jmidgley

*bump* Really not possible to add to the list of reviewed gear? Shorely shum mishtake?

I've bought a Z1 Evo open face helmet, and I note that a number of people have asked for opinions on this forum. There's a Z1 Alpha, but that's a different helmet. Who adds new items? John

1. I did. 3. They did. 2. They are! Unbelievable! If I lose my main, will PD send me a new one? John

From the BPA Ops Manual: SEC 5/PAGE 2/JUN 2002 11. RESTRICTIONS FOLLOWING A LAY-OFF Where a Student or Intermediate Parachutist has had a lay-off of two months or more, approval of the CCI must be obtained as to the type of descent to be made next. And to answer the next question: 2. DESIGNATION OF PARACHUTISTS [snip] 2.2. Intermediate Parachutist: Holds an FAI ‘A’ Certificate (Red) and above, but below FAI‘ B’ Certificate (Red). HTH John

Because the rig's too big to have as carry-on luggage, but would squeeze into two carry-on-size holdalls if I split it. John

Alright, alright. Sheesh. You lot are as bad as my mother. I suppose I'll *have* to do it the right way. Loved that video, incidentally, esp. where you wave bye-bye to the main... Regards John

...the right way round, without riser twists? OK, the right way round should be easy enough... I'm thinking of transporting my rig in two bits (see all the airtravel threads). Has anyone got any snappy ideas for ensuring that everything is re-oriented correctly when I hook the main back up? Yes, I know I could take the main out of the d-bag and do a line check, but There's no room to pack where I'm staying I'd rather show up at the DZ ready to go I'm lazy

Human beings are great at judging relationships between things moving in their field of vision, whether they be woolly mammoths and spears, or their boots and the approaching ground; but it's a skill that needs to be learned and practiced. If you think about someone chucking a ball in your general direction, you'd have no problem looking at the arc of the ball as it speeds through the air, instantly calculating where it's going to land, setting off running at precisely the right pace to be under the where it lands and when it lands. How the hell do you that? It doesn't matter - you've learned the 'physics' as a child and you don't think about it. At the moment you're at the learning stage with regard to landing canopies, andyou need to get competent without getting hurt. To my mind, you are juggling a number of priorities competing for your attention and you need to be quite clear about them. Avoiding collisions with other canopies, landing straight and level, landing into wind, reducing horizontal and vertical speed at touchdown, getting safely off the landing area, that kind of thing. Set aside things that happened during freefall or earlier in the canopy flight for digestion later - your priority is FLY THE CANOPY NOW. The whole 'holding area' - downwind - base - final thing, accompanied by whatever heights you have been instructed to use is very effective at removing a load of uncertainties from the latter portion of the flight. There are too many painful examples to list of people incorrectly assigning priority to landing into wind, at the expense of landing straight and level. I find that what works for me *personally* for judging landings is to alternate between looking forward horizontally and looking obliquely at where I think my feet are going to touch down (this is, as I'm sure you will have been told, the place in your field of view which appears to be neither moving up nor down). I find the change of perspective more revealing of descent rate and deviations from intended track. It also helps to avoid becoming fixated on your landing spot. As for flare timing, my simple analysis is that you're dealing with a pendulum consisting of the weight of your body hanging from this much line. When you disturb the pendulum, it responds at a speed that I'll bet you can intuitively grasp. At the risk of being verbose, two final things - *actively* fly the canopy *always*, right down to the ground. If a bump changes your course from that which you intend, correct it. Don't get into the habit of being a passenger "Oh, we're going over here now, are we?". And NEVER GIVE UP; you only have to miss the ground by a little bit! John

At Empuria they always fly from the sea towards the mountains, regardless of wind direction, so sometimes it's into wind, sometimes downwind. In 53 jumps there, I've had one off landing, but they do a regular bus service to the surrounding fields! I'd rather that than land in the Med any day. I've only once got out early enough in a load to open over the town, and it *had* to be the time when I went a bit low. That was exciting - the streets and canals give a very clear indication of scale... John

