Mozencrath

BUMP. I am collecting this information to facilitate a project that will help the skydiving community...Please see first post. There must be more people out there that purchased a canopy within the last year! Please anyone reply! You will all love to hear what this information is helping achieve. Thanks!

Without getting into detail as to why (will later though) I am making a database of used canopy purchases...If you can, reply to this post with the last canopy/canopies you bought and the following info: -Purchase Price? -Make/Model/Size? -DOM? -Jumps on it at time of purchase? -Number of jumps on current lineset at time of purchase? -Number of linesets -Any holes/patches/been wet? I really appreciate anyones time who replies to this post. I have a really cool reason for collecting this info. Thanks all!

Anyone know how to get the non-screwed in end of the strap on the PC5 out w/o breaking it? Lemme know...

I've heard that this lens actually has a wider field of view than Kenko and other .5x lenses...Does anyone know if there is any truth to this? Thinking of getting one...Thanks

Does anyone know where to get a wrist mount for a viso or how to make one? Thanks.

Whole life makes way more sense than term in ANY situation. Skydiving has nothing to do with it.....First off, most term policies only run for 20 or 25 years max...Then what happens if you still need a death benefit? Well you are probably looking at a premium that is 10x higher and possibly being uninsurable! I'm not going to go into the 50 reasons whole life is better in this forum. If people are really interested, like I said you can contact me via PM and I will give you my professional opinion.

As a licensed insurance agent, I can tell you that although it is difficult to get life insurance as a skydiver, many reputable companies offer it. Some companies will even simply "exclude" skydiving on the policy, similar to the way certain DI policies work. Typically what you will find is that most companies will not cover it, and the ones that do will simply charge you more money for it.....It all depends on how much you jump. Don't ever lie to a life insurance company about skydiving. God forbid something does happen to you and you tell them you only jump 10 times a year but you really do a few hundred, they will deny your claim. BTW, don't waste your time or money with term insurance. It is a short term solution to a long term problem. Whole life is a much better way to go, although it is more expensive, it will pay for itself over time and provides a death benefit no matter when you die. If anyone needs to be pointed in the right direction, I can tell you which companies to go to in your specific state. PM me.

This is the most ridiculous thread I have ever read....in my life...

I am surprised no one has caught onto the fact that the lineset had 500-600 jumps on it.....An out-of-trim line set will cause linetwists, hard openings, slow turns, etc...... I also don't understand why he only replaced the brake lines?

I have radared downplane speeds at around 70mph, and horizontal speeds at around 59mph of a crossbraced pilot flying a little over 2:1.

Quote>Anyone know what is more effective? Cannulas or masks? reply] Nasal Canula's only go up to about 6LPM and only go through the nasal passages. NRB Masks cover the mouth and nose, and if my training serves me correctly, can deliver 15 or 30LPM of oxygen. Nasal canulas are useless....

Did anyone ever see the mini-series on The Discovery Channel: "Everest: Beyond the Limits" If not, it's great. Mountain climbing has nothing to do with skydiving, but these guys start out in Kathmandu (10,000ft) and over a 6 week period they gradually move there way up to almost 30,000ft. That will give you a first hand look at what a lack of oxygen does to a human. Some of the climbers spend WEEKS aclimating there bodies to the change in oxygen levels and they still can/do die. Everest is actually not a technical or difficult mountain to climb. It's the fact that the mountain is located in a place where no life can survive because of the oxygen levels. Check it out!

Does anyone have a link to a site that has a pack volume list of most canopies? Something similar to the list in the back of the Paragear catalog. All the links I found via search did not work. Thanks in advance!

Sky monkey boy, I couldn't agree with you more. Booster, you should take his advice. As a person who packs strictly for AFFI's and video guys, I would say you are right on the money. I will take such a statement as a compliment to myself, and thusly will disregrad your comment in an earlier thread where you called me "the worst kind of paid packer". Booster, look for the guy packing the Velo's, Xaos', and Crossfire type canopies. Watch how he makes his linestows. Watch how he flakes the canopy, and quarters the slider. Even as a new jumper, it's still easy to tell what packers know what they are doing, and which don't. Whatever you do, don't judge a packer on whether or not he knows the FAR regulations, and things of that nature. It's also always nice to pay your packer up front, this way he will want to work with you in the future. Even if you are going to make 4 or 5 jumps, pay him ahead of time for each pack job, this way he doesn't feel like he's working for free.

