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That is SOOO Awesome! Happy Birthday! My boyfriend was even working at the DZ store and I didn't get a single skydiving related thing for the holidays. Congrats on having an Awesome wife too! BettyAnn Getting married? Check out my website!

This is the only one of me that I already have scanned. Didn't know what skydiving was yet but was already trying to get some air. BettyAnn Getting married? Check out my website!

I also wanted names not too common but not freaky either. First, if I knew anyone with the name, its a NO. Then I went online and printed the top 100 names of the previous year. If it was in the top 25, its a NO. Then I found out I was having twins so rhyming names were a big NO! I picked Cody & Ian. Both Boys but I've heard Cody as a girls name too. BettyAnn Getting married? Check out my website!

Coming up on a year ago... Driving around a curve in the road where some black ice had formed my car skidded. I made the mistake of tapping the brakes which sent it spinning across the other lane of traffic (9am rush hour on a VERY busy highway). One full 360 and into the next when my car went up the embankment (BACKWARDS) and then drops down into a drainage area (mashing the trunk in) and flips to the roof while sliding back down the hill and finally stopping...crossways blocking both lanes of Rt1. Amazing that through all of this no other car was involved and thankfully for me a Septa bus was behind me and blocked traffic from going past before my car came back into the road. All but the front end of my car was smashed in so the air bag never even went off. The car stopped on the roof so they couldn't get the doors open. Finally got the back passenger door open and pulled me out through there. Oh yeah, It also had a FULL tank of gas and never spilled a drop! I got a nasty concussion (blacked out a few times due to multiple impacts), lost my memory for a couple of weeks (yep, that really happens!), a few cuts and scrapes and some odd bruises but the seatbelt obviously saved my life. (They work well to prevent head/window contact too LivingInClip. ) Still gives me the creeps to drive past there each day though. Yep, the things I'll do to get out of a few days of work! Check out the pics...it was a Ford Escort. (And it didn't start out a hatchback!) Oh, my BRAND NEW car...got rear-ended just a few months later! BettyAnn Getting married? Check out my website!

As for the Cypres, the last I saw he had it up for sale and its boxed up with someone's name on it. It may already be sold. Any suggestions for a canopy with higher performance than a Spectre but not quite a Vengeance? He says he was bored with his Spectre and likes the glide of the Vengeance. (He is still insisting that he is FINE jumping the Vengeance) He has put a few jumps on a Stiletto and didn't like it. Again, I would have preferred that he keep the Spectre until he gets really good jumping camera and then play with finding a new canopy. Unfortunately the Spectre is already sold & shipped so now what? He is annoyed that I posted my question and is snapping at & insulting me yet he’s asking for my help in finding a new canopy if not the Vengeance…go figure! BettyAnn Getting married? Check out my website!

I'll scan it when I get home tonight.

I don't need snopes to know its true. I have twin boys who were born at 3 & 4lbs. They put my kids in the same incubator and the exact same thing happened! We have photos of them just under 12 hours old (and 1.5 months premature) with Cody's arm around Ian. Very sweet photo! BettyAnn Getting married? Check out my website!

Ugh...I give up. I tried to get some info to help and all I get is grief. I'm done...he'll figure it out on his own one way or another. Just ask him about it and the what & why. I'm done trying to help. BettyAnn Getting married? Check out my website!

Just to clarify... Yes, the canopy is a Vengeance 170 - my mistake. The person I am speaking of is my boyfriend...hence the emotional point of view. I asked for experienced opinions because I know that I have less jumps than him. However I have been in the sport long enough to watch more than enough people get hurt and die. Of all people I don't want to watch this happen with him. I'm sure anyone can understand that. He is, of course, now being defensive that I posted this. Forgetting that I never mentioned his name and most of you have never met either of us. Oh well. Thank you all for your thoughts and advice. BettyAnn Getting married? Check out my website!

I haven't spoken to the S&TA about it. He's only had the canopy for about 5 jumps & #5 was this weekend...the cutaway. I'm really hoping that it won't come to the point where he has to get hurt or I have to go that far for him to come to his senses. Hopefully just hearing the input on here will help. And if not I'll think of something else. I can't/won't sit by and watch someone hurt themselves. Thanks BettyAnn Getting married? Check out my website!

The canopy came used. I don't know who from but not someone I know. This canopy (a 170 - my mistake) also has "issues" with the slider slamming down so hard that it comes right past the toggles and into your face. He said this happens about every jump and wants to put bumper stops on...I just prefer getting rid of the canopy. BettyAnn Getting married? Check out my website!

Thanks, I'd like to get someone at my DZ to talk to him but I don't think he'd take them seriously, or they wouldn't be serious enough with him. He's really very cautious in every other aspect. I'm not sure what made him get this canopy knowing that he's just starting to jump his camera. I know that he knows the canopy characteristics well enough to know better. Possibly a bit of wanting to have the high performance toys like the other kids...but not thinking about the new camera on his head? Maybe the ego of a 19 yr old guy thinking he's invincable? I'm not sure. But I spent a few hours of a beautiful Saturday looking for a freebag from a cutaway that could have been avoided. BettyAnn Getting married? Check out my website!

