Greg

Just remembered this one, happened just this Sunday: My bro and I are at the DZ, we go on ahead and manifest and wait for the gear up call. We start getting ready and doing all the equipment checks and I hear a call, but missed what the delay was, so I assumed we had a 15 minute wait still. So there we are just waiting for the call and talking and laughing all cool and stuff, well the next call is the get on the bus call!!! We both missed the bus and there are no refunds for missing the bus, we both lost our slots on the frikin Skyvan man and were out the $17.00 jump ticket.

Ok, Im bored and Im not getting any work done today! I got another, this did not happen to me but I saw it on tv a while back and still laugh about it to this day. There was a, not sure, something like 13 or so year old kid who was going to try to "scare" his parents. I think his parents were at the grocery store or something. So the kid sets up a video camera in the kitchen and proceeds to climb his ass to the top of this stand up refrigerator/freezer thing where he is planning to jump and scare the begeezus out of his poor parents. Just as his parents get home, the kid decides it is not the best idea and tries to climb down before his parents get to the kitchen. He looses his grip, slips, and falls, but his shorts get caught on the top of the refrigerator on the freezer door. His weight pulls the refirgerator forward which opens both the freezer door and the refrigerator door and empties the contents of the refrigerator on to the floor and leaves him hanging from the top of the refrigerator by his shorts. Just as they cut away his parents walk into the kitchen to find thier loving son hanging by his shorts from the freezer door and all of the contents of the refrigerator spilled all over the floor. I would have loved to hear the little bugger try to explain to his parents how he managed to get there!!! That would have to be a very embarrassing situation!

I would have to agree, although I elected to get a Javelin, my brother got a Mirrage G3. He loves it. He started jumping it shortly after he got off of student status at around 15 jumps. I have not jumped it myself yet, so I can not provide any more of a testimonial than that.

Since I got my rig I have thought of jumping off of just about everything!! I actually wore my rig around the house when I first got it, not just the rig mind you, goggles, gloves, helmet, alti, the total package, and proceeded to jump off the couch, kitchen counter, bathroom sink (had a mirror in there!), off the small step between the sliding glass door and the back porch (the opening is almost the same as the door on the otter!), and finally the kitchen table (which broke...oh well). It was fun fun fun!! Ran around all geared up untill my goggles fogged up!

Mine is a 1971 GTO. 455 cid, automatic transmission, power seat (driver only), power windows, cruise control (yes, on a 1971, its a rare find), air conditioning, and two very large BALLS VAAAARRROOOOOOOMMMMMM!!

Well Diva, a short wool mini skirt, PLFing in front of a picture window in the snow, I wish I could have seen it. One thing I have noticed about embarrassing moments is that they are funnier when they happen to others, and although they may not be funny when they happen, they sure are funny later! Which, for some reason, reminds me of another "moment": I was at this big party while still in high school. There were a few keg's and other festivities to be had and the party lasted until the wee hours. Well, at some point during the evening, I met a really cool chick and towards the wee'er hours we were making pretty good progress towards a fast visit to one of the bedrooms. Unfortunatly, quite a few others had the same idea and there were no open "slots". So we decded to "warm up" so to speak on the couch until a spot was open. Anyway,as I am at some times a gentleman, I get up to go and get us a couple refills and, not paying much attention to anyone else in the room upon my return (eye on the prize so to speak), took my same spot on the couch I had just vacated, and thinking I was "in" like nobodys business, proceeded to make that kinda "grade school" mr smooth move and reached my hand under her "seat" to cop a little feel as I passed her the refil (a real gentlman hee hee). To my ultimate shock, there was already a hand down there. I look over and she has hooked up with one of my friends and I did not even notice until we sort of "touched" hands under the girl!. Thats embarrassing!!!

Well cold one, I struggled with the same question. I ended up going with the Sillhouette. I tried a several other canopys off student status, but I really liked the "feel" of the Sillhouette. It is "mildly" elliptical and can can give you smooth openings, some nice crisp turns, has lots of flare, and at least in my experience, is quite forgiving to land. The combonation of ZP and F111 makes it pretty easy to pack, not that its rolls up and jumps into the container or anything, but it is a little easier than a ZP only canopy.

