Samurai136

Doc, you built a Timemachine out of a DeLorean?!? "Buttons aren't toys." - Trillian Ken

Dog. You left out Dog.... "Buttons aren't toys." - Trillian Ken

It's also not very interesting. We all know the press will believe the president's lies. They are just making excuses for their substandard journalistic ethics. Next Case. "Buttons aren't toys." - Trillian Ken

Certainly. I would also encourage you to use the search posts feature at the top of this page. It can be challenging to find the exact answers but nearly all topics student skydivers ask have been discussed before. You seem to have a good grouding in how people learn new skills. When I was a student, hungry for information, in addition to direct instruction, I read and re-read The Skydivers Handbook by Dan Poynter and Mike Turoff. Blue Skies "Buttons aren't toys." - Trillian Ken

Bill Von is a moderator on DZ.com, an experienced skydiver, and an all around level headed guy.

I have the Futurama theme music as my ring tone. People complain that I'll let my phone ring "forever". I just want to hear the entire theme music before I answer. "Buttons aren't toys." - Trillian Ken

Naw, it's just kiwi sensibility http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Culture_of_New_Zealand Ken "Buttons aren't toys." - Trillian Ken

I'm not certain I understand. Where do you intend to land? 1. If you intentionally deployed high then you took the high uppers into account for your spot. Deploy your reserve after releasing the malfunction. 2 If you have a premature deployment and bag-lock (which I think is the question), where do you intend to land? Do you want to land off DZ (closer to your freebag and main) or on the DZ? "Buttons aren't toys." - Trillian Ken

Q: I take it that toggles are the breaks or steering lines? Brakes/ Steering lines are the same thing. Toggles are what you put your hands in at the end of the steering lines. Q: What is stabbing the breaks? A rapid application of brakes. Q: Will stabbing the breaks decrease the life of your chute? No. Q: Why would someone want to collapse a chute or mess with a good canopy (outside of small corrections (where it doesn't take 3 to 5 seconds to obtain proper canopy control)) below 1000 ft? I don't know. As far as it being associated with possible incidents you may have read, canopy collapse is associated with flying thru turbulence, in general. "Buttons aren't toys." - Trillian Ken

Ahem Back on topic... 1. If you are low on any formation and cannot make it back up, you should follow the plan. In this case the plan is to break off at 4000'. You will reach 4000' before the group but you'll be a few seconds further out on your track when the rest of the formation starts tracking. 2. Tell us why you're going low. There are several reason from having a naturally faster fall rate (solution: wear a suit with more drag) to diving at the formation and not stopping soon enough. If you find yourself a few hudred feet below the formation, unable to get back up, you have succeeded in matching the formation's fall rate. This usually indicates that you attempted to dive at the formation, generated a good amount of momentum and recognized a bit too late that you needed to start slowing down to match the formation. Remember the "sight picture" you had when you first realized you needed to slow down. Next time start slowing down before you get to to that sight picture. In addition, when you are low on a formation, if you are looking up at it you are actually spilling air (increasing fall rate) and hindering your ability to get back up to the formation. All flying (from center point 360 turns to diving at the formation) is a series of three moves. Start- Coast- Stop. A world champion skydiver once told me that it takes more work/ energy to stop a move than it does to start a move in free fall. Hope this helps, Blue Skies, Happy New Year! Ken "Buttons aren't toys." - Trillian Ken

The Lotus has 9-cells. From the web site: "The Lotus is Big Air's medium performance 9-Cell parachute equipped with “Airlocks". Similar in some ways to the PD Sabre 2, the Lotus is a versatile airfoil that will please both conservative experienced skydivers, and newer jumpers looking for a safe canopy. The rigid feel of the wing is reminiscent of the Jedei, but without the severe “ground-hungriness” or radical turns associated with elliptical designs." Triathlon was my "first" parachute off student status. I liked it until I jumped a Spectre and then a Lotus. The Lotus is an awesome parachute.

This is like only the 7000th link to that flash video from Dz.com in the past few days. But I don't mind. Ken "Buttons aren't toys." - Trillian Ken

Supply and Demand. Global markets. It doesn't matter if the supply is locally produced, the demand is global. Katrina single handedly decreased production of all gas products and increased demand. The colder and earlier start of winter for most of the US increases that demand even further. Read this http://www.lifeaftertheoilcrash.net/ or http://deconsumption.typepad.com/deconsumption/2005/03/the_most_import.html and might begin to think that $200 monthly bills are the least of your worries. Ken "Buttons aren't toys." - Trillian Ken

Who's at work at 7:30pm on a Sunday night? Anyone? Ken "Buttons aren't toys." - Trillian Ken

I feel the Christmas Spirit. Ken "Buttons aren't toys." - Trillian Ken

You're right. I just ran out and read my meter. November used 13 ccf of gas. From last meter reading I've used 23 ccf of gas for a cost of $25.73. By the time they read the meter in ten days it will probably be 35ccf of gas. Maybe not 35 ccf. The first few weeks in Iowa have been pretty cold. $200 seems a little excessive. One of the guys at work has a place about the same size as mine and had a bill in the $200 range. His roommate likes to turn the heat up and then when it's "too hot" to sleep, open the window. Ken "Buttons aren't toys." - Trillian Ken

There are a few ways of handling customer complaints. 1. Assume the customer is always right and seek to accomodate the customer and make them satisfied. 2. Customer can not be satisfied, Distance your self from them. They will always be the one bad unsatisfied customer. If you talk trash about me don't expect to be welcome at my house to watch the Super Bowl. Your friend apparently did not anticipate option #2. Ken "Buttons aren't toys." - Trillian Ken

Dude, close the window and turn your thermostat to 67. My bill totaled $51.32 for the month of November. Actually only used $14.50 in gas, $16$ in "Basic Service Charges" and $22 in electricity. Ken "Buttons aren't toys." - Trillian Ken

That facility look like it was built in Saudi Arabia. Some people think wanting to build a multi-million dollar indoor rainforest in Iowa is strange.... Ken "Buttons aren't toys." - Trillian Ken

Farscape had all the Hot babes. Claudia Black as Aeryn Sun, Gigi Edgley as Chiana (the little grey girl) and Virginia Hey as Zhaan. Remember Virginia Hey from her Road Warrior days? Oooh! I forgot Raelee Hill as Sikozu. Ken "Buttons aren't toys." - Trillian Ken

It cool you're happy with your free container. I don't think any new container is better or worse than any other. Mostly, people are regurgitating the marketing they bought into about the product. Blue Skies! Ken "Buttons aren't toys." - Trillian Ken

Sunpath has spacer foam back pads. It would be ironic if the reserve was packed at the factory... Ken "Buttons aren't toys." - Trillian Ken

"Oh... the Malibu Chief of Police... a real reactionary." "Dude... that's a real bummer, do you mind if I smoke a J?" "Eight year olds, Dude..." Ken "Buttons aren't toys." - Trillian Ken

I forgot about these too... Ken "Buttons aren't toys." - Trillian Ken

Here's a few more.... Ken "Buttons aren't toys." - Trillian Ken