indyz

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Everything posted by indyz

  1. indyz
    It actually seems like a decent (if slimy) way to make money. Buy the rights to crappy old forgotten movies that have stars before they were stars, transfer them to DVD as cheaply as possible, inflate the "stars" role on the cover, sell at new-movie prices.
  2. indyz
    Omniskore has Redline's nationals round 5: http://omniskore.com/comp/2008/usnats/media/603r5.wmv.
  3. indyz
    I'm ok with manufacturer's ratings for tandems. Tandem rigs are much more complicated than sport gear, and I don't believe that the difference between rigs is "subtle". I think it's fair to require specific training and demonstrated proficiency on the equipment being used, i.e., a manufacturer's rating.
  4. indyz
    Before you spend any money, see what is available to try on at the DZ. By asking around, you can probably find somebody with the size and model helmet you are interested in. Also, find out when you will be allowed to wear a full-face. You may not be able to use it until you are licensed.
  5. indyz
    It looks to me like the cameraman was doing rear-riser stalls to stay down with stack. The picture seems to be at the beginning of the recovery from the stall. It definitely is not an exit -- the rest of the team is already stacked and rotating.
  6. indyz
    Does anybody have a clear photo of the parabatic grip? I can't make out exactly what is going on in the YouTube videos. I've had some success with other grips, but the legs-only style has never worked for me.
  7. indyz
    This spring I took a rigging course with a Costa Rican jumper. As I understood it, there isn't any formal dropzone, the jumpers just get together and rent a plane when they can. I'm might have some contact information at home. If you don't hear from me by tomorrow, shoot me a PM, I probably forgot.
  8. indyz
    Para-Gear, in Skokie, is the closest full-time shop. You can browse their catalog online here. If there is something specific that you want to order, you can also go through the office at Sky Knights. The club doesn't keep much merchandise on-hand, but can order just about anything, and the prices are usually a little better.
  9. indyz
    Wouldn't bother me at all. Unless there were extenuating circumstances, it's just a year old reserve with 4 repacks to me. Then again, I seem to be less concerned about these sort of things than a lot of jumpers. One of my Tempos has 6 jumps on it and I have no intention of selling it; at the same time, I know people who won't buy a reserve that has been used at all.
  10. indyz
    My personal opinion: 1. The conditions were "try before you buy." Since he had no intention of buying, he shouldn't have done any trying. You wouldn't be out of line to charge a reasonable rental fee, but I wouldn't count on getting it. 2. He needs to return the gear in the same condition he got it. That means repacked. If you don't trust his rigger, ask him to return the rig unpacked with a check made out to your rigger for the cost of a repack. 3. When I price out a reserve I'm mostly looking at the age, number of repacks, and any damage that has been repaired. I'm not concerned about the number of jumps, unless it is a lot. I wouldn't ask for, or expect, any compensation for that.
  11. indyz
    I had one on a Sigma a few months ago. I told the student "put your hands on your harness and arch." She said, "what?" and I pulled the cutaway handle, looked up as I was getting to full arm extension and saw the reserve out of the bag already. Smooth as silk, no freefall feeling and hardly any opening shock.
  12. indyz
    I'm not sure why you think this is a big deal. The pin has been pulled, the reserve container is open, you just can't completely extract the ripcord from the housing.
  13. indyz
    USPA DZs also have access to a database of members, current and expired. I think I've seen some in there from the 80s, but I can't be sure.
  14. indyz
    I use this marine safety strobe that is designed to be clipped to life jackets. It's compact, bright, and easily attached to my harness with no tape. It's also Coast Guard certified, so if for some reason the FAA shows up you can pull that out as "proof". I think ParaGear sells them these days, but I got mine much cheaper at my local sporting goods store.
  15. indyz
    The Library of Congress posted a bunch of WWII-era color photos to Flickr, including a bunch of parachuting related stuff: here
  16. indyz
    Copied directly from the IRM: 1. A USPA Instructor or Instructor Examiner who has been qualified as follows: a. Has successfully completed the Advanced Instructor Course b. meets all the requirements to qualify as a course evaluator c. passes the USPA Coach written examination d. Assists with at least one complete USPA Coach Rating Course e. Provides headquarters with a written recommendation from the director of that USPA Coach Rating Course 2. Evaluators a. USPA Instructor who has demonstrated to a USPA Coach Rating Course director the air skills required to pass the USPA Coach Rating Course b. Appointed by the course director who has registered the course with USPA c. Supervised by the course director, who is responsible for all evaluations.
  17. indyz
    As far as I can tell from the manuals, 20Us have a needle bar lock that improves the quality of the straight stitch. You also have to swap in a straight stitch foot, needle plate, and feed dog. Either way, since it's local I have the chance to go try it out before I commit to buying, so I'll make sure to run some straight stitches too. The price is $700. Not incredible, but it seems reasonable for the age, especially if it was maintained as well as the seller claims. Plus I don't have to pay shipping.
  18. indyz
    I've been keeping my eye out for a good first machine for a while. I am limited by budget and space to one machine, so I'd like to start with a zigzag machine that can also do a good straight stitch. I've got a line on an early 90's Japanese 20U at a pretty good price. I'm sure it will handle just about all of the canopy stuff I can throw at it, but will it handle heavier stuff like replacing riser velcro or container repairs (multiple layers of cordura for example)? I guess if somebody could give me an idea of what makes a 20U break a sweat, that would be most helpful.
  19. indyz
    Unlike what the quoted post implies, it's possible to aggressively reverse a turn without returning to straight flight first or throwing yourself into line twists. It is an important collision-avoidance skill, which is why it is an A-license requirement to be proficient at the maneuver. Yes, you can be too aggressive and make your lines go slack or induce a line twist or two. That is why you are practicing above 2,500 feet. Get a briefing from an instructor on the proper way to perform the maneuver, how to gradually work up to maximum performance, and what to expect if you go over.
  20. indyz
    Try here. I'm curious if there is a more recent manual. Sunrise Rigging hasn't responded to emails.
  21. indyz
    Three things: 1. Most of the "Spinetto" stories are from when they first came out and before people realized the shitty body position they got away with on their Sabres wasn't going to cut it anymore. 2. Stilettos are one of the most popular canopies ever made. There are so many of them out there, it isn't surprising that you've seen some cut away. 3. You can pile in under any canopy. Most of the time, it isn't the canopy's problem, it's the pilot's.
  22. indyz
    Kirk Verner?
  23. indyz
    Yeah, but when most people hear "scripting" they think of something more like advanced macro recording. Personally, I love the power, but that power comes at the cost of more complexity and a steeper learning curve.
  24. indyz
    Can anybody actually confirm this? Amazon and B&H both still have them in stock, and Googling for "sony cx-7 discontinued" has zero useful results.
  25. indyz
    You answered it yourself with you perpetual motion comment. Conservation of energy says it can't be more efficient than just getting juice from the grid. Since the fans are grid powered, and the generator is powered by the output of the fans, all you are really doing is adding a complicated and inefficient conversion step. For every watt you draw from your generator, the fans will have to draw more than one watt to maintain the same airspeed.