miked10270

Yeah... Good point (I especially liked the "suckup mode" - can we make that mandatory) I was thinking A5 for the front - including the space for the ident & something A4 for the back - optional. Mike D10270.

Hi Y'all, I see that this has raised it's head again on the "Quincy" thread. I remember it coming up before, but it semed to fall through. This time can I suggest: 1. Submit your designs to Sangiro. 2. Sangiro (motto: "This ain't no damn democracy") decides on the design. 3. The design (A4 or A5) is E-mailed to registered users who add their own ident. 4. Each individual prints it out on one of those "iron-on transfer thingys" and buys a plain 'T'. 5. We each find a RESPONSIBLE ADULT to work the steam iron. 6. hey presto!!! "Dropzone.Com" personalised 'T's without the online ordering, credit cards, or wait

Yeah... Thats the one

HI y'all, Hi Kingy, You missed one of the 'saurs - ME!!! What about the Animals - Not "House of the Rising Sun", but more "We've Gotta Get Out of This Place" & "When I Was Young"? Or... (maybe less dinosaur, more "early mammal") Nimrod - "Good Riddance". As for "lovemaking music" (Sis), anyone remember "Shine On You Crazy Diamond" by Pink Floyd!? I thought that's what CD players were invented for - so you could just set the 2 "Shine on" tracks to repeat. Of course you'd need to blindfold your partner for the "Nobody knows where you are" line in the lyrics. Did I REALLY just put a icon at the end of that!? Anyway... Back to skydiving music: Nena "Ich hang an Dir/Hanging on you" has to be the definitive "tandem" track! Don't believe me? But it & listen! Why aren't "Anyplace, Anywhere, Anytime" & "It's All in The Game" skydiving anthems? Oh yeah... 'cos no-one else seems to remember Nena! Mike D10270. PS. Iona says that for the "Shine on" tracks you really need the blindfold AND strips of double sided Velcro. Now I've posted that publicly I suppose it's "pink & fluffy time" 'cos she's seen this & here comes the hooorrse needllll........ Hi there, Iona here, it wasn't cos of the "Velcro" bit, i just noticed he was starting to talk about Germans (Nena) again. Iona XXX

Hi Kingy, Congrats. I NEVER KNEW YOUR NAME WAS DON!!! Cue countless jokes about "Don PLF", the "Capo di Capo Cartwheel" ETC... Etc... SO, I suppose you'll be signing folks logbooks now as "A-King"? Mike D10270. PS. (with the serious head on momentarily) "A" license in 26 jumps on a "progression system" is SOME GOING! Personally I'm kind of proud that I got my "Cat 8" (British system) on 26 jumps. 35+ is the norm & I've seen folk finally get it on 100+. Well done.

Hi y'all, "What's Falafel?" Hmmm... we may never care... KNOW!! I meant know! Anyway, skydiver meals. I suppose that the main qualification for a meal for a skydiver (at least on a "DZ Day") has to be speed. A leisurely meal may be consumed while there's no jumping, but once the jump program starts then I'd be surprised to see a skydiver ingesting anything that takes longer to order & consume than it takes for a packer to do a repack. "Wasted time is WASTED ADRENALINE!!" Yep.. A new Mikism! If I could work out how to do one of those poll thingys it would go something like: "What do you ingest while on a days jumping at a DZ? 1. Coffee only. 2. Tea. 3. Soda/juice/energy drinks. 4. Liquids only. 5. Anything I can throw down my neck in under 30 secs. 6. Anything I can throw down my neck between exit & deploying. 7. A light 7 course lunch of hors d'ouvres, soup, fish, entree, main, dessert, cheese & biscuits & coffee, all washed down with some nice Chablis or Zinfandel (skydiving? what's skydiving?)! But I can't do polls - my idea of tech support for this computer is to sacrifice a goat every moonless night (pretty frequent considering the amount of cloud we get here)... Yeah... Scotland, where men are men and GOATS are nervous! Mike D10270.

