dayle

My understanding is that you are alllowed to jump under the rules of the country that are in effect in the country that gave you your licence, regardless of where you are. Eg, With a CSPA A licence I'm allowed to do night jumps. If I was at a US drop zone, they are supposed to allow me to do one. At least that's what I thought. I'll be interested in what you find.

I was recently thinking about joining uspa, so I though,what the hell while I'm at it I may aswell get a uspa licence to go with it. I currently hold a cspa B licence and almost have my C. I've done a bunch of night jumps, including a formation. I've also did a two point 9 way this summer. I just read over the licence requirements and compared to what I have to do here to get up to my D licence, I'd rather get my uspa D and use it up here when I needed it. Can I do this? and can I use exsiting logged jumps that I have already done for my qualifications? Thanks, Blue Skies!

I think you should blur everything else so it is in no way identifiable, except for the important part!! THE BOOBIES!!! LOL Make sure you blur the tandemaster out also. Hopefully you also have a sky shot so the ground isn't an identifiable area. Basically if you make the shot so average in eveyway that it could be anyone.....you should have no problem in a court of law, should it come to that. Just my opinion Dayle

I understand how you feel, I had a slammer in March and I won't be jumping until August. I think (i'm sure) it was a packing problem, but since I paid a packer to do my main for me, I'll never know exactly what happened. Mine resulted in a minor compression fracture of the vertabra...Although from the pain i was in there was nothing minor about it at all. lol Glad to hear your still jumping. Blue skies Dayle

You have got to be kidding me. Do you know how long drugs have been around and used?? It wasn't until it became criminal that we had these serious crime problems. Why, because it's just like prohibition of alcohol. By making it illegal you create a market, which will be filled. The reason there is so much violence in the "Drug Trade" is if someone rips you off, you can't go to the local cop to get your money or property back so "people" have to take matters into their own hands. That applies to Pablo aswell as your local guy on the street Sorry if this is a little off topic. Dayle

Yeah, that's what I thought. I'm not sure if the dropzone would get in trouble or not though. I do really try to avoid it and it's never been seriously out of date. It's just that I think it's a waste of time and effort when I'm sure the reserve will be fine. I mean, I'm the one jumping it. Just to clarify, what I mean is that say my reserve went out of date on Oct 31st and I knew my last jumping day of the year until May was November 1st, I'd jump it, no problem. Once a year is good for me.

In Canada as someone previously mentioned we have a 180 day reserve cycle. This works out perfectly for me because year round jumping here is insane. (people still do it but in my opinion -20 C on the ground does not make for fun skydiving) The only thing is that I occasionally do a new years day jump or hop and pop depending on the conditions. For this jump, I don't normally get my reserve repacked but wait again for the summer. With the info about how it affects the pilots I believe I will curtail this practice in the future. Also, I heard that we are going to a one year cycle. I can't wait for that to become official!! Are there any other places that have a one year cycle?? Dayle

I'll tell you it's all mental....which it is. I've had the same thing happen to me, even after a number of jumps. Occasionally I feel it's a little difficult, that's when I just say to myself relax and breath through your nose. Everything will be fine. If you can remember back to it, you may have found it difficult to breath but did you notice you were still breathing, I mean you didn't find yourself short of oxygen. It's a freaky feeling but you'll get over it. What someone earlier said about relaxation is key. Dayle

A tandem master or instructor should not be high and in charge of students, period. That being said, I dont' believe in Drug testing. If I was a TM or Inst. and I smoked a joint during festivities the night before it would show up on the drug test. My ablilties the next day jumping would not be affected at all. I don't think this would be fair or right in anyway which I why I would be against the testing. Dayle

Hi Dave, thanks for the best wishes. Yes you'll see me at the Natiionals, cause it will be at my home DZ. I'm the guy who will be walkiing around with a plastic cup, crying and looking at the sky since I still won't be able to jump by then. Well, that's not technically correct. I could jump if you could guarantee I wouldn't have a hard opening, but since that's impossible, I wont' be jumping until August. And hell yes I'll be at the DZ, I may not be able to do it for awhile but at least I can still be around it!! dayle

