ematteo

Hey Phil, Glad you could come out for dinner last night. Why do they always seat skydivers in our own area, far away from the families...? Who is your carrier? I am planning to get life insurance soon. Thanks, Evan

101 is a great camera. Be safe!

profeel.com and bhphoto.com are two reputable online shops with decent prices

Personally, I think time in sport is as important as the 500 jump requirement. Lot of folks come up fast in this sport but it takes a while to see (and internalize) some of the scary things that can happen.

Thanks for the info. Evan's translation: The grounding of the PC-21 is a harsh blow for Pilatus. The federal Office of Civil Aviation reacted immediately after the accident Thursday. The new Stans flagship will be nailed to the ground until the end of the investigation. There could be severe repercussions for the Swiss airplane manufacturer. The Facts The Pilatus PC-21, most recent model from airplane manufacturer Stans, is grounded following an accident Thursday. Berne invoked public safety, despite the fact that the plane has received its final certification. The demonstration tour planned for the next few days has been cancelled. Yesterday, the Federal Office of Civil Aviation (OFAC) announced an immediate flight ban for the PC-21, the new flagship of manufacturer Stans (NW). One of the two prototypes of this military training aircraft crashed Thursday around 5pm near Buochs, killing the chief pilot of Pilatus, who was at the controls. A passerby was seriously injured by the debris. The spokesman of the OFAC, Daniel Goring, would not comment on the crash. The Federal Bureau of Investigations on aircraft crashes has opened an investigations in collaboration with the local and federal authorities. The flight ban on the PC-21 will be maintained until light can be shed on the causes of the accident. According to ATS, the plane lost a piece before crashing into the ground and exploding. Thursday, the two prototypes were undergoing intensive test flights in advance of a foreign airshow. The departure was planned for yesterday, to a destination in the Persian Gulf, specifically Qatar, according to a source. Daniel Goring justified the actions of authorities, citing considerations of public safety: “a grounding with immediate effect can only be taken immediately,” subject to appeal in front of the courts. He also cited the risks of a delay, that Pilatus might produce several more airplanes in haste, which would make a ban more difficult after the fact. Ready for the series At the end of 2004, the manufacturer Stans obtained final certification of the plane from OFAC. In a press release dated January 3, 2005, Pilatus announced that the PC-21 was thus ready for series production. Since the Spring of 2002, the two prototypes were flying under individual flight authorizations in order to perfect their development. It is the usual procedure in force during the construction of a new airplane, explained the spokesman for the OFAC. The type certificate is not awarded until all of the static tests and trial flighs have been successfully performed and the until documentation of the new plane has been approved by the authorities. Daniel Goring denied any haste at this level. “Pilatus would not have obtained the certificate for its PC-21 if all of the conditions were not satisfied.” He also swept aside any possibility of pressure from the aircraft manufacturer. Even if the PC-21 is a major project for Pilatus, which has invested more than 200 million francs, the OFAC intends to fully exercise its oversight authority. While he did not wish to speculate on the duration of the ban, Daniel Goring did not exclude the possibility that it could be lifted quickly, particularly if the investigation showed human error as the cause of the accident and excluded all technical failures. Laurent Aubert

Good to see! Evan

Laphroaig 15 is way more approachable than their 10 year. That and Lagavulin 16 are my two favorite Islas. Also, Springbank makes a darn good, albeit expensive, Highland.

But maybe think about getting a few more jumps before you strap that distraction onto your head. Any camera is a safety factor.

I love mine. Sony's series progression went something like this: PC5 - fine camera but crappy S battery PC9 - moved to M battery, much longer life PC101 - M battery, better resolution than PC9 PC105 - cheaper materials version of 101 (less robust) not sure what the more current ones are.

[edited because you answered my question] My brother has a ski share near Kirkwood. If I'm there over New Year's I'll give you a holler. Evan

Sadly, this is a real argument used by proponents of abstinence to take sex ed out of schools. Some people genuinely believe that you can stick your head in the sand and the danger will go away...

Check out Shane and Ava's site: http://www.burningsky.org/ Good people, and a well-organized camp (with skydiving, of course).

One of the knocks on the DMCA is that service providers are often over-quick to remove suspect material. This is helpful in this case. The reason is that there is no standard of proof required to take down material but if service providers leave it up, they are liable for copyright infringement ($$ damages).

Not a lawyer but the DMCA (Digital Millenium Copyright Act) is probably relevant here. Might make sense to reference it and a "takedown" request in any message to the service provider. Check out: http://www.gseis.ucla.edu/iclp/dmca1.htm More specifically, from the law: http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/F?c105:1:./temp/~c105zAslMX:e57590:

We had a nesting pair of hawks that dive-bombed canopies while guarding their young. They tore some topskins and liked to grab drogues. Scott Meeker body-blocked a duck while swooping our irrigation canal / levee - funny vid. And a couple years back we had a flying rabbit. A packer accidentally closed a tandem with a hare inside. Made for one surprised TM.

Spent a night without food or water in a snow cave in the Sierra Nevadas.

~11 months

I just ordered an Atair lineset for my comp cobalt. They are manufactured in Europe at the factory (delivery takes a while) and cost $150. I was told that Atair USA also has a master rigger on staff who can install the lines, although I plan to have that done locally.

Woo hoo!!

The pin is always going to be pulled out in the direction of the pilot chute / opening on the BOC. It is easier (less risk of a pilot cute in tow) and lower wear on the container if the pin is already oriented in this direction. In other words, pin should point to the left for a right-hand BOC. Just like in mjosparky's diagram...

Do you have access to a rigger on base? Someone who does ejection seat repacks, PJ rigger, etc? Sounds like you may just need a US seal. For what it is worth, US military bases and consulates are often considered to be "US soil."

Go Sox!

Personally, I find the tackified gloves to be *too sticky*. I agree that they are comfortable, warm and provide good feel. FWIW, a little talc / baby powder reduces the stickiness.

It sure will be really rough on the Yankees to lose _again_ at home. Hope they can get over it.

I dump my Cobalt in a track (it likes it that way). Not sure I would do the same with a Sabre 1.