Aviatrr

Ok...that's a little over the edge...you deserve a time-out for even a reference to that song! Mike

I would've been out there with a video camera if you guys had been flying a bit earlier....but 2300 was a bit late for me, considering I was up at 0400 that morning...and had to be up by 0500 this morning.. Mike

Something slippery on the bottom is best....works well for sliding out landings.. I just use old running shoes that I've worn the tread off of...nothing special.. Mike

?????? I certainly didnt feel pointed at by the tips! You wouldn't understand....you Canadians are a bit too.....effeminate...yea, that's the polite word for it...ok, ok....I don't really mean Canadians are effeminate....just you... Mike

I was in college when I started jumping...I didn't tell my parents at the time(not because I knew they would object, just didn't feel it was necessary knowing my mom would worry about it)...when I went home to visit once, I brought a rig with me and spent a couple days at Perris..they asked what that was, I told 'em, my mom said "I don't like that", I said "Tough", that was the end of it. Fast forward 9 years, and it's still the same. If you're worried about it, don't tell 'em....but don't lie to 'em. Mike

Even better.....a loaner... Mike

Are we talking about the same person? You're judgement has always been suspect since the day you told everybody you were a Canadian....nobody pays any attention to you! Mike

It wasn't that bad....it wasn't that bad....it wasn't that bad....it wasn't.....damn, this repeat it til ya believe it shit doesn't work... Like I said before...I've put up with MUCH, MUCH worse...actually, for a couple years...a week was NOTHING! Mike

I'm gettin' nothing when I click on it...the screen comes up with a blank box in the middle and a PLAY and STOP on the right...but clicking them does nothing....is there some kind of plugin I need? Mike

Edwards is a kick ass airshow....I grew up there, and attended every year as far back as I can remember until '96....they have never failed to disappoint me there. Mike

You're just jealous of my superior landing skills.. Mike

Hmm....I've gotta wonder if that's in a good or a bad way....ah, hell...no I don't.. Mike

Glad I could help... Mike

NSFW! Tampax Mike

I took one of the company jets out for a spin yesterday....without permission....put a ding in it...any ideas how to cover it up? Here's some video of the ding.. Clicky Mike

Congrats! After another couple of degrees, you'll have the whole alphabet.. Mike

That looks just like the one I have sitting in my closet...with about a bajillion things wrong with it.. One of these days, it's going skydiving with me.. Mike

Sounds like you've practiced saying that a time or two... Mike

Ormond is a nice area. I used to live in Daytona, and kept an airplane at Ormond Beach airport. I assume you know somebody there, and that's why you've nailed it down as Ormond specifically? I don't know what the job market is like in that area right now...or what you even do...but it wasn't the greatest 2 years ago. Then again, just depends on what you do I guess.. I'm in Orlando, about an hour from Deland and Daytona. I'm up in Daytona occasionally...Deland not so often, but now and then...mostly Sebastian and Lake Wales. For several months I was just on the boogie circuit...and didn't even jump at any of the local DZ's...but that's winding down until WFFC. Mike

What part of the state are you moving to? Mike

It's very complicated, actually....first you have to take a BMI...then....oh, nevermind...it'd take too long to explain it.. Mike

Well, you can tell that he's not maxing out the suit. Legs are bent up a bit, which slows your forward speed tremendously...plus the SF3 needs fast forward speed to achieve max lift..add all that to the fact that he's got extra drag and weight on his back, and he's closer to being in freefall than flying. Plus, I bet he was letting somebody else set the pace(the guy that shot the pic of him). Mike

I do downwind the main occasionally...and crosswind it often....but I'm not willing to intentionally downwind it in 20+mph winds. I have done many downwinders with a carve to crosswind in 10-15mph winds. My main has a ton of lift, and I can shut it down with 2-3 short steps on a calm wind day....but if I'm going downwind in 20mph winds...I'm still doing 20+mph when the canopy quits flying. I'm certainly not going to try to slide that out on my feet....that's a sure-fire recipe for a busted ankle/leg, or worse. For the same reason, I won't intentionally downwind my reserve in such conditions. Like I said....if it happens, I take the downwinder. I know when NOT to try to turn. Most likely I'll try to carve it into a crosswind during the flare. I definitely don't recommend that anybody go out and intentionally downwind their reserve(and I do know we're talking a reserve rigged as a main, not their actual reserve) in 20mph winds. Hell, most people shouldn't be jumping in those winds. So no students should be jumping unless their willing to downwind their reserve in the max wind allowed in the BSR's for students? I guess part of AFF needs to include a demo reserve downwind landing in such winds. Look, here's where we'll agree to disagree. You're not changing my opinion, and I'm not changing yours. We both know that. "The best" reserve depends on the specific person and their skill level. If you are referring to PD reserves being the best, I share that opinion. I have landed as small as a 126(after a cutaway on a borrowed rig), and had no problem....on the DZ...but I would have hated to have that reserve at some of the places I jump with small landing areas outside of the DZ. If I knew that I would land on the DZ every time, I would probably have a PD113R. I've seen people land 'em at up to 2.2WL, and they land fine. I doubt they can be sunk into a small area very easily/safely - hence the reason I don't jump that small of a reserve. In some of the places I jump the out landing areas are residential neighborhoods. Sure, there are bigger things...if you're far enough out, or on the right side of the DZ>..not someplace I want to be trying to sink a 113 into. My main sinks in nicely...very twitchy, but safely doable...but the same WL on a reserve, not too likely to be safely doable. If you want to fool yourself into thinking it's not terribly dangerous, fine.....I just don't want you fooling somebody else into thinking the same. I would hope that anybody considering trying something like this will speak with local instructors and/or very experienced canopy pilots that know their skills. Unfortunately, we're just re-hashing the same thing we have a couple times in the past. For those of you who have read this far...sorry...I'm done ranting.. Mike

Sweet pic dude! Though, the one you took...she looks a bit worried... Damn nice shot with all the trackers behind you.....but, it does say something for your flying skills if a bunch of trackers can keep up with you(while going slow, based on their leg position)! Mike

It's been since the Mardi Gras boogie for me.... I've been nursing a back injury since then...and I was supposed to go jump this weekend, but on Wed I did something to my leg...doc thinks I may have torn my calf muscle..hurts like hell to walk(and it would really hurt to slide/run out landings)...but getting better...he said it'll probably be ok in 8 to 10 more days. It will have been long enough for me at that point that I'll need to do the first few jumps back on my bigger canopy...getting out of currency on a small canopy is a big no no.. You need to start buying beer for some of the pilots at the base there. Any UH-1's or -60's? You need to talk them into taking you up. Mike