Deuce

For altitude you want a KingAir DZ. 14 to 14.5K altitude. To jump a lot, you want a place that's turning a twin or a Caravan during the week. That eliminates a ton of DZ's. I think you might be down to Arizona, Florida, and L.A. during the winter. If you jump hard, you'll be done in 3 weeks. You could always pack for food and stretch that out

The bunkhouse at Perris was comfortable and clean, they've got a pool and laundry facilities. They turn their Otter during the week. Very cheap and very nice for the price. You could also do a day trip or two to Elsinore (I haven't visited there yet). I'm in NorCal, and I think just about everything up here is Cessna during the week. Cheers!

Game face ON. Yes, No, It wasn't fun. (Eyes welling up with compressed laughter tears) Bwahahahaha! "Gimme a jump ticket and pay for my pack job or I won't ever do that again!"

Thanks again to Quade and the others who have given advice here. What a blast! I had the wings adjusted by a friend at the DZ, left the camera on the ground and went for a one-way KingAir ride. The suit is fast when the wings are in. Pop those wings out, and it's like hitting the up botton on a high speed express elevator! A camera flyer friend suggested bringing my elbows tight to my sides and putting my hands in front of my chest in a prayer kind of position to hit the "down" button. Wow does that work. I'm glad I approached it cautiously, but I can't overstate how much fun that vertical range is to play with. Plus you can STOP once you've swooped in. So those are my weekend numbers, Three camera suit jumps, two with the camera, and one CREW jump where I managed a two-way rotation the first time out (with a PRO crew jumper) FUN!

Suggestion 1: Listen to veterans. None of the good ones will recommend you jump a camera at your level. Use that money to jump like a monkey on crack. THEN use the money your monkey hasn't spent on camera stuff. Suggestion 2: If you're going to use the camera mostly for jumping, get a PC9 sized camera. I've got a 110 and I'm not using the extra features when it's in my helmet. The extra size and weight wouldn't be missed.

Tom, you've got more jumps than me, but my 02 cents would be to go with RW people. The open class first and third place in our tracking contest at Byron were both HARDCORE freeflyers, with the owner of the video concesson, a hardcore camera flyer, taking second. So I guess my 2 cents is a little contradictory. If you want to hook up at Byron or Davis sometime we can do some tracking dives.

I visited Perris in late June, and I recommend it wholeheartedly. It's not that far from San Diego. I jumped at Otay right near San Deigo during the week and it was REALLY slow. C206, nice people, but no other upjumpers to play with, during the week. Thev've got a really nice Otter for when they get busy on the weekends.

Gimme a hug, Lummy. Byron, tomorrow, load one. There's nothing left to be said.

Ai, chihuahua!

Isn't clay on his adventure date with a Columbian chiquita today?

Narci, here in San Francisco, it's not tolerated for anyone to openly state that they find homosexuality offensive. If a person is at the Gay/lesbian/transgender/bi(I'm still leaving a group out I think) parade and expresses distaste, they are universally and roundly condemned for their intolerance, and nobody seems to realize how intolerant that is. Why is a heterosexual club silly? There are gay youth clubs, but the look at what's happened to the Boy Scouts for their position. If you and your partner lip-lock on Market Street in San Francisco, only the tourists will notice. Some may ask to take a picture with you Yes, you have been reasonable and gentle in your responses, you seem like an alright guy. You don't seem like a person who's going to go into a DZ in Texas, lay down on the couch with your partner and make out, and then get all snotty and snap "what're you looking at?" Smart, articulate discussions are a pain. 16 hours to load 1.

Ka-pow. No, not fair. But if Richard did not want to associate with homosexuals, and formed an exclusive club where he could be comfortable around hetorosexual people and closeted homosexuals and denied membership to the openly gay, would you allow it? Would you participate in the P/C condemnation that would rain down on him? Freedom of speech doesn't mean others must be forced to listen.

