dragon2

But a zoom is never as good as a fixed lens. I have a Voigtlander 19-35 mm for Canon myself, it works, and one guy I know jumps it. I haven't jumped mine yet (camera helmet isn't ready yet) but I've used it on the ground. A fixed lens, even if it isn't the best Canon lens, is way way better. Also unfortunately way way more expensive which is why I don't have one ciel bleu, Saskia

This I don't get. What pause? You mean the camera has to focus? My EOS D30 takes pics as fast as my EOS 50E (after it has been turned on first of course which does take longer for a digital). ciel bleu, Saskia

365 in 2 years ciel bleu, Saskia

I don't think it is, at least not here in Holland. However your instructor may require it, I suppose he might if the accident was bad enough. OTOH I've seen people jump with braces and even casts, I guess it depends. Common sense might tell you when it's okay to jump again. I've grounded myself a bunch of times for sinus trouble, for instance. Also grounded myself once due to medication, and once for backpain. It's YOUR body, you should know best I think... But then, luckily I've never been seriously hurt, skydiving or otherwise *knock on wood*. ciel bleu, Saskia

If even that. Just ask your doctor nicely, he/she just might sign the d*mn paper. Mine did, (shhhh) I only just needed it because I got my B license soon after (here a medical is mandatory for students/A-license holders, and TM's and such). I think for TM's a *real* medical would be in order, because they're responsible for someone besides themselves. After an accident of some kind, I'd get myself checked out real good too. Students might benefit, because they don't know what to expect. I usually know what I'm doing these days, so....... just needed to have one, also need it for France for the World Championships later this year. ciel bleu, Saskia

Sorry, no idea. However I was discouraged from buying the pretty purple Altritron the rigger/shop next door has, because it doesn't have enough contrast. However the review here on dropzone.com says it has some logging properties, might be interesting... The PSI page doesn't have y=the information anymore... If you find that manual, lemme know! All I could find was this: Lightweight: 3 oz. (80 g) Easy to read high contrast LCD (the brighter the light, the higher the contrast!) Easy to set warning altitude on LCD face: 1,500-9,900 ft. (500-3.000 m) Danger zone signal below preset warning signal @ speed exceeding 100 ft/s (30 m/s) Operating altitude: 0 to 6.000 m ( 0 to 20.000 ft) Operating temperature: -25 to +70 °C (-13 to +158 °F) Self-calibration and self-test Last jump exit and opening altitudes calculation Easy to use: set and forget ciel bleu, Saskia

I love my Atom, I have an Atom 00 (smallish rig). Also the smaller Javelins fit me well but they're a bit too small (max 120 sqft main). ciel bleu, Saskia

I currently have 4 hookknives: a small metal one (single blade) on the mudflap of my CRW rig, I also have a plastic Jack the Ripper knife (double blade) on the cheststrap. On my freefall rig I have 2 plastic crappy knives (single blades, duh), one on the mudflap, one on the legstrap on the other side. ciel bleu, Saskia

I went to university for a while, studying biologie. Never really thought about it, cause I always had animals and stuff this seemed logical. I didn't like the study much tho, and after I found out that my chances of a job after graduation (4 years, by then 5 for me) were like 4%, and after post-graduation (at least another 6 or 7 years for me) the chances would grow to like 24% but the most likely job then, was looking for oil (WTF??), I threw in the towel. Also at that point my boyfriend threw me out, so I didn't have a home, didn't have a job (my parttime job ended then, too), didn't have money, didn't have a degree, nothing. Okay, time for a radical change. Went home to my parents, and looked in the phonebook for computer courses. Computer stuff always was my other hobby, I programmed my first tiny program when I was eight. Anyway the first company I called needed a guinea pig, for this new course. It's a course for university-level people to turn them into programmers. It's free, provided you work for them at least a year for a standard wage, to pay it off. The course was new, I was the first student they ever had who didn't have a finished degree (but I did pass their tests), and AFAIK I'm still the only female there. Course took 3 months, after that I got placed at an insurance company for the year, and I started working for that insurance company after that, and I still work there. ciel bleu, Saskia

I don't know how many jumps you have, and I'm not an instructor or even a very experienced jumper myself. But in this case I think it wouldn't be wise to even attempt to release the RSL. I've been in a spinning mal, the kind where you might wish for no RSL. But no way did I think about disconnecting it, and probably no way that I even could have. Try finding a little yellow tab when you're spinning on your back... Don't think so. Also such a spinner eats up altitude fast, so I wouldn't waste time. Anyway I ended up under my reserve with no line twists, with a WL of 1.2 and a tapered canopy (Safire), I ended up just fine. Therefore I leave my RSL connected, except for CReW and camera stuff. However, I do a lot of hopnpops from 12k. Usually I disconnect my RSL then. My plan for a mal is to ride it down for a while if I can, before chopping. If I can't, chop it and fall to at least 4k or so before pulling my reserve. That is my plan. Although I wouldn't really be surprised that if I DO have a mal at altitude, I'll end up under my reserve at 12k anyway, thinking afterward, oh, right... Also, not sure if I want a terminal reserve opening instead of a subterminal one, but that's another question. ciel bleu, Saskia

