dthames

No, maybe someday I will. I also have a small MP3 player that has a voice record mode on it. I think it would work in an upper shirt pocket and be somewhat effective. I would not have to use the C word then. Dan Instructor quote, “What's weird is that you're older than my dad!”

I tried to talk about this on a thread some weeks ago but the replies were not much of a conversation. It was more like no one was reading the text of the message. This thread appears to have attracted a different crowd. I have an interest that is not really related very much to the video produced by the camera but to basically record flight information. I would love to record my thoughts and actions as do canopy drills. Review of the recorded information, I feel, would be a tool to help me learn. I have a very small camera that has a clip on it. I attached a photo of it on a chest strap to show what I envision (someday). The video quality is not all that great but it would be okay to review with. I could talk to it and it would keep a general record of the direction I was facing, turns, or whatever. However, it seems that no matter what the intended use or how small, most people have their minds made up from the beginning. It is if everyone thinks that you want wants to produce jump videos for Youtube, no matter what your plan might be. It has already been mentioned that in some cases the camera is just there for the ride and it is not influencing the jump. Where this is true, and the camera is not a physical encumbrance, I wonder if the attitude will ever soften up. I know there is no answer to my query. But I like what someone suggested about taking a fresh look at the future situation. Instructor quote, “What's weird is that you're older than my dad!”

One of the reasons I have specific interest in this topic is because of a guy at our DZ was hurt last year with a two out. His reserve came out when he was low. His main went out in front and down, pulling him out of control. He tried to "fly it back" up and into a more stable configuration. But he ended up hitting hard on concrete and had spinal injuries. He never had a stable two out, so it is a bit different. But I would not want a stable situation to become unstable because of something I did. So, I am hunting for the best understanding I can get. The test report was a help, for sure. Dan Instructor quote, “What's weird is that you're older than my dad!”

That is great information. Thanks. Pops, I am not in contact with that instructor, so I can't ask him those questions. At the time I had finished my catagory D canopy work, so I don't consider the timing of the statement/conversation out of place. But the report gives some really good information and Yes test results are better than lesser experience. Dan Instructor quote, “What's weird is that you're older than my dad!”

A post on a recent thread asked for documented procedures for “two out” and the SIM was referenced. I recall a conversation in an instructor where we were working on category quizzes. The “two out” biplane and side by side were being reviewed. The comments by the instructor went something like this….. I know the SIM says you can use the toggles to steer the most forward (for biplane) or most overhead (for side by side) . If you release the brakes on one of the two canopies it could start flying faster and could result in a downplane. The rear risers are the better choice. “I” would just leave the brakes stowed and steer with the rear risers (front canopy rear risers for biplane, outside most risers for side by side). With two inflated canopies overhead, it is not as critical to flare. But be ready to do the PLF. To me this makes good sense. It would be good to hear additional points of view, if there are any. Thanks Dan Instructor quote, “What's weird is that you're older than my dad!”

I have a great deal of respect for the SIM. Someone said, “Pay attention to the SIM, as it was written with blood”. I have carefully studied section 4 and I think all of the suggested references in the section. Recently while going over a category quiz with an instructor, the instructor pointed out that, “The SIM says this, but what I would do is this, and I will tell you why.” The instructor proceeded to explain his reasoning. I agreed 100% with what he said. This thread is related to being properly informed and acting correctly at the proper time. Being “informed” by both the SIM and the instructor, I have made my determination on what is the right action for that specific situation. In a crisis I would have to do what I understood was the right thing. If you say, “Don’t do what you think is right, do what the SIM says”, I would have a problem with that (please read below carefully before you jump my case). In a crisis, I just can’t see doing something against my better (educated) judgment. Doing something as I am told because I am ignorant, YES, I can do that without any problem. Any constructive thoughts in this area? Instructor quote, “What's weird is that you're older than my dad!”

