sammielu

After you throw your pc if you have hesitation, check over one shoulder to disrupt the airflow into your burble. ody position is important too. Have someone video your deployment and watch the clip with an instructor (plan in advance to meet them with a beer and a video ready to go). The video will show you where you are throwing that pc, and then you can lay on the floor and practice a few times. If youre on the floor and im sitting at your shoulder facing you, throw it to hit me in the face. 10 min of instructor time, 10 min of rigger time looking at your gear, a beer for yourself, and there's still half a Sixpack (or half a pizza, whichever you want to bring) to go around. Problem solved. Also: if you're counting seconds, count out loud. We count fast when we're excited or freaked out.

Since when are crw dogs so picky? Any airworthy container that matches your budget, body, and reserve size preference will do. Obviously bigger is better for packing, but I'm a sloppy lightning packer (as long as I don't give myself line twists or damage the top skin with the bridle retraction rings, I'm happy). A 126 fits into the tray built for a 150 quite nice, I don't have to change closing loops for that one, and a 176 fits into a container built for a 126. Not easy to pack, but functional without fabric hanging out all over. An old Vector built for 170-210 should be easy to find since even novice jumpers want safety features like AAD, RSL, and riser protection. Maybe an ISO add would help you out?

Short landing advice: Once you turn on final, minor heading corrections only, using toggles at this point takes away from your flare. How does it feel to flare too high? You finish the flare with your feet off the ground, then come down with some force How does it feel to flare too low? By the time your flare is finished, you're already running to keep up or the momentum is too much to run out and you're on the ground. Same applies if you start the flare late and dont have time to finish it because you're sliding on the ground with your face. Watch people land. You'll see a lot of toggle B.S. on final (bad habit, doesent help anything), and a lot of people stopping flying the parachute as soon as their feet are on the ground (pinwheel crazy arms while trying to run out all the momentum). 'Finish your flare' means finish it even when you are on the ground, fly the parachute until it's on the ground. It's hard to explain but you'll see this hilarious terrible landing habit everywhere. Evaluate what you are doing with your flares after you land, only listen to instructors, tune out all the loudmouths with big opinions. Get a buddy to video some landings, then arrange to debrief them with an instructor (at the end of the day, if you bring beer or pizza or any kind of food - any good instructor will give you the 10-30 min debrief you need). Then you'll be in better shape when Flight-1 comes around! Canopies: Any 9-cell is fine for you. I went Safire (original, not Safire 2) because it was available used at the time. Sabre 2 is a good choice too. I've never flown a Pilot, but you have, so that should be in the running. Ask around and see what people might trade you for a jump or two, maybe there are some of those canopies in a 170 or 169 that you could try out before you downsize.

Doctors don't understand skydiving, you have to ask them questions about everyday activities that would apply similar force: like falling down stairs, running through a field that has the occasional divot or small hole that your foot could get caught in (describe your landing area), jumping off the back of a truck or off of a playground swing, sliding in like during baseball. If the doctor tells you to avoid running/jumping/falling unless it's essential for transportation or an emergency, then you probably shouldn't do that stuff for fun either. So no hard landings, running out your landing, flaring too high, or sliding it in, if the doctor tells you not too.

You're saying contradictory things here. If your landings are inconsistent, going faster across the ground (via downsize) won't help. Penetration into the wind will change some with a smaller canopy, but that problem is better addressed with spotting skills, wind awareness, and knowing how to get back from long spots (basic canopy skills). Talk to some instructors about improving your landings before you increase speed with a downsize. What's the problem you experience: Accuracy? Standing up or not? Downsizing doesent address either of those.

Your doctor is the best resource for brace or no brace questions. Ask what would happen if you fell down the stairs or off the back of a truck with/without a brace. It really depends on how much force would damage you beyond an acceptable (to you) level of repair, physically and financially. Personally, I don't like braces. They limit movement and use of my muscles to keep my body safe. If I need to be careful with a body part such that I'm in a brace to avoid injury, I also limit my activity to reduce the chance of injury to an acceptable level. For skydiving the scariest thought for me is landing unconscious under a reserve after an AAD fire. My reserve is big, I am careful who I jump with and who I'm in the plane with to minimize the possibility of getting knocked out. My main is 1.2 wL and I don't add extra speed to my landings. That is acceptable risk to me. What is acceptable for you?

