SkymonkeyONE

To reiterate: you do not have to load a crossbraced canopy any higher than you currently jump, but they are designed to fly efficiently at wingloads where the performance of a "standard" canopy starts falling off. What you will run into, though, if you end up with a crossbraced canopy of the same or similar size as your current main is a LOT more pack volume. It will also cost cinsiderably more money. While crossbraces are fantastic "race" canopies, they, in mine and most people's opinion, do not fit the bill for everyone. They fly very fast, dive steep and long, and require every bit of your attention. The actual customer base for crossbraced canopies is infinitesimal compared to all other sales. Try .03 percent. Just know that crowded skies are a very dangerous plae to be flying a highly loaded crossbraced canopy. Dilligence is key to survival. That said, if you are truly ready for a "marquis" canopy, then don't let anyone tell you that you "must" load it over 2.2 to get the best performance. Tour averages are between 1.8 and 2.2. The larger, lighter loaded wings will definitely give you longer distance potential. Chuck

Pylon races would be bad ass, but I can't imagine a way to get the "pylons" down to a slow enough vertical speed.

I can see instances where it would be a hoot, but in sort of a flag football context. See who can fly up and take the streamers off your feet or something like that. Chris is among the small posse of people that I would play with in that manner. Chuck

Well, first of all, "low time jumpers" don't have any business flying any canopy in the 2:1 wingload category. If a person did have the experience to be jumping at that wingload, and had wrung every bit of distance/performance out of their "standard" type canopy, then yes, they would start looking into crossbraced canopies.

Starting friday, we will have sixteen dollar jumps all Labor Day weekend. Tony Thacker will be organizing larger RW, Chris Wagner will be working with the smaller groups. BM-I's Chuck Blue and Scott Campos will be organizing BirdMan flocks and providing individual coaching for slot. Bad Monkey will be playing in Aviators on Saturday night. Come on by and join us for the festivities. Chuck

Because the nose of your parachute is already closed off at least as much as the mod does.

Dogfighting? That would be incredibly careless. The main safety concern in a wingsuit, other than at pull time, is making sure you don't run head-first into another jumper. You see, in a wingsuit you don't have any way to protect your head (other than a helmet). One of the fist thing we as BM-I's teach is to only make slight turns in proximity to other people to prevent these types of collisions. Do we, as experienced flyers, fly circles around each other in extremely close proximity? Absolutely, but not at the expense of safety. Chuck

That was a brilliant post. Likewise, while I have a whopping zero BASE jumps, I am not averse to nice, reasonably safe objects. I could give a shit about the "sneak through the woods" shit and the "outlaw" attitude some people have about things they do. Someone put it succintly earlier when that laughed at the "skater versus inline " rift.

Kolla is not sucking down there in DeLand. She is a great person and it's a great company.

Chris Talbert, Matt Davidson and I just got back from the funeral a bit ago. There were people there from all phases of his life, both friend and relative. It was sort of eerie meeting his brother, Scott; he looks and talks a LOT like Sammy. Anyway, people stepped forward and told little tales of their experiences with him. Stories from his aunt and uncle about him growing up. Stories from SF buddies. A story from a skydiver. A story from an ex-girlfriend. I am very glad I made it up there. I taught Sammy to skydive when he was in the SFQC, over at the Green Beret club. He, like me, ended up really loving to teach skydiving to others. I had lost contact with him several times over the years, but we never skipped a beat when we ran into each other. I really liked him. He was great at giving credit where credit was due and always had fabulous stories of his latest exploits. I miss him. Peace, Chuck

0:8:0

Yep, Bob was the befeficiary of some supreme good will and is now in possession of a very nice, one year old rig. He rode home from the DZ on his motorcycle with the rig on his back. His post indicates he did not have a premature deployment......LOL Chuck

Charlie Sheen movie? "Beyond the Law", not to be confused with that prick, Stephen Segal's "Above the Law." Chuck

None of the above

We shall see, monkey lip.

You never know. One of Five

That picture resembles several of us on at least three nights in the Mirage tent

Sunman, YOU are killing it, my brother! Looks like I might be down right after fantasy fest with Katie, just fucking off. See you then.

What party? I got there and you bailed. No staying power, eh?

Screw the house. Buy a big RV and live on the dropzone or, if you are so keen on the beach, get a slot at a campground right on the water. Yes, I own a house (quite nice) but I give a shit about living in it anymore, so I rent it out for the full cost of mortgage and upkeep. Eventually, I will dump the house and spend the money on coctails. Chuck

Pimp Mindwarp, pure and simple. The next generations PenisWarp sucked completely in my opinion, but the newest variety is back on track and nice to look at.

Fuck it, have a cockatillio.

Funeral will be this Monday at his parent's place in Apex, NC, just outside of Raleigh. He will be cremated and it's the family's wish that his ashes be spread over a dropzone, preferably Monterey, with Raeford as a second choice. His brother will be logging on here directly with more information. Chuck

Agreed. "Support your local dropzone.com mom and pop enterprises"

You have absolutely got to be shitting me..........I taught him how to skydive quite a long time ago at the Green Beret Parachute Club. I still have pictures of him (and Rodney Cruce) in yellow double zipper jumpsuits. Unfuckingbelievable. I, too, have some very colorful stories about Sammie for those who "really" knew him and called him friend. BSBD, Chuck Blue