danornan

I tend to agree with John and the others that feel that making a night jump a requirement of the D license is wrong and not necessary. Very few people have to jump at night. It is generally an option. I have made several and enjoyed the majority of them, but that does not make me a believer that the requirement is necessary. Think about everything that can go wrong on a jump and then imagine it at night. A simple malfunction becomes much worse. A cutaway at night can be horrible. Forcing the requirement for a D license is putting a skydiver in an unnecessary and a dangerous position for a situation that may never occur. I am in agreement with the other requirements for a D license, just not this one. Dano

Slowing down is fine if you are all alone or on a 4-way, but the example is a large formation with waves of skydivers behind you, and maybe some of them are following the initial plan! Dano

Jeff, I agree with your plan, as it's mine too. The only problem with it is that many others, including those who have responded is that it isn't their plan. THAT is the problem. Lots of plans and not following the initial plan, in my opinion. NOW, where do we go...... Maybe have something in the training manual? Sort of like an unexpected water landing. It wasn't planned, but it happened. My fear in a cloud is lots of plans and a lot of unexpected things happening. Dano

So....... We get back to, do you follow the plan or do you do something different? There was a break-off plan before the jump and the only difference was, entering a cloud, that was necessary because it was in your radial away from the formation. Entering a cloud should not be done, but in a large formation, you might not have a choice. The question still remains, What do you do? Dano

Tony, I liked the cartoon... In the above situation, you are there and have to make a decision. It is too late to say you won't jump. The cloud surprised you and now you must act. Dano

PM Sent..... Dano

Let me present a theoretical situation: The plan is for the first wave of a big-way to leave the formation at 6,500 and track until you are under canopy at 4,000. After leaving the formation, at 6,000 feet you enter a cloud. You think that the base of the cloud is around 4,000 feet. Others might be coming behind you and if you follow the plan, you will be opening in a cloud. NOW - What do YOU do? Follow the plan or make up your own plan? Dano

This was posted in an incident report without a response. I have re-posted it in hopes that it will generate a positive discussion. "One more thing to consider is what you should do when you enter a cloud, either tracking or under canopy. I don't think that happened in this incident, but I think that it is important to discuss what EVERYONE is going to do if it accidentally happens. My guess is that there are different approaches and unless we all do the same thing, there is another opportunity for an accident at brake-off. " I have asked others what they would do and the responses are varied and if followed could easily be responsible for an accident. What do you do when you enter a cloud? What SHOULD you do? Is it every agreed upon before a skydive? Dano

Though this video kinda makes me appreciate the fact that i dont use an RSL, a clean break away gives you a better chance to be stable while deploying your reserve( i realize this does not apply to every jumper).....http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V7MoXNkToxA If you are a regular skydiver, this thought process is not going with the odds. Having an RSL is many times safer than not having one. You are using an exception for your rule! Same as watching TV and thinking that it is real life. Maybe 1%. For some, the choice of not using an RSL is based not on the overall you're better off with an RSL odds. It is based on the willingness to accept a mistake of my own that might kill me (not pulling my own reserve soon enough), and unwillingness to accept that this particular backup mechanism might do me in. I think the guy with the big beard seems to agree, in that he has at least implied (if not said explicitly) strongly that a normal RSL is not acceptable to him, that he would not jump it. Al least it was OK until he came up with an alternative, the sky-hook. Dano

Though this video kinda makes me appreciate the fact that i dont use an RSL, a clean break away gives you a better chance to be stable while deploying your reserve( i realize this does not apply to every jumper).....http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V7MoXNkToxA If you are a regular skydiver, this thought process is not going with the odds. Having an RSL is many times safer than not having one. You are using an exception for your rule! Same as watching TV and thinking that it is real life. Maybe 1%. Dano

After you get the opener, get a Flash2Pass remote. I installed on on my motorcycle and just hit the high beam to open or close the door. Don't have to fool with a remote control. You can uses multiple vehicles. Dano

Not always, but definitely when I'm away from my home DZ. It came in quite handy after an accident in Texas a few months ago when a skydiver got hurt and I happened to land near him. We were at least a 1/2 mile from the DZ on a big way and I did not know exactly where we were. Without the phone and the number of manifest, it would have been a much longer day! Also when away from your home DZ, keep a diagram of landmarks with you in case you land out. It happened to me. Dano

It seems to me that the people who are most comfortable practicing their religion or non-religion, whatever it might be, are the most silent and the one's who are least comfortable make the most noise. Not too many people in the world have been killed or shouted down in the name of atheism or being agnostic. I don't think the same can be said about most organized religions. Dano

