ianmdrennan

If everyone keeps this up GA is going to get a little 'boogie saturated'. Moderation you dork Performance Designs Factory Team

Yep there are a bunch of us here

I certainly hope so!!! Don't forget the local watering hole on wednesdays!! Blues, Ian ps: I didn't have vacation time to make it to the records....what's your excuse

For god's sake it's YOU'RE Putz See you next weekend @ The Farm. Bring good weather!!

Shouldn't we just take him out back and shoot him? Performance Designs Factory Team

IMO uptight (often insecure) people label them ho's. Me, I just encourage whatever them (male or female) to explore their sexuality. Don't intentionally hurt people, have fun. My only expectation is that my partner stays within whatever boundries of our relationship has while I'm with them. Everything they did up until them helped shape them in to who they are. No sense in being uppity about it. Here endeth the lesson . Blues, Ian Performance Designs Factory Team

Katie and I did it at the Little Wedding Chapel of the West. It's about a 1/4 mile from the Luxor (going towards Mandalay Bay). Nice, small, quaint. No Elvis though

I look forward to it dude. It's gonna be great to add some more good flyers to the Skydive Atlanta group

The stats I see read about 50/50 from what I can tell. Either obstacle avoidance or 'intentional'HP into the dirt. Blues, Ian Performance Designs Factory Team

Sorry Derrick, but I don't believe it's a function of style. It's simply more efficient. RW went the same way. I far prefer flying a tighter suit. Blues, Ian Performance Designs Factory Team

Jeff, I agree with him. I think at the very least we should regularly do cross wind landings. It never ceases to amaze me how many people are scared of them. Funny thing is that they're hardly different from a no wind landing at all Regardless I think 'breaking the mindset' that Kelp is referring to is a big issue and we shouldn't ignore it. How many times have you heard 'I land into the wind, no matter what'. I've heard it a lot...from Instructors Pity cause they're reinforcing a bad thing. Blues, Ian Performance Designs Factory Team

Cool - just a sidenote of something that came back to haunt me when I started competing. I never realized how much I used my local references for height, etc. Suddenly when they were all gone I was all messed up. When you feel like you're getting comfy, move your 'gates' so that the references are all wrong. It'll be a good indicator on what you need to work on next. Blues, Ian Performance Designs Factory Team

Most likely not. I know a few people who have open helmets and can barely hear it on their wrist. Canopy mode is specifically designed for those using it as an audible (inside the helmet). As a guide yes. The unit is very accurate, however, density altitude changes your optimal initiation point on every skydive. The neptune, or any device, should be used as an auxiliary tool. I certainly wouldn't recommend using it for a magic turn altitude. The neptune will be of more use to you using it as a setup tool. Designating waypoints for downwind, base and final will help you refine your setup, which is critical to a good HP landing. Until you start getting high enough where judging 50 feet is much more difficult (you're a long way away from that) you have other things you need to be paying attention to at 100 feet. Looking at your neptune isn't one of them. Yes, but I'd stress not using it to start your manuever. I'd set it so something higher (basically a 'start getting ready to initiate') or lower ('don't even think about initiating') altitude. Personally I prefer the first option (setting it higher). As a visual alti, it's awesome. As an audible, it's awesome. Canopy mode is a great tool, but I like canopy mode best for waypoints. Blues, Ian Performance Designs Factory Team

Hehe...we did that to him last year and got it on video...priceless He called last night to say they were doing 50 ways but that they hadn't completed one yet. I guess people will know today if they made the cut or not. Blues, Ian Performance Designs Factory Team

Apparently in your case he could barely tell the difference Performance Designs Factory Team

Hi Kim, Great post. I am 100% in agreement of a testing system. I know Ron and a few others have some ideas floating around. I think making a pilot pass a test(s) of some sort is a great way to avoid overregulating but still keeping tiny canopies out of obviously incompetent pilots hands. I can't really understand why people would be against this (yet some are). It just makes sense. Blues, Ian Performance Designs Factory Team

Nice! Sounds like you're approaching this sensibly. Please keep us posted on how you like the Sabre2 (sounds like a great deal btw) and how your flight is progressing. Best of luck! Blues, Ian Performance Designs Factory Team

