EDYDO 0 #1 June 2, 2007 Warnings: Avoid wearing synthetic fabrics while traveling by plane. If a fire breaks out in the cabin, these materials will melt to your skin. Ever think about the fabrics you wear when jumping ? Ed Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
darkwing 4 #2 June 2, 2007 Heck Ed, why should we think more about it when traveling by plane? I'm not sure why I should be more worried about fire in a plane than fire at home. My guess is that even skydivers face a greater risk of fire at home than in an airplane. -- Jeff My Skydiving History Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
matthewcline 0 #3 June 2, 2007 usually every day as we jump from Mil air. It is a risk we choose to live with as the cost to make a nomex jump suit would be outrages. MattAn Instructors first concern is student safety. So, start being safe, first!!! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
phildthedildo 0 #5 June 2, 2007 nice thought. BUT fire resistant fabrics such as NOMEX are VERY expensive(well over $20 a yard)imagine what you would end up paying for a jumpsuit made of it. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mnealtx 0 #6 June 2, 2007 Not to mention the rig, canopies, etc...Mike I love you, Shannon and Jim. POPS 9708 , SCR 14706 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Scoop 0 #7 June 2, 2007 To be fair, it wouldn't have to be nomex. Proban is used in motor racing for flame retardant clothing and isn't that expensive. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
EDYDO 0 #8 June 2, 2007 Yep, fire can happen anywhere, but there are times in a plane that you can't just leave, under 1000' for example. Sometimes I jump smoke and I always wear cotton on those jumps. I once spoke with a burn MD and he said that sometimes serious burns due to melting fabric would have been little more that an irritation if a natural fabric had been worn. Paste from another website: "Wear clothes made of natural fabrics such as cotton, wool, denim, and leather. They offer the best protection. Synthetics may melt when they are heated. " Ed Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DSE 3 #9 June 2, 2007 If I can't leave the plane and I'm on fire, chances are, I'm going down with the plane and won't survive anyway. My helmet, rig, canopy, hair, and jumpsuit are all combustible, but something suggests that if you're on fire inside the cabin of the aircraft, you're more likely to have greater worries than burning synthetics vs burning natural fabrics. At that point, I guess I'd prefer to be wearing hemp. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
lippy 790 #10 June 2, 2007 Quote Heck Ed, why should we think more about it when traveling by plane? I'm not sure why I should be more worried about fire in a plane than fire at home. My guess is that even skydivers face a greater risk of fire at home than in an airplane. I'd think generally speaking skydivers, as a group, would be even more likely to face a fire on the ground...But that is of course an after beer-light scenarioI got nuthin Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
stratostar 5 #11 June 2, 2007 ***I'd think generally speaking skydivers, as a group, would be even more likely to face a fire on the ground, But that is of course an after beer-light scenario *** Or it might happen when the King Air your riding in runs off the end of the runway at full speed because it wouldn't rotate due to the pilot leaving the control locks in place and also having a fuel leak making for a fine mist of Jet-A that then burst in to a ball of flame at the point of impact with terrain....... (here is a hint for ya, Jet-A is explosive in a fine mist form, but not in a solid) Think it can happen to you too? Ask the folks over in VA who lived thru it and have all the burns ED was talking about! I think ED brings up a very good point that many NEW & OLD jumper don't think about when ordering a jumpsuit and or planing for an AC emergancy, or till they find themselfs having to get out of a crashed jumpship in flames.....Just some food for thought for ya!you can't pay for kids schoolin' with love of skydiving! ~ Airtwardo Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DougH 270 #12 June 3, 2007 What can we do about it though? I jump the fabrics that are in my jump suit for specific characteristics. Aside from getting a jump suit lined with some fire retardant material it is out of my hands right?"The restraining order says you're only allowed to touch me in freefall" =P Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
phildthedildo 0 #13 June 3, 2007 Proban also is not as good as nomex Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
