AndyMan

The best example I can think of is a group of nuns who were on the "do not fly list" because they took part in a few anti-poverty demonstrations. Here it is: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2002/09/27/MN181034.DTL _Am __ You put the fun in "funnel" - craichead.

Then don't skydive. Everytime you jump you depend on your harness and container system to function. If you cuttaway you depend upon your three-rings to function, and everytime you deploy your reserve you depend on the spring-loaded pilot chute to have enough force to open the container and extract the reserve. This is a sport that is completely dependent on gear to allow us go play a second time. Criticising someone for having trust in their gear is ludicrous. If we didn't have trustworthy gear this sport wouldn't exist. Every time we jump we depend on devices to save our lives. _Am __ You put the fun in "funnel" - craichead.

Analysing and understanding complex problems. What does this mean? I'm a problem solver, I just happen to use a series of programing languages as my toolbox. For work, I sit down with executives, listen to them for hours and hours and hours, then come up with solutions to their problems. I'm really good at making people say "Hmm. I hadn't thought of that". _Am __ You put the fun in "funnel" - craichead.

Brigitte should be able to do it for about $15 (if she ever comes back....). Most risers come with them already now. They won't help the value of the canopy... because they're not on your canopy. Risers are part of your container, not your canopy. They won't help the value of your container very much, either. _Am __ You put the fun in "funnel" - craichead.

I've got a similar story from this weekend. Craichead has been working on her packing lately, she's just shy of her 'a' licence. I've often told her that if she can pack my rig, I'll jump it. I've got still failrly new ZP, so it can be a bit of a hassle to get into the bag. Did I mention I jump a highly loaded Stileto? Sunday, she got it into the bag. I had losely supervised the packjob, but was hardly looming over her checking every step. I grabbed the rig, and jumped on a newbie 5 way. Even though we broke the 5-way at 4.5, the newbies sucked at tracking. I had to do some "navigating" during my track to get clear, and I don't think I dumped until close to 2... Craicheads first new Stiletto packjob opened beautifully on-heading, but more importantly BRISK! It was perfect because I'd gone low. When I got down I showed her how to roll the nose.... _Am __ You put the fun in "funnel" - craichead.

Just to clarify, Canadians need neither a passport or a green card. Canadians can cross the border with proof of Canadian citizenship, which can be in many forms. We don't need passports to enter the US. I presume this is also true for other friendly countries, but don't know of any off the top of my head. _Am __ You put the fun in "funnel" - craichead.

Anything more then medium rare is blasphemy. As to HOW I cook it, I've been a big fan of pan searing lately, and a grill only beats this if we're using real charcoal. If I've only got a gas grill, I'll pan sear in the kitchen. {edited to add} I presume, since this is AggieDave asking the question, that we're talking about beef... not any other two or four legged animals. _Am __ You put the fun in "funnel" - craichead.

A couple of things.... A higher wingloading will not help you get back from a long spot. A canopy is said to descend on a glide path - think of it as the angle the canopy flies at. Going to a higher wingloading does not change the glide path - going to a higher wingloading only increases the speed you fly down that path. IE, at a higher wingloading you will go forward faster, but you will also go down faster. The way you change your glide path is by buying a different shaped wing. This is why you noticed getting back easier, it's because of the better glide of the 9 cell over the sink of the 7 cell. Your ability to get back had nothing to do with the wingloading. I took a Crossfire 139 out for a spin Saturday... pulled at 4.5, and didn't make it back. To make matters worse, I ended up having to put it into a really tight spot near the farmhouse to the west. The landing was dificult, and it wasn't pretty. After walking back I promptly handed the canopy back to Icarus, because the thought of having to do another landing that tight scared the crap outta me. We need to judge our ability to fly a canopy by what happens when things go wrong, not when things go right. If you are downwind, a higher wingloading will help you penetrate the wind. However, when we're on a long spot we're usually upwind, not downwind. When upwind, a higher wingloading will actually DECREASE your ability to get back. Remember that the canopy is flying down faster just as much as flying forward faster. What this means is that you're suspended in the wind for a shorter amount of time. Someone under a higher loading is at a disadvantage over someone with a lighter loading. Remember, wingloading does not affect the glide path - only the speed you fly down that path. Secondly, nobody is suggesting that you start doing 270 hooks on your spectre, that'd be rediculous. I do think you'll find that if you get dive loops installed, you can start playing with your front risers, try landing in double fronts, and adding small 45 degree front riser turns onto final - you'll be having a hell of a lot of fun. I suspect that you'll even be having more fun then you did under the 140. Even better, you'll be learning craploads about the aerodynamics of canopy flight. Phreezone's point about wingloadings was that Icarus uses a non-standard method for measuring their safires. If I understand it correctly, it means that if you measured it by standard methods it will measure out 10 feet smaller, ie, 139 square feet. Use that number when calculating the wing load. Thirdly, when it comes time to downsize, I do hope you don't do it at the end of the season. Currency is key, and you're about to take a few monthes off. I also hope that you won't do it first thing in the spring, either. I know that I fly like crap in the spring when I've had 4 monthes off. Don't keep dissing your spectre. You CAN have a hell of a lot of fun with it, just get front riser dive loops installed and you will be having more fun then you can handle. Trust me, they make a HUGE difference. Not only that, you won't need to touch your 401K. Don't take this as me dissing your abilities, either. That's not at all what I'm trying to say. I think youi've succesfully kept yourself out of trouble to the degree that I ACTUALLY think you know what you're doing. You've certainly got more skill then some of the other jumpers at the DZ. I just want you to think about taking small steps, one at a time and don't get ahead of yourself. _Am __ You put the fun in "funnel" - craichead.

