AndyMan

Guys? There's thing thing? It's called email? It's cool because you don't have to bore the sh#t out of us with banal stuff like this... :) _Am ICQ: 5578907 MSN Messenger: andrewdmetcalfe at hotmail dot com Yahoo IM: ametcalf_1999

I'm just glad it's close to home. I'm surprised to see the lack of annoucement regarding airport improvements, like showers. Although I imagei this might be due to town politics, etc. _Am ICQ: 5578907 MSN Messenger: andrewdmetcalfe at hotmail dot com Yahoo IM: ametcalf_1999

What kelly just posted, to me is ridiculous overkill. I've not going to sit by manifest on a perfectly good saturday and watching people jump all day. If that makes me irresponsible, so be it. My mother says it's it's irresponsible to jump out of airplanes. Now I don't want to sound like I've got a deathwish, and I don't want to sound like I don't take safety seriously. I do. But this is just stupid. I've jumped at a lot of different DZ's in my relatively short history. I don't pretend to be a guru of any sorts in this sport, but I think I do know enough to keep me safe. Here's my list: Landing pattern. Left hand is standard. Known areas of turbulence. (often obvious, but I still ask.) Known hazards (ditto) Good outs. What are good alternatives? (show me a photo) Landing direction in no wind, if applicable. Exit order. Some of these, like exit order, I ask on the way to the plane. Now granted that I jump in the northern US, and that usually means there's lots of outs. I don't think the above list is too short. Others may disagree. Fact is, I'm here to have FUN. Me sitting on the ground being a safety nazi isn't fun. I didn't drive two hours to a dropzone on a weekend to watch people jump. If I wanted to do something completely safe I'd take up golfing. It's all about balance. I don't think I'm being irresponsible or dangerous either. _Am ICQ: 5578907 MSN Messenger: andrewdmetcalfe at hotmail dot com Yahoo IM: ametcalf_1999

Nah, he's harmless. A doofus, but harmless. _Am ICQ: 5578907 MSN Messenger: andrewdmetcalfe at hotmail dot com Yahoo IM: ametcalf_1999

When I want to do a serious side slide I will throw my entire body in it. I'll literally drop the entire one side of my body, elbow, shoulder, torso, hip, knee. I don't know if this is good form, but I use this technique on combat RW dives that're going bad. When I need to move sideways NOW, I'll do this. The danger with this technique is that it's not that different from the start of a barrel-roll. If you over-do it, you're on your back. I imagine there are other critisisms of this technique... A slower side slide that I use while turning points is just to rotate my torso Try and keep your hips and elbows stable, rotating your chest a few degrees off center. This is fine for all but the most extreme side slides. ICQ: 5578907 MSN Messenger: andrewdmetcalfe at hotmail dot com Yahoo IM: ametcalf_1999

Cool. Here's my friend Toby. http://bombshelter.ca/~andy/photos/FunGun/toby.jpg ICQ: 5578907 MSN Messenger: andrewdmetcalfe at hotmail dot com Yahoo IM: ametcalf_1999

I don't know about cutting away, but a nutzoid french guy actually landed a skyboard in France. There's video of it. He did it susccesfully once. Hit fucked it up on the second try. He didn't open a parachute. He simply "tracked" his skyboard onto a steep slope. At night. Landed. Tried it again. Missed. _Am ICQ: 5578907 MSN Messenger: andrewdmetcalfe at hotmail dot com Yahoo IM: ametcalf_1999

I'll throw my weight in here too. Doesn't work for me. ICQ: 5578907 MSN Messenger: andrewdmetcalfe at hotmail dot com Yahoo IM: ametcalf_1999

I have fish. Lots, and lots of fish. They really don't make for good company. But, they're low maintenance. I can leave for a two weeks and not need to hire sitters. They don't need walking. They don't need baths, and their aquariums get cleaned once every few monthes, weather it needs it or not. Food is cheap, and easy to carry. I have two aquariums. A 45 gallon monster is in my bedroom and filled with various varieties of goldfish. A smaller 25 gallon one is in my livingroom and contains assorted tropical varieties. If I ever become a .com millionaire, I'll add to my collection a killer salt-water aquarium. At some point in my life I will get a cat to eat the fish, and a dog to chase the cat. The dog's name will be George. _Am ICQ: 5578907 MSN Messenger: andrewdmetcalfe at hotmail dot com Yahoo IM: ametcalf_1999

When I asked this same question a few weeks ago, I was advised to avoid metal to metal attachments. So if you're using the metal rapide link on your bridal, you should attach to the fabric loop loop on the canopy. _Am ICQ: 5578907 MSN Messenger: andrewdmetcalfe at hotmail dot com Yahoo IM: ametcalf_1999

I think the rate at which it deploys just might have something to do with it. _Am ICQ: 5578907 MSN Messenger: andrewdmetcalfe at hotmail dot com Yahoo IM: ametcalf_1999

