will concede your point with a proviso. As some of the replies from people who REALLY want to have a go at HD have indicated ....different strokes for different folks. We're not all the same .....thankfully. Some of us can see right through the commercialised way of "training " people for HD. 'Freeflying'. ..bit of a misnomer when you factor in paying for what often amounts to sloppy coaching. Some of us don't mind if we don't "get it right " the first time...as long as we don't endanger ourselves or others needlessly. I had a wonderful chat a little while ago with a person from another sporting discipline. He described how skydiving and it's training techniques looked to him. What attracted him to skydiving was HD and freestyle. This person was majorly disappointed that he was told he had to wait until he had 200 jumps before he could attempt HD. On his 10th jump he went HD after talking with me. OK it mightn't have been perfect and yeah he probably backslid a bit . ..BUT ...he did what HE wanted to do in a safe and reasonable manner (he was an exceptional student) Viewing his training videos it was difficult to tell who was the student and who was the instructor. An idea formed between us. HD in the AFF course. Why not we thought?

Go Bro's, I reckon ya don't let people teach you this sport is hard. The grounds hard . It's FUN in the sky as long as you exercise an adequate degree of caution. I had people telling me I wouldn't be able to do such n such until I had X amount of jumps. I can fly rings around those people now and they only taught me how not to do it. Be safe , keep your skydiving buddies and buddettes safe.. and you'll be lovin' this sport for a bally long time. Blue skies and cloud canyons 4Eva...

Thanks for putting me right back there .

in rep 2"From your profile Disciplines of Choice: Wing Suit Flying Freefall Photography The instructions posted will make 99% of the people back slide a lot faster than most people can track. " I suppose I could have added you'll know if you're doing it close to alright cause the horizon wil be steady just like if you're stable in a head up or flat possy. If you read my instructions carefully you'd notice that I recommended getting professional coaching before too many bad habits (such as the backsliding you mentioned ) set in. I've had no complaints from people who just wanted to have a go.. not neceassarily be perfect the first time...in fact quite the opposite ...they can't wipe the smiles off their faces.

in reply to :-$32 bucks for jumps to 14,000feet if you buy them in bulks of 10. and thats outta a Turbine XL750 i think it is $34 a jump for single tickets.

Yeah sounds consistent with what I've been experiencing. The 'paddles ' winglets ' whatevers seem to be very sensitive to being correctly aligned . when well balanced though you can really feel the powerful lift even at lowish speeds. When they get higher airspeed over them they tend to easily flip over or under and get blown backwards. When swept back though this tendency is reduced. How these would affect deployment is a bit of a concern. Thought they could be just released to flap or fold behind. Its fun playing with though.

I suppose there is some benefit to having a brand new canopy pre-tensioned some-how. If highly experienced factory test jumpers did this by hopping and popping then it might not have the same undesirable feeling about it. Perhaps that would be a way to increase quality control . Then again if manufacturing QC is up to scratch ....why? Putting a brand new canopy together and kiting it is a distinct pleasure I'd prefer not to deny myself...and that first hop n pop is just such a buzz knowing you're the first to see it open and the first to fly it around. I've known some places where the DZSO will insist on being the "1st" to jump a new type of canopy. This appears to be hoggin' others (paid for )pleasure to me ....a bit like some- one pre-testin your gal for you.. cheers

