4dbill

Thanks everyone for great tips. I bought it used, and according to the seller, it was re-lined a couple hundreds jumps ago. From the general consensus of answers, it seems as the speed of opening is somewhat normal and that I just need to relax more under the saddle. I had a diving line twist once right after a opening similar to the end of footage #2, and it took a 1000' to twist out of it. Good thing that I opened high! I don't ever mind not having one again. Ever since then, I guess I've been fighting it, trying to shift under the harness accordingly. It's either working or I've been lucky. I'll continue to experiment and pray that I don't have to chop it right over the vineyards. 4DBill

I know this is an old thread, but I need to know if my Velocity 120 is opening normal or not. It seems to take significantly longer time to open fully than other canopies I have jumped. If it's the way it is, I'll just plan for it and open high. If not, please let me know, so I can take corrective steps. It definitely is an adventure on every opening, a little more excitement than I really would like to have. End of this footage shows my typical opening, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0I3yDVprlpk and this shows a twist at the end, which happens around 1 out of 5 jumps or so, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QP8hxyw645I Is this about the right amount of dancing one can expect from a Velo? Thanks. 4DBill

Is it possible to transmit live video air-to-ground via 3G/4G cellular network? I am sure it’s technologically possible, but has anybody done it? I am a cell phone dealer and am very interested, because it would be cheap with unlimited data plan.

The verdict. http://www.recordnet.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20100127/A_NEWS/1270321/-1/a_news09 -- Jury finds parachute center owner wasn’t reckless in skydiver’s paralyzing fall By The Record January 27, 2010 3:54 PM STOCKTON - A San Joaquin County jury today concluded that the owner of an Acampo-based drop zone was not liable for a skydiver’s debilitating spinal cord injuries suffered during a jump more than three years ago. In a 10-2 verdict, jurors said Parachute Center owner and pilot Bill Dause did not act so recklessly during the 2006, low-altitude jump that his conduct was outside the range of normal skydiving activities. Christian Barton, 33, sued Dause and the Parachute Center last year. Barton was injured after jumping from Dause’s twin-engine Beechcraft at 3,000 feet and striking the plane’s tail. Barton was paralyzed at first but later regained limited ability to walk. Read Thursday’s Record for more on this story by staff writer Daniel Thigpen

Either you love him or dislike him, we all need to support Bill Dause of the Parachute Center, Lodi. Our whole sport depends on it. --- http://www.recordnet.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20100127/A_NEWS/1270321/-1/a_news09 --- Skydiving injury lawsuit goes to jury By The Record January 27, 2010 12:00 AMSTOCKTON - A San Joaquin County jury Tuesday began deliberating whether the owner of an Acampo-based skydiving center should pay upward of $8 million for the spinal cord injuries suffered by a Southern California man after a 2006 jumping mishap. Attorneys made closing arguments Tuesday in a Stockton courtroom after seven days of testimony in which each side accused the other of reckless negligence. Michael Goldstein, the lawyer for plaintiff Christian Barton, 33, argued that Bill Dause, owner of the Parachute Center off Highway 99 and the pilot during the incident, did not sufficiently warn Barton about the risk of hitting the plane's tail. Goldstein also said Dause was flying the plane in a manner inconsistent with industry standards. Kurt Siebert, Dause's attorney, rebutted each of the plaintiff's accusations and said Barton used a reckless jumping technique. On Aug. 22, 2006, Barton leapt from a twin-engine Beechcraft at 3,000 feet and struck the plane's tail. He was paralyzed at first but later regained limited ability to walk.

I have my GoPro HD mounted upside down on my helmet. The latest firmware upgrade is supposed to flip the video proper viewing, but it’s not out yet. So.. I have 3 choices. 1. When playing the footage via Windows, simply press Ctrl-Alt-UpArrow flip the whole screen image upside down, and Ctrl-Alt-DownArrow to flip it back. This works on most Windows operating system, but not all. 2. When playing the footage via Mac, use the latest Quicktime Pro and use the command: Show Movie Properties, click on Video Track, choose “Visual Settings” tab, click on clock wise flip/rotate button twice. 3. Use a post processing software, such as Final Cut, to flip the image upside down during editing. This step, however, is not recommended for casual viewing since rendering takes awhile. 4DBill