Thanks for the comments, but I don't think it applies in this situation. The canopy is about a year and a half old and only has about 120 jumps on it. It was brand new when I got it and I never ever had any sort of a problem with it before. Dayle

Thanks Adam, your right about the bag lock, actually I would prefer a seriously f@*!ed up spinning canopy, bag lock or any other type of malfunction then what I expeienced on that opening. I was on vaccation alone at the time that this happened out of the country. As I was on vaccation I was using the services of the local packer on the DZ. I think I may brush up my own packing skills and do my own pack jobs from now on. I've really always relied on packers because I really hate packing but this incident I believe will change that habit...and save me a bunch of money I just wish that there was someway I could have know what was going to happen in that split second after I threw the pilot chute so I could have immediately cut it away before it fully deployed and saved myself alot of pain. Maybe a time machine?? Dayle

Well, I really had hoped that I would never initiate a post in this forum but I thought I'd let everyone know about an incident I had two weeks ago. I was in a belly to earth solo skydive. I was in a stable box when I deployed and got slammed. I had about 1 sec after I thru the pilot chute, no slow down at all just all of a sudden I was flying under canopy. As I checked my canopy I was fighting to stay consious becuase the pain was so great. I turned myself towards the landing area and left my breaks stowed incase I did pass out. I was in alot of pain. After I realized I wasn't going to pass out anymore I released my breaks and came in for a landing. It wasn't pretty, I just flared it out and slid in on my knees and lay there. Bottom line, I have a compresion fracture of one of my vertabra and won't be able to jump for most of this season Good news however is that I will be able to jump again and there is no permenant damage. I'm really not sure what it was that happened, I've been thinking some sort of line dump but other opinions would be welcome. By the way I was jumping a 135 stiletto and I weigh about 145. I'm really not sure how much I weigh going out the door exactly but I'm not loading up the canopy. Dayle

Hey, first off, welcome to the sky I don't know where you took your training but it was grilled into me that it doesn't matter where the instuctor is pointing, that means pull, at you away up, down, doesnt matter pull the chute. This is universally accepted (I believe) and important. Later in you hopefully long skydiving career you may be jumping with a buddy or two and one of them will give you a pull signal. Don't hesitate, it's probably that they've seen your D-bay or risers floating around behind your back Blue skies Dayle

Hey Listo, how's it going

W've got a number of different discounts around depending on the local DZ. Free jump for bringing a tandem, is usually a standard. Jump till you drop days, 150 Cdn. Bulk skydive sales, eg pay 500 get 525 on account up to pay 2500 get 2900 on account. Cash only. I do love discounts on jumping!!!!

Hey, that was my first rig too!!! I had a 135 tomcat in mine though, with a round reserve. Don't know when mine was manufactured, but it was old when I got it 4 years ago. The exposed risers really scared the shit out of people....lol

I will be stopping in Z-Hills for sure, I've heard too much about the place not to stop in!! However........Where is it??? and do they have a canopy control course there?? I've got around 250 jumps now but would like to start learning about high performance landings....the right way. Dayle

Thanks alot Stacy, but since I'll be driving down, I can always stop at a dropzone that is further north on the way down. This pretty much leaves all of Florida open to me. I just have to end up in Ft Lauderdale sometime between the 11th and 15th. Anybody else have anymore sudgestions??

