davelepka

That's really not how it works. As far as things you wear, gloves and helmets are about the only things you buy 'off the shelf'. Due to that, most gear stores will accept returns on these items if the sizing is not correct (provided you do not jump them). Everything esle is going to be either custom fit, used, or not something you wear. Jumpsuits, for example, are all built to order. You can buy used, but the fit is always the big question. Make sure a seller will take a 'return' if a used suit does not fit. Otherwise, order a new one, and it will fit for sure (or the mfg will make adjustments). The same can be said about containers. There are some rig 'on the shelf', but the vast majority (like 99.9%) are built to order. The same 'return policy' applies to used containers as it does to used suits, but there's more to it because a used container also needs to pass a rigger inspection. Consult with your instructors and a rigger if you're going to buy used gear (you should buy used for your first rig). Some canopies you can demo before you buy. Some mfgs will send you a demo to jump for a week or two for a modest fee. You'll need a container/reserve to be able to jump them, but at least you can do it. Another option is seeing if anyone at your home DZ jumps the model/size canopy you're interested in, and if they'll let you try it. In the end, there are vey few brick and mortor gear stores, and most of them that do exist are located on DZs. 'Trying stuff on' is not a huge consideration in this industry. That said, if you have questions about gear, post them up and you'll get some opinions. Do your research first, and keep each thread to one thing for clarity. For example, helmets- figure out if you think you want full face or open face, then narrow it down to a couple models. Post up your choices and why you made them, and see what everyone has to say.

You can highlight the security shortcomings at the base all you want. At the end of the day, the Navy is the 800lb gorrila in the room, and it's going to get whatever it wants even if it doesn't make sense. Any Elsinore jumpers out there? When was the last time someone landed in the lake? How many people end up in the lake every year? I don't know the exact layout of St Marys and the Navy base, but I know that the Lake Elsinore is right at the end of the runway, and that DZ seems to be able to spot Otter after Otter, and train an endless amount of students, without putting people in the water. TJP place couldn't do the same? The gorilla said to stay off it's property, and they couldn't pull that off?

It's like Romeo and Juliet. Well, the Florida version of Romeo and Juliet......

Bill made a good point about being able to move the camera around while leaving the plate in place. If you're worried about your CX pivoting around up there, just toss a strip of adhesive backed velcro on the helmet and the bottom of the camera. Once you line up the camera, stick it down and insert the screw, and it won't go anywhere. As a back up, take a sharpie marker and draw a line along the side of the camera once it's lined up. If you suspect the camera has moved, just check it's position relative to the line. If you want simple, it doesn't get much more simple than velcro and sharpies.

On a Protec? Drill a 1/4 hole right in the helmet itself, insert 1/4 screw, and attach the camera. I would look for a big fender washer to put inside the helmet to spread the load out a little. The screw head alone could bend the plastic and come out, but a 1" or 1.5" fender washer would solve that. You might need to 'adjust' the washer with a hammer so it matches the curve of the helmet, if it even curves much up at the top. You could also run a strap or zip-tie through some of the vent holes up top and over the top of the camera as a back-up. The problem with the CX100 is that you need to open the screen to turn the camera on. Mayeb stick with a velcro strap over the camera, then you could undo the strap, open the screen and flip it around and fold it back it so that it's on with the screen tucked in, and then re-do the strap. Then you can just hit record as you go out of the door. There may be a way to make it so you can run the camera with the screen closed, but you still might need to open it to turn it on.

I hear you, but I would also suggest that one single incident of poor treatment over the phone by an office worker should not neccesarily blacklist the entire DZ/staff. When dealing with a single person/incident, there's a chance that it was a one-time thing, or that the person has been getting worse and worse over time. In either case, without appealing to a higher power (the DZO) there's no way to know for sure if this is accepted behavior, or something the DZO was unaware of. In reality, that's the only way to get the info to the DZO, is for someone to complain. Otherwise, if everyone just hangs up and goes elsewhere, the DZO may never know the cause. Given that the OP had jumped there before and gave a great review of her experience with the everyone on that trip, it's worth directly contacting the DZO and seeing what he has to say.

True, and I thinks that's the reality all over the world. Based on the skill of the TI and lack of skill on the part of a student, the tandem will be able to fly in much diferent wind conditions. I made my comments based on 'normal' operation of the DZ. Good weather, plane running well, plenty of staff on hand, etc.

If you had a good experience jumping at the DZ, don't let a bad experience on the phone turn you away. As others have mentioned, get in touch with the drop zone owner, and tell him about your experience, chances are you'll get a much different response than your last phone call. You can send a private message on this site to the instructor from the DZ who posted the apology, and see if they can give the direct contact info for the DZO, maybe even an email address, so you don't have to call the office and deal with the 'problem' again. Beyond that, the answers to all your questions are 'yes'. Everyone can jump the same day, and everyone in your group can get an outside video if they want. Any number of you can take the class to jump solo, however, that class takes all day. Either rest of your group will have to wait around all day, or you'll have to come in two groups. Anyone taking the class would need to show up first thing in the morning, and then the tandems should come in the mid-afternoon. This way the tandems can jump, and by the time they're done, the solo jumpers will be ready to go. The other nice part about that plan is that everyone is there and jumped at the end of the day, so you can all hang out at the DZ after hours and mingle with the staff and other jumpers.

