minisupra 0 #1 December 10, 2008 Hello I d like to get back into it after a long break,my experience in 1990 was 500jumps,all French licence obtained mainly on relative work.What would be your precious advices on what rig to buy for a smooth start and what refresher should be required? Thanks so much. Francois Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
diverdriver 5 #2 December 10, 2008 Where are you planning to jump? In France or some place else? I would go to the DZ where you trained or if it's not in business anymore go to another one you think you'd like to be at. Talk to the instructors there. They will size you up for gear size with their current student equipment. I would give yourself some time to get back into the groove of things. Since 1990 gear has changed a bit with options (AADs, RSLs, Skyhook, etc...) and the canopies move faster than ever. Not that you will be jumping a fast canopy but someone around you might be. Get a feel for things and don't think that you are starting where you left off. Be a student again and soak up everything you can. Don't let the jumpers around you treat you like you are picking up where you left off. They shouldn't assume you know what they know now. Read a lot here.Chris Schindler www.diverdriver.com ATP/D-19012 FB #4125 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
minisupra 0 #3 December 10, 2008 Thanks so much for your kind reply,I m gonna leave you now to read the interesting web site you gave me especially as an airline pilot myself. Regards Francois. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
BIGUN 1,049 #4 December 10, 2008 What DiverDriver said... After a nine year break...from 1990 to 1999, the equipment & materials had changed exponentially. And, you will be humbled by this new breed of vertical flyers (damn, they're good) and canopy swoopers. Go back to the basics and begin there.Nobody has time to listen; because they're desperately chasing the need of being heard. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
padu 0 #5 December 10, 2008 What he said... I don't know where you left off, but I returned from an 8 year hiatus. It took me a few jumps to get back where I was (free fall skills), but a couple of months to start getting the swooping skills I had before. So I'd say... canopy wise... be very conservative.Una volta che avrete imparato a Volare, camminerete sulla terra guardando il cielo perchè è là che siete stati ed è là che vorrete tornare. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mccurley 0 #6 December 10, 2008 I quit in 93, about 600 jumps in log book, and more I cant count as I didn't record them (stupid me). I kept in touch with the sport since then by judging many competitions, watching the videos, and talking to the people doing it all the time. I did one jump in Jan 01 at the end of the Aussie Nationals. It was at my old favorite DZ and I felt I just had to. Hop & Pop from about 4 grand, piece of cake standup in the middle of the pit (large student canopy) and surprising little fear. I had expected more. This past weekend I took the family up to Whangarei, north of Auckland NZ, and my step son did a tandem. I went on the same load with him, did a solo from 12,000ft. (after a breif equipment familiarization and EP Practice) Piece of cake, no fear, new kind of gear as first BOC container, large student conopy, stood up the landing near the target. The advice the others have offered is good. Carefull of the new canopies they can put in to the ground fast!! The gear has changed and there may be a new opening procedure like BOC that you are not used to. A lot of what you need depends on how much you have been in touch with the sport in the intervening years. Personally I will hopefully get back into it now myself, as the kids are now grown and new wife likes the idea!!Good luck and I hope you enjoy it. Watch my video Fat Women http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eRWkEky8GoI Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jtval 0 #7 December 11, 2008 Quote Hello I d like to get back into it after a long break,my experience in 1990 was 500jumps,all French licence obtained mainly on relative work.What would be your precious advices on what rig to buy for a smooth start and what refresher should be required? Thanks so much. Francois My Advice would be don't be afraid to act like a newbie. there was only one incident that I witnessed in person. Luckily the guy lived but it was pretty bad. He was also coming back after 18 years. He did all the recurrecny stuff to satisfy my DZO. The guy went up on a coach jump ad did fairly well... until final. When he was about 20 feet off the ground he hit some turbulance (nothing that any of the current jumpers were concerned about but it was a cross wind gust of a few miles/hour) Instead of flying his canopy and compensating for the cross wind he tried to reach for the ground (at 20 feet) He more or less tried (and failed) to eat the taxiway. He broke himself up pretty good, spent time in the hosp. etc. And the worst thing was that he had his 9 year old son watching.We had to take the guys car and child back to his house 80 miles away and explain what happened to his fiance (even though the DZO made the initial phone call). It was a pretty sad thing to do. 18 years have brought lots of changes to the sport. to be to proud to start over.My photos My Videos Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jtval 0 #8 December 11, 2008 Quote Don't let the jumpers around you treat you like you are picking up where you left off. They shouldn't assume you know what they know now. Read a lot here. My theory is "I'd rather you treat me like a moron and tell me every simple detail than treat me as if I know what I am doing only to find out that I don't." Edit to add: That is until you get to know me well enough to judge my knowledge.I can get annoying if you treat me like a moron after you've known me for years...than again it could just mean I AM a moron.My photos My Videos Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mdrejhon 8 #9 December 11, 2008 The usual boilerplate advice for most new jumpers or jumpers re-entering sport is -- RENT first! Don't buy yet. Rent a lightly loaded student or novice canopy, then slowly downsize to a reasonable size, then buy gear that's similiar to the size of your last rental, with room for at least one more downsize later on. Be conservative with wingloading. Don't forget to practice all the stuff that they teach students nowadays -- and things like practice crosswind landing, for example, etc. A canopy coaching course may actually be the ticket, as that is where most of your refamiliarization danger will be at this time... Yeah, boilerplate stuff usually for new flyers, recent downsizers, and people re-entering sport. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
