dterrick

My DZO has told a story about ATC trying to communixcate with an "unidentified slow moving aircraft" .... which turned out to be a CReW jump but ATC wouldn't believe the DZ. Hmmmm... UFO's to be technically correct ... maybe the whuffos ARE right about "us" being from another world Dave Life is very short and there's no time for fussing and fighting my friend (Lennon/McCartney)

Oh ya? Well Grey Poupon to you !! Life is very short and there's no time for fussing and fighting my friend (Lennon/McCartney)

Here Here Lynn! The USA was also a latecomer to WWII. My understanding was that it was not until after Japan attacked at Pearl Harbour that the Americans became directly involved. The Canadians were in Poland supporting the commonwealth the week after it ws invaded in 1939. Dave PS: It's all well and good to bash others online but it has hit close to home for me as a Canadian. Recently, a client of mine who was visiting Grand Forks had his windows busted out. So too were all the other cars with Manitoba plates. For Shame. Such small minds impacting the lives of so many. Thos of you with open minds should seek out YOUR terrorists ...terror is an emotion (thanks narcimund) Life is very short and there's no time for fussing and fighting my friend (Lennon/McCartney)

Speedy recovery Natalie! Isn't it sad and ironic that you'll be stopped from doing the very activity that gave you the energy to do the thing that caused the injury? I must agree that I'm much less fond of rooftops now than I was before - at one point in my early career I stood atop my garage roof practising "flaring" . No, I didn't fall. But, the one and only bone I've ever broken was my middle finger on my dominant (Right) hand. I was packing my pop top tent trailer for the opening sports car club weekend and the lid fell down and crushed my fingers. I was chief instructor and race director that season. It took a bit of 'splainin to the students and the instructors but I was able to demonstrate fast track laps in a BMW M5 with one hand taped up. I wold not attempt to skydive with a broken arm. I would still hang out at the DZ doing whatever I could to help out .... I bet there's a bunch of sympathy beers waiting for you. Remember: that which does not kill you makes you stronger... and T3's and beer make for a very sound sleep Blue skies Dave Life is very short and there's no time for fussing and fighting my friend (Lennon/McCartney)

Geez Rob, sounds just like making an accuracy landing with wet consequences !! I bet the swoopers will now be trying how to swoop and do a pop up landing on said raft!! Visions of the Calvin and Hobbes "Wanna go Spelunking?" strip come to mind. SPELUNK!! Dave Life is very short and there's no time for fussing and fighting my friend (Lennon/McCartney)

Hey Dayle It's Dave in the next province West! Sorry to hear about your slammer but perhaps I can help. I'm (...still) jumping a Raven 218 - a reserve design (always opens fast) - and have had my share of slammers in the last 100 jumps with it. I STILL get the occasional slammer even after installing a larger slider and a a slider pocket and reducing the size of the pilot chute. I've done few jumps on elipticals but even a hard opeinig on a stiletto should be softer than a soft opening on my Raven or a Sabre... A Master Rigger taught me all the tricks of packing a slow opening on my canopy, although a bit of trial and error jumping was needed to get it right. Now that it is right, I notice that two things specifically seem to cause ME to have a bad one... Slider position. If you've been told to cloverleaf the slider make absolutely sure you do and do so correctly. Make DOUBLE sure the front quarter of the slider is pulled more than the rear quarter - the sides seem to be less important. Further, when you wrap the tail, make sure you are as tight as possible to the slider grommets and THEY STAY TIGHT TO THE SLIDER STOPS. Double check this before you get into S folding. Line stows / elastics. I have microlines on the Raven and the single best thing I did was change to the SMALLEST elastic available and start to replace them every 10-15 jumps or so. I had tube stoes when I first got the rig (ditched them for med. elastics) and switched to double stowing. Things were better for awhile but I broke at least one elastic every jump. A friend suggested the "black elastics" and they too worked well for about 2-3 weekends. I started getting slammed again. With a baglock warning attached, my rigger suggested we try a TRIPLE stow. Indeed this softened the opening ... I could feel EVERY elastic release. Immediately I changed to the teeny tiny elastics. Take a look at the elastics on your rig and comapare their stretchiness to a brand new one. A combination of worn out elastics and a sloppy slider position could easily cause a hard opening. It was for me. Speedy recovery bro .. do all your stretches/physio as perscribed and make sure you STILL hang out at the DZ and do whatever you can to help out. Oh ya, bring your BEER! See you at the Nationals? Dave Life is very short and there's no time for fussing and fighting my friend (Lennon/McCartney)

Mr. "Driving Instructor" says...: 1.Extend index and middle finger of left hand so they hold your turn signal stalk as if it was a cigarette 2. Turn with left palm still on the wheel so that turn indicator actually operates. 3. Prepare for incoming gunfire from people like me who you just cut off (aggiedave can I borrow a sidearm, please?) Dave ...he who flashes to pass and signals while on the racetrack is just a wee bit too courteous Life is very short and there's no time for fussing and fighting my friend (Lennon/McCartney)