Hello Everyone!!! Well I've had enough of the sub zero temperatures here in Toronto and I will be driving down to Florida around March 7-8 and flying back sometime the next week. I'll be in the Ft. Lauderdale area and my question is where is there to jump around there. I don't mind doing some driving to get to a DZ. I would especially be interested in a Canopy Control Course if there may be one available. I really appreciate everyone's help. thanks

I continued using the student Manta's until I had about 40-50 jumps. I then bought a 135 Tomcat. I didn't fly it right away, I did a rapid downsizing progression (at least from what I've been reading here over the last year or so) to a Sabre 190 for about 5 jumps a 170 for about 20 jumps and a 150 for 3 or 4 jumps. By the way, I weigh 145, I don't know what you'd tack on for my rig to get my exit weight. I loved each progression lower in size. The added responsiveness and exilliration thrilled me to no end. The added speed on landings scared the hell out of me !! but I loved it. I kept my head about me did straight in approaches with full flares. All my playing with the canopy was done at higher altitudes. Then I flew my 135 Tomcat!! It was FANTASTIC!!! The landing speed in no wind conditions took a little getting used to however but were no problem. After about another 20-30 jumps, I got a 135 Stilletto and have been flying it since. That would put me flying the stilletto 135 at about 110-120 jumps. I've done another 100 or so jumps in the last year on my stilletto and the only injuries I've had was a sore ankle from when I ran out a downwind landing in my teva's and fell and a badly scrapped up leg when I did a jump in shorts and a t-shirt and flared a little low and slid on my knees ouch!! I feel completely in control of my canopy and comfortable under it. I have no intention of downsizing any further anytime soon. I am infact contemplating going to California for the Canopy course over the winter. I understand the reason people want to downsize quickly, most of the reasons I already mentioned before. I think what kept me safe was my attention to my landings. and flaring when "you get really scared and wait another second"lol Seriously though, as long as you keep your landings well within your personal limits you should be fine. The hard part is that not everyone knows their own limits and by exceeding them in this sport you can become seriously injured. Dayle

Wow Skydekker, I cannot believe how off base you are on this whole thread. I think the main point here is that seems to be missed is that the U.S. citizen was simply collateral damage. Shit happens. As he wasn't the target you cannot say the CIA assasinated him. the CIA targeted a ligitimate terrorist. Earlier you asked what gives them the right to do this?? I believe it's the U.S. Constitution!! Isn't there something about use of deadly force when there is a "Clear and present danger" (apologies to Tom Clancy) And who decides this......The President of the United States has already declared Al Queda and the Taliban to be enemies of the U.S. Someone also stated earlier that in WWII we killed millions of civilians......well again.... SHIT HAPPENS!! Now we've gotten alot better technologically. We only take out a car or maybe a complete building if necessary if a US, Canadian, British or any other citizen happens to be there, TOO BAD!!!! What you have to remember is that we are at WAR and WAR SUCKS!!!! However it is sometimes necessary. When a group or an organization (Nazi's/taliban/al queda) commits itself to the death and destruction of innocents you have to fight back and that is what the U.S. is doing!!!! By the way, assasination works!!!! Tell me about the millions of lives that could have been saved by one bullet in 1935!!! Although we will never know, it is possible that thousands of lives have already been saved by taking that particular terrorist off the face of the planet. Just another Canadian's opinion.

I jump at Skydive Burnaby in Southern Ontario. Just recently it changed from the St Catherines Parachute Club to Skydive Burnaby. St Catherines Parachute club is the oldest skydiving club in North America and it is still operational although it doesn't own the DZ anymore. It was established in 1948.

LOL that's one of the reasons I started skydiving too!! I saw some skysurfing and thought it looked way cool. The only problem is once I started jumping, I realized I had a long way to go before I would be able to safely skysurf. The other main reason, in my opinion, that you don't see alot of skysurfers anymore is the size of the board. If your on a Cessna DZ or anywhere with small planes, the board really gets in the way that is if they will allow you to jump it in the first place. But I'm not giving up hope!! As soon as I'm comfortable freeflying and have another 200 or so jumps under my belt I'm gonna surf!! Dayle

I know what you mean, winter does suck!!! There's still drop zones that are open but I'm done for the season It's just too cold here in Ontario for me at least. I'm just starting to go thru withdrawal and I just don't know what to do!!!