Favorite would have to be ....steak. My personal preferrence has to be the Porterhouse cut. It has the T bone that divides the steak into two sides with each side having a distintly different texture. The smaller side is soooo tender and soft that it seems to melt in the eaters mouth, while the larger side tends to be a bit more "solid" and tougher. Its sort of a bonus, like getting two steaks for the price of one. The Porterhouse should be at least 1" thick and grilled so that it is almost "crispy" on the outside while remaining jucy and pink in the middle. I like to coat the Porterhouse with butter before grilling to add favor, and I personally think butter is good on anything! If it is too thin, it will dry up a bit and the butter will help. If you get the Angus beef, it has a wonderful natural, almost buttery flavor. Pair that up with either roasted potatos onions and carrots, or a baked potato, a salad, and a hard roll warmed with butter all over it. To me, the vegatable are just a "vessel" to carry butter and salt......... Oh jeeze....mmmmmmm.......I think I just had a "moment!

Someone had to do it!! Baby......the other, other white meat. Pork.......its not just for bed time anymore.

WOOOAAAAAAHHHHHH!!! Im in LUST!!! With a "seat" like that, I dont think I would be able to get out of the bathroom!!! Thanks Skreamer!! Dammit, decisions decisions. Pro Trak or magic toilet seat, ita aint easy, it aint easy!!

Hey Jessica, I would send it in as soon as possible, or leave it turned off until you do send it in. I left mine off for a few jumps in December, I was not so much worried about it not firing on time, but missfiring when it is not supposed to. I just did my scheduled 4 year Cypres Maintenance last month, its very expensive, but, better safe than sorry. SSK sent my Cypres back with quite a bit of information, included was a sheet that tells me that you can be +/- 3 months on the maintenance dates, I would be scared to push it past there though.

Call me crazy, but that looks like as much fun as the bedday(sp) (you know, one of those French watter butt cleaning thingys) I had on my honeymoon. I have since divorced the girl, but I would love to get my hands on that bedday thing again!!

Hey Diva, tell me you were wearing a dress when you made the PLF in the snow!!! lol

Hey SkySlut (god, speaking of embarrassed, I feel a little embarrassed calling someone that) I found the artical on the main page: Malaysian maritime police rescued skydivers from the United States and Denmark who were feared to have been blown out to sea but actually had washed ashore on a deserted beach. Derek Thomas, 44, of Zephyr Hills, Florida, and Karen Willerup of Denmark, lost during a parachute competition off the island of Borneo, sang to each other for five hours Tuesday night (Karens birthday) before help arrived. They hit gusty winds and overshot their landing zone in Menggatal district, about 60 kilometers (40 miles) from where the show "Survivor" was filmed. On Tuesday, five of the skydivers were found on shore after a two-hour search, but a bigger operation had to be mounted for Thomas and Willerup. It was believed they had been blown into the South China Sea or rugged rain forest. Thomas said he miscalculated his landing because of thick clouds. He and Willerup where doing a tandem skydive, they drifted downwind, nearly 5 kilometers (3 miles) from where they planned to land. Neither Thomas nor Willerup were injured. (Derek Thomas is the owner of SunPath Products, manufaturers of the Javelin)

Ah yes! I seem to remember reading that he and a few others were blown off course and landed on an island or something. I will go back and find it and re-read that.

OK, I got another, this one is not as bad, but still a little embarrassing. I recently bought a used Javelin. I guess when you buy a new Javelin, the fine folks at Sunpath will additionally give you a can coozie that matches your container, how frickin cool I thought!!! Well, my used Javelin came less the cool can coozie, so I sent an extremely shameless and wanting email to Sunpath's general info address begging for a complimentary coozie to match my Javelin, just to see if I could get one. Well to my supprise, I got a response from the president of Sunpath telling me that if I am going to be begging for stuff, at least include your address!! Needless to say, I provided my address and I will be getting my can coozie, but I cant believe I went begging to the president of Sunpath to get it. That is quite shameless and a little embarrassing. Side note, as it turns out, mr president is a really cool guy and will be at Eloy in may for the airspeed challange, and I have made arrangements with him to hook him up with a couple jump tickets or a few cold ones or something!! Blue ones!!

