dthames

Thanks. For some reason my first install of Flip wouldn't load the firmware even though it gave no error message. I uninstalled and reinstalled it, and all was well. Incidentally, the voice volume (beta firmware) seems very low compared with the tones. Is that normal? John, you may already know this but the tone and the voice volume settings are two different parameters, in two different sections of the config file. It is also possible that the peak to peak voltage levels in the WAV files are lower than the generated tones peak to peak values are. I made some WAV files and they tended to be lower in volume than I expected. I turned up the gain in my audio software and it helped a little. Dan Instructor quote, “What's weird is that you're older than my dad!”

Regardless of any of the arguments, I got to be part of several 4 plane flocks. 77 plus video was our largest jump. Photo by Mark Harris [inline 4planes-mark.jpg] Instructor quote, “What's weird is that you're older than my dad!”

I enjoy the pity. I may never fly on a 100+ formation but 75+ has already been an interesting experience. I even think we could come up with a few "crazies" from the bunch if we looked hard enough. I agree, breaking the current FAI 42 way record with 49, 64, 81, etc will not be like breaking the 2012 100 way diamond. Instructor quote, “What's weird is that you're older than my dad!”

Yes, and may the Force be with you! Instructor quote, “What's weird is that you're older than my dad!”

You will find many different opinions and many are based on good experience. I don't think there is any one right answer. That being said, here are some things that I feel are very important and that have served me well. Tracking, learn to track fast and far so that you can practice, 1. Navigation away from jump run and others 2. Orientation with the Earth, knowing where your pointed and which way you want to go after you get confused. 3. Arrival at your desired deployment spot at deployment altitude. That doesn't mean 100 tracking jumps. It means just learn how to do those 3 things pretty well. Stability and square, Learn how to be stable during deployment. Not just when you deploy, but during the deployment. There is a certain amount of corrective flying you can do after you pitch the pilot chute. Learn to continue flying during deployment time. You can often fix or screw up a deployment by what you do those few seconds as the main is coming out. I did a fair number of solo jumps just to get on a load at a small DZ. Many suggest don't go a lot of solos just to rack up your jump count. But if it is solo or not jumping at all, what can you learn? One thing that I would do if I were starting all over again would be to practice flying in some less than ideal positions. For example, can I belly fly for 10 seconds with one hand on your hacky? Can I belly fly with both hands behind my back and control my heading? Can I fly with both hands on my butt and not go head-low? Staying with the same rig will help you be more comfortable when learning to WS. If you have 150 jumps on the same rig, you will be better off than if you had only 50 on that rig (just an opinion). You need a stable and fairly large canopy. To be a new wingsuiter at 200 jumps puts you much less experienced than a seasoned skydiver with 500+ jumps. So what is good for Joe might not be good for you. Stack the deck in your favor by making safer choices with canopies. Many say they want to WS and most don't believe they will stick it out and go for it. I was very happy when I hit 66 jump saying, "1/3 of the way there". Someone laughed at me, not knowing how serious that I was. Have fun. Someone said that already. Instructor quote, “What's weird is that you're older than my dad!”

:-) However: For formations larger than 40, a certain number of persons, as indicated in Table 1 below, may have part of their body, equipment or wingsuit visible across the line of their flying space. "Part of", not "all of". Here is something new to me. Go to http://www.fai.org/record-parachuting Search (year) 2015 and (type) G-2 Performance. Note near the top Largest WS Formation without gri. Instructor quote, “What's weird is that you're older than my dad!”

I was in my 50s when I started too. You can teach an old dog new tricks! Way to go. Instructor quote, “What's weird is that you're older than my dad!”

It's normal to stare at clouds. Instructor quote, “What's weird is that you're older than my dad!”

Up to 25% of the people not flying in their slot. Thats so ridiculous... I thought that not crossing that virtual line was the challenge, and part of the skill and fun. :-/ [inline table.jpg] Instructor quote, “What's weird is that you're older than my dad!”

The book "The Parachute And It's Pilot" is helpful to learn about the canopy and how it flies. That knowledge is important when you are flying the canopy. The SIMhttp://sim.uspa.org/ section 4 might help you understand what the training and student work will be like. Some instructors have slightly different ways of teaching this or that but the SIM is good to know and some say "written in the blood of those that went before us". Take most of what you read on the Internet with a grain of salt. When it comes to your actual training, your instructors are your primary guide and trump other sources. Welcome to the sport. 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!”

Seriously answer this question to yourself, "What is most important for me in the sport of Skydiving?" If the answer is "To keep skydiving", then you must promote that goal by playing it safe over playing it to the hilt. Otherwise you are kidding yourself about your priorities. Many play it out like this...."I will go hard and fast until I am in the hospital or dead, and then I will reevaluate my risks, skills, and choices". They never say that and maybe they never think that, but that is the behavior. People tend to say one thing and do something different. Be honest with yourself. Instructor quote, “What's weird is that you're older than my dad!”

If you don't know Chuck and you are in his region, you should try to met him, either online or in person. Chuck is already working hard for the sport. Instructor quote, “What's weird is that you're older than my dad!”

If you have been mostly flocking then I would just stick with the Havoc for now and get used to "maxing the crap" out of it. Only move up to a bigger suit when you are getting consistent and even boring results from the suit you already know. A smaller suit makes you really work for it and feel what every part of your body is doing. When you get to the bigger ones a lot of that becomes a more blended feeling and you won't know what subtle changes to make to get the most out of it. I have an X2 but my Rbird is still my primary weapon. I agree 100% about spending a lot of time on something smaller than a very large suit. I continue to surprise myself at what I am still learning with the Rbird. Instructor quote, “What's weird is that you're older than my dad!”

