HeatherB

In case anyone is curious: http://www.lesjafsk.no/bever.htm Saw the ad and link for the boogie in Frittfall magazine. Great cover photo! If you have the magazine didja notice the guy trying to get to the formation and the little sonar symbols around his legs and arms? And the guy in the formation with an arrow pointing to him and "freeflyer" written there. hehehe... I can't read any of the articles, but the photos and graphics are great! Always nice to see this one show up on my desk.... I'm going crazy and it's only Tuesday! Whoohoo! blue skies (it's pouring here!), Heather

Cool! I grew up in East Northport. Lived there until I was 14...

I'm feeling talkative... I wasn't one of the people who had always thought about skydiving. My friend Jerm called me in Florida and said "hey, when you come back up for school you should do a tandem!" (He had ten or 15 jumps at that time and I was impressed!!) It sounded like fun and I had the cash so up I went. I wasn't scared at all (oblivious!) and the cute instructor was distracting anyhow Then I was all up for IAD's too. My first IAD scared the heck out of me. (and my instructor) My bridle wrapped around my arm as soon as I let go of the strut. So fun! Unintentional Freefall! Jerm ran up to me after I landed and I said "I'm never doing that again!!!" Not knowing what had happened up there at 4 grand he said "your landing wasn't *that* bad!" I did my second IAD a month later...I was definitely a scared student, but I stuck with it. Took me a while to get through my first 100 jumps but it's been a rather smooth ride! 4 years later (yikes!) I'm still around...Jerm may have twice as many jumps as me, but I plan on catching up some this winter

Jerm made me do it!

Exactly. If anyone knows of a rig or canopy manufacturer who is immune to making mistakes I would love to hear about it!

You ordered the purple W-1 with neon pink trim tape, right? It's beautiful! blue skies, Heather

Feel free to ask your canopy manufacturer what they recommend for PC sizes but do talk to your container manufacturer as well. After all, new PC's almost always come with your new container, not with your new canopy. There's logic to this all, really! Be careful. blue skies, Heather Sunrise Rigging

Hi there, Sorry for my delayed reply. The long weekend threw me off! As far as chest straps go, some people prefer the feel of a Type 17 (1") chest strap. Others say they like the extra feeling of security with the Type 8 (1 and 3/4") chest strap. It's just a matter of preference and what you are used to. Try on rigs with the different chest straps and see what is more comfortable to you. Risers. With a Wings you can have either: Type 17 risers with mini-rings Type 8 risers with large rings Type 8 risers with mini-rings Choosing from these can be more difficult. Most experienced jumpers have mini rings with Type 17 risers, but it seems to just be the fashion. Type 8 webbing is actually stronger than Type 17 and there is a mechanical advantage with large rings. Somehow though, large rings and Type 8 risers have become un-cool. (Many student rigs and just about all CRW rigs have large rings, if you want to check out the different combinations). Properly manufactured mini-rings and Type 17 risers are certainly safe, but if you would like Type 8 risers with large rings, go with those! Choose whatever you are most comfortable with. blue skies! Heather Sunrise Rigging

Just wanted to let everyone know we have a new Frequently Asked Questions section on our website: http://www.skydivewings.com/docs/faq/index.html I'll be updating the page regularly so if you have any suggestions just let me know! Thank you! Heather Sunrise Rigging PS: We still have to get rid of the "July Special" banner on that page - I'll get to that soon!

You can have both articulation (hip rings) and B-12's on a Wings. It's not a problem at all! blue skies, Heather Sunrise Rigging

Hey Ducky - I sent you a PM. If you need anything just let me know!

Yours is one of the many Wings that look really small considering the canopies that are in them

I'm all about open faces. I've had an Nvertigo for about 2 years and it's very comfy. No complants. And if I ever get an audible it'll fit right in there! Maybe eventually I'll get a full face if I find one that doesn't make me feel claustrophobic. blue skies, Heather

I'm spoiled but not a snob, how about that?

I can't get specific but I have some great deals and give-aways planned, besides the usual things (T-shirts, beer coolies, etc.).

Anyone here going to the Goodtime Boogie? http://www.jumprun.com/2002boogie.html I'll be at our booth with lotsa rigs and goodies! I plan on jumping a bunch too!

Cool replies

Here's a random question for you guys: What's the most bizarre thought that has crossed your mind during a skydive??

Igor, you should see a reply from me in your inbox.

oh my.... You're in trouble, Jerm. Blue skies, Heather (aka Wings Chick)

I would recommend demoing a Lotus to anyone thinking of a SabreII, Hornet, or other of that class. I have a Lotus 136 and am very pleased with it. I'm only loading mine about 1.05:1 out the door but I have friends with higher wingloadings (1.5+) who absolutely love theirs as well. Beautiful soft, slow openings. Smooth turns, great glide, and nice and solid above your head. I know there are lots of discussions right now about whether or not airlocks are worth it, but try them out and decide for yourself. I'm won over. As are many people I know. Also, Big Air's customer service is outstanding! They go great lengths to make sure their customers are completely happy. Their website: http://www.bigairsportz.com blue skies, Heather

This made me laugh out loud! Thanks for the morning pick-me-up! We have a W-0 in production right now for Birdman Jari. Holy cow, this thing is TINY! (and sexy) blue skies, Heather http://www.skydivewings.com

Hi guys, I believe the most important way to ensure that your legstraps don't slip is to make sure that the friction adapter is lying flat. This sounds obvious, but if you S-fold the excess up by the adapter instead of folding it down into the legpad, it may cause the adapter to not be fully closed (lying flat), which of could lead to some slipping. If you S-fold the excess and secure it with the elastic, be sure that you are still allowing the adapter to lay flat and closed. I talked to Henri and our riggers about how they do their legstraps. Turns out, we all fold any excess down into the legpads and keep the elastic somewhere in the middle of the visible legstrap, not up by the adapter, and none of us have had problems. Rarely do we see people put the elastic up by the adapter. But yes, it could actually help prevent slipping caused by an adapter that is not lying flat. (I'm not attempting to speak for any other manufacturers, just expressing our own thoughts on the matter)

I have five screws in my left ankle. They've been there almost 2 years now (7/00) and I haven't had any problems with them at all. I don't plan on having them taken out! You can barely see the scars too... very nice

>Will you be at Zhills for the Easter boogie this weekend? I am thinking of coming out to - er - hang (read: gimp) around. If you see crutches and curly hair - that's me! Yup, I'll be around tomorrow but not Sunday! I'll look for ya