Most cost effective places to jump.? Does anyone know where the most cost effective places to jump are these days? Is it true that club skydiving offers the best value for money even though the aircraft are often smaller and the exit heights lower in general.. Everytime I visit a DZ lately they seem to have put the jump prices up especially just before a big meet.. At the moment jump prices are hovering around the $40+(A$) per skydive mark . This is at a time when petrol at the bowser is costing $1.20(A$) or more per litre ( approx $5.40 gallon) I’ve found a distinct lack of value for money in the current skydiving experience. This may be Ok for anyone with a decent income or if you can write off the costs somehow but I’m hearing more and more complaints from run of the mill skydivers that they feel they’re being ripped off . 5 skydives a day for 5 days equals $1000 ie for 25 skydives. A slight drop in exit height or a poorly planned skydive due to rushing to meet a load and the money just seems to disappear. .For the equivalent of 50 skydives you can buy a brand new canopy. 1000 skydives... say for a serious team effort... and jump prices alone will set you back $40 grand. For 4way that’s $100,000 with camera person. Does anyone know how this related to say 10 years ago?. Or before commercial skydiving replaced sport skydiving? It seems that at a lot of places the jump prices are highly inflated and often geared towards overseas visitors who may enjoy a beneficial exchange rate. It also seems that the multiple turbine aircraft being paid off by operators has influenced some fairly major price hikes as well as recent price increases due to the Iraq war and diminishing fuel production, increasing Asian demand etc. etc. Ok we live in a changing world and all but I can see how this apparent price increase has changed the type of person that takes up and continues in the sport...or should I say business of skydiving. Meeting students whose only real interest is to get a paying TM job on the islands sort of flavours the type of skydiving being done. With freeflying and increased fall rates further chewing up freefall time there appears to be a tendency for decreased value for money. (Thank the skygoddess for wingsuit flying which does seem to keep this tendency in check a bit.) What happens when only the rich or professional skydivers can afford to do a sport like skydiving ? My guess is skydiving world will become populated by money grabbing people eager to make as much money as they can out of skydiving itself to support their lifestyles at the expense of ‘ordinary ‘skydivers. This also seems to be creating dynamics that encourage only doing the ‘make money things’ rather than spending the time required to ensure safety levels are maintained and true fun atmospheres created. Now its not only me who feels this way . I’ve seen many jumpers clam up in the company of the pro’s when in private they don’t seem to mind expressing themselves along these lines. I’ve also heard and talked with a lot of novices just off student status who feel they are ignored at the major centres now that they don’t represent the same degree of money making potential to the staff jumpers. I feel such statements as “they don’t want to talk with me unless I’m paying them” are serious reflections on the current state of our sport. Of course exceptions to this are still fairly common...thankfully . I’ve also noticed an increase in the thieving of equipment such as altimeters and even goggles and other things such as helmets and cameras. Such thievery used to be a fairly rare thing in my experience. I put down this perceived increase in untrustworthiness to the overall increases in the costs of skydiving. If people feel they are being ripped off some types just react by trying to even things out a bit their own way. Anyway if you’ve read this far without just thinking I’m a whinging nanny perhaps you too can see such a trend? Perhaps you know how to negate these perceived tendencies in a fashion conducive to the continued enhancement of our sport. I know how the negative people react to such thoughts eg “ Stop your whinging and get on with it “ “Stop living in the past and accept how things are “ “If you can’t beat em join em “ etc etc What these reaction don’t provide is any acceptance that this is a real problem ..at least to the lesss well heeled amongst. I just look around for what I see to be true value for money . I know it’s out there... its just seems to be getting harder to find. I recently hired an aircraft for a couple of hours for under $200. It was a 6 place strutless high wing aircraft with retractable U/C ..a real little beauty. This price included a calm highly experienced pilot as well as covering the maintenance and fuel costs of the aircraft. We climbed and dived and did some low key aerobatics as well as zooming around some mountains at low and high levels......and generally had a real ball. The operator was one of those ex-airforce types who had forgotton more than most of us will ever know. He had attracted a crew of highly talented people and is involved in doing up old aircraft as well as maintaining new ones. 2 hours equal 4 loads of 5 jumpers to 10000+ .So that’s 20 skydives for less than $200.($A) or $10 to 10 grand. These are the 1980's jump prices in the 2005's. The reason this was a bit on the cheap side was because these guys absolutely loved flying and didn’t mind NOT making money out of doing what they loved. They covered costs plus enough to put a little aside. The nearest DZ was offering jumps to 10grand out of an aircraft that had obviously seen better days for nearly $40 (A$).Thats a 400% difference. When I mentioned this to a few skydivers their reaction was “where is that place ? Lets go and live there.” My feeling exactly. CU there Ciao.

