arlo

HEY! you weren't supposed to tell them about our wedding plans... a edited to add: and get it straight, biyotch. it's not a 'housedress' it's a MOO-MOO.

what makes you guys believe that you have to be a parent in a "perfect world"? not all of us give a shit to have kids and my little world is quite pleasant as is. don't assume everyone wants a kid. don't assume everyone that has a kid should. and while i'm at it, that's a great way to start out your life as an adopted child: "yeah, you're only here because somebody fucked up, but we'll keep ya..." or "we can't have our own, so we'll just take you." arlo

i got this straight from our website. if you have any more questions, PM me and i'll try to answer them for you. Bottom line, it depends on how much $$ you are willing to spend and what you are wanting to learn. hope this helps, arlo =========== SKYVENTURE TUNNEL CAMPS are ideal for those who wish to work on stability and body position for belly, 4-way or freefly skills. SkyVenture instructors are able to coach all forms of flight disciplines in the tunnel and we can personalize your training to meet your individual needs. Learn how to let the wind move your body; learn new techniques to help you fly better whether you have no skydives or thousands of jumps. These camps are for you. The cost for the camp is $485 and payment is due in full upon booking. Each camp includes 30 minutes of tunnel time spread out during one day. The NSL TUNNEL CAMP training curriculum is flexible enough to meet your individual needs. You will receive one on one training with our experienced NSL coaches. Class sizes are small and your flight time is spread out over two days offering a condensed training session. The basic camp has a 3: 1 coach ratio with 60 minutes of tunnel flying over two days. The deluxe camp has a 2: 1 coach ratio with 90 minutes of tunnel flying over two days. The AIRSPEED BASIC TUNNEL CAMP will be comprised of focused, hands on, one-on-one training in the SkyVenture wind tunnel. It will include detailed video debrief and classroom instruction. The instructors will all be members of Arizona Airspeed. Classes will be small - no more than 10 students. The standard course will be spread over three days at the SkyVenture wind tunnel in Orlando, Florida, or Perris Drop Zone in Perris Valley, California. Each class will be taught by 4 - 6 Arizona Airspeed Coaches The student to instructor ration will be held to 3 to 1. Each student will receive 1 hour of flight time (reduced only by the small amount of time it takes to get in and out of the wind tunnel). During every second of that time, you will work one-on-on with an Airspeed coach. The course will take approximately 8 hours each day. AIRSPEED DELUXE CAMPS These Camps are designed to incorporate more flying in the same amount of time (50% more, to be exact). The material is not more difficult or "advanced" there is just more of it. The rhythm and pace of the day is a bit faster. For that reason, Deluxe Camps are limited to those who have already attended an Airspeed Wind Tunnel Camp and are therefore already familiar with our system. As with any other camp, we will tailor your curriculum to your exact skill level. In response to several requests for us to offer more Deluxe Camps, we have implemented a new demand-based schedule for them. We will hold DeluxeCamps during any Basic Camp in which we have four campers requesting it. The parameters for the deluxe camp are the same as those of the basic camp except for the following Total flight time = 1.5 hours rather than 1 hour Total days = 3 Student-Teacher ratio is 2 -1 rather than 3 -1 AIRSPEED MEGA-CAMPS A Mega-Camp is simply two 3-day wind tunnel camps strung together into a single 6-day affair. You pay exactly double and get exactly double what you would in a single 3-day camp. You need not have attended a previous wind tunnel camp to sign up for this option. The parameters for the mega camp are as follows: Total flight time = 2 hours rather than 1 hour Total days = 6 rather than 3 Student-Teacher ratio is 3 -1 The FREEFLY TUNNEL CAMPS combine the TunnelCamp organization and Airspeed teaching methods with World Class Freefly Coaching to produce one of a kind training experience. As always, you will be one-on-one with your instructor. Coaches for these camps will be Mike Swanson, Rook Nelson, Alaska Jon, Steve Curtis, Juliana Se Raidel and Fabian Raidel. Kirk Verner of Airspeed will be assisting with the coaching and managing of the camps. The camp structure will be classic Tunnelcamp.com – one hour for flight time, instruction and lectures spread over 3 days

http://www.noaanews.noaa.gov/stories/images/isabel091803-1153z2.jpg this one's pretty cool, too.

