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Mr17Hz

Do you jump with an AAD? (turned on)

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There have been a number of unfortunate incidents over the last few years that an AAD could have prevented.

I've noticed that many 'old-timers' are less likely to jump with an AAD, Which I personally think is foolish.

I'm curious what current statistics look like. If you vote NO, please respond with your age. I am guessing that we will find that most people who do not use them learned how to skydive on equipment where they were not available; however I am quite interested in the results of this survey.
Matt Christenson

[email protected]
http://www.RealDropzone.com - A new breed of dropzone manifest software.

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I have an AAD in my rig. It's currently turned off 99% of the time as I'm doing hop n pops and landing with multiple rotations.

I'm shipping it off to Airtec this week for the speed mod (I believe it's available now) so I can turn it on again.

Blues,
Ian
To the mind that is still, the whole universe surrenders. ~ Lao-Tzu

It's all good, they're my brothers ~ Mariann Kramer

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I took my cypres out last friday when I popped my reserve for a repack- it was a little over 13 years old, the battery was still good, it still counted down as usual and it would probably work properly if neccessary, but I thought about it and decided I felt more comfortable jumping without it than have a complicated electronic device that has passed its guaranteed lifetime installed in my rig...

I've jumped with and without an AAD- started on a student rig with an FXC about 4 years ago. I'm 24.
I see it as an airbag- useful device, potentially dangerous in certain situations or the unlikely event of a misfire, overall does a lot more good than harm, nice to have it, but I don't mind driving a car without one at all.

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I don't own an AAD therefore I don't jump with one. The times that I have jumped with an AAD I didn't turn it off. I am ok with the added risk of not having an AAD. That is my only reason. If it bothered me I would buy one. I am 33 years old. You can call me foolish if you like. I have been called worse things.

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I have three rigs that I use off and on.

One is a Reflex without an AAD that I use as a 'second rig' for back to back training. Getting a lot of use now due to the Talon problems.

Second is a Talon that has never fit me right. I keep sending it back to get worked on, but no luck yet. Has an AAD.

Third is a very old Reflex with a larger canopy in it (a Pilot 150) that I use for wingsuit jumps and as a second rig when the Talon is out getting resized. Has an AAD.

Age 41. Started before Cypreses, back when getting off the Sentinel was a big deal. (No more instant round reserve at 3000 feet!)

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I see it as an airbag- useful device, potentially dangerous in certain situations or the unlikely event of a misfire, overall does a lot more good than harm, nice to have it, but I don't mind driving a car without one at all.




That's a pretty good analogy except if you get into a car wreck and you don't have an airbag, there's no guarantee of certain death. When you don't or can't pull and don't have an AAD, that's pretty much guaranteed death.

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I own 6 rigs. Definitely don't have the money to put AADs in em all. (All are older rigs). 2 are only CRW rigs which I definitely won't put an AAD in.. 1 rig is a tiny Power Racer in which one won't fit. The other 3 I just have never gotten around to bothering with...


W

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No, I never jump with an AAD. If I jump a rig with one installed I will turn it off.

***

I wouldn't say I'm ADAMANT about NOT jumping with an AAD...I don't own one therefor don't ordinarily jump one, I wouldn't shut it OFF if I were to borrow a rig with one installed.










~ If you choke a Smurf, what color does it turn? ~

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I'm still pretty new and I'm got use to having them through student training. I've only made two jumps without an AAD and I didn't feel safe. I just got my first container and reserve, and I already had a main but I decided not to jump it until I got an AAD. I mostly do belly with the occasionally clear and pull, but I don't like hop an pops.

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How about the option that I wear one if I can, but don't need one to jump.

I have two rigs...One with an AAD and one without.


If they are both sitting there, I will grab the one with the AAD. But if not, then I grab the other and don't change a single thing.

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There have been a number of unfortunate incidents over the last few years that an AAD could have prevented.



Proper training would have prevented them also....Go read the CYPRES save reports and see how many were do to being knocked out, and how many were just people screwing up and doing nothing.

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I've noticed that many 'old-timers' are less likely to jump with an AAD, Which I personally think is foolish.



Many old timers know that the safest tool you have is your mind, and the best way to use it is to train it...Not just buy an AAD and consider yourself safe.

33 Years old and they were around for quite some time.
"No free man shall ever be debarred the use of arms." -- Thomas Jefferson, Thomas Jefferson Papers, 334

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I jump with an AAD. I have only 6 jumps without one, including one that resulted in a cutaway/reserve ride.

"For once you have tasted Absinthe you will walk the earth with your eyes turned towards the gutter, for there you have been and there you will long to return."

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I jump with a Cypres. I turn it on in the morning and so it's on all day for any jump I do, mostly RW and maybe hop & pops. I'm 50 and started jumping in the seventies, when Sentinels were for students - one of my instructors was killed when somebody else's Sentinel popped at 3 grand.

