SkymonkeyONE

Actually, almost every single performance parachute out, except the Stilleto, flares out deep into the control range. That is the way I prefer it, and back when I was jumping a Stiletto I let my lower control lines out six inches just so I could tollerate it. I had the 2nd Vengeance in this area (a 97 which was too big for me), and sold it after 10 jumps because it really didn't do anything for me either. Yes, it surfs slightly better than a Stiletto, but not nearly as far as the Alpha, then VX, then Cobalts that I replaced it with. Granted, this is just my opinion. I "liked" the vengeance, but not so much that I wanted to keep it. My thoughts were this: If I am going to get canopy that dives like a VX/FX/Velocity (which the Vengeance does), then I want one that surfs as far (which the Vengeance certainly does not). Chuck

that means that shit will probably get out of hand.

The T-shirts that were sold were of the "iron on" variety that you can print off your computer printer. WAY too cheesy for the $25 I paid, but I bought one anyway and wear it quite a bit. Since the background material of the iron-on was white, it looks OK on the white long-sleeve T-shirt. Still, we need a real silk-screen shirt. Anybody with a silk-screening buddy? Chuck

My name is Chuck Blue and I am the manager of the Raeford Parachute Center School in North Carolina. I retired as a career Army Special Forces NCO assigned to Fort Bragg, North Carolina with 21 years of service. I also compete professionally on the Pro Swooping Tour and am sponsored by Performance Designs.

Not sure, but the Perris meet had an intermediate catagory which had a 300 jump minimum. The website doesn't say anything about that, though. All it says is that there will be four rounds of "speed" and it will cost $30 to enter. My best guess is that people who are not currently ranked as pro competitors in the PPPB series will be able to qualify on that first day. Another guess is that they will have that same 300-jump minimum for qualification. I am going to check with Jim Slaton and see what the real deal is and I will get back with you later. Chuck

This, my friends, is revisionist history at work. NOBODY is exempt from "firsts". How do you think we keep ourselves in beer at the DZ and at the club loft? The way I see it, he owes one case of beer for the "firsts" on that one dive, and a fifth of premium liquor to the rigger who packed his reserve. Of course the rigger chooses the brand of liquor. That is getting over EASY. Back in 1981 you bet your ass I paid DEARLY! Jump number 12 for me was as follows: 1st jump with piggyback equipment (a brand-new wonderhog; my birthday present), 1st jump under a square (brand new Pegasus), first jump out of a DC-3 (Sugar Alpha), first RW (with King Morton, the Southern Conference director at the time), first jump from 12,500. I bought five cases of beer. Also of note is the fact that the spot was horrible and half of us landed off the airport. I landed in a clear-cut but overgrown part of a pine forrest. To get back to the DZ I had to cross two barbed wire fences and wade across a drainage ditch that was 3.5 feet deep with some of the nastiest water you could image. All this with my chute in my arms. Couldn't pack it in the woods; no flat spots! The bottom line is that beer rules are just that: RULES. Chuck

This is a rehash of an old thread that I cannot seem to find, but anyway, I have HOOK IT! Chuck

Agreed. I did not add anything to my bridle when I was psycho packing my VX-74. As far as the nose goes, I would never stuff it or anything like that when psycho packing. Hell, I didn't even roll mine and it worked great. True, every parachute opens differently, but they way the original poster put it, I believe he just needs to leave the nose straight. Chuck

Agreed. The prices are high. You need to shop around in the classified section of this site, as well as the very-good one at http://www.enclave.com . I regularly sell equipment on both and there is normally a VERY good selection of beginner rigs under $2,000. Chuck

For those of you out there that are also going to Quincy, just a note to say that there will be a PPPB swoop meet happening near the end. The dates are 9-11 August, with the 9th being qualifying, 10th being official practice, and the 11th being the meet. They have cut a diamond-shaped pond in the "air zone" behind the main registration tent, so that is going to be much better than last year's meet. I will be there competing, so come watch the Skymonkey put the caddywompus on it! Actually, those planning on going had better start making their plans. My wife and I are driving out in our RV and hooking up with my dad and the rest of the Alabama Gang in his much-bigger RV. Nig-noggery will certainly be in effect for the duration of the trip. Write back and say if you are coming so that we can decide on link-up plans, etc. Chuck

