tikl68

Bummer to hear that is happening. At my home DZ we continue to work with and mentor students. We also have a program called excel camp where we work with newly licensed jumpers to help add the necessary skills they need for RW jumping and it is free coaching. So some of the things you can work on are 90 degree turns by picking a reference for heading,turn 90,stop,then turn back, and 360 degree turns, and yes I know it is tough without a reference for feed back but just focus on the proper technique and not building bad habits that have to be un-learned later. You can also try slow fall and arching (fast fall) and always work on staying altitude aware.

Thank you for posting. Had not heard an update. She spent a lot of time at my home DZ. I will be happy to help as much as possible.

just want to touch on the "canopy transfer" as most of the other situations have been answered. A canopy transfer might be ONE of the options. If it is the option you have decided to use, you deploy your reserve and cutaway immediately after. Just letting you know the process, not saying its the best option.

I am surprised one of the biggest boogies was left out. "Chicks Rock" at Elsinore. Not sure of the exact date this year but it is usually around the first weekend in Oct.

good to hear. I hope it helps you struggle less.

see I told ya. I suck on my comp. Fortunately my room ate is sharp. Try this. https://drive.google.com/open?id=1NndQp7W2Q7ERrfJuFkjwvciHxUzLOVVg

Not sure how to make it a clicky but you can copy and paste.https://drive.google.com/open?id=1NndQp7W2Q7ERrfJuFkjwvciHxUzLOVVg

Im some where inbetween. I dont pull them to the outside like he did, and I dont wrap them around the line set and tuck them in. I just let them hang favoring in more than out. As I pull the tail/label up to start "rolling" the tail, I will use my hand to hold the steering line sets from spreading open as you pull the tail up.

Yes S folding 2/3 of the canopy and doing the last part after its in the bag is what i teach and how i pack andn the way I wrote it the previous reply. The steering lines and material I just let them hang where they are. Yes pulling them into the center too far can increase the potential for a line over. watch the video I sent in the PM

PM sent. Hope it helps.

ok I will try to explain some of the little things (and it takes all of them) that help,in my opinion, I was also a full time packer for 4 years. One of the important aspects is to not cut corners in technique. When rolling the tail, how you roll it is important, and how you handle it once it is on the ground when getting the air out while trying to reduce/ consolidate its width,can make or break it. when you roll the tail concentrate on the top,where the label is first. make sure to match the two seams together and actually fold them over together using both hands and not just tuck one under the other, it takes a little patients and dexterity. I use my middle finger and wrap it around the group of lines and let the canopy hang like in a hook in order to use my thumb and first finger on my right hand, to help my left hand,fold,pinch,fold,pinch, about 3 or 4 times. How you fold the bottom of the tail is also important. I use my left hand and again match up the two seams, and fold both of them over,use the top of my left thigh to pin down the fold,and grab the fold with my thumb and first finger pick up the fold and fold it over again, repeat about 4 or 5 times. The first fold should be about an inch. When done with the folding let the canopy hang. Use the webbing between your thumb and first finger on your right hand, with your hand open to hold the top of the tail fold in place by sliding your hand towards the slider grommets. With the canopy hanging,still holding the bottom of the tail fold with your left hand, spread your remaining fingers open and gently push into the canopy making small adjustments from side to side until you find the happy center. Set the canopy on the ground. Yes this has a lot to do with getting a brand new canopy in the bag, patients grass hopper. Packing has as much to do with felling as it does seeing, and understanding what you are feeling. Once the canopy is on the ground the biggest mistake people make is they handle it too much. You should be able to get the air out of it and consolidate it with about 3 attempts. I dont kneel ON the grommets in order to hold it in place, I put my knees on the sides and pinch tho the center. When you push the material towards the center to consolidate it,be careful as you slide your hands up to push again towards the tail that is on the floor,dont use a lot of pressure on the canopy(when sliding up) or you will pull the label part of the tail fold out of your knees and expose the slider grommets, and its down hill from there. Once you get the air out and the width is closer to the size of the opening of the bag, before I get up off the canopy put one of your fore arms under your chest on the canopy about armpit level and use the other hand to slide under the canopy and slide your hand towards the top where your pilot chute is attached, pushing the canopy in a little more all the way to the top, switch fore arms and repeat on the other side. Now before you get up take your dominant hand, slide it under the canopy,some where about arm pit level, and you should be able to feel where the tail fold is.Clamp it closed. Now you can get up. Use your other hand and place it on the canopy about half way between where you have you other hand clamped and the top of the label, and make the fold. If your lap/top of your thighs are in the way you can not push the canopy all the way down there for not finishing the (S) fold and again it goes down hill from there. At this point it is easier to kneel/balance on 2 folds than 3. It takes some attention to where you are kneeling. Feel where the canopy is trying to get out from under your knees and make subtle adjustments by slightly changing where you kneel on the canopy. Once you are balanced take the flap of the D-bag and slide one corner under the bottom of the fold on the floor by carefully leaning over to one side and pulling up on the the corner of the fold on the floor. Dont put the whole flap under, it ends up being too much of an angle when doing the other side, you only need enough to hold it in place when you put pressure on it with your knee while you do the same thing on the other side with the other corner of the D-bag flap but this time pull/slide the corner of the flap further, up to where the flap meets the rest of the D-bag. Then go back to the other side,reach across with your arm and grab the 2 folds on the corner and provide resistance on the canopy while pulling the tab of the D-bag towards your body. Once you are to this point support the flap and stand the D-bag up between your thighs to hold the bag closed while you stick the last fold, at the label down into the bag. Easy money. I will shoot a video covering this and PM you the link. It takes some dexterity and a little bit of sensitivity with your hands and knowing how to aggressively finesse it.

