ridestrong

You seem to be doing plenty of looking around and scanning your air-space in my humble low-jump-# opinion. Seems ridiculous that you are taking any flack for the "hard turns". I don't see anything more than full 360 degree turns with 'full' toggle. Given someone has clear air-space and safe altitude, even students do this. I doubt you gave a shit about getting a "hard turn" on video. In response camera use... I am simply saying that it is possible for someone with 100 jumps to be as safe with a camera as someone with 200+ jumps, of course there are always exceptions. As for me, I have jumped with a GoPro no more than 4-5 times. I am no longer jumping with a camera until I meet my home dz's recommendations. I also plan on further discussing the risks involved before jumping with a camera again. Just like most people here I want to have fun but safety for others and myself always takes precedence. ETA: All that being said, I would not argue against the USPA recommended 200 jumps for camera use, it's a reasonable number. *I am not afraid of dying... I am afraid of missing life.* ----Disclaimer: I don't know shit about skydiving.----

Thanks for the replies and votes thus far... So far (in general) it seems safest to perhaps keep the RSL connected. If you have an entanglement on main deployment hopefully it can be solved by either removing the helmet, untangling, or cutting lines. If you are unfortunate enough to have an entanglement bad enough to break your neck resulting in paralysis you will not be able to do a damn thing regardless of having an RSL or not. In the result of a main malfunction (without entanglement, it seems that undoing the chin strap should be sufficient before cutting away with RSL connected (assuming undoing the chinstrap is feasible in that situation). *I am not afraid of dying... I am afraid of missing life.* ----Disclaimer: I don't know shit about skydiving.----

Do you disconnect your RSL when shooting video? If so, why? I saw this briefly discussed in another thread and wanted to know more about the reasons for disconnecting your RSL while shooting video. Also just curious how many actually do it. *I am not afraid of dying... I am afraid of missing life.* ----Disclaimer: I don't know shit about skydiving.----

buy something with a Hemi in it instead *I am not afraid of dying... I am afraid of missing life.* ----Disclaimer: I don't know shit about skydiving.----

in that video it looks like about 30' or so. I wouldn't think a stationary ejection would vary much. *I am not afraid of dying... I am afraid of missing life.* ----Disclaimer: I don't know shit about skydiving.----

Yeah... it might be CGI. *I am not afraid of dying... I am afraid of missing life.* ----Disclaimer: I don't know shit about skydiving.----

This video is pretty sweet too. (take off and landing) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hPdG9tOUS_A&feature=related&fmt=34 I love the way it looks during take-off with the vents opening etc... bad ass! *I am not afraid of dying... I am afraid of missing life.* ----Disclaimer: I don't know shit about skydiving.----

1. Looks to me like you were doing a pretty good job of checking your air-space. Plus I think some are forgetting that you can scan nearly everything in front of you with just your eyes (not saying that you shouldn't have your head on a swivel). 2. Also looks like you and the first 4-5 people ahead of you all followed the exact same landing pattern. At the very least that dude should have had more than enough time to know that he would be going AGAINST everyone else in final. He should have made that 180 WAY sooner as to not invade your air-space. Not to mention that it looks like he is even slightly above you making it even more unforgivable. As for the camera, 100 jumps seems reasonable, and individual dz's are able to make their own "recommendations". By 100 jumps most intelligent/aware jumpers can grasp the risks involved with wearing a camera. As long as you are able to have that understanding (of added risk) having 200 jumps does not make having a camera on your helmet any safer than with 100 jumps. Thanks for posting the vid, it's good for anyone to learn from. *I am not afraid of dying... I am afraid of missing life.* ----Disclaimer: I don't know shit about skydiving.----

Nice trip itinerary! When are you going to be in Denver? *I am not afraid of dying... I am afraid of missing life.* ----Disclaimer: I don't know shit about skydiving.----

Wow... I'm surprised to hear that response. That is pretty disapointing. Is there actually a hair in the paint or a print mark from a hair? An actual hair in the paint would bother me the other stuff would not. *I am not afraid of dying... I am afraid of missing life.* ----Disclaimer: I don't know shit about skydiving.----

That was one of my all time favorite episodes of the Twilight Zone. ETA: i had no idea he was in that *I am not afraid of dying... I am afraid of missing life.* ----Disclaimer: I don't know shit about skydiving.----

$5 co-pay? I haven't seen that in a couple of decades. If I go to the doc it's either $35 or $45, and possibly both if I'm there for an x-ray. And when we have to take my youngest to the children's hospital there are two $35 co-pays, one for the facility and one for the Dr. And woe be the family who makes an appointment with the wrong branch of the same hospital (after being referred by the right branch) as we'll get billed for the full amount of the visit, after the two co-pays of course. IMO, a single payer system would eliminate most of the nonsense and expense listed above. I still see $5 co-pays daily at my practice. *I am not afraid of dying... I am afraid of missing life.* ----Disclaimer: I don't know shit about skydiving.----

