meteor

Skydive Crete and Lincoln Sport Parachute Club in Nebraska is having a Skydive Eclipse Totality day. Here is the link for that event. It will be at the Crete Skydiving Center at the Crete, Nebraska Municipal Airport. http://www.skydivecrete.com/event.html

I agree wholeheartedly!!! I had a 3 year old Pro-Track that took a riser slap. The faceplate cover and one of the rubber buttons was gone. Sent it to them and in less than 10 days I had a brand new unit, FOC!!! Plus extra goodies and batteries. L & B are a top flight company that appreciates customers. I will ALWAYS recommend their products over any competitor. The story of shipping the Pro-track to them and the brown colored shipping company is totally different. L & B IS THE BEST!!!

I would suggest you wait until the weather is a little more tolerable. Winter jumping is just as much fun as any other jumping. You just have to adjust procedures for the weather and clothing required. Since you are from the "Northland", you know that if you want to play outside at this time of year you have to dress for it. Skydiving is the same. 120 mile per hour windchills are taxing but survivable. The trick for a Tandem would be to find a willing Tandem Instructor!! Good Luck either way!!!

I have to agree that a rig is of utmost importance. Get one that is "freefly friendly" so you can explore all the freefall orientations (belly, sit, headdown, stand). Utilize a rigger or dealer you trust to help with the used gear. You can always borrow jumpsuits or pick up some coveralls at Goodwill until you can afford custom. I have seen a lot of variety in odd clothes from Goodwill and Salvation Army used for jumping and a lot worked well. Once those jumpers could afford custom, they also knew what colors they wanted in new custom stuff. Be willing to sacrafice some wants (like $4 coffee and fast food lunches) to save for the brand new custom gear. You'll be glad you did!!!

92 miles door to door. Approx 1 hour 20 minutes. I've been making this drive for ten years and I don't give a hoot about gas prices, jump ticket prices, gear prices, rigger prices, etc. I get to jump out of a plane, freefall and land a parachute!!! I love this sport!!! I am NOT rich, just a working slob but there aren't alot of people who have as much fun as I do on the weekends!!! We have one guy who drives over 8 hours, past DZ's he doesn't like to jump with us!! And he is thrilled to do it!!

WELL DONE!! I have to say that it takes alot of guts to post a mistake for all the world to see!!! Congratulations on making the right decision in time AND deciding to follow up on appropriate training!!! As was previously posted, I don't know you but I would like to shake your hand someday!! Most of the 20 year olds I know wouldn't have the shutzpuh to be as up front and honest about this series of events as you have. From my personal malfunction experience (two of them, both my fault) and my personal landing injury experience (also my fault), skydivers don't ruin underwear by shatting themselves, they ruin it when their A--Hole slams shut and it tears a big hole in it!! The suction effect also only allows a whispered "Jesus" or other deity's name to escape past our lips!! Enjoy the beer and GET BACK IN THE AIR!!!

The standard around the central US is $40-$50. My rigger charges $50 and it's fine by me. I have ridden two of his packjobs and can still post so I am pretty happy!! If the cost goes up when the re-pack cycle goes to 180 days, I will pay it without griping. My rigger does more than just the repack, new seal and an entry on the reserve data card. It also entails a full inspection of the rig. Every year or so I have him give the rig a bath and I don't mind paying extra for that either. He has asked for one indulgence that I will provide. He has asked that we stop calling him a rigger and start calling him a "Nylon-American"!!!

This is the "OLD MAN" posting. It has always amazed me at those who think its their "stuff" that determines whether they are cool or not. I have seen plenty of "dorks" wearing $300 sunglasses or driving Corvettes and they are still dorks!! I have also witnessed friends get "swoop-happy" when they weren't ready for it and had to visit them in the hospital or the cemetary. I am hopefull this young man will restrain his hormones and follow the sound advice that has been given on this thread. CANOPY COURSE AND 100'S IF NOT 1000'S OF JUMPS to become a swooper. On another subject: He is only good at Wii tennis if he is above a .20 blood alcohol content!!! I keep offering him an AA meeting list and he keeps turning me down!! See you at the DZ this weekend, Bladam!! I'll bring the "Breathalyzer". Fiddler

