Master_Yoda

I was told this sooo many times when I was jumping at Fort Bragg. We had the best aircraft skydivers could ask for but the load organization was horrible and it was hard to learn anything. Often we would just get out and build a star on the low man... ZOO LOAD!! We could go to Raeford but that was more of a style & accuracy DZ though some did some 4 way out there. Some friends and I did a lot of CRW there too. Big ways never happened back then. I really wish I'd taken the time to go to Z-Hills or Deland in those days... maybe the Freak Brothers boogie which is now the World Skydiving Convention. A few jumpers did travel. And they always turned out to be the best big way RW jumpers around. Are there still any DC-3s out there? Most of my jumps are helicopter jumps. I never had the opportunity to jump from one. What about Caribous or Skyvans? I loves me a tailgate!

Three times the voters of CA have voted NO. And 3 times a judge has over turned it. I'm glad I moved to Texas.

BRILLIANT!

I sold everything I had, including my van, to move to Austin, TX from Northern California. I don't regret the move but I wish I'd asked for a loan instead.

My favorite is Moylan's "Kilt Lifter". It's a thick, rich, kinda chocolatey Scottish ale. Moylan's is a micro-brewery in Novato, CA about a half hour north of the Golden Gate Bridge.

I can't speak from experience as I've been out of the sport for so long, but for what it's worth... I read somewhere, I think the PD website, the best way to go about it is to go one size smaller with the same make of canopy you're used to. OR go to an eliptical of the SAME SIZE, then go one size smaller after every 50-100 jumps or so. Of course I don't know of any elipticals over 200 sq ft so...

I was kinda thinking in those terms lately as well. Maybe being a DZ gypsy is better than playing the home dz game with all the rivalry stuff that some folks indulge in.

WOW! I had no idea it took so long to learn FF in a tunnel. I would have thought it's faster than in the sky. And maybe it is... I dunno. But an hour in the sky is a lot of jumps. And they wouldn't really have on the spot corrections from coaches like in a tunnel. Damn, I'm kinda shocked. I guess FF is a lot harder than it looks.

I live in Round Rock, not far from Cedar Park. We were just talking about the new Schlitterbahn park today. Coincedently, I was just looking for a tunnel in Texas. Glad to hear one is being planned for the park! It would be a great place to learn some FF skills before getting current again. By the way, every time I look at the name "Schlitterbahn" I read "Shitter-barn"! I'm just sayin'.

This one is great! A Mr Bill with a downplane. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8JPfNp8vbEo&NR=1

Ouch!

Nice.

I can't believe good 'ol Wally Gubbins is nowhere to be found on YouTube.

Oh yeah, I was just gonna mention before I got side tracked by that bitchin' free flying video... The biggest tube I've ever seen rolled out of an aircraft was a 16 way tube from a CH-47 Chinook at the Military Nationals in '87 above the Ste Mere Eglise dropzone on Fort Bragg. I never thought about it before, but I wonder if that was a record???

DUDE!! THAT's the kinda stuff that makes me want to come back. Fuckin' A COOL!!!

Awesome. I love it!

Request sent.

I used to live in Cloverdale. But I didn't get the bug to jump again until after I moved to Texas. So I've never jumped there. Anyway... Cloverdale has spectacular scenery. It's wine country ya know. You could make a great tandem with all the best scenery then go on a wine tour! I do know they only run a Cessna up there and I believe 10,000 is their ceiling. But call to be sure.

Speak for yourself. That first solo and the several following were some of the most memorable jumps of my career. Not every jump has to be learning jump. No requirements No performance pressure Just simple unadulterated fun. My first solo I did nothing but float on my belly looking at the wonderful view that God gave us that I never got to actually see before. Heck yes! Good advice. And when you finally get your A license, get a few friends together and roll a tube! Hold on tight till it blows up, swoop to the low man & build a star. And if you still have enough time, do a horny gorilla!! You won't learn shite but it'll be a VERY memorable, outrageously fun skydive. Rolling a tube out of an Otter http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ibb8eBvhw8Q Horny Gorilla http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jhuBXEQSdDc&feature=related

What a shame. Thanks.