Don't worry, when you buy your beer they will all want to be your friend. LOL! Chuck

Yeah Dan, I forgot about my friend Eric Bush. He is also jumping a 120 in an RS+1 with no problem. Chuck swoop monkey

My old hands are very good to me. Chuck

Yep. My old roommate was chatting online with a girl that had the screen name "girl w/ hairy butt". It turns out she was an absolute HAMMER! She used that name to keep away the standard creeps, but ended up being totally cool. Chuck

Not really true Grogs. Actually, on the smaller end of the spectrum, all rigs are available with bigger reserve containers than mains. For example, my Jav Odyssey RS is built for a sub-100 main and a reserve up to a Tempo 120. Most smaller sizes in all containers are this way. Also, you can get plenty of containers in larger sizes (Vector III and Mirage for sure) that meet the same criteria. Why this is available in that case is because there are PLENTY of people over 200 pounds that are jumping mains smaller than 100 square feet, but very few of those people would be happy landing a PD 113 reserve. You can get containers now that fit a 150 reserve and a sub-100 main. On the smallest end of the scale, where I buy, the reason I jump my reserve is that there is not a container built (that I am going to buy anyway) that my Tempo 120 won't fit in. If there was a smaller one, then I would buy the container and that much-smaller reserve. I only weigh a buck and a half, so I have no fear of landing small reserves. Chuck

A little more info that Dan did not cover which you may be wondering about: A Cobalt 95 will fit in the the smallest Javelin (or any other container) made, which is an RS, but it is very tight; an RS+1 would be smarter. An 85 is a perfect "snug" fit in an RS, a 75 fits very easily and a 65 fits loosely but not sloppy. Not sure if that helps you out at all, but I figured I would throw it in. Chuck

I would have got right on that second airplane

You think that will stop the madness? LOL!

Yes, more times than I can remember to count. Back in the "piston" days at Raeford, we had a fleet of at least three Twin Bonanzas; one of them a Super Bo. Let me give you a short list of the things I have personally been on the plane for: -starbord propellor flying off the aircraft in flight at the "cut". we waited until we were back over the DZ and launched our 4-way anyway. -port engine blowing up at 6k. we all bailed out over the airport. -gear refusing to go up after take-off. We flew to altitude anyway and jumped. This was the occasion of the first skysurf in the state of NC (1990). I have a pic of me exiting at 12k and the gear in the down position. -gear refusing to lower when the pilot was ready to land. It was manually pumped down after trying for 20 minutes. -a Jordanian style competitor jumped up and out, bashed his head so hard off the tail that it bent and the plane was barely controllable. We bailed out. -premature deployment went over the tail and ripped off the starbord side horizontal stabilizer (elevator). Bobby Friarson landed the plane that way at his grass strip. Lastly, last year out of one of our Otters: I was last out, doing a tandem, with my wife shooting video. As soon as we hit the propblast the port-side lower engine cowling flew off and missed us by MAYBE six inches. As it tore off it took the flaps, bent the motor bracket, and made for a very interesting landing. How's that for interesting? Chuck

Head?! I'll take a little head!

Spam...Yummy

Your hand is old too!

Go to Pepperell, or down to the Ranch and be VERY happy. chuck

Or a Super Twin Bo

Technique is key in that environment. I grab my hands together in front of me, diving board style, for the first second off the ramp. This keeps shoes out of my face. Bug hats (full face helmets) are great for very-fast 4 and 8-way and in the cold, but I hardly ever wear mine for anything else. I have two custom mindwarps now (because I am such a pimp), and love them. It's cool the way you can shape them to your noggin! Chuck