FastRon

Tracked from 4-way. flared, pulled, had line stretch and a tan Cessna dove under me head on, by about 30 feet. Scared us both. He ignored the NOTAM and was near impossible to see from altitude. None of the others saw him. I got a lot better look at the upper side of a 172 than I ever wanted to...

Thanks much all of you. I can see how it appears to work now. When I was jumping the StratoStar- I weighed about 190. (6'-3", very dense, thus the nickname) Today 210, same height, some say still dense (both definitions I suppose). Don't know if 5 cells qualify for 'wingloading' but I would then have been at about 1.2. It flared OK, and was way easier to 'fix' long/wrong spots. Small headwinds would land like stepping off a stool. No winds, hot day, way more 'sporty'. I regret we didn't have more film of some of the wrecks we endured.

Hmmm. I once took the "opportunity"? to jump a Strao Flyer- 160 Sq. Ft. I think. (At the time I weighed around 190#) . Fortunately? I landed on a slight downslope, in some nice soft mud. I called it a hard landing- not as bad as a unaltered flat 28' but very solid... What I recall from my Strato Star was not much lift, an unlikely candidate for any swooping- at least the examples of that I've seen on video, and demo jumps at football games. We called "ground effect" the feel of your feet touching any firm surface other than tree limbs or buildings.

Yes- Officers don't care much for surprises. If the officer asks, tell him you have a permit and a concealed weapon. If he does not ask, keep your mouth shut, unless obligated by your State laws to do so. Keep your hands on the steering wheel. If you have tinted windows, open the ones where the officer approaches before he arrives. Be polite and compliant. Tell your passengers to be polite as well. The officer is probably NOT why you have a permit is it? When requested, reach slowly, one handed for your I.D. If it's in the glove box or under the seat, for Christ's sake, tell them so before you reach, they may have other instructions. Also- recent U.S. Supreme Court decisions do not allow searches of vehicles, even if an arrest is made unless it is connected to the arrest Like DUI/liquor bottle in plain view etc.- or with a search warrant obtained later. That officer has a lot of 'splaining' to do. He will be censured by his agency at length. He could lose his job. Some jurisdictions would charge him criminally, and in point of fact it could well be a Civil Rights violation under title 18 U.S. codes.

Thanks for the timely replies. B-day is in Sept. so I have a few weeks to check some things out. In reading the forums here- I see swooping etc, Obviously, the new canopies have capabilities far beyond those of early squares (besides better reliability and orderly deployment (lack of line twists were kind of rare w/ my Strato Star)). I understand the wing loading thing, the mystery is the apparent ability of newer (very small), canopies to create lift at speed, and not crush ankles (or worse) on landing. Is it the material, shape, technique, a combination of the above, or maybe portable flux capacitors?

Sounds like you broke or green-sticked some toes. Have been there (all of them at one time or other) Unless they stick out thru the skin, all they do is tell you they will be all better in 6 weeks. Some optimists say as little as 42 days... You can buddy tape them but that's about it. Internal lube and analgesic is advised! Hope you heaL soon.

I'm giving really serious thought to resuming skydiving on my 60th b-day after 31 years. Last jumps were on old Strato Star (shortlined with slider.) Q.- Do newer canopies of say 180sq. ft. of new material have slower descent rates? higher glide ratios? What are some of the other differences? Will I have to tandem (seems 'clunky'...) go back to static lines or what? Nearest drop zones are Snohomish, and Shelton (Kaposin folks) in Washington.

To put your anxiety in perspective- It will be tough to have a worse exit than this- Once upon a time, when climbing out, (C170) pilot had not set wheel brake. My step on it prompted it spinning and me hanging by one hand from strut. That didn't last long, I blew off, hanging up harness briefly on step, ended up dangling under plane by one hand again. Looking up at the rest of the load giggling at me, said to self "I came out here to let go, see ya!" and dropped- They all flew down but were laughing so hard they could barely fly. Logbook entries were 'interesting'... You can do it girl! Have fun!

Re: some of the comments- I have to agree. Haven't jumped in decades, and there was no such thing as AFF or tandems then. I've learned a few things about training since- I'll suggest that motivated students don't usually "fail". Oddly, my best trainers have have had most of the better students... Since the students were all selected in same fashion- same tests, by the same people- I kind of think the trainers are the difference. Listen to them carefully. Sounds like you're doing fine.

Does Drew... live at the drop zone? Lucky him! Lugging your gear bag around on public transportation (if they go there) or your bike (if it's not like 50 miles one way- 3+ hour ride for me!), may not be fun! Keeps you in shape though. E-commuting may not work for all- but as soon as I figure out howmailing handcuffs to people with orders to come in for booking (riding a hybrid bus of course)will work, I'm moving there too. Or to a waterski lake- I haven't decided.