No, BoilingMidnight, that was NOT an attack, that was a statement. After wading through the argument that raged between you, riggerrob and beowulf it was obvious that xenophobia is an accurate description. Xenophobia is defined as a fear or contempt of that which is foreign or unknown especially of strangers or foreign people. It is derived from the Greek words "xenos" meaning stranger and "phobos" meaning fear. The term is typically used to describe fear or dislike of foreigners or in general of people different from oneself. In Science Fiction genre it is used to describe fear of extraterrestrials or "aliens", legal or not. What was said that was xenophobic started with your first post in response to my OP. A few people gave me relevant info to my OP and then you, riggerrob and beowulf got into your side argument. Billvon chastised the side argument and I agreed that it did not help me with my request. With all that said, I will only respond to posts that may help me with my dilemma. I did not intend to flame anyones ire and if I did with this post or any other, I apologize profusely and beg forgiveness for being unable to express myself in a way that doesn't tick some people off.

CONGRATS!!!! It sounds like a fun and productive weekend. I have been following this thread and felt compelled to post a couple of times but others got the info to you first. You should be commended on listening to the advice with the idea of taking it to YOUR instructor prior to implementing it. I would hate to see another thread turn into "160 jumps with 1.3333 wingloading". Get someone to video your landings, anyone with a video camera on the ground. One of our young jumpers would not accept that he was only flaring half way until we showed him repeated landings doing just that. Now he still only flares half way but we no longer hear him complain that it's the canopy's fault!!! Blue Skies & most importantly, SOFT LANDINGS!!

Thanks, billvon!!! I started this thread to get a genuine answer to a genuine question. I am amazed that so many people got so distracted so fast!!! And not just about race but also about tapping a financial market. Sorry about being a capitalist pig but running a business requires me to be a bit of a capitalist and not always part of the "hippy commune" approach to skydiving. Once in a while we have to replace an engine or pay for new gear to help keep the DZ open and that requires looking for new markets and some inovations in order to tap those markets. The student in question is VERY passionate about skydiving and is progressing well. He IS learning more English but I had hoped that somewhere in our great big world that maybe someone had already crossed this bridge. That way I wouldn't have to "reinvent the wheel" in order to deal with this. I apologize for stirring up so much Xenophobia with my simple thread. It's lunchtime, I think I'll go to El Tapatio and get the large platter.

I am approximately as good at 2nd languages as our student is. As billvon wrote, going slow and using his wife and kids (who are bilingual) works okay. We have another hispanic jumper who has done the coaches course and he helps well when here. I know that for myself, I liked being able to read the SIM and watch the packing vids in MY language. To answer the question about financing his jumps and gear, go to a beef or pork packing plant and see who walks in and out of those plants. With a skilled position, time on the job and O.T., he can fund it. No he is NOT an illegal alien.

We have an Hispanic student at our DZ and it is challenging to deal with the language barrier. Does anyone know of accurate translations of the SIM or a packing guide?? Is any other DZ successfully tapping this market of people with disposable income??

I really like the chart!! I did the "obstacle induced low turn" at the 1.2 to 1.4 WL and joined the "heavy metal club". While tumbling across the field, one thought crossed my mind: "I wonder how long this is going to last". It will last the rest of my life!!

There is an old saying: "FORGIVENESS IS EASIER THAN PERMISSION" I can always find someone who will co-sign my BS if I ask enough people. I have always been conservative in my progression, I have over 1000 jumps on the first canopy I purchased. WL has gone up with my waistline, NOT the other way around. On jump #898 I got into a bad place and joined the "heavy metal club" because I made an error in judgment. I have watched too many people skip, slam, bounce, die because they wanted to be the 'hot-shot' swooper NOW!!! They were unwilling to work towards that end with patience and diligence. Be careful, markovwgti, who you listen to. The ones we should listen to are the guys with 1000's of jumps, not the 200 jump 'wonders' who tell the guy with D-909 on his jumpsuit how to exit the Otter!!