EricaH

Not to go into a long story - but... there was a man at my dz trying to learn HD this way. He went out last before a tandem (tandem was pulling exceptionally high & thus didn't care bout the long spot) right after me. The tandem instructor told the guy when to exit (giving extra long time after me). This new HD jumper opened at the same level as & at the same time as the 4 way sit fliers that were infront of me! He tracked straight through my airspace & right into theirs. He, the 4 way & me are all lucky it turned out fine. Point being people learing HD track like mad - why encourage it to go up or down line of flight. IMHO, everything should be done to discourage it from happening. If you are so unaware off your belly that you don't know which direction the plane was flying & can't recognize landmarks 90 degrees off - you shouldn't be doing any ff for more than um 3 seconds at the same time, if you don't have a stable ff speed position, what orientation are you suppose to fly in between bad tracking/HD efforts? belly? great!! There is no can't. Only lack of knowledge or fear. Only you can fix your fear. PMS #227 (just like the TV show)

Wow - that's a great travel schedule. Good luck in whatever you decide to do. No matter what you try or how you try it, please please make sure & NOT dive in the direction the plane is flying - IF you do slide around you'll end up up/down jumprun. And chances are your skilz aren't good enough once finding yourself HD to then turn 90 degrees off jump run. I've been focusing 100% on freeflying the last almost 2 years. Then last month I went out for a number of mid sized RW jumps (8 - 25 people). I know I have loads more to learn on my belly, but that's a different story. The next time I went HD - the improvement was wonderful! It is amazing re-orienting yourself - learning how each body part affects your flight & using that to fly however you want. One day, I'll have 1500 jumps & then I'll really start to improve. There is no can't. Only lack of knowledge or fear. Only you can fix your fear. PMS #227 (just like the TV show)

Um, which DZ to you guys jump at? So we can come visit & perhaps do some "heads" down. There is no can't. Only lack of knowledge or fear. Only you can fix your fear. PMS #227 (just like the TV show)

on my Spectre I actually have my slider down the inside of my canopy - not quartered at all. This way my openings are 600 - 800' rather than the 1200+ I got when quartering the slider - not for everyone or every canopy, but what works for me. There is no can't. Only lack of knowledge or fear. Only you can fix your fear. PMS #227 (just like the TV show)

I love my Spectre, but was thinking of switching to a 9 cell just for the get back ability. Then I got to chat w/ Isaih from PD when was at our dz, he said (and I quote cause I didn't believe him) "Spectres have the flattest glide ration of all PD canopies. This means when flying down wind, they will go the furthest. However, when trying to get back flying up wind using breaks or rear risers will have less of a beneficial affect than if you were on a different PD canopy, so you'd effectually not be able to get back as far." So, I'm sticking w/ my wonderfully soft/onheading/nice faster turning/actually can surf Spectre. JMHO. There is no can't. Only lack of knowledge or fear. Only you can fix your fear. PMS #227 (just like the TV show)

I would if they had a qualification section where you could load more sooner if you passed certain tests. But it wouldn't matter, I'm w/in the parameters anyway. There is no can't. Only lack of knowledge or fear. Only you can fix your fear. PMS #227 (just like the TV show)

I was told to learn straddle, that way when I finally got it HD, I was going straight down the tube w/o my legs compensating for incorrect upper body positions. Now (almost 200 jumps later), in videos, I see my legs moving all over, from straddle to daffy & in-between. Just going where they need to go do either slow down more, speed up, orbit, turn & speed up... In the end, both are needed. I was in a 4-wya doing a flower point, both people on each side of me were flying straddle, I couldn't get my feet straight out to the side too w/o running into them, so I went more daffy. Learn everywhere your legs can go w/o turning you so you can maintain fall rate or adjust it & fit possibly into a very small slot. But IMHO, learning straddle is the most effective way to make sure you're flying your whole body, not just your legs. There is no can't. Only lack of knowledge or fear. Only you can fix your fear. PMS #227 (just like the TV show)

We always have belly, even solos (pulling below 5 anyway) go ahead of freefly - since we fly an into the wind jump run, it's cause of drift. someone who's not very savy, but know's their stuff once said "fastest goes lastest" to me when I was learning to sit. the explination, someone learning to sit is going to be on their back & possibly on their belly a lot - thus their ff speeds are in-between belly & ff, so they go between the 2. There is no can't. Only lack of knowledge or fear. Only you can fix your fear. PMS #227 (just like the TV show)

Not only WL, but also pull altitude. Say there's a guy loaded 2.0, he's pulling @ 4, then there's another guy loaded at 1.3, pulling at 2.5. I'd guess to put the lower puller out first (given exact same freefall speeds). My question comes w/ 2 groups of 2 ways, both doing advanced HD. One of the 2 ways has a high & a low puller, the other has both pulling @ 3k. Which group goes first, does it matter? Guessing that so long as both groups (as advanced jumpers should be) are aware of jump run/tracking off of it/not sliding up or down it - it doesn't matter. There is no can't. Only lack of knowledge or fear. Only you can fix your fear. PMS #227 (just like the TV show)

