nigel99

Sad to say, you're missing the point. Some jump because it is worth it, in and of itself. Some jump (or do any other thing in life) because of how it makes them appear to others (cool, sexy beyond amazement, etc...). This attitude is rather sad. They derive their self worth from other's opinions of them, not how they enjoy their own life. Some people aren't interested in learning how to overcome what ever obstacles they perceive to be in front of them, they just want people to tell them they are amazing. Too true, unfortunately. Experienced jumper - someone who has made mistakes more often than I have and lived.

Shah you're approaching it from the wrong viewpoint. I started jumping at 16 with my own money. It took about 18 months to get off student status as I could only afford 1 or 2 static line jumps a month. For a 'fancy' jumpsuit I bought a bright yellow pair of overalls from the local store. Gear, I bought the old wonderhog and unit that nobody else in the club was stupid enough to jump. The point is you don't 'need' a $300 jumpsuit, fancy alti or 3k gear. If it really comes down to it and you like jumping you don't 'need' to do full altitude jumps either. I do regret the death of static line though. For all its faults, it does allow access to the sport with easier cashflow than AFF. Experienced jumper - someone who has made mistakes more often than I have and lived.

That's a lame excuse. I prefer people to be honest and simply say it doesn't interest them. We all have priorities and if jumping is one, it is amazing how people make a way. I've seen plenty of skydivers in beat up cars that their peers wouldn't be caught dead in. Then there is the guy who whose to 'poor' to skydive, but drives a new sports car. That's exactly my point. If you'd prefer a nice house to jumping, money isn't what is stopping you jumping - the nice house is your priority. There is this modern concept that you're some sort of second class skydiver if you can't or won't do 10 skydives a weekend. Experienced jumper - someone who has made mistakes more often than I have and lived.

That's a lame excuse. I prefer people to be honest and simply say it doesn't interest them. We all have priorities and if jumping is one, it is amazing how people make a way. I've seen plenty of skydivers in beat up cars that their peers wouldn't be caught dead in. Then there is the guy who whose to 'poor' to skydive, but drives a new sports car. We've all got different interests, it's just a sport not a freaking religion or lifestyle. Experienced jumper - someone who has made mistakes more often than I have and lived.

Look into a Sabre 2. It is a very fun canopy and you can drive it hard as you get experienced. There's no need for elliptical for your first few hundred jumps. In fact I know people with thousands of jumps still jumping Sabre 2's. There are other canopies in the same class that are just as fun. Experienced jumper - someone who has made mistakes more often than I have and lived.

It seems the reserve is there for legal compliance, not actual use. It makes sense if you are deploying too low for a reserve to be any good, why bother with the extra weight? May as well have a 20 square foot reserve

The best thing is to completely ignore the person and remove all contact. For desperate people even negative contact is still a form of connection and they will take any kindness or gentleness as a positive sign. There is a fair bit of evidence that restraining orders can just up the level and take things in a dangerous direction. So my take is don't answer emails, phone calls AT ALL. After a month or two he'll find someone else to obsess over. Experienced jumper - someone who has made mistakes more often than I have and lived.

http://www.dropzone.com/cgi-bin/forum/gforum.cgi?post=4133036;search_string=wait%20for%20AAD%20fire%20coach;#4133036 Hope the link works properly. Here is the whole story. Experienced jumper - someone who has made mistakes more often than I have and lived.

Did a hop and pop this weekend. The other guys in the 182 were trying to kick me out at 3.5 and without a cut so they could get to altitude quickly

Exactly.

No Pops, I'm not saying that at all. Assuming that logbook entry was a well intentioned but inappropriate and unwelcome prank, then why not just remove the page from your logbook, let the folks know who did it that you really didn't care for it and ask them not to do it again? Hopefully they would apologize, offer to buy a beer and everyone would sing Kumbaya around the bonfire. My point is, it’s a fairly innocent, minor transgression. If the reaction to something like this is to be “humiliated and embarrassed,” text one’s SO because your so upset and have a post on the net about how your logbook has been "vandalized" then really, is a dropzone a good place for someone like this to hang out? Alternately, are you suggesting we should censor and police ourselves so as to never accidentally offend anyone? And, yet again, I’m very sorry she was upset but a dropzone IS an adult environment. Someone this sensitive – some might say overly sensitive – is probably going to be offended a lot by being there. Hey Dean, She removed the page, and texted me. I made the post - she doesn't even know about me posting about it. She loved the particular dz where this occurred. The only 2 reasons we won't be back are distance (12 000 miles) and her sweetheart AFF instructor has left It's not a matter of sensitivity. MOST modern dz's 'sell' themselves as commercial business's. One of the changes in the sport that results from this is we now DO have families and children around DZ's. I'm not personally offended by anything, but I do think that the DZ behaviour of old has little to no place during the DAY. This weekend I was sitting out at our new dz and just chilling. The jumpers were outnumbered by families with little kids watching parents, and other family members doing tandems. Like it or not a DZ is no longer the same adult playground it was 20 years ago. By the way if you think that unwanted sexually explicit material in someone's personal property is a "innocent, minor transgression" we are probably on completely different wavelengths and will never agree. Experienced jumper - someone who has made mistakes more often than I have and lived.

