flyingarab

haaa....woohoo 18th hole here i come. Ramon and a few others have been extremely helpful and I am most appreciative about their continued support to help me become a safer and more accurate canopy flyer. I will take the advice and work with it now in hopes of becoming the great "Swooping ARAB". Until then, I am just going to try to refrain from being called the "Digging and Bouncing ARAB" C-Ya Sincerely, FlyingArab www.flyingarab.com

I saw the digital rebel at profeel.com and did notice that they have an instand rebate right now. However, I recommend that you get the warranty and their warranty is $130.00 for 5 years. 774.00 + 130.00 = $904.00 Whether you pay 850.00 for the cam and 40.00 for the warranty or 750 for the cam and 150 for the warranty, the pricing is all the same in the end. you are going to spend about 900.00 for the camera and warranty. Where you go to get it does not matter as long as they have it is stock, it is the USA version, they are a canon dealer, and it is not a refurb or reshipped item. Also, make sure that when you are ordering the memory card, you look into Kingstons 1GB card. It is awesome and if you order the right one, it comes with the laptop PCMCIA slot so that you can download to your laptop without cables. At our cost, the kingston cards are $240.00 Best of luck Sincerely, FlyingArab www.flyingarab.com

I have to agree with the back track idea. The same goes for AFF as well. We all flip on our backs to get the openings and then we can decide what to do from there. I have started to flip on my back, get the opening while back tracking and then roll back to my belly, track a little and pull. This still allows me to pull above 3K. I have a video I shot a month ago for an AFF level 1 training where the student and the instructor had to chop. If it weren't for tracking, I am sure there would have been cloe close calls. Sincerely, FlyingArab www.flyingarab.com

Ramon, thanks bro. I am going to start puting some more time into this and try to stop the bad "two riser" approach. I think that the combination of fear of other traffic getting in the way during a carve and the fact that I do not know how high I should be in order to pull this off is going are going to be the hardest parts. Whiping it in was so easy because all I had to do is simply go over my target area and then crank the hell out of the risers. Damn, why can't it be that easy. I know what you are talking about in regards to the risers pulling back up so I will search for that feeling. I just hope there is a golf cart to come pick my ass up when I fly by my desired landing area by 300 feet! Sincerely, FlyingArab www.flyingarab.com

i think he has forgotten to remove it.... Sincerely, FlyingArab www.flyingarab.com

I will be going out of Houston Intercontinental. I just do not want problems and would love to figure out what I could do to avoid them. However I might not have any at all. Sincerely, FlyingArab www.flyingarab.com

ok ok..so..are you saying that he does whip it in a turn and still gets speed and distance? Sincerely, FlyingArab www.flyingarab.com

Ok, well then it is something I am going to have to work on. My accuracy with dual risers is right on and I was kinda happy with it but I have been told by others as well as you in this post that the carve is the way to go. I will have to work on setup altitude etc.. kinda like starting all over again with accuracy. Well, if I start now, perhaps my 2005 I will be ready! Thanks bro... Sincerely, FlyingArab www.flyingarab.com

Thanks bro..by the way, nice site. I just checked it out. Perhaps when I go to Perris we can get some bad ass jumps in. Sincerely, FlyingArab www.flyingarab.com

I second that. I do not know if you are referring to me but if you are, then I am sorry that you feel that way. I have told you to your face that your decisions are not only rediculous, but you put your life and the life of others in danger when you jump. You want to skydive, then learn the sport as we are all doing and follow the rules as we are all doing. Granted mistakes will be made, injuries will happen, but if you just take your time and start to listen, you just might be ok. Stop posting on here looking for tears. Tell the stories like they are. You intentionally did a cut-a-way at 1500 feet with only 112 jumps and you were proud. You have taken this sport to a level that would make most people run yet you attempt to find pride and confidence from others. FOLLOW THE RULES. THEY WERE PUT THERE BY MORE ADVANCED SKYDIVERS AND THEY ARE THERE FOR US TO LEARN FROM. If an entire DZ is trying to help you by telling you to calm down, listen to them. I am a few shy of 600 and every day I ask the old timers for advice to help me. When I have 6000 I will still do it because from what I understand, you can never stop learning. You however, never started. You have made your own rules and as they say, you dug your own grave, and now it is time for you to deal with the shit you caused. Sincerely, FlyingArab www.flyingarab.com

