stratostar

Because I'm a rigger, I had someone want to pay me to hook up their 3-rings for them, I was busy and said do it yourself. Their reply was "if I knew how to do it I wouldn't be paying you to do it, besides your the rigger". This was a jumper with 400 to 500 jumps. And no I didn't do it, I told them they were a dumbass and pointed out the stack of manuals in the loft and told them to go learn how to do it, he left and got one of the packers to do it. Was I a dickhead about it?

Did they ask for the weight back? If so send it back airmail, you good at spoting? Did you ask for your money back?LOL Did you get a reply, if so how was their demeanor towards you? ` you can't pay for kids schoolin' with love of skydiving! ~ Airtwardo

After seeing what you do for a living, my guess is you don't take safety lightly. Thats a good thing, hope that helps you out. Becareful with the wires they are very small, I have mine hooked up to a R.C.A. plug to allow for a disconnect. I sure you will love flying the 10d, if you need more wiring info send me a PM, good luck. ` you can't pay for kids schoolin' with love of skydiving! ~ Airtwardo

You need to get the RS-80N3 remote switch, you can get it at ritz camera.com or Bh photo video.com. I have mine on a blow switch, works fine. You'll need to cut off the hand switch a wire the red and white( if I remember right) and leave out the brown, don't have my helmet here to look at it. I also would think you would want to make a lot more jumps before you try putting that on your head with only 72 jumps, somthing to think about! ` you can't pay for kids schoolin' with love of skydiving! ~ Airtwardo

We hope you too see you again, better skip a jump on the MK1, but got a jumbo owned by Garth Taggart the other day, that might be better for you. ` you can't pay for kids schoolin' with love of skydiving! ~ Airtwardo

I really dig the all white mini system you sold to my friend in Indiana when you stopped by this summer. The best part is the old school name tag(Bill Cole) on the belly wart, we found a all white MK-1 and put it together, it's nice to have a retro rig from someone like you Bill, a living legend of the sport, hope you are well... ` you can't pay for kids schoolin' with love of skydiving! ~ Airtwardo

Thats good to know, with all the interest of late in the PC's When I have the time I think I will make a video of all the tricks and tips for all deployment types, so the kids of today won't have to keep bug'n us old guys to help them pack. ` you can't pay for kids schoolin' with love of skydiving! ~ Airtwardo

Or send paragear a buck for it if they still have any... ` you can't pay for kids schoolin' with love of skydiving! ~ Airtwardo

Check with paragear they had a after market booklet with lots of info and packing instructions last time I got one it was only a buck. If your not in a big hurry I could get you a video made of how to do it.

Santa showed up at the dz early and left a package.

Holy crap batman! What jd and everyone else said, lose the box! I have jumped topmounts of over 10 years now and never have used a box of any kind or condom its not a big deal, as others have said go with the strap and tripod screw a little ducktape on the underside to keep it from moving side to side helps too, or better a stroboframe, but tape is cheaper. ~ you can't pay for kids schoolin' with love of skydiving! ~ Airtwardo

Well you know it's bitch getting old, I talked to a friend today who works at SSK. He told me I must need to have my eyes checked. Because there hanging in the lobby is GHB's telesis( not a hog) right between two sweethogs. So the point is I was wrong, yep thats right, I was wrong! My bad. Rob I stand corrected. LOL With that said, I still stand behind my previous point that a sweethog is a good student rig, even if GHB didn't use one and one wasn't made for him, and I still enjoyed the exchange though and look forward to the next one. Cheers. ~ you can't pay for kids schoolin' with love of skydiving! ~ Airtwardo

Yep I always do,I was referring the custom rig built for GHB by SSk that is on display in the lobby that gives the impression it was the rig used on the jump by him.Maybe it was just wishful thinking by Cliff... But I'm not picking on you Rob. You have valid points of view, the smart jumper will look at both sides and make an informed decision, as long as they get the real truth, not hearsay. I don't think that because a dz has and is using sweethogs and mantas in their gear line it makes it a bad dz with substandard gear. There are a lot of jumpers today that need to wake up and "go to school" learn how to do a preflight on A/C, take some time to learn how to do rigging, not to be a pilot or rigger, but because then you will know what to look for to have an informed idea as to what might be safe and what is not safe. Trust yourself NOT the dzo or some posted review. Learn what to look for, when going to a dz you have never been to mill around and have a look at things, watch the first few loads, how dose the pilot fly the plane, whats the rigs/planes look like ect. There seems to be an attiude today that because you got rig on you will be ok "I can get out". (if your lucky) But those same people have no clue what to look for on a plane before getting in it. Same with gear, I had someone(300 to 400 jumps) that wanted to pay me to hook up their 3-rings this summer because they didn't know how to do it, how you going to check your rig before leaving the plane if you don't know your rig? No I don't trust dz reviews, I make up my own mind. ~ you can't pay for kids schoolin' with love of skydiving! ~ Airtwardo

