JYorkster

Read "Born to Run" and start running on the balls of your feet.

Congrats!

My wife actually used student loans to pay for her rig. It's a lower interest rate than you'll get on any personal loan, and you're generally eligible for some money since you are in school. Also, don't be afraid to go with older/used gear at first. Do the math to determine what it will cost to rent for 3-4 months. Depending on how many jumps you are doing, you may already be spending enough to get a used rig. Ciao, Rock P.S. - Tell Buddy I said Hello!

Thank you, thank you, thank you! There is some great info here, but it's become so buried under the same old questions about readily available information that it's become not worth the time to wade through it all. People, the SIM is free for download at www.uspa.org. There is plenty of other info out there on the net as well. Please do some research on your own before coming here to cry for help. That is all... Rock

4000ft Rock

Glad to hear you got it worked out. I just think most people do not consider the increased chances of this type of malfunction when they downsize. We talk a lot about landing accidents, and certainly those are a real threat. But most people don't put the increased probability of a cutaway into their equation when deciding on a smaller canopy. Small harness adjustments or bad body position are less of a problem under docile canopies at lighter wing loadings. Just something for else for everyone out there to be aware of when choosing a canopy. Have fun at Eloy! Wish I were there too! Rock

http://www.dropzone.com/cgi-bin/forum/gforum.cgi?do=post_view_threaded;post=1979447;sb=post_latest_reply;so=ASC; Maybe these are being proposed for a reason... Glad it turned out OK. Rock

I have tracked a Tandem easily with a military radar. I would expect the same for a solo jumper. Of course as others have said, it depends on how the radar system is set up. It also takes a skilled controller to know what to look for, and it helps to know when/where to look. Rock

I would recommend NOT getting the largest reserve that will fit in an Icon unless you live in a really humid climate. As someone else stated, it will end up fitting like a brick. For example, the 150 Smart in an I4 is extremely tight in a dry climate and can make an otherwise comfortable rig very stiff. Rock

I know there are quite a few people from Wichita Falls that jump at Skydive Dallas, but I couldn't tell you how far the drive is. I'm in Oklahoma City and drive 3.5 hrs to jump at SDD. As far as the jumping while on active duty, as has been said, let your supervisor and commander know about it. You'll probably get the standard hazardous activities briefing and go on your way. The more knowledgeable you are, the easier they accept it. AETC is sometimes a little more restrictive when you are a student, but I've never been told I can't jump. In fact, I jumped out there at Opelika while I was going through SOS. Supervisors will be even more accepting if/when you get your instructor ratings. If you've got more specific questions, PM me. Rock

Small Cessna DZ with no rigger at all. Like one of the previous responses, my rigger is 3 hours away in another state. It makes for some interesting ferrying chains sometimes to see my rig again after dropping it off. I have also been at other small DZ's that did not have a full-time rigger or one at all. You just find a rigger you like in the region and make a trip to him/her every four months. Luckily, with no cutaways, I have rarely had the need for same-day, immediate service. Rock

Yes.

Let me first say that I still believe something should be done, and I agree with 99% of your suggestions. However, I don't think you are truly buying much more of an education from a 30 degree front riser approach than you would get from a straight in front riser approach. What you may buy is a false sense of security in a few skydivers that will say "Oh yeah, I know how to swoop...I've got my D!" I'm just afraid too many will see it as a license to swoop instead of a license to learn. Also, as you pointed out... I just don't believe that a few lines in the SIM and a single, slightly turning front riser approach will change that fact. To truly see the impact, we should apply your recommendations to all the fatalities over the last several years and try to determine which ones these rules may have prevented. Certainly it won't be an exact science, but it could provide some very convincing data. -Rock

Although I applaud the attempt to deal with a serious problem, and I agree with some type of wing loading standard, I have to disagree with the following: Not everyone has a desire to swoop. I don't need to have this skill. If we view this as another discipline, we may as well add required skills from every other discipline to get a D...must be able to hold a head down...must be able to get in last on a 60 way RW...must be in an 8 stack...etc. I know I'm being drastic, but swooping is not a requirement and we shouldn't treat it as such. Pilots are trained how to recover from stalls, because they may accidentally induce one. I'm never going to 'accidently' do a 180 front riser approach. Swooping is a separate discipline, and we need to treat it as such. Those unskilled in the RW, FF, or CRW are not allowed on dives they are not ready for. Someone learning to swoop should be under the supervision of a coach and not allowed to perform maneevers for which he or she is not trained. Ground them if they get out of line, or let them continue to jump until they hurt or kill themselves and bring bad press to your DZ and the sport as a whole. Just my 2 cents, Rock

Casual glances at the direction of flight along with the timing spent on a particular heading, give me a fairly constant sense of about where we are at all times. Also, in larger aircraft at unfamiliar DZs, I get a sense of jump run before leaving the airplane. The compass could be distracting to some, but I hardly notice myself looking at it. Rock