chuckbrown

Target panels aren't strictly needed. I rarely use a target panel to determine where I am relative to another canopy. If you've got canopy and you're looking for where you should go, the red lines are a much better visual aid because that's where you're looking to place your feet. Target panels do look pretty, though.

This sounds like the pilot turned into the opposite wing & the wing failed to counter with increased outside riser input. The difficulty of piloting is that the pilot has to fly the formation while taking a dock. Try flying a formation after someone puts your head in a cell. Also, if you're serious about offset CRW, think about a Lightning. They are much more stable platforms than the hybrid Tri. Trust me, the difference is noticeable immediately.

That's my vote. I've cutaway a canopy with 1 broken line that failed this test.

Cotton panels on the top skin near the retracting rings. Helps prevent damage to the nylon when the rings expand during the opening sequence.

Cross Keys runs a first-rate training operation with some of the best instructors in the business.

And here's to nobody landing without a parachute. BTW, Ian's back rock climbing & running. He's out of jumping for now. A hard opening would ruin his day. But otherwise, Superman is rockin' & rollin'.

One way is for the bottom jumper to pull the top jumper down & to one side. Then both jumpers take harness grips & then very gently split the canopies by pulling outside toggle; if you put too much input in splitting the canopies they'll pull away & you won't be able to hold the tension.

Here's a tip: Put a rubber band on the innermost brake line (left or right side, it doesn't matter) right where the line attaches to the tail of the canopy. Then take all the brake lines in a bight and put a wrap of the rubber band around them. Then continue to pack as normal; the brake lines aren't going anywhere & you can worry about something other than a line-over. This is similar (in concept) to a tail-gate on a base rig.

Amen, brother. We have a couple of mottos at my home DZ. "Check your ego at the parking lot," and (my personal favorite) "come feeling small, leave feeling smaller."

Makes sense.

Hey Bubbles, I'm just curious, what are the DZ's reasons for requiring an AAD? I've always been a little skeptical about mandatory AADs on licensed jumpers (especially after that young lady went in at Perris a couple of years ago). Chuck

The problem here was that Ted thought he was different and that the warnings others were giving didn't apply to him because he excelled at everything he did. A lot of people tried to help him. The only lesson here is that if you don't respect the dangers of this sport and apply good risk assessment skills, you're gonna pay. Re-reading the original thread with the benefit of hindsight is really sad.

Your posts, unfortunately, remind me of your nephew's. Neither you or he wanted to accept views that counter your own. Fortunately, you won't pay nearly as high a price as he did for refusing to accept differing (and legitimate) viewpoints. You should remember the best about him and stop visiting this website. It obviously does nothing productive for you.

Don't burn it low. As long as you break it off with enough altitude to land safely, it's no big deal. Well, not really, cuz night CRW is really f***ing cool.

FWIW, one of our instructors (who's also a senior rigger) lives south of Annapolis and travels to Maytown fairly regularly. He posts here as Peckerhead. Send him a PM, maybe he can help you out.

Nothing wrong with those. If you're flying with a sequential trimmed canopy, somebody may need to add links. The sequential canopy can add links to the rear risers to bring the nose down or the competition canopy can add links to the front risers to bring the nose up. Depending on the age and condition of the canopy, you might not even notice any difference at all.

Put a mesh slider on a hybrid Tri and pack it like a reserve and you'll open faster than a Lightning. You'll also get the sh*t knocked out of you, and wonder why you just did that.

SL/IAD ends up being cheaper than AFF, especially if you fail a level. They're both good training programs and you have to demonstrate the same skill set to get a USPA license no matter what program you take. If you have money do AFF, if not do SL/IAD. I did AFF is 7 jumps & it was pretty intense. I was lucky not to have failed a level; I was having so much fun I almost forgot to perform my assignments. I would have been really, really pissed to have had to repeat a level. $1,000 for AFF is a very good price, though.

Totally off topic, but I just noticed your avatar (and your sig line). You da man! I actually saw LZ in concert in 1977. 14 years old, my pre-second concert. Man, what a show! Achilles Last Stand was unreal. Ok, back on topic ... what JSBird said, but I'd suggest someone other than the pilot do the PC toss. Someone you trust. Edited to add: God, this is horrible! It's coming up on 30 years since I saw that show. Ughh. Oh, well that's over, now for a bit of fun.

F*ck no, you're a peckerhead.

Think about a bigger slider, and also stuff the nose as far back into the canopy as you pack. You might also be experiencing an out of sequence deployment (line dump); check your rubber bands.

You've just described landing off the DZ at night. Definitely makes you focus on the here and now. Night jumps are a blast. Night CRW is even better. Landing a Night CRW formation is even better yet. Night water jumps are cool, too. And of course Night water CRW, too.

What he said. This really shows what a first rate operation SDAZ is.

Nice pics.

It's more like what am I up to. Right now we're jumping Lightnings at 1.6, but I'm trying to get the rest of the team to jump Comp Tri's at 1.7+. It seems that everybody in the world, except the USA, is jumping Comp Tri's. Just wanted to get a sense of why everyone likes them. P.S., Sonny's concentrating on the World Record attempts this year, so we're looking for a fourth. If you know of anyone who's interested, let me know (even if it's just to get some high quality training).