stratostar 5 #14 June 3, 2007 The point of my post is to make you aware of the fact, one that a lot of people don't think about till you find it melted to you and ED, I think is trying to bring this to light as well??? While I can understand some posters attempt a humor in the thread, it is no laughing matter, yet one you need to understand should ever find yourself in or around a burning aircraft, jump plane or not.you can't pay for kids schoolin' with love of skydiving! ~ Airtwardo Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
grimmie 177 #15 June 3, 2007 If you have spandex on the lower arms and in the lat areas just wear a long sleeve cotton shirt under your jumpsuit and a pair of long pants. Layering works. Just Nomex won't stop radiant heat from scorching your skin. Gloves and full face helmets will protect you very well also, and turn your back towards the flames and let your rig absorb the heat. And pray the smoke won't kill you first... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
GaryRay 0 #16 June 3, 2007 screw this, im gonna start jumping in my nomex flight suit supplied to me by uncle same, its much safer.JewBag. www.jewbag.wordpress.com Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Linas120 0 #17 June 3, 2007 Quote Warnings: Avoid wearing synthetic fabrics while traveling by plane. If a fire breaks out in the cabin, these materials will melt to your skin. Ever think about the fabrics you wear when jumping ? Ed Haha, and don't forget to have a machete with you in case your plane crashes in the jungle. It will help you to defend yourself from wild animals How would you protect yourself if alien spaceship attacked the plane? (Another realistic scenario). Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Liemberg 0 #18 June 3, 2007 Quote (Another realistic scenario) Your airplane flies on noncombustible fuel with engines that remain so cold that they never can ignite anything in case of a crash? Ours doesn't... It makes you wonder what that firewall between the engine and the passenger cabin is for that you find in almost all single engine GA aircraft and why almost everywhere in the world fire extinguishers are mandatory in those aircraft. IMHO this is a real and serious problem that doesn't go away by just ignoring it. (which isn't to say that I have a solution for it...) "Whoever in discussion adduces authority uses not intellect but memory." - Leonardo da Vinci A thousand words... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
billvon 2,478 #19 June 3, 2007 > If a fire breaks out in the cabin, these materials will melt to your skin. True. However, if you are into things you can do to keep yourself safer (excluding the freefall and canopy rides) there are many cheaper and more effective things you can do: -Wear a full face helmet all day. I've seen several black eyes and bloody noses (and one broken nose!) from not wearing a helmet while creeping. -Wear gloves all day. A woman at JFTC almost lost a finger to a creeper accident. -Stop eating meat, cheese and processed foods. There have been several fatal heart attacks that have killed skydivers over the past few years. -Stop smoking and drinking, obviously. -Carry a self-rescue kit that will allow you to rappel out of trees and whatnot. Useful for ski lifts too! -Use sunscreen religiously. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
darkwing 4 #20 June 3, 2007 Quote... -Use sunscreen religiously. and get rickets. -- Jeff My Skydiving History Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
airtwardo 6 #21 June 5, 2007 Ever think about the fabrics you wear when jumping ? Ed Quote Well....Sometimes! ~ If you choke a Smurf, what color does it turn? ~ Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
riggerrob 563 #22 June 5, 2007 this thread reminds me of a debate that raged in CANPARA Magazine 25 or 30 years ago. When fashion changed from loose-fitting Balloon suits made of flammable acrylic fabric - to snug-fitting, slow-burning, cotton suits - the really cool skydivers bragged about how much safer they were. They were noticeably silent when fashion shifted to even tighter-fitting suits made of nylon fabric a few years later. Sometimes I enjoy leaning back and laughing at fashion trends! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
wildfan75 1 #23 June 5, 2007 I propose a new BSR to the SIMs...only naked jumping allowed! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
GaryRay 0 #24 June 7, 2007 i think to be safe, im just gonna walk around everywhere i go in a bubble...besides, if my chute doesnt open, then i will bounce even higher....JewBag. www.jewbag.wordpress.com Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
base283 0 #25 June 7, 2007 Would this work with SHC (Spontaneous Human Combustion)? http://www.crystalinks.com/shc.html take care, space Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