If my wife ever thought I jumped without an AAD she'd absolutely kill me and that's more dangerous than anything my Cypres could dish out.

Your humble servant.....Professor Gravity !

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I'm still pretty new and I'm got use to having them through student training. I've only made two jumps without an AAD and I didn't feel safe. I just got my first container and reserve, and I already had a main but I decided not to jump it until I got an AAD. I mostly do belly with the occasionally clear and pull, but I don't like hop an pops.
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I know we've been through this before but I have a real problem with this.

If you will not jump without the (possibly false) sense of security of a computer to pull for you, YOU SHOULD NOT BE JUMPING.

I don't have a problem with AADs at all, but I would not think twice about jumping without one. I don't have one in my sport rig but jump one regularly with tandem gear. It's just something I turn on, it gives me no peace of mind whatsover.

Yes, I could get knocked out, but I tend to pick and choose my skydives accordingly. I refuse to stay on the ground out of fear. I will pull my handles, and if I don't then we all know what happens.

If you are relying on a cypres then you have a problem and should take a long, hard look at your skydiving career

Play stupid games, win stupid prizes!



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Proper training would have prevented them also....Go read the CYPRES save reports and see how many were do to being knocked out, and how many were just people screwing up and doing nothing.



We all screw up sometimes. No matter how well you've been trained or physically and mentally healthy you are, nobody always makes the best decision.
Matt Christenson

[email protected]
http://www.RealDropzone.com - A new breed of dropzone manifest software.

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I'm still pretty new and I'm got use to having them through student training. I've only made two jumps without an AAD and I didn't feel safe. I just got my first container and reserve, and I already had a main but I decided not to jump it until I got an AAD. I mostly do belly with the occasionally clear and pull, but I don't like hop an pops.
-----------------------------------------------------------


I know we've been through this before but I have a real problem with this.

If you will not jump without the (possibly false) sense of security of a computer to pull for you, YOU SHOULD NOT BE JUMPING.

I don't have a problem with AADs at all, but I would not think twice about jumping without one. I don't have one in my sport rig but jump one regularly with tandem gear. It's just something I turn on, it gives me no peace of mind whatsover.

Yes, I could get knocked out, but I tend to pick and choose my skydives accordingly. I refuse to stay on the ground out of fear. I will pull my handles, and if I don't then we all know what happens.

If you are relying on a cypres then you have a problem and should take a long, hard look at your skydiving career



Read that one more time, but this time replace the work CYPRESS with RESERVE. Would you jump without a reserve? That would be foolish.

When I exit the aircraft, I want to make sure I've done everything possible to assist me in the case that I need an extra out.

I've never jumped with a skyhook; but I keep telling myself that I should have one. I don't make the kind of jumps that adds risk to using them (CREW, etc.).. so why not? makes me safer.

On the ground is EXACTLY the place where you want to be nervious. Prepare the event as safely as you can, check your gear, and jump with the best equipment available.

Don't go telling a student that he has no right jumping just because he wants to take advantage of the progress we've made in equipment before he gets in the airplane... Just because someone won't jump without one doesn't mean they are "RELYING" on it.
Matt Christenson

[email protected]
http://www.RealDropzone.com - A new breed of dropzone manifest software.

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We all screw up sometimes. No matter how well you've been trained or physically and mentally healthy you are, nobody always makes the best decision.



Exactly, I like the idea that an AAD could potentially save me from a mistake that I made like loss of altitude awareness, or fiddling too long with a hard pull, both of which are unlikely but yet possible.

Having said that, I don't "rely" on it and would still jump without one.

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I think you may have misunderstood me. I am not jumping my rig until I get an AAD, but I do still jump rental gear. I like an AAD because it is another safety tool. You should never rely on an AAD, rely on your training and experience. An AAD is used when you screw up. If I do screw up, I'd rather be able to learn from it. It's no different than a seat belt, an RSL, a reserve, and many other things. Some people like them, some don't. I do.

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I own 2 rigs, both with AAD's

Still jump when AAD's are being revised. Sometimes have to turn them OFF (big difference in altitude between take off and landing). Sometimes don't turn them ON.

When doing tandem, AAD ON

Have 1 Cypres save.
scissors beat paper, paper beat rock, rock beat wingsuit - KarlM

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I own 2 rigs, both with AAD's

Still jump when AAD's are being revised. Sometimes have to turn them OFF (big difference in altitude between take off and landing). Sometimes don't turn them ON.

When doing tandem, AAD ON

Have 1 Cypres save.



I prefer jumping with an ADD, but will jump without one.

piisfish - Is there any reason why you don't use the ability to adjust your Cypres for different take-off and landing altitudes?

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