SkymonkeyONE

Back to the Tony Intro, which I think is a phenomenal suit: We will train you on that suit, if you like, here at Z-hills with 200 jumps at our school. Chuck

It ought to be cool. I think Paul Meagher posted pics of the plane in the "Events and Gatherings" forum. Chuck

We have layed on a very unique aircraft for Labor Day weekend here at Z-hills. It's a DeHaviland C-16 Caribou converted to turbine. I hear it's got dual -74 Pratts. I know that it's got over 1100 HP per side. If you do not know what a Caribou is, it's a high-wing transport that was the primary aircraft at the old Herd Boogie and was the prime mover for the demonstration teams on the Golden Knights for a very-long time. Anyway, we have this aircraft for the weekend and Randy Kern will be flying it. I think we are charging either $26 or $28 per slot, but it's got a huge tailgate and we can do some very nice flying out of it. If you are not otherwise-occupied, we would appreciate it here at Skydive City (and the Z-Flock) if you would show up and play with us that weekend. For you people not from the USA, Labor day is always the first monday in September. The airplane will be here the entire weekend prior and Monday, Labor Day. Come one and come all. Chuck Blue Z-Flock Wingsuit School Skydive City, FL

Mark, you definitely got that right, brother! Chuckie Steve, you still better keep your coin in your pocket!

The, positively, best wingsuit smoke brackets that were EVER made were the ones that were done in Texas by the buddy of Voodew and The Professor. Period.

You know what? I am too fucked up to remember if I ever answered this question in this thread (out of the 20 other "why did skysurfing die" threads), but I will bite anyway. Skysurfing failed on ESPN and at the X-games because, simply, 14-year-olds could not go out and buy a rig, a board, and compete immediately. It, required a great deal of skydiving proficiency prior to even attempting a board jump. The LEAST qualified guy I EVER trained was John Hoover of the Golden Knights. I taught him on his, literal 200th skydive. He threw his pilot chute right between his legs and nearly died. That was in either 1989 or 1990. I had already made over 200 skysurf jumps by then. I made my own boards (which I also sold) out of Conelly trick skis (42" and 44") and always landed mine downwind, only relaesing my rear heel loop to slide out the landings. I loved it, but it found out very quickly that there was NO way that a person on a skysurf board could out-fly another skydiver (including Joe Jennings). Any and ALL of the Patrick Passe video of Deug and the other stuff from the USA of anyone else which might have portraid a skysurfer of having more "range" than a standard skydiver was simply hogwash. It was simply an optical illusion created by the video guy tracking past the skysurfer who was "racing" across the sky. I loved the discipline, but it was cheesy, easy (to me at least) and perpetrated to the masses as much harder than it actually was. That said, there was simply no way a 14-year old X-game watcher was going to be able to go out, buy as board, and be able to get into it. Particularly when there were no corporate sponsors of any kind for us skydivers, yet you could get rich by being able to do a back flip on your YZ 125. Chuck

You are entirely wrong. The USPA group member dropzones at Raeford, NC and Opelika, AL have been training 16 year old's for over 30 years each. USPA only requires a person to be 16 years old to skydive. It was, however, forbidden by the FAA and USPA for dropzones to take tandem passengers under the age of 18 on jumps prior to the 20th anniversary of tandem jumping (around 2002) legally. Once the USPA took over "ownership" of the tandem program after the "20-year-trial-period", any dropzone had the right to make the decision to allow 16-year-olds to do tandems. As a guy who WAS a dropzone school manager at that time, I can tell you that I was VERY happy that I was given the opportunity to take some of these sixteen year old bald-headed-banjo-players on tandems instead of forcing them to sit through seven hours of ground training for a fucking SL jump. Chuck

I know a TON of boozehags who have boob jobs who skydive regularly. The only real consideration is where their chest strap sits in relation to their boobs. Chuck

I posted my response to this "release" on Jim's Facebook page.

Don't be Homos, boys. Just show up and swoop. I, on the other hand, and simply too old to play politics and won't be going to Colorado anyway. Just so all of you know: If ANY of you have EVER competed in a MONEY meet (like the ECPA, PPPB, PST,Ranch PSN) or any RedBull meet, you will be competing at the USPA nationals in the "Open" category. No matter what any "organizer" says, the USPA rules clearly state that if you have EVER competed at a professional level then you are required to compete in the "open" category. Likewise, if you do not compete in the "open" category then you will not be considered for ANY US team for the world meet (including canopy piloting). This is exactly the same as four-way RW guys deal with. You simply CANNOT go from competing at the "open" level back to "advanced" or "intermediate" level if you have already competed at the "open" or "professional" level. The only caveat to that is the "player coaches" who were formerly "open" class competitors who now are allowed to compete as "player/coaches" with intermediate and advanced teams. This, in my opionion, is TOTAL horseshit. Back in the day, when I was still as four-way guy, you simply could not compete in anything other than "open" class when you had over 1500 jumps. Feel free to PM me or call me directly at 910 273 6291 if you want to discuss it. I can promiss you that I have been competing since you have been shitting green. Chuck

