betzilla

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Everything posted by betzilla

  1. betzilla
    !!! Keep in mind this means you need to be extra vigilant that your pouch is in good shape, to guard against premature deployments. If your pilot chute slides into the pouch more easily, the same will be true for it sliding out. There is always a trade off. Really nice looking rig though!
  2. betzilla
    It's soooo normal to be nervous - as a student skydiver, every jump requires you to get way outside your comfort zone! Tunnel time might not help you with the nerves themselves, but it WILL help you with the freefall stuff the nerves are keeping you from visualizing. And it will help you with general confidence (which MIGHT help with the nerves!).
  3. betzilla
    yep. It's doable, but not much fun. PR126/OP143 (and below) is where the one-size-up OP doesn't really pack the same size as the smaller PR, at least in my experience. That becomes more pronounced as you get into smaller and smaller sizes...
  4. betzilla
    I'm pretty stocky too - 5'4" and a little on the heavy side. I'm also a pretty damn good skydiver. It's much more a mental game than physical. Join us!
  5. betzilla
    parachutemanuals.com is such a great resource!
  6. betzilla
    Aerodyne now sends their handles out with the cables needing to be cut by the assembling rigger. While this is annoying, they do come with very clear instructions regarding how to determine the correct length and trim the cables to it.
  7. betzilla
    or intercellular fluid
  8. betzilla
    It does make a difference - sometimes a significant one. First step would be to reach out to Icarus (j@icarusworld.net) and find out if you've got the factory-size slider or some other goofy thing (you never know what you're really getting when you buy used gear - people make all kinds of modifications and maybe the previous owner of your canopy wanted slower openings for whatever reason. who knows?), and go from there. J is quite responsive - you'll probably hear back from him right away. Good luck!
  9. betzilla
    I take a decongestant before my first jump of the day during allergy season, because if I'm at all congested, I'll have trouble with ear pain. Sometimes I have to take another later in the day, sometimes one dose does the trick. You might find it helps you as well...
  10. betzilla
    yup. I did exactly the same thing a couple times as a student, except I just drive right on by. Didn't even turn into the parking lot, lol. It's pretty normal.
  11. betzilla
    nope. Just the optimum (and that won't be any fun).
  12. betzilla
    Johannes, will you share your findings with us once it's complete?
  13. betzilla
    yep. Years ago, for a customer who needed mid-season service.
  14. betzilla
    That sounds like it's getting into fuzzy legal territory, like postdating a check. Doesn't the FAA view packing data cards as legal documents? I get the willies when I even see one signed in ink other than black or blue, lol. I don't like packing rigs when the AAD will be due for service before the repack expires, but I've done it, making a note on the data card saying something like "Cypres requires service before xx/xx/xxxx." Overall, I've found that almost all customers are happy to plan their AAD service at the repack, because they'd rather save the ten or twenty bucks it would cost to remove/reclose, then install/reclose - they just need a little help remembering and planning, and it's easier (less hassle) to comply with service requirements on your regular repack schedule than not.
  15. betzilla
    I had the exact thought when I saw that cover, plus, "OOOOOH, that's where that dude on dz.com saw it..."
  16. betzilla
    Thanks all! I saw the Dr. yesterday. The shoulder itself is super stable, with no signs of arthritis or anything else particularly nasty, and really only decreased ROM and a very minor weakness to one direction (BOC direction, of course, lol). They're confident that some PT will improve all of that, and now that I'm not worried a dislocation is imminent, I suspect that even if tunnel and jumping make me a little sore afterwards, the pain won't bother me nearly as much now. All in all, about as good an outcome as I could have hoped for! So I'll have 12 PT sessions, then go have a follow up in June. Woot!
  17. betzilla
    ...or if you just fucking feel like it because it's your own goddamned head and hair, to do with as you please.
  18. betzilla
    This is great to hear (read, lol). I've ignored intermittent pain for a few years, but after some tunnel time over the last month, it's really been aggravated (yesterday is the first day in a week and a half where I didn't have more or less constant pain. Today I'm pain free, which is welcome!), and I'm concerned about: 1. range of motion, especially since it's my right shoulder, and, you know, it's great to be able to reach back for my hackey ;), and 2. if these these things don't heal themselves, does that mean I'm marching toward a minimally effective surgery, no matter what? It sounds like maybe with PT, I can gain back my full ROM, and avoid surgery. And if I do end up needing surgery (which is probably a long way off), it might actually work. So y'all have given me hope! Seeing an ortho on Tuesday to get started planning a plan
  19. betzilla
    Hey all. I’m pretty sure I’m developing a SLAP tear in my shoulder joint (seeing my doc for a referral on monday). I’m curious how those of you who have this injury deal with it in your skydiving life. How helpful is PT in slowing progression and managing pain? thanks!
  20. betzilla
    As a rigger, over about the last decade, I've packed at least four Cypres saves, one of them a student on a level 1 AFF (many years ago - I don't know the specifics, nor would I tell you what they were if I did know, so don't ask). Two of the others were the same fun jumper. I feel like there was a fifth, but I'm not positive I packed that one (I did the repack and cutter replacement afterwards), so I'm not including it in the count...
  21. betzilla
    Wendy et al, there's an app called "Hello Crowd," for Android and iOS. Grab the app (it's free), then search for Parachute Industry Association. You can find the seminar schedule there, as it currently stands. Hope to see you in Dallas!
  22. betzilla
    It won't be a pain in the neck, but your rig might look like its jeans are too small.
  23. betzilla
    not a huge fan of being automatically signed out after a short period of inactivity. ALSO not a huge fan of the "remember me" box being checked by default, *especially* if I'm going to have to sign in several times per day.
  24. betzilla
    It's not just you. It's painfully, PAINFULLY slow.
  25. betzilla
    pretty sure it's just a variation in that particular batch of rubber bands versus other batches, which has exactly zero effect on their functionality..