At a small DZ in north Florida, my wife lost a diamond engagement ring on a Saturday. We looked all around, couldn't find it and them planned on renting a metal detector to bring back on Monday. Late that Sunday we got a call from the DZ that someone had found it by accident, just wandering around! For the record, I've never worn a wedding ring, I find rings uncomfortable, have been with the same woman since 1976, and don't pretend to not be married. My wife won't allow it! Dano

Dano

The whole aspect of the accident is so heartbreaking and senseless. A good man dies because someone is selfish, driving and texting and it will be written off as "oh well." One of these days the public will become serious about driving in the US and we will stop feeling that no one is responsible and yet everyone is to blame. We allow drinking and driving, we allow the use of a cell phone while driving and seem to place little value on human life at the expense of convenience. Too many innocent bystanders die so that many guilty can continue to evoke harm. There just doesn't seem to be logic in our actions. Dano

Here's a nut sack who believes that a god is using athletes to save as many people as possible before the "end time" arrives. http://www.bible-knowledge.com/athletes-glorifying-god/ I believe that many of these professional Christian athletes are God’s anointed ones being used by Him in these last days to reach as many people as He possibly can before it is too late. Do not deny these professional athletes the chance and opportunity to reach some of the lost that may not be able to be reached in any other way. You are dealing with eternal fate of a person’s soul and nothing is more important than that!cuckoocuckoocuckoo Yep! Pray for MY side..... Cause it's right! Dano

Kevin, Thanks for starting this - Maybe a few more people with think about it. Towerrat, I don't know who you are , but you need to lighten up... It is not a war and we need to get along. Life in general is too hard to have simple conflicts. As someone who loves to ride bikes and motorcycles I am really starting to get gun shy. I generally ride my bicycle about 100 miles a week on bike paths, beside the road and off road on trails and I'm really questioning the rides on the highway. I do it for fun and exercise and maybe it has just become too dangerous. Ride correctly with traffic and you cannot see traffic coming at you. Mirrors don't seem to work well. Ride against traffic and drivers don't expect you at side streets. Motorcycles are another whole issue. I just pretend that I am invisible. I was planning to go on my regular 33 mile bike ride today and have decided against it. Maybe I'll just do something safer and go skydiving! Dano

When I first heard the "banning" announcement, I thought about all of the so called political correctness that has been pushed on us for the past few years and then after a little more thought and research, I applaud what the college is doing. First of all, why play a national anthem before any game? What is the purpose? and for that matter, why a prayer? Pray to a god to help your team? Is prayer that insignificant? Is it really that big of a deal? Why not just start the game, because it is really is just a game and not a big deal. Dano

Question: If you really really needed an AAD and could make the decision as to when to buy it, what would you pay for it? Answer: You would give everything you have and go out and borrow more! Well, you can't buy it right before you need it so this is about as close as it will probably get..... and you don't have to borrow more. Dano

A close friend of mine (doesn't skydive, but rides a motorcycle and is very active) had both knees done at the same time and 3 months later, we spent the day at bike week, walking around for at least 8 hours. He was over weight and had he lost weight before the surgery, would have done even better. Be sure to get a surgeon who only does knees and lots. My friends Dr only does knees and did 200 last year. Rehab is critical to a good recovery. His walk is normal now. Before the surgery he walked like an old person. Dano

Maybe it would be too much, but I wonder if it maybe should automatically be posted at the top of each incident THREAD, and not just at the top of the FORUM. I rather doubt that the families of jumpers who visit this site and read the incident threads do a whole lot of background gathering before they delve into the thread about their loved one. So, would it be impossible to prepend that post to the beginning of every new thread when it is created? (I suppose this post should maybe be in the "Suggestions" forum, but I think I'd like to see it read more widely. Thanks!) -paul Thanks Paul - I suggested that and I agree! I don't think that the families of an incident victim will be reading all of the intro threads, but they do read the first thread and all following. No reason to not do this. Dano

People seem to get real sensitive about money. Seems to work in a lot of fields like the military and the government. Most of what the people make is public. Not a big secret.... I worked for a fortune 500, actually Fortune 100 corporation for 20+ years and salaries and bonuses were not a secrete there either. Dano

Some of you are right and and you some are wrong, but it really doesn't matter at this point. The politicians have taken care of themselves and the rest of us will eventually have to fight over what is left over. The majority of VOTING Americans are getting their % of the 80,000,000 government checks that are sent out each month and they will continue to VOTE that their checks continue. Way too much momentum in the wrong direction when those who don't contribute, decide where the money goes. This will not stop until it breaks and you better have a reserve someplace till it is fixed. This train is going off of the track..... Dano

We got them behind my house on the river and we get real angry with people who feed um! As Mark said, it tends to take away their fear of people. Best to leave um alone cause they can move a whole lot faster then you! I'm surprised that the game officer didn't have a conversation with you. Dano