Your a great example of what is wrong with a lot of paid packers these day's. (edited to add) It's for this exact reason that I don't post on these forums. Because PA removed by slotperfect like you have to start being PA removed by slotperfect for no reason. All I did was offer my opinion and the next day I find that I've been insulted, as well as my DZ. Did everyone forget this website is called DROPZONE.COM and not BASHOTHERDROPZONES.COM>??? To insult me and say that I am "the worst kind of paid packer" is not only untrue, but insulting as well considering the care and consideration I put into every packjob that I do at SDLI. I spent most of last Saturday showing people how to pack for free so that students and new A holders didn't have to pay for packjobs. So I guess if those are characteristics of someone that shouldn't be packing, count me in, DB.

Thank you very much. It's one thing to call me arrogant, but for people to start bashing a whole DZ is uncalled for.

Can you find somewhere on USPA's site that it says that? I have never heard that you have to be supervised by a rigger to pack someone elses sport rig....When you pack a tandem or student rig, you are doing work for the DZO and being paid by him. When you pack a sport rig, well thats a personal transaction between the packer and the jumper.

Hmm...I would have to disagree with you completely there. I don't know of any packer who is more concerned with getting $5 than the quality of the packjob. I get $7, BTW. And if it's busy, I'll be needing a ten spot!

I am not 100% positive, but I think that rule only applies to packing tandems. And please don't take this the wrong way, but why would you have a stranger pack such a canopy? As a packer with thousands of packjobs on every different type of canopy, I can offer you this analogy: Would you allow a perfect stranger to drive your car with you in the passenger seat? If the person gets into an accident whose fault is it.....Is it their fault for crashing, or is it your fault for letting them drive in the first place!!! If you were to have a malfunction/bad opening due to a poor packjob, obviously it's the packers fault, but it's also yours for allowing a stranger to be in charge of YOUR equipment. My advice to fun jumpers who, for whatever reason, do not want to pack their gear: A. Learn to pack. B. Learn to enjoy packing. C. Use a REPUTABLE packer, and tip him VERY well. I'm sure every DZ has to have at least ONE good sport rig packer. Most DZ's have multiple packers, but only a few are fluent sport rig packers. And out of that bunch, good luck finding one who can pack a highly loaded elliptical, ESPECIALLY if you are sporting the finicky HMA lines.

I don't know who from the dz started this thread, but it appears that instead of people offering help, it has turned into a typical DZ thread where no one does anything but be condescending, argumentative, and act the opposite of what a close community should. All the reasons I have about 20 posts in 1.5 years. This forum and its posters need to focus more on skydiving and less on arguing in skydiving forums. On a side note, voting for our airport is tomorrow. Thank you for anyone who read this post and wrote a letter or offered help. I'm sure Ray would be thankful.

Generally speaking (not being fam with your airport) you may want to talk to a pilot about that. But there's plenty of other threads here on airmanship, so, that, as they say, is a different story. Those are the words of our pilot. Sorry if I'm "whining" about our safety....Call cessna and see if they want one of their planes taxiing 40 miles a day.

I pack at the DZ on the weekends so I come across alot of PITA canopies.....Two words: ROLL IT. Doesn't matter how big or small just roll it! No need to psycho pack.

I work and jump at SDLI and I don't believe we are whining...Perhaps you don't see the potential impact on a DZ such as ours? The noted reason is to protect the pine barrens....Well, I hate to say it but they are screwed anyway. When Grumman ran out of this place they dumpe thousands of tons of jet fuel all over the place. Not only that, but isn't an extra 5 minutes of taxxing just going to burn more harmful fuel that those beatiful pine barrens are breathing in? The person that wants to ban the intersection departures has his own agenda... But lets look at the "whining": -Increased fuel consumption (higher jump costs) -Increased taxi time (more time on the plane, wear on the tires, unsafe!!) -Extra time baking in the plane (Tandems will love that) -Less loads per day (losing yet more money) -Extra noise -Extra pollution As far as your statement concerning the 5000 feet of runway we gave up, well guess what....A quick left turn and now we aren't crashing into the pine barrens, now we are landing on the other runway!!! The voting is THIS Friday. It would be a great help to our super busy DZ (200+ tandems/wkend) to mail out a letter or even an e-mail...Thanks.

I pack at a fairly large DZ (200+ tandems per weekend) so between students, camera guys, instructors, and tandems, mals are not uncommon. Our packers are not responsible for any damages or repacks...Not the packers responsibilty. You should not have to pack under those circumstances.

I am a sport jumper and I also pack on the weekends at my dropzone, so I frequently talk to the students...They mostly complain about being nervous before their jumps (on the plane ride) which is normal for most inexperienced jumpers and even myself if I don't jump for a few weeks...Just try and relax on the plane as much as possible...What alot of them find that works is going over the diveflow on the ride to altitude but most importantly REMEMBER THIS IS FUN!!!!