Shark

How's that? Are they going to send a Christmas card this year?

So it doesn't coincide with the 10 way meets! (I guess.)

Yep, sounds like a Skydive U thing. Most DZs have some sort of program or the real thing.

Get instruction from a PRO Rating holder.

Dude, Congrats! I had to think for a moment when I saw the subject line and thought about the new Navy/Marine toy flying around lately. The "Echos" are bad. Maybe Rhino Jr. will fly one someday.

I'm a broker with a major wire house. My advice is to invest in jump tickets and skydiving gear, then get in the market. Seriously.

Yeah, you should be loaded at 1.3 or "better." I'm 195 out the door, but prefer to jump a 143 for some good stuff. I have jumped a 160 and was a little floaty on the stacks. I also own a 193 which I only use when my buds have theirs out, which is rare. I'm in the market for a 143 for next season.

Congrats!!

Well, I swam 40 at lunch time.... doesn't count, though.

Dude, Remember the dz.com record the Texans broke/had?? We await the holy one in Socal!

Skymonkeys Rule!! BTW, when does the west coast skymonkey selection board meet??

Yeah, I bought beer for you, too. Since it was my first event that I organized, I had to buy. I think I drank most of it.

I concur with Wendy W. It depends on the AFF Level. I also believe that it is up to the instructor. You really don't know what you are going to do until faced with the situation. Many would probably chase until practical. I'm in that camp. But when does it become an issue and your life is danger? I grew up surfing and if I saw a beginner having trouble in huge surf, would I go after them? I don't know, but probably. A MFF-I friend of mine broke his back while making a "save" in the wind tunnel at Ft. Bragg. That was gutsy. Get well soon, Shindig!

As long as you want a nice blunt knife for when you NEED you cut that line in order to save your life Sorry, you guys are way too serious. The hook knife is an essential piece of equipment, regardless of your discipline. We crewdogs often carry multiple knives and often change the blades even if they are unused after some time. And about usage, I know several guys that have never used their knife. Their average jump numbers are over 4,000. A couple have never used them to cut lines, but rather to cut a whole in the canopy that was wrapped around their head. Being unconcious is not good option.

Well, what can we say about weather..... Saturday was rained out, but that didn't stop the motivated to show up Sunday, even with a 30% chance of rain. Uppers were 45-55 mph from the NW, so it was challenging for the 12 jumpers. We put 5 loads up and created 4 CReWpups. Only 1 cutaway, a newbie on his second jump. It was non-eventful, except for the 50mph uppers and the fact that he cutaway around 12 grand. The dz got a call from a motorcyclist that reported seeing some skydivers land at a particular intersection. Yep, they were over 4 miles away by car. I managed to find one of the pair, while the other was in a neighborhood trying to find the canopy. Well, after going door-to-door for 40 minutes, we drove around for a bit, then saw some kids in front of their house. Just so happend that the garage door was open and the canopy visible! We offered many thanks, and promised gratuities, etc. Got back just in time to see a 3 stack and 2 stack coming into the landing pattern. Turns out that two lines had broken. The canopy was borrowed and had probably seen better days, but was loaded around 1.47. Anyway, everybody had a lot of fun, and the newbies got a taste of crew!

Dude, what if your closing pin becomes dislodged and the flap is not secured? Could it cause a Horseshoe? Yeah, it could also happen if you get a pc wrapped around a limb or whatever, but I doubt it. Let go of the pc. Ever free-packed a crew canopy? Looks ugly, but opens great. Fact, not opinion. You have to be an idiot if you don't set your brakes and slider. Bad example, dude.

Use it to cut off broken line stows on your dbag.

TB, I understand what you are getting at and somewhat agree with you, but does poor body position cause malfunctions? Could be the pack job too, can't it? Line twist can normally be attibuted to body position.

I see a skydiver with 600 jumps. In your example, when did the 4 way training start? If it was a structured program starting at jump #50, the next hundred jumps or so after quitting, even if they were freeflown, will probably benefit you. But then again, you may have to spend a weekend training with your team and re-learning how to fly your slot. Heck, if you did nothing but 4 way at the IC slot for 200 jumps, then had to move to Tail, you could have a lot of difficulty there as well. I guess my point is that skill and experience are different.

Ah, that explains everything; a "shoe" or rather a black shoe. Brown shoes rule! They'll probably promote him and give him a star. I think he earned his DFC.

A 4 striper? When you first mentioned an ADC I thought of a maintenance chief or some other tweaker. Oh well, an 06 can fuck up just as easily as an E7.

Yeah, they might be holding that weight for a long time, too! Been at #2 & #3 for what seemed like forever with the weight of the world hanging from me. Good luck! Shark CCS-1242

Which is how I pack my Spectre. Well, I don't want to sound like a cliche, but it glides flatter and is more manueverable. It also enters into the turn quicker and has a lot more flaring power. In fact, you might want to try the next size down later on.

Herc

PRO pack and just leaving the nose hanging seems to have the most consistent openings.