God help the DZ you shopw up on. Between your posts about recurrency jumps, new gear, and helmets, it appears that you have made your mind up about how everything works at the DZ these days, and don't need any sort of new fangled training or adivce about anything. I tried to be on your side, but you sound like an asshole. Remember the as campaign, "This isn't your fathers Oldsmobile"? Well, this isn't 1990 skydiving anymore, and if you expect to fit in, succeed, and survive, you are need a serious attitude adjustment. Sorry you feel that way, Dave. Something is certainly getting lost in the translation here. You can't hear the inflection in my voice or see my body language. If you did, perhaps you wouldn't have chosen to judge me harshly. I've said several times I have no issues with going thru a ground school as seen fit by a DZO or instructor. I have no problem with hanging in a training harness reviewing emergency procedures or taking a written test. There's certainly no problem making a currency jump or two or three with an instructor. And I've stated my desire to get coaching immediately upon completing the recurrency jumps. I'm not on this board to make enemies. Nor am I on this board to impress anyone with my relatively limited experience that's now 20 years old. I am trying to get a feel for the state of the sport TODAY. What's in, what's out, what's hot, what's not? If skydiving was still all about 4-way RW and CRW, I wouldn't bother coming back. Been there, done that, don't care about it. I'd just as soon go bass fishin' in the mornings and sip a pint of home made beer while picking my banjo or mandolin in the evenings. But now free flying is popular and it looks like a lot of fun. The wingsuits are irresistable! It's the NEW STUFF that's the reason I'm back. And I look forward to learning from people with more experience than I. I think it's my reaction to BASE469's "nanny state" style of advice giving. It's over the top and ego driven nonsense. I think I'm pretty nice guy and easy to get along with. I just can't stand skygods. I couldn't 20 years ago and I can't now. Maybe you'll change your mind once you meet me. If we ever meet. Until then, blue skies Chris

By the way, I wasn't questioning the competence of packers. I would just rather use the money for another skydive! I'm not a doctor, lawyer, CEO or rockstar. I have to WORK for a living. lol

And I would be more than happy to do so.

I'm very familiar with guys like you who stroke their own egos by playing the safety card as they butt in on other peoples jumps. When I jumped on Ft. Bragg I had to take it because they usually out-ranked me. But I'm not in the Army anymore. I don't want your opinion or advice. With any luck, we'll never be on the same dropzone together. So what state is Salisbury in? You don't have a location set on your profile and I just would like to know where you jump so can avoid it in the future.

A used container and reserve (190 sq ft) is what I was thinking about. Then maybe a new main or a used one if it's exactly what I want. I was recently told about companies sending out demos. And I may just do that if I get current first. We'll see. That said I have been reading A LOT about the new gear out there. So far, I believe a PD Silhouette or Pulse in the 190 to MAYBE 170 range will do me just fine. IF I can get my weight down under 170... and 160 is my goal. That way my exit weight to canopy size ratio is just a smidgen over 1:1. And it'll be an ideal canopy for wingsuit flying which is what really is turning my gears to come back. I know I want a Cypress and I think I want a rig with a "Skyhook" but I as far as I've been able to research, only new Vectors and Javelins have that option. $$$ I suppose I could do without the skyhook but the Cypress (with at least a few years left) is a must. That skyhook deployment is awfully fast tho! I still need a bit more info on altimeters but my old Altimaster was just fine so I'm sure the new ones are even better. I'll pass on an audible altimeter for now. I'll buy a basic rw suit and a frap hat regardless of the fact that they're passe. I don't care. It's what I'm used to and for now, the less that's different, the better. The main thing about coming back that I wanted to avoid, was jumping lots of different kinds of loaner gear. Based on the "old" incident reports, jumping unfamiliar gear was the best way to become a report yourself. Currency was also an issue which is why I wanted my own gear from the start and the cash for 100 jumps before showing up at the DZ.