Hi SIS, Iona here. Mike is being all "pink & fluffy" at the moment! I noticed that on the post he just put up he'd started talking about the Germans (always a bad sign) so i slipped a little "anti-caffeine" into his morning coffee. that didn't work fast enough so he got a quick stab of the same stuff with the horse syringe our vet gave me (laugh). Oh dear... maybe I overdid it a bit, mike isn't moving and since it sniffed at where the needle went in the dog isn't moving either! So, just time for a quick chat before i phone 911 for the dog. Nice to hear from you,mail us with all your juicy gossip. love Iona XXX PS sorry, no medication left now. got to go to the vet & get some more. PPS i heard you've taken to getting a bit proficient with a whip? what do you think of me getting one, & maybe a chair, just in case mike comes round before i get more of his meds? Iona XXX

HI Anon, So... 900ft AGL! You must be in the US Army... I bet they even give you a reserve. Anyway, military parachuting is completely different from "sport" parachuting (apart from SF HaLo/HaHo). The object of a military drop is to deliver (light) infantry into theatre and the less time they spend (effectly helpless) under canopy the less time there is for the Germans to turn their machine guns on them. Did I just say Germans? I meant... Errr... Anyway, drop height for military is basically set to give 'chute time to open, & prep for landing. That's it! Oh yes, it's considered a good thing if most of the parachute drop survives (MORE history - Operation Market Garden was done in the expectation that there would be a 20-25% casualty rate JUST FROM THE DROP!!!!). Anyway, convention is that "military static line drops DO NOT count towards licenses or ratings. Mike D10270.

Hi all, Hi Sis, Yeah... Foot & Mouth is a $h!t of a disease. For those of you interested, it's a virus, I suppose it could be likened to cold sores that infects the space between the cloven hoof of such animals & also their gums. Short version is that they can't walk & can't eat. What they can do is infect other animals. It doesn't neccessarily kill the beasts, but they do lose condition & produce and never fully recover so the short answer is to cull them to try to stop it's spread. This disease IS VIRULENT!!! it can transmit itself airborne and there's no cure. In some countries it's endemic 'cos it's such a b@$t@rd to wipe out. So... How does this affect skydiving? Well, as Sis said, most european DZs are in the countryside... Hell! Anybody know of a DZ in the middle of a city? Anyway, at the moment the farming community is in a state of seige in the UK & Ireland and what they DON'T WANT is a bunch of strangers on (or even near) their farms. All farms have disinfectant points at their entrances to wash down vehicle wheels & feet on entry & exit. Their reasoning is that the less traffic in the area, the less chance of infection being brought in or taken out. At the moment diplomacy is all. The nightmare scenario is a skydiver landing out in a field used by animals. Imagine if there was an outbreak at that farm later! Who'd get the blame (regardless)? As I said before, this is a golden opportunity for skydivers to cause untold (& permanent) harm to our relationships with our neighbours. Mike D10270.

Hi Wmblaine, I'm guessing a bit here, assuming you're exit weight of about 195-200lbs? About 50-60 jumps? IMHO... If you were comfortable using a "190", the try a ZP170, say a Sabre (which does have forgiving landing characteristics). It's a fair jump from your 220 F-111 but not so much that you're likely to do much more than bruise yourself unless you REALLY screw up the landing. That said, treat it with respect! Mike D10270.

Hi there, OK... Here we go on yet another advertisement for the Aerodyne Triathlon. I can't remember what you weigh, but the Tri is VERY flexible at 1.2lbs/ft2 (which is where I'm jumping my 175 Hybrid). Nice smooth opening over about 4secs (as long as the slider is up properly). The Hybrid has a good glide, nice opening, fairly responsive & forgiving. I can either scream in on front risers & surf it, or ease in on about 1/3-1/2 brakes & "jerk" the flare for a pinpoint landing. I'm not going to claim that the Tri is the best at everything, but as an "all-round" canopy it is hard to beat. Mike D10270. PS. Get the Hybrid & you're all set to do casual CReW (if you ever feel the urge to try DELIBERATE canopy collisions.

Hi y'all, While I posted this request a while back, it was kind of hidden in a tougue-in-cheek post. So... Does anyone out there have any images of dual (square on square) deployments? particularly a biplane or side/side deployment (thanks for the downplane Craig). In particular, does anyone have images of dual deployments from a "jumpers eye view"? Just before I go steal a digital camera & blow a reserve repack next breezy day!! Thanx in advance, Mike D10270.

