Gato

DOH!! I wasn't trying to do that! Sorry if it came across that way, Sartre - I was just spouting off. (This IS a soapbox in cyberspace, innit? ) T.I.N.S.

Go to war for purity? What? What a load of unrealistic, puritanical, hypocritical BULLSHIT!!!!! Are we also holding these "purity" events for the boys, as well? Somewhere along the line, there's going to be a crossed wire. The best way to ensure that your sons and daughters have the kind of happy, fulfilling lives you want them to have: Teach them self respect, teach them to respect other people, and teach them how to make well-informed decisions. How do you do that? By fucking example!!! By allowing that child to see a LOVING MOTHER AND FATHER WHO RESPECT EACH OTHER. People have been trying to figure out how to keep their kids from fucking for well over five thousand years - the purity ain't gonna happen, because we aren't pure. Life is wonderful, beautiful, and colorful - it's also full of disappointment, pain, and suffering. To teach a child (female OR male) that his or her body is a "precious gift to be given" is incorrect. This is why you can't leave it up to the rest of the world to teach your child about sex - the idea that something is being "given" implies that something is also being "taken." Would anyone like to take a crack at that dynamic? Edited to add: It also seems like a perfect way to ensure that one's daughter ALWAYS has a disproportionately unhealthy attachment to her father. T.I.N.S.

Easy, now Nutz - haven't we all been the WDI (wind dumbass indicator) at one time or another? For what it's worth, I agree that it doesn't matter what DZ it is we're talking about. A bad spot is a bad spot is a bad spot - is an opportunity to work on "getting back" skills, innit? T.I.N.S.

Did the exact same thing about 5 weeks ago. Luckily, it was a student main - but I DO feel your pain. T.I.N.S.

Hmmmm.....I assumed (my mistake, obviously) that "de fluff" implies NSFW. Cocheese, I don't think it's working. T.I.N.S.

OK, I'll play. Makes me wish I was in college again. Edited to add: Apparently, I need to put NSFW on this. De-fluff, indeed. T.I.N.S.

Bear in mind that I only have 40 jumps, but here are some things I've learned NOT to do: 1 - Eating eggs or baked beans before a day of jumping. Self-explanatory, yes? 2 - Exiting the aircraft with the load sheet still under your ring cover/mudflap. 3 - Being the only person who never shows up with courtesy beer, even if you don't owe it. 4 - Showing up at 3pm and expecting to jump right away while you're a student. 5 - Giving advise you're not qualified to give, particularly to students. 6 - BIG ONE: Not owning up to your mistakes. This one will get you a BAAAD rep. 7 - Making fun of someone else's landing, or trying to hand out nicknames, when you only have 5 jumps. (That last one is directed mostly at one smartass student at my home DZ. I can't WAIT until he has to make the proverbial parahike!) Mind you, I haven't made all these mistakes (Just 1, 2, and 4!), but I've been around the DZ for 2 years, and careful observation will teach you a lot. Have fun & be safe!

I have to agree, even though I'm a noob, myself. I'm 230 lbs. out the door as well, and I'm flying a PD230 "closet classic" - maybe 20 jumps on it. I could have gone with something smaller, but I'm realizing that, compared to what I was flying as a student, this parachute is "high performance." Don't let someone talk you into a main and reserve you aren't ready for - waiting for the right rig is a lot safer. Your body will thank you. Keep lookin'! T.I.N.S.

I actually thought about posting something about this - I was also very glad to see no incidents for the last week or so. Let's all hope this is a trend that continues. Stay safe, everybody!

Skydive Radio episodes 16 and 17 feature Bill Booth discussing this topic (among others) at length. Since he's the one who gave us the hand-deployed PC, there's a lot to be learned from listening to the man himself. (Not trying to kiss Booth-ass, I just found the discussion to be very interesting. ) Show #16: http://media.libsyn.com/media/skydiveradio/sr16_11_22_05s.mp3 Show #17:http://media.libsyn.com/media/skydiveradio/sr17_11_29_05s.mp3 T.I.N.S.

One thing that helped me a lot was to realize that, if I went to the DZ, the longer I sat around and thought about it, the less likely I was to jump. If you go out there in the early part of the day and there's an opportunity, jump - don't sit around wondering if you should. Make one jump, and you'll be ready to do another. The more you can do in one day, the better you'll feel about it. One more thing: Try to create your own personal relaxation/calming ritual. For me, loosening up before the gear-up, stretching, and breathing helped a lot. Also try asking yourself the following question: "What is happening right now - is there anything dangerous happening at this very moment?" Ask this often, from the moment you get into the car, if you have to, or at any point prior to the jump. You may be surprised at the answers! Best of luck to you!!! T.I.N.S.

I get it - I don't have mini risers, and my slider isn't collapsible (yet). I'm fairly certain I won't be pulling it down below the connector links, anyway - I've got small rapide links. Ya learn somthin' new every day. T.I.N.S.

Shouldn't those two things be reversed in order? You obviously handled it well, but unstowing your brakes is far more important than stowing the slider, isn't it? This is the kind of thing I'm kind-of concerned about - where I get caught up doing things that don't matter as much as having a good canopy over my head. I was taught to ALWAYS unstow the brakes first thing (unless you have to steer away from traffic on opening). Glad you're ok! T.I.N.S.

Take a deep, deep breath. It's going to be ok. We all have screwed up, made mistakes, and done bad things - and we ALL have to own our moments. You've got some intense factors potentially at work in your life right now, and this is the time when you need to be taking your time making some better decisions. Skymama tells it like it is, and if she cared enough to comment on this, you should care enough to listen. If you absolutely must drive fast, do it in a safer environment - you can bet your ass that very few skydivers have tolerance for anyone who consistently disregards safety. Having said all that, I hope it goes well for you this week. Your life won't be over if you go to jail, unless you decide it is. T.I.N.S.

