Craig

[replyBut in any case, what a cypres cares about is a stable pressure, not neccesarily an accurate one. Being off by +/- 50 feet is not even observable; that's within the error band of the cypres' sensor. However, a rapidly changing pressure, such as what you get with a car's windows down, will cause it to not calibrate properly or at all. The ultimate example of this is to open a sunroof in a car but prevent that little 'wind deflector' from popping up. Often you'll feel a booming or a shuddering, which is the mass of air in the car resonating at a very low frequency. Depending on the design of the cypres and the frequency of resonation, this could keep you from turning the cypres on at all. Just to add o the +/- 50 feet. The manual states that, lets say you land off the DZ and walk or ride back. If you change an altitude of +/- 50 feet on the way back (side note 50 feet is not a whole lot, easlily attainable on the way back if you land just a mile or two off our DZ) you should cycle the units power. I suppose this could could also be the case if you stay at the DZ elevation but somehow trigger a pressure change above/below what they give as a "safe" zone. This could be induced in the ride across the DZ in a vehicle even if you are not actually driving up or down a hill (as stated in other replies). Likely not worth saving yourself a minute or two when you get back to the packing area.

I was thinking of going to the DZO and asking if they would be willing to give a discount if you "pre-pay" for a certain amount of jump tickets. Either buy X amount of tickets and get 1 or 2 dollars off each, or buy X amount of tickets and get X tickets free? I doubt it would be worth it to the DZ if your only willing to get 10 or 20 tickets but if your willing to commit to more than that?? Just wondering if any DZ's offer anything like this? I remember some jumpers on here talking about it along time ago but I think it was just a discussion that went off track and not a dedicated thread. Edit: Also cash payment would likely be important cause of the fees involved with credit cards.

AFAIK: a horseshoe is when any part of your chute is attached to you or your rig, someplace else than at your risers. Ie you got your bridle around your arm/leg, some lines got caught by your camera helmet, your pilotchute is still in its pouch but the main is already out, ... This may be a matter of semantics, but I don't think so -- what you are referring to is/was referred to by my instructors as an entanglement. We use the term horsehsoe to refer specifically to an out of sequence deployment, that is, the bag leaves the container with the pilot chute still stowed, just as Kevin states. As defined by the SIM: HORSESHOE: n. A partial parachute malfunction where part of the deployed parachute is entangled with the jumper or his or her equipment. I was taught that you have a horseshoe if any part of the main or reserve system is entangled on you other than where is is supposed to be attached. I am pretty sure the "Breakaway" video explains it with almost the same wording as Dragon used. In any case we all know that this is not a good situation to be in.

Heh, I get a chuckle everytime I open the thread and see this....I don't get it? We are talking about the WFFC aren't we?

Heh yeah, I think I have only seen 3 different colors of Tri's. Two of those being their stock colors

"Commander" has to do with the IR remote if it is the same as my PC-101. "Demo mode" is just a demo if there is no tape in the camcorder and you switch it to "camera" mode.

Just somthing to keep in mind with your poll. There is probibally more jumpers on the forums that have or do jump Stiletto's than Cobalts and this might reflect in your results, this is what I am guessing. There may also be poeple that have only jumped one of the two and will pick the one they jump. I have a Cobalt but have never jumped a stiletto so I could not tell you what is better, if either is. Sometimes it comes down to what the jumper wants out of the canopy.

I think there might me some info here: http://www.aerodyne-int.com

This worked good for my Tri but not to well for the Cobalt I have now. This was just tucking the "top" S-fold into these, not the whole "rear" of the canopy. There is somthing different about the tapes and the Cobalt will fill the back corners of the bag better without doing the envelope thing. Just FYI it worked nicely on an original Sabre 150 I have packed several times. It just might work better for particular canopies and possibly that is why some people are having a hard time??

Dude, I already broke that canopy in for ya too! Just remember, keep positive control of the canopy. If you take your hand off it, put somthing in its place...knee, elbow, head, you get the idea. Just for reference I have my back to the container. Once I get a canopy "S" folded up and ready for the bag I stick my knee on it gently to keep it from coming apart. ( I use my right knee) I get the bag ready and place the grommets on the bag right at the canopy. Now I move my knee to the right a bit and put my right hand on the front left edge of the canopy and grab the left corner of the d-bag flap and lift the canopy just enough to slip the corner of the bag under the canopy and work it towards the back of the bag. Now you have half of it in the bag. Put the bag over the canopy, not the canopy in the bag. Repeat with the other side of the d-bag flap. It is just a matter of pulling the bag around the canopy, not moving the canopy to put it in the bag. You'll get it, just keep practicing. Everyone usually finds their own little tricks to make things easier.

