SkymonkeyONE

I had the opportunity a few years ago to take a young guy, about 21 years old, who was autistic on a couple of tandems at Raeford. His mother had come out and talked to me about it and I told her to bring him out and let me get a feel for him, both mentally and physically. He was pretty high-functioning and I had no problem whatsoever with this guy. We put frap hats on all of our tandem students at that dropzone, so I didn't have him use any ear plugs or anything else out of the ordinary. He had no problem following all of my instructions and he had a total blast on both jumps I took him on. Chuck

I haven't ever jumped one that big, but I do have a number of jumps under the 360/365 sized newer ones that they used to have at Skydive Monroe in Georgia. The one I jumped opened and flew great. Chuck

Yours was a fantastic post and it said everything I would have, had you not already said it. If you use the four-page card and tell your students up front that they are not done with training until they complete every task on their A-card then they will not be out there flapping; lost as to what they need to do. I use the four page card and I have my students complete all the tasks in the order dictated by the card. They are jumping with AFF rated instructors until completion of E3 tasks, then continue, in order all the way through the rest of the progression, generally still with me. It amazes me that there are still so many schools out there that announce that so and so "just graduated AFF" and then leave it up to the student to ask "what's next?" Chuck Blue, D-12501 AFF/SL/TM-I, PRO, S&TA Chuck

remove slider, fully loosen chest strap, release brakes.

Yes, on every jump on both of my sport rigs: One Xaos 27 80 and one Sabre2 97 with HMA. You could not pay me to go back to a regular slider. The amazing ease of just yanking it off after opening and the field of vision more than make up for the one extra minute it takes me to re-rig it on the ground right after I land. Chuck

As I stated in the Incidents thread: never. I haven't ever had a chop on any RDS system either.

Both of these guys were FIRST RATE buddies of mine. Chris Martin, too. It sucks that they are still not here to party with.

I am terribly sorry to have missed it, but you all know that I have already paid the ultimate tribute to my deceased friend (on the first attempt). I am working in Canada now and will try to get up to Georgia sometime this summer. Brandy, feel free to call me anytime, for anything. Chuck "Yes, I ruint your life"

That damage is actually in a spot that is easy to patch (not a part of the legwing).

I agree! Fantastic!

I just bought a CX7 to replace my formerly-trusty PC 109's. I don't have a glove for the new camera yet, but the camera looks like it would fit fine in one built for something like an old HC 42. The CX7 is simply fantastic though and I am in the process of mounting it on my Optik Illusion.

Kamloops is fantastic. I went up there a few years ago and had a fucking blast. Very nice people. Did you get to ride the Firkin Bus to the Firkin Bar?

Tony LOVES to tinker. He always has a shit eating grin on his face when he shows up to the dropzone with something new to try.

The Blade and Raptor have about the same surface area and both have very, very good presurization front and rear.

I prefer whichever the company chooses to issue to me.

I will still be Canada, but I am sure, Karl, that this will be a truly Low Key event. Chuck

You, and the rest of my illegitemate brothers ought to revel in the fact that I will not be there. I would not want to upset your inner chi. Mono Uno

You are my negro, brother.

If any of you pricks from Magee ever want to hook back up with Rickster Neely, just PM me and I will give you his number. If you are a swinger he will likely answer your call sooner. If you want to talk to Colon, then PM me for his number as well. I cannot believe, for the life of me, that Colon has not talked Rickster into showing up at Lumberton and jumping. Chuck

Moving forward using all my breath, making love to you was NEVER second best. I saw the world crashing all around your face, never really knowing it was ALWAYS second best........... Don't make me continue. I am free for the entire month of June. PLEASE tell me where I should go to kill the rest of my braincells. Chuck

I have worked at dropzones where there where TM's that could not possibly ever become "instructors" who could produce proof that they had over 500 jumps and 3 years in the sport, yet they became, after some time, reputable TM's. Lord knows who gave them that rating. Some of those guys were, and still are, exactly like the people you guys are talking about. If you are a prick, then you don't need to be hauling meat. If you are a prick who does not get ALL of your ratings the second you get a full-time job at a real turbine dropzone, then you ought not get pissed off when your sorry ass gets replaced by a REAL skydiving instructor who will get every rating, and do whatever it takes to make a TRUE living skydiving., If you are "over" doing tandems, or "over" doing AFF, and only want to do video, then you can fuck yourself. No, you have not "earned" the right to swoop your velo or xaos on every jumps, particularly when the guy who IS doing the tandem is a PST professional... You laugh when your brothers and sisters continue to do the heavy work. Our's is a TINY commuinity. You are not going to get over on like-qualified individuals for too long before you are called out for your laziness. Man up, perform all the tasks which you are qualified for and which your body will allow you to do, and do not, under any circumstances, think that you deserve to fly your swoop canopy every single skydive; particuarly when all of your Tandem bitches can out-swoop you. Personally, I fucking LOVE doing tandems (with my own rig) and LOVE doing AFF (with my own rig) and I can't imagine for the life of me why a professional skydiver would not take advantage of every single opportunity to perform is job to the fullest extent. Chuck D-12501, AFF/TM/SL-I, PRO, S&TA, BMCI-4

Does Daedelas actually exist?

Trenton Ontario, on the base, teaching the military freefall parachutist course. I am back here again for the next course at the end of June, too.

I am in Canada working, Scott Bland will be in California. Scotty Burns and Grey Mike ought to be around though. Chuck

Positively amazing.