bmcd308

Buy basic body flight and watch it 100 times until you get it. Then do your best to practice on the floor or on a bean bag. Buy basic canopy flight and watch it 100 times until you get it. ---------------------------------- www.jumpelvis.com

While the Cypres works consistent with its design parameters, skydivers as a group are finding new ways to work around this. It's not a magic amulet, and I know you agree with that, because if I was not too lazy to search, I'd just quote your previous posts on the subject. I think nathaniel's post was very useful in that it explained to the original poster that purchasing a cypres does not automatically exclude a jumper from going in with nothing out, which lots of people seem to think. ---------------------------------- www.jumpelvis.com

I personally know a military jumper who did it on a HAHO. There is also a thread on here somewhere we someone (skreamer, maybe?) grabbed the bridle and tossed the main bag into the airstream. There are lots of things that might work to get your main out, and lots of folks have done stuff that resulted in getting the main out. But never forget: tick-tock, tick-tock, tick-tock. As Ron says, STOP THE SYDIVE! Brent ---------------------------------- www.jumpelvis.com

I am going with skydiving, assuming they get equal amounts of training and making some other assumptions: 1. The BASE option is handicapped by being in a canyon, while the skydive gets a big landing area with few obstacles. 2. Both are done under squares. If the BASE jump is a round, I'll change my vote. 3. Student is VERY heads up as defined by "Deathcamp counselor". The climbout and exit from the Cessna will be a much bigger problem than the hop and almost immediate toss from the bridge. I think the skydiver is much more likely to deploy in a horrible body position (such as tumbling). If, however, the deathcamp counselor was pretty sure the guy would let go of the strut, arch, reach, and pull, then I think the other advantages of the skydive win. The real advantages to the BASE jump are in spotting, particularly if using a round, and landing, since a crappy landing into water is preferable to a crappy landing onto the ground. Also, our BASE jumper will have less time to steer himself or herself into an obstacle. This is a cool thread. ---------------------------------- www.jumpelvis.com

Jan, I hate to weigh in on the side opposite you, since from watching prior debates on here that is a good way to get made to look like an idiot, but I am going to vote for the definition of PCIT that is not pin-dependent. If I throw out my PC and the bag does not clear my back for whatever reason, I am calling that a PCIT, regardless of whether the pin cleared. I will also agree with those who say this is primarily an issue of semantics, since pin in or pin out, I still have 1.) a PC in space that I would prefer to be clear for my reserve, 2.) no main despite my having followed my normal procedure to get one, and 3.) very little time to live if I do not change my descent rate. ---------------------------------- www.jumpelvis.com

The point is that a Cypres does not fire when you are going pretty fast, a condition that you can perceive. It fires when you are going 78 mph in the vertical plane as determined by changes in air density over time, a condition that it would be difficult to detect using your eyes. ---------------------------------- www.jumpelvis.com

CK and yardhippie - It sure sounded like you guys were having a good time when you called. For my part, I was having a GREAT time when you called... I wished I was there, though... Brent ---------------------------------- www.jumpelvis.com

Use a smaller aperture (bigger number) if you want more DOF. That picture looks exactly lilke I would expect it to at f/3.5. Also, there is no contrast for the focus point on the nose to grab on to, so that one is really not being used by the camera. The ear is determining the actual plane of focus. ---------------------------------- www.jumpelvis.com

>> 1.6 conversion factor

>>I was surprised to see Naomi Campbell still there - she's like 36!

With the 20D you are paying more for a ton of great additional features that are totally worth the money (in my opinion) unless you are using the camera for freefall. Then you paid more for a bigger, heavier camera that does the same thing. ---------------------------------- www.jumpelvis.com

http://bobatkins.com/photography/reviews/x-300.html Reviews of Canon x-300 lenses. Note that Tamron and others make x-300's, also. Make sure you know what you are getting. ---------------------------------- www.jumpelvis.com

Happy birthday, man. ---------------------------------- www.jumpelvis.com

In a high wind landing where I was getting dragged into a mobile home I disconnected it and then cut away. It happened quickly once I landed, but I had thought about it on final when I realized I was going straight down into a very small area. Yes, I took a rock from my bag of luck on that one. Brent ---------------------------------- www.jumpelvis.com

Why do you want your money back? If skyride is doing what they are supposed to do (setting you up with a place to jump that is an acceptable to you distance away) then go do the jump and have a great time. You will read lots of negative stuff on this site about skyride. There is widespread belief that they use unethical business practices and that they do not deliver on what they promise. However, if in your specific case they do deliver - and by that, I mean that they send you to a dz that does take their certificates and that is actually in the geographic area where they led you to believe it would be, then they have done their part. If they have done their part, then enjoy the skydives you bought. For many of the people on this site, our first skydives were life-changing events that have led to a new sport, new friends, unique and fantastic experiences, and an increased enjoyment of life. Well worth the cost. If they have not done their part, then fight them tooth and nail to get your money back, and contact the dz directly to buy your skydives. Brent ---------------------------------- www.jumpelvis.com

Just to bring this back up to the top, will all the dz.commers who use facebook please friend me? We could actually get a decent group together. ---------------------------------- www.jumpelvis.com

Children. Play nice. ---------------------------------- www.jumpelvis.com

At least the directions admit that it is at ASC. ---------------------------------- www.jumpelvis.com

I can only be there Saturday. Friday night I am going to another party, and Sunday is Voodoo Music Fest. ---------------------------------- www.jumpelvis.com

I borrowed a rig once to try out the main, which I was considering buying. When it was handed to me, my friend said with a smile, "Gear can be replaced, but friends can't, so if you need to pull the handles, pull them. Just make sure you make it right with me when you give the rig back." I knew I was supposed to bring it back in the condition it was loaned, and I was reminded not to hesitate on the handles because it was borrowed gear. And we were clear on the economics of it. Like so many other things in life, a five second conversation to agree on expectations on the front end can avoid a lot of hassle on the back end. That said, if the conversation does not take place, I would fully expect to receive my borrowed gear back exactly as it was loaned, not minus a main, a freebag, and two handles. Brent ---------------------------------- www.jumpelvis.com

I do not know that I am doing a costume this year. And it will be a big deal for me to change my avatar. As Andy Anderson told me, the pimp suit is not just a costume, it's an alter ego. ---------------------------------- www.jumpelvis.com

For the most part, the highlights are not blown, except maybe a few in the sweatshirt (bummer) so you ought to be able to at least partially fix it in Photoshop. Remember, the teenager at the drug store used to do that for you with print film. EDITED to add: And because you are in Av mode with evaluative metering, it might have metered off the black pants and tried to turn them gray. M mode might be your friend when your subject has basically no mid-tones to meter. Also changed the top some, since I probably overstated my case the first time. ---------------------------------- www.jumpelvis.com

You better have brought us all quilts from marakesh. Marakesh is the place that's famous for quilts, right? I dunno. Maybe I'm an idiot. ---------------------------------- www.jumpelvis.com

I'll chime in with a vote for the black. You can wear it with so many more things. And my watch is a Breitling Colt. ---------------------------------- www.jumpelvis.com

I scored 19, but I would have thought I would have scored higher. ---------------------------------- www.jumpelvis.com