PiLFy

I've a suggestion for you. Ask your instructor to flip you around facing up towards the plane on exit. It's really cool to watch yourself fall away from the big plane you just left. Are you mentioning possibly drugging yourself in another reply? Bad idea. Just do it.

Reasonable: http://www.chutingstar.com/newgear_en/benny.html Cheaper, but still reasonable (even w/$19 for a different size pad set): http://www.chutingstar.com/usedgear_en/benny-small-scratched.html About as cheap as it gets (but good pads are expensive): http://www.ebay.com/itm/Used-Pro-Tec-Skydiving-Helmets-Assorted-Sizes-and-Colors-/110802264204?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item19cc54608c

"What do you do when you go to a dropzone and feel too many corners are being cut?" Leave...

"I'm fully aware of the history surrounding Sangi, and if you're somehow under the delusion that rapidly downsizing and swooping as Sangi did compares to wearing a camera then it just goes to show how irrational your argument is. There's no comparison between the two." You're fully aware that Sangi didn't listen to a mountain of good advice until it was too late. Yet, you're still here talking smack w/the same thick skull & 'tude? I call Bullshit. You're either the Troll you've been accused of being in earlier threads. Or, you really are that stupid. Either way, you're not worth wasting one more minute on. Where do you jump, in Utah? Good, I'm nowhere near you. Go ahead & kill yourself. DO NOT take anyone else w/you.

O once knew someone w/a distant family member who married a Pak. Once a year, she'd give him her latest glasses prescription to fill over there. Glasses cost about $400 here. Hers only cost about $6 in Pakistan... She could see just fine w/them (weak Rx). They've no experience making our suits. Still, you'll probably get several suits for $100.

Holy Sangi-Sh*t... I may be naive, but it's amazing to me that someone could be so foolish. W/all the information that's readily available on this site. How can you possibly be so dense??? Think you're ten feet tall & bullet proof? Think all the old hands are just overly conservative Wimps? I strongly urge you to test your superiority by reaching out to this guy: http://www.dropzone.com/cgi-bin/forum/gforum.cgi?username=Sangi; He has plenty of time to answer your PMs. Almost four months after hammering in, he still can't walk or even feel his legs. We remain hopeful that one day he will walk again. If you don't reach out to him, & have an honest exchange of ideas? You're an absolute idiot, & already crippled or dead. Please at least have the decency to only kill yourself when you pound in. Edit to add: Why not? I'll even make it easier for you. Read this thread from beginning to end: http://www.dropzone.com/cgi-bin/forum/gforum.cgi?do=post_view_flat;post=4192725;page=1;sb=post_latest_reply;so=ASC;mh=25; Sound familiar???

Mixed you up w/another post, eh... Now the long drive makes sense, eh. Good Luck to you in the Spring.

I vote Benny, too. They're reasonably priced, actually fit my head shape, & have generous amounts of padding (unless you need an XL). The shell only comes in one size. So, size is determined by the pad set. The smaller your head. The thicker the protection is. I'm very happy w/my size large. New pad sets are only $20. Sorry to read you have to drive SEVEN HOURS to get to a DZ... I thought most of OZ's population was centered around two cities, along one coast?

Being an argumentative, obstinate Troll doesn't make you right. It just makes you an Ass. You didn't prove a thing. I see why you have so much time to hunch over your keyboard starting fights w/people. I doubt anyone would put up w/you. I'm done w/you, too. Piss off...

"As opposed to all those *wonderful* facts you gave in your reasoning, I suppose?" I made my points plain enough. If you want to argue w/the majority of the gun establishment? Knock yourself out. "You didn't explicitly say it, no... but you certainly alluded to it." No, I didn't allude to it, either. That was you trolling again. "Given the reasoning you're using for your statements, you certainly didn't seem to learn much in your life around guns." Your opinion is duly noted... "And the cop shot himself because his finger was in the trigger guard. Thanks for disproving your own point within a single paragraph, it saves me the trouble." This is the incident I think you were trying to refer to before you screwed it up: "Now, remember children, I'm the only one in this room who is specially trained to handle guns." BANG!! It's a funny vid on Youtube. The guy got sloppy clearing his weapon. He thought he ejected the round in the chamber. He did follow the rest of the proper procedure by intentionally squeezing the trigger, though. It doesn't disprove a thing regarding Glocks. It only further proves that you're a loud-mouthed Troll, grasping for straws. "Most people realize that a comparison of weight is....a comparison of weight." That wasn't your original intent. You tried to negate the benefits of the Glock designs by focusing on empty weights, alone. You missed. "Sounds like someone's upset that their Glock got dissed. Get over it." I have no Glock tattoos on my body. If a better design comes along. I'll give it a fair chance. What it sounds like, is you came up empty in your arguments, & you don't like it. Frankly, I couldn't care less if you continue to jaw all night long on your keyboard. Your MO is well-known on these boards. I remain thoroughly unimpressed w/you. Get over yourself.

"The *only* advantage to the 'plastic fantastics' in regards to actual carry vs. use is weight" I disagree, but feel free to blowhard all you want... "Which, of course, is why the military used it for 70-some years and people (including law enforcement) still carry them today. It's not suitable for everyone, but that doesn't mean it's suitable for no-one." Everyone is aware of the 1911's long service record IN THE MILITARY. Everyone is also aware that some police departments still allow them. Most forces do not. I grew up around guns. I've been shooting all my life. I think if most people give themselves an honest evaluation. They'll decide that carrying a single-action 1911 probably isn't the best choice for them. I never said they aren't suitable for anyone to carry. You did. "Glock has a lever in the trigger that likes to get caught in things and set the gun off (Plaxico Burress, the DEA guy that shot himself). 1911 has a grip safety and a manual safety, both of which have be disabled before it will fire." Most people who shoot, have fired a number of both types of guns. We know how both function. Plaxico Burress was an NFL player, not a DEA cop. He shot himself because he was a stupid dick who stuffed a Glock into his waistband (ALA Gangstah) sans a proper holster. The Glock is the safer gun, hands down. "Because weight *is* a very valid concern. It affects comfort as well as concealment." YOU can walk around w/an unloaded gun if you wish. There may be one less Troll around here if you make a habit of that, though. Most people have enough sense to not walk around w/an empty gun. They're not too useful in an emergency. The 1911 remains a great gun that has its place. Today, technological advances offer us better choices for a lot of possible situations. Get over it.