Maybe you need to stop by and visit Steve Stewart the man who invented and built the sweethog and started SSK, at his dz you will find many old student sweehogs that are in find shape, why? because they are over built and tough as nails (many dz have used them for that reason alone) and will last much longer then 6 or 7 years if they are taken care of. As for pin protection, on a student or exp. rig the sweethog has fine pin protection and riser covers as well. Steve Stewart has been in the skydiving biz for over 35 years now and is a master rigger and DPRE. He has been working the sweethog rig for years and his kids have taken over the dz and still use sweethog rigs (as well as others) they take care of the gear and have stayed in the dz biz just fine. They also have dropped a hell of a lot of students over the years. The sweethog is a fine rig and is a very safe student rig! Those rigs would give any rig on the market today a run for their money in durability as well as safety. If the rigs were not VERY safe then I don't think that the Secret Service, US Army GK's, USPA, PIA, SSK or the Bush family would have let Gorge H Bush jump one on his AFF jump! Why is it in todays sport that people feel the need to talk shit about rigs, that are good rigs, like the sweethog and the dolphin, just because someone don't have to spend big bucks to get a rig don't make it unsafe or substandard. If you don't want one of these so call rigs then don't get one, if you chose not jump one then don't, but don't go around talking a bunch of shit that is not true about equipment. Like many times before on this site, ( don't pack or jump anything over 20 yrs old) is BULLSHIT! I would refer those who think that way to the USAF and ARMY studys on longevity of bail out rigs. But if someone choses not to use gear over 20 yrs fine! But don't go around trying to get people to think they will die if they jump it, if it's rotten thats one thing, but a well cared for rig/canopy that is NOT rotten and is airworthy and is over 20 yrs, it is SAFE! Same would apply to a older sweethog! FLAME AWAYYYYYYYYYYY. . you can't pay for kids schoolin' with love of skydiving! ~ Airtwardo

ebay... . you can't pay for kids schoolin' with love of skydiving! ~ Airtwardo

(quote) "top of the line" student gear are Manta's in Sweethogs(quote) What is wrong with a Sweethog? Sounds to me you are misinformed or just don't know what the hell your talking about! . you can't pay for kids schoolin' with love of skydiving! ~ Airtwardo

Looks to be a Canadian knock off of a mini system or the likes. Old school rig or called "gutter gear" today, would hold a round canopy. Reserve would go on your chest, a "belly wart". That is the best I can tell from the photos. Looks clean... . you can't pay for kids schoolin' with love of skydiving! ~ Airtwardo

Not really looking forward to it, but not afraid too if I had to use it. . you can't pay for kids schoolin' with love of skydiving! ~ Airtwardo

You'll pack gear that I won't and that is fine. I don't call you reckless or harsh on you for it. Regardless if I understand why. I feel the same courtesy should be extended to others. (quote) same here, I don't recall doing so, if I did I'm sorry.

American! Not as dainty as the french ones But got that 1960's cool going on. . you can't pay for kids schoolin' with love of skydiving! ~ Airtwardo

Yep I got a 26ft strong lopo in my 1977 wonderhog that is diaper free and the line stowed in the tray. And I'm not worried about having to hang it out. Chance of being a terminal pretty slim, I got a MK-1 in it for a main in a pod, so somthing going to come out of that bad boy and if it don't open there will be a lot of drag out there.

Seen students get lost all day like 4 to 6 hrs. in the surgercane in hawaii, they walk in circles and can't find their way out. . you can't pay for kids schoolin' with love of skydiving! ~ Airtwardo

To tell the truth I put so many warts together for the all round jump at the Richmond Boogie I can't remember for sure on that wart in question, we have many of them most are full diper but if i recall a couple of the strongs are just locked with stows and the rest in the tray. We even got a "death diper" from good old Bill cole, you know the one with the pin attached on the line. It's in a rig of a long time rigger, just have to put the pin in the right way! I do know come spring time when all of them are due a repack I'll see them all again.

NOPE it's a T-10 main with sleave in a B-4 the belly wart has a diper on it, 26ft navy. . you can't pay for kids schoolin' with love of skydiving! ~ Airtwardo

very little reward doing organized 'gut gear' jumps (quote) The reward is getting to see the looks on the young pups faces as they climb out in that stuff, I mean floating 6 outside an otter with belly warts on, you might say they "white eyed" me. . you can't pay for kids schoolin' with love of skydiving! ~ Airtwardo