Interesting thread. I grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area, and worked in restaurants through the 80's while in school. Every single gay man I worked with at that time, about 20 from the 3 different restaurants I worked at, is dead from AIDS. Gay men and lesbians in my experience are generally really well educated, articulate, and have wicked senses of humor and observation. My boss is a gay man, and his partner is HIV positive. I'm Catholic. Want to talk about the transubstantiation of the body of Christ during the Eucharist? You feel the difference when we switch from sexual orientation to religion? We shouldn't bash anybody. I laughed so freakin hard this past Saturday working at a local DZ. This place has about 20 gay and lesbian flamers and a six-foot transgender man with D-cup implants. A really fun, colorful group to just people watch, but nobody that I can see is going "psst. Look at that!" Nobody really cares. I say I can't commit to shooting camera on Sunday because I go to Church with my family, and not only the 4 way team I'm talking to, but a couple of people within earshot are physically startled. If I had said "I can't normally make Sundays because that's the day I break kittens necks" people would have looked at me the same way. They are like, "but, why?" This is a good place to air it out, but I vote that we leave all that at the hangar door. Politics, religion, sexual orientation, imposing your morality should stay off airport property. And rest assured, if I know you're gay, and you crater at my drop zone, I will give you mouth-to-mouth until the pros arrive. Cheers. Load one departs in 18 and a half hours. I am so there.

I went whitewater rafting this past Sunday, and the guide told us that of recreational sports the most dangerous was horseback riding, and the second was snow skiing. Anecdotal, but interesting.

AMEN to that! I'll take one rockin' synchronized 4 way over 6 funnels any day. But I'll take one stupendous funnel over not jumping any day either.

I can't say thanks enough. I've got a ProTrack. My RW drop speed is about 118. so far my max RW speed not in a funnel is about 128. I think the spandex arms on the Camera suit should give me more speed when I want it. My flat track vertical speed is 88, I will find out what my slowest vertical vertical speed is tomorrow. The swoop cords were one of my bigger concerns, and you addressed that really well, thanks so much for the pictures. Did you have those fastex buckles custom done? I'm really grateful for the coaching. Thanks and thanks again. JP

What goes around, comes around. Generosity returns to you many-fold. Jump for the Boob.

Nice. My colors are Royal, Red, and black. If you get colors you like and stick with them, eventually everything's coordinated. I've got a Pit Special, definitely get the jumbo grips. Mine are red, and show up fine on video. If the others are wearing black gloves, there's plenty of contrast. Like jumperpaula says, get the inside leg grips. Don't bother with the second set of upper arm grips, they just encourage the frisky to climb on your back and ride. You gettin the cordura butt and knees?

Clay, try this and give me a vicarious thrill. I swear this technique works, an abrasive friend of mine succeeded with it more often than not. (I don't think your abrasive, but if hell needs an ice rink in order for you to date, this might just work) When you arrive at her apartment, or vice-versa, say hello, you look nice, lovely day, etc. then "Have sex with me". She may say "great idea!" and then you'll have something to talk about later over a meal. If she declines, say "come on". Continue to say "come on, c'mon, C'mon!, come-on, COME-ON, uh, come on" Repeat this mantra ALL NIGHT. She will eventually say "Fine! Just shut up! Let's go - whatever!" The guys name is Craig (last name witheld) he was famous in our crowd for this. I never could figure out why anybody surrendered to it, but they did. Come on! Come on! Come on! Repeat with me, do the wave! Vicarious thrill. Oh, and Clay? If she offers you a necktie, run like hell.

Check #1647 is enroute. I put an extra buck on there so you could send me back a tax receipt Next time I'm in Perris I'm going for a kiss pass. You Have Been Warned.

Tomorrow's fine, Q-dog. I look forward to it.

Thanks, J. I am hooking the wing under my leg pad and back to the articulating ring on my rig. I think it's perfect. Thanks for that story.

OK 90, this is not personal but regarding your idea: Screw that. That's Europe, and its a pain in the ass kind of place. That's why all those Euro's come over here to jump. More regulation and rules just make the sport a pain, and more expensive to boot. Nobody is going to continually be stupid if everybody on your dropzone is telling them they're stupid. The guys that get convinced they're cool if they take risks will hurt themselves and others. Make that uncool on your DZ. I am so glad I didn't have to get a permit to fly my camera like they do in Europe. The government would just have prevented me from flying a camera, they would not have made anyone safer. Freedom! Man I just read that post again. What the hell do you propose the penalty would be? Fines? Who's gonna write the tickets? Who's gonna issue warrants when they don't get paid? You gonna ground somebody, take their license, cut off their buttons? You do it! Somebody hooks in enough that you wish a cop was there to write a ticket or put them in a car, tell them you think they are an asshole and stand your ground. If they are a menace, tell the DZO to 86 them or you will take your business elsewhere and then vote with your feet. My home DZ is safe because of tough, smart veteran flyers who will walk out onto the landing area and rip you a new one for being stupid. My DZO will 86 people who are foolish and he doesn't allow drinking during operation. Come fly with us, but don't call for Dropzone cops for everyone because your group won't police itself. (yikes i'm snappy)

Then find a well-lit DZ and get it on. See you at the meet!