Thanks for your input. I see you also jump a Vengeance. But at how many jumps did you start jumping camera and how many when you got the vengance? This person is trying to learn both at the same time. He is current and has very good flying skills (although his landings can be entertaining at times.) but that doesn't eliminate my concern. Sorry but I have heard more bad things about that canopy than good. This also isn't just a downsize its from a Spectre to a Vengance. Quite different canopies. I may sound overly cautious but this is the same person who was concerned about me jumping my Spectre 150. BettyAnn Getting married? Check out my website!

Thank you both. I also feel that the camera adds to the chances of something unforseen happening. I don't really understand why anyone would jump without a cypres but I have spoken to a few people who just think those things will never happen to them. I also jump a Spectre and completely agree with your description. Those were actually his reasons for buying it in the first place! (Why did that lady have to be so nice and return the canopy?! ) I have tried telling him these things but despite my 5 years in the sport he has more jumps than me so I get the reverse lecture about how I am not as current as he is, etc. Hopefully your opinions will help. Thanks again! BettyAnn Getting married? Check out my website!

I just posted in Gear & Rigging but it really could belong here too. Please check it out. Read my post BettyAnn Getting married? Check out my website!

I have seen the debates between people who use certain gear and those who don't. I am not trying to cause a debate, I have a specific person I am worried about and I need some help on handling this situation. I care about this person and I have already lost and nearly lost enough people in this sport to stand by and do nothing. This person is 6'1" & 200+ lbs. He has roughly 275 jumps and started jumping a year ago. He doesn't use his RSL (I understand his reasons) and he removed his cypress about 40 jumps ago. While jumping a Spectre 170 he started jumping with a camera about 20 jumps ago. He switched to a Vengeance 160 and after about 5 jumps on it had a cutaway from a spinning mal. He was unable to see why because his slider had come all the way down and wrapped his camera so he couldn't move his head freely. (He is fine & we are still unsure of exactly what caused the mal but that's not my point.) Where you come in: I know some people like the Vengeance but for someone with just under 300 jumps who is also learning to jump a camera, it just doesn't sound like the best choice. Also, removing the cypress...why? I do know that some camera people don't use them but again, this person has not quite 300 jumps and is still learning to video. He is just getting fun jumps, nothing serious. I think he is jumping into new toys a bit too quickly. Am I just being too cautious? He is otherwise VERY good with keeping up his gear and in any other aspect of skydiving. I know I can't control his choices but maybe some of your experience will help? I'm not trying to insult his manly pride/ego but I think he may be taking it that way. Please help me. I feel like I'm just waiting for this person to get hurt. Sorry this is so long but it is really eating at me. Oh, I am purposely leaving this person's name out so if you know who I am talking about please keep it to yourself. Thanks! BettyAnn Getting married? Check out my website!

REPOST!!!!! BettyAnn Getting married? Check out my website!

That's what happens when you ask the pilot for a go round and they say - Just get the F out! Not an exact quote but close enough! (I heard later that he was low on fuel.) Can't say why for the other loads! Hmm...New canopy (downsized) torn ACL & leg brace...perfect conditions for an off landing! Ha ha! The landing actually was pretty nice anyway. Gotta love the Spectre! BettyAnn Getting married? Check out my website!

It was a BEAUTIFUL weekend! I FINALLY got to put a couple of jumps on my NEW canopy! YEA! Of couse the first jump on the brand new canopy HAD to be an off landing in a nice dirt field. Good to see you both out there! BettyAnn Getting married? Check out my website!

Glad to hear the rest of you had a great year! I marked UGLY! 2 nasty car accidents (totalled the first one then got rear-ended in my NEW one!) and knee surgery that put me out of jumping pretty much all year. I think I got about 30 jumps this Spring before the surgery, 5 jumps after and then re-tore my ACL! I can't wait for 2004! BettyAnn Getting married? Check out my website!

That was originally scheduled for tonight has been postponed until next weekend. Saturday, December 13th Hope you're all enjoying the snow. I'll see you there! BettyAnn Getting married? Check out my website!

Wow, that sounds like a completely different discription than he gave me. Actually sounds almost...interesting. Oh yeah...his "opposite sex partner" is stuck out here in Philly! If it wasn't for the $$$ flight I'd be out there in a minute! Oddly enough, its actually warmer here than in Phoenix right now! Ha! BettyAnn Getting married? Check out my website!

Well, he just got in yesterday. So far he said the DZ seems pretty dead. (Remember, he's comparing it to Cross Keys) He has made some pretty cool jumps but the price of the course, flight, room, etc is keeping jumping down a bit. So... going into town is a bad idea but he doesn't have a car anyway. Does it liven up on weekends at least? Any kind of grocery stores around for food to cut down on the $ of buying it on the DZ? BettyAnn Getting married? Check out my website!

Do you jump at Eloy? Do you live near there? Is it really as dead of a place as it seems? I just spoke with Payback462 who happens to be stranded out there. (Till the 21st!) He's there to take the rigging course but that doesn't start till tomorrow and he's already bored! Anyone planning to drop by there in the near future who can relieve his boredom? Maybe help him locate a nearby Wal-Mart or something? BettyAnn Getting married? Check out my website!

if anyone would like to see the video of the jump let me know where i can upload the file. i swear i had nothing to do with suggesting the firetruck idea edited to add: damn i forgot i was logged in as my GF! -payback462 BettyAnn Getting married? Check out my website!