squarecanopy

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Everything posted by squarecanopy

  1. squarecanopy
    Ahhhhhhhhh(cough cough) BALONEY (cough cough) Sneeze Just burning a hole in the sky.....
  2. squarecanopy
    Nice scooter! I vote for the drag bars, cuz GUNS DON'T KILL PEOPLE DIRTY APEHANGERS WITH GUNS KILL PEOPLE.....Or something like that, right Zig Zag? Just burning a hole in the sky.....
  3. squarecanopy
    Andy, You hit the nail right on the head again! I started into skydiving in 1980 and was scared off at the time by the equipment I saw and lack of a mentor to explain what was going on. When I actually started jumping in 2003 I was amazed and impressed at the innovations and progress in equipment. Having been involved in field engineering most of my career, I know that change comes at a price, and in this case the willingness of test jumpers to test out new and different, never before tried equipment is why I am able to jump the cool rig I do today. THANKS TO ALL OF YOU!!! Just burning a hole in the sky.....
  4. squarecanopy
    One of the toughest Marine paratrooper recons I ever knew was also one damn fine seamster. He was also an NTSB award winning A&P mechanic, ATP rated pilot, great father and husband, etc. I always wanted to be just like him including the sewing skills! It ain't just a girlie skill. Oh BTW, if you will knit me a canopy, I will jump it...(minimum 210 sq. ft. preferably DayGlo Orange) Just burning a hole in the sky.....
  5. squarecanopy
    Damn Derek did you stay up all night working on this one??!!??!! Your posts never cease to amaze me. Quite a piece of work! See you soon at the tunnel - my shoulder is almost healed... Just burning a hole in the sky.....
  6. squarecanopy
    That's one of the main reasons I skydive. As soon as my foot leaves the door, I'm not thinking about any of life's BS...not a bit of it. The mental freedom ...ahhhh....the mental freedom. Andy, You are dead on!! I can't think of a better way to sum up why we jump. And of course the part about the FUN too,... Just burning a hole in the sky.....
  7. squarecanopy
    I am not an experienced jumper, but I did stay at the Holiday Inn Express last night. Seriously, I did basically the same thing when I bought my first rig. Went from a student 230 to a Sabre 2 190. WEE HAA. I landed decently 5 times out of the next 25 jumps, decided I was going to get badly hurt (It finally dawned on me that the bad landings were not just a matter of inexperience, but DUHH excessively high wing loading, about 1.35:1, and inexperience) and I called PD and got a demo Sabre 2 210 and jumped it in the course of taking a canopy class. I have since UPSIZED permanently to a Sabre 2 210(wingload 1.1:1), can land now on my feet and have confidence to address the less than ideal conditions that the Councilman refers to. That is my personal experience in 300 words or less. Moral of the story, don't be in too big of a hurry to downsize. I was lucky I didn't get hurt. Just burning a hole in the sky.....
  8. squarecanopy
    Maybe you should do some research. There are 4 dz's in the vegas area. only THREE of them fit your description. Skydive Mesquite has been a god send to Vegas jumpers. THAT'S A FACT. I jumped at Mesquite back in March and it was two days of kick ass fun. Love that Caravan. The other DZ's around there would not really even answer my questions on the phone. Just burning a hole in the sky.....
  9. squarecanopy
    Hey Spot, stick to your guns! I have thought alot about this and read through almost every one of the posts in this thread. I agree with you and can't really see what all the fervor is about... Pastrana would have been dead a long time ago except that he is blessed with a load of God given talent; he has built upon his successes one step at a time with planning and skill; and he is totally into all kinds of high end dangerous activities that "crosstrain" him for the other activities/stunts. He is today at a place that I for one appreciate and am more than a little envious of because he can do damn near any of the things he tries with a minimum of stretching himself compared to the rest of us who spend our time earning a living different from him. Just burning a hole in the sky.....
  10. squarecanopy
    [Pastrana jumped out of an airplane at 15,000 feet WITH NO PARACHUTE! He was "caught" by a couple of other jumpers. He surely is one talented & crazy bastard. I really like the Grand Canyon motorcycle/basejump vid, I have watched it probably 10 times. Just burning a hole in the sky.....