Just to add a little more discussion to the cutaway systems. I am gonna set up my strap to helmet connection like Phree above (just to add we jump at the same DZ and I have seen the system first hand and is slick and simple). The problem I run into on my bonehead is the audible pocket is closer to where the strap is connected so I really don't have room for he cutaway handle there so I came up with another idea for the handle placement. The pic pretty much illustrates what is going on. Just to add the helmet could still be released by the ratchet if so desired on the cutaway side just to be safe, you would just be pulling the pin out as well. Just wondering what everyone thinks? As a side note I don't have a d-box attached yet...

Problem more often than not so it seems is they think this "cartridge thingy" applies to anyone who has an AAD in their rig. Either that or it is an "explosive" device.

They left out four dropzones in my state (Ohio) including my home DZ. Hmm?

I thought some might take interest to this web site. I know the Terraserver site (pretty cool as well) has been talked about here before, and I just found this one so I thought I would share. http://earth.jsc.nasa.gov/index.html

25 a week from tommorow

On a good weekend I usually get in anywhere between 5 to 10 jumps. From December till the end of March jumping gets sporatic cause of the weather up here in the midwest so currency can get hard to come by (although this depends on what and individual considers current). Right now I feel pretty un-current since I have not been able to make a jump since the end of November. When I am jumping on a week to week basis I don't feel a sense of complacency. I do a complete gear check before every jump and go through my procedures as well. I am also aware that on any particular jump I could end up with a mal. I like to think that if there is any doubt that my abilities are not up for a certain dive and safety is compromised I will step down. A few people, (non skydivers) have commented that they feel I think too much into a situation. As far as my take on currency, anythink over about 3 weeks and I feel "out of the loop" so to speak. I agree with Wendy about the "background" thinking when you are current. When I an going to make a jump after being on the ground for more than several weeks I often feel more nervous than usual. I don't think I feel this way because I was getting complacent before, but because I am not "current" by my standards.

I really like my G3. I have yet to see a G4 at the DZ. Just from seeing pics in ads and such of the G4 I think I like the G3 better, but pics sometimes don't do justice. On a side note I was just over there browsing and came across this link in the nav bar http://www.miragesys.com/RTS.html

I have never came across anything saying what the capailities of the shuttle are in terms of space travel. We launch, hang around orbiting Earth, and come back...we program demonstrated this many times. What I want to know is the shuttle capable of? I have heard a good while back the we don't even use the shuttle for half of what it is capable of.

If there's nobody there when you call or email, it's kind of hard for them to answer isn't it? Or should they be working 24/7? Damn, having a bad day?

Agreed! I know what is involved in tooling changes and I agree there is not a huge market for these boxes. A different box for each camera model would not be required, they have made boxes that fit several cameras nicely in one box. This would be a good idea, and there are some that are stepping up to the challenge.

I think they look like crap. I have heard ALOT of comments about their new design not being visually pleasing. I'm going to turn my trusty "pimp daddy" into a camera helmet but this means that I will have to find another helmet for the times I don't want to jump a camera, sorry Bonehead On a side note, and not to say I don't like BH products cause I do think they are well made and dependable, but it seems they are straying away from what the customers seem to want? I remember when they changed to the external audible pocket and hearing alot of rants about it (I think the reason they gave for the change was extra expense). Then they started with their "one size fits none, well maybe one" D-Box, which I have heard alot of people bumming about. Now we got a new total redesign of the Mindwarp with the internal audible pocket back. Again, not bashing BH but just some things I have noticed.

Yeah, but this is providing they can make it to terra firma for somthing resembling a landing. Problem during inital stages of ascent over Atlantic where they could not make it to land if a problem came up. In any event yes, I think the escape system may be of comfort those who think that the crew would actually use it.

Gotta agree. I have felt as if I was getting a bit more irritated about random stuff that usually is no bother to myself. Weather has been too screwy to make a jump since November to boot.

Dude, that is what I am talking about. I was sitting here earlier trying to think of my fav. and the A-10 totally slipped my mind...a flying tank! Gotta love those turbofans on that thing too.

It can actually only be used during glide, either during re-entry or after seperating SRB's and leveling off for glide. To add: The pole extends out and curves down. The crew would clip on to the boom with a short tether which starts inside the orbiter and push themselves out the hatch opening. The pole is somewhere around 8 feet long and when the come to the end their attachment slides off the end and they end up traveling under the wing. I could see where it may be useful in some situations but during ascent with the "fires" buring I would say your SOL for more reasons than one...