I agree. Finding people who actually want to LISTEN is the problem. Lots say they want help, few actually heed advice. One of the funniest things I saw was a jumper at our DZ arguing with Ian Bobo about something he (Ian) was there to teach. You can't learn if you're already thinking of a defense. I agree. Nor do I think many people want one. Alternatively people want all the freedom with none of the responsibility. We simply (generally in life I'm referring to) can't have it both ways. It reminds me of a great sick time policy the company I used to work at had. That was until people abused it, so it was taken away. It grates me that the actions of the few effect the many. Of course they don't give a crap about anyone but themselves to begin with - another part of the problem. Blues, Ian Performance Designs Factory Team

Angela, I find my 1600 skydives simply a drop in the bucket. Every year I realize more and more that I have so much to still learn. So yes, 400 jumps is a drop in the bucket to me. I agree. I think what differs is what we consider a 'boat'. Personally I don't consider anything under a 150 a boat, but that's my opinion. Of course that doesn't mean I think everyone should be flying a 150 or bigger either but I do believe that, particularly light woman, are given false impressions that a 120 or smaller is ok cause 'it's only loaded 1:1'. The reality is that it's still only a small amount of fabric regardless of the loading. No need to guess, we already both know how I feel. You already know I think you're jumping way too small a canopy for both your experience and your currency. Fortunately we've spent time together so I know you realize I'm not some demon hiding behind a keyboard but rather someone who genuinely cares about his fellow skydivers, even if they don't agree with his safety standpoints.

I agree with the premise of what you're saying, for example I know of some jumpers with a lot more jumps than I that don't know the first thing about flying a canopy. They have made no effort to continuously educate themselves and are just as dangerous as a low time jumper under a highly loaded canopy - if not worse sometimes. There is a lot to be said for how much research the person has done, and yes it definately makes them safer. Unfortunately the reality is that even the most heads up pilot with 400 jumps, still only has 400 jumps. Anyone with any decent knowledge of canopy flight realizes that this just isn't enough to be pushing hard. While high jump numbers aren't a good indicator of experience, low jump numbers are. I think that's the right way to go about it. For example, anyone listening to me giving AFF advice is a fool (I don't know a damn thing about AFF). The reality is though, that students either a) Don't know who to believe (I've seen AFF instructors give terrible canopy advice with the recently grad student being in ICU within weeks of listening to them) OR b) Are shopping for the answer they want. IMO they are both prevalent, but people like to hear what they WANT to hear, and there are plenty of people out there giving them the advice they want. Nothing. Yes, and I do. I will continue to do so as well. I'll do what's reasonable. If they still manage to get around all that then at least my conscious is clear. Once again I agree. Unfortunately there isn't anything official or sanctioned like that right now. I'd like to see it too. Still I bet you no one would listen if they didn't like the answer they got. Instead they'd shop around until they got the answer they wanted. That's fine by me, just don't expect me to sell that 'answer' to them if I don't feel comfortable with it. I have recently realized that they simply will not learn by any other way than drilling themselves into the ground. This was recently confirmed by a friend of mine who was life flighted out. When I got a chance to talk to him (kinda hard with facial paralysis) he simple stated that he was wrong. He finally understood what everyone had been telling him. UNFORTUNATELY he also acknowledged that there was nothing anyone could have told him to make it different until the accident. Some people only learn by pain. Some people like to reinvent the wheel (or die trying). Some people learn the right way, thoroughly. And some people are tired of watching their friends crater in. I told you so doesn't give any satisfaction - trust me, this is one area that no one wants to be right. Blues, Ian Performance Designs Factory Team

God dude, we're joking, he's our teammate. Lighten up. Sheesh. Performance Designs Factory Team

If I have 1600 jumps and my friend has 400. I can assume that my judgement regarding assessing their skills and canopy choice is better than theirs. I would do my best to keep them from getting that canopy. Blues, Ian Performance Designs Factory Team

Yep, it's been more and more prevalent the last 2 years or so. I find it much easier to fly with the tighter suit and the new team suits are going to be even tighter

Make sure you take my teammate (Tom Hayden) out He deserves it, trust me Sorry I couldn't make it this time around, maybe next one I'll actually have the vacation time to come out and play Blues, Ian Performance Designs Factory Team

I think the Sabre2 or the Pilot in the size you jump now will be plenty to keep you busy. They'll both be a HUGE step up in performance, even at the same loading as your current canopy. Best piece of advice I can give you is the same I recently gave to a friend I care about a lot (I hope she reads this): Don't ever buy a canopy 'for the future'. Buy it for NOW, or there may never be a future. If you're ready for a higher loading when the time comes to buy, awesome...If not, oh well, just buy it when you're ready. Blues, Ian Performance Designs Factory Team