millertimeunc

Don't try it. I saw someone break a femur doing that. The best things in life are dangerous.

Oh, sorry, I forgot my profile needs to say at least a D and 15 years to fly a wingsuit, because wingsuits are scary and dangerous! I'll get right on that. Honestly, let's focus on the message and not on my profile, please. My jump numbers are my own business. I assure you, jump numbers had nothing to do with my mistake, and everything to do with fatigue. Don't bother flaming me. I have way more than the requisite number, and got the proper training before flying. The best things in life are dangerous.

You have no business with a Stiletto at 25 jumps The best things in life are dangerous.

What kind of gear are you jumping? I did most of my student jumps on ragged out Mantas and Sharpchuters that opened the same way. I got used to thinking that all canopies caused bruises when they opened, and that was just part of skydiving. The first time I jumped a Spectre, I almost chopped the damn thing because I wasn't used to how slow it opened. The best things in life are dangerous.

Beer: it's what you owe now. So much beer. There will be much partying when you come home. The best things in life are dangerous.

Put the twinkies down and go for a bike ride, fatass. No wonder they're making YOU pay extra! The best things in life are dangerous.

Um...I'm not sure what you're getting at. I wasn't having gear issues, I was having human issues. The best things in life are dangerous.

Oh, there were a lot more cans than what you see in the picture! I was personally responsible for about 10% of the beer fort/castle! The best things in life are dangerous.

I ended up getting about 3 hours of sleep Friday night before heading to the DZ on Saturday. I knew I was tired, so I threw back a Monster energy drink, packed up my gear and headed down to the DZ. The caffeine should make up for the lack of sleep, right? Anyway, I got there and still didn't feel 100%, so I decided to do a hop'n'pop to help me wake up a little more. It went fine, so I packed up, threw on a wingsuit, and went up to full altitude to carve around some clouds that were forming. 3 minutes from jump run, I realized I had, in a daze, rigged the wings incorrectly. I was able to fix the problem just in time with the help of one of the other jumpers in the plane. I re-checked my gear. Leg straps: tight. Chest strap: tight. Handles: main, cutaway, and reserve all good. Ok time to fly! The flight was uneventful for about the first minute, but as I was flying around, something didn't feel quite right. Then I noticed a stinging just below my jawline on the left side of my face. Of course, I did remember to buckle my helmet before I jumped...right? I flew to clear airspace, and deployed a little bit high, but as I deployed, my risers knocked my helmet off and I watched $450 worth of gear go tumbling toward the Earth. I watched it fall for as long as I could to get an idea of where to look when I got to the ground, then I said a few choice words, got my shit together and landed. I spent long time looking for it after I got to the ground, but it was no use. Lessons learned: -Crew rest isn't just for pilots, so don't skydive if you know you're too tired. Caffeine doesn't make up for lack of sleep. -If you're tired enough to mis-rig a wingsuit and forget to secure your helmet, you're probably tired enough to forget something REALLY important. -Check and re-check your own gear and the gear of those around you. I'm in no way trying to put any blame on anyone on that load for not seeing that my chin strap was undone (the fault is clearly my own), but I know that I will be much more vigilant about checking myself as well as everyone in my sight next time I jump. There is a happy ending. After the last load yesterday, another jumper and I went out to search the area where I saw my gear go down. After about 2 hours, we found my helmet in a pine forest. It had landed softly on the forest floor which was about 1' thick with pine needles. My audible was lying about 6' away. Both are in great shape, and the audible still works.

Your wing loading is expressed in lb./sqft., that is pounds divided by the square footage of your canopy. I weigh 220 out the door, and I jump a 170. I load the 170 at 1.3 220/170=1.3 The best things in life are dangerous.

To the OP, please, please, please stop typing like you're writing a damn text message. The best things in life are dangerous.

Yeah, no wonder nothing is getting done on the issue. The prosecution is a drugged-out mentally insane former member of Pink Floyd. The best things in life are dangerous.