I bought my rig without seeing it or testing it. BUT I did background checks on the seller and spoke to a few people from his area and got a bunch of detail and hi-res pictures. I wouldn't recommend doing it, but it worked for me. The gear was a very good price and based 600miles from me (while I was in the UK). I've just had an interesting experience. I've got my eye on the market for a canopy, for when a good deal comes up. Saw something advertised the other day and contacted the seller via email (the only contact detail he had given). I got back a page long rant about Nigerian scammers etc and how he didn't expect to hear back from me! Hopefully his attitude means there isn't much demand and I can pick it up for a bargain. Experienced jumper - someone who has made mistakes more often than I have and lived.

Drawing sexually explicit pictures with accompanying text describing what you'd like to do to someone really crosses the line WHEN you don't know them. I'm quite happy with a wild and free dropzone culture when the beer light goes on. I don't mind spending a night at. Dz but I wouldn't encourage my wife to. Experienced jumper - someone who has made mistakes more often than I have and lived.

Were you not at one point advocating quite strongly about doing just that to some 'asshole" as a warning by dumping their reserve? ... and it was old school tradition? just saying Very different circumstances and I can assure you Andy would have spoken to you numerous times long before he dumped your reserve. Experienced jumper - someone who has made mistakes more often than I have and lived.

THIS^^^ +10 Tradition? You are out of your mind it you think it is cool to screw with other people's stuff without their permission. It's a sure sign of immaturity and having no consideration for others. period. Nigel, I'm sorry that it happened to her. The Farm is well known for the immature gaming....I did try to warn the new people as they csme in. Don't worry Andy. You warned me and I did try and keep an eye on it for her. Page torn out and forgotten. She's all a buzz now about jumping from a 182 for the recurrency training Experienced jumper - someone who has made mistakes more often than I have and lived.

Thanks

Honestly? It depends on how 'filthy' the drawing was. Was not possible to just laugh it off and forget about it? I'll venture a guess and say it was a. done by accident in the wrong logbook, b. whoever did it didn't mean any harm and didn't think the person would get that embarrassed, or c. a and b together. Can't you just let it go? That's part of the culture...same as flashing the pilot, beer for all your 'firsts', etc etc etc. Personally there is very little that would offend me, if it was done in MY logbook. My wife is devoutly religious and very conservative in outlook. I know it was done as a prank, but when you don't know the person it is better not to risk offending them. If you are going to mess with a logbook - check the name its not that hard, if you know the person fine... Experienced jumper - someone who has made mistakes more often than I have and lived.

People please don't vandalise other peoples logbooks, its not funny or cool to do it to people you don't know. My wife is VERY conservative and just texted to say she was humiliated and embarrassed. She is busy doing the course to get recurrent and the chief instructor was flipping through her logbook in front of all the other AFF students (she is doing the FJC again) and stumbled on a 'filthy drawing'. I could kick myself cause popsjumper warned me, to keep an eye on her logbook and I know that he was trying to as well, but somehow one slipped through the net. In short do what you like to your or friends logbooks, but please leave other peoples alone [/rant] Experienced jumper - someone who has made mistakes more often than I have and lived.

Andy, What is a level 14 coach jump? Is that one of the 2 hop and pops required for an A? Here is Oz - hop and pops are required as the final two jumps for AFF - 5500 followed by 3500 I believe. I don't know what the dropzone involved does, but here hop and pops are from a 182 and a strut hang exit. The strut hang seems to work well, compared to trying to exit stable off the step of a 182 (I watched someone with 40 jumps take in excess of 10 seconds to get stable, from the step). Experienced jumper - someone who has made mistakes more often than I have and lived.

Quite an interesting attitude. Experienced jumper - someone who has made mistakes more often than I have and lived.

4 or 5 for me. Experienced jumper - someone who has made mistakes more often than I have and lived.

I didn't say he did. Matt Well, refusing to condone homosexual behavior and then calling it sin often tends to be viewed as hate. There is no question about it...the bible is very offensive to those who love their sin and refuse to repent. Well I sure hope you don't eat bacon or cheeseburgers. Experienced jumper - someone who has made mistakes more often than I have and lived.

You have got to be kidding. Just think what you will be able to appreciate a 50 jumps. Sparky I can see that it is poorly worded but I read it differently to you. How I understood it "I have begun to appreciate that there is a great breadth to a canopy's performance envelop, that few master or explore" I don't see a problem with that as a statement. It's not saying that HE has the skills to explore the envelop. Experienced jumper - someone who has made mistakes more often than I have and lived.

If you don't have fun on a 170 for quite a lot of jumps then you aren't learning to fly it. Last weekend I did canopy coaching and the coach was pointing out poor canopy flight technique to someone with 8000 jumps! The problem will be finding a good canopy flight mentor. Also don't buy new, I realise you haven't said you are. Used gear in the 190 range sells like hotcakes and you rarely lose money. There's no problem buying the gear for 50 to 100 jumps then moving on. Experienced jumper - someone who has made mistakes more often than I have and lived.

So does your new job involve liberal quantities of Vaseline? Experienced jumper - someone who has made mistakes more often than I have and lived.