I started jumping when my dad got cancer. He was getting the standard health screenings you're supposed to get at 50. He was mostly healthy, exercised, didn't drink or smoke and was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer immediately and passed away at 52. If you can do everything you're supposed to do and only make it to 52, I want to do everything I want to do. So I started pursuing my A and found something I wanted like I had never wanted anything in my life, and my parents freaked out. I made it clear that I was in it for the long haul, to be able to jump for as long as I can in my life. I had aerodynamic conversations with my engineer father, had them both read Above All Else, A Parachute and it's Pilot, and every book I could get my hands on. When incidents were on the news here and there I would explain what happened honestly. Personal decisions kill more in this sport than equipment failures do. I made it a point to learn as much about my equipment as I could, walking them through a gear check and explaining how everything works. And over and over again explaining that I want to jump as long as I can without injury or death. I don't jump if the weather is iffy, I don't jump with certain people, and I don't get on the plane with certain others, and if I'm not feeling it, I don't do it. I pull high (as dz's allow of course), fly conservatively, have a reserve at a 1:1 wingloading, and only do things where I have the option to bail if I feel like it or if someone freaks me out. They were sold the first time they saw a picture of my smile during a jump. If you don't have happiness what do you have? I did my first tandems as instructor yesterday and my mom wants to jump with me this summer. Opinions can change if you come at it with love, not force.

As a student (tandem, aff, static line, or IAD): listen to your instructors, not the internet. If you have knee issues, talk about it with your instructors before you jump. In first jump courses we ask "do you have any medical issues or injuries that may prevent you from jumping" at the beginning... no one says anything... but knee braces and ankle braces show up when it's time to gear up. If you want to wear a brace or knee pads, you have an issue you should discuss with your instructor so they can help you avoid injury. After you've been taught to PLF properly, practice until you can comfortably PLF from 3-4' up (stairs or the back of a pickup truck), rolling to each side and backwards too. Then you'll know you'll be fine and you can relax and listen to your instructors for the rest of landing info. Start practicing from 1 step or a short step stool and work your way up in height. If it hurts to PLF you're either doing it wrong (get more coaching and more practice) or skydiving might not be for you at this time/fitness level.

I'm taking a tandem instructor course in a few weeks and am studying all aspects right now. The common theme in a tandem skydive is customer service... to a point. "Your fun stops where my safety begins" applies to tandem instructors addressing students who ask for things they think are fun, like doing "flips and shit" or doing canopy turns, or getting the pretty sunset photo. Given that it is possible to do a flyby safely with planning and skills, how could the TI possibly communicate to the wingsuit pilot that the plan needs to change immediately for saftey purposes? For example, if there is a malfunction, the passenger is unconscious or puking, or the TI needs to be watching another situation on the ground/in the air, canopy flight goals change immediately. All fun stops on a tandem when there is any saftey issue, so how could a flyby be stopped if needed?

It's why we skydive. The adrenaline is only present the first few jumps (or when trying something new or when a problem arises). The peace, joy, and pure smiles are there in every skydive. You're a skydiver now my friend!

Physical currency is extremely important in this sport. There is a definite reduction in flying skills and information retention in students who can only jump once a month versus those who come out every week or more often. The USPA requirement to make a jump every 30 days for students makes sense to instructors because we can see the difference. Also the way things are taught has evolved over the last 10 years. AFF and completing all of the A license card is what you have to do to get in the air, and it's for a reason. The best skydivers (and the best ones to be around) are humble about their skills and eager to learn. Every jump, every course, every interaction with a coach or instructor is an opportunity to learn. If you want to get your license, accept that there are things you don't know (that you think you do know!), head to the dz with an open mind, and then do everything your instructor says. I had two students last year in similar situations (one with a years-old A license card 90% completed, one who thought he was licensus bUT it never got to the USPA). They learned a lot, were eager to practice the skills they needed too to pass their jumps, and ultimately were a breeze as students.

It might have been Monday in other countries too. Maybe ;)

Have you checked with Square Two?

Third variable: Angle. I've definitely seen people with really fast tracks point their body towards the earth at a 30-45 degree angle. That's definitely going to affect their distance over the ground. Booties only help if they're used properly, body position matters much more. Ever been on a tracking dive where people in freefly suits out track the bootie suits? It's common.

