davelepka

I'm not sure why they think that would be in improvement over a handle attached to the base of the PC. The idea behind attaching it at the base of the PC is that by the time the PC is in the airstream, the pin has been pulled and the container is open. At this point, the last thing you want to do is hang on to your PC, so mounting it at the base makes it very tough to hang onto the thing. So they reduced the pack volume by a tiny bit, but made it possible to hang onto your PC while your container is open. Seems like a trade-off to me, and a shitty one at that.

Thanks to all for the info. The bad news is that the weather is shit today, so I'm going to venture out to the Best Buy and see what I can see.

Goggles - ask your instructors. They have the final say what they'll let you jump with as a student, so my opinion (or yours) doesn't really count. Helmet - same as above, but no matter what you may be jumping a school helmet for the first 5 or 6 jumps. If the student radios are 'hard mounted' into the helmets, then you'll have to use one of theirs until you get off the radio. Even if the radios are easily removeable, they also would have to if into whatever helmet you have in order for it to work (even then, the instructors still might veto the idea). If you don't like the idea of using a 'community' helmet or google, bring some baby wipes and give them a clean-up before your jump. Other than that, use the stuff at the DZ and see what you think. Maybe you really like the goggles, and would really love a fresh pair to call your own, but you won't know until you try. Same with the helmets, maybe they have more than one size/style, and you can try a couple to see where you want to spend your money. Right now you have zero experience with either of these things, but after 5 jumps, you'll at least know something about it (not much, but way more than now).

Oh, no. It's a high speed deal, DSL maybe? They provided a modem that connects directly to my computer, no router currently installed. I do recall dial up days, what a shit deal that was

I need some tech advice with regards to Wifi, TVs and DVD players. Currently I have a TV (not Wifi enabled, no cable/satellite/DVR), a DVD player (not Wifi) and a computer with a modem (no router). What I want to do is set up a Wifi network and use it to beam Netflix, Hulu, Youtube, Vimeo, etc to my TV. The main reason for the Wifi is that both of my kids now have smart phones (me too) and want the Wifi for browsing while at home. At the same time, I recently bought a friend a Blu-ray player as a house warming gift, and it turns out that it's Netflix friendly, and she's been using it to watch Netflix on her TV, and that's pretty cool. There is no way to run a wire from the computer to the TV, so it has to be over Wifi. I woulnd't mind a Blu-ray player, but it's not a requirement. So what are my options here? I wish I cared more about this stuff to really research and learn, but I just don't. I'm really only interested in the finished product, so if anyone with more info about this than me (just about everyone) can point me in the right direction, that would be great. Furthermore, if it's all stuff I can buy locally at Bestbuy (or similar) that would be cool too, I;m looking to set this up tomorrow (the weather doesn't look great for jumping).

Ok, now let's move back to the issue at hand. I'll make a comparison that most people old enough to skydive can relate to. Let's consider texting and driving. It's an issue that's popular in the media these days for obvious reasons, texting is a distraction to a driver, much in the same way that a camera can be a distraction to a skydiver. So let's be realistic, we all know there are 'some' people who are capable of texting and driving with no real loss in safety. Of course the number of people who are actually capable of doing this safely, and the number of people who 'think' they can do it safely are two very different things, but that's another story. Would your guess as to who could possible safely text and drive include a 16 year old (or really any driver with less than a year or two on the road)? Let's say you had to make a guess one way or the other, and then send someone into traffic while they were texting, would you place your bet on a a new driver, or on a more seasoned driver? Let's even imagine that you have a young driver and an 'old fart'. The young driver is going to be much more familiar with texting and the phone in general, while the 'old fart' is going to be more familiar with driving, so if you have to 'pick your poison', which would you prefer, a good driver trying to text, or a good texter trying to drive? (That last comparison is a poor example, but it's a poor example in my favor. Even an older jumper not as familiar with cameras is not the same as an older driver not familiar with texting because working a camera for skydiving involves one sequence of operations to power up and activate the camera, where tetxing requires different operations with each message). Either way, you can see my point. The skydiving is the more dangerous part of the activity, so first you become a good, safe, experienced skydiver, THEN you add a camera to the mix. Knowing how to work the camera ahead of time, or even being trained how to jump with the camera does not chnage the fact that the skydive is the damgerous part, and does not make the skydive any less dynamic or risky. In any case, the whole notion of being able to trained to skydive with a camera is dependant on the trainee already being a good, safe, and experienced skydiver. Just like I can't teach to to text and drive if you don't already know how to drive (meaning you're an accomplished driver, ready to add tasks to your driving 'workload'), you can't reasonably expect to teach someone to skydive with a camera unless they already know how to skydive.

