Deuce

I think some latin guy did it much more latinly out of a trebuchet.

Nope. Had to retake one of my AFF instructor course jumps, though.

How in the heck can a greater than 90 be incorporated into the traditional downwind, base final pattern to the same landing area? We have gliders at my DZ. How one could turn base and then pass the runway and then whoop a 270 to land and not get his license pulled by the FAA? I'm ready to be convinced, but at some point in that maneuver the landing glider is directly opposing traffic in the pattern head-on! There are individuals who can share that space safely, but that's a situation like an airshow, not an uncontrolled airport. When we get to new airports it's usually "Left or right hand pattern, land into the wind." I've never had a briefing where I was instructed "And about here the swoopers who pull a 270 will go right, about here is where you pull a 180, and 740's from here. Going big like that requires a seperate landing area or pulling high or hop and popping with the other pros.

Thanks, Q. I was there when Tommy showed up. He was in what I was told was his Granpa's RV, and he just pulled in and went to work. He was my first trusted packer. I was already on the video wheel, and Tom showed up and began asking questions about video in a way that no current EGO-centric video flyer ever does anymore. He could pack at a hellion's pace and most importantly, he NEVER complained. He could do it or not, but no bitching. Like all of us, Tom got his break when there just weren't enough other video flyers around. He had these cookie-monster wobbly-eyes on his helmet that truly inspired me. Anybody have a photo? He was just cool. None of his stuff was new, back then. Used borrowed or recovered from broken, he just made it happen. I had huge respect for him. I just couldn't have done it. He had field mice in his RV, but they didn't seem to bug him. He said he'd kill them, but then they'd die somewhere inconvienient and then stink the place up, so he'd just as soon live with the live ones. He was a good skydiver. He was safe, and fun, and predictable to others in the pattern He had no problem diverting from a swoop, and unlike many other swoopers, never bitched about the problems of sharing the airspace with "boats". He had a crazy mercurial relationship a while ago. Big on drinking, big on fighting, big on making up. It was fun to watch. He handled the stress of the situation DrPhilariffic. He was a really good guy. One winded out, or weathered out day me and him decided to mount the skateboard behind the golf cart and "ski" behind it. I lost a whole lot of skin off my elbow "that Mad John" licked off in contradiction of all contagion. But from which Tommy recieved a severe concussion. He never sought comprehensive treatment for. He was concerned about the cost. I think that hurt him. I showed him how to get no-cost care but he wanted nothing to do with it. He continued to work, and work well. I sold out and got my Tandem rating, and was videod a ton of times by Tom. He refused to get a tandem rating. I loved him. I did, he was as pure a spirit as I have ever encountered, and I'm old by skydiving standards. He wanted to work for Mike McGowan, and I told him I'd cash in whatever cache I had with McG to get him to Eloy, but he opted not to go. He was what I term a "pure type", a kind of person we don't encounter that much anymore. Most of us have to compromise ourselves to make our living or our lifestyle. Tommy, by chance or by fate, never compromised in my time of knowing him (all of it) at Byron. Dying sucks. How we go? Well, Ilea is a complete package hottie. Ask her for a kiss, she enthusiatically says "YES!" and you go. 60 seconds later you joyfully deploy your parachute feeling love and significance. Wheeeeeee! Boom, parachute out, brakes out, all is well in the world. Clear airspace, KAWABUNGA!........OH FUCK!!!!!!!............BLAM. People, I have more jumps with Tomgusto than just about anybody else. I loved him. My kids loved him, cause he gave great elevator rides. It's been hard to explain to them that gentle Tom is gone. Oh, Argh. More later, I guess.

Got me! The best pay in skydiving is definitely in packing. A hardworking packer makes more than the pilot!

Tom Dillon, who passed on New Years Eve, made a modest living as a full time videographer. If you want to be able to participate in the world outside of skydiving too, you'll need to get as many ratings as you have the skill for. The key is to be able to provide whatever service the skydiving customer wants. Every tandem student needs a tandem master, but not always a video. Same for AFF students. Every rig needs to have the reserve repacked regularly. If you had all those skills, you could make about $60,000 full time at a medium sized good weather DZ. No buying new stuff all the time either. Use the gear till it breaks and buy new stuff off of E-bay. You'll have to wait a while to get your tandem and AFF ratings, but the first thing that you can qualify yourself to do for money in skydiving is camera flying. Good luck!

