Baksteen

You're right. Cynical basterd that I am I sometimes surreptitiously time girls I just met casually (in the train or something) to see how long it takes for them to mention their boyfriend. Usually this is half an hour to an hour into the conversation. The most extreme example was a girl who didn't want someone nice to chat to so much as a friendly shoulder to cry on. Deary me - those were some disturbed stories.. "That formation-stuff in freefall is just fun and games but with an open parachute it's starting to sound like, you know, an extreme sport." ~mom

You have a battery operated penile prosthesis? "That formation-stuff in freefall is just fun and games but with an open parachute it's starting to sound like, you know, an extreme sport." ~mom

That would be bad publicity. Besides, all them craters in the landing area would be a hazard to the normal jumpers. "That formation-stuff in freefall is just fun and games but with an open parachute it's starting to sound like, you know, an extreme sport." ~mom

'He' did, what with having passed his B-licence theoretical examination last November and all that.

Dutch students up to their 25th jump have a wind restriction of 6 m/s (13 mph). After that, up to jump #200 they are allowed in the air with winds up to 9 m/s or 20 mph. Mind you, allowed. My comfort zone depends on the direction of the wind, gusts, possible outs downwind etc. I do not usually worry about drag, but if it happens I know what to do.

I have no interest in Mile high and I know noone from that DZ. However, donating $2 per jump ticket to charity strikes me as extremely clever PR. How many jumps are made at MH annually? Must be quite a substantial donation, which is an investment in public goodwill. "That formation-stuff in freefall is just fun and games but with an open parachute it's starting to sound like, you know, an extreme sport." ~mom

Please don't! I've yet to attempt landing on rears since I do not master my canopy enough yet, but even so I can say that landing with one toggle and one riser is a bad idea. A toggle flare is very different from a riser flare (I did practice up high). Correct me if I'm wrong, but I would be very afraid that were I to use one of each the "flarepower" on each side would be uneven, causing a dive at flare time. @CSpence: I know nothing of swooping, but would you really hook a canopy which is less than 100% functional? How'd you abort if you misjudged your hook? "That formation-stuff in freefall is just fun and games but with an open parachute it's starting to sound like, you know, an extreme sport." ~mom

