theplummeter

Why don't swoopers use a direct bag with static line type system for competition? If the landing is only incidental to the jump I can understand not wanting to be under canopy that quickly, but couldn't jumps be made slider off with a direct bag system with no need for a removable deployment system?

I have been on the same canopy for a couple years now, and plan to stay on it indefinitely. The only thing I would like to do is upsize my reserve with an Optimum or Speed 2000.

"Our image of adrenaline junkies usually involves people with the kinds of bodies that look amazing in jumpsuits and wet suits. However, an analysis by the National Institute on Aging (NIA) of more than 50 years of data from almost 2,000 people found that excitement seekers are more likely to be overweight or even obese. That's probably because when they're not jumping out of airplanes, they can always get a small rush by sneaking out for a midday margarita or blowing off the treadmill to go to a rock concert." Maybe their control group was leather clad tandem passengers during the Sturgis motorcycle rally.

George Galloway is a member on here, I think his name is precision. You might be able to get a hold of him via pm. I contacted him about a logo canopy through their website and he got back to me the next day.

Yeah, but the Yamaha needs a valve adjustment and some other minor maintenance at 26,600 miles A good friend of mine has been a maintenance tech for the local Yamaha dealership for ten years and has never done the 26600 maintenance. Ducati makes some incredible and beautiful motorcycles, but you really need to keep up on the valve train maintenance. Some of their motorcycles even use leather belts.

Unfortunately my high protein diet leads to gas expansion in my intestinal tract, and riding in an unpressurized airplane really seems to bring it out. By now I'm probably heavily in arrears.

I think the biggest theme in getting people to return is simply treating them the way you would want to be treated. I regularly jump with people who have 5000 more jumps than I do. They have always gone out of their way to help me out without being condescending and included me in anything that falls within my limited skillset. From day one at my dropzone I never felt like an unwanted student, but more a member of the group that was working towards being capable of doing more with the experienced folks. When I am flying the jump plane I go out of my way to talk to the newer folks and try to convey that same attitude, and there have more jumpers every year than the year prior.

It is ten foot increments under 1000.

I have a VISO mounted in this: http://www.chutingstar.com/newgear_en/viso-ii-elastic-wrist-mount.html It's easy to twist it to exactly where you want it and stays put so far.

And theplummeter is one number closer to the top of the list!

I have the old manifest sheets, and at least two seasons of the jumps are stored on a computer as I used one of the instructors Altitrack for two of the seasons. The instructors who I worked with are still active at the dropzone and each would be happy to sign off the jumps. I'm just wondering if multiple static line jumps, practice rip cord pulls, and short delays are worth anything, especially having been added well after the fact. I really had no intention of bothering with the backtracking but keep getting told that I'm ripping myself off. No matter how I try to log it, it won't really help with anything but jump numbers and a paltry sum of free fall time. I'm also imagining the look I would get when I hand my logbook to manifest and they see a group of entries dating back to 2004 that more than double my jump number. It would set my bullshit flag off, so I can certainly see how it would look for someone checking on me. I think I'll just leave it alone. It cost me nothing. My jump number is so low that it really doesn't matter, and ultimately making more than jumps than needed for my licenses and ratings can only help me out experience wise. Thanks everyone for the replies.

Square canopies. Mantas to be more specific. I realize a Manta 288 is nothing like the National 24 flat that I will ride if I bail out, but at least now I have an idea what getting away from the aircraft would be like, and can free fall reasonably well.

Please don't take this wrong but as a follow pilot....you DO log your flying time? I understand one is legal but still..... Personally I take someone that doesn't log there jumps and divide in half by whatever they said they have. I do log my flying time. I log it for a number of reasons, mostly to show currency in different categories and classes of aircraft as I frequently fly up to six different airframes in a month. It also helps with insurance qualification as I can break down flight experience by airframe. I started logging to prove the experience necessary for certificates and ratings, and have continued to do so as flying has been how I have earned my living for the last fourteen years. Jumping was entirely different when I first started. I didn't intend (and still don't) to earn a living doing it. I only made my first jump to cross it off the list as something I had done and to offer some perspective as a jump pilot. I couldn't justify the expense of purchasing gear and maintaining a yearly USPA membership for the occasional jump at a part time job. The jumping was icing on the cake, the important thing during those times was bringing a few dollars home to my former spouse.

Am just interested.. why do you not bother to log jumps I have met some people who seem to think it is 'cool' not to log jumps .. and to be able to say .. I dont know how many jumps I have It takes a few minutes... what is the attraction of not logging them? I figured this would lead to head scratching. I work part time for a dropzone as a pilot. As part of my training process I went through the static line first jump course and made a jump so I would have a basic understanding of what it would be like to be under the pilot emergency rig if I ever had to abandon the aircraft. I made several jumps, up to 10 second delays in the first weekend. At the time, I couldn't imagine spending the time and money on training and equipment, so I never bothered to log anything. Anytime one of the other pilots flew and there was an empty seat I was welcome to get in on the jumping. I spent two years making at least a jump or two every weekend (sometimes nine or ten) but not bothering with any paperwork. Then I got divorced. Free of marital restraints, I joined USPA and starting jumping more frequently although I still fly. I took the first jump course again and began logging jumps. Almost seven years after my first jump I sent in for my A license. My initial thoughts on this were not to even bother, that no amount of "experience" under a Manta at irregular intervals would count for anything, and that the experience is more important than jump numbers anyway. Some of the folks at my dropzone have been hounding me to get those jumps logged and start seeking ratings so that I could help with training classes and maybe do some coach jumps. I just wanted some outside opinions.

