winsor

Go toward the light.

I don't know from crack in particular, since I have been clean and sober since before it became popular. From where I sit it all looks about the same. My personal observation is that the biggest difference between skydiving and narcotics is that with heroin the first one's always free. Blue skies, Winsor

I highly recommend the book "DB Cooper - the real McCoy." Bernie Rhodes and Russell Calame make a compelling case that "Dan Cooper" was, in fact, one Richard Floyd McCoy Jr, who was killed in a shootout with Federal authorities while an escapee from prison. He was given a 45 year sentence for a subsequent hijacking, which was similar enough to the first to seem like a repeat performance rather than a copycat crime. Amazon has it for pretty steep prices; I was able to find it some time back Blue skies, Winsor

Well, I don't know, but it seems to me that there are a whole lot of people out there that don't/won't flat track. I've been on a whole bunch of big-ways in the last year, from coast to coast, and on every one I've seen people (experienced skydivers even) diving steeply away instead of flat tracking. These people are a hazard, the organizers never seem to do anything about it, yet every organizer pays lip-service to safety. Yeah, I have been stunned upon occasion to watch BIG NAMES in the sport doing a sinking delta below me. It's not quite as bad as doing a standup out of the formation, but sinking out during the track certainly has some of the drawbacks. I'd rather be above people than below them from the standpoint of avoidance, but my first preference is to have everyone on the same level. A good flat track has many things to recommend it, chief among them is the maximum separation between breakoff and opening altitudes. If everyone is on the same plane, you only have to scan one dimension (the line of the horizon) to find everyone - the principle behind a fixed pattern altitude. When people have fall rates that diverge greatly after breakoff, it takes much more work to spot everyone, since they can be anywhere in the picture (where's Waldo?). It's fun to jump with people with fantastic freefall skills, but I prefer to jump with people with fantastic lifesaving skills. The Golden Knights come to mind as jumpers with brilliant freefall skills, superb safety procedures, and they're the nicest people you'd ever want to meet - proof that you can have it all (at least they can...). Blue skies, Winsor

Main - 99 Reserve - 218 The last time I used the reserve (August), I don't recall looking up and saying "gee, that's too big - I could have gone smaller." IIRC, it was more on the order of "Baby, you're BEAUTIFUL!" After chopping a canopy that would have resulted in a steep angle arrival at highway speeds, it was marvelous to be under something that docile and controllable - beautiful opening and great flight characteristics. I went over to personally give heartfelt thanks to the manufacturer (the Precision guys - it's a Raven II), and have no plans to downsize my primary reserve. Blue skies, Winsor

Forgive me for being pedantic, but it is my nature. The 180 degree turn is only useful if you're facing the center of the formation before tracking. If you're doing a doughnut, a 90 degree turn will work just fine. The basic idea is to track directly away from the center of the formation. I keep an eye on the people on either side of me by looking under my arms; if I have to look ahead at all I'm not tracking hard enough, and if I have to look up I'm not flat-tracking. The way to stay clear of other groups is not to avoid the line of flight, but to work out a good basis of separation between groups before exit. If I'm being followed by an RW group, usually there is someone I can trust who will assure me that he will give a solid count of X (say 6 or 8, depending on the winds and group size) before exit. By and large, the level of cooperation you can expect from other jumpers is substantial. When you hear complaints about someone who just doesn't play well with others, it is the exception, rather than the rule. As an aside, you should not do a tracking DIVE up or down the line of flight, since you can pass over or under another formation before breakoff altitude. So the rules of tracking I observe are: 1) Break the formation at an altitude appropriate for the formation size and type (significantly higher for free flying). 2) Aggressively FLAT track directly away from the center of the formation, splitting the difference between the distance to the people on either side. 3) Open at an appropriate altitude. I know of more than one case where people came to grief by taking it low to get clear of someone tracking too close to them. If they're too close, open at an altitude where it's okay to do CRW. Blue skies, Winsor

Some people quit jumping when it finally dawns on them that they're a crater awaiting grid coordinates. Sometimse this involves getting hurt, sometimes it is a matter of a freebie close call. Some people quit the moment they see their first fatality. All the bullshit about skydiving vs. driving to the airport evaporates at that moment, and they are never seen at a DZ again. Some people have kids and don't feel that voluntarily adding the very real risk of the sport is worth it to them. Some people either do it for a living or jump competitively, such that skydiving becomes synonymous with work. I know world champions who didn't feel like going for it again, and couldn't get back into the mode where it was simply for fun, and now do other things. Some people get burned out on spending all their time at the DZ, and are leery of taking a moderate approach to something so intense. Some people have a life that involves going to the DZ with a significant other, and when the relationship goes to hell they stop going to the DZ. Some people are simply not cut out for this sport as a matter of temperament, and eventually conclude that they aren't having fun. This sport isn't for everybody. I've heard more reasons, but these come to mind. Blue skies, Winsor

