Samurai136

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Everything posted by Samurai136

  1. Samurai136
    There are more stows closer together. The difference between a stow that's too long and the right size stow is smaller than with a standard stow placement. So you've got more stows having the potential to loop around the next stow and baglock. "Yeah, I got this great new 'anti-linetwist' D-bag!" Me: Do you remember what that bag lock photo looks like from your student training days? Ken "Buttons aren't toys." - Trillian Ken
  2. Samurai136
    Other people call them "in-board line stows". It's an easy mod to do to any D-bag. I haven't seen the flap feature... I have In-board line stows on all my D-bags. Then I quit using them. It doesn't really change all that much in terms of opening and I think it makes it easier to pack yourself a nice bag-lock. One where the mil-spec bands will not break. Keep in mind that every "new-innovation" to prevent one problem opens up the opportunity for "new, unforseen" malfunctions. Soft-links are a great example.
  3. Samurai136
    There is no 0 day. Whatever date is on the reserve card is day 1. There is no time stamp so it doesn't matter what time of day it was packed, etc etc. Day 120 is the last day the reserve is in date. Day 121 is out of date and the reserve must be inspected and repacked before jumping. Ken "Buttons aren't toys." - Trillian Ken
  4. Samurai136
    My read on this question is more along the lines of "songs that suck and drive you nuts because you hate them but still kinda like them". Bangkok from the musical Chess Come On Eileen- Dexy's Midnight Runners Wouldn't it Be Good- Nik Kershaw Ken "Buttons aren't toys." - Trillian Ken
  5. Samurai136
    This is conceptually the right idea. As a Samurai pilot there is something you should watch out for, over confidence in your wing. I have been where you are presently at as a pilot; learning on the Samurai. It has tremendous ability to 'dig out' of the corner and still swoop for some distance. This lends itself to flying a bit further into the corner because you learn you can dig out. Avoid piloting the samurai into the corner and you'll learn more about its recovery arc. Try getting off the risers higher and let the canopy fly to your plane out altitude. It will make for a smoother recovery arc, maintain more speed into the surf and a assist in learning the timing of the process as a whole.
  6. Samurai136
    Way a head of you. I've owned the original Star Wars on Laserdisc for quite some time now.
  7. Samurai136
    I'd love to hear the story of that exit.
  8. Samurai136
    In addition at 245 skydives, that translates roughly into 245 landings. It may take you the next 500 landings to really get it figured out. Most pilots who have 270's dialed in have thousands of jumps. They know their canopy's recovery arc so well they're never guessing if they're initiating the turn to high or low. I'd stick w/ getting a 90 dialed in and then work your way up to a 180 a bit at a time. If you read Brian Germain's book he talks about why making a 270 or 360 can be less effective for a good swoop than a smaller turn for a longer period of time acheiving a shallow entry angle w/ max speed.
  9. Samurai136
    I'm guessing your other rig is not from Rigging Innovations? What you are seeing is standard for Rigging Innovations. This is an area where manufacturers vary as to the terminal attatchment to the main. With the other configuration, the leash and exposed bridal will spin up rubbing against each other . This only happens if you fly your canopy really fast.... Ken "Buttons aren't toys." - Trillian Ken
  10. Samurai136
    After reading the thread: Is your old container also a Racer? Obviously there is some variance in the housing lengths between the two containers. Jumpshack and Sunpath send out cutaway cables all to a generic length for the user/ rigger to trim to specification. That said, I'd call jumpshack or check your owners manual and find out what that length should be. They will specify a certain number of inches in length past the loop. I can't get jumpshack's owner's manual to download right now but I know from sunpath that the length may be different depending on the type of housing on the container. Sunpath's spec is in the 5" to 6" range past the loop depending on type of housing. So I would speculate that 3.5" may be too short on the left side. Call Jumpshack. Ken "Buttons aren't toys." - Trillian Ken
  11. Samurai136
    A pro-track/ pro-ditter is just a waste of money gadget. It will condition you to respond to beeps and irritate you when it makes thoses beeps at the wrong time. The Icon has wood dowels in the "soft" cut-away and reserve handles. Very secure grip that makes it difficult to mistake the handle for some other part of the harness. The Javelin is just as good. Get a Smart or PD reserve. Demo main canopies until you find one you like. How much weight do you expect to be wearing? Consider that it may significantly increase your wingloading. Buy what makes you feel comfortable.
