DontPanic

They've set up a memorial page here on dropzone.com at: http://www.dropzone.com/cgi-bin/remember/page.cgi?g=Robert_G_D__Williams%2Findex.html&d=1%22 I never knew his real name was Robert, I always just knew him as G.D. I was looking back through my logbook, and he always signed "G.D. Williams D-6210". He told me the G.D. was short for Gunga Din, but I don't think I ever heard the story for how he got that nickname. If anybody else knows how he came by the Gunga Din nickname, I'd love to hear.

Triple Cutaway? The way I heard it, Gary had at least a quadruple cutaway.

Congratulations on your SCR. Hope you didn't have too much trouble getting the beer out of your clothers.

I guess I'm lucky. My home DZ was never like this. One of the things that really sucked me into this sport was the people at my DZ who were asking me to jump with them when I was getting started. It makes a big difference in getting you to keep coming back.

I might have to try that approach next time. Sounds like a great time. I've used Squeek's suggested response several times. If you just don't feel like screwing with someone that night, just say "Cool....", and ask them to ellaborate on whatever the hell they saw or heard. The tone changes like an exorcist cast Holy Water on it. If you want ot screw with them, change it up.

Neptune's have a reputation for acting funny when the battery gets low. Check your Neptune software release to confirm it is the latest and greatest. They have supposedly made improvements in the battery indication. However, if your Neptune battery indicator was showing only half-full, I'm tempted to conclude the battery needs replacing. A 'half-full' indication may be as good as it gets for indicating a low battery on a Neptune.

Happy Birthday!!!

I like the long, easy to grab handle of the Jack the Ripper, but I ran into trouble figuring out where I could put a Jack the Ripper. I could sew it to my RW jump suit, but my grips are right where I'd have easiest access to a hook knife. Also, I don't wear my RW jump suit on every jump. I ended up having our DZ rigger fix up the pocket on my leg strap to accomodate a short hook knife (the Jack the Ripper is too long to go into my leg strap pocket). I liked that solution, but I recently lost that hook knife on a hard opening. I like the way the Icon container has the hook knife on the shoulder harness. It seems really easy to get to. I like my Wings, but the one thing I covet about Icon containers is their spiffy hook knife.

I had a great time at ECSC last weekend, and the beach jumps are a blast. But since you do skydiving photography, I thought I'd pass on the following message Mike sent out to the rworg e-mail mailing list: Hhhmmm, Hooters girls or beach jumps. Sounds like you got nothing but good choices this weekend.

Neither was in the toggle keeper, as stated above the left one was not through the cat's eye, the right one was. Bear in mind I didn't see the main until after it had been plucked from the ocean, carried back to the landing area, shoved in a garbage bag, and carried to where I gave its first rinse. I have no idea what, if anything, was touched. Sorry, I didn't even think to check the toggle positions before we bagged up your water-logged main. I'm glad everything came out OK. I was watching the tail end of this malfunction from above. It was kind of freaky seeing the reserve out with the main streamering behind you. After you get all your equipment checked out, let us know how your equipment faired after being immersed in salt-water. I'm hoping you got it cleaned up fast enough, but I'm curious to know.

I can't pass up a chance to get in some beach jumps.

I had a similar issue. I went through static line. The old-timers told me that the static line jumps shouldn't count. I found out later that I could have counted my static line jumps, but I went ahead and started my logbook with my first non-static-line freefall/delay as jump #1. I just went ahead and decided that the jump number in my log book is the number I'll use for my milestones, and not worry about the static line jumps. I think it is pretty much up to you. Just pick a system and go with it.

I bought a Wings as my first container, and I love it. If you leave room for one down-sizing, it should last you a long time if you follow the canopy W/L progression that is in the current SIM. At 50% off, you'd be hard-pressed to find a deal on a used container that could compete with that. You could probably make a profit selling it if you do out-grow it. When I was shopping around last year, the market for used equipment in that size-range seemed very competitive.

I've always avoided over-reliance of the check of 3 since I felt like it gave short shrift to checking your pins (main and reserve) and checking your collapsable pilot chute. And, personally, I like to just make a quick check to see my AAD is on every jump. Not that everything in the check of 3's isn't extremely important, but I've always used the top-bottom, front-back method since I always ended up expanding the 3x3 rule to 3x4+ to cover everything I wanted to cover. How does everyone else who uses the 3x3 rule cover the things I mentioned above?

Despite being weathered out Saterday by high winds, we had a really good day of jumping on Sunday. We found a sympathetic gentleman (I think his name is Ronnie Smith) just outside of Lucedale (about 20-30 miles north of Moss Point) to loan us the use of his airstrip (South Mississippi Light Aircraft or SMLA). He has a grass runway on his property, and has a business supporting small kit-built aircraft and ultralights. We had the busiest day of jumping since Mike upgraded the Otter's engines last fall. I was really surprised by the turn-out. We even had a good number of Tandems track us down to our temporary location, which ain't bad for the middle of January. I had a chance to talk with Mike about the current status. Mike hasn't given up on Moss Point yet, and even mentioned that we may be able to return to there soon (but you'll just have to stay tuned to find out if that pans out). Mike continues to fight for the Moss Point facility. This issue is apparently a common issue to skydiving. The operators of the airport have come to the conclusion that skydiving operations interfer with the growth of the airport, even though only a handful of airplanes land and take off on weekends. As I understand it, the use of the SMLA airport was something Mike and Ronnie put together fairly quickly in order to continue operations while we fight for access to the facilities at Moss Point. It's not that the SMLA airport wouldn't be a nice place for a DZ, I just don't think they've talked about anything long term yet. So that's the current news for Gold Coast. Stay tuned, because I'm sure there'll be more fun to come.

I wear contacts to jump, and my experience seems similar to most of the other posters who wear contacts. I prefer them to glasses, but I had to experiment with a few syles of googles before I settled on a pair of Sorz. I have also had a contact pop out in FF. If your eyes are such that losing a contact lense in freefall will give you alot of trouble landing, then you may want to consider that.

http://www.myspace.com/dontpanic_dz I'm still trying to figure this thing out, but here's my Myspace for what it's worth.

I'd been so busy with the Holidays that I forgot y'all were doing a Holiday Boogie this weekend. What kind of plane do they have this weekend?

Didn't Greenspan have the yield curve inverted right around the time Bush II came into office? I think he was able to pull that off without an official recession.

They're in Baldwin County Alabama. Not too far from the beach and near the Florida State line.

Damn, I wish I'd know y'all were open today. I've just been sittin around the house doing chores. Are y'all open tomorrow?

I've had one hard opening on my Pilot, but I pretty much attribute that one to a packing issue.

Does anyone know if Jason will be there Sunday also? I have to go to a wedding on Saturday.

I had a great time too. Thanks to y'all for your hospitallity and your nice bus for picking up people who land off. I wish I could have made the sunset load. One of these days I'll make that jump into the Flora-Bama.

There's been a few additional recent articles regarding Gold Coast's dispute with the airport. http://www.gulflive.com/news/mississippipress/index.ssf?/base/news/113283090211860.xml http://www.sunherald.com/mld/sunherald/news/local/13253617.htm Despite the "suspension" referred to in the article, we have continued to jump at Gold Coast on the weekends. I should clarify that, from what I understand, the suspension is with respect to the lease agreement with the airport authority, and is being disputed by Mike Igo. The suspension is not from the FAA or the USPA. Still, I wonder if this makes my jumps at Gold Coast the last few weeks "bandit jumps"? That would look interesting in my logbook.