SkymonkeyONE

I can promise you with 100 percent confidence that EVERY dropzone does different than EVERY other dropzone. People used to working one program often find themselves ducks out of water after a move. The term "full time" is very nebulous. Some places that means you are guaranteed a place in the rotation, regardless of when you show up. Other places it means your place is dependent on when you show up. Some places your only responsibility is jumping. Other places it means you are going to be washing planes and painting rocks when you are down. If I have ONE gripe, though, it's working at dropzones where all the "full-timers" get hired because they are triple-hatted (Tandem/AFF/Video), then they gradually ease their way into a rhythm where they only want to do video or they only want to do AFF or whatever so they can fuck off and swoop on every jump. Those people are getting over and they make it harder on their fellow employees and they make it difficult on DZO's and school managers who then have to scramble to back-fill with "part timers" who then get bitched at and backstabbed by those same lazy-ass "full-timers" for taking their lunch money. I hate that part of the industry. If you get hired to do everything, then don't bitch when it's your turn to throw a damn drogue or get tasked to do AFF with that 240 pound galloot. It's YOUR JOB!! Don't bitch when you get asked to help wash the plane(s) either. On that same note: If you are a video-only guy, or a tandem-only guy, or an AFF-only guy and you expect to make a living in this sport as a "one trick pony" then you are doing yourself and the other "real" multi-rated instructors out there a disservice. Make no mistake: that hard-core tandem instructor who gets stuck throwing drogues all day because "you are over it" likes to swoop his sport main once in a while too. That is all Chuck Blue, D-12501 AFF/SL/TM-I, PRO, PFC/E, S&TA

I don't get it. After reading your own response later in the thread which says you ARE a Tandem Instructor, I"m curious what your thinking is. Are you trying to belittle OTHER tandem instructors who you see as shitty examples, or are you throwing ALL of us under the bus (yourself included)? Tom Noonan made a good point. Students are as crappy or good as you train them to be. Others made the good point that we, as tandem instructors, carry a tremendous burden. Chuck

I can name at least three people who have done it at least once, but I won't. one passenger had the harness on backwards and two had the harness on the regular way; none had any problems. All passengers exited with their legs between the TM's legs and their arms around the TM's neck prior to drogue throw. All were with "modern" harnesses with belly/butt bands. Two were out of helicopters at a beach boogie and one was out of an Otter at a regular DZ. All three landed on their feet because winds were around 10-15 mph. No biggie. Chuck

I'm pretty sure that the Chute Shop (South Africa) made a canopy called the Peregrine in the early '90s, but I suspect that is not what you wanted to know! That is an absolutely true statement. They were ZP canopies that competed with the PD Stilletto (and original Sabres before that). Joe Trinko used to sell them in the USA when he was on the Golden Knights and jumping at Raeford. I'm curious to know if the Chute Shop ever trademarked/ copywrited the name and if so, how much PD is paying to "re-use" it. PS: I saw the PD team making a ton of jumps on the "mysterious white canopies" quite some time ago and figured it was only a matter of time before they properly "announced" it. It's a neat looking main. Chuck

As much a formation as that 100 way was. Slot-perfect dirtdives, multi-plane formations.

That's too bad. Jim was a sport. I had some good times with him at the WFFC

me (skymonkeyone) Espen

"It's the Tellefunken U-47!"

@ the original poster: I've got 15 wingsuits and I've got to tell you, bro, that I VERY rarely take my P2 off of my wingsuit rig. I only put on my bigger suits when I've got tall, lanky students or I'm flying with a group of also-very-experienced wingsuiters who are all jumping larger suits and know how to keep their damn legs out. I generally have no problem whatsoever flying with/ out-flying mediocre wingsuiters in big suits with my Phantom. I've worn two Phantoms out and I still own two; they are great. Again, @ the original poster: you say you have a bit over 20 jumps on a P3. Do you own it? If you do, never sell it (or sell it to me). If you put this thread up because you are tired of borrowing/ renting suits and are in the market to buy, then I'd recommend buying a Phantom 2 or 3 and putting a lot of jumps on it. At 225 jumps total you have neither the general experience nor sufficient wingsuit experience to be worrying about big suits and their "potential maximum performance". Buying a big suit and "figuring it out as you grow into it" is counter-productive in my opinion. Chuck Blue, D-12501 AFF/SL/TM-I, PRO, S&TA, PFC/E DragonFly Wingsuit School

You do know that we were doing formations over 50-way in FL like seven years ago, right?

