hillson

That is *sort* of what he said...but not really. He also cautioned against taking his new chart as gospel - and he seemed a bit frustrated that it was already happening. It was a good presentation, however, and t certainly worth a view. FWIW, the Sabre2 is going to turn quicker and dive harder than the Spectre. Your degree of surprise would have been, I think, a bit greater on that wing. That being said, both are appropriate introductions to sport canopies. And remember, every time you jump you're jumping with a 7-cell...your reserve. :) and while I wouldn't make a direct comparison to the Spectre and whatever is in your upper pack tray...a little 7-cell experience isn't a bad thing as they do fly a bit differently than what the majority of people are jumping (9-cell). A good part of the presentation, too, was the idea that there many paths to the same point and an attempt to destigmatize those that choose the path where the parachute is simply the "stop button" to the skydive. He mentioned that talking to the regular sport jumpers that were not interested in faster, longer, steeper told him that they wanted a parachute that "landed them well". To which he remarked that people on the higher performance path may say "ah, but I can land any parachute well!" But what the other group really meant was more along the lines of docility, the excess flare power / "shutdown-ability", as it were, etc...that a parachute that "lands me well" is an appropriate design requirement.

I assume you're renting the demo gear from the Sunshine Factory. They may not have *everything* in *every* size but the rental stock used to be something like... PD Sab2 150-210 Pulse 150-210 Storm 150-210 Spectre ??? (similar, but might just have the Storm, now). There is a school rig (I think) with a Spectre 170/190 - that might be the little girl rig so don't know if it fits. Icarus Safire 2 170-190 Aerodyne Pilot 190...?? (yes, I know those aren't the actual model designations...) There might be some other odds and ends...no need for the demo tour.

It is a lot easier to snag your foot etc in a belt that is looped and closed than it is to snag your foot etc in a single piece of unbuckled belt lying on the floor. Think of a premie in a plane with an open door...and a foot anchored to the floor because it is caught in a buckled seat belt. Bad day for many people, I would think. You have a few hundred jumps...go get your B and C...this type of stuff is on the test and is important to learn / think about.

Eh, I live by the 82/20 rule. Don't mind the humor just want more gear. 6-7 months ago it was a mess. And I'm not sure why he said ask me for an invite...I have nothing to do with the page. Just told him to go request one. But hey, as long as it works no biggie.

Make sure your reserve is in date...

This is also, now, the recommended routing on Vectors (2nd page)... Likewise, according to the UPT FB:

I wish there were a sarcasm tag as that is how my post was meant. The desired "injunction" is a plan to drive them out of business.

From the local rag: http://www.timescall.com/opinion/ci_27756125/ingrid-moore:-suggestions-for-milehi-skydiving ***What would fair and reasonable regulations look like, allowing both the skydiving company and the community to co-exist? Here are a few suggestions: 1. Eliminate the white and purple DeHavilland Twin Otter: This Series 100 model aircraft, built in 1967, cannot be retrofitted with the quieter 4-bladed propellers. The Otter creates a loud, penetrating, low-frequency drone that carries up to 7-8 miles. 3. Allow weekday operations only during regular business hours -- from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. not to exceed 8 hours per day. 4. Allow 8 operating hours total on weekends, and reduced operations on major holidays. 5. Allow jump planes with a maximum capacity of 15 passengers, requiring each aircraft to be equipped with 4-bladed quiet propellers. This allows Mile-Hi to continue utilizing the multiple King Airs currently in their fleet. 6. Allow only one plane to operate at a time, instead of the two or three operating concurrently during peak season. Many skydiving companies utilize only a single, small aircraft, for example Cessna. These comprise a reasonable solution that would allow skydiving operations to continue and surrounding residents to enjoy some measure of peace and quiet in their homes.

Thank god...for a moment I thought that their demands would be such that MHS couldn't turn a profit and be driven out of business...at least that humorless scold who is the wife of the local bagman, er, politician reduced her weekend demand...before it was 8 hours total on the weekends. Compromise!

I'm pretty sure there is a request to join button. It just may take a few days. They've cut down on a lot of the silly bs on the page so it is useful again. I know tons of folks, including myself, that have bought and sold off of there.

Fantastic

Does your design cut the loop or physically pull the pin?

Courtesy of Blue Skies Mag at PIA. Looks like there may be two versions coming out...

For double the cost...

http://www.uspa.org/NewsEvents/News/tabid/59/Default.aspx#41376 I assume this is what you're looking for

It does have a section of pipe. I believe they call it the "Phat Daddy." I like em...nice positive grip.

Get a tunnel coach that is also an AFFI. Ask around the DZ and someone will point you in the right direction. Or post which tunnel and I'm sure you'd get recommendations.

I've had two custom containers. One Talon FX FX5 size and my current V308 Micron. My measurements haven't really changed in between, either. The UPT is much more comfortable in every respect. Yes, the smaller size does help - beyond surface area the entire system is simply lighter, which is nice. Outside of the padding etc etc the harness geometry and articulation philosophy is quite different between the two - I'm guessing drives a fair amount of the comfort factor.