Full faces didn't kill off kiss passes - one just needs to be a lying (SO)B nowadays. ---- It was to be the first time I exited as floater from a C182. Sabeth, a friend of mine, volunteered to Jumpmaster the load, and asked my fellow student and myself to accompany her. To my surprise, she wasn’t wearing her usual full face helmet, only some yellow goggles. Seeing my questioningly raised eyebrows, she explained that a full face limits communication, and seeing how this is the first time our pilot is flying skydivers she wants to take the surest way. I nodded, but didn’t understand why she wasn’t wearing an open student’s helmet instead, but since she’s got her C-licence I assumed that she knew what she was doing. The plan was that my fellow student was going to do a CP from 3500 feet. My lovely jumpmaster and I were to continue to 6000 feet to make a linked exit. Unfortunately, we couldn’t get any higher than six because of the (near) overcast at that altitude. The new pilot radioed to flight traffic control that he was going to fly two loads of skydivers, one to 3.5, and one to 6. He meant of course that he was going to fly one load with two different exit altitudes, but his instructor didn’t bother to correct him. “We’ll let him do that himself - during the ascent,” he told us with a grin. After my fellow student exited we all saw the clouds rapidly getting closer, and the two pilots doubted that we'd make it to six thousand feet. In the relative silence now that the wind was no longer howling into the small aircraft, Sabeth told me that we were going to do a linked exit even if we had to get out at 5000 or 4000 ft, but in that case I must pull after ten seconds, no matter what happened. I nodded, but prayed that we get at least 5000 ft. - I like a generous safety margin. I knew that I would definitely be alright, what with having to dump after ten seconds and all, but Sabeth still had to turn and track away. OK - she is an experienced skydiver, but still... Whoever was Up There apparently listened to my prayers, for at 5000 ft. the wings of the aircraft barely even brushed the cloud base. The door opened once more, and Sabeth looked outside to spot. On her cue, I climbed out onto the step and changed my left handhold from the handlebar to the left side of the doorframe. I remember thinking beforehand, 'Won’t the wind bother you then?' Now I found out the answer to my silent question which turned out to be: Yes. Quite. As I switched handholds, I nearly fell backwards off the step, and windmilled my left arm to regain stability. In doing so I felt my elbow bouncing off something, but when I looked at Sabeth in horror, she seemed to be intent on getting in position and didn’t react, so I concluded that I had hit the airplane somehow (Later she told me that I hit her so hard in the head that she was glad it was still attached, and how she was busy counting stars for a few seconds). I grabbed hold of the doorframe as planned and she took my grips and shook them to signal she was ready for exit. I cued ready-set-go, and we made a decent exit. Sabeth looked at me cross-eyed*, and I stuck out my tongue and shook my head. While doing so I noticed something “strange” in her body language, so I stopped and timidly looked at her. Was I doing something wrong? She came closer. A kiss-pass, I realised suddenly with a sharp intake of breath. I'd heard about them, but was a little hazy on the exact details so to speak. So I turned my cheek towards her to receive my kiss and when she stayed close I turned my head and closed my eyes to reciprocate only to open them again, wide with shock as I found myself kissing her smack on the lips! I froze and stared at her, but she was looking away, and already accelerating backwards and downwards. Then she looked up at me. I snapped out of it realising I had to pull, and did so. After I landed, I had a great deal of difficulty in getting my parachute under control – I was dragged several metres, and the instructor on duty had to help me getting the parachute finally to the ground, though he calmly waited with folded arms and some distance away until the cowpats had stopped flying. Timidly, I walked to the van, where Sabeth was talking to a fellow instructor. As I approached, I was just in time to hear her say “..and Dennis decently turns his cheek towards you, but I was like, I don’t think so!” Then, turning towards me, she asked “Did I startle you very badly? For I even had to signal you to pull.” I swear to god I never saw it in my relief that she was actually grinning up at me... I can be a little naive sometimes with things like this. *for fun. She doesn't normally, and neither had it anything to do with me hitting her. "That formation-stuff in freefall is just fun and games but with an open parachute it's starting to sound like, you know, an extreme sport." ~mom

Dude, you don't know how good you have it - 25 dollars would get you only to 6k in the netherlands. Expect to pay 25 euros to full altitude (that's 38 dollars to get to 12k) Feeling better now? "That formation-stuff in freefall is just fun and games but with an open parachute it's starting to sound like, you know, an extreme sport." ~mom

I can't speak for the OP, but I'd say there is a difference between being able to land safely and worrying that you might not get your canopy to the ground quick enough to avoid being dragged. "That formation-stuff in freefall is just fun and games but with an open parachute it's starting to sound like, you know, an extreme sport." ~mom

Wet pussy and giant melons.. yet still vaguely disappointing somehow. "That formation-stuff in freefall is just fun and games but with an open parachute it's starting to sound like, you know, an extreme sport." ~mom

:4:0 Two particularly interesting openings, neither on my own pack job (rental gear, gotta love it). It must have been due to bad karma - after my Friday hop I didn't have time to pack but instead had to rush off to other obligations. First: opened at 6 thinking to do some canopy control. I had some nice some nice line twists upon opening and kicked out of them only to find a tension knot in my left brake line; at least, I assume it was - after pumping the brakes the left line went slack when i let the brakes up. The canopy started turning, which i compensated by pulling the right brake to 80%. Fortunately, pumping twice more got rid of the problem. I was a loooong way away from the DZ, so i didn't particularly fancy having to go look for my main. Still, I managed a soft standup landing on the DZ after flying in rears continuously. So much for my planned canopy control excercises. Second: After a bit of freefall I opened at three, again into line twists. When i kicked out I discovered that I also had a riser twist but fortunately it was below the toggles so I could pop the brakes, determine that the canopy was landable and again have a nice stand 'er up getting not a small deal of quiet satisfaction out of the fact that I landed closer to the target than the two instructors on the same load. I was sweating there fr a minute though - the hard deck was approching fast after I got rid of the line twists.. "That formation-stuff in freefall is just fun and games but with an open parachute it's starting to sound like, you know, an extreme sport." ~mom

