SkymonkeyONE

I totally agree! Anyone who has ever been to a boogie with spence will understand the context.

Likewise. Particularly when I could write it off on my taxes if I felt like it.

Ian, you just made me spit on the screen, bro!

The Airborne and Special Operations Test Board were in the Bragg tunnel yesterday testing some sort of pilot chute. They were, no shit, deploying their dummy rigs in the tunnel. Let me clarify: just the PC and bridle; the containers held dummy main bags which are locked in the container. Yes, they were getting immediately pinned to the roof. My roomate Simon ("porkchop" on here) was there watching the fiasco. Funny, huh?

It was a slow year for me. I only did about 100 of each, tandem and AFF.

Like Bill said. When I got my Vector rating I was required to front ride and perform all the functions from there. It's not too hard to get to the drogue and the drogue releases are always where you can get to them.

Not CA, but in NC you can bring him to Raeford Parachute Center . We have always trained 16 year olds and will also gladly take him on a tandem if that's all he wants. Chuck

Eddie's hair is always just right.

Dropkick Murphys were in Myrtle Beach last Friday. Two of my buddies went and they said the show rocked.

F*** it! Pedal to the metal and letta rip Just ordered a new wing and tail set. Going with Ron's advice this time. Strike my last comment. Off to the hobby shop for parts not included in the crash kit.

The scenario described in the first post was a bit overboard, but at the Fort Bragg tunnel we have always taught pull sequence and cutaways with dummy rigs. The handles are attached with bungee cord. It might not be feasible to waste that much time in a civilian tunnel due to the prices people pay in those things, but being able to take the time to train a guy all these techniques while insisting he maintain stability and maintain his position in the cone, is a tremendous confidence booster. Particulary when the guy is going to be expected to carry a ruck, weapon, and O2 in less than 20 jumps in some cases. We train all of our students in the tunnel to that standard both slick and completely loaded up. Chuck

Fly as close to land as you possibly can and then land INTO THE WIND.

Actually, you could have probably done a cleaner job with a dremel. I spilled the beans to Kevin already, but I got a Blade CP (plus crash kit, LiPo, aerobatic kit, and tip-over trainer. I suck so bad. I cannot hover to save my ass. Hey, I didn't crash the thing yet though!

Did you Know that Bo Bice only just recently underwent major gastro-intestinal surgery? I was surprised to see him on stage at all. I had read they removed quite a bit of insides from him. I am too lazy to do a search on it. All things considered, I think he did well. Did you see how bad he was sweating? I agree that they voted off the right people last night.

I was taught by Heath Richardson and I have zero damage to my canopy from line burn. My RDS lines are Vectran and were made in the CrossKeys rigging loft to the identical specifications as Heath's and Danny Koon's(which were also made there). We all know it's not worth the trouble to run full RDS on "regular" skydives in traffic. That said, I have had to take my full system to terminal quite a few times in competition because of being first out or being on second or later passes in an Otter-flown meet. At the inagural meet they had at ASC a few years ago, TJ Landgren and I found ourselves at 10,000 feet having to exit for our round! That happened due to the aircraft having to find a hole to drop us through in the weather. TJ didn't even have an altimeter! We freeflew down to 4.500 feet and I showed him my alti and we dumped. Ultimately, the worst reason not to use it all the time is the degree of concentration you must focus on removing your system, getting it rolled, and then stowing it. Your hands are totally off your risers/toggles during this process and it can take a full minute to get it done. You really don't want to be doing that in a sky full of canopies. It's bad enough sometimes on a competition pass of four! What happens a LOT in competition is that even though you are broken down into pull altitudes from "low" to "high", often times the low man will hose you and take a too-short delay. What happens then is that people pile up behind him, all trying to find clean air to reel in their system. The problem worsens further when that "supposed to be low man" finally gets his shit stowed and spirals down, but just doesn't allow enough separation, wanting instead to hang in brakes over the setup. Bunching up makes me nuts, but it happens quite a bit. My point it, if you are going to run full RDS, then you need to practice your removable, rolling, and stowing technique. I know of at least two instances where competitors lost their systems because they weren't deliberate enough in their removal or they dropped it trying to stow it. Chuck

No, the point is that they were "found"; by a reseller of "lost" goods. An e-bay reseller has bought a batch of them and is selling them. I have already talked to him on the phone and got a very, very rude response. He is under the impression that UPS compensated me for my loss; they did not.

HERE is a link to a set of threads I have going in the wingsuit forum about a box of wingsuits that got "lost" by UPS in December. I am posting this link here in hopes that some of you who deal on e-bay, but who might not ever venture into the wingsuit forum, will know what's up. Thanks, Chuck

If anyone from the DZ has anything to add to this, shoot me a PM. This thread has long since outlived it's usefulness and I am locking it. There doesn't seem to be any middleground on this issue at all. Chuck

Steve, that is a bunch of cutaways! I have just one reserve ride in ~500 tandems; five reserve rides total in ~4,400 jumps. We, as a dropzone, have only had three tandem malfunctions since the year 2001. Carefull packing, great equipment, good maintenance. Chuck

Wait, I can't run the LiPo with the stock motor and blades on a Blade CP? The batteries are interchangable in my Stryker and P-51. On that note, I got tired of my Stryker sitting there in the box, brand new, so I bought a "real" radio, speed controller, receiver, and servos from Joey D'Annunzio. The radio is a Hitec Laser 4; fine for what I am going to use it for. I already had two spare engines. Chuck

Hey, do you actually exist?

Actually, Chris, I would MUCH rather be voting for the worst person every week; not the best. That way, all the "fan clubs" couldn't call in and vote ten times per night just to stack the vote in favor of one person. Anyone else agree? I can always pick out the one worst person every night. I can't, though, pick out the one best performer. Voting for your "favorite" just because you "like" them doesn't seem right to me. I think the voting ought to be based on merit: the performance. Chris Daughtry is going to win this year; no doubt. Chuck

Hell! If my dad had to lay a hand on me it was REALLY bad news. My mother and grandmother would wear my ass out if I showed such disrespect. Seriously. Parents nowadays are complete candy-asses. Chuck

I have typed, retyped, and ultimately refrained from posting the scathing reply I have for these two characters. It pains me terribly when uninformed people band together under a false flag. Unbelievable, eh? You know what? Screw it; here's my response to "farmermcnasty": You, my man, are the worst kind of hillbilly for posting that. You know, I grew up on 500 acres in Opelika, AL and have had my fair share of dealings with lousy neighbors. I have to tell you though, skydivers, as a group, are not those people. You are all bent out of shape over nothing. I hope your golfing buddy with the "hangar queen" Bonanza and the rest of the Kangaroo Court paid you well for the diatribe you keep spewing on this forum. Talk about collusion! You people slay me. I wonder if Mike Igo is reading this stuff? Or any of the Farrington family? Or Banks Brazel? That's all. Do you think I should ban myself for that personal attack? One thing's for sure; the next "braindead" comment by farmer mcnasty is going to to seal his fate on this site. Chuck Blue D-12501 AFF/SL/TM-I, BMCI-4, PRO

What Ted said. Don't rush it.