Okay.. boys and girls. Back on the topic. S**t, there I was (10/09). The red light came on an east-to-west jump run. My 2-way buddy got a little anxious and hopped before the green light and I naturally took off after him. He was having so much fun during freefall that he screamed his heart out. Yes, you can hear people during freefall! Anyway, by the time I stowed the slider, I found myself quite a bit east of the dz, on the other side of the freeway, right over a huge vineyard. No problem, I thought, I’ll just hold a little brake make it over the freeway. The angle of attack looked good until the last 500 feet. I was definitely not going to make it over the freeway and over the power lines. I was not about to land in the vineyard either, so I simply performed a last second flat 90 to the right, swooped over the frontage road and landed on the shoulder/ditch. Lesson learned: 1) Don’t jump before the green light. 2) Peek out before jumping out. 3) Check the spot immediately after opening before stowing away the slider. 4) Study the several ‘out’ areas just in case you don’t make it back to where you want. 5) Be comfortable performing low flat turns, especially with small high performance canopies. At Lodi, you should NEVER find yourself in a situation where you have to land on the freeway, on the median or on its shoulders. At the worst scenario, when you find yourself too close to the freeway, you can always land on the frontage road shoulders.

I searched high and low for a used Really Right Stuff level base, but no luck, so I purchased a new one directly from the manufacturer (they only sell directly to the public with no dealers), for $120. Cough cough.. The whole set up for my xti, including the L-braket and the base turned out to be almost as much as the camera! Oh well.. I don't believe I don't ever need another quick release system for the rest of the camera's life, and I am really looking forward to be able to switch from horizontal to/from vertical in a matter of seconds.

Quoteapp called Handbrake. Did the trick very nicely for me. http://handbrake.m0k.org/Quote I know this is an old thread, but the link and program still works! Thanks a million! 4DBill

Thanks for the link. For B2-40, however, it does not have extra 2-holes to attach to the helmet top plate. Do you just Gorilla glue it, or drill more holes through the clamp? Thanks.

I know this thread is old, but.. I just got a great deal on Really Right Stuff L-bracket for my Canon. Now I need a B2LLR II quick release, but it costs $130!! You get what you pay for, but does anybody have one used for a good deal? Thanks. 4DBill

There is no question that the fastest speed is achieves with turns more than 90 degree. The burning question was by how much. The whole point of the meet was to find out what can be achieved and how much performance can be squeeze out of restricted 90's. Is it safe to say that it's faster than what most people thought? Mind you, speed estimates, according to the past posts in this thread, before the meet, was anywhere between 20% to "pretty fast" of 270+ swoops. I am happy to say that instead of speculations, actual data was recorded, showing the world that 90's can be pretty fast while being significantly safer than 270+ s. Oh.. we used a properly calibrated professional quality Falcon radar gun, legal in traffic courts. Anybody up for next year's meet? More participants would make it more fun. Besides, I have a good feeling that prize money will increase. 4D Bill

The final edited version of “2009 Lodi Ninety Swoop Meet” video is online! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LSZBhSk61jA Each swoop shows jumper’s name, speed and rooster tail length, both for educational and entertainment purposes. For anyone disputing that 90 degree swoops don’t have much potential speed/distance, the video shows otherwise.

Here's a picture of the GoPro HD on my helmet. Yes, yes, bring it on. My helmet is big and ugly! But the proof is in the pudding. It is super stable takes great videos. Besides, it has the world's fastest buckling system -- a seat belt from my Toyota!

My first actual field test of HD GoPro. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AMWmy9SnVPg It was shot in 1080, converted to Quicktime, then uploaded to YouTube without any post processing. For the money, it's a great little gadget. It's not quite as colorful or sharp as Sony, but heck, for the money and size, it really can not be beat. I had to use Final Cut to flip the image vertically since I mounted the camera upside down. GoPro is supposed to have a firmware update for it so I don't have to, but it is not on their website yet. On a related topic, what would be the best on/off indicator light for it? I prefer not drilling any hole through the waterproof case. 4D Bill

The results are posted! http://4dwireless.net/lodi90/results.html This pretty much settles the argument for those who argued that 90's just don't cut it when it comes to speed and distance. The numbers speak for themselves. If you would like to register for next year's event, please contact me or the dropzone. It'll be bigger and better! :) 4D bill

The purpose of the meet was to see how fast swoopers can do their things doing just a 90. 71 MPH at the gate was the winner and over 200' rooster tail for distance. Well.. that should settle the argument that with proper technique, you can build a lot of speed using just a 90. We'll be posting the full results with full photos and polished video soon. Stay tuned. 4DBill

A VERY ROUGH cut of the first annual Lodi 90 meet is up on Youtube. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pEwmDFEXbDs Final edited version will be posted within a couple of weeks.