I pretty much agree. Some of this stuff would be useful for newer jumpers. Canopy/container/manufacturer info is the only part I'm interested in, and that's for when I talk to newer jumpers about how to research on manufacturers' websites. Jumpers need to take responsibility for their own gear, knowledge, and trusted information sources. I've heard some really crap ideas/misinformation that folks come up with (because people mostly remember what they want too), please don't enable someone to misinterpret based on any additional sources.

Too much input (and hard to hear) for freefall. Great for crw.

You're correct. Used gear saves money and time (vs a custom rig waiting to be built). The $1k savings is a lot of skydives to me (or jumpsuit, helmet, altimeter), so I bought used. Really it's all a damn trap though. Before you know it you'll want a new gadget, alternate helmet, different jumpsuit or spare canopy. Might as well pick up a second rig for quick switches to crw/wingsuit/freefly/whatever your thing is. Eventually you'll get to some training camps and start spending money on travel, lodging, boogie fees, coach jump tickets, and camera fliers... and that's all separate from that damn windy tube and competitions. :) Just keep jumping while you are shopping for gear and you'll be fine.

Talk to your local rigger who will do your assembly, repacks, and maintenance. They might have preferences or references for dealers and manufacturers and can advise you on articulation vs not for your container and body sizes. As for MARD, I personally go rsl definitely, MARD maybe (but I bought used).

All this looks right to me, with an AAD separate for newer or nicer condition gear, or a used AAD included for not so new/clean, etc. It's good to have an idea about budget. Gear should drive your budget, though, not the other way around. Decide on the minimum size reserve you want to be on in a worst case scenario and look for containers/reserves that match that. Look in this order: container, reserve, main, AAD. Learn the complete list of which components that go with a container vs with a main. Consider buying a used container that is the right width for your shoulders (yoke) and length for you to reach handles, and sending the container to the manufacturer for a new harness custom to your body (about $500). Vector, Infinity, and Javelin containers in particular are easy to get harness mods on (not much experience with others). However you approach it, keep jumping in the meantime!!! Skydivers jump, stuff collectors buy thing after thing and don't get to the dz much (but might sell you their stuff in 10 years :).

My dz takes these to mean: until the "two intentional back to earth maneuvers", only instructors can conduct the ground training. Coaches can observe the jumps, just not train them for the jumps. As my IE put it, that's only practical if we have multiple students at a time on each jump, or if the instructor is injure or sick and has the coach go in the plane as a substitute. In normal situations, the person who trains them also goes on the jump; it's pretty fun that way.

Call the dz. They have an airport shuttle.

Agreed! As long as a first jump course student has practiced and drilled (and re-drilled) their EPs to the point where I'm confident they can execute them if needed, I really don't want them to have other ideas on how to handle emergencies that could get confused. KISS! For FJC students it simplifies to: 1. No canopy: EPs. 2. Some kind of canopy: unstow toggles, control check to determine if it's a good canopy. If not, EPs. 3. Canopy with line twists: watch your altitude, reach for risers, kick out. Then control check. At that level, adding hook knife is adding the expectation that they think before reacting to an emergency. I don't want them taking the time to think before they react. Not yet!!! I've given currency briefings to many jumpers when they come back after a layoff. I always ask them what they would do in specific scenarios. The answers are sometimes absolutely insane. From licensed jumpers with years of experience!! The best one I heard was that in case of a lineover or tension knot, the plan was to climb up the lines and untie it or cut the line that goes over. So... I don't want students thinking or coming up with their own plans. EPs only, KISS.

Next time there's a CRW briefing at your dz, you should go listen to get an idea just how much training is involved. Successful (beautiful!) CRW takes a ton of planning and practice and this night jump with Pyro is an advanced move within a group of advanced canopy pilots. They push the envelope for sure, but I disagree that it is irresponsible.

Cheap route for freefly is motocross gear, $40ish for each piece of a 2 piece suit and a much bigger market to find used stuff that fits you. Bev belly suits are $250 for basic and are fantastic quality. Find a local dealer and ask them to tell you when there's a nice sale (good one on now through the end of this week). That's my personal experience for ya.

I drilled holes in my old helmet visor, haven't needed too on my G3 because it's pretty abused (I throw that thing everywhere) and the visor leaves a sliver of a gap at the bottom. So... the lazy approach works too.