Ok, with WFFC coming up in August, I plan to take both my rigs on the plane as carry ons. I would like to get some advice about this in regards to prep. before the flight, information to help the airport security move along, and, um, do ya think that having the name Flying Arab stitched on my rigs is going to cause problems? Thanks ahead of time Sincerely, FlyingArab www.flyingarab.com

Hey guys, I have been working on my swoops and although I get great distance and speed, people who are really into swooping have been telling me that dual front rizers with a "whip turn" is going to still be slower than a single front riser carve. Can you tell me if this is the case and will "whip turns" result in poor performance when pond swooping? I would like to compete in swoop contests next year and would rather change a bad habbit now. Thanks..blue skies Sincerely, FlyingArab www.flyingarab.com

yo yo pier...just because your shit never fits does not mean you have to give that same advice to someone else ;-) just kidding bro..love working with ya..you rock! Sincerely, FlyingArab www.flyingarab.com

oh shit....toooooo funny. Sincerely, FlyingArab www.flyingarab.com

Sheesh..I wish I could do that. Every time I leave my ring sight up, the damn edge of the ring manages to get into the view of my video and stills. Although you are right about not really using it anymore, I still like the whole "partially tinted" feeling when I look ahead! On a different note, how many of you are going to WFFC? Sincerely, FlyingArab www.flyingarab.com

On one hand a stock suit might be ok but I would recommend that you wrap a note in a box letting him know that he has just rec'd a camera suit of his choice. Trying to get one for him with wings that will be fitting for him and a suit that will be perfect for his build is not going to be easy. Chances are there will be something that needs to be adjusted and that will simply cost more money. Take him to have him fitted and then order the suit. That is by far the best solution. You can go to your local DZ and have your master rigger size him and perhaps he will be able to add wings to a standard FF suit. Best of luck. Sincerely, FlyingArab www.flyingarab.com

I have to agree with that as well. A SF mount is excellent for your camera. I jump the same still and use a SF to mount. I mounted the two side screws and the main center screw. If something should hit them and rip the camera off, I would rather that they it slam my head and neck into some awkward position that I could not get out of. As an example, feel free to view my video when I had such a hard opening, it actually broke the rivets on my helmet and I lost all my equipment from 4K feet. Had I been wearing the chin strap and chin cup at the same time (like the mfr recommends..why I have no idea) I amsure a broken neck would have come out of it. You can see the video at http://www.flyingarab.com under the videos / fun jumps section. It was painful. Sincerely, FlyingArab www.flyingarab.com

When I started jumping (about a year and a half ago) the rule at the DZ where I was at was to wait 100 jumps. When I hit jump 100 I started and have jumped a camera ever since. There were some really great people there who helped me with some issues that I think will also help future camera flyers: 1. before you fly a camera, just fly the mounts and helmet. Get used to that first and feel the difference on opening. 2. once you do put the camera in the helmet, make sure to not fly for the shot. Just fly like normal and get used to how it feels to have the weight on your head. 3. Once you are used to that, go ahead and put a little sticker on your goggles for aim but still try not to fly for the shot too much. 4. Once youare comfortable with that, you can beging flying the shot, adding a ring site if you wish, and trying to work on stability, center framing, etc... Like many others, I believe that your jump number does not always dictate your skill level. Your peers will be the best judge of your skill level and they will most likely be able to tell you if you are ready or not. Best of luck and be safe. Remember, when all this is on your head, you risk the chance of more injury upon hard openings (whip lase etc..) Make sure to workout daily and keep your neck and back muscles in check. If you want to see what it is like to lose $3,000.00 worth of camera gear on a bad opening, just go to my site http://www.flyingarab.com and click on videos and the fun jumps. Scroll down until you see the "lost helmet" jump. Let me just tell ya..that son of a bitch hurt!!!! Sincerely, FlyingArab www.flyingarab.com

