jtgadget

Bungee......I may have come into this world because of a broken rubber, but I'm not going out because of one!! I just did fifteen or so tandems this weekend, each and every one is special in it's own way. I think I could write a book on all of the quotes from my first time students. Isn't it great to experience a first time jump....every time!!

I just wanted to thank Eugene Skydivers for combining efforts Saturday with the Caravan. Eugene skydivers didn't have enough jumpers to keep the Caravan turning all day, Wright Brothers had an abundance of jumpers and tandems. They were kind enough to combine efforts and we all had a great time sharing the Caravan for the day. It helped both DZ's and bridged a gap, if only for the day, between two competitors. This is a true story of skydivers joining together for the good of the sport. Thanks again guys, it was great!! Jeff Wright Brothers Skydiving

First of all, the FAA did not shut down the Dropzone at Wright Bros. Skydiving. They are still up and running as usual. The FAA, on a pop inspection, found some corrosion under the battery tray where some acid had spilled during charging. It was not a structural or safety issue. It is currently being taken care of. Second, the other airplane that is currently flying for them had not been downed, or anything of the sort. It was being rented by Skydive Paradise in CA. The DZO down there had some aircraft problems and Wright Bros. came to their aid by loaning them their spare 182. It is so distastfull for all of the jumpers out there to jump on the band wagon and start slandering when they know good and well that Wright Bros. is not closing their doors. I thought that skydivers in general were suppose to stick together. As for the exprerienced jumpers, why take sides and try to badmouth one another's home DZ's? They benefit from the competition (competing jump prices, twice as many boogies/events). Try not to crap where you eat guys, we're all in the skydiving community together. Let's act like it!! J.T.

Let's do it Dan!! Harnessing up may be a bitch. I'm game

Hey Marcus, There was an excellent forumn about a month or so ago about this. I wrote a lengthy list about what to supply your medical/first-aid kit with. Check it out by clicking on this or copy and paste it in your address. If it doesn't come out properly, it is in the forumn titled "medical smarts at the DZ". Here's the link. http://www.dropzone.com/cgi-bin/forum/gforum.cgi?post=434480;search_string=search_string;#434480 I hope it helps. If you still can't get in, mail me at [email protected] . I can offer many many suggestions. There was also some other great replys on that other fourmn. Be smart, safe, and prepared for those that are not. Blue skies, J.T.

I was just wondering if anyone has a broken PC9 that they want to get rid of. I have a couple and one has a broken pc-board inside. I know there has got to be some people with ones that are broken externaly. I'll pay cash if someone wants to get rid of their PC-paperweight. J.T.

You have brought up a very good point. I recently organized a course at our DZ. We had not only a EMT that is also a jumper (like ten billion jumps), but we also invited the local volunteer paramedics, and some other first responders. I encourage all DZ's to do the same. Offer a CPR first aid course. The more people that sign up, the cheeper it usually gets. The locals were delighted to come. By working with them, they made some great suggestions like: If you call 911 from a cel phone, it is routed to the dispacher from were your cel service is from. It could take up very valuable time just pinpointing locations and such. Hold a short course just for the local EMT's, they don't know how to take off your gear without ruining it!! If it's a chest strap that they cut, it can be easily fixed. If it is the main lift web, it's a total to your harness. Show them where to cut if need be, they don't know where the cutaway cables, housings, reserve cables, etc. are routed. Those scissors that they use don't easily tackle these jobs. By showing them, they were more confident, and more willing to help save some gear next time. Our course director is very knowledgable about skydiving related emergencies, and had many many suggestions. Among them were....Divide the airport and surrounding area into quadrants, make a arial photo, divide them up and give a copy to the locals. When calling in an emergency, it is much easier to pinpoint the location. Some spots on or around the airport have totally different points of access for the ambulance. Make sure that you have spotters waiting to direct the responders to where they have to go. With training, the fellow jumpers can already have the injuries and vitals assest to relay to the responders, saving valuable time. If you have training, you may be able to help the EMT's, if they have it under control....get the hell out of their way!! Designate one person (maybe the manifester) to make the call to 911. Make sure he or she has all of the information about locations, address', waivers with medical info, etc. The people that run out to the "scene" should take a two way radio with the other end with the phone person. Keep one in the first aid kit (in the form of a backpack or something easily carryable on the run) with fresh batteries already set to the same frequency as the "base station". Don't have anything in the first aid kit that nobody knows how to use (you can do more damage than good sometimes if using equipment improperly). Have a bump and scrape first aid kit that Joe Jumper can access, but have a more in depth first aid kit for emergencies that only trained staff can get to. The most important thing is to have TRAINING!! Perform drills on cloudy days. Invite the locals in for some drills. Jumper down, AIRCRAFT DOWN, multiple jumpers down. Nobody wants to think that this is a possibility at your DZ, but let's face it guys....it's reality. I want more people to take training at my DZ. Who knows, it may be my butt that they save. There is a ton more to say, but I don't want to put you all to sleep. If you have any questions, feel free to e-mail me, I can help you organize an Emergency course with contacts and ideas. I may even post a forum about it. Take care guys, jump smart, be safe, if not....at least be prepared!!!! J.T.