  12. Samurai136
    Replace the word "sport" with any other activity; driving for example. Even if you follow all the saftey procedures, maintainance, etc you can still die driving. I think the concept is flawed. What does doing 'everything right' have to do with death? Following procedures and saftey guidelines merely reduces the likehood that you will die in the near future. In the fullness of time everyone will die. Ken "Buttons aren't toys." - Trillian Ken
  13. Samurai136
    Dead Alive. A good Peter Jackson movie. Then after the Priest kicks ass for the lord he turns into a horny undead Zombie mackin' on the zombie nurse. They even have a kid! Ken "Buttons aren't toys." - Trillian Ken
  14. Samurai136
    The advice is sound. A high speed malfunction when the container is closed; I would go straight to the reserve. Pulling the cutaway handle does nothing. The 3 rings do not function until they are loaded. i.e. the container is open and Pilot chute is draging a bag lock or the canopy is out of the bag. The only conditions I can think of that would cause the main container to open after a reserve activation in a high speed malfunction are an uncocked p/c or worn out P/c that's not pulling the pin. Take care of your gear.
  15. Samurai136
    In addition if you get a Signature series Brian puts reinforcement tape on the airlock from the A line attatchment to the top of the unloaded rib enhancing the crossbracing effect. It maintains it's momentum longer and dives more than a standard Samurai and far more so than a Stiletto. Airlocks may not be popular in California but most everyone I know in the midwest either jumps an airlocked canopy, Crossbraced, or is planning to by an airlocked canopy.
  16. Samurai136
    On occassion < hot/ humid days in a C206> the video guy has caught me catnaping in the hole next to the pilot w/ the student hooked up infront of me. This weekend a customer asked me how many tandem jumps I had made as an instructor. I've been busy this season since getting the rating last fall and have made about 30 tandem jumps. I had already given her a full briefing for the jump so I told her I had just become a tandem instructor that morning. "The DZO just finished my training. He said to pull one of these handles... but I forget which one. Oh well, I'll just keep trying until we get something out there over our heads." She got a good laugh out of it. Ken "Buttons aren't toys." - Trillian Ken
  17. Samurai136
    Whatever. It goes with the eye contact conditioning and other RW skills that get drilled in the tunnel. It's a quick skill to learn and doesn't require you 'think about it' all the time. He won't be 'grip focused'. If you are making eye contact and your hands are not in your peripheral vision they should be. Eye contact will allow any jumper to fly right to their slot and then pick up grips. Sorry dude, you are wrong. It all depends on the skydiver. 60 jumps is not too early to start learning good habits for 4-way or any RW sequential... Ken "Buttons aren't toys." - Trillian Ken
  18. Samurai136
    4-way and fallrate is a team effort. It is not only you it is the team. Sometimes you end up low after a turn. So it's not consistent 'body position' issue; it doesn't happen all the time. It is the group's job to decide they want to match fall rates. If you are significantly bigger they may all need to wear weights. 4-way National and World champions wear weight to match fall rates. I would recommend making leg/knee turns. Arms are your grip takers and should be in a ready grip taking position. How low do you sink in a turn before you stop sinking out? Do you sink out quickly or slowly? when you stop sinking you've actually matched the groups fall rate.
  19. Samurai136
    Kiwis.... Ken "Buttons aren't toys." - Trillian Ken
  20. Samurai136
    Then it's a really bad day. I'd land it next to the nearest beer and ask myself how I packed a pink reserve in my container... Ken "Buttons aren't toys." - Trillian Ken
  21. Samurai136
    Ah like Guiness and half n' halves. Mmmmmm. The best thing about traveling and beer tasting is finding out how the local brew mixes w/ Guiness. Ken "Buttons aren't toys." - Trillian Ken
  22. Samurai136
    If it was a pink canopy I definately would chop it. Ken "Buttons aren't toys." - Trillian Ken
  23. Samurai136
    I would go confiscate "My" freebag and "My" pilotchute until they decided they wanted to provide me a bottle of Rum. I know of riggers who have appropriated the thread and patch on canopies of non-paying customers... Ken "Buttons aren't toys." - Trillian Ken
  24. Samurai136
    It's just the japanese youth culture. All those guys look like some characters out of the Final Fantasy series... "Buttons aren't toys." - Trillian Ken
  25. Samurai136
    Nice photos. Who was that doing the Nothing Lazy-Boy? Ken "Buttons aren't toys." - Trillian Ken