TomAiello
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Everything posted by TomAiello
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[South Park Voice] Hey, man, if you're Jewish, you get presents for seven days! [/South Park Voice] -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com
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If only I had a son... I love my 10/22. I've got the nice stainless targetized version. Way too much fun. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com
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So wrong, in so many ways... -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com
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I wonder if you could make the airframe such that it broke itself apart into separate compartments, each with their own parachute? I mean, if the plane is going to crash anyway, wouldn't it be better to save the passengers, even if it meant sacrificing the plane? -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com
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Oh, I know. I was just thinking that there are lots of "charities" that are basically thinly disguised PAC's. Almost anyone claiming to do things "for the children" seems to qualify. I remember that Ben and Jerry's use to give to a "charity" that worked for "banning handguns for our children." -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com
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You don't happen to know which charity, do you? I'm just thinking that, for example, the NRA hunter safety programs are "charity." -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com
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That's why the call it Faith. I'm an atheist, but come on, dude, lighten up. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com
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The pull force of the very small velcro patch in a shear direction is less than the pull force of your shrivel flap in a straight direction. If you take a spring scale and measure it, that should allay your concerns. Also, the velcro flap at the shoulder is a good idea (or some other thing that does the same job, like a tuck flap, or just tucking the bridle in). If the bridle blows back under your arm our the lower corner of the rig, you'll tow the PC. There was a (beginner) fatality from this malfunction in France (perhaps 2 years ago? check the list). -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com
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Continuum 2 is from Triax. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com
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He's ok. Apparently he once caught a bird in his canopy. I think the story is somewhere on one of these forums... -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com
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Thoughts on tunnel training for a new skydiver?
TomAiello replied to hexadecimal's topic in General Skydiving Discussions
You might post to the tunnel forum for other people's thoughts, but in my opinion the tunnel in Vegas isn't really worth the time. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com -
Two rigs. No problem. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com
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Shane, Please read the Before You Post! guidelines linked at the top of this page. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com
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What's that line from "The Siege"? "In this game, the most committed wins. Clearly, they are committed." -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com
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I've done a number of stowed go and throws. I went through a phase a while back where I thought it was cool to be stowed at very low altitudes (plus, I was uncurrent handheld and kept getting offheadings from assymetric pitch), so I did way too many low stowed jumps. My experience was that a stowed PC with zero airspeed is the most likely configuration for a PC hesitation. I'd estimate that I had a noticeable PC hesitation about 1 time in 20 doing "go and stow" jumps. I guess the reason I'm mentioning this is that it's probably a better reflex to take deeper delays stowed, to minimize the chance of hesitation. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com
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I know of at least one police officer who is an active BASE jumper. Also a US Marshall, but since he's not really a street cop, that doesn't really bear on this discussion too much. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com
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Did he address you politely as "Dr.", too? I've noticed that (a) looking "presentable" (by which I generally mean no visible tatoos or piercings, short hair and decent clothes), and (b) being "respectable" (by which I generally mean making a fair bit of money), can insulate jumpers from a bit of trouble. I've been let go several times, usually because I look and dress like the cop who caught me, speak politely, and present myself well. Every little bit counts in those kinds of situations. Good to see you on here. Don't forget the pact we made in California. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com
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Let me make this clear. I am tired of the fighting on this board. I've screwed up and let it get out of hand, and I regret that. Let's not do that again. I think we're done here. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com
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There's a bunch of guys jailed for looking arabic over here and they're not even allowed to have a trial or know what they're charged with. You gotta love the kinda democracy the 'free world' enforces with its jackboots. Sorry to go OT, but it's chilling how close to the mark some one off comments really are. I actually meant it in all seriousness as a warning. People who look like "terrorists" are far less likely to be given a stern talking to and let go. It's something that some of us (unfortunately) have to keep in mind, and it's a real, valid issue in parts of this sport. But, please, let's not turn it into a general conversation about US government policy, police racism or whatever. If that happened, I'd have to start slicing sections out and sending them into the black hole we a call Speaker's Corner. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com
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Whoa. Really? What happened to "made in God's image" and all that? I tend to think that people are fundamentally good, and that it's our own actions that take us "down the path of wickedness" so to speak. I always assume that someone I don't know is good, honest, upright and so forth until they demonstrate themselves to be otherwise. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com
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JP, You're also welcome to borrow my old Classic II (sized for 5'8 175 pounds) if you like. I can ship it to Eloy, if you want to use it to flock there. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com
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Trespass in the US can be either civil or criminal. Generally, criminal trespass is only going to result in a slap on the wrist unless there are extra circumstances (prior offenses, especially at the same place, sensitive locations, you look arabic, you are trespassing on a nuclear facility, etc). -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com
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The Glacier Point Apron slide left noticeable marks on the valley wall and floor. Video shot by Carl Boenish (and others in the legal era) will not show the slide damage. It's clearly visible from the top of the big stone, and several other places in the Valley. As far as I know, it can't be seen from the other main exit. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com
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Why did this surprise you? Pre-Vtec FOXes had noticeable inflation waves at low airpseed (mojo's did that little hop thing instead). Back in the day, I had a long conversation about it with Slim (this is just when he and DW first demonstrated to disbelieving Americans that 175' cliffs were ok to freefall), and he flat out told me that he wouldn't take a FOX off that cliff because he was worried about the inflation. DW later confirmed that he wouldn't do so either. I believe this was one of the driving forces in the release of bottom skin inlets to the mass market. I'd say the big thing you experienced was a difference in low airspeed inflation between the two canopies. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com