Funny, I've never bothered to see how fast I can go on my belly. I'm always trying to figure out how SLOW I can go, because going low sucks and I'm tired of always being base. I'll have to give it a shot next time I'm in shorts weather... _Am ICQ: 5578907 MSN Messenger: andrewdmetcalfe at hotmail dot com Yahoo IM: ametcalf_1999

Running your pullup under the pin is standard packing procedure no matter what your closing loop is made of. Even when you do this, the pullup still rubs against the steel of the pin generating heat. If you don't believe this, place your thumb on the closing pin and pull the pull-up quickly. No burns, but you should feel some heat. There is also still some contact between the closing loop and pull-up. _Am ICQ: 5578907 MSN Messenger: andrewdmetcalfe at hotmail dot com Yahoo IM: ametcalf_1999

Yup. Mine was at about 300 jumps. Instantly saw something was wrong. Look up, see lines going the wrong way, notice turn, test constrolability, chop. ICQ: 5578907 MSN Messenger: andrewdmetcalfe at hotmail dot com Yahoo IM: ametcalf_1999

The triathlon is easily compared to PD's spectre. It's a conservative seven cell that performs best at light loadings. It's a great first canopy for those who error on the side of safety. Triathlon jumpers will walk away from manuevers that put Sabre2 pilots in the hospital. Triathlons are almost always jumped at very light wingloadings

1) Pull the loop off the end of the bar. 2) run the bar through the closing loop on your rig. 3) put the loop back on the end of the bar. 4) close the rig 5) remove the loop from the end of the bar 6) remove the line from the closing loop. The biggest problem is that the loop that attaches to the bar can be very tight. This will loosen with age. _Am ICQ: 5578907 MSN Messenger: andrewdmetcalfe at hotmail dot com Yahoo IM: ametcalf_1999

0:0:102 No nookie, no jumps, one hell of a party. My boss gives me this invite to a party his brother in law throws every year in Indiana. I figure, what the hell, it can't be that bad. The single most interesting part of the night was discovering the girl I was hitting on was actually my bosses neice. The panick quickly dispersed when he was actually encouraging me to hit on her. Then it was just weird. There's a bunch of even more interesting stories that I'm NOT posting on the internet. Anyways, we drank until 4:00am, crashed on a sofa, managed to get home by noon the next day. This guys house was friggin huge. There must've been 35 of us at breakfast the next day. As far as I know I was the only guy that didn't crash on an actual bed. _Am ICQ: 5578907 MSN Messenger: andrewdmetcalfe at hotmail dot com Yahoo IM: ametcalf_1999

This is so true. DZ.com chicks rock. _Am ICQ: 5578907 MSN Messenger: andrewdmetcalfe at hotmail dot com Yahoo IM: ametcalf_1999

Funny. Here's mine: Congrats! In your life, you'll have sex with13 people! Including the 5 you've already had sex with, that makes 8 new lovers! The info on your 8 future sex partner(s): 8 of them will be female 0 of them will be male And you will actually love 3 of them! It is very likely that you are an excellent lover. I think "3" is way low, but I like the last conclusion! _Am ICQ: 5578907 MSN Messenger: andrewdmetcalfe at hotmail dot com Yahoo IM: ametcalf_1999

Damn. What I just posted it completely incorect. I just deleted my post. I was looking at last years SIM. Ignore everythign I just said. Things have *really* changed... _Am ICQ: 5578907 MSN Messenger: andrewdmetcalfe at hotmail dot com Yahoo IM: ametcalf_1999

Post deleted by AndyMan

20 meters - that's like 60 feet. 60 feet from a target is a circle with a diameter of 120 feet. That's HUGE. Are you sure you haven't been within 60 feet from your target yet? Most of the other requirements you should've done in your training program, like learning to pack and, 360 degree turns in freefall, etc. What else are you missing? _Am ICQ: 5578907 MSN Messenger: andrewdmetcalfe at hotmail dot com Yahoo IM: ametcalf_1999

Swooping is not for everyone. My mother tells me that skydiving is very dangerous without proper training and experience. My mother also tells me that life can be fun without it. She says I can be a great person without jumping out of planes. She is perfectly happy with her non-skydiving life, and wonders why I need to skydive. Now what makes what my mother said any different then what you just said? _Am ICQ: 5578907 MSN Messenger: andrewdmetcalfe at hotmail dot com Yahoo IM: ametcalf_1999

Skydive Chicagoland is having one May 17 - 18 _Am ICQ: 5578907 MSN Messenger: andrewdmetcalfe at hotmail dot com Yahoo IM: ametcalf_1999

Yeah. This game is going downhill quickly. It started off so well. Both teams playing beautifully. Cujo's doing his usual "under preasure" thing... _Am ICQ: 5578907 MSN Messenger: andrewdmetcalfe at hotmail dot com Yahoo IM: ametcalf_1999