
Opie
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Everything posted by Opie
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I've seen footage a year ago on some of the freefly circus guys (I think Mike Swanson and Ippo) doing a headown dance routine and it was some AWESOME stuff. Not sure if they do it in competion or not. Opie If your not on the edge, you can't enjoy the view!
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Found this on rec dot By TIM MITCHELL © 2002 THE NEWS-GAZETTE Published Online February 19, 2002 RANTOUL - A major international skydiving festival is eyeing a move from Quincy to Rantoul. The directors of the World Free Fall Convention met with the Rantoul Village Board at a special meeting Monday night to propose bringing their event to the airport in Rantoul for five years, with this year's event set for Aug. 2-11. The village board voted 4-0 to authorize negotiations with the convention to host the event. Village board members Helen Lewis and Chuck Smith were absent. "It sounds like a great event," said village board member Herman Fogal. Convention President Don Kirlin of Quincy said his organization chose Rantoul over eight other communities across the United States. Kirlin said the event had outgrown Quincy's smaller airport. He said it was becoming increasingly difficult to interrupt scheduled airline flights headed in and out of the Quincy airport for 10 days. Meanwhile, as a former Air Force base, Kirlin said Rantoul's airport is large enough to support large numbers of parachutists for many years to come and doesn't have airline service. "If I were to have designed a facility for us from scratch, it would look like the Rantoul airport," Kirlin said. "We're looking for a permanent home, and this one tailor fits our needs." Kirlin is an airline pilot for U.S. Air and the owner of 116 Kirlin Hallmark stores in 10 states. The World Free Fall Convention brings together thousands of sky divers from all 50 states and 55 countries around the world to demonstrate a variety of skydiving jumps and stunts. Held for the last 12 years at the Quincy airport, the event drew 3,244 sky divers who completed 54,000 jumps in 2001. In the previous year, the event drew 5,732 sky divers who completed 63,000 jumps. Since the venue is changing, Kirlin said he expects to have 2,500 sky divers and between 15,000 and 20,000 spectators in Rantoul this year. "The people are going to test the waters the first year to see how it is," Kirlin said. "I would not be surprised to see closer to 6,000 sky divers the second year." Except for one Boeing 727, Kirlin said he anticipates all the aircraft needed for the event would take off and land at the Rantoul airport. Kirlin said organizers are planning plenty of activities for festival spectators, ranging from hot-air balloon rides to tandem sky dives, accelerated free-fall training, heliocopter rides, a wind tunnel, biplane aerobatic rides and a carnival. Kirlin said he intends to open an office in Rantoul, manned by four full-time employees. Another 110 to 120 part-time employees would be hired for work during the festival, and his organization hopes to recruit between 200 and 300 volunteers from the area. Since the first weekend of the event would conflict with the Octave Chanute Aerospace Museum's Wheels and Wings Festival, the museum's board of directors has voted to discontinue the air show, according to museum Executive Director Jim Snyder. Snyder said convention organizers have offered to make a charitable contribution to the museum to make up for lost revenue. Rantoul Village Administrator Gary Adams said Kirlin contacted the village a month ago about the possibility of bringing the event to Champaign County. Airport officials have been looking for a major event to replace the U.S. National Hot Air Balloon Championships, which left Rantoul in 2000 following a three-year run at the airport. Adams said the skydiving event became attractive because, unlike the balloon fest (which relied on sponsorships and gate receipts for the bulk of its income), the World Free Fall Convention is entirely supported through entry fees paid by the participating sky divers. "I know I sleep a little easier knowing that we won't be depending on people coming through the gates to cover the expenses," said Rantoul Mayor Neal Williams. Kirlin said his event operates with an annual budget of approximately $1 million. Under a proposal presented to the village board on Monday, the village would be obligated to: - Provide the convention with the use of the airport and the Prairie Pines Campgrounds for the 10 days of the festival free of charge. - Spend $10,000 to be used for promotional and advertising materials and T-shirts and hats for the jumpers. - Coordinate efforts between Rantoul police and event security guards. - Arrange for an ambulance to be stationed at the airport during the festival. - Provide a snow fence for security and a few offices at Grissom Hall for event headquarters. - Provide the festival with a liquor license for the 10 days. The convention would be responsible for recruiting volunteers and bringing in aircraft for the jumpers, providing entertainment and purchasing airplane fuel from the village and Precision Aviation. "My opinion is this event would be good for Rantoul," Adams said. "We don't have the same kinds of commitments and obligations that we had during the balloon event." Opie If your not on the edge, you can't enjoy the view!
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1. No idea. 2. Nice thought but save it for vacation next year when you are licensed. 3. Yes it is, but see answer # 2 above. 4. Yes stay in CT. Making friends with the locals from the very beginning will make the whole experience much more enjoyable and you will have friends for life. Showing up there with 20 jumps and a license will eliminate much of the bonding time you have to build relationships with the instructors and fellow jumpers that will be at your skill level. Have Fun!!! Congradulations on the marriage! Sorry to hear you're getting so old. Don't wait so long between jumps. And about your wife-get her jumping too if she has any interest. In the interest of keeping this post positive I won't spell out the alternative ;-) Opie If your not on the edge, you can't enjoy the view!