I jump an original Talon from 1990, size D13 - though it has been updated. Not exactly freefly friendly, but it's solid and it does the job quite well. I like it - it didn't cost me an arm and a leg, and the harness is surprisingly comfy - under canopy. T.I.N.S.

People forget that it's the VAPORS from gasoline that make it explosive, and those vapors can and do settle and travel across the ground for a good distance. Here's another example of idiots in action: http://www.Break.com/index/fire-in-the-hole.html Vapors, vapors, vapors, people! T.I.N.S.

I was thinking of ordering a Benny - do you use one? If so, do you have a picture of yours, and how do you like it? T.I.N.S.

My upper wisdom teeth came out about 3 years ago, and prior to the procedure, I was on Vicadin for the pain for 3 weeks straight. That was probably the darkest time in my life - I got so depressed, I still don't like to think about that period. I thought the pain would never end, waking up in tears night after night. Jesus, sorry I'm digressing so much. It was my impacted wisdom teeth that I waited too long to have out that still cause problems for the teeth they damaged. Shit. T.I.N.S.

I went in for a root canal yesterday, and my dentist (badass dentist - he's got 3 static line jumps!) couldn't complete the procedure because of the curvature of one of the roots. So tomorrow, I see an endodontist to have it finished. It didn't hurt before the procedure yesterday, but my halfway-done tooth is packed with medication, a cotton pellet, and some temporary (deteriorating) calcium paste, and it's an achey fucker. So I'm off work right now, and I'm taking Hydrocodone for the pain. I have to say it's some pretty good shit. I'm a little out of it right now, but strangely kind-of "up" if you know what I mean. Since I'm also taking Clindamyacin to fight off any infection, I can't have any alcohol, so having a cocktail is out. I'm by myself with nothing to do - I need to just walk away from my laptop. Twisty-bendy, Gato T.I.N.S.

I'm a teacher, also (music). In the beginning of my student progression, there were only about 3 instructors that I was completely comfortable with - until I realized that my performance in the air had more to do with my attitude and preparedness than whether I was comfortable with a particular teaching style. It's a simple fact that, as a teacher, I will spend more time with students who show a genuine interest in improving, even if they are very slow to learn. The cocky ones who are decent players, but do not feel the need to practice, do not get so much of my time and attention - they mostly behave as though they don't need me, or that what I'm trying to teach them is useless drivel. I still encourage them, and I'm never belittling, but I do use what I call "gentle mockery" to get their attention, sometimes. I suspect skydiving instructors are on the lookout for attitudes before anything else. I know for a fact that becoming a teacher has made me a better student, which has ended up making me a better teacher. T.I.N.S.

Yeah, what they said. Check out Square 1's website; they have their own "Brand X" Protec-style helmet for around 30 bucks. Good looking colors (Red, Royal, or Black, all very glossy), and very comfortable. T.I.N.S.

I don't know if you're trying to make fun of me, or not, but that's the way it comes across. CLASS E Airspace The fifth airspace to discuss is Class E Airspace which is generally that airspace that is not Class A, B, C, or D. Class E airspace extends upward from either the surface or a designated altitude to the overlying or adjacent controlled airspace. If an aircraft is flying on a Federal airway below 18,000 feet, it is in Class E airspace. Class E airspace is also the airspace used by aircraft transiting to and from the terminal or en route environment normally beginning at 14,500 feet to 18,000 feet. Class E airspace ensures IFR aircraft remain in controlled airspace when approaching aircraft without Class D airspace or when flying on "Victor airways" -- federal airways that are below 18,000 feet. NOTE: VFR aircraft can fly up to 17,500 feet IF they can maintain VFR weather clearance criteria (and the aircraft is equipped to fly at 17,500 feet). Perhaps you can elaborate on how this relates to the point you were trying to make. T.I.N.S.

Caution: Noob approaching. Just my noob experience, but I found that my chances of getting on a load increased significantly the more hours I spent at the DZ. It shows a level of dedication greater than those who always showed up in the middle of the day and were only willing to stay an hour or two. I know your friend's jump was scheduled, but it's entirely possible that he could have jumped earlier in the day, before promises were made to the walk-in tandems. I'm not trying to make excuses for the DZ, but skydiving sometimes reminds me of some martial arts classes I've taken - some of which started at 5:15 am, some at 10:00 pm. At least part of the reasoning behind that type of thing is to see who's really dedicated to the process. Or not. T.I.N.S.

At a SL dropzone, you might not pay that much - you'd might have to do a hop & pop, then jump once with a coach to verify your skills. This is what I've seen happen at my DZ a few times. T.I.N.S.

We could have had this happen on my first jump of the day this last sunday. Right after the tandem left, a small plane flew through the airport's airspace, and wouldn't respond to our pilot. He flew across our jumprun three times before turning back southwest and flying away. We are lucky that our pilot that day (Robert) is so head's up - he's also a tandem instructor, and one of the best skydivers around. I usually have my eyes outside looking for shit like that, but I didn't think about it after the tandem went out - I assumed everything was ok. You can bet your ass I'll be watching like a hawk from now on. Although this wasn't a near-miss, and probably wouldn't have been (the other plane was at about 2 grand and we were at 9.5), I think I got a very inexpensive and valuable lesson. We're 8 miles away from any major aircraft traffic, so we don't get many planes flying through. To be fair, most do respond to the radio warnings, but I can't understand why any pilot wouldn't communicate - this wasn't an antique plane, by the way. It looked a lot like a Piper Comanche from my view, or some other low-wing plane. T.I.N.S.