dthames

I started jumping so that I would fly wingsuits. I have not considered anything else very much. Instructor quote, “What's weird is that you're older than my dad!”

Yes Dallas has had some close calls. Right after I started jumping 4 years ago, a light aircraft flew right through the jump run and jumpers in freefall. I think one of the jumpers got the light aircraft on video as he fell past the plane. I saw it from the ground. It was not cool. The DZ is northeast of DFW airport and there is a traffic corridor just southeast of the DZ during jump operations. But as soon as we are not jumping, they route the traffic almost right over the DZ. If we have a long south heading jump run, we have to hurry and get out before we get too far south and into the corridor. It makes wingsuit flying interesting. Instructor quote, “What's weird is that you're older than my dad!”

Yes, there comes a time when it all must be put to practical use, relative to other birds. Instructor quote, “What's weird is that you're older than my dad!”

There are often several ways to meet the same objective. Also different people have different perceptions of what works and how it works. I use a Flysight a lot and the numbers tell the tale. I appreciate people giving me tips but often I can't apply them as effectively as the person sharing the knowledge. It ends up being up to me the and the Flysight to sort out what I can make work the best. I do really enjoy the braking part of an XRW approach where I might be 50+ MPH faster than the canopy and then bleed that speed off for a nice slow approach. Landing gear, flaps, and cut the throttle....there is some shaking and shuddering for a few seconds. :) Instructor quote, “What's weird is that you're older than my dad!”

When I first started jumping I scanned many posts looking for helpful information. Andy was one of about four people that I identified as someone that I could learn from, even on the Internet. I became friends with Andy and later got to meet him in person, after he retired. Andy was a great encourager. Instructor quote, “What's weird is that you're older than my dad!”

So you roll it without flipping the cocoon over? (tail seam on the outside of roll?) Instructor quote, “What's weird is that you're older than my dad!”

So do you roll it where the tail meets, on the outside of the roll? I have done a Pro-pack, tucked it all under, flipped it over, and rolled it much like a Psycho-pack. I just did that a couple of times and gave it up. But I like the roll, so please give more detail on how you rolled the Pro-pack. Thanks Dan Instructor quote, “What's weird is that you're older than my dad!”

I had trouble reading the altimeter at first as well. It was bouncing around a lot and I just could not focus on it. I learned (while on the ground) where the numbers were and then looked (in freefall) for where the needle was pointing. I would check the altitude, not to read the number, but to see where the needle was pointing. When it was pointing at 5 o'clock (there about), it was time to go. Instructor quote, “What's weird is that you're older than my dad!”

I have exited rear float a lot and have a lot of video where someone has a bad exit. They tend to go shooting off in just about every direction but forward. I have not looked at all of the video in a scientific way, but it appears people can go any number of directions in unpredictable ways. If those outside the aircraft start turning 90, then those that get out late on a larger group will be turning more than 90 to go back toward the formation. That is a common flight profile for a bigway, and there is nothing wrong with it as long as everyone has the skills. I have seen some people present to the wind in a terrible fashion, trying a diving exit when they were not skilled for it. I agree with turning off of the flight line. I want to be careful not to do it too sharply and make things more difficult for those that follow. Surely there is a good balance in there somewhere. We need to find it. Instructor quote, “What's weird is that you're older than my dad!”

As pre-adolescent children we would run and jump from a barn loft, maybe 8 feet high, hit, roll, and go do it again. The goal was to see who could go the longest distance before hitting. This seemed to be part of our playing paratrooper. as my uncle was Army Airborne at the time. Taking a fall was part of growing up. Instructor quote, “What's weird is that you're older than my dad!”

I've had similar...except that I don't "go in", but end up magically slowing down and gently landing on my feet at the last second...and always think its weird even during the dream. Sounds like a wingsuiter dream. Instructor quote, “What's weird is that you're older than my dad!”

Thanks. Instructor quote, “What's weird is that you're older than my dad!”

As was discovered in RW and vRW a number of years ago, vertical separation cannot be relied upon to avoid collisions. I see no reason that WS is any different. Vertical component relative velocity is not vertical separation. I'm talking about group that exits together, in fact lack of vertical separation is desirable in this situation as it takes vertical separation to build the vertical component of relative velocity. If they exit together how come there's a "first jumper" and a "second jumper" who don't see each other? It was a group exit with typical small delays between those in the door and those diving, sorry for any confusion. There were more than two jumpers in the group. They all knew they were in a group and knew of each other, but they did not maintain visual contact with each other during exit, built significant vertical relative velocity after building vertical separation and ended up colliding hard. If anything (from memory) the later jumper's exit was poor and he "fell" onto the lower jumper. I will try to get the video to share. Wow, if indeed he "fell", that makes 3 serious such accidents this year. I have been trying to raise awareness of this risk around our DZ for the past few weeks. I think we need to look hard and long at our exit skills when we plan our jumps. This has always been a concern but not such a deadly one as lately. Instructor quote, “What's weird is that you're older than my dad!”