Hey SAM, It sounds like you had a bum opening, it was surely compounded by the extra weight of the helmet cam. I have around 4,000 jumps, many with video. I have had more whacker openings than I care to remember (on one, I blew out three cells on my canopy). After trying just about every method in the book (and out too), I have come up with what I think is the best deployment/camera flying process. (Maybe this post is more for other current jumpers since it may be awhile before you fly camera again). First, lighter is better when it comes to helmet cams. As mentioned in an above post, remote lenses have their place, but unless you want to spend a bunch, they usually don't have the clarity or light adjusting speed of the actual cam. I have hundreds of jumps with a top mount Headhunter full face (remove visor and use goggles if you wear contacts). It sits pretty high and has a lot of weight. I tried holding the chin section on openings....bad idea!! If you insist, pinch it with thumb and finger, don't grip it. If you sustain a hard opening, the force is compounded by the weight of your arms too. Don't tuck your chin either, head tucked equals broken neck. Just like my football coach used to say "head up" when taking an impact. With head back during opening the weight is distributed on top and therefore doesn't swing forward with a pop!! It also allows you to let the risers get past the possibility of entanglment with camera before line twist. In the case of severe line twists, at least your head is in a position that you can see the canopy and asses the situation. (I know, I had a cutaway two days ago while videoing a birdman jump while in a bird-man suit). Besides, it's pretty cool to get the chop on tape!! I now jump a Bonehead Optik with D-box side mount PC9 because it is a ton lighter and less cumbersome. Possibly the most important way to stay safe while doing video is body position. Same goes for non-camera jumps. You can have the best canopy and pack job in the world, but most poor openings come from poor body position. After throwout, go right back into a big-ass ARCH!! With symetry, and position, you will lessen stress on the bones, and increase chances of a smooth on heading opening. As far as the injury, take it slow. I'm not one to give advice on this by example. I fractured my neck, punctured my asophogas (I'm sure I spelled that wrong, how about windpipe) with my spine and broke my nose after losing a contact lens on a night jump and landed off DZ in a very dark area under high performance canopy. I jumped the next morning despite the injuries. I DO NOT recommend that anyone does this!! Take your time to heal, don't push it or you'll suffer worse things than what you've already got. Take the advise of my doctor. "Do what you want, don't be stupid about it, and if it hurts, stop doing it. Don't come see me unless the bone shows, or you're sure it's broke." He may not be typical, but it makes sense. Don't push it if it's doing more damage. In closing, some of the best swoop videos and candid shots come from injured camera flyers. Get footage, tons of it, buy a quality editing program for your computer, and jumpers will flock to see your movies (especially if they are in it!!) Get well soon, be smart, stay connected with the skydiving community. Blue Skies, J.T.