ditto. edited to add: oh yeah, lisa was dead-on about the nickel finish. i think it looks quite bad-ass. arlo

get the rig. the tunnel's not going anywhere. the rig will. the money you save from having to rent gear will fund a future tunnel camp if you so desire. the tunnel compliments skydiving...it's not a substitute. did i just say that? seriously, buy the rig. arlo

girl...SLOW DOWN. you're asking for advice but you're not listening to what everyone's telling ya.

if the online form you used was incorrect to begin with, then it's not your fault. but that would also mean almost anyone using that particular order form "created" incorrect color schemes for themselves. if the mistake was made by the dealer transposing colors from your form to the order form), then the dealer should be responsible. if you misunderstood the form and inserted colors 1 thru 9 into slots 8 thru 9, then it is your responsibility. my first (and only) new canopy i wanted "purple and lime green." purple to me was dark (blackberry). what i got was exactly what i asked my dealer for. it was this lavender and green THING (purple at PD is a light, pastel purple). i affectionately called it the flying easter turd. it was so ugly i sold it after 5 jumps. that was many years ago. you can bet your ass that i'm meticulous about ANY order that's made now. it was no one's fault but my own. if the dealer fucked up, they should do the right thing and order another canopy AND help you try to sell that one at a reduced rate to salvage $$. if you fucked up, then take responsibility for it, try to sell that turd and get another one...or just jump it. blues, arlo

if that's your opinion, then i guess you need to start handing out numbers to: the swedes sinapsi endeavor (eloy) XL Wildwind (eloy and deland) norgie girls V-Max Aussies who am i forgetting?

i agree. having been one of those in the hard pull club, i don't think it would've helped. also, i concur regarding spinners. i have a friend that almost died because he couldn't cutaway. this was due partially to no riser inserts (several years ago when riser inserts weren't as available as they are now), but more so due to the rig design where the end of the cable housing had a blunt eyelet versus one that was rounded. it just fucking stuck and he almost died because of it. that was, root cause: bad design. on the flip side, i do think that alot of injuries end up being less severe because the body was in better shape to handle the trauma (john matthews, chris colwell to think of a couple of friends right off the bat). just having the muscle mass that they did and the impact/injuries they sustained could've been even worse IMO, if their bodies weren't able to handle it. anyhow, i love you man. arlo

jesus, man. who pissed in YOUR cornflakes? Seems like you took "fitness may increase your safety" for "unfit is dangerous." you're calling him arrogant, but you're boasting about having 500 jumps and outswooping someone with 50. well HELLO! that'd be like me saying i know someone with 5000 jumps that can outswoop a 500 jump wonder. why pull rank like that? common sense would dictate that statement. i should be able to take offense to his statement (but i don't) since i have had a couple hard-pulls resulting in reserve rides. would being stronger have helped in my situations? maybe, but i doubt it. they were stuck...packing problem. I didn't pack 'em, but i take full responsibility for both. nature of the beast. but i think there's nothing wrong with saying that being in better shape can only help in all aspects of one's life...skydiving included. with that, i should get off my fat ass and do something. can't we all just get along? arlo

i live in deland and i could've sworn that "TSC"s directions are 'blah blah blah approx 2 hrs from ' BWAHAHAHA!! hmmm. aurora jumpship. now THAT would be a cool little flight, but if i had one and told ya, i'd have to kill ya. hmm. you both said "aurora." nope. i won't even go there. edited to add: B^2, you can ride in jumpship anytime.

no you don't b^2!!! I've got great news for you!!! it's only about 2 hours from wherever you are!!!!!

you know, it's good to know that those SUPER OTTERS are professionally maintained making them safer. it's good to know those folks know what type of aircraft they work on, too. hey, isn't that place like 2 hours from here?

articulated harness: same as rings. this is a very nice option to have. nice to have, not need to have. but it definitely will not decrease the resale value of your rig. very comfortable...makes it a little more "form-fitting." mini-risers/rings: hmm. they look great. most people get them. I have them. they're cooler looking (smaller) than the large rings/risers. sorry, but cooler looking IS why most people get them. They have less mechanical advantage than the larger rings. stainless steel: nice to have if you like shiny things. B-12s: i wouldn't. they can tend to dig into your upper thigh when sitting in a plane. they're sorta old school, although some people still use them and love them. i'd HIGHLY recommend thread-thru. other options: collapsible pilot chute: yes hackey: nice to have, not need to have RSL: for now, yes. pinstriping: nice to have, not need to have velcro-less toggles: yes soft reserve: no, not yet. stick with what you know (metal handle) if you only have 10 jumps. BOC: for you, now, yes. i know this isn't all-inclusive, but i hope this is a good start.

