Gato

Cool.

You'd most likely get a discount on your jumps for being an employee. I've been where you are - don't give up, and don't just resign yourself to the idea that it will take a very very long time. The important thing is to jump when you can, and look at each jump as a SKYDIVE whether you're on student status or not. Every jump counts. I recommend you find a Static Line DZ to jump at - jumps aren't as expensive, and you'll get some great canopy experience. Nothing wrong with AFF, but I know quite a few people who wouldn't be skydivers if they'd had to pay AFF prices, including me. It will happen for you if you want it badly enough - try not to let yourself become a victim to your finances. Spend time at a DZ, even if you can't jump; it'll keep your head in it. Packing isn't a bad idea, if you know how, and are good at it - 2 parachutes per hour = $10. There's your over minimum wage pay. Good luck - keep the faith. T.I.N.S.

Tommy Dolphin cured his arthritis by drinking rainwater from a wolverine’s footprint. T.I.N.S.

Doh!! Sorry, Gnome!!! I wasn't directing that specifically at you - just the whole damn thread! I need to watch my mouth sometimes, or at least where it's pointed. T.I.N.S.

This all was addressed (with the video) in a 14-page thread Marko put up a few months ago - the discussion, then, was about him flying a 135. http://www.dropzone.com/cgi-bin/forum/gforum.cgi?post=3119923;search_string=markovwgti;#3119923 By the way, kudos to you, Marko, for upsizing to a Safire2 149!!! T.I.N.S.

I shouldn't be commenting on this, but I can't help myself. I should mention that I have bags of respect for Brian Germain, despite what I'm going to say. None of this is meant to be advice, just my dumb-ass noob rant. Grain of salt, an' that. Simple economics are missing from this discussion. We must remember that Brian Germain, who I know is a rigger, has chopped a LOT, and probably had good reasons to try and negate his repack costs - if you're testing prototype sub-100 square foot mains, you will undoubtedly chop a lot, which would also mean your reserve is wearing out faster than normal, and on and on and on..... Here are the only economics we, as noobs, need to be concerned with - and NOT during a jump: Reserve repack: $50 - $65 Trip in an ambulance: $1500 - $2000, maybe more. Emergency room and hospital costs: Who fucking knows? Cost of burial: $5000 - $15000, maybe more if I was popular. If I can't kick out, I'm chopping and pulling silver. Even in a calm state (Which is difficult to achieve on deployment, even if you're BG) there's no time for me to analyze the logic of whether I should be kicking out of the twist or pulling down a possibly locked-up toggle. If kicking out is the default maneuver, and it didn't work, how the hell would you have time (or awareness) to know which toggle to pull? By then, I will have burned off too much altitude to cut away - not acceptable. It's a fascinating technique, but I'm pulling fucking red and silver. T.I.N.S.

Thanks! I am familiar with the pre-stall characteristics of this particular parachute, as I've flown it many times in deep brakes. It just seemed to go into that behavior sooner than normal, and I'm assuming the pilot chute was responsible. Take it easy, and thanks for the vote of confidence, everybody!! Head on a swivel, head on a swivel, head on a swivel! T.I.N.S.

Don't worry about it - try it on when you get it, and if you don't like it, you can always return it. Square One is really good about that kind of thing. Oh, and it won't take that long for you to get the helmet - I didn't have to wait more than a week. Best of luck.

Pro pack a spring-loaded pilot chute? Ok, I'll try it next weekend.....(runs away, crying) T.I.N.S.

I bought mine from Square 1 on their eBay store, and got it for $89. I've used it on the last 20 jumps and I like it, for the most part. It's a shitload quieter than my Protec-style helmet (Sq. 1 Brand X, $28 on eBay!), and it's cool to be able to pull your goggles up onto your forehead after opening. I like doing that rather than pulling my goggle straps down over my ears - ouch, twice. Having said that, I think it could use a bit of refinement: the neoprene panel over the forehead needs to be higher on the forehead - there's just too much material there, if you ask me. It takes on perspiration and doesn't dry fast enough, IMHO. I do know that my Aviator saved my left ear on my 13th jump - I'd much rather lose some helmet finish than some skin, you know? All in all, its served me well so far. T.I.N.S.

It is a little-known fact that the curved closing pin we use today was actually developed by Tommy Dolphin in the latter half of the 1700s. Its original design was intended as a chastity device he used to keep his harem in line. I'll let you figure out how it was used. T.I.N.S.

I made 3 jumps on saturday, and the last jump of the day was a diving exit (nailed) and back loops (also nailed). I gave my 5-5 signal to my instructor, waved off at 4500' and pulled at 4000'. (Incidentally, the equipment I'm using on student jumps is a PD 300 with a ripcord and spring-loaded PC, in a Javelin container.) The opening was normal, as per se, but as the main was opening, the pilot chute dropped below the tail and the bridle wrapped itself once around one of my center D lines. I looked at my alti, and I was at 3200', plenty of time to deal with stuff. I unstowed the brakes, and did a controllability check, including a practice flare. There was minimal distortion (a slight kink) in the trailing edge, but it was flying straight and level. I did 3 more practice flares into the wind just to be sure, and was satisfied that I had a land-able main by 2500', well above my hard deck of 1800'. I DID NOTICE, however, that if I went to deep brakes and held it there, it felt a bit unstable, like the canopy was breathing heavy or something. Felt a bit like mild turbulence. This, of course, was not a malfunction or incident, but it was the first time that I thought I might have to cut away - which I was ready to do if necessary; EPs are some of the things I have the most confidence in. I know that in such situations, the word "might" doesn't fly - I don't want to try to land something I "think" will land OK. One of the things that came back to me from my first jump course (thanks, Crash!!!) was that if you find yourself in a situation like mine, where everything appears to be working well, you should avoid making any radical turns or maneuvers. My ride back to the DZ was uneventful, and the approach and landing went very well, although I kept an eye on my strange-looking tail/pilot chute combo. I'm not sure what I would have done if I'd had a hook knife - I'd like to think I would have done the same thing, but who knows? Is this a relatively common thing? I know a collapsible PC would make it less likely to be an issue, but I wonder if anyone has had this situation turn into a malfunction. Thanks for reading, y'all! T.I.N.S.

