AndyMan

Wahoo! I'll see you at Eloy, then at WFFC. _Am ICQ: 5578907 MSN Messenger: andrewdmetcalfe at hotmail dot com Yahoo IM: ametcalf_1999

When I got home last night I was going to post a short summary of a presentation that DiverDriver did at SDC Saturday night after sunset. Chris spoke for about an hour on about a series of accidents involving jump planes and jumpers, and spoke about what we should look for to spot unsafe airplanes. Instead I logged on to learn that Park Blevins, Aerohio pilot extraordinaire, died when the Caravan he was flying crashed in Wisconsin in heavy icing conditions. I was going to post about how airplane safety is the one thing we need to be vigilant about. I was going to talk about how airplane operations are the one thing that we need to have done properly. I was going to say that no matter how much we like to screw around, we must insist that the maintenance and operation of the planes we fly be done properly. Instead I'm left here wondering how this could have happened. Aerohio has always been one of the good dropzones. I know they're current on maintenance. I know they hire top notch pilots. At Aerohio I knew that I could put trust in their planes. Now this happens. I'm the first to say that I don't understand what happened to Mark. I don't know how he ended up in ice and not being able to deal with. I've flown right-seat with Mark many times, frequently in ice. I don't understand what went wrong this time. I know that plane was suposed to be able to handle ice. Now I'm angry because I know there's a lot of plane operators in skydiving that DON'T do proper maintenance. I know there's pilots who think nothing of getting wasted in Canadian strip clubs the night before flying otters for a DZ in the US. I know there's plane owners who think nothing of ignoring scheduled maintenance. Somehow, these people still get by. And guys like Mark go in. I don't get it. _Am ICQ: 5578907 MSN Messenger: andrewdmetcalfe at hotmail dot com Yahoo IM: ametcalf_1999

Doh! I'm still hungover. Gimme a break! _Am ICQ: 5578907 MSN Messenger: andrewdmetcalfe at hotmail dot com Yahoo IM: ametcalf_1999

It seems to me that reserve total malfunctions are a thing of the past. You pull the handle, the reserve will come out of the container. What happens after the reserve comes out of the container is entirely dependent upon the appropriateness of you pulling the handle. I think it's fair to say that the single biggest cause of bad reserve canopies is the failure or inability of the skydiver to use the cuttaway handle first. I think the second biggest cause of reserve issues is the failure or inability of the skydiver to be in a stable belly to earth position while pulling their handle. Despite these two issues, it is frequently better to deploy your reserve into a main that you can't cuttaway (like Missy Nelson did) then landing under a spinning elipticle, or deploy in an unstable body position and risk a horseshoe. Pulling unstable is better then not pulling. I disagree with Marc. I don't think the issue is the rig, I don't even think it's how the rig is packed. The single biggest issue is how the skydiver uses it. _Am ICQ: 5578907 MSN Messenger: andrewdmetcalfe at hotmail dot com Yahoo IM: ametcalf_1999

3:0:1 2 rw jumps with a new jumper, one tracking flock dive. First wasn't a huge one - first low flat turn and landing in half brakes on my new Stiletto - done out of necesity. I ALMOST had my first off landing at SDC - which is tough. But i just cleared a fence to make the north end of the runway. A good day for jumping, but BOY do I need to get laid. _Am ICQ: 5578907 MSN Messenger: andrewdmetcalfe at hotmail dot com Yahoo IM: ametcalf_1999

Oh quit yer moanin! It was a beautiful weekend. I'm definately in for hang gliding. I tried calling them earlier and nobody picked up. _Am ICQ: 5578907 MSN Messenger: andrewdmetcalfe at hotmail dot com Yahoo IM: ametcalf_1999

Thats an understatement. If it's the guy i'm thinking of, his eyes were bleeding. picture THAT. He did recover, though. He was also in a good 7 point harness, which among other things, restrained his head - preventing any neck injuries. I suspect that with a lesser harness the g-force might've even decapitated him. _Am ICQ: 5578907 MSN Messenger: andrewdmetcalfe at hotmail dot com Yahoo IM: ametcalf_1999

When packing for myself, I max out at about 5 or 6. When hiring packers, I've done up to 11. _Am ICQ: 5578907 MSN Messenger: andrewdmetcalfe at hotmail dot com Yahoo IM: ametcalf_1999

Somebody hasn't been listening...

I found a few good reviews of this place: http://www.hangglidechicago.com/ Tandem First flight courses cost $125. And no, there is not "AFF equivalent". I just wonder if they'll let you base jump it? Here's a list of "aeroparks" - I guess the hang-gliding equivalent of DZ's: http://www.birrendesign.com/rhgpa_sites.html Conveniently, there appears to be hangliding at Rantoul, but they don't have a website. _Am ICQ: 5578907 MSN Messenger: andrewdmetcalfe at hotmail dot com Yahoo IM: ametcalf_1999

I hate Bush as much as anybody else, but I will give him credit for this: Bush has always put his relilgious agenda in the fram of religion in general, and not specific to catholocism. While he's obvious Christian, I've always seen him frame all of his religious comments in a very "implementation neutral" way. I've never heard him make any comments that say he favors one kind of religoin over another. Quite the opposite, he's always gone out of his way be inclusive in his religious comments. _Am ICQ: 5578907 MSN Messenger: andrewdmetcalfe at hotmail dot com Yahoo IM: ametcalf_1999

This is one thing I will commit to. I will go if you do the research... _Am ICQ: 5578907 MSN Messenger: andrewdmetcalfe at hotmail dot com Yahoo IM: ametcalf_1999

Oh God. I knew Mark well. I flew at least a hundred loads with him when I was in Ohio. I frequently flew across the country visiting different DZ's with him and the Caravan. The Caravan used to fly jumpers at Aerohio. This is terrible. He will be missed. _Am ICQ: 5578907 MSN Messenger: andrewdmetcalfe at hotmail dot com Yahoo IM: ametcalf_1999