Hi Larry, Personally, I'd be very tempted to open the main . Not out of any mistrust on my part, but rather to see how it was packed, & to practise packing it myself some before I get to the DZ (the pride of having a new rig can diminish if you have to struggle with it for an hour to repack after your first jump on it). Mike D10270.

OK, I'll play, Roxy Music from the 70's-80's (then again, they are connected to my "claim to fame). I've got FREE tickets to their reunion concert in Newcastle this summer (YES!!). Nena Kerner from the 80's-90's WHAT A VOICE! (at least when she's singing in German), & I have an everlasting image of when she walked on stage for a concert.... Man, all she did was walk across the stage wearing jeans & a 'T' shirt & I'd guarantee that every male in the audience had the same physical reaction (every female thought "Tart" & then probably hit the man they were with on the jaw causing 'said men to bite their tongues)! Early Pink Floyd ("The Wall" was the biggest sell-out in the history of Rock)!! Ragtime Jazz - Satchmo & Ella. Wagner - when I'm contemplating plans to re-integrate the former colonies!!!!!!!!! Mike D10270.

Hi Sis, Yeah... I also printed "One or two" copies to go with the "Flying on a holiday charter flight?... Parachutes for hire at reasonable rates (considering!)." posters. Personally, my favourite bit is: "If you are considerate, you will keep God out of your public comments, knowing that it's unfair to sing his praises when many of your fellow passengers lack the means to offer an alternative view". Oh BTW, did you check out the links to the "Airtoons" at the bottom? Mike D10270.

Hi WmBlaine, You're going to regret bringing up cricket!! "The Aussies bowled the last ball 'underarm' & this was unsporting". Actually... No! Cricket was originally played with the ball bowled underarm. It wasn't until girls wanted to join in games in victorian times that overarm bowling started. this was 'cos the "Girlies couldn't bowl correctly"(underarm) due to their skirts & bustles. So... Strictly speaking, that last ball was actually the only ball in the series that was bowled properly! Still, I suppose it's as good an excuse for failing to win as any. Anyone got any comment on the idea that New Zealanders are best summed up by their national emblem... The Kiwi... You know, the bird that can't fly? Mike D10270.

Hi there, Gotta share this: http://www.modernhumorist.com/mh/0103/freefall/ of course, for us the plans are simple: Plan A: wear your kit. Plan B: reach into the overhead / under your seat & put your kit on. Plan C: Track & dock on your kit (lets face it our freefall skills HAVE to be better that the other (whuffo) passengers? (note to me... DON'T fly commercial with fellow skydivers or "James Bond" stuntmen!) Mike D10270.

HI Skreamer, Actually I'm a cop, the plain common or garden uniformed variety. At least, that's my paid job... But, I was the victim(?) of a fairly expensive education, which included perhaps the best history teacher in the known universe. The sort of teacher who could make history really come to life, & that's how a lot of it stuck. This fully prepared me for my true vocation in life, viz: being a great dissappointment to my mother!! Mike D10270.

Hey Skreamer, No, no, NO!!! don't attack the Swiss! If I remember correctly, one of the codicils of The treaty of Vienna (which ended the Austro Hungarian wars) was that the Swiss were prohibited from "exporting" men under arms, including mercenaries 'cos they were so vicious & effective. The exception to this was that they could serve in The Vatican, 'cos the Pope at the time wanted the best soldiers in the world to protect him! Don't let that smug "Today we just make Cuckoo Clocks & Cheese" routine fool you for an instant! Apparently their tactic is to fatten you up on their chocolate (which is irresistible). Then, when you're too bloated to move, their army shows up & takes all your possessions (house, car, clothes, RIG!!) to pieces with those cunning little penknives! Beware of the Swiss! Mike D10270.

