New to Skydiving

[andyc277 0]

Hi all.
I am just getting into the world of skydiving. Well i will be in a couple of months when i do AFF. I have done 6S/L jumps at Netheravon UK. Just wondering if anybody has any tips for getting on in the sport or where i can get to know more about the technical side such as what all the figures about canopies are?

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[rjoseph14k 0]

Well DZ.com is a great place to learn about the sport for starters. USPA.org is also a go place to go to download training aids.

[andyc277 0]

Thanks for the pointers.
Can somebody tell me what the 10 consolidation jumps consist of?
CAn somebody also tell me what the following mean;
different sizes of canopy are for what?
what the different materials i.e. ZP for canopies are for?
What type of canopy/rig would i use as a student undergoing AFF course?
These may seem really simple things but im trying to suss what it all means.

[IanHarrop 37]

lot's to read - starting here

www.dropzone.com/safety

then

http://www.dropzone.com/safety/Gear_and_Equipment/index.shtml

"Where troubles melt like lemon drops, away above the chimney tops, that's where you'll find me" Dorothy

[riggerrob 558]

Student parachutes range between 230 and 330 square feet, with 290 being the most popular for first jump students.
After you have demonstrated "X" number of good landings under a 290, your instructors will gradually step you down to 230, etc.

In comparison, tandem parachutes have about 400 square feet, while the most skillful young men jump sub-100 square foot parachutes.

All modern canopies are made of silicone-coated, zero porosity, nylon fabric, hence the nickname "ZP." The greatest advantage of ZP fabric is durability. If you are gentle, you can make a ZP parachute last 2,000 jumps.

Older main parachutes and 99% of reserves are made of low-porosity (0 to 3 cubic feet per minute of air can pass through a square yard), calendarized nylon fabric. Calendarizing involves squeezing fabric between hot rollers to "close" the weave. F-111 was a popular brand of lopo. Mills start with the same yarns, calendarize, then add a series of coatings, except for silicone. The best F-111 fabric is so tight that you cannot distinguish it from ZP at arm's length. F-111 parachutes may be easier to pack, but they only last 600 or 1,000 jumps.

Most tandem parachutes and many student main parachutes are now "hybrid" with ZP top skins, but F-111 bottom skins. Hybrids are the best of both worlds, because they fly like ZP, but are almost as easy to pack as F-111.

[kelpdiver 2]

it may be hard to get a coherent collection of the basic information here. Might be better served with one of the books like the Skydiver's Handbook or Jump! (first jump oriented) by our Tom Buchanan. These are American oriented, however, wouldn't have info on the BPA process.

Does the BPA website have this stuff detailed at all? If your DZs are open during the winter, you could also go out there to ask how the student jumps would be conducted.

[YISkyDive 0]

The best thing that you can do, for yourself and your instructors is to read know and understand your local DZs manual, as well as other published sources listed.. while talking all advice here strickly as non procedure oriented matieral.

certian things you may read can and will be wrong for between 0 and 10 jumps, let a long 10 to 100. never do anything in freefall or under canopy without talking to a certified instructor. doing otherwise may in the best case cause you to fail a level, and in the worst have a very negative out come on your day.

good luck with the sport, its a lot of fun!

[damion75 0]

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I have done 6S/L jumps at Netheravon UK. Just wondering if anybody has any tips for getting on in the sport or where i can get to know more about the technical side such as what all the figures about canopies are?

Swing by the DZ(nethers), (not the coming weekend but will be there the following weekend probably, and the one after that etc...!) and give me a shout, we can talk about all your questions.

Might be worth bearing in mind that there is a lot of stuff and a great deal of it is not really relevant right now though. But easier to chat then type!

***************

Not one shred of evidence supports the theory that life is serious - look at the platypus.

[NateC 0]

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Can somebody tell me what the 10 consolidation jumps consist of?

I'm working through my consolidation jumps at the moment. Simply put, they're solo skydives where you practice what you have been taught. You are still a student at this point and have to be dispatched from the plane by an AFF instructor.

Edit - Also, as I understand it, it's best to do the CH1 course whilst doing your consols, as you can't get your A Licence without it apparently.

[philly51 0]

Welcome. You'll find a lot of info here and at USPA.com. Learn as much as you can. The best source are your instructors. They know you, know your skills. Trust them.

Life's journey is not to arrive at the grave safely in a well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, totally worn out, Shouting "...holy shit...what a ride!"

[kschilk 0]

Here's a link to a cool "wing loading calculator" : //www.myskyshop.com/catalog/information.php/info_id/14 and one for a "jump calculator" ://lensmoor.org/cgi-bin/chute.cgi . They might come in handy. Also, check out the PD website, some good basic and advanced info there. Most mfgr.'s sites have useful info....rigger's notes or something.
Don't overlook the SIM, it's worth the investment but you can also check it out on the net. Some of the regs stuff is a little dry but there is some good reading there. If you have time, at the DZ....borrow some canopy manuals and look through them. Hang around the DZ, after hours and ask a rigger to explain the differences in gear. Most are willing to help, as long as you're sincere about learning. Check out parachutepages.com and relativeworkshop.com too.

"T'was ever thus."

[damion75 0]

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Welcome. You'll find a lot of info here and at USPA.com.

The USPA website and SIM are full of good info to be sure, but bear in mind that as a UK jumper, the regulations governing your progression will be different... as are many of the rules about equipment.

***************

Not one shred of evidence supports the theory that life is serious - look at the platypus.

[MattFallsFast 0]

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Hi all.
I am just getting into the world of skydiving. Well i will be in a couple of months when i do AFF. I have done 6S/L jumps at Netheravon UK. Just wondering if anybody has any tips for getting on in the sport

Well, 10 things I've learned so far:

1-Don't believe everything you read online...there are a lot of nutters out there and on this forum in particular.

2-Don't try to do what the guy next to you in the plane is going to do on his skydive, since it's likely something stupidly dangerous. Then again, maybe you could just do it and not tell anyone?

3-There are a lot of bad skydivers out there (I mean just awful) so you can either avoid them, learn from them or, hell, just jump with them for the thrill of not knowing what they'll do next during the skydive.

4-Skydivers drink. They drink a lot. Do not ever complain about this fact. The only real answer is more drink.

5- People fart on the way to altitude. It's disgusting but they just do. You can complain about this fact, however it will only result in more farting and a vicious "fart fest" may ensue. These are the times in the sport you will WANT to die.

6-You'll get your license and then you're on your own up there. Pay attention to your instructors, what they tell you now will save your ass later.

7-Take care of your gear and it will take care of you.

8-Jump as much as you can. If your girlfriend or the wifey complains just laugh and walk out the door. You'll have forgotten all about her by the time you reach the DZ! She'll eventually learn her lesson.

9-BPA requires a hooknife...a somewhat trivial fact until an American such as myself shows up at Nethers and has to run around like a crack whore begging for a hook knife. Chaz finally gave me one on loan, but you won't believe what I had to do to get it...

10-Meet as many people and jump as many new DZs as you can. The sport has some extraordinary individuals, some a bit odd and many mentally insane, but on the whole an amazing collection of humanity. I've met some of the best people I've ever known through this sport.

So there you go. Take it for what it's worth, bearing in mind it's free and also noting the first rule listed above. This isn't rocket science, but then again rocket scientists don't hit the ground at 120mph, do they?
Nethers is a great DZ with great professionals instructing. You'll be in good hands there. Although I'm not sure you'll have a large enough landing area with the 20 acres provided....