Hey, new guy, NO, you do not ever touch your rears unless you are fully "out of the corner" and could otherwise land sarfely on your toggles. It is not untill you have fully mastered the science of the turn, no matter, what degree, that you should consider using your rears. If you have done your research, read back at least six years on these forums, and have done all you can on your toggles, should you touch your rears. Rear riser landings (or "assisted" landings should not be attempted or even contemplated until you have your "traditional" front riser dive totally dialed in. Feel free to either use the search function in this forum or either PM me directly for better descriptions of what I am talking about. PS: Neither of the two major "canopy control" gurus who now run courses have EVER beat me in competition. Chuck

I got My SL-JM when I was 18 and I Sl-I when I was 19. I got my Tandem I, after telling my dad to "fuck off, I am too small" ten years later at 29. I failed my first AFFI cert course when I had 1500 jumps and was "too cool " to practice because I was a four-way prick, then didn't actually get it until ten years later when I decided I actually "needed" it to be a "full time" skydiver right before I retired from the Army. AFF is not for the feint at heart. If you do not REGULARLY do AFF then you don't need to possess the rating. NEVER, EVER, if you are an S&TA, pencil-whip the AFF rating of a person who does not regularly do AFF. No matter HOW MANY jumps total they might have. If you can't stand the truth, then fuck off. Seriously. I take my job as a professional instructor VERY seriously and can't stand it when people just get their shit penci-whipped and lack the skills to deal with real students.

In my opinion, as a guy who has had a rating for over 26 years, that is EXACTLY what you need to do. Follow the most current USPA (or your country's) doctrine, and do the right thing. Do NOT pencil whip, ever, and do the best job you can as an instructor. If your partners are fucked up then TELL them they are fucked up. Do not cowtow to the people that are still out there doing seven level AFF and telling their "graduates" that they are "done" and just need to finish out their A-card (always Two Page) on their own time. You are only doing them a GREAT disservice and fucking them over in the end. How about telling them UP FRONT that it takes a full 25 jumps to get off of student status and then giving them the proper sequence to fulfill that obiligation? Seriously! Chuck Blue, D-12501 AFF/TM/SL-I, PRO, S&TA, BMCI-4 Performance Skydiving/Z-Flock Wingsuit School "

Scotty, make sure it gets TiVo'd in my camper please. I don't get home until Saturday.

Well said.

Yes, I have and no, I did not jump the gear. It was shit gear and it was clearly pencil-whipped. I was visiting the out-of-state DZ to make a quick jump and got asked to help out with a few tandems. I declined and told the DZO that he was out of his mind to be using those rigs and that he ought to fire his rigger. The reserve closing loops on both of his tandem rigs were so loose that the PC was popped up at a wild angle under the closing flaps. Chuck

Shannon was fantastic in every way. A true "bright light"

It wasn't you I was telling to "fuck off and die", brother. It was just a general comment aimed at the media darlings.

I have never, ever seen any licensed 16-18 year old skydiver turned away from a group member dropzone. Hell, there are plenty of group member DZ's that train 16 year olds. Raeford Parachute Center has been doing it for over 35 years. Chuck

Actually, any of you who have spent more than thirty minutes talking to me about how a person might actually succeed in the "landing " task (not including any media pricks like Jeb Corliss or Felix Baumgartner) would know that I have had the "landing for a "truly" qualified wingsuiter ought to know my realistic plan. Yes, it involves an Olympic ski jump, and yes, it involves a speed -skiing slope for the actual landing. If you are a friend of mine who could actually do it immediately, Like Loic or Robi, then just do it. If you are a skill-less wingsuiter like Jeb (who made his media money off his suppossed "best friend" frapping into the Royal George bridge) or any other shitty-pilot, then don't bother to ask me how you ought to proceed. Jeb, your Las Vegas will, hopefully, allow you to fulfill your 13-year-old dream of suicide. Fuck off and die, Chuck D-12501

I, as a guy who owns his own AFF/SL/Tandem school on a major DZ, will simply not tollerate a prick student. There are plenty of other people within one-half-mile of me who will tollerate their shitl

From someone who was there at the very beginning, all I can say is that I am happy you finally profitted from the site. Take it easy, brother.

I think an HC5 is a bit heavy for handcam, but I bet there are some people doing it. I still use my PC 109's for handcam, but am considering getting a WayCool glove for my CX7 (if it's available). I jump a .25 on my 109's for handcam and have a .3 for my CX7

I have been jumping my CX7 side-mounted, in the open, on an L-bracket on my Optik Illusion for the past 50 jumps (all belly) and haven't experienced any of this "shake" problem. I also jumped it with my wingsuit in the same configuration right before I left on this trip and didn't see any problems. Odd? Chuck

When did those guys leave Raeford?