Donna

Why did you say that about the Triathlon? My husband and I just bought Triathlons and now some people are telling us stories about them spanking people on deployment and blowing up. We had always heard really good stuff about Triathlon before. I can definitely say you can't beat Aerodyne's customer service! They've been super.

Well stay out of the mountains then!!

I was at your site yesterday, Ann! Looking great! I really enjoyed it. Skeet is adorable!! I used to have a big black great dane named Moses. They are awesome dogs! I'll go add my link and put yours on my page. Donna

Just stay out of the trees!!!

Good luck, Arthur!! I'm sure you will do great! I sure hope you have lots of stories and pictures for us! I want to hear everything. Remember.... RELAX! Blue skies and soft landings, Donna

Hey. No fair. I didn't get to see the original question. But anyway. My husband did 6 S/L jumps back in college. Then 20 years later I did a tandem and fell in love with the sport. We both decided to take it up together and we've been having a blast and are closer than ever.

I didn't get it either. I don't mind nudity in ads but this one was just disgusting! All it made me want to do is to turn the page quick! I didn't see this month's issue yet as mine got lost in the mail. Blue ones, Donna

Glad it all worked out for you, Karen! What a mother's day present, huh?

Ya know, I was thinking along those exact same lines this morning. All day yesterday I was moping around, feeling very sorry for myself because I waited all winter to jump and then injured my knee April 1st and haven't been able to jump at all yet this season. I had been hoping to be jumping again in about a month or so but now there is a chance I may need surgery and that could mean I'm out for this season. Needless to say, I felt like it was the end of the world. I was ready to just give up. But then I was reading some "Chicken Soup" stories on overcoming adversity and started feeling more optimistic. I'm going to work my butt off to get this knee better to avoid surgery, if possible and if not, I will be back up in the air just as soon as I can afterwards. Either way I started feeling so damn lucky to be one of the few people in this world to have experienced what it's like to jump out of a plane and to find out how fun it is to play up in the sky high above this earth of ours. As my FJC instructor says, "More fun than human beings were meant to have!" I couldn't agree more. So hang in there Joolee and before you know it exams will be over and you will be playing in sky! Blue ones, Donna

Well that's good. (That it's going to be a tight fit.... not that you don't know the size. :o) I just asked because I just got an Infinity (I-55) with a Triathlon 190 and a PD193 reserve and I've been having a problem with how the container fits me. I haven't been able to jump it yet because I tore the ligaments in my knee last month but on the ground the container seemed to be coming up too high on me and interfering in my head movement. When I'd lay on the ground with the rig on and my helmet, I wouldn't hardly be able to lift my head up. I've just gotten it back again from Infinity (Kelly Farrington is great for customer service!) and it seems a bit better now. I'm anxious to jump it and see how it actually is in the air. I might try having someone my size try it out while I'm waiting. It sounds like yours might be the next size smaller and that, if not, even having a smaller reserve would make a difference. I'm wishing I got a 176 now. I love everything else about the Infinity. It is very well made and is very easy to pack and the riser covers are way cool. My husband ordered one too and it is on it's way here. I hope it comes soon because he calls me from work about 10 times a day asking if it arrived yet!

I can relate Doasfu! Try reading some of my student jump stories and you will see I was nervous a lot! I'm told if you just hang in there a little longer it gets much easier. Most people say somewhere between 30 and 50 jumps you really come into your own and it just becomes fun and not nerve wracking!

Do you know what size Infinity container you ordered? Donna

Donning means putting on. Basically it sounds like it means that you can do a gear check (3 handles, pins, AAD, 3 rings, RSL, etc.) and put it all (rig, helmet, goggles, altimeter, water gear etc.) on properly and know how maintain everything.

My friend has a Silhouette 210. He is loading it about 1:1. He got it shortly after getting off student status last summer and put about 180 jumps on it with no problems. He loved it. He started out PROpacking it but then switched to psycho packing. He always had good openings. After first switching from student gear it took him a little bit to get used to landing it but in no time he was landing right on the X. He recently downsized to a Sabre 170. He kept recommending the Silhouette for my husband but he is about 240 out the door and because of the conservative recommendations on wing loading by PD he decided to go with a Triathlon220 instead.

I have to say something here. *standing up* My name is Donna and I admit I am an avid wreck.skydiving reader and ALF#007.

Flahive, What kind of main did you have and do you know why it blew up?

If you don't need it, it might think you do anyway and you might have a 2 out situation. Please don't ever just get a CYPRES and forget about it. Read the manual and know the equipment you are using. Know the things you should about it.... pro and con. Also, I have heard some controversial discussions on some of those CYPRES misfires. I am not anti-CYPRES. I am just for heads up CYPRES use. Don't use it blindly and don't rely on it. Donna

Our DZ uses ripcords because of the reasons Mike stated. The ripcord handles used to be located on the right front hip area. You were taught to look, reach, pull. They found some students lost their arch when they bent their bodies forward (instead of just their heads) to look. This past winter they changed all the rigs over to having the ripcord handle located at the bottom of the container. Now you just arch, reach and pull, same as with a BOC and you reach to the same area as you will when you transition to BOC. I thought this was a good idea. I remember on one of my first low solos where I lost stability and panicked and pulled on my back. I'm not sure it would have had the same outcome if it was throw out. Donna

Here's another good link to check out. Click here. blue ones, D

Hey Jack!! It's you!!

Hey Jack! Congratulations!! It's incredible, isn't it? If you click on some people's names on here, some have their homepages listed and have jump stories on there. I have all my AFF jump stories on my page... and also my tandems. I just finished reading about Pammi and Merricks first jumps! I really enjoyed them. They were great! I give S/L students a lot of credit. It takes a lot of guts to climb out there on that wing by yourself on that very first jump. Good luck with the rest of your course, Jack and please fill us in on how all your jumps go. I love hearing jump stories! Blue skies, D

Lifetime members are people who plunk down $700 to sign up as a USPA member for the rest of their lives. They are alive and well and seem to plan on staying that way for quite a while if they are hoping this membership is a good deal.

I still think the fatality stories should be on the front page. It is important news to me and I'd like to know that a fellow skydiver died and what may be the cause. In some cases we can learn something to make our own skydives safer. I may just read something on there that could help save my life the next weekend. I haven't been reading dropzone.com for that long so I don't know what's been posted in the past. I do agree with others who say that the information should be factual and that we don't need sensationalism. It is one thing for a place like rec.skydiving or even one of these forums to speculate on what may have happened during an incident but I would hope that when it is posted on the front page of this place that it is as accurate as possible. If it is just something from a newspaper article where information could be wrong or speculative then it would be best (imo) to just have a link to that article. I think it is a great idea when the DZ where the incident took place informs us as best they can on what happened, as in the recent camera related death in NC. I still also think that the risks of this sport shouldn't just be glossed over to the whuffo who is thinking of giving it a try. They should know what they are getting into before getting on that plane. Yes, we think it's great and definitely worth it and would like others to share in this wonderful experience but everyone is different and it isn't for everyone. blue ones, D

Oops. Had an extra space in there. Try again here.

We have a picture of one of the guys at our DZ doing that (or at least this is what I think you are talking about). http:// www.jumptown.com/pictures3.html If so, I can ask him about it the next time I see him. Blues, D