I've noticed that alot of people are very quick to slam the (not necessarily THEIR) gear manufacturer about discrepancies. Maybe this will help clear things up a bit for some folks. When you order a container or canopy thru a dealer, it is both yours and the dealer's responsibility to make sure everything is in order. If you mail/phone order something and you have to give the dealer measurements, please make sure those measurements are correct. that whole "measure twice, cut once" thing is very applicable. make sure all the "blanks" are filled in on the order form. A good dealer will also double verify what you have done. A good dealer will also question anything out of the ordinary just to make sure the intent of the order was met. Once all that paperwork is complete, THEN the manufacturer gets the order (this makes three links in the chain of command already). All they have to work with is what the dealer gave them. If they have any questions about your order, they will call the dealer for clarification. This can include things like embroidery, odd size, etc. Please don't assume that manufacturers are idiots. they have been doing this for a long time and they can size containers, etc because they know more about it than most of us do. :) Your order will usually sit in the paperwork process for a couple weeks. I used to be a bit irritated by this, but i've found that this is a blessing in disguise. I think that they build in this fluff because inevitably, most people change their order ("that's the souuuuuuund of inevitability"). whether it's a change in a cell color, canopy size, flap color, pinstriping, whatever, that seems to be the nature of people...last minute changes. you're spending a lot of money on a new item and you want it to be perfect. So does the dealer. :) everyone in the chain wants the customer to be extremely satisfied with their purchase because frankly, it means return business and it's good customer relations. I guess what i'm trying to say is that people are quick to blast the manufacturers for making mistakes that aren't their mistakes. If something wasn't specified, why assume that the manufacturer knows that? Too, dealers should be there to provide customer service. Please don't call the manufacturers and ask them a bazillion questions about your order (when is it gonna be ready? etc). If you want to know, call your dealer. that IS what the dealer is there for...to answer any questions you may have about your stuff. If the dealer doesn't answer your questions to a level that satisfies you (don't ask for the meaning of life, either ;), THEN maybe an email or call to the manufacturer is in order. All the phone calls and bombardment (i'm specifically thinking all the calls to Alti-2 before the neptune's release) do nothing BUT delay, which feeds the need to bitch about a late product. But if the dealer is not meeting your needs, then maybe a call to the manufacturer is what NEEDS to happen. Oh yeah, if you are unsure about anything, ASK YOUR DEALER TO CLARIFY....please. there's nothing worse than having an unanswered question but being afraid to ask someone because you don't want to be too inquisitive. ASK. that is your right as a customer. We're all in this together to get folks their equipment asap and to get them exactly what they want. there's not alot more exciting than getting your first new rig or new canopy. it's very rewarding to the dealer as well to see happy customers. but please, think about what you're doing to the manufacturer before you blast them. hey, if THEY f-ed up, then have at it. hell, i'll lead the way. but I would venture to say that most of the time what you're raising hell about isn't even their fault. it usually lies with yourself and the dealer. oh yeah, give the "guilty" party a chance to correct their mistake..in a timely manner, of course. that's only fair. but expect it to be taken care of in a reasonable amount of time. it shouldn't take 6 months to resolve a problem. it's unacceptable. i hope this helps folks understand a little more about the ordering process and how we can help each other get the equipment we want and keep everyone happy during the entire process.

history of the Fun Flag.... www.omniskore.com/comp/2001/wag/tidbits_fun_flag.htm

as chuckie monkey would say: BRING THE PAIN (or in this case, Lisa)!! a pre-welcome to fl, dear. arlo

hey katie! you're welcome.

the Knights are leading Maubauge (French) by 1 point after the first round. (yeah!) Airspeed, the French, and the Russian 8-way teams are all tied after round 2. Fem 4-way have not completed round 1 best i can tell. this is going to be one helluva world meet....

tell your friend to go to www.skyventure.com and follow the links for investment opportunities. or call the skyventure corporate office in orlando for details. PM me for the number. your contact would be alan metni. arlo

PM'd

can you feel the love? i say we hold hands and sing, la. chuckie b, care to lead us in a round of kumbaya? i love you guys!

dammit, ron. you DO have a sweet side to you.

god you're easy, ron.