It would be easier to show in person as there are subtle things that you cant explain on the internet. I am one of the people who teach the AFF packing course at my home DZ. One of my students had to take her packing course on a brand new student canopy. I showed her some techniques specific to dealing with new "slickery" canopies and she had no problems, only took about 5 hours for the whole course. When she got her new canopy at around 80 jumps most people were surprised she did not struggle with it. When they made comments she would tell them who she took her packing course with and they would get it.

he was.

I often use the analogy when people ask to explain the two like this. You have 2 brothers. One has a 4.0 GPA at a well known popular college, and gets a job in the corporate world making 150k,wears nice suits,lives in an expensive condo, and socializes with other corporate people. The other brother has a 3.2 GPA at a local college, gets a regular job with a city municipality making 60k, hangs out at the local micro brewery, and lives down by the beach. Both DZ,s are good. They have different vibes. Perris is little more business feel to it. If your goal is to jump more and not focus that much on the social side of our sport it is a good place for that. If you want to skydive and enjoy the social side of our sport,specially after a day of jumping, then Elsinore is it. Perris does have 2 otters,and 3 skyvans. Elsinore has 2 caravans,an otter, and a skyvan. The area for wingsuits is west of the DZ about a half mile, running North to South, offset, but parallel to freefall jump run if you look at google maps, basically their own lane. hope this helps. Hi Robert.

So here is the URL for vimeo.https://vimeo.com/152769189 The part you want to watch is 2.50 till the e. The videographer made a point to film my track. Notice the people in the background, specially the one in the blue jumpsuit, in his hip arc. Notice as i straighten my legs, and then pull my legs towards the ground. You will notice that I pitched forward at a steep angle because I smacked it really aggressive for the video, but I will roll back to a belly to earth at the end of the video. Hope this helps.