Well, for staters when it comes to flying a camera with low jump numbers, the correct advice would be not to do it. Packing is not a good comparison because a pack job is required for every skydive, and a camera is not. Packing is also something that is commonly practiced by new jumpers, and is a requirement for obtaining an A license. No skydive requitres a camera, and no skydiver is ever required to fly a camera. Let me try and say this the same way I've said it three times already - the problem here is your attitude toward the sound, friendly advice you did recieve. You did not like what you heard, and so you ignored the sound, friendly advice that was given to you, and insisted that your thought process was correct. In responding this way to sound, friendly advice, you put yourself forth as an asshole. It shouldn't be a surprise to you then, when people treat you or talk to you like you're an asshole. (I'm not saying that you are one, just that you come across as one, and in turn are treated like one)

Once again, you have missed the point by a wide margin, and you prove it with your response. In your case, sound advice was given in a friendly manner in the beginning. Less friendly advice is what you got after YOU continued to insist that you were correct about the issue. The very reason you get the attitude that you do is because you continued to insist that you were right, despite much more experienced and informed jumpers telling you otherwise. Once you did that, you immediately pigeon-holed yourself into being another know-it-all newbie, and in turn were treated as such. You continue to point out what everyone else is doign wrong with their approach or delivery, but the real problem is you and your attitude. At the end of the day, what I'm saying is correct but not delivered in the correct manner (by your standards). What you are saying is incorrect, but maybe delivered in a more friendly manner. We're coming at it from opposite ends, but no matter which way you slice it, I'm right and that's the most important factor when it comes to skydiving. Packing? Did you turn to those people who tried to help you and tell them that your way was right, and their view was old and outdated? I'm betting no, my guess is that you greatfully accepted the help that was offered, and paid close attention to what they said. Imagine the response you would have gotten here if you had treated those who tried to help you on the camera issue with the same attitude and respect.

This is pure sepculation, I have never made this man a cup of coffee and have no plans to.

Well then Einstein, you've finally said something that makes sense. Hard lesson, if you want to skydive and live, you need to be an exception to a bunch of 'rules' we have out in the general population these days. Do you really think that this is a sport for 'average' people? Do you see success in skydiving and living on the top of the bell curve as going together? I sure don't, and most of the successful, talented jumpers I know are also unusally good at most other things they do. These folks are certainly not 'normal', and if you would catagorize yourself as such, you should be very weary of proceeding in the sport. It might seem like sunshine a butterflies right now, but if you keep jumping you stand a very good chance of being put into a very challenging situation where your very survival will depend on your quick and accurate response to a problem. A skydive goes from 'fun' to 'deadly' in about one second, and if you're not preparred to hang with that change and react correctly and promptly, hang up your rig now. That aside, the irony of 'you' is hard to believe. Bill (and myself) came right out and said it, you are the problem here. You are the reason that you get the responses and attitude you're getting. You want to know why you get sour delivery? Because some of us have been delivering these messages for a decade (or more) and listening to the 'know it all' responses from the new jumpers all along. I take my time and knowledge to try and help someone, and they tell me why I'm wrong and what I've spent 17 years learning doesn't apply to them. How do you think I should react? The frist time it happens in year one? The 25th time is happens in year 3? The 50 th time it happens in year 5? Do really expect me (or anyone) to 'suffer fools lightly' for the rest of my life? You had a chance to state your thoughts, and were given sound advice about some errors in your thinking. You want to talk about 'catching more flies with honey', where was the honey in your resposne? When much more experienced jumpers tried to help you and give you some good advice, did you accpet it humbly and in such a way that would encourge them to help you further, or did you throw it in their face why they were wrong (so you thought) and tell them they were just behind the times? In addition to being 'a part of the problenm', you are the one who should heed your own advice. Why don't you watch what you say, and make sure that it's done in a way to encourage the other party to keep talking and keep giving advice. Like it or not, you're the FNG (fucking new guy), and I (we) am the one who's been around the block and holds 'the keys to the kingdom'. Given that, how about you think twice about your delivery, and if what you're saying isn't met with continued good advice, you need to change your attitude and approach. "What's my name? Fuck you, that's my name"

