wolfriverjoe

Best answer I ever heard (by a serious smartass): "It depends on how hard you pull the ripcord. Once I pulled it as hard as I could and almost made it back up to the plane." And the questioner almost believed him. "There are NO situations which do not call for a French Maid outfit." Lucky McSwervy "~ya don't GET old by being weak & stupid!" - Airtwardo

From the OP he's 215#. Presumably that's "stepping out of the shower" weight. Add clothes, shoes & gear and he's probably at or above 250#. That's loading a 190 above 1.3:1. Since he's looking for his first rig, I'm going to guess he's under 50 jumps. Almost certainly under 100. (Hey OP! Fill out your profile, you'll get better advice.) While a jumper with that low of experience could choose to do that, it's stupid to do. I don't care how much "competence" he might think he has. There's only one thing that teaches a canopy pilot how to react instinctively under certain situations. Experience. Some of those reactions that are necessary are pretty counterintuitive. The natural reaction has to be trained out, and the proper one trained in. "There are NO situations which do not call for a French Maid outfit." Lucky McSwervy "~ya don't GET old by being weak & stupid!" - Airtwardo

Ok. He was Allied Air Commander. And he may well have told you that. But it doesn't make it true. Nobody wanted to see SH stay in power. But nobody could come up with a viable alternative. SH had done a very good job of eliminating anyone who had any potential to take over. Any General or other "leadership" type who showed any real potential was arrested for something, had an "accident" or fled the country. The fools who thought we could have a stable government in Iraq after the 03 invasion thought they had a replacement, but the actual Iraqis who he was supposed to govern wouldn't accept him. And then it all fell apart and we spent the next 10 years paying for that mistake. 10 years is a lot more than 6 months. Again, Cheney himself said that invading Iraq and deposing SH in 91 would have been a bad mistake. He was right. http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Dick_Cheney#1990s It was no less of a mistake in 03. But his Halliburton buddies wanted a big contract, and got a bunch of them. They also wanted Iraqi oil, but that part didn't work out so well. "There are NO situations which do not call for a French Maid outfit." Lucky McSwervy "~ya don't GET old by being weak & stupid!" - Airtwardo

SO,, then our God as seen in the movie Dogma was right then.... Our God? Yes, Sheryl Crow is God, Actually, she (God) was portrayed by Canadian singer Alanis Morissette. And Bud Cort in the beginning (at the pier when the Stygian Triplets attacked). "There are NO situations which do not call for a French Maid outfit." Lucky McSwervy "~ya don't GET old by being weak & stupid!" - Airtwardo

I wasn't there. Who is/was "Wheeler"? I can't find anyone by that name in charge of anything important during Desert Storm. Saying the US left SH in charge because the UN didn't give the authority is still bullshit. "There are NO situations which do not call for a French Maid outfit." Lucky McSwervy "~ya don't GET old by being weak & stupid!" - Airtwardo

Bullshit. We left SH in power in 91 because if we had taken him out, there would have been no one to take his place. It would have resulted in chaos, sectarian violence and serious bloodshed, terrorist rising up from the mess, Iran gaining prominence in the region and a few other nasty things. You know, just like what happened after the US took SH out of power in 03. Cheney (then SecDef) is on record saying these things. "There are NO situations which do not call for a French Maid outfit." Lucky McSwervy "~ya don't GET old by being weak & stupid!" - Airtwardo

Well, when the NRA came out with the "Eddie Eagle" program, a course designed for kids that teaches "Don't touch, get away & tell an adult", the anti-gun crowd went bananas about it. They didn't even look at the material. They just didn't want the "Evil NRA" indoctrinating their kids (they want to indoctrinate the kids themselves). However, one of the High Schools near me has a "Life Sports" phys ed class. It exposes the kids to a variety of sports that they might actually continue with after high school. Laser tag, weightlifting, Karate, frisbee golf, archery and... Guns. 2 days at the range I'm part of. Day one is basic safety, gun handling and marksmanship with bolt-action rifles. Day two is the "cool toys" Usually an AK, AR, SKS, a WW1 bolt (Mauser, Mosin/Nagant, Enfield or Springfield) and a selection of pistols - 22, .380, .38/357, .40 & .45. The kids are all seniors, and really love it. Some take the entire class just for the shooting part. They are an absolute blast to work with. "There are NO situations which do not call for a French Maid outfit." Lucky McSwervy "~ya don't GET old by being weak & stupid!" - Airtwardo

