SkymonkeyONE

Agreed. I own a classic, a GTi and an SF3. The GTi is good for all but the fastest, farthest skydives. That said, I still jump my SF3 for everything.

I am going to Eloy. Katie is going to eloy as well.

Not really. If any 27 cell canopies were consistently out-flying the Velo, then the company would release one of their many other designs. However, that is not the case. Both Icarus and PD have canopies faster than what is currently available, but the fact of the matter is that there is virtually no market for anything like that. As it is, the market for the current crossbraced canopies is infinitesimal as compared to total sales.

They all looked OK from the ground. Only saw one chop the whole time, too.

Our own Jason Eames got three "water, dirt, water" swoops. It was fascinating. One time into the wind and two times downwind. Still, he got paid for his finishing rank. A.C.'s header into the bank on Sunday looked painful. Chris Hayes' pond smack/riser flip-through was ugly

I am not sure that I would consider an FX for any reason nowadays if it were pure swooping I was buying it for. I have owned a VX and a Velocity in nearly identical sizes (74 VX and a 75 Velo) and thought the 75 Velo was a much faster parachute. I also put quite a few jumps on a Xaos 21 69,5. The Xaos 21 was a nice flying canopy, but at my wingloading on it I gave up a lot on distance over my "regular" main. I have never had a bad or even "twisty" openin on my Velocity, nor would I call it a "searching" parachute at opening. I guess everyone has different feelings about whatever they jump. I think an FX is a decent parachute, but it's not the Icarus main I bought. Personally, I would buy a Xaos 21 over the FX, but that's just me. Peace, Chuck

Not a low blow at all. Heath was swinging for the fence on every round; all or nothing. That said, this was my suckiest meet ever, but I did manage to get out of the pond clean on all but two rounds. There was SO much chow, it was amazing.

Same thing as having the corners done on your Mirage. As the corners on both rigs wrap around the bottom of the rig, the mod looks the same on both of them.

Gus, you should show up for the course we are running this weekend in DeLand. Are you still at Z-hills? Oh yeah...Did Tash get my GTi back to DeLand? Chuck

Wendy visited both the pool and the swoop pond on her visit. I believe every single competitor visited that pond....Well, maybe not Clint.

contact Kim Griffin at kim@vigil.aero

While doing one in sport gear might be slightly more "fun", I would not count any of the night, combat equipment, O2, MFF jumps as a "must do" for sport jumpers. Freezing cold, over-pressure from my mask fogging my goggles, big fucking rucksack, watching your teammate fly into a cactus in the ground fog, etc, etc. Never mind.....Those are fond memories. Chuck MFFJM (among other things) and former member of SFODA 724

This was another situation where preconcieved notions had gone awry and were totally unfounded. I had a blast jumping with Tree at this meet. We, and everyone else there, chowed our asses off and had a great time. Danny Koon was ripping it up! Kaz Sheeky kicked my ass in this meet! It was a hoot. I finished 21st and had some incredibly poor turns, but I still beat Heath..... Peace, and see you down the road, Tree. Chuckie

I feel that the wingtip gripper actually aids in getting the wing out of the way at pull time. If you simply reach down to the sides of your butt, then slide both hands up to the hackey height, you will never have a problem.

Contact has been established with the Raeford element and lives will be spared. End of mission. I am now out of the BirdHouse and headed back to the Perfect Spot for cockatillies. Good Day. PS: Sorry, Jari, for drinking all your very-good rum. NOT. Chuckie

Negative. I can't leave here because I have too much shit to carry, I don't have a key to the door here at BM HQ, and it's raining (so I am not humping any gear) . WTF?

Bro, don't fuck with me. I need a COCKATILLLLLIOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

I am fucking PISSED.

Shouldn't you change that to AggieDave05 or something?

Due to certain situations beyond my control, I have been_literally_ stranded in DeLand since late yesterday afternoon. My teammate from Raeford was_supposed_ to have been here by around 2 PM today to pick me up for our trip back to Z-hills to train, but he, and his accomplice, are VERY late and I have no way to get in touch with either of these s. Needless to say, I am very disturbed. Not only am I stranded at BirdMan HQ by myself, I am also SOBER! OK, I just drank all the rum I found in Jari's cabinet, plus I just called and whined to Gilli-bean, but I am still looking for an out here. I have three gear bags, it's raining outside, and I have no idea where my teammate is. YOU, DeLand person...Yes YOU, bring me some beer (no budweiser please) and waste time with me. Also, bring me a bag of Krystal burgers. With cheese, please, but plain besides that. Meat, cheese, onions, bun. Hook a brother up. Chuck

No one is saying that having low jump-number coaches is better than having experienced people. What they (we, me, who cares) are saying is that if you ARE that experienced jumper and you intend to work with novices, then you need to suck it up and get the damn rating. How tough is it? It isn't if you already possess the requisite skillset. Bitching about spending $100 dollars for the course, especially as a grown-up with a real job, is just silly in my opinion. There are a lot of things that we all might be good at that we aren't supposed to be doing. I could fly a C-182 when I was six and flew jumpers at age 12, but that does not mean that I should be doing it. The fact that I have been flying planes most of my life and can fly circles around most fresh-out-of-flight-school newbies jump pilots does not mean that the FAA ought to just hand me a CFI on merit. Hell, I never even bothered to get a private ticket! *gasp!* That fact, of course, takes nothing away from my ability to perform the function; it just means that I am WRONG for doing so. I don't bitch about not being able to fly jumpers, or even fly at all legally, because I understand that it's pointless. Throw stones at my comparison if you like, but the bottom line here is that getting the rating is simply "the right thing to do" if you want to legally perform that function today. Chuck Blue D-12501 AFF/SL/TM/BM-I, S&TA, PRO (and lifetime un-certificated pilot)

like in prison?

Yo, Shimell, did you spin that set or what? How'd it go?

Very good point, I was just thinking the same thing. Matt, since you are doing all this "thinking", did you think to pack away your freefly pants before you left Palatka? There was a set hanging on a gear rack that looked a lot like yours. To give my answers to your question: yes, a person in a student-type belly to earth position will self-right himself. I also believe that a person in a head-down position with a perfectly straight back, exhibiting strong power-legs, while grabbing the bottom of their pack-tray will fall straight head down eventually. I don't think that would happen to a frozen person in a "typical" head-down. Chuck

Toppo would have been a good person to party with. Oh well, maybe next time. We had a good time in Palatka.