Are you unusualyl small or large? If you're closer to an average size, look into a used rig. For literlly half the money (or less) you can get a good rig to start off with. Being your first rig, you don't really know much about what you want from practical experience. You may find in 100 jumps that you really want something different than you bought, and if you buy new, you'll lose thousands of dollars on the resale. If you buy used, you can sell it 100 jumps later and only lose $100 or $200 on the whole deal. During your first 100 jumps with your own rig, you'll learn a lot, you'll be able to demo canopies and borrw rigs from other jumpers to try a wide variety of gear. By the time you're done, you'll know 100x more about gear than you do now and will be better able to make a good choice about what you really want. If you can buy a new rig you can keep for years, in that case it will be worth it, but how do you know now what you're going to want in three years? Also, new main canopies are VERY hard to pack. I'm not kidding when I say that a canopy with 0 jumps is probably twice as hard to pack as a canopy with 500 jumps. Literally twice as a hard. On the CypresII, but that new. They last for 12 years, and you can switch it from rig to rig as you buy and sell different rigs. All of the rigs will take the Cypres, so just buy that new and keep for the next 12 years. Ask your instructors and rigger to help you find a good 'starter rig'. Look for something inexpensive, and spend the savings on more jumps or a canopy control course, those things will serve you much better than a pretty, fancy new rig. Keep in mind that any used gear you buy will need to be inspected by your rigger, and if it passes his inspection, it's going to be just as 'safe' as a new rig.

Walk into the DZ you want to work at and ask them. Every one is different, but start off by offering to work for free while you learn how to pack. Even if you don't know the whole routine, you can 'assist' the packers by untangling canopies, setting brakes, changing rubber bands, etc. At the same time, you can practice packing one step at a time, or when they have an hour where they can live without a rig. Sometimes coming in on a Monday after a busy Sunday is a chance to pack without the pressure of the plane running non-stop outside. Sooner or later, you'll be confident in your work, and someone on staff will 'check you out', probably by watching you pack a rig start to finish, and make sure you're doing it right. Keep in mind that once you have some packing experience, you can take that to any DZ and be put to work almost right away (if they need help). You might need some 'transition' training if they use another brand of tandem rig than you're used to (there are really only two, so once you know both, you're in good shape). The technical letter of the law on packing is that you need to be either the next person to jump the rig, a certified rigger, or under the supervision of a certified rigger. Most DZs use that last one to justify letting non-riggers pack mains, and they define being 'under the supervision of a rigger' the same as there being a rigger somewhere on the DZ while you're actually packing. Some even extend that to having a rigger 'on call', who you can literally call if there's a question. They're both a little bit of bullshit, but that's the way that it's done at the majority of DZs in the US. A small handful require you to be a rigger to pack anything, and some have a rigger in the packing room at all times. Not most, but some.

When did you check on that? Either way, a throw out PC has the handle mounted to the apex of the PC, so if you hold the handle, the PC will trail, apex-first, in the wind and not inflate. No inflation = very little drag to pull the jumper up and over. A pull out PC is set up the other way, the handle is mounted to the base of the PC. When you hold the handle and put the PC in the wind, it will inflate and the handle will get yanked out of your hand. The last thing you want to do with a pull out is attempt to hang onto the handle. First off, if your PC is out, your container is open on a pull out, so if you did try to hang onto the PC and went ustable, you would be unstable with an open container. This is why the handle is on the base of the PC, so you really can't hang onto it due to the drag of the PC.

First off, it might take longer than you are budgeting for time. Rushing through your trinaing, or even trying to, is not going to help you. Find a DZ near where you are staying, go for the day and take the AFF level 1 class. You'll be in the classroom for most of the day, and make your frist jump when your done. See what you think then, and go from there. You're not doing yourself any favors by comitting to finishing your training in 'x' number of days, or even comitting to one DZ. What if you get there, set up camp, and find out you don't like the people, the vibe, or the instructors? Finally, avoid Lodi. Yes, it's cheap, and there's a reason for that, they don't do the (costly) required maintenance on their aircraft. I know you're wearing a parachute, but when a wing falls off at 500ft, everyone is going to die no matter what they're wearing. The FAA fined the owner close to $700,000 becuase the maintenance shortcomings were that severe.

No sir. If that was a pull-out, he would be holding a pud with the PC trailing behind the pud at the end of a lanyard. Also, all of the pull outs I have jumped have the PC attached to the bridle at the base, not the apex, so once the PC is in the wind it inflates and pulls the pud right out of your hand. He's holding onto a handle attached directly to the apex of the PC, just like a throw out. This explains why he is even able to trail it for so long without the PC inflating and being pulled out of his hand.