The Skydiver Information Manual is a good source for many student questions (like two out, page 32). It is available online in PDF format. http://www.uspa.org/SIM.aspx Dan Instructor quote, “What's weird is that you're older than my dad!”

I have the higher end Sony CX and it is really great. Not used for skydiving but a really nice camera. It has 12mega-pixel still capability. It has face recognition and while you are taking video, if it "sees" a smile on someone's face it will save a still image. It is amazing with is being marketed now. Dan Instructor quote, “What's weird is that you're older than my dad!”

I helped destroy some ammo by dumping it into a 55 gallon burn barrel with a good hot fire in the bottom. Some of the rounds were lifted by those popping and the lifted rounds popped above the top of the barrel (by chance timing). We backed off a few feet but did not feel at risk (with eye protection). I did hear of a case where a full box of .45 ACP was dropped, hit a table mounting bolt on the floor, and "fired" a bullet that hit someone in the head. The person was standing right over the spot where the box fell. So, under some specific conditions in a fire, maybe some risk. Instructor quote, “What's weird is that you're older than my dad!”

Pops, I will pretend you are really baiting me to respond. Mr. Schoenfeld was quoted (Parachutist article mentioning high G malfunction) to say, “Now, when I exit, my right hand goes right to that cutaway handle. It’s right there, just in case.” Not his EP but post deployment proceedures to be more ready for a similar event. You said yourself that many jumpers most likely do something similar (to AGSM) naturally. I would suggest a jumper in the high risk group (small canopy or someone jumping with fireworks equipped Airtwardo) might see value in learning AGSM and then a person could Arch, Reach, Throw, one, two, whisper HOOK (closes glottis), strain while your hand is on the cutaway,.......ALL just in case something unexpected happens. If it goes bad, do what you would always do, your EPs. But you are better prepared. The blood is staying up in your brain more. Why would I care? Why would I post when it is not a threat to me? Well, years ago I copied some video tapes for our F-4 pilots after they went to the centrifuge training for the F-16 conversion. They would ramp them up to 4 or 5 Gs then quickly on up to 7. Boom, just like that most would pass out. If they were not straining hard already they passed out, very quickly (like blink of the eye). But after a few tries, they learned to be more on top of the game. By the end of the training they could look over their shoulder and handle 9Gs for a few seconds. Being able to hang in there maybe one more second (if better prepared) trying to pull the handle might make the difference between getting the handle pulled or not getting it pulled. In skydiving I keep hearing that people should work to manage the risks. If you "might" be exposed to a high G situation, you "might" want to know how to manage it better.....maybe.......Na. Instructor quote, “What's weird is that you're older than my dad!”

The CX series do have "steady shot" and you can turn it off. From the user manual, "You can compensate for camera shake. Set [ SteadyShot] to [Off] ( ) when using a tripod (sold separately), then the image becomes natural. Active Provides a more powerful SteadyShot effect. Standard Provides a SteadyShot effect, performing wide-angle recording under relatively stable recording conditions. Off ( ) The SteadyShot function is not used." I don't have any knowledge of the model's use in skydiving, but they are pretty nice overall. Instructor quote, “What's weird is that you're older than my dad!”

Not scary but somewhat funny. I was in the Air National Guard and the parachute shop handled both the pilot's emergency parachutes and the drag chutes for the aircraft. So, it was a fairly busy place. When a new pilot would show up, the old rigger would make sure to leave a loop of line hanging out of the pilot's rig (like is was a sloppy job). When the pilot would bring it back to him, he would quickly apologize, take some scissors and cut most of the loop off, then stuff the two ends up under the flaps so they could not be seen. Then say something like, “How’s that?” and hand it back to him with a straight face. The line was an unattached dummy, just for the joke, so no damage or risk. I never got to see it happen but everyone enjoyed recounting the times that it had happened to the new guy. Instructor quote, “What's weird is that you're older than my dad!”

What feature on the Sonys are you looking for that does not exist? Instructor quote, “What's weird is that you're older than my dad!”