Container size is easy. Figure out what size reserve and main you should be jumping right now. Go to the manufacturer's site and find out what fits those well. Avoid overstuffing a rig. It has consequences. It can damage the flaps, stiffeners and grommets over time. It can also cause reserve hesitation. You don't want that. Really, you don't. Harness is a bit more involved, but not hard. Go back to the manufacturer's site and find the page for taking measurements. Have someone measure you. DO NOT try to do it yourself. You can't. A rigger is good, an experienced tailor or seamstress is also good. But, realistically, anyone who can read a tape measure and follow directions can do it. Do it twice, and if the numbers don't match, do it again. Send those measurements and the serial number of the prospective rig to the manufacturer. They will be able to tell you if it will fit as is, will need a resize (a few hundred bucks) or will not work. "There are NO situations which do not call for a French Maid outfit." Lucky McSwervy "~ya don't GET old by being weak & stupid!" - Airtwardo

No, your lack of experience is pretty obvious. Why? Really. Why should someone downsize "just because they can"? And the idea that the OP would be ok on a 190 because "a no flare landing wouldn't kill him" is pretty stupid. Very few people get killed (or hurt, which is a lot more common) on a "no flare" landing. They have to land out in a small area. Or they make an aggressive turn too close to the ground (for a wide variety of reasons). They catch a gust at the wrong time and don't react well. And a bunch of other things. A bit more experience in the sport and you'd be aware of this stuff. To the OP, figure out your exit weight. That means stepping on a scale fully geared up, exactly as you would get on the plane. I think you're going to be a bit surprised. The bigger student gear weighs a lot. Then make your gear choices based on that. Brian's chart is a very good place to start. Pick an appropriately sized reserve. Then an appropriately sized main. There are a lot of canopies appropriate for your skill level. Sabre2, Pilot & Safire are the most common. Container manufacturer isn't all that important. They're all pretty good. Find one that will fit the canopies you should jump now. Put the word out at your DZ that you are looking. Quite a few jumpers have older gear in their closet. Not worth a whole lot of money, but good for a first rig. They won't put it in the classifieds, but are often willing to sell it to a new guy to help him get in the air. Consult with experienced jumpers, your instructors, your local gear store (if you have one), an experienced rigger. Try to find someone who has no "skin in the game" (has no financial interest in the sale). I've seen and heard of newer jumpers being sold totally inappropriate gear by someone who advised them "You'll grow into it, buy it from me." If someone says "It's a bit advanced for you, but you'll be ok if you are careful", then stop listening to them. "There are NO situations which do not call for a French Maid outfit." Lucky McSwervy "~ya don't GET old by being weak & stupid!" - Airtwardo

What??????? Jerry Baumchen Whadaya mean "What?" I'd've - A clear contraction of "I would have." (and it's not "I would of") It follows all conventions and rules for contractions. I'm not 100% sure it's on the "Approved list", but I knew exactly what she meant. And to answer the question: Because it is, without a doubt, the most amazing, incredible, thrilling and euphoric experience I have ever had. After my first jump, the first words I said were "I have to do that again." "There are NO situations which do not call for a French Maid outfit." Lucky McSwervy "~ya don't GET old by being weak & stupid!" - Airtwardo

