SFBayArea

LOL, that be funny, or not?

Thank you.

Local drop zone - Skydance at Davis run night jumps once a month. I really want to do one. The person I was emailing about the jump gave me very little information on what I need to bring with me. Hence, question to those of you who made the night jump. What should I get prepared for the night jump? Glowing sticks? Any flashlight that you found convenient to attach to your body?

Thank you guys. Indeed Skydance at Davis run HALO from 30K altitude few times per year. However, they require C license for that and I am only B now :-(. Will have to make more jumps and get the C license before I can do HALO.

I want to do HALO jump. Preferably 30K jump - military style with the oxygen masks, etc. I wonder if any DZ offers these kind of jumps in CA? I called Skydive Perris and they told me that they only do HALO for military groups since those are coming in big groups and I assume pay good $$$. Any other DZ offers HALO within 500 miles of San Francisco? Thanks.

Ordered power tool for packing from those guys on 03/10. Still don't have it. Called them couple of times (got VM for Mike, no company name), send couple of emails, no response at all. Does anyone have any experience with these guys?

Wow! So what happened? His pilot chut was not stowed deep enough into the pouch? What happened next? Did he pull cut away handle and jumped away? What do you do in this kind of situation when you clearly see that your main canopy is gone? Pull cutaway handle and jump away ASAP?Quote

Will definitely post something if I find it, but so far nothing serious. The paid DVDs are way tooo much, they are priced at the same price as the actual class. Wonder why that is.

I will look up book by Brian Germain. Thanks.

Wonder if anyone can refer me to a link for advanced canopy videos? I've been looking on the web, and either ask wrong questions or it does not exist on things like youtube and such. Before you flame me for learning from internet rather then local DZ, I want to say that I will be going through the advanced canopy class (when one available at DZ). However, for now I would at least like to know what is possible so I can be more educated when I take that class. Thanks.

Anyone used or seen people using this camera: http://www.amazon.com/Tachyon-OPS-HD-Helmet-Camera/dp/B005LU4U2S/ref=sr_1_25?s=photo&ie=UTF8&qid=1382037806&sr=1-25&keywords=mini+camera+camcorder Looks small and simple, just what I am looking for.

I sure understand that camera is an additional destruction during skydive. That is why I want something very simple that I turn on, put on and forget about it.

I am looking for a simple video setup. Nothing fancy. I don't plan to turn it on or off during the flight/freefall/canopy ride, nor take pictures. I am looking for the most inexpensive way to attach small video camera to my G3 helmet or to my hand. All I want is turn it on when I am on my way to the plane and forget about it until I land. Any suggestions? Once again, key is simplicity of use and price. thanks.

You posted elsewhere that you have 14 jumps. What do your instructors think? Yes, you right, I only have 14 jumps, hope to have more this upcoming weekend. What do my instructors say, um not much, when I up for plane boarding people (including instructors) ask me what elevation I will pull. I tell them at or around 3500 they seem to be ok with it. Why do you ask? Too low for a new jumper? I figured if I have to do hop and pop from 5500 feet and second hop and pop from 3500 feet then I should at least be comfortable deploying parachute at 3500.

The tunnel was probably the most effective tool that helped me get over the "jump anxiety". :) I second that. Tunnel helped me learn how to relax during my freefall. By the way I am only on my 14th jump, and yes I too have these jitters on the way up, but in the last few jumps I've noticed that these jitters are much more docile then they used to be. At the local drop zone I hear people saying that you get over nervousness after 20 jump, some though stay nervous beyond 100 jumps (just saying what I was told). I don't know yet when the jitters will completely evade me, but for sure I feel much better jumping now than I was on my 7th jump :-).

For this weekend I think I will set my Optima II for the following 1. 5000 break off altitude. 2. 3800 pull altitude. By the time I wave and reach for pool, I will most likely be at 3400-3500. Most if not all of the guys on our DZ pull at 3500, so don't think I need any lower altitude set. 3. 2500 hard deck altitude, make sure you have a good canopy above your head, if not pull all you can :-) or cut away and pull.

"What do your three altitudes (5300, 4000, 3300) represent to you? The numbers are meaningless without that information." First 5300 altitude is to stop doing formation and/or any other kind of activity. Second 4000 warning is to wave off and pull by 3800. Third is absolute pull main canopy in case I blew by my second warning and did not take any action. However, after reading what most of you guys do, I think for this weekend I will change my alarms to: 1st - 5000 break away altitude 2nd - 3800 wave off and pull 3rd - 2500 "hard deck"

So most of you guys only use two alarms? Meaning the last one is only used in case something wrong and you need to know that this is the bottom elevation that you have to do something, cut away, pool reserve, etc.

What elevations you set up each of your points?

Just wondering what altitudes people set their audible altimeters? I set mine at 5300, 4000 and 3300.

Strange, but for me it was the other way around. I did two jumps in one day Cat B and Cat C and on the way for my Cat C jump I was soooo much worked up that I almost thought of landing with the plane. On the other hand, after a week gone by I started missing the freefall feeling and canopy flight and was really eager to do the jump. After my Cat D2 jump, instructor let me exit airplane all by myself and jump out by myself, to say the least I ended up on my back and was fighting to turn on my belly for about two thousand feet. That exit scared the heck out of me and I thought that will be it, I will not do any more jumps. Well took me three weeks to get around it and next time I was on DZ I told instructor that I want to do the head dive exit all by myself. I did and for the first time I actually enjoyed the jump. All of this happened about three weeks ago. Since then I have graduated from AFF and now have 14 jumps. I still feel that my heartbeat is escalated when we are ascending in the plane, but nothing comparing to the fears I had 7 jumps before. So just keep doing your jumps. It will get better. The key is to relax during your exit and freefall. Go to the tunnel to learn how to relax in a 120mls wind, it helped me a lot.

So, how do I find this adjustment tab?

What is the battery life expectancy if it is always turned on? Also, I assume once you board the plane and start ascending the altimeter wakes up and gives you a ring at 1k feet?

I am wondering how you guys take care of your Optima II battery life? Do you take it out of the helmet after your day of jumping and turn it off? Do you keep it in the helmet all the time and just let it turn off screen (after 14 hrs)? What is the battery life like if you keep it constantly turned on?

It sounds like you guys remove visor to wash it right?