I have been doing some experiments with some head low, all crunched up type of flying, in order to burn off a lot of vertical separation without diving. It feels like the posture that some of those angle fliers use but I don't know what it really looks like from the outside. I can control my vertical speed fairly well and present a pretty small but variable cross section to the vertical component of the relative wind. I am sure others must have done this already but I have not heard others talk about this approach for going down fast without diving, stretched out. Instructor quote, “What's weird is that you're older than my dad!”

Big Way Wingsuit sunset jump, and I don't care where, as long as there is grass to land on. Instructor quote, “What's weird is that you're older than my dad!”

Is packing at your DZ (or other nearby DZ) an option? Instructor quote, “What's weird is that you're older than my dad!”

In a similar way I was taught with someone holding the tops of my feet/ankles in their hands (while I was on a belly training) and having me push down against their hands with my legs. This force simulates the work to be done against the air in freefall. I didn't have bad problems but I did have some problems of being aware of what my legs were doing. It is hard on the first few skydives to focus on those smaller details because there are so many other new things going on around you. But with more jumps, you will become more aware of the smaller things and be able to resolve them one by one. There is a feel to freefall. It takes some people a little longer to get the feel of it. But then it clicks and you seem much better all of the sudden. At least that is the way it was with me. Keep at it. Instructor quote, “What's weird is that you're older than my dad!”

While cleared for solo practice, I was encouraged to do mostly coached jumps so I would not imprint bad habits because of my ignorance. The few solo jumps that I did were to practice specific moves. Most of those were very late in my student progression. Even if you do decide to do a solo jump, find something that you can practice under canopy and get signed off on. Don't let a jump go by without learning something. There is a lot to learn about canopy flight and you should take advantage of the fact that you are up in the air. Use that time for something that you can document. I was working on my B canopy card late in my student program. Instructor quote, “What's weird is that you're older than my dad!”

Not much help but maybe something to consider. If want to review and touch on something in real time (not save your highlights) a laser pointer or doing a screen capture and marking up the screen capture might be one option. If you want to save your highlighted markings and replay that, you are talking some form of video edit and rendering. That normally either takes time or special video hardware. Instructor quote, “What's weird is that you're older than my dad!”

High praise for those like you that know they have a problem and have properly addressed it. I have a family member that sadly is still suffering. Instructor quote, “What's weird is that you're older than my dad!”

As it turns out (I looked around a bit), the drones were unmitigated failures. Only one did any real damage, and that was because the controllers lost control of the plane at the last minute and it crashed into the target purely by coincidence. I saw this in the Navy museum and was surprise. I didn't know it existed. https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/7e/Interstate_TDR-1_on_display_at_Naval_Aviation_Museum.jpg It appears that they had some measure of success. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interstate_TDR Instructor quote, “What's weird is that you're older than my dad!”

Do some shopping searches for conduit connectors, wire nuts, etc. Maybe the ads will be replaced with your more recent searches. Instructor quote, “What's weird is that you're older than my dad!”

I was a controller for 29+ years. I can tell you now, that pilots, under threat of federal penalties, listen much better than skydiving students. . . I had a radio as a student. I was also trained to fly and land the parachute without assistance. I had flown radio controlled models and I understood the concept and goals of the landing pattern from that experience. I remember my first jump and that the radio assistance was helpful. On other jumps any instructions in the landing pattern distracted from my efforts to make my best approach. Thankfully most of my instructors were good enough to talk to me about the level of help that I wanted and as long as they knew that I was okay, they left me alone. I really loved those that ask, "How much help do you want?" I remember seeing one student land on the pavement when a very minor move would have prevented that. He was following the radio instructions and was afraid to take matters into his own hands. Not from a safety standpoint but he wanted to do what he was told, so he just went straight instead of turning a tiny bit to avoid the asphalt. After that did the instructor told him, "If you need to turn, turn, kept yourself safe by all means." Instructor quote, “What's weird is that you're older than my dad!”

I have studied the Mirage charts and there does not seem to be any specific information about low volume type main canopies. Specifically I am wondering if a 190 Pilot ZPX and a low volume 190 size reserve would fit okay in the M4 size container. Does anyone out there have personal experience that would help answer this question? I currently have (purchased used) a G3, M5 with a Tempo 210 (fairly tight) and a 210 Pilot ZPX (not all that tight) and the Mirage charts would suggest a M6 for 210 size. The charts say they are guidelines and not absolutes. So experience might be very helpful. Any help would be appreciated. Dan Instructor quote, “What's weird is that you're older than my dad!”

I never missed a beat once the door was open but waiting on the ground and waiting through the plane ride were very unpleasant. If I could doze off it would make everything better. On early jumps the instructors wanted to review the dive plan which made napping a bit difficult. About students talking to newly licensed jumpers, I agree about the A guys and the common perspective. But students visiting with newly licensed jumpers, some instructors don't think that is wise. Even if you are not giving advice, you can have undesired/unexpected influence. It can be argued both ways but I respect the wishes of the instructor and I was asked to not interact with the students. It is possible to make their job more difficult and none of us would want that. Instructor quote, “What's weird is that you're older than my dad!”