You know I'm really disappointed with some of the responses in this thread. I didn't realize that the skydiving community had gone from a group of people always willing to do anything for a good time to group of (fill in the blank) with no sense of humor. Get off you fucking high horses when you set foot in the bonfire, this place is where we come to have fun. And to everyone that contributed to the fun, you all rock!!! You could beat him senseless with a tire-iron until he is guppy breathing in a pool of his own blood. Then just leave a small glove behind that doesn't fit you and no one will be the wiser. *I am not afraid of dying... I am afraid of missing life.* ----Disclaimer: I don't know shit about skydiving.----

...and it won't be long until someone making $100,000/yr has the same take-home-pay as someone making $50,000/yr. *I am not afraid of dying... I am afraid of missing life.* ----Disclaimer: I don't know shit about skydiving.----

I think some of you are confusing this with 'donkey punching'. ps- your nasty! *I am not afraid of dying... I am afraid of missing life.* ----Disclaimer: I don't know shit about skydiving.----

Wait... so are you saying you wouldn't hit that? I wasn't talking about donkey punching. *I am not afraid of dying... I am afraid of missing life.* ----Disclaimer: I don't know shit about skydiving.----

I set them right after landing... gives me something to do while waiting for the tandems & AFF students to get down... and it saves me 60 seconds in the packing hanger. *I am not afraid of dying... I am afraid of missing life.* ----Disclaimer: I don't know shit about skydiving.----

That is dead on!!!!!! *I am not afraid of dying... I am afraid of missing life.* ----Disclaimer: I don't know shit about skydiving.----

I (as do a lot of my co workers) have an HSA plan that says I need to spend $1,500 out of pocket before they will cover anything. I have not been to see a doctor in over 8 years because of this. Just today, I had a conversation with one of my co-workers who is planning on having as many MRIs/expensive tests she can have this year as she has already spent her $1,500 and now everything else is covered, so why not have the tests done..... Is this what they are saying is a "good plan"? Avoid preventative care until you need something done, and then spend every dime you can in that year, because it will be several years until you and afford the $1,500 for the initial visit (and subsequent overspending).... Doesn't sound like a good plan to me..... Mark Klingelhoefer Well if there was a 'Health savings account' in place non of you would have to worry about that. With all the self inflicted diseases and morbidity I simply find it amazing that people think health care should be "free". ETA: It also amazes me that there are people that complain about having to pay a $5 co-pay for office visits. Just goes to show the illogical mentality of some. *I am not afraid of dying... I am afraid of missing life.* ----Disclaimer: I don't know shit about skydiving.----

It's just her way of saying... it's that time of the month. *I am not afraid of dying... I am afraid of missing life.* ----Disclaimer: I don't know shit about skydiving.----

Well... it was the weekend. Her and her pill-popping friends have to get f'd up on something. There's never any shortage of addicts calling for refills on their pain meds on Fridays. Then when they think your going to cut them off they tell you the Percocet isn't working anymore and they want to try Vicodin, or if their trying to up the ante, OxyContin... bastards. *I am not afraid of dying... I am afraid of missing life.* ----Disclaimer: I don't know shit about skydiving.----

Not in any specific order: 1. Michael Vick 2. Nancy Pelosi 3. Sean Penn 4. Kenny (from Real World/Road Rules) 5. Perez Hilton 6. That guy that came up with the "Redbull gives you wings" commercials. 7. Barnie (the purple dinosaur) These are just to name a few. Anyone have any to add? *I am not afraid of dying... I am afraid of missing life.* ----Disclaimer: I don't know shit about skydiving.----

I would say that they should fire all the incompetent bastards that can't properly do their jobs (getting a package from point 'A' to point 'B'), but then they are all unionized and nearly unfireable. Also, if one UPS shipping center/hub is not running properly isn't it still the responsibility of the UPS corporation to address those issues. In other words, one bad shipping center still reflects on UPS as a whole. Hope you get your canopy soon! *I am not afraid of dying... I am afraid of missing life.* ----Disclaimer: I don't know shit about skydiving.----

If you can afford it, there are very few negatives to all new gear. It can be difficult trying to find a 'complete' used rig that is right for you in every way. If you can I would recommend buying a new container as it will be custom fit to you, which you will greatly appreciate. I would also put a new reserve and AAD in it. AAD's depreciate in value at ~$100 per year and you will likely not find a "deal" on one. Then buy a used main. Just be sure that you buy a container that will allow you to downsize a few times before you need to purchase a new container. If you are lucky enough, and have the patience to find a complete used rig or piece together a complete used rig that is right for you then that is prob the way to go. *I am not afraid of dying... I am afraid of missing life.* ----Disclaimer: I don't know shit about skydiving.----

This one: illuminated-room-divider *I am not afraid of dying... I am afraid of missing life.* ----Disclaimer: I don't know shit about skydiving.----