Aviatrr

And when that happens, then you exit....the sweat freezes and you end up colder than if you didn't have any gloves on....plus ice forms on your hands...been there, done that.....had some frostbite to prove it! Mike

I look at skydiving and aviation the same in this regard.....when you stop learning, you better stop jumping/flying...because when you stop learning, you'll get yourself killed.. Mike

Men have brains.....they just don't work when we're around hotties. If we're speaking to you like we HAVE a brain.....well....I guess you can figure the rest out.. Mike

Damn....with that much fabric over your head at that exit weight, if you landed it....you'd likely be able to easily stand it up. It would probably have taken you hours to get from 1000' to the ground, though.. Mike

Wow, 30 people that will be jumping(and a couple that won't).....we should be able to pull off a nice hybrid! Mike

Which means.....what? I'd do a search, but it would come up with every post with NSFW in it..no thanks. Mike

100hrs are not required if the aircraft is used solely for personal use....only if used for commercial use(such as rental, instruction, skydiving ops, charter, etc). Contact AOPA for realistic info on ownership. It's not cheap - not at all. Several years ago when I was thinking of buying one, they had a packet they sent out detailing requirements, average costs for specific repairs, average operating costs based on surveys from current owners, etc... One thing you can consider to help offset the operating costs is to put the airplane on leaseback with an FBO for rental - but then the problem is that every Joe Blow is flying it and doesn't take care of it like their own....so it may get trashed...especially if used for flight training. Mike

Count me in as a hanger or outside freeflyer. Mike

Line twists are not that serious on most canopies, but on moderate to highly wing loaded ellipticals, it can cause a very nasty spinning malfunction. Actually, it can cause that on ANY canopy - but it's more common on highly loaded ellipticals. Mike

And some people have spent the rest of their lives trying to free their reserve after it fouled due to an unstable reserve deployment - usually on camera gear. There ARE reasons to NOT use an RSL. I choose to not use one EVER. It's a safety hazard, IMO. Mike

Cherry flavored jello with Jack Daniels.....MMMmmmmmm... Mike

QuoteFor you I'll make an exception but I get the left hand side and I go to sleep watching southpark episodes on the computer. Quote Woohoo! Videos to watch during the party! Mike

Nope...I said the night jumps and $16 jumps are at Lake Wales...somebody else mentioned night jumps at ZHills on the same night(the 11th). You'd have to call to be sure the night jumps are $16 at Lake Wales just like the rest of the weekend. Mike

Doesn't matter whether you leave the legs straps dangling and the chest strap undone....you WILL be questioned by somebody. Don't put yourself, and the rest of us, at risk for more problems. Get a gear bag. I highly recommend Aero-Tech for gear bags. They are made by Terry Pike, a well known rigger in DeLand, FL. The bags are made incredibly well - everything that is stitched is also bar-tacked. I've had mine for 3 years, never so much as a stray thread from it. When I bought mine, Terry told me if anything ever comes loose he will fix it for free. I recommend the regular size with zip off camera helmet bag. The standard size is a bit larger than the carry on, so it gives you a bit more room to put things normally...but you just don't stuff it quite as full when traveling if you want it to fit in the "approved" baggage thing by the boarding door. Mine never does, but it fits in the overheads. Having the zip off bag is a must for traveling so it will fit in the overhead. The camera helmet bag just gives a bit more room in the bottom(where most stuff ends up anyways) of the zip off bag. Mike

The airplane with Santa on the front is definitely real. If I remember correctly, it's a 737-800 operated by ATA. Mike

If this happened on a brand new line set, take the canopy back to whoever relined it. If they neglected to bar tack some of the lines, they owe you a reserve repack as well(though I wouldn't let THAT person repack it, just pay for it). Mike

The canopies need to have openings that are survivable and will not damage the gear when at tandem terminal....meaning nothing out(no drogue). This translates to slow openings when the speeds are lower, such as then there is a drogue out. Mike

Was the main inspected by a rigger before you jumped it? When you say that the third line "came off at the attachment point", do you mean the line broke right at that point(if so, did the loop that goes around the links give, or did the line break above that?) or did the line come off an open link? What about the other two lines....were they broken in the middle? Mike

Of course, tandem canopies are made to open safely at tandem terminal(much faster than a single skydiver at terminal), so that accounts for that difference..(I know YOU know that, but many people probably don't) Mike

Well, I didn't hold the bills in my hand exactly....but I had a briefcase for about 12 hours with a bit over $600k in it. It was for the sale of an airplane(this was the final payment, he had already paid a 50% deposit), and the buyer was told he needed to pay for the aircraft with certified funds when I delivered it.....so he brought cash.. I was pretty nervous the whole time, and kept my Glock in a shoulder holster until I handed it over to the boss the next morning. Mike

I thought that at first glance, but if you look closer, you can see that there is a break in the video. In one frame, he just deployed(and is still groaning about a hard opening it seems) and the slider is flapping, the next scene his slider is collapsed and he's about to start his turn to final. I think after deployment he turned it off to save tape, but wanted to catch the landing on video....so he turned it back on for that. Mike

You can't rely on the Pro Track to give you absolutely accurate altitudes. The only REAL way to tell for sure is to watch the altimeter. If your dytter goes off, THEN you wave off and pull....you're 200-300' below the altitude it went off at by the time you pitch your pilot chute. I have had 1000' plus openings on a Spectre, but they were not the norm. Normal altitude was 700-800 for my old Spectre....I've seen some as long as about 1700, but that was when I experiemented with really rolling the nose and tail tightly. Mike

Don't bother contacting Altitude Concepts(the manufacturer)...I have a Digitude with a screen that is going bad, and I've left 2 emails and 4 messages on his answering machine and he has NEVER ONCE returned my call or email. This has been over the past month. I'll never buy another product from them. Mike

How are you packing it(specifically, what are you doing with the nose and tail)? I get 500-800' openings normally(usually closer to 500 than 800) except in a wingsuit - where the vertical distance is only 200-300', due to the forward speed. Mike

AS IT SHOULD BE! The experienced skydivers are no longer "allowed" to jump with the newbies until after they finish their A card unless they have a "Coach" rating. It's total bullshit, IMO. When I learned, I was "coached" by going on jumps with groups of much more experienced skydivers(sometimes just one other person, usually a few at least). These were jumpers that had at least hundreds, usually thousands of jumps and always welcomed the newbies on the load. They didn't care if we turned any points or not. Beer sounds good to me. I guess I need to get my "Coach" rating in order to be allowed to jump with the newbies again. Pretty pathetic, IMO. Mike