I'm going to disagree with that idea. If you look, his hand is clearly clenched in a fist holding the PC and then is intentionally released when the PC departs. There is no head movement in concert with that action, to show that he might have seen his PC was still in his hand. It looks to me like he held it until he was going into the cloud (for some odd reason). I'd like to add another 'squawk' to the video review, that being what appears to be loose excess legstrap blowing around in between his legs. Nothing but more sloppy airmanship on his part. On the upside, he managed to make sure his camera was turned on. Someone mentioned the cloud bust, but I'm willing to give him a pass on that. The layer is fairly broken as seen in the video, and if he hit a 'cloud' instead of a 'break' from 29k ft, that's an honest mistake.

Just wanted to share this photo, along with the story it really paints a picture (or a face, or whatever). Funny thing is, she's only 24 and probably has no idea who Tammy Faye Baker is (or was). http://www.newsnet5.com/dpp/news/local_news/oh_portage/Streetsboro-police-arrest-woman-after-wrong-way-pursuit-on-I-480

Thanks for bringing him out Scott, he did great. You can see in the video that he was cool as a cucumber the whole time in the plane and in the door. Not a moments hesitation at any point. If he gets home at any point during the season, bring him out for an AFF jump, I'm sure he'll do just as well without Jay on his back (no offence to Jay).

The brake was stowed. You can see that the cats eye is still in the vicinity of the guide ring, and that would not be down there if the canopy was packed with the brake unstowed. That said, look at the other side, there's a considerable loop of excess brake line, and it's been left to swing free in the breeze. I would call that a mistake. Hanging on the PC defies explanation. How or why the jumper could have thought this was a good idea in any respect is beyond me. I'm willing to accept that he was unaware that his container was opened when he pulled the PC, but that still leaves he problem of the bridle blowing around in the wind the whole time he's holding the PC. Have a look down below his cutaway handle. The text below the video reveals that for some reason he's wearing some sort of WWII uniform for the jump. and you can clearly see that the shirt has worked it's way out from under the pants and harness, and is on it's way toward coming out and blowing up over his cutaway handle. Combine that with the O2 bottle and hose, and the sloppy packing/brake setting, and you have one hell of a HALO jump on your hands.

Thanks for the tip genius. That's what I've spent the better part of the last decade doing. Sometimes it's physically at the DZ, and sometimes it's online because the DZ is closed for whatever reason. Again, this is another error in judgement that you (not me) are making. When it comes to matters of life and death, as in almost anything involving safety and skydiving, you do not have the luxury of dismissing advice simply because you don't like the way it's delivered. You can choose not to buy a car from an impolite salesman, or not to vote for a candidate who doesn't debate well, but if you have any intentions of skydiving for very long with any degree of success, you have to learn to pull up your big boy pants and learn to seperate the message from the messenger. You seem to be such a big fan of logic, even if portions of yours are flawed, and the logical truth is that there is no requirement that someone with skydiving information/knowledge/experience also be an effective communicator, or be able to coddle your gentle sensibilities. The truth about skydiving is the truth, and it makes no difference if I write you a hand written note delivered in a letter sprinkled with glitter and confetti, or I spray paint it on the hood of your car. The thruthfullness of the message does not change. FYI - if you think that calling you a 'douche' was an opener, go back and read the shit that you posted and the way the you tired to defended it against much more knowledgable jumpers. You made your point and your position quite clear, I knew who I was talking to and where they were coming from. Any chance you had at a civil exchnage was used up by the time I posted what I did. It's no different that watchting you argue your (flawed) point with 5 different jumpers at the DZ before walking over and getting involved. You planted your flag where you thought it belonged, and in doing so lost your status as a doe-eyed newbie who was just lost in the woods through no fault of their own. You knew where you were, and according to your own words, were there by your own design. Suck it up, cupcake.

First and foremost, what is your current jump experience and what canopy sizes and types have you flown to this point. Along those same lines, what is your height and weight (for fitment and canoopy size evaluation)? You really need to consult with your instructors as to if this is an appropriate rig for you to be jumping, and then you need to consult with your rigger to arrange for a pre-purchase inspection. As a new jumper, proceeding forward without either or the two is foolish, and could be a waste of money and dangerous (or both). In terms of 'testing it', if you mean jumping a rig that does not belong to you, that's a problem waiting to happen. Make sure that is it absolutely clear, in writing, that you have permission to jump the rig and who is responsible for what in the event of loss or damage while in the process of jumping the rig. Due to the possible complications invovled, it's unusual for a buyer to actually jump a rig being sold by someone they do not know personally. More often than not, simply trying on the rig for harness fitment, and then having a pre-purchase inspection done will tell you everything you need to know about the rig. In terms of price, that's a subject best left until after your rigger has done the inspection. Any repairs or updates that need to be made will effect the price. Where the rig was jumped will effect the price (a canopy with 250 summer time jumps in the north east will be like new, and one with 250 jumps in the Arizona desert will be significantly more worn). Finally, the overall condition of the rig will effect the price. See what the rigger says, report those results here and then you can get a price. If you can tell us it's a 2003 Javelin, 2005 PD Sabre2 210, and a 1998 PDR 218, all in 'average' shape, then we can give you idea of the value.