I know everyone here is passionate about skydiving. Maybe talking about an analogy in a different setting would help. Imagine your friends invites you to meet in Stuttgart AR to go duck hunting. It is cold, the water is cold, and you must go by boat to get to the duck blind. All members of your group are loaded down with a vest full of shotgun shells and overcoats. There is no doubt that if you went into the water, you would sink right away. The only way to save yourself would be to shed the coat and vest, in order to get your head back above water. Bob is the only one with any experience and he says, “If by some chance you go into the water, focus on getting that coat and vest off as soon as you can, or you will never be able to get your head above the water”. All agree, that is sound advice. As you travel in the boat, Joe is thinking about blasting ducks and drinking beer. Roy is a little concerned about the water risk and keeps thinking, “Get out of the coat and vest, get out of the coat and vest, if I go in the water”. One thing Bob did NOT tell them was, “Oh the water is so cold that is will actually take your breath away unless you brace yourself for it”. The boat hits an underwater object and all three men are airborne for just under 2 seconds before they hit the water. In those 2 seconds before they hit the water, Joe realizes the jolt knocked the beer out of his hand. Roy starts grabbing for the coat zipper. Bob starts grabbing for the coat zipper, takes a quick breath, and closes off his throat an attempt to lock the air in his lungs. All three hit the water and go to work getting out of their gear. Aside from not warning my friends about the cold water and holding your breath, I would like to be Bob in this situation, over the other two fellows. Anti-G Straining Maneuver (AGSM) is free and it takes less than a second to start. You can also do other things during that same second, like look, grab, etc. The goal would NOT be to tolerate a G situation longer. The goal would be to tolerate the Gs for whatever time it takes to cut away. Maybe there is no skydiving situation where a person would ever need to do this. But if you lose your vision while spinning and can’t see when you “look” it is a bit late to think, “Oh what was that AGSM thing?” Anti-G Straining Maneuver (AGSM): It combines a regular, 3 second strain (valsalva) against a closed glottis, interrupted with a rapid exhalation and inhalation (< 0.5 seconds), with tensing of all major muscle groups of the abdomen, arms, and legs. Instructor quote, “What's weird is that you're older than my dad!”

I can only guess this happened when he was thrown through the air after cut away. (also mentioned in the article) It is likely a person would spin about their waist, like head over heals. Blood would rush to your head and to your feet if that happened. Instructor quote, “What's weird is that you're older than my dad!”

Thanks for the replies. I understand that everyone may have a somewhat different view on this. The real question and reason for the post is (replaced student with jumper), "In all the mention of G related incapacitation talk, I have not noticed anyone mentioning using this technique to better manage the emergency. Is this ever brought up to the jumper as something that might help them out?" Notice in the Schoenfeld story, "Schoenfeld could hear himself involuntarily grunting and straining against horrific G-forces. His right hand shook and trembled as he fought to reach up to the cutaway handle. Immediately, his vision narrowed to one pinpoint of light." Half a breath and starting to grunt as you start to understand things are starting to go wrong would be money in the bank to tolerate Gs. To me that makes some sense. Without considering this as an option and/or having no knowledge of it's benifits will surely make it no advantage to anyone, under any conditions. But again my question was to see if others had talked about this before. Maybe a poll would be better. a. I don't recall anyone ever mentioning that, but interesting to consider. b. Yes, a few years ago but it's value would appear to be not worth the time/effort. c. The "grunt" is like when you try to have a bowel movement and that is likely to happen anyway, so why bother. d. This is not something that people with less than 200 jumps are allowed to talk about. Instructor quote, “What's weird is that you're older than my dad!”

