evan85

+1. I have also used the Cookie roller mount for ~100 jumps. I echo everything FataMorgana said -- it's easy to adjust when you want but will not move on its own when you don't (even when you hit your camera on the door... doh!). When you remove it to fly in the tunnel, you leave on the baseplate (which covers the holes you drilled). This works perfectly fine, including for flying head-down on the net (just put your gaffer's tape right over the top of the base plate). I couldn't be happier with it.

I'm going to have to keep that one in mind next time I'm drafting such a provision...

I recently took a ride in a Cirrus with a friend. He told me about the CAPS system -- apparently pilot is required to brief all passengers on how to use it -- and naturally I had questions... The most interesting part to me was that, if the CAPS is deployed, the airframe is essentially totalled; it is sacrificed to absorb some of the shock of the parachute. I don't know for sure that this is the case, it could be true that it doesn't really damage the plane much, but this is what I was told.

These are all good options for a brand-new skydiver. Once you have your A license (around 25 jumps)--in addition to continuing to read and internalize these--I'd suggest The Parachute and Its Pilot. A little advanced for someone who's never flown a canopy before, but really great information once you're ready for it. Read it at 25 jumps, then again at 100, then again at 250, and probably some more after that. Great insight that keeps getting better and deeper as you get more of your own canopy flight time.

................................................................................ Ralph has helped lots of my customers get decent deals on new parachutes. Just be cautious when Ralph offers to sell you "slightly-used" parachutes! Hah! Hah! I was assured mine was brand new. But then again, I had him ship them straight to my rigger and I haven't yet had the opportunity to see it yet. Will have to see if the first time I get to use it there's a big "Call Ralph" patch on the side

Ralph was a little slow to keep in touch with me, but ended up getting me a good deal on a new reserve and AAD. Would definitely go to him again. Use the phone.

FYI: This month's parachutist, just inside the front cover, calls the Mirage W Series, "the first TSO'd dual parachute system designed specifically for wingsuit B.A.S.E."

There are two benefits, from what I understand: 1. You can pull your slider down to the bottom of your risers (and secure it behind your head). Good for someone having enough experience who wants to loosen their chest strap and open up their risers/lines but doesn't want the hassle of a removable slider or RDS. 2. Slinks--when installed correctly--are stronger than rapide links. I don't have the data on me, but as I recall they have about twice the breaking strength.

This one's been around a while... like over 35 years From Wikipedia: "The Jovian–Plutonian gravitational effect, a hoax phenomenon stated to cause a noticeable short-term reduction in gravity on Earth, was an invention for April Fools' Day by the English astronomer Patrick Moore broadcast on BBC Radio 2 on 1 April 1976." http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jovian%E2%80%93Plutonian_gravitational_effect

Tackling someone--especially someone with not a lot of experience--seems like a bad idea. As mentioned above, I'd worry they might freak out and grab my handles. Now, I had a good prank pulled on me on my 100th jump that I thought was appropriate and not dangerous. It was a small-ish tracking jump. Right at breakoff (which was high--6000ft), another jumper swooped in and grabbed me by the ankle, proceeding to pull off my shoe and then track away before deploying. The way breakoff was designed (though I don't remember specifically now), there was room for him to get away after the theft and I was good to pull in place. Because he grabbed me at the ankle there was no concern I'd try to grab him, because I wouldn't be able to reach him. He brought my shoe down with him and gave it to me at the LZ. It was someone I knew well, we had jumped together before and apparently he knew I could handle myself and would be heads up, which I think I was given the situation. Because it was my 100th jump, I had no problem trusting him on future jumps--I knew it was a one-time thing for that occasion, not something he'd do again whenever he felt like messing with me. [inline 972202_10151535457533143_1816704276_n.jpg]

I have one on my G3 and agree with everything cbjetboy said. Two additional points: I can vouch for having flown in the tunnel head-down on the net with the base plate installed (with gaffers tape over it) and it was totally fine. I can also vouch for its strength. I was kicked in the head on a recent tracking jump (not serious). Even though I could not move the mount on my own by virtue of how tight the screws were (both before or after the jump), it was hit hard enough to change angles and even jam up a bit against itself at the far limit of its rotation. After removing the screws, a couple taps from a hammer freed the mount from being jammed up. I put it back to together and it works just like it was brand new. Can't say that would have happened with a plastic stock mount...

Brian Germain's PC packing method is not designed to reduce the incidence of a bridle wrap. Rather, it is designed to effect easier and more positive extraction of the PC in the event of a horseshoe malfunction so that the bridle can pull the PC out of the BOC. From Brian's website (http://www.bigairsportz.com/art-pilotchute.php): "Why should you change your pilot chute packing method? Simple. Most methods, when presented with a bag-first deployment (a.k.a. horseshoe), will allow the load on the bridle to turn the pilot chute into a large ball inside the pocket, possibly prohibiting you from ever getting the pilot chute out of the pocket at all. This situation forces the skydiver to pull his reserve with the main still trailing from the pocket, even after he or she has cut away. Even if you have the strength to pull the pilot chute out of the pocket, you may not be able to reach the handle, as the bottom of the container (and the pouch) are now pressed up against the reserve pack tray. Remember, the main is already out of the rig. Unless you are one of those fortunate enough to be able to scratch your shoulder-blade, you may be in serious trouble. This method significantly increases the chances of the bridle pulling the pilot chute out of the pocket."