The good news is that after the lively and robust exchange of views here recently about learning to sit, I got a jump in to try some of it out. I managed to get and stay stable for most of the jump. Yay! The bad news is that a riser stole my Protrack. Boo! John

Many of you will have seen the poem 'High Flight', by the poet whose name I am too lazy to recall. I wonder if any of you have seen the CAA-annotated version? (If that clicky thing works, it'll be a miracle...) John

I'm glad to hear they've resolved those problems - could still be worth bearing in mind if someone's thinking of buying a 2nd hand Vortex II. John

Oh no, you're kidding? I'm flying Ryanair from Stansted to Girona in a couple of weeks. It's the random nature of this that pisses me off - there was a bloke on my Ryanair flight to Perpignan in March that walked on with a rigbag, no problems at all. Loads of other people I met in Empuriabrava had flown in from England with rigs, no problem. Of course if you *ask*, you're asking for trouble! John

[Memo to self: don't type a great long reply and then accidentally hit the Esc key - all the text vanishes without warning] Summary of what I typed (before it vanished): What a nightmare for you. I bought a rig recently and considered a Vortex II but was dissuaded by some adverse comments from the BPA riggers' committee. I bought a Teardrop SF; TSE were very helpful about the design, delivered when promised and have subsequently answered all my ignorant questions about the rig and canopy (Sabre2 170, bought at the same time). I'm very happy with the quality, fit and standard of construction. I know that's not what the original poster was asking, but hey... John

Saw a freaky sight at Lake Annecy in France a couple of years ago. It's a popular spot for hang-gliding and paragliding (I was doing the former). There's a lot of tandem activity, and another one taking off from Col de Forclaz doesn't raise a murmer. But this one flew straight out toward the lake (it's 2600' vertically from take-off to the landing field by the lakeside). After a couple of minutes, a figure was seen to fall away; short delay and a skydiving-type canopy appears (hey, could be a BASE canopy, but who'd know?). Wow, cool, we all thought. Gets me thinking about a dual hang-glider, aerotowed to altitude, 321cya, cutaway somehow, deploy, hide in a hedge. Do you think the BHPA would revoke my dual rating? John

Well that's certainly helped clarify it for me! You can see how a certain amount of confusion might creep in, can't you? On a more general note, it does cast a certain amount of doubt on the whole 'get coaching' thing. I've heard directly contrary advice (hence my question here) from people who have been coached - one of them by no less an authority than Babylon. Ah well, nothing that 10,000 jumps won't sort out (approx 100 years at current rates of progress!). Regards John

It's an immutable rule that any discussion of flight will eventually resolve into a debate about whether a wing 'knows' whether it's pointing into wind or downwind. I must say I'm delighted to see this happening after only four posts; I'll stand back and watch what happens next... John

...for the slow ones at the back of the class. Like another poster, I have problems getting upright from falling stable on my back. What I can't get from any of the answers is where the force is coming from to counter the drag of my legs, which must be moving the 'centre of drag' forward of my c of g. There must be some technique you competent sit-fliers are using to counter that rotation - some have said reach your arms behind the line of your shoulders, but others have pounced on that and said don't. So how can you have a stable position where so much drag (the legs) is present forward and below what must be roughly the c of g (somewhere round the lower torso, depending on consumption of beer/burgers)? It's obviously a secret you all have the answer to, and nobody goes home till I find out the answer! Regards John Midgley

This gives me a chance to ask a question that's been bugging me. How do you pack a hard pull? What can you possibly do to a slithery pilot chute that makes it want to stay in an elastic sock? I've tried all manner of ways (in the interest of scientific enquiry, and not for real deployment), and I can't find a hard pull. I'd love to know what to avoid. Regards John