I am by no means an expert, but I understand that it's pretty tough to hurt a fetus during the first and second trimester. Depending on where your friend jumps, oxygen may or may not be an issue. If you're jumping cesna's, I can't possibly imagine there being a risk. If your friend is jumping turbines, she might request that the pilot keep it to 13.5 on her loads. Again, I am by no means an expert. My medical training goes as far as a few Red Cross first aid courses, so understand that I'm talking out of my ass. In fact, some may say that it's entirely irresponsible for me to be chiming in on this one. I won't disagree. I will say that I've seen women jump well into their third trimester. I will also the say that this probably wasn't the smartest thing, although the kids did turn out all right. _Am ICQ: 5578907 MSN Messenger: andrewdmetcalfe at hotmail dot com Yahoo IM: ametcalf_1999

Clay - I put three more jumps on my new Stiletto today and had a blast. I love the stiletto. It's great fun. I'd highly encourage you to get one. If the canopy training you've had is even close to as good as you imply, I'm sure you won't have major issues with it. Be carefull, though. The Stiletto, (in my humble opinion) is a much better choice then the heatwave. The heatwave exihibits all the same nasty things as the Stiletto , only worse. The heatwave will spin up faster, is more "twitchy", dives faster, and is even less forgiving then the Stiletto with respect to sharp toggle movements. Don't ever stop learning, though. Oh, I did my first flat turn on my Stiletto today. During a tracking flock dive I went low and opened way out. I flew all the way back in half brakes, did a low 180 flat turn, and landed in half brakes. The Stiletto flared out beautifuly, even gave me forward movement in moderately strong winds. Purfect! _Am ICQ: 5578907 MSN Messenger: andrewdmetcalfe at hotmail dot com Yahoo IM: ametcalf_1999

This is TOO funny. _Am ICQ: 5578907 MSN Messenger: andrewdmetcalfe at hotmail dot com Yahoo IM: ametcalf_1999

But at the same time, you'll get much less when it comes time to sell it. Not recomending either way... Just something to consider. _Am ICQ: 5578907 MSN Messenger: andrewdmetcalfe at hotmail dot com Yahoo IM: ametcalf_1999

Excellent _Am ICQ: 5578907 MSN Messenger: andrewdmetcalfe at hotmail dot com Yahoo IM: ametcalf_1999

Post deleted by AndyMan

The investigations related to freak misfires - like when it was sitting on the picnic table at Aerohio - ended with the belief that the electronics were picking up electro magnetic interference (EMI) from a cell-phone in use nearby. For a few years following this, Airtec ordere the control units encased in a EMI shield. This usually was a bluish plasic lense the covered the control unit. Newer units have EMI filters built into the control units, so they don't need the blueish filter. I haven't heard of any of these completely freak misfires since they started installing filters. However, this is yet another good reason not to take a cellphone onto a jump-plane. _Am ICQ: 5578907 MSN Messenger: andrewdmetcalfe at hotmail dot com Yahoo IM: ametcalf_1999

I was about 10. That would make it almost 20 years ago. She did used to sing to me as a kid, but I don't think she was at all trying to be profesional yet. _Am ICQ: 5578907 MSN Messenger: andrewdmetcalfe at hotmail dot com Yahoo IM: ametcalf_1999

I spent a few of my favorite weeks up in Bretagne. It's simply great in the summer, but I don't know about this time of year. Indeed. Skip the Mona Lisa if I were you. They do have some architectural features that are pretty cool. The Louvre was built upon the remains of an old castle, and you can explore those. Very cool. Monmartre and Sacre Coeur are two of the most romantic spots in Paris, so make sure to bring or find someone to be romantic with. Are you refering to the caves running through Paris, the ones lined with bones? I forget what they were called... During the period of the french revolution, they ran out of cemetary space. They just started piling up bones of the dead in underground tunnels. Definately worth seeing. _Am ICQ: 5578907 MSN Messenger: andrewdmetcalfe at hotmail dot com Yahoo IM: ametcalf_1999

Kris, the old 386 I have lieing in a box in the corner blows away many of the older Cray's.... That's not saying much... Mac's are very good at being user friendly, but not geek friendly. Microsoft is alienating it's core followers by imitating the mac. That leave's linux. Anybdody who argues Mac vs. Microsoft is missing the point. That debate was settled years ago. _Am _Am ICQ: 5578907 MSN Messenger: andrewdmetcalfe at hotmail dot com Yahoo IM: ametcalf_1999

One degree to Norman Jewison. Norman directed: Dinner with friends, The Huricane, Other People's money, Moonstruck, Jesus Christ Superstar, Fiddler on the Roof, RollerBall (original), Thomas Crowne Affair (original), Plus a few others. I think he did West Side Story, too. 1 degree to John Candy. 1 degree to Glenn Goulde, a world rekonwn pianist. 2 degrees to Glenn Goulde. yes, I have two connections to Glenn. All of the above can be a attributed to my high-school alumni association. Yup, all went to Malvern Collegiate Institude in Toronto. 1 degree to Allanah Myles, singer of "Black Velvet". She used to babysit me. 1 degree to Neal Peart, of Rush. I grew up a block from where he lived. I was in countless waterfights with him as a kid. Yes, you can all touch me now. _Am ICQ: 5578907 MSN Messenger: andrewdmetcalfe at hotmail dot com Yahoo IM: ametcalf_1999

Be it known, by the end of this summer, I WILL BE A MONKEY. There. I said it. _Am ICQ: 5578907 MSN Messenger: andrewdmetcalfe at hotmail dot com Yahoo IM: ametcalf_1999