jonstark

I have two reserve rides. Both were belly mount without pilot chute. One after having a floating ripcord after a five second delay. The second after cutting away a high speed mal with DOUBLE SHOT Capewells. There was no way I was going to try to hand deploy into the mess over my head!

Anyone who disbelieves the dangers or disregards the predicament they are in after exiting an aircraft in flight best remember... Skydiving is an activity where you can do everything right and still die. The air, like the sea, is unforgiving to those who err.

I might have had ten jumps when I encountered my first bullshitter. It was so obviously incredible that I didn’t even dispute his claims. It’s often best to acknowledge with a nod, a wow or that’s amazing and walk away. I have had the opportunity to shoot at least one especially arrogant BSer down in flames which felt good. More often than not I just let em bury themselves in their own BS.

He stopped by Pepperell this summer. We had a good visit. Great to see him after 30 years.

Lew from Massachusetts? Lew the competitive shooter Lew?!

I happen to know that the entire annual fuel consumption of one of Florida’s busiest DZs is equal to that used in one single day at the St Petersburg airport for Allegiant Airlines alone. Jon

For some reason the clanking of all those empty beer cans reminded me of wind chimes. Funny how that is!

Luke Frazier has attempted to defraud several Florida DZs after being convicted of similar crimes. Watch out for him and send him packing if he shows up at your DZ.

Chicken or egg? Show that you’re serious by showing up and jumping a lot while keeping eyes and ears open.

Depends on whether you are a low time jumper and whether you have heeded advice or admonition in the past. If you’ve been unreceptive to criticism in the past then a verbal warning would accomplish nothing. You made assumptions about the lights being inoperative. You misunderstood or disregarded communication and jumped over who-knows-what. Both pretty egregious errors. Listen up kid! The life you save may be your own. Edit to add... Grounding allows you to eat your humble pie, buy your mea-culpa beer and share your new tribal knowledge with the community. Banning or banishment is far greater punishment usually reserved for those unwilling to understand their repeated failures despite coaching and counseling.

There’s a nugget... “Some unknown dude Yuri.”

Why? I’m intrigued and intend to try it.

Yeah Buddy! Bitchin!

About as well as a melon

It seems that nobody remembers when Poppenhager used to train his students for their first jump as a freefall solo. He flew the plane and jumpmastered the student. Jon