I agree that the N3 is a G3 is not particularly comfortable. I bought an N3 to use as an audible when I still had an analog wrist-mount, knowing that I would eventually get another audible and use the N3 as a visual. When I got the G3 and first put the N3 in it and tried it on, I immediately bought an Optima II for my helmet and switched the N3 to my wrist.

I didn't go back and read the SIM or the BSRs, but my understanding is that there is no requirement for main opening or "in the saddle" altitude, just pack opening altitude. Safety-wise that is a different question, but I understood your question to be just about the rules.

2,500 ft is minimum container opening altitude, same as the old 2,000 ft rule was. If you (with a D license) deploy at your comfortable 3,000-2,800 ft altitude you will be unaffected. http://skydiveuspa.wordpress.com/2013/08/02/uspa-raises-minimum-deployment-altitude/

Only partially helpful. So is icaruscanopies.aero the Precision spin-off, or is that the CIMSA brand? Also, just because NZ Aerosports was the first doesn't mean they are the best... Recall that Ford was the first mass-produced car, for example. Regardless of the history, I just want to know which is the better canopy, or if there's no appreciable difference.

With 200 jumps that would not be a good idea. ^^^ winner. A Crossfire may very well be in my future, but I'm sticking to semi-elliptical for the moment.

Something like this?

So I'm in the market for a new 150 main, and I'm looking at a Safire2 (or possibly a Sabre2). If I decide to go with the Safire, should I get one from NZ Aerosports or from Icarus? I've read up a bit and understand these are two completely different companies, and am wondering which one makes the better canopy.

One extra freefall alarm (the optima has 3, get out, pull and oh-oh), with appearantly pulsating tones between the first and second freefall alarm(like you'd get on your optima between 2nd and 3rd canopy alarm), so you know how much longer you can track. Quattro manual does not mention the pulsating tone between 2nd and 3rd canopy alarm. So I assume that's not in there. Quattro has 3 climb to altitude alarms. Optima does not. Perfect if you need to be woken up during the plane ride. In the end, it does look like the quattro has a small extra edge for wingsuit/bigway (as advertised). I don't have one (only an optima II), those are just the differences I see right now, by reading their manuals. Correction: My Optima II definitely does have 3 climb-to-altitude alarms.

Has anyone had any trouble/comments with showing up to fly in a tunnel with just the base plate attached? Would hate to drill holes and bolt it on only to find I couldn't use it in the tunnel. I did an hour in the tunnel this past week--included HD on the net--with the base plate on. No problems, just a couple extra pieces of tape over the base plate (in addition to the tape keeping the top of my helmet pretty and free of scratches ) to make sure nothing caught on the net.

I also jumped the R44 in Moab, it was great! The pilot did keep some forward speed -- he told us he'd try to get it below 30 before we jumped. We were instructed to stand on the strut before exiting, to fall off rather than push the strut, and that we were not permitted to hang. Didn't seem sketchy to me, although I had not previously done a heli jump.

I have one. The mount matches the G3 exactly, but the bottom surface is not smooth -- it's hollowed out in some places to make it lighter (because it's aluminum, not plastic). This makes the tape idea much less appealing. I drilled the holes and don't regret it. You can easily remove all but the small mount piece for tunnel use, etc.

Fair point, but it's not just something I said on the internet, it's something I said and specifically mentioned I had no evidence for. Since no one has shown that it's not true, I don't think it's unfair to say. Providing a rigger may be a stretch, but again just reporting what I heard. Rebooking you if they make you miss your flight I do not think is a stretch -- they do that if they make you miss a connection because of delays on your first leg of a 2-leg itinerary, right?

On a serious not I call b.s. on every one of those. Do you have a TSA link to back any of them up? I think you could be leading a new guy in a seriously wrong direction here. - As noted below, TSA's page at http://www.tsa.gov/traveler-information/parachutes has no. 2. USPA's page at http://www.uspa.org/Portals/0/Downloads/Newsletters/Traveling%20with%20Your%20Rig%20Dec%2009.pdf says that you may ask for a supervisor if you're having problems, which for me is as good at no. 1 because who wouldn't ask for a supervisor if TSA asked to open your rig? I have also heard no. 1 from a number of different people. Regardless, I dispute that my saying something with the very clear caveat "(as they were told to me, I haven't confirmed these independently)" is going to lead anyone "in a seriously wrong direction", unless that person is in the habit of believing everything they hear on the internet.