I am the type that if someone mentions a possible problem situation, I think about what I would do if I find myself in that same situation. I have always believed that if you have played the problem out in your mind first, that your will have a better chance of a managed reaction. Yes, I am new to skydiving, so bear with me. People talk about spinning malfunctions and how quickly you might get incapacitated do to G forces. Yes, I know you want to deal with it very quickly before the rotation speed would have time to build up. In about one second I can take a partial breath and bear down (fighter pilot’s grunt) to help keep more of the blood in my brain. This will increase (to some degree) G tolerance. In all the mention of G related incapacitation talk, I have not noticed anyone mentioning using this technique to better manage the emergency. Is this ever brought up to students as something that might help them out? Dan Instructor quote, “What's weird is that you're older than my dad!”

I use one called Freemake. It creates .avi files and appears not to do odd things to the computer. I have used it on XP and Windows 7 64 bit. It also works with several other sites that host video content. http://www.freemake.com/ Instructor quote, “What's weird is that you're older than my dad!”

On several physical related points I have struggled with AFF. I have also done a few static line jumps, always on the line. After my first AFF C2 jump I decided I would not do AFF any longer, but would start static line progression with the goal to get my solo status by that method. I have already completed all of my category D canopy tasks, so I am ahead of the game in the canopy area. Looking at this B-License Canopy Control Proficiency Card and the fact I have a lot of canopy rides in front of me as a SLS, I am thinking it would be a good idea to pursue the B-License Canopy Control Proficiency requirements on the way down. I know I will have to see how the local DZ will handle this training, but from the standpoint of a low jump student, I don’t see any reason not to work on this. Right? Thanks, Dan Instructor quote, “What's weird is that you're older than my dad!”

"Okay, someone's got to bump this thread back to the top. Have we had no 'challenged' students since the last post?! " Thanks, I would have not found this otherwise. This is the best yet! Dan Instructor quote, “What's weird is that you're older than my dad!”

What a pleasure to see such progress in human flight. Thanks to everyone involved and for sharing. Instructor quote, “What's weird is that you're older than my dad!”

Study the proper section(s) in the SIM. You can download it from http://www.uspa.org/ Look at the online first jump course and training videos. Learn that you have two parachutes, how they work, and how to use both of them. That will be in your class. Learn about how the canopy flies. If you are a serious student and learn your stuff, you should feel like you have enough skills to do a first jump. For me there are a lot of things I would never do because I know I don't have the proper skills. But with good equipment and the knowledge you know what to do, your fear should be greatly reduced. At least that is the way things are to me. It doesn't hurt to hang around the dropzone and watch other first time jumpers. After you see a few that you know are no different from you doing the same thing, you should think, "I can do that as well". Good luck with it. Dan Instructor quote, “What's weird is that you're older than my dad!”

After many adult years of thinking I might want to skydive, watching some of Jeb's work over the past year is one of the things that triggered me to break the piggy bank and get started (not that I will ever grind any crack). I have watched many of his interviews. In talking about things like the waterfall wingsuit flight, he said something like equipment, methods, and learned skills make some of the things he is doing now more safe and predictable than just a few years ago. So, at that time he was acknowledging that the "norms" have indeed changed. I had also noticed that statement about the bridge and how much closer he was on Grinding The Crack than what he had said about how close one should aim to get. Jeb says he likes to be frightened. Grandstanding maybe, but maybe is just doing what he enjoys the most, scaring the crap out of himself. Dan Instructor quote, “What's weird is that you're older than my dad!”

After I got home from my first jump (AFF) someone asked me if getting out of the plane (heights) was difficult. I don't think I ever saw the ground before or during freefall, or at least didn't look at it during that jump. I was so busy with the diveflow tasks. Looking at the ground was not part of the training. Dan Instructor quote, “What's weird is that you're older than my dad!”

What really started my interest in this topic (what is the best kind of help for practice pulls) were some AFF training videos. In videos produced by one DZ the instructor was shadowing on every practice pull and on the pull. You couldn’t see all that well in the video that he was not touching and guiding. It looked like he was guiding all of the time. I thought this odd, but later became aware he was shadowing. This got my attention on the topic because other training videos were somewhat different on the practice pulls. Again, thanks for the input and insight. Dan Instructor quote, “What's weird is that you're older than my dad!”