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Yes covered in the same section, actually right above the paragraph that says we (sport parachutists) get to sit on the floor. The child is not to share the restraint, only be held by the adult. Opie If your not on the edge, you can't enjoy the view!
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It says that each person must occupy an approved seat or berth(floor for skydivers) with a safety belt proper secured about him/her. I didn't see where the belt could not secure more than one person. Now I know you would never win an arguement with the FAA just thought it was a little unclear, and figured someone had first hand experience with them-faa that is. Thanks guys. Opie If your not on the edge, you can't enjoy the view!
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That would be 10ea from Skydive Chicago, it was just installed this winter. A few others around have cd players Skydive Arizona now has at least one, Monteray Bay, Titusville FL used to have a caravan with one, and the infamous Mister Douglas DC-3. Any others? Opie If your not on the edge, you can't enjoy the view!
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Is this covered only in 91.107 or in another FAR? Opie If your not on the edge, you can't enjoy the view!
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"I don't think PD or PA want to get involved" PD has been involved in extensive dual square testing, results were released a couple of years ago and are presented by them at seminars from time to time. This should be mandatory reading for all jumpers that haven't seen it yet. Go to www.performancedesigns.com and click on the articles tab and then "dual square report" Opie If your not on the edge, you can't enjoy the view!
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Does the FAA require that every jumper have a seatbelt or that all jumpers are belted in (as in two sharing a belt)?? This is assuming that you are within weight/balance, CG limitations. Chris you here??? Opie If your not on the edge, you can't enjoy the view!
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ding, ding, ding, Round Two So Mike, which one of Dereks statements were not true? Opie If your not on the edge, you can't enjoy the view!
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I like to take them out with our knees locked together. Keeps us face to face and lets them have hands and arms free for flying right out the door. I think the eye contact in this exit lets you communicate so much more than in a train and get them to relax and see how you are flying as well. "waste an entire dive observing someone flopping and spinning" dude these are some of the most fun dives. Trying to stay in someones face as they go from backsliding at 165mph to corking up on their back at 125mph and so forth is some challenging shit, if you are getting bored with this try to keep the gap between you and them down to one or two foot AT ALL TIMES and see if you don't learn something yourself, I don't think you'll consider it a wasted dive. Opie If your not on the edge, you can't enjoy the view!
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Keep in mind that if you are listening to music under canopy you are eliminating (or at least lessoning) one of your senses you should be using to avoid canopy collisions. Of course this depends on the size of your dropzone and number of canopies in the air, but I would prefer to have everyones eyes and ears open that are in the air with me! Music in the airplane Rocks! Opie If your not on the edge, you can't enjoy the view!
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"the moral of the story, pack yer own" If I pack my own and have a mal, who am I going to yell at????????? Opie If your not on the edge, you can't enjoy the view!
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I meant no offense to the Texas contingent. Just seems that Florida and Arizona seem to get the larger midwest draws in the wintertime. Opie If your not on the edge, you can't enjoy the view!
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"My mother tells me that skydiving is very dangerous without proper training and experience. My mother also tells me that life can be fun without it. She says I can be a great person without jumping out of planes. She is perfectly happy with her non-skydiving life, and wonders why I need to skydive. Now what makes what my mother said any different then what you just said?" Quoted from AndyMan and seconded by Opie. Opie If your not on the edge, you can't enjoy the view!
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Pure speculation here but most skydivers have no idea where Rosharon, TX. is but many many more know of Skydive America PB. Whatever Scotty's reasons, his home cookin will be a nice addition to the dropzone. Opie If your not on the edge, you can't enjoy the view!
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Interesting to see that which continent you live on doesn't affect how skydivers view these small complications at the dropzone. Small of course due to the actions of the pilot, nice work. Opie If your not on the edge, you can't enjoy the view!
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See if you can find a T-10. Reliable openings and few hookturn injuries! Opie If your not on the edge, you can't enjoy the view!
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Any plans for/ ideas how to get a wired remote release on this or other coolpix series cameras? Opie If your not on the edge, you can't enjoy the view!
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Skydive Chicago. I believe it is sometime in the last week of Feb. but you can call for the facts. Opie If your not on the edge, you can't enjoy the view!
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The things you see when you've been drinking!!! Opie If your not on the edge, you can't enjoy the view!
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Very nice pic man. What camera are you using??? Opie If your not on the edge, you can't enjoy the view!
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Nice work!!! A skydiver with other talents, whoda thunkit... Opie If your not on the edge, you can't enjoy the view!
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"I'm really pissed off atm" What's atm??? Opie If your not on the edge, you can't enjoy the view!
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OK so it 2am here and I'm just being a post WHORE but I want to get off the newbie status and seven others are online. So what's up tonight? Opie If your not on the edge, you can't enjoy the view!