I think the last clause of your question is really the problem. While the natural product off the plant would be almost physically impossible to overdose on, I can imagine that isn't going to be the end of it if the clause, "whatever form they wish" stood. Let's be realistic. This is 'Murica. Somebody would find a way to concentrate it well beyond anything you could ever currently imagine. Then somebody else would make it one louder. Eventually you'd end up with something that I can conceive of as a dangerous substance. You mean maybe as dangerous as, say... Alcohol? LD-50 BAC is somewhere a little under 0.50%. Legally drunk behind the wheel (OWI/DUI) is 0.08% most places, it used to be 0.10%. It's pretty hard to attain lethal levels drinking something relatively weak, like normal beer. Or wine coolers or that sort of thing. But it's pretty easy to do it with "hard liquor" (whiskey, vodka, gin, ect - anything 80 proof or above). There used to be a "tradition" local to me for freshly legal-to-drink 18 year-olds (hey, it was a while back). They would have the "subject" do a shot at each downtown bar, one after the other. They called it the "Death March." And if the subject didn't puke the booze back up, they ran a pretty significant risk of dying. Two or three died each year when I was a kid. Even if the THC was concentrated to the point that a large dose would become lethal, I wouldn't have a problem with the legality of it. I know you like to be picky, Quade. And I see your point. But I'd be fine with "legally using THC in any form." Edited for clarity "There are NO situations which do not call for a French Maid outfit." Lucky McSwervy "~ya don't GET old by being weak & stupid!" - Airtwardo

You don't have to die. I've been riding over 30 years and jumping over 10 and I'm not dead... Yet. Real life involves risk. You can't even love someone without some risk (that they are going to leave or die first). The alternative is to wrap yourself in bubble wrap and hide under a tarp in the basement. And even then, the house could burn down. Is that really living? Each person has to decide if the risk is worth the reward. For both jumping and riding, the levels get closer up every year. But I'm not quitting this year. He chose to get on the bike, he chose the route, his choices (not yours) are what cost him his life, even if the "choice" that ultimately cost him his life was "Left or Right at this intersection." We often have no clue of the true consequences of the simplest choices we make all day, every day. And, of course, all that is easy to say. And much, much harder to take when you have had a recent loss. Been there. Sorry about your friend. "There are NO situations which do not call for a French Maid outfit." Lucky McSwervy "~ya don't GET old by being weak & stupid!" - Airtwardo

When said "handyman" lives in a $300k+ house, I don't think he's stuck in "poverty." "There are NO situations which do not call for a French Maid outfit." Lucky McSwervy "~ya don't GET old by being weak & stupid!" - Airtwardo

Why was he not covered.... how many states is it again.... that have fought tooth and nail to not implement the ACA again???? Right. Obamacare didn't cover him. So the program doesn't work. Unless its intentions were not to actually cover everybody. Question : why does the left find the insured so amusing now when before they thought the uninsured deserved compassion against the uncaring right wingers? Is it because caring never had anything to do with it? It's not about "caring" or the lack of it. It's about following the rules and applying them to everyone. He wasn't insured because he chose to not get coverage. It was available, he could have gotten it. Based on the little that I know, he probably would have been eligible for subsidized insurance. But "he prided himself on paying his own medical bills." And when he found they were too expensive, his wife says: “(My husband) should be at the front of the line, because he doesn't work and because he has medical issues, we call it the Not Fair Health Care Act.” So he didn't want health insurance under Obamacare because he doesn't agree with it. But when his bills get too high, he cries that it isn't fair. Sorry. He knew (or should have known) that the enrollment period was finite. They even extended it a couple times. They had commercials all over the place saying these things. Now that he needs it he is out of luck. My sympathies are... Limited. http://www.charlotteobserver.com/news/business/health-care/health-care-challenge-blog/article20696283.html "There are NO situations which do not call for a French Maid outfit." Lucky McSwervy "~ya don't GET old by being weak & stupid!" - Airtwardo

And China is so corrupt that none of this will be effectively enforced. They have virtually no environmental regulations, at least none that can't be circumvented with a bit of a bribe to local officials. They are so polluted they make LA in the early 70's look pristine. "There are NO situations which do not call for a French Maid outfit." Lucky McSwervy "~ya don't GET old by being weak & stupid!" - Airtwardo