Wouldn't having the "World's Best 90 Degree Canopy Pilot" title be awsome!? Well... that's the exact title that's going to be given to the winners of the meet. Besides, if you have not been there already, it's a great chance to find out about Lodi, the DZ with world's most inexpensive lift tickets, $13 to 13,000', $5 to 3000'! The planes a FAST too; 2 otters, 1 beech 99 and a King Air. Wait time for a load? Almost zilch. Lots of air lift power, inexpensve tickets, challenging pond (long and narrow) -- what else can you ask for? Remember all participants get a goody bag, T-Shirt, edited meet DVD, beer, etc.

Calling all volunteers. We have the following positions for Saturday and possibly Sunday if we don't finish on Saturday. 1. Score keeper. 2. Flag positioners for point of water entry and exit. 3. Distance measurer between 2 flags using a measuring wheel. 4. Radar gun operator. 5. Cheerleaders, more than merrier. 6. Photographer, more than one preferably. 7. Videographer, more than one preferably. 8. Video editor/assistance for Macbook Final Cut. etc, etc. The most popular position requested is the radar gun operator. There is something said about pointing a huge big fat pistol at some nutcase falling from the sky! :) I am sure there is enough jumps to be shared. It's going to be fun fun fun.. both as jumpers and spectators. 4DBill

Lodi Ninety Money meet is on the Facebook! Pre-Register and save moola! http://www.facebook.com/p.php?i=100000044890285&k=Z6E3Y5W6QVWG4JAJPB63QTUVPSDGYYYNUWEWEEVOPU&oid=189222898973 Remember, whoever swoops the whole pond gets $300! I highly doubt that anybody can do it with a 90, but you never know! 4D Bill

Okay.. the First Lodi 90 Degree Swoop Money Meet is on! The ongoing website is up at, http://4dwireless.net/lodi90/ This event should settle just how fast great 90's can be. Please post you comments, suggestions and concerns. Thanks. 4DBill

We got the DZO's permission to be able to have a meet! Details and the date are yet to be determined, but will happen soon before the water dries up. We WILL have, 1. Radar gun. 2. $5 jumps from 3000' 3. Prize money! 4. Hot chicks and 6-pack hunks (maybe). Reply to this message if you or others are interested in first ever Lodi's 90 degree swoop meet/competition. Watch this thread for more details and rules. Would any PD Factory Team pilot be interested in giving a workshop/lecture? Wink wink..

As someone who started the thread, trying to tell others a great place to swoop/practice swoop a pond just for 5 bucks, I am going to try my best to stay out of politics. Obviously, dozens of others and I jump there because we feel the place is safe, inexpensive and friendly with quick load turnaround. Having said that, has there ever been a meet/contest of 90 degree carve swooping for speed/distance? If not, I think we should start one! I hate to see a good pond just sit there, not being fully utilized for whatever we have to work with. Also, I am curious of what the limit would be with just 90 degree turns. I can probably have my company sponsor a mini-meet. I first need to get DZ's permission, get a radar gun, come up with a day, etc. No promises, but it would be interesting to see. Of course, there would some prize money -- not in the thousands, but maybe a few hundred. Would anyone interested? We probably need at least 10 participants. Stay tuned.

For all the hop & pop's I've made so far at Lodi, I always have gotten over 3000 feet. But for FIVE bucks, I'll take anything over 2500 feet anyday, anywhere, anytime. Yes, you don't always get a good cut, but all you have to do is dive/roll out. What I do it exactly that -- dive/roll out by tucking, turn 180 on a hill usually, face up, enjoy a Kodak moment for a few seconds and dump. I actually PREFER no cut, since it give me more air to play with.