Tomgusto, you fucker. I'm sure they have fresh pineapples and rum in the better place you've gone to. I'll miss our race to the fridge when the beer light comes on. It just won't be the same. "It's just a thin candy shell"

Is Sack going down there with you guys?

If you are new, you'll have much better results with the .5 Some of the greats, like Greg Gasson don't use one at all.

I disagree here. A CD only holds about 750megs of info, so if you fill a gig card, you have to burn it to two discs. A card that holds more than a CD can be a pain, for sales purposes.

This is a no-brainer. In the old film days we'd shoot a roll of film and give it to the customer. It was really hard to get better quickly. With digital, even if you are giving a copy to the customer, you get to look through the photos right after you shot them and get instant feedback on composition and lighting. With digital you can come home and post your days best shots on DZ.com!

I'm really surprised.I've used Max's stuff for years, and he's always delivered quality goods and customer service.

You're OK about not being a virgin anymore though, right?

Well, you've brought up another issue about working with other jumpmasters on two jumpmaster AFF levels, and that is communication. I've done some AFF with GG, and her ground communication is especially good. Very thorough about "what I plan to do if this happens..,". That's very important, and another very important thing is clear goggles so the instructors can communicate via eye contact. I get really frustrated with instructors that wear dark glasses. Like on a level three when we let the student go, we usually float up over the back a little to make eye contact and the main side will indicate everything is OK via eye contact and a nod, and the reserve side lets go. Likewise we can float up and give a nice panicky eye contact that communicates "do NOT let this knucklehead go!".

That picture of Hooknswoop in the middle of the advert for this year is especially cool!

Bah, it's just that Southern California Hate. Me and Gumby had the worst level one I have ever heard about and it taught me a great lesson. If they complete the dive flow on a level one the only signal I'm going to give them is a relax, then a check alti, and then a pull. Most all of them are so overloaded that more than that is just an invitation for them to take you for a ride. If I'm reserve side I try not to give any hand signals, I figure that's why the main side is making the big bucks, and I'm just there to stabilize the freefall. I'm always real surprised when either a main or reserve side doesn't ask for my feelings about the dive. As for diplomacy, it's not my strong suit (either), I'd probably just ask that next time I'd appreciate some indication that the student was going to be deployed. And yeah, like you I like to give the student every chance to succeed, and I get dissapointed when they get cheated out of those chances. Miss you guys, hope all is well!

If they have camera and cable ready I always give up the images. If they want me to burn a DVD they are out of luck. I want them to buy the camera and cable, and I'm then happy to heop.

I think it's appropriate. It's more than an employment ad. It's a commitment. The members of Fury are fun and talented and they are offering to share a searon with a video flyer. It's really not so much a commercial offer as a personal ad. Best of luck to Fury, and their camera flier. JP

If you'd a flew into SF you could have borrowed my truck. Have fun!

Ha! I launched a two-rodeo off the KingAir. Then we turned points!

Yeah, pretty much just TDK, but my video concession owner is now insisting I use Sony tapes. So, just TDK and Sony. I think the bigger problem is reusing tapes. I've never used a tape more than once.

Argh. I'm not sorry I got my XTi right away, but I wish I had got it at Costco. My first video camera was a PC110 I got there, and when it went on the fritz 6 months later I just took it back for a FULL refund. This is a deal worth jumping on. I thing you might be able to order it from Costco.com, too. JP

I have always and only used TDK tapes from Costco. No problems. If the dubber's gear is dirty with only Sony tapes, you may have problems, but it is caused by OTHER dirty equipment, not TDK tapes, in my somewhat considerable experience.

The most recent full page Wings ad in Parachutist has all photos taken with the XTi on shotter priority, autofocus, Sigma 14 aspherical at 1/500. I love it. It's a 30D (pretty much) that weighs a pound less. JP

Well, we haven't seen you in forever! Spring break?