150. I have less than half that in my logbook.

Just a quick question. If you had jumped on and off over several years with no USPA membership and without logging the jumps, would you make an effort to try to go back over the years with former instructors/the dropzone and put the jumps into your logbook?

There are some wonderful, talented, experienced and clever people that enjoy posting here. Being able to draw on their experience is a great help. It's also nice getting the perspective of people with similar experience to you when you are thinking about trying gear that you can't find at your dropzone, or are traveling to a new dropzone or boogie. However, I think that the original poster has a valid point that all of the wonderful things offered here often get drowned out by arguments that no one would perpetuate in person.

I'm in the same boat. Did the PADI open water diver over ten years ago, haven't gone diving since. Moving from Hawaii to the mainland killed it for me.

unless there's an inversion :) What is that? An inversion is when the temp climbs with altitude rather than dropping. It's usually caused by the passage of a cold front. The cool dense air of the cold front slides under the warm air mass and displaces (lifts) it. With any moisture present in either air mass, but especially in the warmer air, most severe summer weather is caused by this lifting action. When NWS or other agencies prepare thunderstorm forecasts they use the adiabatic temp lapse rate to determine the stability of the air and predict storms. The more the rate differs from the standard, the more likely it is to be turbulent and produce thunderstorms when adequate moisture is present. Almost forgot, the wind speed and direction as well as temperatures aloft can be found in 3000ft-6000ft increments here: http://www.aviationweather.gov/products/nws/winds/ Click on your area, find the airport identifier and read the columns across. The first two digits are wind direction (27 means 270, from the west), the next two or three digits are wind velocity in nautical miles per hour, and the last digits are temp in Celsius.

Two points~ 1) I'm not in any way disagreeing with what Dave is saying, read carefully and you'll see how I clearly stated PAPER TRAIL. I intended for the perception to be that one must take measures to insure that later down the road you don't lose everything you now or ever will hope to own. You think is expensive and time consuming reinstating a medical? Try dealing with the consequences of lying on one, especially in which you or an employer have some liability. I understand the slippery slope, I live in a community of professional pilots, heck I'm married to one with over 30,000 hours of jet time who takes a mandatory physical every 6 months. I fully understand what the game is, and how it's played...probably better than most. That being said~ (point #2) Sometimes there IS an issue (or more) serious enough that one one just HAS to bite the bullet and do the right thing in an act of unselfish concern for the greater good... Do YOU want a loved one's life in the hands of someone that truly shouldn't be in the air...but is 'playing the game' to keep a medical they don't deserve? There is an ethical question involved, at what point do you consider the issues you're not being forthcoming about serious enough to stop skirting around? It's horribly unfortunate that concern for one's livelihood might keep them from properly addressing some health issue that if left unaddressed is little more than a ticking time bomb... You place your bet and ya spin the wheel~ All I'm saying is that IF you choose to dance on that fine line, protect yourself. I totally agree that if a situation is truly severe that a person needs to have the integrity to pull themselves out of the situation and get the help they need. They also need to have the integrity to tell the truth when asked about it. I just think that it's so much easier to start simple and see if that helps. That's to what I was referring.

I think Dave offered some excellent advice that's working for a large number of pilots and may help the original poster. If you disagree, find a pilot on the HIMS program and ask him or her to register here and share how cheap and easy it is to get back flying. A friend of mine (used to be a coworker) decided to seek help for his alcoholism. Despite never having an issue at work, no DUI convictions, and no criminal record the FAA pulled his medical and he has been on HIMS and in the special issuance loop in Oklahoma City for over two years now. It took him eighteen months to get a Class 2 and he has to travel 900 miles twice a year to see their doctor for his physicals and follow ups.

My brother is a professional photographer. While the overwhelming majority of pros have switched to digital, he is one of the few who still uses and develops his own stuff using medium format specialty film. It puts 17mp and photoshop to shame every time, especially with filters, lens setup, and overexposing.

I jumped one before my current canopy. The openings were fast, but soft and on heading, by far the best of the handful of canopies I have jumped. The canopy turned fast and was fun in the air. Packing was simple and easy compared to everything else I've tried. My only gripe is with the landing, it never really planed out for me, it just stopped. From first to last landing I never fell or took a step, it just stopped and I was on the ground. For many that's probably another plus, but I like the plane out portion on the landing.

I sometimes fly for Hot Springs, feel free to contact me if you have any questions. I also know Warren from Luverne (Sioux Falls).

There is a Netflix style porn service. It's called Fyre (or something like that).