Every single canopy is different & has different opening characteristics. I've packed my Specter at least 20 different ways. I use to have 1000 - 1200' openings. then I had off heading, then I had slow turning, then I had one or the other end cell closed, then slowly spinning... on & on. What I've finally figured out: put the slider behind the nose (not between the cells but behind), quarter the other 3 sides normally. Let the nose hang straight (I do make a little effort to make the center cell about a quarter inch ahead of the others). Roll the tail loosely- I normally see the nose sticking out when S folding. Take extra special care to leave the lines straight & in place. My rubber bands are pretty lose, but the tighter ones are toward the locking stows. The canopy is in the bag straight & even. There is no can't. Only lack of knowledge or fear. Only you can fix your fear. PMS #227 (just like the TV show)

Just for feedback - when I was downsized out of my job of 6 years, I just walked away, right out the door. some people cried & said by to their friends, I'd packed my stuff up & brought it home a few days earlier, so about 30 min early, I got up, turned off my computer & walked away never turning back. then i went to a big fat all you can eat crab dinner w/ my friends & drank a bottle of my fav pinot, then I slept till noon the next day, got up & went jumping for 4 days straight. There is no can't. Only lack of knowledge or fear. Only you can fix your fear. PMS #227 (just like the TV show)

Wow - thank you all for the input! Guess it's all just based on personal opinion & comfort (no one size fits all). Though the generic version of the sleep # sounds very interesting. Bradley, I would be interested to know what your mom ended up with. There is no can't. Only lack of knowledge or fear. Only you can fix your fear. PMS #227 (just like the TV show)

I had a futon for a number of years - dunno, just wasn't quite right. but I know there is a wide varity of cushions. There is no can't. Only lack of knowledge or fear. Only you can fix your fear. PMS #227 (just like the TV show)

I like the idea that it's my turn to be comfy!! Alas, I think even though I bitch more regularly, I actually have a higher tollerance for bothersome matters. I've heard great things bout the memory foam, but I just don't get how they could work as a topper. The dip in my waiste is more than an inch - so how does an inch thick topper support my midsection? The beds made of the stuff are just way too expensive. Thanks for the Room & Board referral - there's one in Oak Brook too. I know what you mean Andy about the bottom portion of the bed being basically useless, I was wondering bout different types of mattresses vs. those w/ springs. So, guess I'll have to go try the sleep number - i do fear the air bed feel. I've slept on an aero bed for the full 10 days of WFFC - it took weeks for my back to recover & so I'm afraid nothing that sayis "air" in the bed support has my support off hand. There is no can't. Only lack of knowledge or fear. Only you can fix your fear. PMS #227 (just like the TV show)

Soon I need to purchase a new bed. I'm wondering if anyone has experience with anything other than the typical box spring, as in the sleep number bed, or any of those space age foam mattress thingies even the bedding toppers that supposedly make a box spring feel great. the issue is that my s/o & I have completely different ideas of what's comfy at night - he likes the bed to be very firm as if sleeping on the floor. I like the bed very soft - I basically haven't had a good night's sleep in over a year. So, lets hear the good & the bad of any kind please. For example, the sleep number bed - isn't it like a big air mattress - where your back sinks in. And is it tough enough material to hold up under some, um, interesting events? There is no can't. Only lack of knowledge or fear. Only you can fix your fear. PMS #227 (just like the TV show)

This is really interesting, but I have a few ?. Is this dangerous set up when jump run is say running east west & the drop zone is south of the lateral run, so everyone's heading accross jump run. I can't see if jump run creats a U & the landing area is in above the open end of the U (kinda like that non-english U w/ a dot above it). Well, that way, the students would be getting out closer to the dz & so they would end up opening directly above the freeflyers heading back to the dz. Sorry, for the long post, you're right, I can not figure out a configuration where this could end up safe. There is no can't. Only lack of knowledge or fear. Only you can fix your fear. PMS #227 (just like the TV show)

AAAAh, that makes total sense! Thank you. There is no can't. Only lack of knowledge or fear. Only you can fix your fear. PMS #227 (just like the TV show)

Really? I know not to count on verticle seperation, but guess I ignored the normal exit order (fastest goes last). Not to argure, I just don't understand; since students go last since they pull above 5, I figured that solo belly pulling by or before 5 would as well. There is no can't. Only lack of knowledge or fear. Only you can fix your fear. PMS #227 (just like the TV show)