Lazy Bees Buzzzzz *** "Angry Beez" buzz too Sink to the base and please dock Do not take us out Daylight savings starts Next weekend and so is our accuracy meet

Hey Kev! Mine was production/GT road racing. I started at autocross while attending University. Our dropzone is adjacent to the roadcourse and I whuffo'd for close to 10 years before the politics and the chequebooks drove me to the place where the only true LAW was the Law of Gravity Dave PS: The attached jpeg shows the twin WWII grade bomber runways. Our Loft is in hangar #2 and the road course is th e 9 turn, 1.33 mile "tooth". Were it not for the face that we're a 1 cessna DZ I'd have noticed skydivers much sooner Life is very short and there's no time for fussing and fighting my friend (Lennon/McCartney)

Monkeyman: FAI accuracy jumps are done from a max of 800m (2624 ft) to a minimum of 700m (2296 ft). Only an A license is required. In Canada, accuracy is one of the few disciplines an A CoP holder can do as that license does not permit RW (style is the other). Activation altitude is 2500 ft for A and 2200 ft from B onwards. The USPA shows 2500 ft for A and B holders and 2000 for C and D holders - methinks your DZO might have made a judgement call on clear and pulls generally. Totally differnt issue and I agree it sucks you were punted from the load. I wonder if the DZO "knew" that in order for the pilot to be VFR legal that he'd need to dump you well below the "2300 ft cieling" and that EVERYBODY's ticket might have been violated? It's great that you feel stable right out the door (I looove that feeling) - LALO jumps are a lot of fun. Dave Life is very short and there's no time for fussing and fighting my friend (Lennon/McCartney)

Jack: I just had a look at the 2003 SIM and the PRO requirement is different from what you state: USPA member 500 Jumps D License 10 pre-declared jumps inside a 10 metre target. pass a written test a bunch of other little things http://www.uspa.org/Publications/SIM/SIMtext/Section7.htm#72 There is no reference to holding a D for 2 years that I can see, but if you get a D at 200 jumps, 150 jumps/year would only JUST get you to the minimum. The 'open field/level 1 ' jump does not absolutely "require" - only recommends - a D license and no time constraint is mentioned. The Level 2+ jumps DO require a PRO rating and you're stuck with 500 jumps at that point - not 200. There's no such thing as an 'open field/level 1' jump in Canada. You're lucky to have that allowance, and I bet if you had 200 "good" jumps and a C you wouldn't be turned away from the jump team if you brought your DZ a paying demo... Dave Life is very short and there's no time for fussing and fighting my friend (Lennon/McCartney)

Aaron: I'd like to play the Devil's advocate here for a minute and ask why it is so important to get your "D" in 200 jumps? The FAI (our world body) lists A,B,C,D as 25,50,200, 500 jumps asthe MINIMUM requirements, and it's been that way for a while. Is it a status thing? Here in Canada, once you have a B (we require 100 jumps) you can do "anything" except exhibition jumps, tandems, advanced instruction, and helmetless jumps (no hat jumps must have a D and 500; even then it is up to the DZO, and where would you put your audible?) I understand from our old fogies (who themselves were dispatching students after a dozen jumps or so ... under rounds) that the sophistication and capabilities of our sport is now such that there is NO WAY you can learn enough in 200 jumps to be considered an "expert". I wonder whether ability or a licence will be more important when you run into that 'expert' situation? Why not concentrate on learning well rather than just puttin up jump numbers? And, if you are so fortunate in time and finance that you can learn all you need in one seaon - AND - have enough free time to enjoy some jumps ... I envy you. go to it. Dave Life is very short and there's no time for fussing and fighting my friend (Lennon/McCartney)

Gouge not, Mr. Darkwing. If you understand it then you may be able to help those who as yet do not understand. I'm guessing that back in the days of rounds you all were given a much better grounding in flight mechanics than we students of squares were. I don't recall seeing a thread on this particular question during my 1.5 years on this forum. I do recall making enquiries to the locals about why on a windy or turbulent day my spirals did not seem to be smooth and even ... I'm confortable with my knowledge but neither ready to explain nor to gouge my eyes out . Hope that feeling passes real soon - I know of very few blind skydivers. Dave Life is very short and there's no time for fussing and fighting my friend (Lennon/McCartney)

...you got the ricerocket of of winter storage didn't you Adrian?!? How bad did you dent your April jump budget? Dave Life is very short and there's no time for fussing and fighting my friend (Lennon/McCartney)

...I still do We get a brand here called "MaMa" .. they're from Thailand and the "Pork flavour" are super hot. Package ofsoup base, package of chili powder, package of palm oil/other stuff. The BEST part about them is - unlike most - these ones cook right in your soup bowl ... no boiling required, just add kettle water. $0.33/package. Mac n Cheese is good too. Add spices to the boiling water (Grace hot sauce, red pepper flakes, etc) and the noodles soak up the heat. 3 or 4 strips of well killed bacon is my favourite adjunct. Chicken thighs with leg on is about as cheap as "real meat" gets ... Avoid Spam. It can be more dangerous than a low pull Dave Life is very short and there's no time for fussing and fighting my friend (Lennon/McCartney)