I came to Palatka for the first time in January. After having jumped there for several months and a couple times at a few other Florida DZ's, I can say I'm much happier jumping at Palatka than anywhere else. No matter what your discipline of choice, there is always someone to jump with. Facilities include HOT showers, camping areas, and plenty of dining options within a 5 minute drive. For those interested in flying instead of falling, there is also a growing wingsuit following at Palatka. Art definitely takes care of anyone jumping at his DZ, student or fun-jumper. Very safety-minded. The main landing area is a little tight, but there is a much larger landing area a short walk away. If you're a UF student and want to learn to skydive, coming to Palatka is a no-brainer as members of the UF skydive club get all sorts of benefits. Makes me wish I were back in college again...

Ummm, if they're playing pocket pool in front of you, chances are you don't want to start a conversation with them anyway . The best things in life are dangerous.

I just think of striking up a conversation with a new person as a game: can I make this person laugh, and if possible, then how much? It's like a puzzle each time, because the circumstances are always different. In my experience, if you can get people laughing, you can get them talking to you.

I'd say if you can find a different canopy, forget the classic, gti, or prodigy, and go straight to a phantom. Better performance than any of the other 3, easy enough for a beginner, and I actually found it easier to fly than the others with better range. YMMV, so make sure you get instruction. The best things in life are dangerous.

Cutaway- GO GO Reserve- GADGET RESERVE! I'm a big fan of Inspector Gadget The best things in life are dangerous.

I flew all 3 suits quite a bit before settling on the Phantom 2. I loved the Phantom 1 because it was idiot proof to fly. It felt like it was reading my mind, very easy to fly with great range. The Phantom 2 is everything the Phantom 1 was plus more. The air locked leg wing refuses to flap at all, and the suit is easy to fly in any position. I was getting high 40's in my Phantom 2 on command last weekend, and there's probably a little bit more performance to come. The Ghost was a great suit too, but for some reason I just couldn't get it to go as fast forward as my Phantom. The Ghost did seem to have a larger vertical speed range, though, which made it very easy to flock with. I'm the same size as you (6' 185) and my suggestion is to get a back-vented Phantom 2. I love mine! The best things in life are dangerous.

Student jumps: an assortment of Mantas, Navigators, Skymasters, and Sharpchuters from 240-290 square feet. 25-35: Spectre 230 36-150: Spectre 210 loaded 1:1, and an assortment of 190's and 170's 150-present: Nitron 170 loaded 1.26 I took 2 canopy control courses and demo'd a LOT of canopies before downsizing. The best things in life are dangerous.

Ok, so I discovered that my brand new suit has a built in left turn, and I was very disappointed. I was gonna call Morpheus, but then I thought "wait a minute, haven't I been uncurrent for about 2 months, and couldn't it be me, not the suit?" 5 jumps later, the left turn disappeared and I'm getting a 48 mph fall rate on demand. Gotta keep that currency up! The best things in life are dangerous.

Finally got the chance to upload some pix. Can't wait to fly it again. Any wingsuiters down in Z-Hills wanna fly this weekend? The best things in life are dangerous.

I put a few flights on it this weekend. Easy to flock with, great glide, tons of forward speed, and a few envious looks. I LOVE my new suit! The best things in life are dangerous.

Hah! Pics are coming, but I probably shouldn't wear it around work. I don't think the colonel would like that too much. The best things in life are dangerous.

My new Phantom 2 just arrived in the mail, and I feel like a kid on Christmas morning! I've been jumping off of chairs in the house yelling ca-caw! and I'm wearing it right now as I'm typing. I can't wait to fly it this weekend!!!

I jump a Nitron 170 loaded just a touch lighter than yours. I use it for wingsuiting, and I've got nothing but good things to say about it. Great openings on a few less-than-perfect pack jobs. In line twists, it plays nice until I kick out of them. It dives well, or it can hang with the tandems. I like having the option to get down last if the pattern is too congested. The best things in life are dangerous.