As mad as a box of badgers. John

Eddy I got my 170 Sabre2 a few weeks ago. So far, I've only put 5 jumps on it, but I've packed it about 20 times. I thought I'd better practice at home - save me looking like too much of an idiot at the dz. The first time I packed it, it took me an hour and I had to shower and change all my clothes afterwards. I'm now down to 20 mins or so, and no sweat! From the lofty height of my inexperience, can I offer a few suggestions? Check the bands on the d-bag *before* you start... If the inside of the packjob is well organised (neatly flaked) the canopy will be a bit less inclined to re-inflate so viciously Put a good few rolls on the tail (I don't push the nose into the packjob at all - just bring the tail round it) Don't slam the 'ice-cream cone' onto the floor, just lay it down carefully Kneel on either side of the label and get that sucker flat and parallel by whatever means. NOW don't get up - until you've put your forearm over the top of the roll (where the d-bag attaches). As you get up, replace your forearm with your shin, but lightly - don't give the roll an excuse to squish around. As you move your leg to use your shin, put your hand over the death label. If you've been smooth and quick, you've stopped a lot of air getting into the pack, but don't stop now! Using the hand that isn't on the label, slide the 1st s-fold under. Keep your shin in place - slide it down with the rest of the canopy. Don't make the s-fold too small. Now let go with your shin, flip the rest of the canopy over the 1st s-fold (still pressing on the label with your left hand!) and half back to make the second s-fold. Get on the line side of the blob using your knees and forearm to control. Try not to wriggle the blob around. Sort the d-bag out so that the flap is down. Raise the a corner of the blob gently and slide the flap underneath, until you can pin the corner grommet with your knee. Change forearms, lift the other corner and pin the other corner grommet with the other knee. Now stuff that side of the blob into the bag, swap hands, stuff the other side. It probably won't look very pretty at this stage! Hold it as best you can while you hop round the side opposite the lines, and concentrate on compelling, cajoling, forcing the damned blob, by using your hands and knees until the first band is within shouting distance of its grommet. Don't torture yourself by attempting to stretch a band half-a-mile to a grommet. You won't succeed, and when it pings out of your hand you'll sob like a baby with frustration as the blob takes the opportunity to expand. Hold the band as near to the tape loop as you can manage and roll the flap towards it. If you can pinch that band on the other side of that grommet and get your thumb in the loop, you're home and dry. The sense of achievement and relief at getting the thing in the d-bag is matched only by the sense of achievement and relief when it comes out again at 3,000'! Regards John Midgley

SkyMonkey said, if I have my attributions right >You just get someone to check it before you put your rig on. Or when you get your B licence, you can check it yourself before you put the rig on, and get checked by someone else as normal Really? This cropped up at Sibson on Sunday! The first ever outing for my new Teardrop SF. I innocently asked what the procedure was to get checked (also my first jump at Sibson as a 'real' skydiver). I was told (by Ronnie) that if an AAD was fitted, it had to be switched on, and therefore it had to be seen by the checker - I presume that a reserve pin check would fall in the same category (both under a flap against the back, for those puzzled). I was in the process of taking the whole damn lot off (thinking 'this is going to get to be a bore'), when the instructor who checked my kit on arrival happened to pass by and was able to confirm that he had seen it. BUT if I have a (FAI?) B licence, that overcomes the problem? Where would I find that written down? Regards John Midgley

The trick is, look puzzled and confused for a moment, allow a theatrical frown to furrow your brow, then look brighter and happier, as though you've just worked out something that was troubling you, and say the words 'hold on, you're confusing me with someone who gives a f*ck'. You shouldn't have any further trouble. HTH John

Juan Ventura? Tall, smooth chap? Top geezer; also top paraglider pilot. I hope you're better at side sliding than I was. Jeez. If side sliding was as easy as back sliding, wouldn't the world be a better place. Regards John Midgley

What they all said. Plus try and arrange to do it with 3/4 of the Spanish national team (Santi, Felix and Juli). Then you can bullshit people for years to come about the time you made 16 points with 'the lads', discreetly omitting any mention of the fact that a sack of cement would probably have made 20. Best to omit video, too, to avoid future revelations of the gormless look of rapt concentration as they tow you round the sky, followed by shock and surprise as they tip you end over end at 5,000'. All the above purely theoretical of course, and no reflection on *my* qualifying jump. Regards John midgley