Like some one else said it is awesome you want to track better. I perfected my track early, and pretty much can keep up or out"flat"track just about any one I jump with, and people i jump with for the first time usually make comments after we land, and ask whats my secret. I noticed you jump in san diego. Do you know Luke short, Pete olson? I jump in Elsinore and often load organize, and we also have a program called Excel camp which is FREE belly coaching. Yes I said FREE!!! You pay for your slot and the DZ covers the coaches slot. It has been very successful. We teach the basic building blocks of formation(RW) flying with non rushed dirt dives, and a proper debrief,usually with video. You are more than welcome to come up for an Excel day just check the web site for dates it is usually 1 a month. That being said, some of the techniques for efficient tracking are,to gently cup your chest area the correct way, keep your chin tucked to where your collar bones meet in the middle/top of your chest, and when you straighten/lock your knees, most people still have an arc in their hip, so instead of thinking de-arch, pull your shins down towards the ground. If your arms are straight out to your side (in a T shape) they will cause drag and slow your forward drive. I have video of me tracking, will try to find it and post or upload it.

approximately 6 years ago at Elsinore a wing suitor walked in from the landing area asking if we had seen so-n-so, his buddy. We said no. He said we should go looking for his friend,because he and his friend had collided and he thinks his friend was knocked out. We found his friend at the golf course about a mile north. His was knocked out,AAD fired, still unconcious during landing(according to golf players that witnessed landing on the greens) with nor flare. He suffered a broken femur from the landing, and other injuries were from the initial collision, but he did survive. The other jumper had a large bruise on his thigh.

In the scenario you are referring to,it is unlikely that the unconscious person will remain neutral in the harness, and not affect the canopy. That being said unless a canopy is kept directly into any head wind,as soon as it moves off to one side or the other of the line of the of the head wind,the head wind will continue to push the canopy to the side it veered, with increasing affect as the canopy shows more of its profile eventually ending up downwind, providing the head wind is stronger than what the canopies forward speed is able to produce. Ever see anybody land and not be directly into the wind when they flare? They get pushed to the side they were favoring, and if not corrected, end up in a slight turning/flare that often is 90 degrees to the wind line. The strength of the wind also plays a factor, and enough altitude to allow it to happen.

My CRW dawgs (too wrapped up) out of Elsinore always have canopies and other equipment needed to outfit a pup to get them in the air. Like most people have said get some info from a CRW dawg and specialized/proper equipment, and definitely a proper hook knife.Believe it or not there are specific ways to deal with CRW EP's that are different than than free fall EP's and it is important to have that knowledge.

I am aware that adrenaline takes your strength to a whole other level. Thats not my point. During a stressful situation, with sensory overload due to information coming in faster than you are used to processing it, to have the mindset not to mention the TIME, to reach up and try to break something off your helmet, that is probably entangled in a ball of shit of lines, if it has not rendered you unconscious due to breaking your neck,or pinned your head to one side or the other, is optimistic at best. Again I have done video for CRW Dawgs since 2006 and have filmed many a wrap, and I can tell you their hands were full, WITH OUT A CAMERA ON THEIR HELMET!!!!! You may not do CRW in your imagined emergency scenario, but having your own parachute snagged and wadded up with your camera IMHO will be more than you bargained for.

I jump with a camera and have filmed tandems, outside video of 4 way teams, inside video when I am load organizing, and video for CRW dawgs since 2006. I am curious how you would be able to have the presence of mind during a stressful event like a emergency situation, and the valuable time to "break" the camera off, or to "undo the helmet" if it is entangled with a main canopy. I have a cutaway handle for the chin cup on my helmet. You might want to rethink your"camera EP's" just my 2 cents.

Nope dont drink coffee. Sometimes it 6k sometimes its 7k but it is rarely due to temp. I jump in Elsinore and Perris and during the summer time(like right now) the temp on the ground usually is hovering around, I dont know something like, 105-110, and no I dont actually start doing my gear checks til about 8k. We rarely see 80 degrees, even in winter. Like myself and one other poster it is also for the tandem video interview.

I was 16. Back in 1986 the legal age was 16 with parents consent, and with my dad being a static line instructor and DZO he was my jump master for my first two static line jumps.

Yep same for my DZ. We also close it around 6K not only for video for tandems but myself and other people start to move around a little bit as we do gear/pin checks and practice touching emergency handles and it would suck for a pilot chute to get out of the door.

The only issue I would like to bring up is to have a door open not only effects the time and fuel in the climb rate, but a pilot chute getting out the door can be a bad day, and if every one is following the rules, and wearing their seat belt until 1000/1500ft, and a pilot cute gets out the door, thats a real bad day.