mrkeske

40 people on one jump run? Imagine 20 tandem pairs exiting, or several 2/3/4 Ways... Realisticaly speaking, in the future it may be used on oasional boogies, but the skydiving jump planes are going to be mostly single-engine(182/Caravans/Pacs beeing the majority), with a select few busy DZs with Twin-Otters or other more "exotic" planes.

There are some different variables that will define your speed range, that beeing mainly type of flyeng (dynamic/moving vs static), your overall exit weigth and the clothes you are on. On static jumps the diference on weigth and clothes will be much more noticable than on moving jumps and dynamic jumps. When I weigth around 260 lbs/120 Kg exit weigth, I could fly angle with realtievly light people (around 170 lbs), even with summer clothes, but was unable to fly static with most even on my baggy suit. Today at about 220 lbs/100 Kg I can fly static with most people without any problems.

If you have options to try hands-on, do it!!! I've done it and decided on my first crossbraced a JVX-119 (WL 1,85). I've tried Velo and JFX, out of the three, my personal preference was the JVX for serveral reasons: - It responded better on harness and especialy rears. - Opening not as good as JFX, but better than Velocity - A coach of mine stated since it has no stabilizers, it would be a better canopy to prepare me for a Valkyrie or Leia eventualy - It packs bigger that a 7-cell Crossbraced (so i didn't need to change my harness), my 119 packed the volume of a 170 ZP 7-cell But that was me. Every pilot will have his own personal experiance/preference. So, if you can, try them. All of the are great conpies =D

Until about jump 70 many different canopies renting (i don't remember jump numbers per canopy, but not that many), while I had a 120 Kg exit weigth: Navigator 280, 260, 240, 220 Silhouete 210, 190 Pulse 210, 190 After that (my Main canopies): Sabre1 190, about 80 jumps @120 Kg Exit Weigth Sabre2 170, about 450 jumps @120 Kg Exit Weigth Crossfire 139, about 400 jumps @120 Kg Exit Weigth, aftar that I lost about 22 Kg and did another 200 jumps JVX-119, about 200 jumps @98 Kg Exit Weigth About to order a JVX 96 (i'm putting another 100-150 jumps on my 119 until it's ready) Did several jumps on other canopies too (but usualy 1-4 jumps max, borrowing): Optimum 176 (mounting as a main parachute) Katana 150 Katana 135 Stileto 135 Zulu 132 Velocity 103 Velocity 96 JFX 99 I've always been a decent canopy pilot, did a lot of coaching and started doing HP landings on my 170 early on. But I don't recomend my downsizing, especialy the one frome the Sabre2 170 (WL 1,4ish) to a Crossfire2 139 (WL 1,8ish).

My last one I had a pretty funny thought. I've just bought a JVX-119, and had a severe line twist on my 4th jump with the canopy. I was demoing and decided after the first jump I was going to get it, so when I did the EPs I still didn't pay for the canopy, so i thought: "Oh hell, there goes xxxx dollars away..."

I think g sensor for freefall is not that useful. When you get back to freefall, you will accelerate at exactly 1g after you chop. There isn't anything "thrusting" you towards the ground except gravity. The same happens when you exit the plane. Your speed changes when you chop or exit the plane, but not your acceleration. the acceleretion will be constant until you deploy. It can help to determine that you deployed your parachute, maybe more accurate for Wingsuiters than only pressure sensors. A g sensor may be useful for determinating that you started a HP turn under canopy.

I use an AAD. Used both Cypress (used one) and bought a brand new Vigil after that Cypress expired. I use it because I'm mostly skydiving with other people and I can get hit during freefall and get unconsious. I think this is the single most important reason to use an AAD, regardless of what you are jumping or who are you jumping with. Pople can struck you in freefall (as it already ahppened to most people) and it can be hard (someone trying to get to a formation/group to agressively). In that case the AAD will save my life. And I also think hardly on the reserve I am using (currenty a OP 176 loaded at 1.4ish~). If I'm unconsious under a canopy, I want to be on the biggest canopy possible. The only reason I see not to use an AAD: Hop'n'pops (swopping).

In South America it's Boituva, Brazil. 4 Caravans/1 Grand Caravan/1 Kodiak. You can jump all day with 15 minutes between loads. 3 Caravans have BlackHawk engines, wich makes them insanely fast to get to altitude.

The view is one of the best I've jumped so far. Good landing area with large and clean grass. Near the beach, so you have a plan B for windy and/or cloudy days. Lacks a turbine plane for larger groups or faster loads (still operating a C182)

I have a Sabre2-170 currently loaded at 1.5. It's very normal for it to do a turn during opening (usualy between 90s e 180s) and having the cells not inflate right away. Some times the turns can be even bigger, I've got already some full 360s and 270s during opening with my canopy. If you have Sabre2 it's something you need to get used to. I've noticed that it also takes quit some altitude for getting 100% open, usualy about 800-900 feet(maybe because of WL?)

So, recently some friends of mine showed me a video of a parglider that got a hit by a Vulture and it caused some prety serius shit. He gave me a little hard time because acording to him it could happen to me during free-fall. So I was wondering, how would that affect a Skydiver? I mean, there are already some incidents involving collisions between skydivers and airplanes and between two (or more) skydivers. But what about birds? I mean, how often or probable would it be to encounter a bird somewhere in your skydive(FreeFall/Canopy Ride/Swoop)? Did anyone already have an incident like that, or at least witnessed something like that? On a fast search I only encountered one incident, in Boituva-Brazil. But I was curious if there where more incidents or at least close calls! Paragliding Vulture Incident https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0sqIkYcrlxQ Bird almost hits Skydive mid-swoop https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KpSR_4VhSN8

It may be a bit off topic, but there is a piece of equipment that can be very hazardous for students and many times, people seem oblivious towards it, the Radio! I've seen several times students not giving the appropriate attention on canopy navigation because "I don't need to pay attention, the instrcutor will tell me what to do". Most of the times the radio works, but when it doesn't, you are in for a surprise, students landing on churches, roadways, fences, houses, runways, rocks, trees and eventually on the landing area. I'd agree that maybe a camera on a student (on the principal that it is a dash cam) can be something to think about.

I agree on the audibles. It helps a lot on altitude awareness if you have audibles. Today, I see them as much more important altitude awareness tool than a visual altimeter. Most experienced people I know relly on them for altitude awareness much more than visuals, be it for freeflying or FS, especialy FF. And the fact that it is so important for me for altitude awareness, I use two, both set at the same altitudes, in case one fails, for example.

This particular case I think it has much more to do with two rookies trying to get that grip by any means than actually because they had cameras. Rookies often do that, focusing on getting the grip rather than anything else. I would say that It is very common for rookies to do that. I saw it several times in different dropzones and happens with people that jump with cameras and without. I think that in cases like this, It was even good that there was a camera to show all the shit a scary things that can happens if you do anything stupid or because of any sort of big lack of skill. Cameras can be very usufull debrief and learning tools (if used properly).

I'm seeing that some fellow jumpers in my region, back here in Brazil, are starting to jump Stiletos very early, at between 30-90 jumps. In all cases they are lightly loaded (at about 1.0/1.1). All theese jumpers jump with very low frequency (sometimes months between one jump an another). They have between 30 and 150 Jumps nowadays, and Jump sizes 190, 150(lighter guy) and 135(small guy). All four jumpers I saw jumping, they landed it well without any issues. All of them considered it very fun to fly and "safe". Since the Stileto is an eliptical canopy, I got a little worried. Should I be that worried? Is it OK for people with low jump numbers jump one, even if they fly it and land it safely?