You don't even know the half of it. I recieved multiple PMs regarding info they had dug up on Bravestdog, Fred Martin Feller, and Skyvandelta (the email address he posted in his profile). He might be a lawayer in the San Fran area. He might be big into flea markets in that same area. He might be heavy into some shady looking Craigslist stuff, and to top it all off, he appears to be directly connected to the theft of a rig via the mail a few years back, a rig which was later spotted at, big surprise, a San Fran area flea market. Lucky for us, Bravestdog has fallen silent on this forum, and provided he stays that way, I don't think the issue needs any further consideration. Of course, if he returns to the forum, a closer examination of the links I recieved might be in order. Who or whatever he is, we don't need him around here.

To be fair, the poster and the OP he was addressing are both in America.

I fixed the links.

The plot thickens.... So what the fuck is the deal here pal? Someone was kind enough to point out this thread where a rig was stolen and showed up at a flea market in your area - http://www.dropzone.com/forum/Skydiving_C1/Gear_and_Rigging_F6/fmfelker@yahoo.com_P3029456/ I suggested that the email address was not a 'direct' match for your name, and that it was probably some other guy. Then I get a PM from another poster who pointed me toward this thread http://www.dropzone.com/cgi-bin/forum/gforum.cgi?post=587207#587207 which you started and it states your name and the very same email address of the guy who stole that rig. The poster also said they found that you are very active in the flea market scene in your area, the same place that stolen rig was found for sale. So now you have some explaining to do, because if there's one thing jumpers hate more than a lawyer, it's a theif. Either start explaining this odd coincidence, or delete your profile, because without a satisfactory explaination, you're not going to get anywhere on this forum anytime soon.

I did follow up on the idea that his full name is Fred Martin Feller, and there is indeed a lawyer by that name in Northern Cali. I'm inclined to believe that this is indeed 'Bravestdog'. That said, the email listed is for FMFelker, which is different than FMFeller, so I'm not sure that this is the same guy who stole a rig. It would seem odd that a lawyer would steal a used rig, so just to avoid giving Bravestdog legitimate complaints that we're harming his character, let's leave that theft as 'unsolved' for now. I'll stick to calling him a lawyer, and suggest that nobody feed him based on that alone (sorry Andy).

You are correct sir, I do not. As such, I would also not visit a lawyers online fourm in an attempt to gain info I intended to use to further damage the profession and industry as a whole. My deepest apoligies to you and your co-workers.

Show me where I've broken the forum rules, or more appropriately show an admin where I've done so, and I'm sure they'll pull my post. However, you'll find that I did not break the rules, unless you consider being called a lawyer a 'personal attack'? The simple fact is that lawyers have driven many DZs into bankrupcy with frivilous lawsuits over the years where the DZO spent all their money defending themselves against cases that ultimately went nowhere. The plantiffs did not prevail, the DZO went broke defending themselves, but guess what? Big surprise, the lawyers all made out like bandtis. So go ahead and report me to whoever you want, and write me a stern post (I'm guessing it's the same 'cease and desist' you posted in all the threads where I called you out), but in the end you're not going to get anywhere. I see Doug found that you some problems on another webstie, one for deisel trucks, more specifically E-series vans. What happened, did a 15 passenger van roll over and you're trying to sue Ford? Well, tough shit. Many of these people are my friends, and the ones I haven't met I would certainly welcome as friends if I ever did. Again, this includes DZOs, instructors, and gear manufacturers (and their employees) who all stand to lose when lawyers get involved in things they shouldn't. So despite what you 'want' (information), this is what you're going to get (a hard time). News flash, skydiving is dangerous, and it says so on the liability waiver that your client signed and that I'm sure you requested a copy of in discovery. Now fuck off, and go mine for information somewhere else.

I don't know exactly what Chuck means. I get the general sense, but specifically, in this case, I'm not sure. Here's the thing, wingsuit and BASE are seperate things for a long time. You should be 'good' at both before combining the two, and that will take 'at least' a years time. You can certainly learn the two concurrently, there's nothing wrong with that. The truth is, it's probably the best way to go about it. Skydive (wingsuit) during the day, and BASE jump at night and on holidays, that's pretty much the deal unless you live in Idaho (or close). Even then, you're going to have to go out after dark if you want to move past the Twin Falls bridge. For now, just skydive and have fun. Work on your canopy skills, with accuracy being the prime objective. If you're serious about winsgsuiting and BASE (and eventaully wingsuit BASE) stick with larger 7 cell canopies and a rig that will hold them. Maybe a Spectre loaded at 1 to 1 would be a good idea. This way you'll be comfortable with the canopy by the time you get to jump a wingsuit, and you'll have some slow 7 cell experience for when you start BASE jumping. If you buy the container big eoungh 'loose' fit a Spectre at 1 to 1, you should be able to 'tight' fit a BASE canopy in there at .75 to 1, and then you can easily jump your BASE canopy out of a plane for canopy practice or to see what it's like with a wingsuit.