I think we ought to be careful of assessing "need" here. There is a group back East called Congress that is very into what we "need". Why do we "need" to jump out of aircraft? (Which are powered by fossil fuel.) I'm not sure "80%"of us need just a 40-50 mile range- If you drive 50-60, please stay on the surface streets, and don't "mingle" with the 65-80 traffic: My lifestyle requires certain transport criteria. I would buy the Tesla, Audi or whatever,if it delivers what I want from my transportation choice. I relish the day when the Middle East is reduced to selling lubricants instead of fuel, and coal plants are history. Batteries, fuel cells etc, will evolve as well. In my memory NiCad was cutting edge...

Geez- I guess I should have stopped when I thought I was ahead. Rational discussion, would include not trading barbs in ad hominem arguments. I don't buy Exxon gas because sending a lot of managers to assign 'investigate' an oil spill does not get it cleaned up very quickly. For thought- I vote against groups affiliated like the Humane Society of the United States, which is NOT concerned with stray pets, and like PETA, IS a radical animal rights group. For the scientists among you- What % CO2 in the air will be toxic? Is the level higher now than some baseline? How much time do we have? Showing me photos of swimming polar bears taken in arctic summer, does not prove global warming. The data will or will not make its case. Physicists are forced to modify theories constantly to allow for new observational input- Cosmologists seem to understand the process. Science IS NOT about selecting an outcome and 'proving' it. It is SUPPOSED TO BE about investigation and thought.

Smokers- If you think the profit motive is absent from marijuana sales you are naive. The large importers are the same ones who bring you cocaine, heroin, and cook your meth. They do rob, and murder for it. As for long term effects... A young couple I know were unable to have kids because potiential daddy was essentially sterile due non-motile sperm, from a lot of pot smoking from adolescence on to his 30's, per his doctor. Maybe they were stoned like he was?

P.S. You know- I bet even most of the senators haven't read it either- except for the pork parts to Nebraska, Connecticut etc. I forget who said it but something like "a few million here, and a few million there, pretty soon you're talking about some real money"... Painfully, I don't think it was W.C. Fields either, cause it isn't so funny as it is sad.

The bill is well over 2000 pages. If you can read a page a minute of legalese???? Thats over 33 HOURS. My understanding is that one of the ways they intend to fund it is to seize 500 billion from Medicare over 10 years, and tax those awful "Cadillac" health plans that large employers now provide their employees. So I guess if our employer provides a $1000/mo. health care benefit, we get dinged for the taxes on that "income", even if you never use it... (i.e. you're healthy)

Until they build one that will 1) Go 250 miles at 75 mph, fully loaded; 2) Take 5 minutes or so to recharge, and go another 250 miles; 3) Hold 4 adults plus gear, 4) Have a trailer hitch; and 5) Be able to haul my boat too- I'M not going to call it a viable vehicle!

O.K. people- relax, pour your favorite adult beverage and simmer down. Looks are deceiving... Just about anything is a deadly weapon in the hands of someone with the training, ability, opportunity, and intent to use it. 8 years ago some madmen used razor knive to highjack 4 airliners. Everyone aboard... died. So did a lot of others. Guns are an effective deterrent to being victimized. Cops don't carry them just to balance the radio and make their backs ache.

Well- I don't know much about stuff like canopy relative work, and wing loading, but I do know some about guns and law enforcement (24 years.) More laws do not make people more law abiding- it only makes the law abiding, abide more laws... Criminals do not fear the cops much- they know unless they really make a serious mistake- we will not shoot them. They fear the armed homeowner for example, who is NOT held to the same standards of training and behavior.

Follow the money- who stands to benefit cap and trade? the global warming group? its naysayers? Universal health insurance? Whatever. When I look at an election pamphlet, I pay particular attention to which group endorses whom. Usually, I pick the most irrational of those and vote against them. I especially find fault with protectionist groups. When the rational dialogue begins to suffer, I vote for the other guys.

Wow- just viewed all this today for first time- "Can't we all just get along?" Agree to disagree? "Evironmental apocalypse"? So- There may be global warming. It may be man-made? Climate does change- that is what it does. Expensive and expansive policy decisions based on near-religious devotion to agenda-based "science" are reckless. Scientists as as likely to follow the money as anyone else. When you ask why is...? FOLLOW THE MONEY!

That ordinance is pre-empted by state law and the cops have been told not to even try enforcing it- Certain City attorney types suggested it be used for a trespass warning/enforcement. It was brought up (by the street cops) that said enforcement would be discriminatory- when city parks allow all kinds of other free speech/expression stuff.

Last jump was years ago- Like 1980... Had to quit due motorcycle wreck. New gear and such is a lot of mystery. What exactly is the wing loading number or where can I find info about it? My jumps were on ParaCommamnders and flat circulars-most recently?! on an old Strato Star (180 sq. ft. if I recall) I see some of the rules have appeared to change too. Square reserves were in their infancy. Doctor says my titanium knee will be no worse off for skydiving than snow skiing...