I am a canon dealer in houston and carry the digital rebel. I have a few left in stock (american version) with full warranty and also have the extended mack warranty. The cost on the camera is $850.00. Anything less than that and you have to start questioning why!!! If you would like one I will be more than happy to send one to you. The mack warranty is like $40.00 and that gives you 3 to 5 years extended warranty on the camera. I hope this helps you figure out pricing. By the way, I jump with a digital rebel! They Rock! Sincerely, FlyingArab www.flyingarab.com

I am a canon dealer and fly both the digital rebel and the rebel gII on my helmets. I contimplated using the 10D but the issues I took into account were the following: 1. The pics are going to be the same 2. the 10D is heavier 3. the 10D is much more costly 4. the digital rebel does burst a little slower When I looked at all these (there are more factors but for the most part these were the main ones for me) I went ahead and put the digital rebel on my head. The pictures have been most amazing and I know now that I made the best choice. The 10D is a hell of a camera but is better used on the ground by photographers. The digital rebel is sturdy, reliable, cheaper, and produces absolutely beautiful clear images. As for the burst, well, I do not really consider that a huge factor. I can take about 3 pics per second without any issues and, to be honest, that is all I have needed to capture the shots. I hope this helps. I am currently out of stock on the 10D and have 2 digital rebels in my houston store. If you are in need of one, just let me know. I will be more than happy to sell them to a fellow skydiver at cost. Sincerely, FlyingArab www.flyingarab.com

Hey bro, I think you need to look at this from a different view point. I just think your actions are stupid and if someone else can read about the bad decisions you are making and possibly learn from them, then perhaps something good would come out of this. Sincerely, FlyingArab www.flyingarab.com

Tribal. We are friends and always will be. I wish you the best bro but in the end, the fact is, you are dangerous. Rules and procedures are made because people in the sport have established a sense of safety and security. The sport itself is dangerous, but your added danger takes it to a level of insanity. There are guys that some consider "cool" becasue they push the limits, but none of them are 100 jump wonders. They have paid their dues studied the information provided, and most of all, many have respected the rules and guidelines set before them. The difference with you is that you have not done this. You want to push an envelope that you can't even open yet. Taking time and studying the sport is not something you want to do nor is it something you will ever do. If you think Base is cool go do it but remember, being a Base jumper does not make you cool, and being a dangerous base jumper only makes you stupid. (not saying you are at this point) Oh well, all your friends have told you this before but you never want to listen so, at this point, good luck and have fun. Sincerely, FlyingArab www.flyingarab.com

Willingness to cut a good canopy away and cutting it away when it is bad are two very dif. things. Again, it would be like driving a car on a track at 180 mph. you may trust the tires and the car, but does it mean you trust it less if you wear your seatbelt? No, it just means that you rely on common sense to tell you that "extreme" uncessary risks are illogical. no matter what canopy you jump, you still have a reserve to cover you in case of a mal. However, cut a good canopy away and go to a res. with a mal, now you wish you weren't so illogical. In the end, I think that watching a very good friend of mine go through a double mal before barely clearing it before he landed, I realized that intentional cutaways are simply unecessary. Furthermore, it was brought to my attention this past week that there are DZ's that have pictures framed of res. pack jobs that were destined to fail do to a riggers mistake (luckily the repack came due before the res. was ever jumped or it would have been a fatality). In the case of the one intentional that I know of, the person had less that 110 jumps and simply decided to do this since his repack was due. Illogical yes! Dangerous yes! Now how many people want a dangerous and illogical person on their next jump? Sincerely, FlyingArab www.flyingarab.com

Here is the simple truth about cutting away a perfectly good main and going to reserve: IT IS STUPID! I do not care if you have 5,000 jumps or 50 jumps, the issue that can be raised by this is that you simply do not respect the sport or the other people that take part in the sport. Granted it may be you that gets killed or injured in a worst case scenerio, it is the DZ that gets the write up and the unecessary drama. Wanna act like an idiot, go base jump without a rig, go 150 in your car and drive off a cliff, but do not bring unecessary risks to the sport. Still love ya man, but you really are crazy! Sincerely, FlyingArab www.flyingarab.com

Awesome. That was a fun Jump Russell. I had a blast shooting the pics and video and the student was totally pumped when we were all done. We will have to do more like this during the season. By the way, that is a pic of russell's signature gum release. Sincerely, FlyingArab www.flyingarab.com