Welcome back

"Next time your on a load ask the GoPro sitting next to you how many jumps he has. Bet it's under 100 more then half the time. I don't think any dz gives a flying fuck about GoPro's." I jump at DZs where people will get called on that. This is even worse, though. It's not even an inexperienced, licensed jumper. It's a freaking STUDENT(?!).

1911s are horrible to carry because they're so heavy & HUGE. Yeah, they're flat. So what? If you've got a Butt the size of the Bismark? You can hide it w/o it printing. Most people have no business carrying a single-action semi, anyway. It's too easy to screw up w/one. Most police forces won't allow them for that reason. Who cares what they weigh unloaded? I'm not walking around like that.

An USPA member DZ that allows students to jump wearing a camera???

Does anyone recognize the DZ? Who lets a student jump w/a camera?! DSE has a nice long list of incidents/reasons why low time jumpers shouldn't put a camera on. That kid is prime to join the list, posthumously...

1911 .45s are great to shoot. They're horrible for concealed carry. I generally don't like 9mm. That Kahr is really nice because it conceals so easily. I can also hit whatever I aim at w/it. It came out before that particular Glock did. I'm hopeless terrible w/most snubbies. That Glock .45 ACP is probably very easy to shoot. They do their homework on aligning the bore axis to minimize felt recoil. I've just never gotten around to trying one. Good Luck w/whichever you choose. I'm sorry you've had bad people invading your nice area. May it pass quickly. BTW, stay away from the Glock .45GAP(?) guns. They came up w/their own proprietary .45 caliber a while back. It's ballistics do no better than match a .40 S&W.

"I don't need the canopy on video, that's just sightseeing." Don't discount the canopy ride too quickly. You'll be able to see 75+ miles in every direction. You'll also see the look (of wonder) on your face after just finishing your first freefall. Good Memories...

Please don't think I'm laughing at your expense. I'm not. I'd quote US prices, but it wouldn't matter much to you. I found these two possibilities w/a quick browse of Australian DZs. The first one looks good. It's >$100 less, for almost twice the altitude. You would enjoy 14K' much much more than a measly 8K'. They go to 14K' for $300: http://www.ramblers.com.au/ Probably only goes to 10K', but still only $300: http://www.skydivecaboolture.com/sky_prices.asp Here: http://www.dropzone.com/dropzone/Pacific/Australia/index.html You're aware of this part of our site? I don't know where you are located. You can also look up New Zealand DZs, here. On the brighter side, AFF prices don't seem to be so inflated down there. If you get hooked? Get your license for about what it would cost, here. Then, you can jump for around $40 a pop. Beats the H*ll out of $300+, no? I hope you find a good place to jump. I hope you have a blast.

I just looked at the site for that DZ you've chosen. Their tandem prices would be considered Highway Robbery here in the US. Do you not have other options? I too, was terrified of heights when I started jumping. I still respect them, but it's different. In a harness, I feel safe. Untethered on a high roof, I'd still be scared. My first jump almost literally scared the poop out of me. When I landed. I thought I was going to puke. I stumbled off the field on shaky knees thinking I'd never do that again. Now, I line up w/the other addicts at the manifest window on weekends. Learning about the equipment went a long way to lessening my fears. For example, each clip that connects you to your tandem instructor is rated for 5,000 pounds. One connection is far more than you'll ever need. You'll have four such connections. The parachutes are also much more stable than you might think. You can stop worrying about a bird strike right now, BTW. Despite millions of tandems jumps every year. Tandem deaths are virtually unheard of. You'll be able to jump just fine, if you want to. Though, at those prices, I'd look elsewhere. Worst comes to worst? You'll curl up into the fetal position, & scream "MOMMY! MOMMY!!!" all the way through landing. But hey, a video of THAT would stand a good chance of going viral on Youtube. Think of the royalties you'd make from Ads: 25 cents per view X one million+ views?! Go get 'em, Killah ...

I found these two to be very helpful: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5JiAegc8EOw&feature=relmfu http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qyM_LkW8DVI&feature=relmfu Ask experienced jumpers for tips @your DZ. If you're really uncomfortable w/it. Pay a packer to work w/you for a couple of hours during a slow weekday. Everyone develops their own way of doing things. You'll find yours. Have fun while you curse ....

Excellent choice, Heywood. Hmmm, Jablowme(?)...Jablowme(?)... Is that Polish???

Hi Steve, I skimmed through the thread, & didn't see the following choices mentioned, specifically. Both would be great for your wife to carry while jogging: http://www.glock.com/english/glock36.htm http://www.kahr.com/Pistols/Kahr-PM9.asp I've never tried that Glock. but the Kahr is very accurate & controllable. You can carry it while wearing almost nothing. The only thing, is the slide tends to skin the inside of your thumb knuckle (@web) during cycling. So, wear a thin glove at the range. I read about that poor teacher. W/animals like that on the loose. How about buying a nice treadmill while you're at it?

I'll leave Audibles out of this. If you don't trust your new Alti. You can borrow a second one from your DZ's student supply. Wear one on each wrist for a few jumps.