50 on the 30th

I'd say it comes and goes as a function of currency, comfort level and other factors. The first jump where I was absolutely without fear was jumping into Italy with a rucksack, machine gun and damned near no sleep. I was so uncomfortable in that aircraft that I couldn't wait to get out of the door and have the parachute carry all that junk. That was static line, maybe jump 15. There are jumps where everything feels just right and the stress level feels like zip. There are others where so much is going on it's hard not to hyperventilate. When it comes right down to it, you trust your equipment and training and go for it anyway. It's still fun. Blue skies, Winsor

I think it was an AN-72 they had at the Espace Boogie in Vichy, 2000. Unbelievable short field performance, monster tailgate, CASA-type jumprun speeds. I don't think they had it at the Lapalisse Espace Boogies, but I highly recommend checking it out if you come across one on the circuit. Blue skies, Winsor

Beer - it's not just for breakfast anymore!

PilotMike makes a good point, how much are you (or they) suing for? As an aside, since the poster implies that he is privy to THE TRUTH (tm), how come he didn't let everyone in on the secret from the get-go? When people get mysterious I assume they are full of shit, but that's just me. Put the video up on a website somewhere - I'm sure someone impartial will donate the space - and provide a breakdown of the sequence of events that exonerates Tim and places responsibility elsewhere. Let the case stand on its own merits, and get away from the emotionalism. If one has a first-hand account of the events in question but refuses to share it, I can't see they have a right to bitch that people are stuck with secondhand accounts that they think are flawed. It's kind of a put up or shut up situation. If there is a defense of Tim's actions out there, let's hear it. Either way, the suit is nothing short of evil. Blue skies, Winsor

I totally agree! I would not get on an airplane with the intention of diving out of it at any altitude what so ever without an altimeter. No matter what any coach, trainer or anyone says... Learning to skydive without an altimeter is like learning to drive a car without a speedometer... FWIW, Indy cars don't tend to have speedometers. Boost gauge and tach, but that's about it. I have on more than one occasion found myself in freefall with an altimeter that did not work as advertised. It was no big deal, and did not interfere with the skydive (I didn't die as a result, either). In aviation there is a paradox wherein you must A) trust your instruments and B) disregard those instruments that turn up inop. There is a fine line between using any particular system and being dependent upon it. Fixating on something when it goes South can be fatal, no matter how comparatively inconsequential the problem. One of the most important parts of emergency procedures is to have them drilled such that they're second-nature. When you have a malfunction, the difference between saying "oh, God! What do I do now?" and "ah, shit! Time to start yanking handles!" can be the difference between a bad incident report and just another NSTIWTIWGTD story. Go through as many "what if?" scenarios as you can, and pay attention to the experience of people who have had either good or bad luck - and learn to differentiate between luck and skill. Having said that, I'd rather be lucky than good. Blue skies, Winsor

Yeah, that and the go-around procedure involves flying some distance through granite. It's been a while since I've flow into Los Alamos, so I don't recall whether there was a VASI. I would, however, land there without an altimeter. Since I started out on static line, I didn't wear an altimeter until I had maybe 25 jumps (most of them military). I don't like jumping without an altimeter, since I like opening higher than waiting for the onset of ground rush allows. I also find that I'm not as good at guessing altitudes as I'd like to be. The good side is that I almost always err on the high side. I'll occasionally be at pattern altitude and it will feel like I'm a lot lower, or I'll be cruising at breakoff altitude and it seems like maybe two thirds of that. I check my altimeter before chopping. For some reason, with a bad parachute overhead the ground seems up close and personal. Then again, when I got my commercial license the instructor covered the whole panel so I would learn to get my head out of the cockpit and fly the airplane, so there may be some merit to learning to jump without an altimeter. When making naked jumps I wear an altimeter, so I suppose I'm device-dependent enough to prefer an altimeter to a jumpsuit. Blue skies, Winsor

Supplementary comment: If Tim was merely hoist with his own petard, that would be a simple tragedy. Unfortunately, he chose a means of inadvertent suicide that meant pissing in the soup for everyone involved, in both an immediate and a long term basis. The fact that his family has seen fit to use his demise as an excuse to engage in truly despicable actions is just icing on the cake. Personally I would just as soon he had been arrested and the video used to ensure he drew jail time. Thus, he would still be alive and hopefully convince nobody else to engage in such behavior. BSBD, Winsor

Granted, if Tim had not been standing there, it would not have happened Unless you have FACTS that can be substantiated please refrain from posting Fact: That was a designated aircraft operation area. Fact: Tim was there. Fact: Tim had no right to be there whatsoever. Fact: Tim died. QED Xin loi, Winsor

