Deuce

Good article. The key issue is what "duty" we owe each other. This stretching of the concept is why I dropped out of law school. These intellectual concepts are interesting, but they get proven by ruining people. I just didn't have it in me. You say you'll take your freind home from jail, and the cops release him to you. You attempt to take him home, but he does not choose to remain in your custody. He walks away. Should the freind have restrained the bailee? Should he have used force? Should he have used deadly force to prevent the possible death of the Ensign? That brings up the other issue of forseeability. Was is forseeable that the bailee would go drunk driving ad put others in mortal danger? This decision will affect us. Is it forseeable that teaching someone to swoop will result in their attempting to swoop and killing themself or someone else? This is what is sickening about lawyers. It is an interesting question, but it will be answered by ruining a person, or several people.

I'm at the same weight. At about 40 jumps I got my own Spectre 170. Beutiful brand new Wings container that I scrubbed the first three times I jumped it. Man, I was HAULING when I touched down, and having switched from f111 to my first ZP, I didn't understand how you had to FLY the landing. Another guy, younger, but about the same weight, just got a SabreII (I think it's the hottest thing going) he's at about 70 jumps, and he is over his head landing that thing. It's fast. Don't do it. Go at least 1:1, and keep it for a year or 200 jumps. He won't be able to enjoy freefall if he knows he's going to be flying behind the canopy as soon as it opens.

Thanks, Sangiro. This site keeps me sane during the work week

Amen. If you can stay stable head down with a spaceball, you are way the hell better than me at freeflying. If I could get a jump with somebody at your skill level without paying you to coach me, I'd be very, very grateful. Then, when your posse of freaks showed up, I would graciously and gratefully back out. When my skills were up to it, maybe your group would invite me on a big FF way. Enjoy your break. The sport appreciates your giving back, even if there's some individuals who don't express it enough. You'll be needing your air bath soon enough.

Artistic expression of rage shouldn't be made commercially available.

Your right. Kamikaze attacks don't warrant a boot up the *ss.

Well, Good Luck. Emergency Service Dispatching is a fun and challenging career. Tell them what they want to hear. The job is already yours, this conversation is just a formality!

Haven't had it yet. I'm at 240. Never did a tandem. My biggest fear is "f*cking up a skydive" for others. I think I may have passed this point when I was in law enforcement. I participated in the funeral of a freind who was murdered. I knew it could have been me, and from that time on I committed to keeping my personal books balanced with people. Death is a very real and close thing. Everybody knows they're going to die-someday. Skydivers know they might die on load *. Skydivers keep their personal books balanced more than regular folks. I think that's the issue that makes people quit. "Is my life in order enough that I can cope with checking out". Again, most people only do that kind of "gut-check" when they've had a near miss with a car wreck or something. I think skydivers have to do that gut check every time they get on the plane, and it's too much for some people.

Tail rotor? At takeoff the tail rotor is higher because the heli rotates nose down, right? I thought the victim here took it in the chest? Tragic. I'm wondering what kind of takeoff maneuver the pilot was engaged in when the rotor strike occurred.

"The crappier the skydiver, the louder the colors and less tasteful their jumpsuit tends to be. " Uh, oh. I suck. My camera suit looks pretty much like this but with a red wing too!

Thanks for sharing, Seb. You at Hollister? Good decision.

I can hear the Jaws music playing and you move into position.... Dun-Dun........dun-dun-dun-dun

There's one of the most obnoxious human beings in this solar system who jumps at our DZ. I think you had a run-in with him when you visited us a couple months ago. Dyed blonde spiky hair, peirced face, fully sleeved tattoos, REALLY LOUD AND RUDE. Unfortunately for the freeflyers, he's a freeflyer. He was trying to dog me about RW and referred to it as butt-sniffing. I was supposed to get mad, but I thought it was hilarious. Every time I'm shooting 4 way and somebody takes a double cat grip I crack up.

Sebazz! Are you burnt? Freefly camp at Davis this Saturday! Whooo-hooooo! GO TO A DIFFERENT DZ AND JUMP THE OTHER DISCIPLINE! If you are a bad *ss freeflyer, borrow a gripper suit and do some butt-sniffing! If you're a psycho belly-flyer, put on some old MC Hammer pants and do the sit! Shake it up! Jump naked!

Bikerbabe, that whole plus sized thing is silly. Anna Nicole is repellent for more reasons than being obese. When she just had a little butter on her, rather than being slathered in lard like now, she still would have been impossible to spend any time with.

Throw it down, Q-dog!

Yeah, Babe, When I was single I'd a gone out with any of them. Emme first. But if they couldn't maintain a conversation, forget it. It's amazing how often "Wow. Look at her!" is followed by "Wow. What a b*tch"

How wierd. I can't remember having a skydiving freefall dream. I've had dreams about hanging out at the DZ/DZ friends, but no freefall/canopy/landing dreams. Doesn't mean I haven't had em'. Just don't remember. "I am Dutch. Isn't that weird?" -Goldmember (wait for the video)

Great narrative. Thanks for sharing.

That's brutal. But funny.

Anybody want to guess at Lisa's blood alcohol level when she made that post? She reported one member of the party as urinating in his pants, one was unconscious, etc. She's going to read that post and ask herself "Did I really show a Rhino my breastesses?" Remain calm. Keep your pitchforks and torches at the ready. The monster will show us the goods. If not, we attack.

Oh, good. Speaking of whoring, I was kissed on the lips by a CRW jumper yesterday. Big sweaty whiskery smack on the lips. Yuck. I thought this guy was leaning in to tell me something important, since I'm new to the DZ, and he grabs my face and plants one on me and jumps the hell out of the Otter. I thought Freeflyers were fringey, but you really gotta keep an eye on those canopy rascals.

Hi Sebazz!

and a couple jumpers ate it in the swoop pond (no injurites). Injurites? In the old West days it was said that contracts formed West of the Mississippi cannot be enforced East of the Mississippi. But you gotta come back eventually. We are waiting.

:12:1 12 jumps videoing 4 way Saturday and Sunday. Sunday: We get a new team member who's been to Nationals before. She is rock-solid, really nice, focused, just lots of good stuff. Jump one, I funnel all by my lonesome when my wings don't inflate, then one does and I'm 180 degrees out and low. FINALLY they inflate, I'm pushing the up button as hard as I can, where, where, where, THERE THEY ARE! DRIVE DRIVE DRIVE, I get three points on tape before they break. The guys I've been jumping with know this is an aberration, but what a lousy first impression. So the next dive I am CLOSE AND STEEP. And then I'M FALLING. ARGH! Right through them. Uh, a little too close. Up and around I get back into position and the only point I lost was the one I crashed. BEER! First time I hit my team. But I'm not a REAL camera flyer until I hit them twice, right LT?