Is this the same as Duponts floating fabric (carbon based ) that has been around for some years? This stuff will float out of your hand its so lightweight yet tough. The idea was they could use it as a photon sail for interpanetary spacecraft. Make a damn fine canopy as it'd fold into a matchbox.

Watch how the good guys do it. If you want... video them and REALLY watch ...in slo mo and freeze frame. Of course paying for coaching can help a lot as long as the coach really knows how to teach you and not just show you . Ensuring that everyone in the 4way is capable of doing smooth exits by themselves also helps heaps.

The best advice I've heard and used about how to have a go at head down is the following. Dive forwards out the door in the same direction the aircrafts going. Straighten and spread you legs , look down at your body and manually ensure your legs are spread apart and straight. Don't be concerned about your orientation and don't hurry. When you are sure your legs are in the desired position straighten your back and relax. Look gently at the horizon........YOU WILL BE HEAD DOWN.

If you believe in reincarnation the odds are close to infinity.

in reply 2 "Got a new project now. Webbed gloves, perhaps with itty bitty airfoils, see if I can't play with some wingtip vortexes, stuff em under the wing make em do something useful. I have absolutely no idea what I'm doing which means I have no preconceptions and therefore a decent chance of getting somewhere interesting" Like your attitude buddy.... I've had a few ideas similar to what you've suggested and if I may suggest something .....How about miniature glove wings a bit like body surfing paddles . These are wing-like flat planing surfaces used by body surfers to improve their surfing abilities.. If the hands went on top of these you may get a significant extension to the wing span. (if each one reached out an extra 6inches or so.) I've been doing this with different shapes by putting them out the window as I drive (on deserted roads.) Just playing around with them but I can see what you're getting at. This idea could grow into something good. Some of the best ideas are developed by relatively unskilled and un-educated people through trial and error rather than computer equations and such. Good luck with it.

in reply to "It is impossible to stop illegal gun selling in america. the market is completly flooded. by making them illegal in the US, they'll just take the guns away from those who use then for sport such as target practice and keeping them in the hands of criminals. ' This is exactly what has happened in Oz. Decent law abiding citizens are denied the right to defend themselves via feararms while the crims don't have the same restrictions. Relying on the perleece is not a good idea as they seem inclined to stay away and just arrive afterwards to pick up the pieces. The sale of items such as speargerns and bown arrows has increased though.....backwards step or what.?

One of the worst feelings I've had re getting new gear is the feeling that some-one has already jumped it. When I buy new I want brand fresh and new...straight from the manufacturers... not jumped by some 'test' pilot. If it 's put together by the people who made it that's ok..... I'll be dumping both canopies and checking everything well before it gets anywhere near jumping. I know some people who haven't been near a DZ sometimes make canopies ,hardware and containers. Most people I know feel very similarly about this . It's such a pleasure to closely inspect the usually magnificent work done on modern equipment...every stitch if possible. Cheers

Here's a couple of shots from close beside one of these babies.(before and after that guy took up the last grip) ...I know its one of the platonic solids and apparently it represents the first one. ...the symbol for fire, so I'm told. A platonic solid has all edges, faces and corners identical . Fire Earth, water ,air, and ether all have associated platonic solids. tetrahedron, cube, octahedron, dodecahedron, icosahedron, Been thinking that perhaps custom grips on the ankles and lower arms could come in handy here. Some form of twist and lock type grip could be useable if designed adequately. Shape changing could happen by everyone pulling in towards the centre taking up new grips and blossoming out the new shape. This could be the birthplace of Platonic formation freeflying.PFF

