Newbie

Population density and culture. It's not really hard to figure out. I dont think population density amounts to too much, because it should surely be based on a people:guns ratio right? Also, with the culture thing - isn't it therefore worth asking the question why is the culture that way inclined and from there trying to think about making changes to it? Finding out the answers is not even half the battle. "Skydiving is a door" Happythoughts

the thing is Moore is an NRA member. I liked to shoot too, when you could shoot full bore handguns here before they were outlawed (and in the UK if you tell people you like to shoot guns they look at you like you are psychotic). The point is, its not some liberal going up on his soap box saying gun ownership is bad. Its a guy saying "we have a lot of people with guns - but so does Canade (10 million familes, 7 million guns) but why in the US do people so readily pick them up to shoot other people?" Thats what the point is. Its not anti gun, anti shooting anti hunting propoganda (unless you count the hilarious anecdote about the beagle with the gun strapped to his back accidentally shooting his owner in the leg). Its a thought provoking look at trying to understand why people seem to be so quick to pull a trigger there compared to other places, even those places with high gun ownership like Canada. "Skydiving is a door" Happythoughts

I despise that stupid fat f***er. He's like a left-wing Rush Limbaugh. well i think the point of the doc is to not concerntrate on him per se, but to listen to the questions he is raising and to think about what is being talked about. Why did national radio pan it? "Skydiving is a door" Happythoughts

ahh great idea bill thanks "Skydiving is a door" Happythoughts

Even National Public Radio panned it. why though? Its received crital acclaim from a number of publications here, not to mention the Speical Jury prize at Cannes (yeah i know that might not count towards much, but its the first time in 56 years its been awarded to a documentary) "Skydiving is a door" Happythoughts

with less than 40 jumps i thought "ok i have a spare little piece of cash, i'll get me an audible too", which i thought would be another "back up" just incase i lost alti awareness - which i haven't done in any of my jumps to date, but i like the idea of having it another alti, plus the other fun features on the Protrack. Anyway then i thought - well seeing as im pretty inexperienced, would it be a better idea to NOT buy an audible now, and use the ground and my visual alti as a means to build my alti awareness? What do you guys think? Should i hold off for a while? "Skydiving is a door" Happythoughts

a documentary trying to find an answer to the question of why people in the States have a higher propensity to picking up a gun and shooting people "Skydiving is a door" Happythoughts

what do you mean? "Skydiving is a door" Happythoughts

espeically you gun owners. If you haven't seen it, make sure you do. One of the decades unmissable documentaries as far as im concerned. "Skydiving is a door" Happythoughts

after having read that post on it in Talk Back i wanted to clarify the situation. Normally i count, or wait for the jump master, but i want to actually know how to LOOK for separation. Im trying to get into the habit of watching someone go and seeing where they are after my count, but what angle should they be at to my view to have adequate separation? WHat i mean is if straight down out the door is 0 degrees, and looking at the horizon via the planes tail is 90 degrees, what angle should the group/person be at for adequate separation, and how should that be altered, if at all to groups of different numbers/disciplines. Please note im new to this so explanations in the most basic terms would be appreciated. Thanks "Skydiving is a door" Happythoughts

alright thanks "Skydiving is a door" Happythoughts

yeah thtas what i thought, but the club packers packed it. Could the bridle twist during deployment, if the pc oscillates in the wind or something when its released? Thats the only way i can figure the bridle go so twisted, but it hasnt happened before. "Skydiving is a door" Happythoughts

nah its regular, no kill line "Skydiving is a door" Happythoughts

i had a a hard-ish opening yesterday, and when i looked up, i noticed the pc was not trailing behind the tail as normal but was sort of sat on the tail edge , sort of just slightly left of centre. I did my canopy control checks and flared a few times, thinking it would sort of "unlatch" the pc, but it just stayed there no matter what- it didnt bother me much but i knew it was somewhere it shouldnt normally be. When i landed i looked at the bridle between the pc and the bag and it was really twisted and curled up, which i guess shortened its length causing it to sit where it did. I figure this is just one of those things, nothing to worry about. Is that a fair assumption? PS it was club gear not my own "Skydiving is a door" Happythoughts

man i don't get that film - whats it trying to say? Why did Donnie go back to die in his room? WHat was going on with those weird vortex's art the end? Why, when he and the gang went looking for Roberta Sparrow could they not find her, then those 2 guys were suddenly in the cellar waiting for them (why were they there??) and then old Roberta is suddenly outside doing her mail routine (where did she appear from?) and then Frank turns out to be one of the guys who runs Donnies girlfriend over! I mean, what the hell? Anyway if anyone can offer any insight into what was going on, or can break it down, i'd really appreciate it. It was a good film, but i just left feeling like i didn't get as much out of it as i should have done. "Skydiving is a door" Happythoughts

where did you hear this? My dad has one at his place - nothing like it in the winter! "Skydiving is a door" Happythoughts

the harness size was fine - but for some reason the 170 reserve i had for it was too small to fill out the reserve compartment properly. It takes a 190 main. Dont feel bad about your new rig - enjoy it!! I would if i was you and i finally had my new gear all ready to rock and roll What did you get? "Skydiving is a door" Happythoughts