Hi sandy: I had a nice reply but it was eaten by my iPad. So in condensed form: I listened to both Ep 5 where you talk about MARDs and the "hard deck" and Ep 8 where the hard deck issue was covered in greater depth with DanBC. So confessing I assumed something (we all know what happens when onendoes that...) based on reading two threads on the issue and reading comments from those that listened to the podcast. They have much merit and are a very good source of continuing education - especially around Safety Day. In sum, I found both conversations completely intelligible without a lot of required "what did he mean" interpretation. Likewise, I'd say that most people that have earned an A license could intuit the intent. I can also see how the lack of gnats ass specificity *could* be confusing. I see that more of a feature than a bug, however. As noted in Ep 8, I believe, that there is a certain "fluidity" to skydiving that means know e lifesaving rules but you have to react to what you see...and that there isn't a decision tree for every 100 feet of the jump. There have been comments in a few threads now that "I heard it on e podcast" where I'm not sure that "message transmitted" equals "message received." (where I suspect you'll find your answer to the "Skyhook limits the reserve bridle to a 5 foot launch (in the incidents thread...)). With respect to "hard deck" the threads, the podcast etc recognize thst it is a bit of a goofy term that has no defined meaning but that everyone uses. As it applies to the OP's question...his definition is not what is taught during instruction (at least I hope not...), isn't what is implied on the podcasts nor is it what was written in the Skydive Mag article - it, too, conflates decision altitude and hard deck. No biggie...we all get it. I think that my points were 1) this is an instructional or comprehension issue and 2) to seek clarification from an actual instructor instead of engaging in a SIM rewrite. Like all other skydiving rules of there we have altitude decision gates on every jump: when to pull, when to decide-and-act and when it is time to hit silver only because you've run yourself out of Schlitz. These simple guidelines keep us safe and adding to them with a 1,001 squishy situations confuses what should be simple decisions. I guess that was my long winded point to the OP. The podcasts are good...but long. A tool to add a bit to the luck bucket that should be crosschecked with an instructor if there are questions. Just like anything else. M

I think the issue with "hard deck" - specifically - is that it is a term that we all use but it doesn't really have a specific definition. At least not in the SIM, iirc. The SIM talks in terms of various license dependent container opening altitudes, various "decison-to-act" altitudes and the "too low to safely cutaway and deploy a reserve" altitude (1k AGL). Hard deck / decision altitude things, like, porn that is "I know it when I see it" type things. Jumpers often use the terms interchangeably, to mean the same things etc. I have a hard deck where Id go reserve only, a hard deck wjere it is time to hit EPs regardless, a hard deck where I'd like my EPs completed and a hard deck where id go to reserve only. These are also decision altitudes. And the altitudes are basically what you'd expect given the SIM and common practice given a little upwards fudge factor. The point is that I can sit around in bar school after jumping, use whichever term I'd like and people will understand what I'm taking about given the situation described. I didn't listen to the podcast but given all the concern it seems like the concepts could have been better presented. They're important thing - regardless of the "words" used that you have a plan that YOU know and makes sense to you. I will try to deploy between 2.5 and 3.5. I will decide if I have a good canopy by x altitude. I will have my EPs complete by y altitude. I will mit cutaway below z. If my lines snap after my "standard decide and act" altitude but I'm above my too low to cutaway altitude comfortably I'll cutaway and deploy my reserve etc etc. This stuff is situational. And, for the most part, similar within a nine iron, for *most* jumpers...avoiding the odd case you can argue forever. It seems to me that this "podcast" gave some questionable advice - or at least phrased it poorly. Like anything else when you're learning, if you hear / read something that sounds reasonable but it new to you...run it by someone qualified to give an opinion and talk it through. Every FJC is different and every podcast is different. Don't take them as gospel.

Davi, good time to reach out to Jason Gordon (our regional director) and share your ideas with him. The SIM gets updated in the USPA Board's Safety & Training committee, and Jason would be the local conduit to that.

Yeah...good luck with that. Low bulk fabric is groovy but isn't a miracle worker. Line length / diameter and all other components don't shrink up, too. Plus other factors etc etc. Likewise, the PIA Volume Chart put out by Sandy Reid at Rigging Innovations suggests a larger volume... http://www.rigginginnovations.com/files/Docuemnts/Other/PIA%20Canopy%20Volume.pdf Take these charts for what they are...a general measurement. Location, humidity etc all influence the data. Sometimes they're true/close enough and sometimes they're full of shit. Don't buy a container because you want to fit 27 different sizes of canopies in there. Buy one made to fit what you're going to be jumping. Better: call the manufacturer and tell them what you want to put in the container and let them pick the size.

Stills from the filming http://www.normankent.com/photogallery-productionclients-kingsmansecretservice

If anyone is in FL at the end of Feb it looks like Redline is going to have some stuff setup for demos etc at Lake Wales. Plus, helicopter. https://www.facebook.com/events/1773407519551541/ I don't WS...but figured it was at least within a nine iron of being relevant.

Get the w11. While low-bulk material is groovy it isn't a miracle worker...especially when you're on the upper end of fit. Particularly if you're going to jam the biggest reserve possible in there. Both are made for a PDR 160 with the w10 135-150 and the 11 at 150-170, iirc. Jumping with a brick rig sucks. Jumping max, tight reserve and max main may (not definitely but possibly) lead to some interesting results. Those cubic inch charts are a bit of voodoo...sometimes true, sometimes not. Will it fit? Likely. Are there better suited sizes that will be more comfortable? Definitely.