It started out at about jump #25 when I decided an Excel log would help me track my accomplishments more easily than the logbook and with less expense than a protrack. It's just carried on from there. It took me about 20 minutes to add and complete a column including "jump type" so I could assess my chances of earning my CSPA C CoP (much more stringent than the FAI requirements) this season. The 20 minutes spent has changed my jump plans for the summer. The cool stats are nothing more than a byproduct of having to plan a budget to achieve a goal. Dave Life is very short and there's no time for fussing and fighting my friend (Lennon/McCartney)

OK, twisted statistics time... I was reviewing my logbook and updating my Excel spreadsheet for CoP requirements and I came up with some interesting statistics: During my visit to Hollister on Safety Day, I surpassed one MILLION feet lifted in a jumpship. I thought that was neat because it's such a big, round number. I also broke through my first hour of freefall. I continued by examining feet freeflown versus feet flown under canopy. the ratio came out to almost exactly 0.66:1. That calculation includes all the hop n pops, training jumps, and the 18,000 ft. monsters. In a Cessna dropzone that's a consistent 9k exit 3k dump. Translated into Miles flown, I have flown my canopy once to my home dropzone to the mile! I have freeflown from my home to the second closest dropzone also to the mile. Spooky? Anyone else create twisted trivia like this? Dave Life is very short and there's no time for fussing and fighting my friend (Lennon/McCartney)

...and without benefit from the story... 'mericans disappointed in Canadians, eh? Methinks (emphasis on "me") more than a few Canadian politicians were swayed against joining by the way "the USA" (read: Military & Government, not the American people) treated us after the Friendly Fire incident in Afghanistan. Remember, "we're half French". and our Prime Minister doesn't speak EITHER official language Dave (BTW: I also wholeheartedly disagree with the French position to use the Veto no matter what. I think that played a huge role in this war erupting when it did). Life is very short and there's no time for fussing and fighting my friend (Lennon/McCartney)

DUUUUUDE(...S) CONGRATS!! -how long u'ze there for? Dave Life is very short and there's no time for fussing and fighting my friend (Lennon/McCartney)

YOU WERE WATCHING MONTY PYTHON LAST NIGHT ... ADMIT IT!! Dave Life is very short and there's no time for fussing and fighting my friend (Lennon/McCartney)

HERE is a wonderful page of language related stuff. Included are such interesting topics as: -spelling mistakes often made -words we totally F%^& up -how to correctly conjugate antidisestablishmentarianism (well, not really) Seriously, this page has a wealth of information and many links ... you may even find it useful. -thanks to the literate folk on the Big Coupe Group (BMW chat list http://www.normgrills.net/bcg/) for bringing this to 'my' attention. Now go find the reference on how to use quotation marks ) Dave T Life is very short and there's no time for fussing and fighting my friend (Lennon/McCartney)

While we're talkin about REAL beer, Dave, you'll be happy to know I had my "first" experience with Shiner Bock while visiting my sister near San Fran. Nummy. Better than Sierra Nevada to my personal taste, I'd say. Now do I need to buy beer for declaring a Beer first ... or does the converse apply and I have to buy a skydive? Dave ...Beer Aint Drinkin' (Mojo Nixon) Life is very short and there's no time for fussing and fighting my friend (Lennon/McCartney)

My winamp randomizer has gone mad! I've been back home for about an hour and I've heard : Devo - we like explosions Duke Ellington - Diminuendo & Crescendo from the Newport Jazz festival '58 Billy Idol - White wedding Strawberry Alarm Clock - Incence & Peppermints Dead Milkmen - gonna beat my wife Sinatra - I've Got you Under my Skin Bela Bartok: Old Hungarian dances It just kicked on Ornette Coleman's Free Jazz This has got to be the most incoherent set it's played for me in a very long time. Dave PS: aggiedave what else is in your playlist? I LOVE that Holst suite (played it at University Wind Ensemble) Life is very short and there's no time for fussing and fighting my friend (Lennon/McCartney)

you steenkin bastage! I covet your canopy and the ride it's about to have. ...Karma for your RW weekend Sebazz? Dave... ...where the Hell is Aptos? Sounds warmand sunny. Life is very short and there's no time for fussing and fighting my friend (Lennon/McCartney)

Lisa: Why not do your own creative mounting? Take the diplome de record (damn, no pointy hat character on my keyboard either), mat and frame it in an 18 x 24 with a photo of the formation ... likely as costly but you can make it your own unique piece. Would sure be cool if you could get eveybody's autograph, too. Dave ...MY skydiving trophy wall only has 1st jump, 1st freefall, Solo CoP, and the tops of a bunch of beer boxes from the "1sts" where no plaque was awarded Life is very short and there's no time for fussing and fighting my friend (Lennon/McCartney)