If you can arch your back backward, pelvis out in front, that is able all that is needed for training. There are other aspects of the sport that being able to do a chin-up might help on, but that is not really needed to learn to skydive. If later you become an avid skydiver and jump all day, there is a certain amount of stamina that is needed. But it is not like you are working out all day. It is more about managing your energy levels, resting when you can, and knowing if you have the energy for "one more" or if it is time to call it a day. Stop thinking about skydiving. It will mess with your head. Dan Instructor quote, “What's weird is that you're older than my dad!”

No kidding, I was in a tight spot as a junior jumper, flared early, still not okay with a fence in front of me, and about 6 feet off the ground I thought, "I could jump down from here" and let up on the toggles. Plop, belly slide, and shortened my final by just enough not to hit that fence. Effective, but only a little less embarrassing than running it out into the fence.

For sure. At a small DZ I have seen SL/IAD students jumping while AFF students are hoping the second AFF instructor will show up. Instructor quote, “What's weird is that you're older than my dad!”

Yes, the pilot was concerned. He came and spoke to our group as we debriefed. Based on what he said, I didn't think it was me. Looking at my video and GPS data after I got home, it was either me or me and someone else. I 100% agree that the pilot don't need to be stressing over canopies when he is landing. I have adjusted my thinking that while it might look reasonable to me, what the pilot sees is different. I fully expect the pilot to keep the plane lined up on the runway. But what does he expect from the canopy pilot? Most likely anything should be expected from the canopy pilot because the canopy pilot has no specific line to follow. These two different point of view, creates two different margin of error values. The reason that I created the thread was to bring that fact up. I would admit that I don't have the pilot's feel for what is too close and I would agree his/her point of view should be the guide. I think that I have learned something and want to share that. Instructor quote, “What's weird is that you're older than my dad!”

wow...thats an incredibly high price...we managed to run a multiplane (high experience) world record bigway here at 25,00 per jump or 15.000 ft jumps, and the margin on that included all slots, airplane ferry flights, dayfee, food and travel expenses for the organizers without any additional overcharge or registration fee for the participants. But guess 75k for expenses always comes in handy... I just got back from Houston where we set the new Texas State record (24). We jumped from 15,000 feet for $25 or $26, I think maybe $26 on the formation jumps. Anyway, I was delighted that the organizers managed to make it happen at the normal jump ticket price. Some birds are already looking for a sugar-daddy with so many WS events this year. Thanks Spaceland, pilots, and Purple Mike for a great camp. Instructor quote, “What's weird is that you're older than my dad!”

It was the jump plane and I am not complaining about the pilot or the operation. I just wanted to note what happened. Another reply suggest to expect the jump plane close to the time that you do. Yes, I was very focused on the canopy traffic and omitted equal concern for aircraft. Instructor quote, “What's weird is that you're older than my dad!”

Recently I was on a jump with 19 people and on final I was headed toward the runway at a shallow angle. I would land before I got to the runway, or I would turn and parallel it if I got 'close'. I knew I was a bit long but didn't want to mess anyone behind me up. I was looking all around keeping an eye on all of the other canopies. Just as I touched down, the plane landed, coming up from behind me and I was not previously aware that it was on approach. The last time that I had looked all around was about 12 seconds before I touched down. Why had I not noticed the plane on final? Reviewing my video carefully, I finally spotted the plane in my recording. The plane was below the horizon's line. I was looking for things in the sky that I had to watch out for. Somehow the plane was lost in the ground clutter. I was so low already, looking for something moving against the Earth must have been omitted from my observation. Lesson: Don't just look in the sky, even if you are low. Instructor quote, “What's weird is that you're older than my dad!”

Some of us have already been talking.....when the Differential GPS system comes into play for judging we can also interface with some lights in a person's peripheral vision to tell them, Move Up, Move Back, Move Left, Move Right. It will make larger formations more precise. Instructor quote, “What's weird is that you're older than my dad!”

What you said is right but what I was thinking was you look at the bell curve and there are a few with super skills, a few that suck so bad it isn't funny, and a LOT of people in the middle. We don't want to think of ourselves as average......I am a bit better or on the top end of the less than mad skills area. But in fact for every 1 mad skills person there is a lot of others that do fine but can't jump up there and be supermen. Learning to accept that fact that it might take me 30 tries to get the skill that Bob has after 6 tries is a fact of life. Many of us just have to work a bit longer or a bit harder than we would like, to reach a specific goal. I don't like seeing those guys with less experience jump out there ahead of me. I can do that too, right? (wrong) Learning that is okay to be a slower learner and not pushing too hard is something that I feel can improve safety. Instructor quote, “What's weird is that you're older than my dad!”

John, I don't know how these records were summited back in 2009, but would the 2009 submitting process (not the formation quality itself) meet today's submitting standards? Like today there are rules like the formation, names in slots, names on aircraft manifest, video of the full flight, all are part of the submission rules. If the 2009 submission/verification would meet today's rules, Yes you have a good point. But if the 2009 flight was submitted under some less than the same verification of the flight, flight members, etc, I can see where some might say the record is not valid under todays rules, even though the formation would fit the grid just fine. Instructor quote, “What's weird is that you're older than my dad!”

I think I saw him doing his first flight wingsuit jump in an Apache, this last spring. Instructor quote, “What's weird is that you're older than my dad!”