I have some real problems with state sponsored vengeance. Vengeance and the hatred that causes it are very destructive. Perfectly understandable, but very destructive. When the state starts doing it, then where does it stop? And yes, I'm perfectly aware that many prosecutors and cops operate on a "get even with the bad guy" mentality. LWOP ensures that the perpetrator will never be free again. Society will be protected, and despite any "adaptability", the knowledge that he will never again be a free man is a pretty strong punishment. Victims Rights is one thing. But granting them 'closure' by allowing them to vent their vengeance is another. Should we allow them to push the button on the "death machine"? Should we allow them to be a part of the firing squad? How about giving them a baseball bat and tying the guy down so they can cave his skull in? Where should it stop? "There are NO situations which do not call for a French Maid outfit." Lucky McSwervy "~ya don't GET old by being weak & stupid!" - Airtwardo

Life without parole is significantly cheaper than a death sentence. As is pretty clear from some of the responses, it's far more a "revenge" thing. "There are NO situations which do not call for a French Maid outfit." Lucky McSwervy "~ya don't GET old by being weak & stupid!" - Airtwardo

Right you are. It is a violation of Part 105. However, I'm sure Luke will get whatever waiver is needed for that. He's a pretty good planner. I'd like to be there when he does this jump.

Something other than South Korea's version of "The New York Post" or a random user on an online forum, perhaps? Just because you don't like what they say doesn't make them "not legit." "There are NO situations which do not call for a French Maid outfit." Lucky McSwervy "~ya don't GET old by being weak & stupid!" - Airtwardo

He's supposedly executed people with a pack of wild dogs, mortar fire, and now anti-air. That all sounds pretty nefarious. Evil even. But I have yet to see any confirmation by a legit news source. "There are NO situations which do not call for a French Maid outfit." Lucky McSwervy "~ya don't GET old by being weak & stupid!" - Airtwardo

Well shit howdy, I always wondered where Mr. Ed retired to. Thanks for the update! Ed's Dead, baby. Ed's dead. "There are NO situations which do not call for a French Maid outfit." Lucky McSwervy "~ya don't GET old by being weak & stupid!" - Airtwardo

Well, it was a fine, two draft picks (1st round next year, 4th the year after) and Brady sits 4 games. Nothing for Belichick. Well worth it for the Pats, IMO. "There are NO situations which do not call for a French Maid outfit." Lucky McSwervy "~ya don't GET old by being weak & stupid!" - Airtwardo

No. This one, the one in NYC, and a recent one here in Wisconsin were all typical "Bad guy doesn't want to go to jail, panics & shoots cop" situations. This shooting (in MS) is a textbook case of why traffic stops are one of the top 2 dangerous situations for cops (the other being domestic disputes). The cop never knows exactly what he's going to encounter. It could be a "soccer mom" who's in a hurry, it could be an armed robber who just shot the clerk at the convenience store a mile up the road. "There are NO situations which do not call for a French Maid outfit." Lucky McSwervy "~ya don't GET old by being weak & stupid!" - Airtwardo

It's not a direct remake. Ed Helms is "Rusty," the son (Anthony Michael Hall played him in the original). I'm guessing that he's going to show that he has true "Griswold genes" in taking his family on a roadtrip. It's "Vacation, the Next Generation." "There are NO situations which do not call for a French Maid outfit." Lucky McSwervy "~ya don't GET old by being weak & stupid!" - Airtwardo

Pfft. Brady is too much of a moneymaker. He won't get suspended. The Pats are too popular. They won't suffer any real consequences. And did you know that Robert Kraft (Pats owner) and Roger Goodell (NFL commish) are close friends? A fine, a slap on the wrist, a couple draft picks, and a "Don't do that again" (again). I'd love to see them stripped of the SuperBowl title. But it is NOT going to happen. "There are NO situations which do not call for a French Maid outfit." Lucky McSwervy "~ya don't GET old by being weak & stupid!" - Airtwardo