Here here, I agree. I had planned to be busy catching up this morning on dz.com until at least 10:00, and its only 9:15.

The hardest level for me was level one. It seemed that I got real used to having the JM attached to me during tandems, and the first jump without the "security" of the tandem harness and JM was tricky for me. Talk about sweating bullets!! I deployed with a line dump and ended up snapping three lines, I think I cracked a rib, felt like it anyway. I was wearing a radio for landing and the JM was waiting on the opposite side of the landing area, by the time he had me flare I was only about 3 feet off the ground and had a very hard landing, busted my lip and everything!! Its all good now, I did pass AFF without any repeats, and just got my A license last week (some inspiration for ya!) Stick with it!!! Blue ones!!

Well, I am having second thoughts here.....but, It was Monday morning, I had been at the dz all weekend and ended up drinking way, WAY too much on Sunday night. As a result, I was in fairly poor condition. I was hoping for a slow and quiet morning, but it did not happen. I can best explain my condition by saying there should be a warning lable on beer and whiskey bottles that indicate the near fatal flatulence that can be created by mixing large quantities of the two coupled with a midnight run to Taco Bell. So there I am at my desk, doubled over with a very large gas bubble churning in my lower extremities, I needed help!. I carefully checked down the hallway outside my office, both ways, and it was all clear. I let "it" go, HOLY CRAP it was bad enough to peel paint. It seemed like at that very moment, the hottest woman in the office and the CEO rounded the corner and walked into my office. I tried to ignore it and pretend it didnt smell like a pig farm in my office, but I could tell from the expressions, and duration of the visit, there was no escape, I was busted. I started to say something to the effect of "its not my fault.......I wish that damn cleaning woman would do something about the......" and I was abruptly cut off. The meeting was reconviened in the CEO's office a few minutes later. Needless to say, the hottie does not stop by my office anymore, and the CEO calls before stopping by....oh well.

I guess thats what I will do. There is probably nothing wrong with the PC I have but I did notice some wear on the mesh part. I just read somewhere, I think it was my canopy owners manual, about the pilot chute, and all it said is when worn replace, or something to that effect, but provided little detail. Im just afraid that if left up to me, I would tend to replace it too offen because in my mind newer is somehow better/safer and its all about safety, right? I also heard some of my fellow jumpers around the dz talking about a "weak" pilot chute, which is what actually got me a little worried about mine. Anyway, thanks for the input! Blue ones!!

I agree with the others here. Relax, it is the one thing I have been told from day one, and has been one of the hardest things to master. It did not take long, after finally just letting go and going nearly limp after exit, to realy feel the difference bieng relaxed in freefall. Everything got so much easier after just relaxing. Turns were easier, stability, and maintaining a heading are almost "natural" and I believe you are naturally more symetrical when relaxed. I actually changed my exit cadence during AFF from ready...set...go, to ready....set...relax, it helped.

Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmm.............bacon,......and butter......mmmmmmm

Not sure about hitting Austrailia, probably wouldnt hurt much especially if it hits inland. Maybe scare a few kangaroos or something. It would probably never hit the ground, I bet that Steve Erwin (i think thats his name), the crocodile dude, can probably just jump up and catch it, roll around and wrassle in the dirt with it for a bit and then throw it in the ocean with a "little rippa" exclamation.

I am curious as to wether or not there any guidelines as to when a Pilot Chute should be replaced? Is it after a certain # of jumps, or a certain amount of time, or on a more of an "as needed" basis. Is there a good way to check a Pilot Chute to see if it needs to be replaced or should the determination to replace a Pilot Chute be made by a qualified rigger? Any input would be appriciated! Blue ones!!!

This is going to be cool to see!! I hear it is supposed to "splash" somewhere off the coast of Australia. I would love to watch that in freefall!! It would be like a picture I saw somewhere with the skydiver in freefall with the space shuttle launching in the background.