I tend to stay on the ground if at least 2 things don't really feel right. This is somewhat hazy tho... Like if there's a lot of wind, turbulence, if it's really hot or really cold, me feeling not real good, a really low ceiling. But it also includes me not having all that much money and me not having anything in particular to do on the jump, or me having something to do BESIDES the jump (like photographing/videoing something interesting on the ground). Also if the ceiling is low, I have to really feel like jumping, or have like a new canopy to fly, else I'm saving my money. If it's real windy/turbulent tho, or if I'm ill, of course I'll stay on the ground. This weekend I could finally jump camera, for the first time. I did 5 jumps, one on saturday, no prob. The first jump sunday, the wind was so much I came just about straight down on my Spectre (WL 1.1). Switched to my Lightning (WL 1.25) for the remaining jumps, wasn't blown backwards, and landed in the right field everytime, so no probs. However some tandems WERE having problems, so I had to think about it a bit after 2 jumps. A couple of guys asked if I REALLY wanted to jump (I'm a wind-wuss, usually, because, hey, I can jump another day). But I did want to, and so did most of the jumpers (students were grounded tho). It was okay, just spot real good, pay attention to heading (we were doing CReW) and pay attention to the landing pattern. No prob. I've ridden the plane down twice because of a (for me) too low ceiling. Both times I had a snivvely Spectre on my back. I wanted 3k, at least. The first time I was a student. I would definitely have gotten out the last time tho, at 2500ft, if I had had my Lightning. And now I suppose I'd get out regardless. But not then. Never had to deal with changed winds in the plane, so no idea. I usually refer to experienced jumpers if I'm not sure, if they say it's okay, it usually is. ciel bleu, Saskia

Yeah, a reminder to keep my big mouth shut sometimes Said to my instructor when we had 2 cutaways on one day already: So, now we wait for the next one... Guess who went up in the next load? And guess who had a reserve We had a guy 2 months ago that had 2 reserve rides IN ONE DAY! The second right after the first... Both were rented rigs, one of which he had packed himself... Ouch... We cheered for him when he actually came down on his MAIN the next jump... ciel bleu, Saskia

My Atom was exempt; the reserve pin isn't the straight variety but it has a loop for the RSL, not sure what you call it but anyway it didn't have to be tested. my Vulcan I had no idea of, the rig is old but the ripcord isn't marked and I only just bought it, no idea of it's history. So I had it tested anyway. For €5,- , why worry.... It passed

I actually competed in the dutch nationals for style (that's anuther story ), we each had our own personal downwind jumpruns.... and rollercoaster rides in between ciel bleu, Saskia

I know what i want, and that's a fullsize chip camera. Don't have nowhere near the €€€ for it tho, so, tough. What I have got, is a Canon D30. Bought it when the D60 was already out, so I knew the next model was already there. But that was also the reason I got it with a huge discount. Yeah, I want a D10. I wanted a D60. But I've so far shot almost 7000 pics with the D30, and I'm enjoying the hell out of it. Even tho it's 'old technology'... Ya can't keep up with digital technology anyway, be it camera's, computers, whatever, unless you've got enormous amounts of cash, which most skydivers don't have... So if it's good enough for you now, why not buy it? I don't know you, but are you sure you need what someone like Norman Kent needs? Know what I mean? OTOH, I admit would kinda suck if you got a D10 now and the next month there's a new camera out, but, so far I've heard no rumours... ciel bleu, Saskia

[reply I think they should at least be urged to do hop and pops from full altitude and really wring out their canopy. Huh everytime I do that (when I jump a new canopy or just for the fun of it), I get things like: But it's COLD! Or You can play all you want from 5k!! Or I thought you were a reserve! Or We thought you were a FS jumper who's chute opened prematurely! Aaargh......... Note: of course I let manifest/the rest of the load know what I'm doing, the last 2 comments were from other jumpers. The first 2 were from my chief instructor tho I only had 117 jumps on my Spectre 150 when I downsized (and a couple jumps on Lightning 143, Triathlon 150), but I had lotsa canopy time. I like CF a lot too, esp. from 12k, making me some sort of freak to a lot of people Hey, remember, you get the most airtime for your money with a high hopnpop! And Collision Flying is good for ya canopy control! ciel bleu, Saskia

You are jumping a Caravan. I've never heard of a tail stike in one. And while you are doing aff it shouldn't be any trouble. We had a very experienced jumper hit the tail of our Grand Caravan 2 weeks ago. I was sitting near the door when it happened... He wasn't wearing a helmet either. There was a big dent in the stabilo, we thought from his head . I had packed his chute, and I had to assure the whole load a couple of times that YEAH HIS MAIN IS ORANGE, HE'S under his MAIN.... The pilot had to shout a couple of times that he landed alright before everybody would settle down again... Turned out the jumper saw it coming and fended it off with his upper arm. Big dent, but no bruise??!!

Thanks for the hint. Unfortunatly, they don't offer 'Pro-Galleries' where you can set your own prices. Klaus Hum. Right. Just discovered that, too...... ciel bleu, Saskia

Where can I find the TSO list? I've got an Atom rig/Trainsfair reserve (both not TSO'd) but I've also got a Vulcan rig/Micron reserve (no clue)... ciel bleu, Saskia

I like the one on the right, or else the bottom left but with a yellow collar. ciel bleu, Saskia

Found one: http://www.pixum.de/ Well I was looking for a Dutch one, which in this case is http://www.pixum.nl/ but this company is German, and is active in a lot of countries. Haven't tried them yet, I'm going to... ciel bleu, Saskia

I suggest you read better... #8 ,#9 and #28 for instance were freefall object strikes... ciel bleu, Saskia

How's this?: http://juliabell.home.att.net/ Hook Beat yah ciel bleu, Saskia

There's an interesting link in this discussion: http://www.dropzone.com/cgi-bin/forum/gforum.cgi?post=556771#556771 ciel bleu, Saskia

Why does everyone think the higher the safer?!?!?!?! thats a false security................. be safe! I've had tandem passengers tell me they wanted to go jump themselves, but they'd prefer BASE to skydiving, cause, well, ya know, that's closer to the ground, so that's definitely way safer!! ciel bleu, Saskia