The size of the camera or camera helmet is not germain, nor is the frequency of camera use on the ground by the user. The simple fact is that time spent considering things like camera preparedness (both in the plane and before), camera anlges or 'getting the shot' and really anything related to cameras and skydiving are subrtacting from you paying attention to what you need to be focused on. I guarantee you that if I followed you from your gear-up through your landing, I could offer you a tip on how to better handle yourself with virtually every move you make. Like it or not, there is a WORLD of shit you don't know, and haven't even remotely considered. Meanwhile, you advocate jumpers such as yourself dicking around with a GoPro as being OK becasue 'everyone is doing it' when you should be paying attention to 100 other things that are literally right in front of your face, but due to your inexperience, you see right through them. Here's the hard truth about skydiving. A great number of accidents occur through the actions of more than one jumper. Your dumb ass is just as likely to hurt someone esle as it is to hurt yourself. Let's think about cameras, and where they can be a problem. In the plane, you're making sure that your camera is on and 'flight ready', but you forget part of your gear check (has happened many, many times). Then your pin/PC comes out while you're in the door and your main hangs up on the tail. Your mistake, everyone elses problem. At any point in freefall or under canopy - sooner or later you're going to connect the dots that where you look is what you shoot, and just picking your head up or turning it sideways would frame something up nice (or even just get it in the shot). Now you're not looking where you're going. Your mistake, a problem for anyone around you. Here's where you little internet smartass world comes tumbling down. I've been in your shoes before, and I'm in my shoes now, and I've worn many, many pairs of shoes in between. You have only worn one pair of shoes in this sport, and without the benefit of time and experience, there is simply no way that you know better than me when it comes to skydiving, and specifically flying camera. A good 80% of my jumps hve been made with a camera, and that's a shitload of camera jumps. You can argue your side anyway you want, and I could make up some dumb shit about flying the space shuttle and type it up in a convincing manner. It doesn't make it right, and the fact is that a trained, experienced astronaut is going to know 1000x better than I would how to fly a space shuttle. I don't think you're convincing anyone here that your bullshit is true ir correct, but the problem is that you seem to soldier on as if it is, and sooner or later that attitude is going to bite you in the ass, and as I mentioned before, there's a fair chance you're going to take somebody down with you when it does.

Really? With two young children, and one more on the way, his pregnant wife doesn't think it's a good time for him to jump out of a plane, and you equate that to denying his dreams for the rest of his life?

Sounds like a good time overall. I do have a question, did the camera guys know that this was your sister and your niece that they were filming? I didn't see you once in the plane or your exit in either of their videos, and it would have been a nice addition. Now is the time where I play armchair quarterback, but you knew it was coming. If you bring any other family member or friends out for tandems, and they get the TI who jumped with Lisa, ask him to kindly refrain from barrel rolls on the hill. If you watch, you'll see that they had a good exit and were stable and facing into the wind on the hill, and instead of throwing the drouge as per tandem SOP, he risks the stability of the pair with a barrel roll. You'll notice that Lisa goes from a good body position to bent almost 90 degrees at the waist because she is not aware that the roll is coming, nor how to perform a barrel roll. Overall though, it does look like you gave your family a great into to skydiving.

While a back up device is a fine idea, a bungee is not the way. There are currently bungees on the door that prevent it from 'crashing' down when it's released. These bungees are loose enough that the door can be lowered all the way to allow for latching closed, but not so long that the door can reach the closed position without some deliberate downward force from an operator. A simpler alternative would be a 'catch' for the door handle itself. It's a lever type handle that rotates 90 degress open/closed, and if there was a spring loaded catch that would hold the handle in the 'latched' position, it would prevent accidental release of the pins. Of course that solution does nothing to prevent the pins or mechanism itself from failing, all it would prevent was accidental release of a properly operating and properly used existing latch mechanism. It is, however, a simpler solution because a true 'back up' system that is sperate from the existing latch would need to be able to support the door fully on it's own, and this is no small job.