Given proper training, the difference between these canopies is not big, at all. Actually knowing how to pilot these canopies to their max makes a much bigger difference. I guarantee that Casey can swoop a Specter at 1.1 a hundred feet. I'ts the pilot, not the canopy. There is NOTHING you can't learn under that canopy, for now. _Am __ You put the fun in "funnel" - craichead.

I would much rather you be bored, then in the hospital. Learn high performance skills before you get a high performance canopy. Make no mistake, that safire 149 clearly puts you into the high performance range. If you screw up one landing, it will hurt. You know that tall guy at the DZ? The guy who we make fun of for buying a 135 with a hundred jumps cuz he wanted to learn how to swoop? The guy who wanted to borrow Doug's 87? You're making the same (bad) choice. You can fly any canopy aggresively. Have a rigger install some dive loops so you can play with your spectre now. I used to swoop my Triathlon (loaded at 1.1) There's not any reason why you can't fly your current canopy aggresively - indeed you SHOULD be flying your current canopy aggresively if you want to be a hot shot pilot. I wish you'd work with people like Casey Deck or Clint on your canopy skills before going small. Become a hot shot pilot before you buy a hot shot main. That safire is a hotshot main. _Am (being honest, cuz I like you and wanna keep you around, not cuz I'm trying to be a dick) __ You put the fun in "funnel" - craichead.

I'll have to nominate www.skydive.com _m __ You put the fun in "funnel" - craichead.

Yup, we're heading off after work. We'll give a full report! _Am __ You put the fun in "funnel" - craichead.

I second that. Val and Seth, congrats. It's been a year, me and craichead haven't even been a year. You two rock! _Am __ You put the fun in "funnel" - craichead.

I recomend dbuys = www.dbuys.com They have excellent service, and great prices. They have it for $998. _Am __ You put the fun in "funnel" - craichead.

I've had my vector since Christmas, I've yet had to replce the battery. I use the altimeter, but not the logbook. _Am __ You put the fun in "funnel" - craichead.

Since you're a few years away from jumping with a camera, I would suggest you not buy the camera now. It's amazing how the cost of these cameras is steadily going down over time, and the features are getting better. It seems foolish to buy something now that you're not going to use, when you're ready to use it there'll be better stuff for cheaper. You'll get more for your money if you wait. _Am __ You put the fun in "funnel" - craichead.

well, looks like this thread went to shit... _Am __ You put the fun in "funnel" - craichead.

So... you think Queer Eye is a threat? Uh oh.... You probably don't want to read this article, then. It speaks to women who're threatened by "modern" men. I didn't think many men were being threatened. Guys learning how to cook, be self sufficient, and masters of their house are good things, IMHO. (master like a golf master, not like a slave master) I like it because every once in a while I learn something. I also really enjoy watching the guys screw up their cooking lesson... It's not a reality, show - btw. If it's a reality show, so is Bob Villas building show. _Am __ You put the fun in "funnel" - craichead.

I'm assuming that you could replace the sensor with a switch... but it's been a while since I've used the ski hardware. I'm a bit out of date. It'd be worth a call to a ski supplier, I'd think... _Am __ You put the fun in "funnel" - craichead.

I wear mine on my back. Unfortunately I haven't traveled in about six monthes, but did a alot of travel with it on my back last year. I've never had a problem that took more then 2 minutes to fix. _Am __ You put the fun in "funnel" - craichead.

Here's my experience jumping a Panasonic DV203 link Panasonic video cameras suck. Jump it, expect it to break and need replacement. They are not rugged enough for skydiving. _Am __ You put the fun in "funnel" - craichead.

We saw it yesterday at Six Flags Great America... very cool. I was getting chills down my spine even watching the freeflying, never mind the BASE perspectives. Very. Cool. Movie. Go see. Now. You'll need to block out a few silly scenes starring a nervous kid, but otherwise... _Am __ You put the fun in "funnel" - craichead.

Yup, craichead went through the same thing. It's stupid. They charge you an extra fee to use the automated system, but the old paper based one is free. That makes no sense... The paper one has to be handed to a clerk who then types it into a computer. Soo.. they make the inneficient system free, and charge for the efficient one. Our government at work... _Am __ You put the fun in "funnel" - craichead.

Jeeeze.. have some courage! I'm reminded of a civil suit for libel against Dan Preston of Atair, concerning comments he made about the Icarus Crossfire. The lawsuite didn't go anywhere, but if somebody had made similar comments against a product I was making, I'd probably sue, too. I'll leave it as an exercise to the reader to figure out what the comments actually were. _Am __ You put the fun in "funnel" - craichead.

These types of devices are pretty common in the ski industry. Check this out: http://www.reliabletiming.com/detail.cfm?prodnum=92584 _Am __ You put the fun in "funnel" - craichead.