Due to awful weather, a pretty dire financial situation, logisitics (the dz is 170miles, 4 hour round trip) and a busy social life for the last few weekends, i haven't jumped in AGES (almost 2 months now) On top of all this, my container, main and reserve which i ordered from South Africa back in July, finally arrived here about 4 weeks ago due to hassles from my intermediary who was handling everything for me, customs etc , only to have a couple of riggers decide that the container was too large to house the reserve properly, so i had to send it a few thousand miles back to South Africa, only to be told a week after it was picked up by the courier company here in London that they had been sat on it for a week because i didnt provide an invoice (it was "damaged" goods going back under warranty, so i was told by the guys out in South Africa it didnt need an invoice, only some headed paper explaining the situation to be placed inside the transit box), only to THEN be told last week that customs in Jo'burg had been sat on it for almost 2 WEEKS because they didnt have the invoice (all the details were inside the package which i guess they hadn't thought to open, as you know, customs don't normally look inside anything they are unsure about) Anyway after much wrangling its now en route to the factory and should be there by Monday. Once sorted it then has to be shipped back - all in all about a 4.5 month turnaround i reckon. I know patience is a virtue, but godDAMN someone has decided to teach me the hard way here. Anyhoo, FINALLY i have a little spare cash, the weekend is free and im able to get to the DZ - the only problem is this weekend looks set to be as bad as LAST (ok we aren't due for 80mph gales, we'll probably only get 30mph - lucky us eh?) I can't even watch my skydiving videos anymore, or look at pics - every time i do, i feel like im being tortured. I want to be up there too!! "Skydiving is a door" Happythoughts

thanks Lisa I guess i could buy it but im more curious to browse through it - im A license, and in the UK, so i dont 'technically' need a copy, but i just would like to see whats it in again (i looked at it before i started jumping but want to go back over it again just to see whats there) "Skydiving is a door" Happythoughts

thanks "Skydiving is a door" Happythoughts

man it looks like there is a fair amount of evidence piling up against that guy and his stepson, although obviously no one is guilty until proven so. I hope they were the guys resonsible so this craziness can stop finally! In the meantime have you seen whats going on with the Chechen terrorists in Russia? Am i the only one who turns on the news on an almost daily basis and wonders what the hell is going (wr)on(g) with the human race? "Skydiving is a door" Happythoughts

thanks, thats pretty interesting. By the way can you explain what is all about?? "Skydiving is a door" Happythoughts

im not trolling. Im just interested to know if there is an element of truth. I have less than 40 jumps so im not to know if this is something that does/has happened before. "Skydiving is a door" Happythoughts

I heard through a more experienced friend that some dz's are funded, or were initially funded on drug running money. At first i thought this was bs, but then i remember someone once saying on here that they knew all sorts of skydivers from all sorts of walks of life and professions and i think drug runner was one such profession (although at the time i think i thought the poster was joking) Anyway thinking about the feasability of it all (i.e. dropping people out of a plane with a few lbs of coke attached to them) would seem to be a pretty easy - or at least interesting - way to run drugs. I'm not into that sort of thing myself, but i am curious as to know if there is any truth behind what was said. So, without mentioning names, does anyone know if this is something that actually does (has) happened before? "Skydiving is a door" Happythoughts

I've noticed the container is WAY smaller than what i'm used to, even though its a 190 main in there, and i've jumped 209's, but for the last few months 220s. Anyway the handle is a little higher and requires a more acute angle at the elbow to grab it, but other than that it feels wonderful. When i jump it for the first time though, what do you guys suggest i do? This will be my first time on a 190, as the lowest i have jumped was a 209 which was fine. Im aware there is about 20 sq ft diff there though, so i thought i would open high and play (obviously telling the LO and manifest that i plan to do that). Especially as i've been jumping 220s for the last month or so. Anyhoo, i know it's probably just "first time jitters" but whats the best ways to assess flight characteristics of a new main on that first jump? I was going to just do some flat turns, practice loads of flaring and getting the bite points on the flare, and just be very cautious. Anything else i should think about when i jump it the first time? Thanks all "Skydiving is a door" Happythoughts