Hi there, Just a stray thought... The PISA Tempo reserves are TSO C23'd and have something of a reputation for (relatively) small pack volumes! Mike D10270

Hi Skreamer, I think you save the princely sum of £1.00 by going straight to your "B" licence. Personally, I went for my "A" as soon as I qualified. While the Ops Manual is a bit vague on "student status Vs "A" licence", it seems to say that before you can get your "B" licence, you have to hold an "A" license and have it endorsed with "IC1" (Section 2 (3)(3.2)) before you can get it endorsed as a "B". While the BPA issue the licence &"A","B" etc..., it's your CCI that issues the stickers for the disciplines so the licence basically has to go back & forth. Hope this helps, Mike D10270.

Canadians can count to 4 ?!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Only joking, it took a Canadian to spot that. Oh, BTW, Texcess: calling a hat that holds 6 pints a "ten-gallon" (or should that be Texaggerate?). Mike D10270.

HI Speedy, First, let me assure EVERYONE that I have NEVER had a "little Frenchie" in me (rumour innuendo or, indeed, photographs should be treated as lies & forgeries). I would never partake in activities as enjoyed by Greeks (such as George Michael). Anyway... Who haven't we insulted yet? Italians? Italy is a country divided into 2 distinct areas, the largely industrialised North, administered by companies & a local government called the Mafia, while the South is largely agricultural where the farmland is run by the Mafia. The largest Italian city is New York, which is linked to the mainland by a comprehensive communications system called the Mafia. The ancient Italians, called the Romans, were the first people to introduce taxation (Latin: Protectio). We could also have a go at Luxemburg, but it hardly seems fair since the population is about 9. In fact, Luxemburg is so small that on a clear day, standing on the roof of Luxemburg's parliament, you can't see Luxemburg at all 'cos a tree is in the way! The Germans? Germany is situated in the centre of Europe thus lending itself to expansion (Lebensraum - which seems to be German for invasion) in any direction. Prior to about 1900, Germany consisted of seperate states which spent all their time fighting each other. Then they all united and started fighting everyone else. In 1945 they were again separated and once more fought each other. In 1990 they re-united... So maybe we should all be getting a bit nervous by now? Holland? Actually, Holland doesn't have any land, it's more like de-hydrated sea! It's a little known fact that Holland is the reason that Britain was admitted into the EU... We're sort of a first reserve in case holland disappeared under an unusually high tide. Holland invented the Meerschaum Pipe, a lidded smoking device where the lid is obviously designed to exclude fish and the larger plankton. Mike D10270.

Foreploy: Any "little white lies" you tell for the purpose of getting laid. Intaxication: Euphoria at getting your tax refund... Only lasts until you realise it was YOUR money to start with. Reintarnation: coming back as a Texan - Hillbilly... I meant Hillbilly. Sarchasm: The gulf between the narrators attwempt at wit & the recipients faiure to get it.

Hi Skreamer, Just to "clear up" the position regarding "freekflying" in the UK. There is a BPA qualification for the various skydiving qualifications. In this case it's "FF1" & "FF2". The primary objective is SAFETY! So... "To obtain Grade 1 in Freestyle/Freeflying (FF1) the parachutist must first demonstrate (in a belly to earth position) the ability to: a) Control fall rate b) Control horizontal movement (forwards, backwards and sideways) c) Achieve 'docking' techniques d) Turn in place e) Dive & approach a target" Let's face it, these abilities show we can do the basic freefall collision avoidance stuff, especially at the bottom of the dive where we're going onto our bellies to deploy. "The parachutist may then be introduced to FF (for FF1 training) by a CCI nominated FF2 Grade parachutist or equivalent of proven FF instructional ability, have received a full safety brief and demonatrated the ability to: a) fly in a controlled sit/stand position b) Control fall rate in a sit/stand position c) Control forward and backward movement in a sit/stand position d) Control turns in both directions in a sit/stand position e) Fly relative to others in a sit/stand position. Once FF1 has been obtained, the parachutist must not make FF descents with others without CCI approval & initially only small groups." So... In short there's nothing to stop you going out yourself & trying to learn (as long as you let manifest know what you intend to try). But if you want the formal grade, then you have to do the programme! While the above, from the BPA Ops Manual sounds draconian, in practise if you hook up with freeflyers at your local DZ you'll probably not even be aware of any restrictions. Hope this helps, Mike D10270.