UGH - I'm with you. I HATE it when people leave me a message. If I see a number & I feel like talking, I'll call back. If you leave a message it better be one that doesn't require further conversation. Like say I know I'm meeting someone for lunch, just not where/when. Leave me a message giving me the unknown info, just don't expect me to call you back. I'll see you at lunch. If I have to retrieve the message, listen to it, delete it & then call you back to finish the conversation - I'm not calling you back for at least a week. But then again, I don't know why I am so against wasting a few minutes of my time. There is no can't. Only lack of knowledge or fear. Only you can fix your fear. PMS #227 (just like the TV show)

I can't believe it'd be dirtiest! When talking about downtown, the only city I've seen less dirty is Austin, TX, but that hardly qualifies as having a downtown area. In Chicago teh streets are very clean, there are people who's only job is to walk around their bldg & sweep up whatever you may have just dropped. They even scrub the sidewalks. The mayor is blamed for spending too much $$ on having trees planted all over the place. I lived in lincoln park & boy's town - the people were nicer outside of lincoln park (I'm untrendy), but they weren't snobs. I grew up in the south & am use to being friendly to all around me - chicago's not too bad. While living directly north of the city is on the high side of expensive, there are lots of other areas to live (Bucktown is one) that are less. And the public transit is great enough to get you anywhere w/o needing a cab. You asked about food!! I can't believe no one's talked about this - the food rocks!! Name a type of food & you can get it, there's prob even a grocery store if you want to try cooking for yourself. My brother came to visit from FL - he said "it's no wonder you'd (meaning me) gained weight since moving here; all you people to is eat & drink, then sleep so you can eat & drink some more. During the summer the lake shore is great fun, even out of the city. If you're bored for lack of somehting to do, it's cause you're not looking - there's stuff everywhere. All this coming from a person who's moved out of the city & refuses to go there just cause it's so full. There is no can't. Only lack of knowledge or fear. Only you can fix your fear. PMS #227 (just like the TV show)

I agree. However, too often I've seen (typically newer jumpers) goofing off in free fall end up opening way out of sequence. Like in my prior example or I was in a 3 way ff group building points, there was a solo belly "pulling high" behind us - he ended up opening directly above me by less than 500ft. He had been practicing flips, forward/backward movemetn trying to side slide & what not - anyway, didn't stick to his plan - but even if he had pulled @ 5 as planned & had a mal, he could have gone straight into my air space. This problem happens more often w/ new freeflyers since the horizontal movement can be vast - but it can happen with anyone. I tend to be in smaller sized groups, but say you have a few mid/larger size groups on the same load (along w/ the various 2way/solo); give 2 good trackers running away from their own group unknowingly heading at eachother - they could end up in eachother's face. There is no can't. Only lack of knowledge or fear. Only you can fix your fear. PMS #227 (just like the TV show)

Um, another job on jump run is to know the direction & make sure to not track up or down jumprun. there's nothing worse than having a solo novice mistakenly traveling up or down or even an experience person tracking like hell to get away from their group ending up right in your opening space. i've seen a guy learning HD end up opening right next to someone in group 3 groups ahead of him! (I was in the group behind him). That is bad bad bad! edited to add - if you don't know the dz, find a land mark (be it a town/lake/mountain/the sun/large remarkable farm/mining area...) notice which way jumprun is relevant to that land mark, then make sure you turn 90degress off of it. So, jump run is heading at that lake - make sure the lake is always on your right or left side. So you can always see it - it should never be behind you or directly in front of you. Or if the lake is beside the plane make sure it's always right in front of you or you can't see it at all. There is no can't. Only lack of knowledge or fear. Only you can fix your fear. PMS #227 (just like the TV show)

I understand this woman's grief. But there are a bunch of dangerous sports that are glorified - in which people also die or are severly maimed/injured. There is no can't. Only lack of knowledge or fear. Only you can fix your fear. PMS #227 (just like the TV show)

I really don't know much, but I do know a new Jav is over $1700 as is a new Vector, a new PD canopy is over $1100, a new reserve is $1000 & a new cypress is $1200. That's $5k & not excessivly overy priced items (easily mains & containers can cost way more). As Bonnie said, it depends a lot on the market. Here in mine (Chicago area) $3k is a good deal for a rig in good shape and amazingly with freefly safty upgrades. There is no can't. Only lack of knowledge or fear. Only you can fix your fear. PMS #227 (just like the TV show)

Great thread there! I was wondering the last bit of advice you got from the gravity rats (1/2 cartwheel into arch into belly track) still doesn't clear the air above or behind you until you're already heading that way. What did you end up doing in reality (ie. the air)? I was thinking in a sit to do a 360 rotation to check all areas around you, then the 1/2 cartwheel, peeling off into a track from HD. Seems like you wouldn't be able to get away from the 360 turn to check air space. There is no can't. Only lack of knowledge or fear. Only you can fix your fear. PMS #227 (just like the TV show)