  11. squarecanopy
    Hey Willy, Your fear is very normal for all the reasons already well stated here. You have gotten great advice already, so I will just add my 2 cents worth from my own family's experience. I was petrified for the first 10 jumps and damn scared for the next 15 or so, it started to ease up around jump 30. My sons were both relatively lacking door fear from jump one (one has 5 jumps, the other 15). My wife did one tandem, and does not ever want to go again, for her the freedom and fun does not outweigh the fear. Keep taking it one jump at a time and the fear will subside into a healthy respect for the hostile environment that you have chosen to go play in... Blue Skies, Safe Landings, Bill Just burning a hole in the sky.....
  12. squarecanopy
    Hey Ivan listen to the good doctor here- she is absolutely right about butt landings can cause spinal fractures. I fortunately learned how to PLF before I broke anything, but I was buttsliding my low flare landings and my packing teacher saw one of them and scolded me good. PLF is the proper way to land if not on your feet! Just burning a hole in the sky.....
  13. squarecanopy
    What Bill K said! Thanks!! And whoever owns that F-18(and can afford to fly it) I hate that guy I wonder if I could get a ride... Just burning a hole in the sky.....
  14. squarecanopy
    Hey, thanks everybody for the responses - skydivers are the best! Even though I am just coming off of a shoulder rebuild the question was not for me but a jump buddy who is having trouble getting a full flare cuz she is such a little peanut and has arthritis in her hands. We will continue to investigate and I will contact Cheryl Sterns. Thanks again! Just burning a hole in the sky.....
  15. squarecanopy
    I have looked around here and not found much info on toggle pull force - does anybody know if it has been done to rig brake lines with a system, maybe on the risers, to provide a reduced pull force on the toggles? Just burning a hole in the sky.....
  16. squarecanopy
    I lost my wallet several years ago. I was really upset about losing that particular wallet because my dad had made it for me and I wanted the wallet-what was inside was important but secondary. I had lost it in a nasty snowstorm at a gas station. Nobody found it so I went through all the cancel/renew CC's, new drivers license, inspector's licenses, etc. About 3 months later when all the snowpiles at the side of the parking lot melted, some anonymous decent human being mailed me my wallet - intact with the contents including $30 cash, and a note saying he found it stuck in the ice at the edge of the lot. I was very happy to get it back as my dad had died since he had made it and it was irreplaceable. Restored my faith in humanity! Just burning a hole in the sky.....
  17. squarecanopy
    Hey Ralph, I have had some involvement with CP. My nephew had CP and his limitations were severe, but his indomitable spirit was an inspiration to me. He struggled minute by minute all of his short life to try and get his body to respond to his mind, but he never gave up. I see the same spirit in your posts here, and all I can say is GO FOR IT!!!! I am quite sure that if you want to skydive, your legs will not stop you. We all face various challenges in this sport but in my opinion the only loser skydiver is the one who quits on himself. Skydiving has shown me true freedom of mind and body during freefall, and that is for me worth whatever it takes to be able to experience that again and again; learning the skills to get safely back on the ground is exciting as well. Don't stop, don't give up, and one day soon you will be leading the group out of the plane.... Blue Skies, brother-keep us posted on how it is going! Just burning a hole in the sky.....
  18. squarecanopy
    Next time try not to sugar coat it and just state your opinion... Just burning a hole in the sky.....
  19. squarecanopy
    What is up with the pics of the Mooney? Just burning a hole in the sky.....
  20. squarecanopy
    What Billy said. Just burning a hole in the sky.....
  21. squarecanopy
    Skyride SUCKS Just burning a hole in the sky.....
  22. squarecanopy
    Mile High is pretty much right in town these days, we can see all the malls, resataurants, Walmarts, etc under canopy let alone at the top... Just burning a hole in the sky.....
  23. squarecanopy
    [ Winter jumping is fun. Keep the skin covered, the goggles/shields fogproofed, and the fingers and toes warm. Simple enough. Absolutely. Jumping is jumping, a little cold air never hurt anybody much. We aren't up in the nasty cold air all that long anyway. I jumped in Colorado every month last winter except January. Went to Eloy in January and jumped in the FREEZING RAIN.... Just burning a hole in the sky.....
  24. squarecanopy
    Since our field elevation at Mile High is about 5200 ft MSL to start with, we jump on winter days when the ground temp is 50F or above. Below that it is less than 0 degrees at jump altitiude (18,000 MSL) and you are rather susceptible to frostbite. Fullface helmets, layers, and turtlenecks/gloves/ dickies to cover exposed skin are a must some days, but we jump all winter. Just burning a hole in the sky.....
  25. squarecanopy
    Have sex while driving down the highway at night in the rain... Just burning a hole in the sky.....