If you owe Tommy Dolphin your life, you may be able to pay the debt with beer, but you should expect to pay with blood. I'm one of the lucky ones - a case of beer and a quart of blood. I spent the weekend learning the finer points of his black art, and I can tell you, when you hear his voice over the radio, you will pee a little. "The bottom is always big, the bottom is always big, the bottom is always big. And while you're wrapping your mind around that, remember that the bottom is always big." T.I.N.S.

Hey, as long as I don't have to do any wet-sanding or use any polishing compound, it should be okay. I can't imagine removing one of those things being a pleasant experience. T.I.N.S.

A few of my favorite days: The day I married my wife. The day I played guitar in front of 22,000 people. The day of my first Clear & Pull, when John Bailey wrote this in my logbook: "You are now a real skydiver - Congrats!" T.I.N.S.

I'm about to get my license, and I came through the SL course at MRVS. I am soooooo glad I chose to stick with it and get through. There are so many little milestones, and the sense of accomplishment I've gotten has made it all worth it. No one really ever says it, but I think the SL method might be a little more difficult than others, and what one has to go through in order to join the ranks of actual skydivers might just make for a more heads-up flier. I'm not bashing other methods, here - it's a known fact that you appreciate things a bit more when you have to work a little harder for them. Also, the fact that you are ALWAYS jumping solo, with no one attached to you or hanging on, puts responsibility for your well-being squarely on your shoulders - it's up to me to make sure my skydive goes well. No one else. Just a noob spouting off, but I'm not afraid to get out low. T.I.N.S.

His actual past is shrouded in mystery - we do not speak of it. I do know that Chuck Norris would never mess with him, though. T.I.N.S.

Doesn't Bill Booth offer belly bands on the Vector III? I know he's been an advocate of them for a while, now. They used to be standard on the old B4s, weren't they? IIRC, he's under the impression that, to most of us, belly bands are not cool, and we wouldn't use them. I'm not opposed to the idea, although I don't think my fat ass will ever fall out of a standard harness. T.I.N.S.

So you know you're on the wrong path - that's good. Very good. The first step in solving a problem is admitting its existence. Since you're a motorcycle dude as well, let me throw a question at you: Your best friend/cousin/brother comes to you at age 16 and says he's ready to buy his very first bike, and since his dad will buy him anything he wants, he's decided to go for a GSX-R 1000. What do you do? He's bound and determined to get that ride, and it seems he can't be talked out of it. What do you tell him? What advice AS AN EXPERIENCED RIDER would you give? Longevity and consequences are rarely part of the thought processes of the average 22 year-old male. I suggest you embrace these concepts now, while you have a chance to do so. PLEASE, stay safe. T.I.N.S.

This past weekend I did my 3rd and 4th full-altitude jumps (from a C-182 at 9500') and attempted poised exits on both. Although I get stable fairly quickly, and the rest of the jump goes well, I swim like a freak off the step. On my last 20-second delay, I had a perfect exit, beautiful and relaxed, hanging off the strut. I'd been wishing for poised exits since day one, because hanging seemed so scary at first, so it really stings that I'm boning these exits (4 so far.) Before anyone screams, "RELAX!!!" - I know that's the standard reply, and I'm doing my best to make that happen. The problem, I feel, is also connected to something I'm really unsure of: the actual physical motion for a correct poised exit. By that, I mean, does one hop off to the side, step backward, or just let go of the strut? I tried looking for the answer in a search, but I didn't see this question answered outside of, "Watch the plane fly away," or, "Relax and you'll get it." So help me out, here - how does a person make a textbook poised exit, and what exactly gets your foot off the step? T.I.N.S.

I'm going to share your story at my home DZ tomorrow - it's a great reminder of how things can go when we get into a rush. Really glad you're in one piece, Jeth! I hope you heal up fast, and can get back to it soon! Gato T.I.N.S.

"I was boooorn to rub you I was boooorn to lick your face, I was boooorn to rub you - But you were born to rub me first. Why don't we go out into the patio room?" - Ty sings and woos. _______________________ "My father...never liked you." - Ty, again. _______________________ "You're very attractive, for a beautiful girl with a great body." - Ty _______________________ "DOUBLE FARTS!!!!" - Spalding _______________________ "Hey, you buy a hat like this, and you get a free bowl of soup." T.I.N.S.

Maybe this is just the way I look at it, but every time I go up now, I jump with the assumption that the AAD is likely to fail. I know it probably won't, but this puts responsibility for survival squarely on my shoulders - and that gives me confidence. I can trust myself to get a parachute over my head. Of course, this is assuming I didn't get knocked out on exit. Good thing to remember! You can end the skydive at any time of your choosing, whether it's going poorly or not. It's your skydive. The fear does subside. Take lots of deep breaths, and smile a lot! T.I.N.S.

Wowsers!! She's cougarific! And seemingly buoyant, I'm guessing. T.I.N.S.

Do you have a link to a similar billboard? You may have noticed in my OP that I referred to "Republican Song", not Republicans in general. I understand no party is better than another - I'm just of the opinion that there are certain lines we shouldn't cross. T.I.N.S.