likestojump

With that many jumps I would definitely want to see the gear before paying for it, no compromises.

Yes, I have had a phone wet indicator tag turn red while I never dropped it. I happened in a very humid climate. I ended up taking it apart, cleaning it, and it worked fine since.

I agree with the ban. I just attended a corrida in Madrid two weeks ago, and majority of people were tourists. Also, the whole thing made me want to vomit. I really did wish that the bull would win, as the fight is absolutely not fair. Bottom line is that I wish I did NOT attend it :(

well, even I am young enough to remember that one :) Super Bowl 38, Aerosmith Pre-game Show, 2004. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M_nYVGXLYA4

Best rig - a combination of : fits me well has the colors I like has the options I like I have jumped every single popular mainstream thing on the US market that's "modern" and when the harness fit me well, I was quite happy with them. I have personally OWNED (As in put at least a few months of jumping on) : Infinity (two of them), Javelin (two of them), Mirage (one) and have been happy with them as well. The only reason I owned those brands were because I got them used and they worked well for me, I was never brand specific. My current setup is a Javelin + Optimum + Spectre + Cypres2

Because you still need to be capable of landing your parachute using your rears (or one rear and one toggle), all while on half of your trailing edge is flapping. The flight characteristics change, are you sure you are capable of getting rid of the lineover, and still have a good landing ?

Do you stow your toggles after landing ? You really, really, really should, ESPECIALLY with velcro toggles. I am guessing that will solve 99% of your problems.

You could use them. However, they are extremely bulky, and even if you take out the yellow cable, you will still find them to make the sidewalls of most modern containers looks real funny. As rare as lineovers occur, it's simply not worth the struggle. If you really are that paranoid about them, the one trick you can bring in is a tailgate, or a slidergate. It's a preventative measure, rather than a post-occurrence solution, and it's many times more elegant.

it's not your CANOPY that has velcro toggles, it's your CONTAINER that has velcro toggles. yes, they can be converted. Keep in mind that to do it well will cost $30-$80 USD (depending on the method and the rigger). And if your risers are already damaged, or just plain old, it's more sensible to get a set of new (or at least new to you) velcro-less risers.

your profile lists a Crossfire2-129, so I am guessing you just downsized. Why did you pick a Vengeance ?

the OP of the thread you linked to jumps at the same DZ as the OP of this thread. Coincidence ? Anyways, troll or not, this is a piss poor choice o a size for a first canopy, regardless of the posters Skillz.

re : http://www.uspa.org/SIM/Read/Section3/tabid/165/Default.aspx#31b specifically : "USPA licenses are valid only while the holder is a current regular USPA member; there is no other renewal requirement." so to me that means that if your membership is expired, so is your license. however, I am certain that renewing your membership reinstates your license (as opposed to having to re-qualify all the way from the A)

the point is that the way the rig is built, it allows someone misrig it in a way to cause such a mal. No particular brand or model is bulletproof. Uniqueness does not necessarily have any correlation to safety.

hey, you can drive on winter roads using bald tires. Until you end up smashing the piss out of your car. The problem is that you never know when the shit is going to hit the fan. I prefer to replace my tires when they get worn. Just like I prefer to spend a bit extra money on gear that's safe for what I will be using it for. If you think that being cheap in a sport that can easily hurt you is a sensible thing, you may be in for an extremely rude awaking. Just make sure that whoever is flying next to you (you know, that person who will point to the open flap) will be wearing a camera.

I think from the picture of the area it's quite conclusive that it was NOT a BASE jump. I am certain it was a bandit skydive.

http://lmgtfy.com/?q=Saks+Fifth+Avenue+buillding+at+Fifth+and+Race+streets+cincinatti+ohio

Wonderhog has been made since the 70s too. BTW, the C9 canopies have been made for over 50 years. Doesn't make them any more pleasant to land :( C9 canopies are not still being jumped by sport skydivers - they're for military emergency situations, and sport emergency bailout rigs. As for the Wonderhog, I don't believe Booth is still making those, and hasn't in quite some time. Decades. He produces the Vector and Micron now. I believe my challenge stands: What other rig has been manufactured as long as the Racer? Bzzzzzzzzzz. WRONG. see a picture. 2008 DOM Micron. see where it says "WONDERHOG" ? Same TSO as the original 1970s Hog. just like the original Racer is quite different from the 2K3, so is the original Wonderhog from a Micron, yet they both have been made for a long time. and as far as the C9 - well, it was never made for sport use to begin with, and is still unpleasant to land. All I was pointing out is how something having a long market life is not an indication of it being a superior product. Let's think of the T10s which have been actively jumped by the military for decades. I doubt most of the users would say it's a pleasant experience (when compared to other, more modern gear)

Why is it such a fad for some people to criticize Racers? The Racer has been manufactured continuously since the 1970's. It has been popular because it works, and it's comfortable. What other rig has been in production that long? None. Brand wars ? sure. Wonderhog has been made since the 70s too. Granted, it has went through changes as well, but it's still the Wonderhog (or so says the TSO label). BTW, the C9 canopies have been made for over 50 years. Doesn't make them any more pleasant to land :(

Note : The thread name is ambiguous, as it only applies to ParaPhernalia and Freeflight products. ASIDE FROM PARAPHERNALIA NAD FREEFLIGHT, NO US Pilot rig manufacturer imposes a life on their gear. BTW, I assume that packing outdated, timed-out, gear, as well as gear with ADs non-complied with, is still 100% legal - just not legal to be available for emergency use. Otherwise all those rigger courses would be recalling lots and lots of certificates :(

Lonnie is a cool cat. Apparently he is also a good target at the Kjerag landing area. i do have to give you kudos on the well hidden "fuck you" at the end of the interview that you sent to all that disagree with you.

probably for same that you paid, or possibly up to $100 more, as its still airworthy in its legal definition :) just goes to illustrate that even older gear still has good uses. blue skies !

you'll be hard pressed to find a formula that works. a canopy with 400 jumps in SoCal or AZ will look like absolute shit compared to a canopy with 600 jumps in the NorthEast (NY, CT). So will the container. Take a look at the classifieds, that will give you a very rough idea of what stuff is being sold for (or at least of the current 2nd hand supply pricing). ask for a reasonable price, and you will sell fairly fast. Ask for an outrageous high amount, and you will be having to renew your ad for months at a time :(

if you are 100% serious and genuine in your request, then no, I see no problems with that. After going through a bunch of different helmets I found MXV to fit my head most comfortably. And it looks just fine being worn without a camera. YMMV

I don't buy it. Surely I am not the only one who after trying some of the newer to the market large wingsuits (i.e. the original Vampire1, etc) has been in a "oh shit, should have went to the BASE pouch instead of fishing for the barely reachable hackey" mood ? as usual, training and currency are very important....

the skydiving market is very much niche. products have no substitute, and the industry is small. None of the manufacturers and/or dealers have any incentive to dick around with opening financial departments. Good old Visa/MasterCard is always here to keep you in the sky. To put it short - skydiving gear manufacturers sell gear, and banks sell financing. Once banks will start offering parachutes for sale, that's when gear makers will start offering financing :)