Skydivers who deserve respect CAUTION the following contains-------OPINIONS. There may also be some of you who see this as needless pontificating or less than politically correct……you’re free to do so …..(you lucky fusters) This is an attempt at listing different types of people (including skydivers) that frequent skydivingworld that deserve and have earnt respect. (in my opinion) Feel free to add to this list as I am sure that it will be incomplete …perhaps forever. ( I know I’ve left a lot of you out here …but that doesn’t mean you don’t have any respect.) Here goes ….. *Any one who has fought or is fighting to preserve our freedom. Thank you very much ..you probably don’t get to hear people say this often enough but you should know there are a lot of us out here that hold you people in high esteem. *Any one who has fought or fights corruption and other forms of official misconduct. Thank you for the risks you take by putting yourselves in the firing line for all our sakes even when we often aren’t aware of your sacrifices or your successes. *Law abiding DZ operators and others responsible enough to be truthful and who have to pick up the pieces when some of us hit the ground too hard *Anyone who has lost a loved one but continues on in the belief that good things can happen even though the world has dealt them/you such a difficult hand. *The ambulance officers and nurses who have saved a large number of us from dying by arriving and administering their unconditional care even when some skydivers just keep on jumping away unaffected. *Anyone who has been left alone in this world but continues on in the belief that good can & does overcome evil. *Anyone who has been mistreated by others but doesn’t succumb to mistreating people in return. This is perhaps amongst the hardest things that faces us in our life of freedom. *Anyone who after a life full of hardship and pain continues on bringing true goodness and care to our world. *Anyone who can show true unconditional love to all . If you can see the good in everyone and anyone then you are truly a special person. *Anyone who shows their care in quiet powerful ways . You individuals show us through your quiet achievements what we too can achieve and hopefully surpass (with your help). *Most jump pilots who usually tolerate the repetitive small minded jibes from shit scared skydivers. *Any skydiver who has beaten addictions such as alchoholism, smoking and illicit drug taking. *Anyone who has had a friend phucked over by the low lifes on a DZ and continued on in the spirit that all skydivers aren’t the same . *Any skydiver who takes a stance against illicit drug taking on DZ’s. *Semi-brain dead skydivers who give up the sport of skydiving and take up lawn bowls, cask wine drinking &/or highway watching. You have my respect by p’ingin off and not subjecting each new breed of skydiving innocents to your abhorrent behaviour. *Anyone game enough to post an opinion on this web site ,,,yep even you seemingly negative, seemingly argumentative types ( eg ‘the sky is blue today’…..”no its not ..it’s azure”). At least you don’t appear afraid to express yourself. Ciao. Ps I RESPECT MYSELF MOST OF ALL (some-ones gotta come first) Buy now

Perhaps you could put a photo up here if it works out. I had planned a 10 jump session to try and do this but things beyond my control took over. have fun at the Knocks Ciao

in reply to JoeT's "Hey, I make my 20 to 30 jumps a year, but I didn't start this topic. I'm not the one pontificating. I like the people at my DZ, even the crazy ones (does anyone really fling themeselves out of an airplane on a regular basis without having a few issues?) Look out for yourself and if you see someone screwing up or putting you in danger, say something to them. If they don't listen, say something to someone with authority. If they don't listen, get on a different load. Don't go bashing everyone in the sport. Blue Skies!" G'day JoeT , Sorry you think I'm pontificating. the priesthood doesn't want people like me...too truthful. This IS a tricky subject and one I just couldn't in all decency leave alone. Why let them get away with it? Just cause they're skydivers? Such 'star in the eye' blindness don't work on me any more. Your more considered and truthful sharing sounds better than telling people to take up golf ...(I suck at golf.) It takes all types I suppose... some just shouldn't be in charge. (in my opinion) Old tricks ...new players. Any more low shots ...I'll get to yous after the weekend...I'm off a varmintin'(feral eradication) Have funor it'll have U