SkymonkeyONE

Scott is definitely right about that. I have seen many a jumper get taken for a ride by their rucksack. Chuck MFFJM (among other things)

The party was definitely NOT lacking at Z-hills.

That "splash" pic acually looks like Ken Ates!! Evidence!

So long as the side straps go over your hip bones that's fine. That "low rider" stuff just looks really bad in a late 60's/early 1970's kind of way.

Those look very ugly. If it is a new trend I hope if passes very, very quickly.

Join us! There was a girl that jumped at my dad's dropzone in Alabama named Sejel Shah who was only 4'8" I believe. Maybe 4'10", but I believe it was the former. She had quite a few skydives and moved to the DC area last I knew.

What also works with "those types" is ansering the door with your pants down.

Then they wouldn't be able to schlare the tarp with the yonkels!

I have owned a equal amount of both over the years, but currently all three of our cars are automatics, our golf cart is obviously "automatic", but both of our bikes are "standard"

That was an entertaining read. I have been there before, but you would have to substitude "jail" for "mental ward". Oh wait, no you wouldn't. I have done "mental ward" recovery also.

That's funny, Kevin

That would have been better with "multiple options permitted" enabled. If I have to be up at a certain time, I get up with an alarm clock......Immediately....I don't do "snooze" at all. If I am not on a schedule (like right now), I just get up whenever. Katie is always up very early for PT and that generally wakes me up. She also loves to hit snooze, which makes me nuts, but I can't cry about that too much when I don't really have anything of consequence to accomplish that day (It does not suck being retired). Good morning to you, Chuck

We are going to crank and fly this plane with six jumpers (that's the break even point as we study it). If there is a paying tandem we might even fly it lighter than that. I am talking "during the week" here, not weekends. On the weekends it will be perfect for those times early in the day when people are being lazy and late in the afternoon when people have bagged off and started drinking beer, but there are others still wanting to jump. Our problem has been that there are always people wanting to skydive every day of the week, but not enough to crank the Otter. If you wanted to jump, with few exceptions (particularly in the winter), you were relegated to a Cessna 182 flight. I anticipate that this is really going to get the ball rolling. FWIW, I think that "volume jumping" goes in cycles. We owned a Porter some years ago and it went from popular to not as soon as people got used to flying in an Otter. The plane was sold and we bought another Otter. Since that time there has been another turbine dropzone open up on twenty miles from here. What happened then was that number of regular jumpers here locally was split. In my opinion all that did was make it harder to make a bunch of skydives in a day. Why? Neither dropzone ended up with a sufficient amount of jumpers to turn their planes all day (at least not after a while). Instead of turning 30 loads in a day, that number went down to like 12 (on a good day). The reason was not having enough (10 or 12) people to turn the plane, so it had to shut down (20 minutes minimum). A smaller turbine will turn with less people (6), so I am positive that this PAC is going to be perfect for those "slightly-busy" days where there is a smaller group of people, but who want to jump their asses off. We shall see. Chuck

I second Soul Flyers 2. I just got it/watched it last weekend and it's beautiful. A whole lot more wingsuit stuff in it this time.

Swooping a tandem landing does not mean that one will automatically come to a stop on their feet. All of my larger-passenger tandems end up being swoops (stall surge), but I still end up butt surfing the very tall ones for safety. I don't ever pound in on my ass. Chuck

Do you love her LIKE IN PRISON?

Most of my tandems are under Sigma 370's and they are great canopies. Too bad they don't make a 330 or one at least as small as my 350. I have jumps under Icarus/Precision tandem mains as well and thought that canopy was pretty nice (as far as toggle pressure is concerned), but the openings were less predictable than a Sigma, Firebolt, and certainly an EZ. EZ's toggle pressure just kicks my ass after about five jumps (I only weigh 155 pounds) if I flare them completely. The flight concepts tandem canopy I jumped flew almost exactly like an Icarus/Precision 365. I have seen some really big tandem instructors jump Hop 330's and I really, really liked what I saw with that canopy.

The intent with the new PAC is to get more people in the air who simply loathe flying in a Cessna. Personally, if it's a mid-week tandem (or AFF) I would just as soon take the Cessna ride and nap on the way up, but there are a LOT of tandem snobs these days. It is MUCH easier to scare up six jumpers than it is 12 (to crank the Otter). I can't wait till it arrives.

did you tell him to fuck off?

I KNOW that has to be a typo... TripleF Absolute type. I fixed it....19sixty8. White with black "mean streaks"

I just want to know where he gets him money. I know he paid for a ride in the jet at Rantoul a few years ago. That's very, very pricey.

That beef jerkey ought to be ready to eat by now for sure! Yummy!

I have a Firebolt 350 in my rig and absolutely love it. Great, on-heading, soft openings and a terrific swoop with tons of power at the end. I don't think I would ever replace it with anything bigger than a 330. I have jumped pretty much every tandem main flying in the USA right now except the A2.

I am thankful that no pictures were taken this year.

Ours (Raeford Parachute Center) arrives in April, so I'm told. I know the plane is bought and paid for already. Apparently they are now being contract built somewhere in Canada; not sure by whom. Ours is supposed to be the first one off the line in that plant. We are selling one of our Otters and our Twin Bonanza to defray some of the cost. That will put us with the following here at Raeford: -1 CASA 212 -1 Super Otter -1 PAC 750 -1 Cessna 182