EDYDO

Can't you guys do anything about this weather? Ed

They usually aren't used in the same sentence. Nice body maybe. But I bet the engines need work for that price. I have a "bunch" of jumps out of that plane. We made one engine out jump two years ago. The problem took a minor repair. I was on the last load that it made at Raeford and it did great. I can't tell you about engine hours, but there is nothing wrong with the way she flies. Ed

Ya gotta read all of those label warnings, do the best you can, keep your eyes open and take your chances. Fortunately, it is a big sky or most of us would not be around. Ed

Yep!!! Have you ever watched Danny Page pack? If the lines are straight any pack job stands a good chance of opening. I have seen two bag locks caused by line stows getting over each other. I haven't had a mal in many years and I pack like crap. Ed

QuoteI have over 2000 jumps and know I turn with my feet, knees, hips, body, arms and shoulders (did I forget a part of my body?). The funny thing is: I don't know HOW i do it. This thread reminds me of the old story about the centipede being asked how he could coordinate moving all of those feet. He thought about it, analyzed it and then began tripping over his own feet. Ed

Just be sure and use double ear protection. I had an earplug fall out during my last trip and I lost a great deal of hearing out of that ear. Ed

It is hard to explain but this is how I turn in RW. I don't so much turn with my feet as I do with my knee and lower calf,foot & booties. I take my knee and turn it out and 'swing' it around in the direction I want to turn in (from the top down, clockwise is left knee, ccw is right knee). I also raise the other leg slightly. This has the effect of catching more air on my inner knee, and lower leg and deflecting it a bit sideways. The result is I turn in the direction my knee is pointing. My arms are in the mantis position which looks like (from the elbows to the hands) /''\. To turn I lower the arm on the same side as the knee. So a left turn (counter clockwise from the top) is right knee and right arm. My arms look like /' ,/ Both of them are deflecting air to the right, forcing my upper body to go left (ccw). To side slide I do the same thing but use the opposite arm. To slide left I point my left knee (point knee in the direction you want it to go) and lower my right arm. To slide right I point my right knee and lower my left arm. I practiced this in the Orlando tunnel for a pretty long time with the help of Boxman and the tunnel staff. It was very unstable at first and I found myself having to think 'hrrm, I want to turn left so that is right knee and right arm...' After a while it comes as second nature and just happens automatically. If you hold it for a couple seconds you can really get ripping. After you get the turning part down you can start working on stopping your turn where you give a left turn input to start it. Go to neutral and then a right turn input to stop it. Buy the Skydive U. video it has a great example of this type of turning. Believe it or not, I studied that in detail. I think I am going to have to get rid of the chewing gum before I do it that way. I started back jumping after a long lay-off and have had some bad habits to break, that's why I am analyzing everything. Ed

I once had a local business pay me to jump a canopy with their name on it at the local DZ. I jumped it for about a year. It wasn't full sponsorship, but it helped and they received a lot of notice from it. Pay no attention to those who say it can't be done because there is a way if you can just find it. A local bank put an employee's picture (in freefall) on a billboard. I'll bet he got some jumps for that!! Ed

In round days, backing up after opening was normal and expected on almost every jump. Holding down of your front risers while facing into the wind will help you penetrate more. Do not however, try to land with front risers, the rate of descent is too high. It is better to land in a flat glide (into the wind) backing up than to land in a steep descent. Ed

Interesting....Can it be compared to a tractor where you can turn it without using the steering wheel by slowing or stopping one back wheel? The moves are too subtle to be seen on video, at least for me to see. I have tried some of these movements on accuracy jumps (5000'), but when alone you never know if you are "arc" turning or "center point" turning. Ed

I have often thought about how I turn with my feet in freefall. I do, but I don't know what it is that I do. Have any of you instructor types ever broken down exactly what it is we do with our feet to turn? Ed

Sounds like the odds are in our favor. You would win the lottery before you would experience a double mal. Even then, doing things correctly multiply those odds many times. Some double mals just screwed up. Ed

I made 160 in 2003 and 100 in 2002. Paid for all of them except the free ride given when we had an engine out on the Otter at Raeford (5000 feet). It was another exciting experience and the free jump was a bonus. Ed

Works great. Thanks. Ed

That is a really expensive lesson. Escrow accounts aren't known in the skydiving world, but they would protect both parties to a sizeable agreement such as this. Ed

I would like to see a list of all dropzones with a distinction as to which is which. Ed

I see the exact prices everyone else is seeing. When it gets over $5.00, I pack my own unless it is my accuracy canopy which has to be flat packed. Ed

If you plan to drive over the speed limit, take a radar detector. The state must be making up for a budget shortfall. Also there is a new law in Florida that where possible you must move over a lane when passing an emergency vehicle parked beside the road. The police have been known to park, for no reason, with their blue light on and wait for someone to pass without moving over!!! Ed

Yep, but everything I jump now is square. I have a bunch of round main jumps and two reserve landings (ouch). I know rounds have been given a bad rap, but I never had a mal under a para commander and I know lots of friends with the same record. Sometimes I wonder why we jump square reserves. Sure, a round reserve hurts when you land, but a 143 square could kill a jumper who was unconscious during landing. Ed

I prefer used because of the difficulty in breaking in a new zero p for packing. I bought a new Sabre2 because I couldn't find one used at the time and I paid the price...literally. I paid a packer for 75 jumps. Ed Military Surplus 28' Used Para Commander New Delta 2 Parawing Used Para Plane (1st square) New Strato Star (5 cell) Used PD 210 Used Challenger accuracy canopy New Sabre 2 170 (How sweet it is!!!)

Make sure you have the latest version in software for your Neptune. As of January 5, 2004, it is version 2.0.8. Ed

I just received a letter from an FAA Inspector saying that in spite of the regulation saying that a NOTAM must be posted at least 1 hour before and not more than 24 hours before the jump, they now need 3 days notice and activation 1 hour before the jump. He cites something about 9-11. How can we follow the regs if they aren't current? Ed

When I started jumping, my wife was pregnant with our son, he is now a jumper and my grandchildren (his children) come out to watch. It doesn't matter whether you start early or late.

I quit for 20 years and went back for a while, then quit again for 10 years. In the last 2 years I have 250 jumps. During all of the lay-off time, whenever I saw a beautiful blue sky and moderate winds, I had the urge to jump. It's in me and I can lay-off, but I can't and don't want to get away permanently. The lay-offs gave me time to do things that I also would not have wanted to miss. Ed No, I'm not 100 yet