By 'stock' you mean with the kit lens, yes? The body itself weighs in at 18 oz, with the kit lens coming in at about 7 oz, total weight just over 1.5 lbs. If you were shooting a 'good' lens, like a Canon 15mm, the overal weight would go up almost 1/4 lb a pound due to the good galss. Total weight then equals 1.75 lbs, or 3.5 lbs for a pair of them. If you compare that to one T21 with a 'good' lens, and your CX, you're looking at about 2.75lbs, or 3/4 lb lighter than two T2is. If you stick with the kit lens, the total weight is more like 2.5lbs, or a pound less than two T2is with the 'good' lenses. So what I'm saying is save yourself the extra 1 lb on your head, and huge price difference (the 15mm lenses are $600/ea. on a good day) and stick with what you have now for tandem work. You're providing a quality product for the $100 the customer spends, especailly when you factor in the costs for the slot and the cut the DZ gets. Ever try to hire a professional photographer on the ground for $100? Even without the slot cost or DZ cut, you're not going to get much for $100 out of a pro photographer on the ground, and they don't have to haul their gear around on their head through a freefall and deployment. With your jump numbers, focus your attention on your flying, framing, and lighting, and you can improve the quality of your work with your existing gear.

Really? He registered in 2003, and one of his recent posts was asking what a negative G was. What sort of beginner pilot doesn't know about a negative G, after being registered here for 9 years? Has he not flown or jumped in all that time? Even if not, what sort of person who has any asperations of becoming a pilot wouldn't know about a negative G? Like Doug mentioned, if he was a reporter looking to do a positive piece on jumping, or an aspiring pilot looking for info, he would have been forthcoming with his identity or intentions. As it sits, he has been forthcoming with neither, and is asking very basic questions that anyone genuinely involved with the sport or flying for 9 years would certainly know the answers to. It doesn't add up, and seeing the errors the media has made about the sport, and the damage that lawyers have done to the sport, it seems reasonable to be suspicious of 'unknows' asking these types of questions.

Let's not reply to this poster until he fills out his profile with a name and DZ where he jumps. All of his posts are asking basic questions that a real jumper might know, but some of the info is the type of stuff that would be of interest to a reporter or lawyer. Note that he signed up to DZ.com 9 years ago, but he's only asking very basic questions.

Let's not reply to this post any further until the OP fills out his profile. Diverdriver was keen enough to recall the OP from awhile back, where again he was asking some loaded quesitons about jumping. To date, the OP has had zero forum activity, until now where again he appears to be mining for info. Reporter? Lawyer? Could be either one, but until he comes clean, let's not indulge him either way.

I suggest that nobody respond any further to this post until the OP comes clean and fills out his profile. Another poster was good enough to recall that the OP has very few posts and they all seem to be asking some loaded questions about jumping. He could be a reporter or lawyer mining for info, but either way, it's just not cool.

I'm going to agree with Chris on this one. You do seem to be asking some odd, slightly loaded questions, and ti does look like that's all you do here. I would suggest that nobody replies to your posts any further until you fess up and fill out your profile. Who are you, and where do you jump?

$26 is the going rate (+/- a buck or two) for full altitude (13k-ish) jumps in the US. The Parachute Center does jumps for less because they don't spend money on required maintenence and inspections of their airplanes. This fact has been proven in post-accident investigations and by the FAA.

You can do this docked on someone with zero tension on the grip? You can do this docked w/ zero tension, and be able to make an effective scan of the students body position? You can do this docked w/ zero tension, able to make an effective scan, and use you free hand to give corrective hand signals, assist the student, and pull for them if neccesary? There's way more to freefall instruction than just being able to be 'near' the student. Unless you can guarantee that at a minimum you can take grips and deploy for the student while flying a given body position, you have no business flying that way with a student. 'Close' or 'almost' is not acceptable. For the record, there are very few AFFIs with the chops to fly their slot on their knees, in a sit, or on their head. Very few.

You are correct, all of the above do agree, and they came from one of your posts. What I was comparing them to was another quote of yours from a later post, which I'll repost here - See? All of the above quotes from your earlier post seem to indicate that you feel skydiving lacks dimension or a variety of things to persue. Then, in the quote from a later post of yours, you seem to indicate the opposite, that there is a variety of things to do and presue within skydiving. There is no sarcasm here, you just seem to put forth two opposite opinions on the same issue.