TomAiello

I've done quite a bit of editing on iMovie on a newish iBook, an old Titanium, and a superhot dual G4 desktop. Truthfully, I can't really tell the difference while working, except in those "gotta lean back and let it render" moments. When I use FCP, I find the better machine works better, but in iMovie, for short projects (longest I've done is maybe 15 minutes), I'm quite satisfied with the iBook (or any of the machines I've used, actually). The biggest downside I've found on the iBook is screen size, and in iMovie, that's not a horrible problem. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

I only have one balloon jump, but I do like to pretend I know how to do a still air exit. A few thoughts: 1) Think about leading with your chest. You should exit in an arch, but horizontally, not vertically. If you lead with your head, you will likely end up head down. 2) After exit, just hold your arch until you rotate into a stable belly to earth position. It'll seem to take an awfully long time, but it's really only a few seconds. If you panic and pull your head down, you'll start to rotate forward. 3) You can easily practice dead air exits into a swimming pool. Just exit from the side of the pool. If you hit head or chest first, you are overrotating. If you hit feet or knees first, you should be all right. 4) Relax. From a balloon, you have so much altitude it's silly. If you flail on exit, just wait it out and get stable once you have the airflow your comfortable with. You're going to be far worse off pitching from a subterminal flail than you would be getting terminal and stable. Don't panic. Or, since you will have heaps of freefall time, you could just screw it and throw a twisting quad gainer. Hope this helps. If not, ignore it. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

You should see the photos my Dad has in his classroom. He teaches physics, so he's always putting up these photos of jumping and climbing I give him, with explanations of the physics. I understand it's very effective at getting kids interested. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

If you're into the free digital books, have you checked out the Baen Free Library? -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

I understand that Sweden is the cheapest place on earth to skydive during the summer. One of my friends told me he was averaging $5 per jump last summer. I think they do it with coops and clubs and such. Any Swedes want to let us in on the secret? -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

Here it is. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

Um, haven't they been bringing a plane for the last couple years? -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

Nacmac posted it a while back. You might just start sifting through the archives. I'm sure it's still there... -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

Didn't you get the half price special? I've got dual gig. My TiBook has a shattered screen, though. Never take your laptop on a BASE vacation to Amsterdam. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

Don't worry. I'm sure you are far too pristine too have been interested in that thread. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

You gotta love the DZ.com tech support crew. Now, if someone could just fix my iSync problems... That's a joke. Don't even think about starting in on me about that. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

Yep. Mac. How come I can see it on the PC across the desk, but not on my G4? Hmmm. Is this a Safari problem? Which icon do you see? Aha. Apparently a cookie issue. Tossing your cookies appears to be the solution to all computer problems. Thanks everyone! Especially Photoshop Goddess Lew! -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

240 feet? At that altitude, you can do a front loop tard. Just hold the canopy, do a front loop over it, then release it as you come around. Happy hunting! -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

Sorry, this thread is moving faster than I am, since I'm hopping back and forth to Photoshop, GraphicConverter and Preview... Let's see if I can get one into my forum profile... -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

Definitely the best yet. You rock! -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

Malaysia. About ten days ago. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

Here's the best I've done so far. With or without PC is ok. I think you still get a good feeling of motion from the canopy extraction. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

The reduced image I posted is all I can get until Guillaume gives the ok (once they're published--should be around beginning of February). It's just such a cool photo of me that I really wanted to use it. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

Hmmm. I'll keep fiddling with it and see if I can get it worked out. I'm just trying to get it legible (viewable), but smallish. Derned commputters! Thanks, though! -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

I'm trying to shrink this photo so I can use it as my forum icon. I can't get it under 30k or so. I'm slicing out just me and my PC/canopy, and reducing resolution, but I just can't get it sorted out. Can anyone help me? Please? P.S. I think it's a pretty cool photo. Waddya think? -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

Um, I can think of a couple relatively devious and shady ways to end up on either disability or unemployment. Especially if they encourage you to drive too fast. Any accident on company time is legally the company's responsibility--including medical bills, regardless of your insurance coverage. I dunno. I'd probably just walk and become a dropzone bum. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

T.A.R.D. = Totally Awesome, Rapid Deployment Um, gosh. I'm torn between saying "you've got to see it to believe it", and trying to explain. Here's the basic idea. Stretch the lines out and do a quick pro-pack on the canopy. Close the tailgate loosely. Put your container on empty. Gather the lines in your hands. Toss the canopy up, and step under it. You really do have to see it to believe it. Oh, and you really don't want to know about the tard-away, and the re-tard. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

Very little, I believe. At terminal, with a skydiving system, I think there are going to be many variables that are far more important than a vented PC. My personal belief is that F-111 PC's are better, in terms of oscillation and orbiting (hence effect on heading) than any ZP PC's, even vented ZP PC's. That said, I believe that the French jumpers who originally developed vented PC's used them on their skydiving rigs for quite a while before taking them into the BASE environment. They probably have some data on their use in skydiving. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

Rough Consensus Guidelines: Stowed freefall: 300 feet Handheld freefall: 200 feet Static Line/D-bag: 150 feet Actual Lowest Jumps I Know About: Stowed freefall: approximately 200 feet Handheld freefall (over hard earth): 156 feet (no injury), 98 feet (life flight) Static Line: 111 feet Tard: approximately 75 feet D-bag: 63 feet (parachute not optional--water was only knee deep) Warning: Going this low is extremely foolish. If you do this, you better know what you are doing, and have health insurance, and a will. With special techniques, you can get quite a bit lower. Tards, for example, appear to be the fastest inflation technique going, and can probably be pushed well under 100 feet. -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com

Any way we can trade you Al Davis for Chuckie? -- Tom Aiello Tom@SnakeRiverBASE.com SnakeRiverBASE.com