What? You mean you are organizing ANOTHER boogie?

You didn't say which island you are visiting. There are two operations operating off the same field on Oahu and there is a C-182 tandem operation on Kauai (Skydive Kauai).

Skydive Phoenix in Maricopa is probably a better bet. They have a nice Caravan. It's Marc Hogue's dropzone.

I own both types of suits, but I generally fly my "grippered" suits. I don't have any problem taking grips with the phantom and I personally like backflying better with grippers. Again, personal preference. Chuck

Why didn't you buy the "Black" edition over the "Silver?" Did you read all the crap about them in the video/photo forum? Just curious. I'm not a fan of GoPro, but I would consider it a good buy if they went public. You can't swing a dead cat without hitting some chump with a TelleTubbie strapped to their head. Chuck

Skydive Instruction is what I do for a living. I've been an instructor since I was 19 years old (I'm 49 now). I've been instructing wingsuiting since 2000. If this does get approved and for some odd reason I were not made a part of the initial group of examiners then I would pay for the examiner course so that I could still "legally" (assuming USPA control) continue to do what I've been doing for 13 years. It's the right thing to do if the forces that be mandate it. I'm just going to write the cost off on my taxes anyway. Then again, USPA has not mandated anything at this point. Chuck Blue, D-12501 AFF/SL/TM-I, PRO, S&TA, PFC/E DragonFly Wingsuit School

Gold. Thank you. +1! I've never heard it stated that way and it DOES describe what I said to the T.

The rigs have been around since the first Reno PIA, guys. They were not originally intended for civilian passenger use. They were marketed under the TPDS (Tactical Parachute Delivery Systems) brand as a military conglomeration between Sunrise and Precision. I made the first test jumps on all variations of the original rigs at Skydive City. Chuck

I knew people were flying yesterday. One of our guys (I work at San Marcos) took his kid up to watch. Good to hear!

There are actually two types of side-by-sides and each has very-different EP's: FIRST you must determine whether or not if the two canopies are entangled or not and disconnect your RSL If your canopies are NOT entangled, then you can steer the left-hand canopy away from the right hand canopy by the left-rear riser with your left hand and cutaway with your right hand. If you cannot determine whether or not your canopies are entangled, then you may choose to land both canopies in that configuration trying at all costs to keep both canopies from downplaning. If your canopies ARE entangled you CAN'T cutaway and must instead do everything in your power to keep both canopies above your head and prevent them from turning into a downplane. Cutting away an entangled main is not an option as it will almost certainly collapse your reserve canopy and you will then have two balls of crap over your head. An example of how you might have two out and have them entangled is deploying your main while tumbling and having your AAD fire your reserve PC through one side of your risers or through the lines as the canopy was deploying. Chuck

Last time I checked, they were charging like $100 for "repair" which generally means "replacement". I can buy they new for that. Back in the day they used to fix them for free. I think the only thing they do for free now is replace "spider-webbed" lenses. I've got a pile of busted gatorz. Chuck

Oddly, I was driving to get my Rover serviced yesterday and the shop was directly across the highway from the new I-Fly Austin facility. The stucture itself looks almost totally complete. They still have a bit to go with finishing touches on the front of the building and the parking lot, etc. It doesn't look like they are going to have a lot of parking... It's RIGHT on the side of the highway. Chuck

Is the new UPT building already staffed and fully oprerational (as in sewing rigs)? Yep. Production is up about 25% already...aiming for 50%. Slight tangent here, but where's the new building, Bill? Chuck Blue, D-12501

I had a woman at Raeford Parachute Center, Dawn was her name, who did like seven tandems with me. She would ONLY jump with me for whatever reason. I was cool with it. Chuck

Get the metal mounting bracket from Trunk at Hypoxic. I would never consider using any of the stupid adhesive mounts the thing comes with. Also, when you do mount it, make damn sure you add a piece of bungee tied in a loop to the front of the bracket to slip over the camera. Riser strikes will shoot the camera off the bracket like a bullet! I've lost two cameras that way and some of my co-workers have lost more. I wear mine on the left side of my helmet. They make left side mounting pivots for Cookie G2 and G3 helmets as well which most of my co-workers use. You can top mount is and rotate the lens 90 degrees, but I would NOT use the stock sticky-tape thing and, instead, use one of Trunk's brackets. They are cheap. chuck