How about the person at our local store that impatiently waits for the cashier to check everything and THEN starts counting out the total in nickles and dimes with only the occasional 1 euro piece thrown in for good measure? Incidentally, this is the first time I see LisaH with an avatar that is not about cows. Have you lost your faith in the Bovine Supremacy? "That formation-stuff in freefall is just fun and games but with an open parachute it's starting to sound like, you know, an extreme sport." ~mom

I've noticed it too occasionally, with internet explorer 6.0. I've just been too lazy to report it. "That formation-stuff in freefall is just fun and games but with an open parachute it's starting to sound like, you know, an extreme sport." ~mom

I wouldn't say these skygods necessarily rule the sport, it's just that their (hah) "flamboyant" attitudes get them all the publicity - one way or another. "That formation-stuff in freefall is just fun and games but with an open parachute it's starting to sound like, you know, an extreme sport." ~mom

Ignorant question here, but if the jumper is dangerously reackless and will not improve their ways after being talked to at length etc. can't their jumping permit just be suspended or even revoked? ETA that I'm talking about serious infractions here. "That formation-stuff in freefall is just fun and games but with an open parachute it's starting to sound like, you know, an extreme sport." ~mom

It's a political conspiracy! But since it's the mods who are guilty, this thread will not be moved to SC? How unjust! "That formation-stuff in freefall is just fun and games but with an open parachute it's starting to sound like, you know, an extreme sport." ~mom

I have to respectfully disagree with you there, causing a slight drift from the main topic. Being good at freefall doesn't automatically mean they are ready for 'high' wingloadings / small canopies - especially now, in the Tunnel Era. Besides, 150 jumps mainly concentrating on FS-skills (I assume), pulling at three and parking until ready to enter the pattern. How much time/interest to develop the appropriate canopy skills is left? "That formation-stuff in freefall is just fun and games but with an open parachute it's starting to sound like, you know, an extreme sport." ~mom

Except the bit about wingloading I totally do not understand this sentence. What is a JVX, all sail, "new?" velocity, and RDS system? "That formation-stuff in freefall is just fun and games but with an open parachute it's starting to sound like, you know, an extreme sport." ~mom

I hate to say it, but you also might want to watch out that she (or the next person like her) doesn't lodge a complaint against you with your employer. Try to keep your temper.. "That formation-stuff in freefall is just fun and games but with an open parachute it's starting to sound like, you know, an extreme sport." ~mom

Soo.. as a newbie, how do you handle DGITs, except for never listening to their advice? I mean, if they refuse to listen to their instructors, why'd they listen to me? What can I say, except stuff to soothe my conscience with ("at least I told them so..") for when they bounce? "That formation-stuff in freefall is just fun and games but with an open parachute it's starting to sound like, you know, an extreme sport." ~mom

Apparently an irrational fear to catch the sheep pox. "That formation-stuff in freefall is just fun and games but with an open parachute it's starting to sound like, you know, an extreme sport." ~mom

Sounds stupid - but in combination with the thorough briefing at manifest, google maps worked like a charm for me. EDIT: Once in the door you can verify the direction of jumprun by choosing a landmark and turning towards that after opening. "That formation-stuff in freefall is just fun and games but with an open parachute it's starting to sound like, you know, an extreme sport." ~mom

Shouldn't think so.. It was only yesterday that a hot girl held the door for me. "That formation-stuff in freefall is just fun and games but with an open parachute it's starting to sound like, you know, an extreme sport." ~mom

Which one? Jenna or John? "That formation-stuff in freefall is just fun and games but with an open parachute it's starting to sound like, you know, an extreme sport." ~mom