Agreed. Not only that, but I'm shocked at who it came from. I've never seen such an exhibition of bad taste. Bad taste is defined by the actions of the litigants against Rod, and I can't bring myself to buy into the sympathy angle used to make their case. Some years back a friend of mine was killed by being in a flight operation area without prior coordination with the pilot. The bottom line was that he fucked up and died, and the pilot and the mother of the deceased hugged each other in tears at the funeral. There was no blamestorming or litigation. In this case it is every bit as clear that it was a case of death by misadventure, where the deceased was in an area devoted to aircraft operations and died as a result. It's a shame and all that, but the bottom line is that he had no business whatsoever being where he was when he was struck. By the time I was done searching for his arm (we never did find it - most likely a coyote made off with it) I didn't have much sympathy for his misfortune, and seeing what it did to the staff of the helicopter operation did away with my last vestiges of concern. If the posts by his brother in law shortly thereafter had demonstrated acceptance of the full responsibility he took by going where he was forbidden by law to go (check the regs), I might have felt a modicum of sympathy. There was, however, a public exercise of denial of the first order, and I am not okay with that. That it has come to the point of civil action is nothing short of evil, and defense of the decision to litigate in this case is as repugnant as would be someone trying to explain why they think rape is really not so bad. Anyone who thinks that any good can come of the suit is misinformed. No "truth" will come out as a result, and only further destruction can ensue. The result of Tim's actions was unintended but predictable; the civil action being pursued now is purely mercenary and without any saving graces. If his memory is to be honored, it should not by by engaging in despicable actions in his name and thus befouling it. BSBD, Winsor

Good. I hope you are all in favor of Tim's estate and family accepting full responsibility for his actions. Tim did not have to live with the repercussions of his lapse in judgement, but Rod and the rest of the skydiving community did. I hope Tim's estate are prepared to compensate Rod for the economic hardship that Tim's ill-considered actions have caused. I am not sure how you can make up for Tim causing the removal of the 412 from the lineup at the Convention. Money won't do it. Given the choice of having the 412 or Tim back, my vote goes for the 412. I have less than zero sympathy for you or anyone associated with Tim, and am appalled that any of you should have the temerity to initiate litigation. It is singularly galling to have you suggest that Rod was at fault. Tim's actions were about as bright and defensible as standing on the track at a NASCAR race to get a better shot, and the only consolation is that he didn't get anyone else killed in the process. If you can't accept the responsibility that Tim took upon himself by his fatal misadventure, you would be well advised to engage in another hobby. BSBD, Winsor

You and I have both been on a lot of big ways with a pull out from the center - you on many more than me. If you think it's dangerous, why do you do it? Big ways are dangerous to begin with. Since you're gambling that nobody will do anything catastrophic in the first place, it seems natural to bet the ranch. I was on a 3-point 118 way (or something like that - it was one of many similar jumps) wherein someone wound up on top of the person who was supposed to initiate breakoff, right as we reached breakoff altitude. Nobody was very happy about it, but people were heads-up enough to begin breakoff as planned. I was in the second ring, and had clear air at opening altitude. Big ways are a different animal. Your basic skydive is a nontrivial experience, and specialty jumps are just that much moreso. There really isn't much in the way of Plan-B. When I organize smaller groups, I sure as hell don't do so by the same rules as apply to blots. I don't think it's appropriate. Blue skies, Winsor

It was tried a few years back, unsuccessfully. The chuteless pilot of a doomed airplane tried to do a Mr. Bill with one of the jumpers, but opening shock was a little too brisk for them to hold on to each other. Judging by people's experience with intentional Mr. Bills, it is possible to pull it off. If I'm jumping one of my more oversized canopies, packed for a soft opening, I'm pretty sure someone that didn't weigh too much could become one with my harness and still be there by the time I cleared my brakes. If I was jumping one of my 99s, I think our only chance would be to go to (200+ sq. ft.) reserve). Any way you cut it there's a good chance that one or both of us would require medical attention after arrival back on terra firma, but it beats the hell out of a trip to the morgue. Aiming for a nearby body of water might limit the damage to that incurred upon opening (torn rotator cuffs or ligaments and what have you), but landing in a handy pile of hay might reduce the likelihood of drowning. Thus, the short answer to "could it be done safely?" is no. Can it be survived? Maybe, sort of. It's worth a shot. Blue skies, Winsor

The number of permutations for pulling ALL handles is n!, so you have 5! = 120 & 6! = 720. If you stop after pulling a limited number of handles, the number becomes 145 for a five handle system and 1116 for a six handle system (assuming I used Excel correctly). The number of sequences that will result in a clean deployment is not so simple to generate. The function of the new handle and its effect on the various deployment modes would have to be considered in generating the list of surviveable sequences. I don't know enough about tandem gear to speculate. Any way you cut it, it isn't just another skydive. Blue skies, Winsor

If you see a dark canopy flying in proximity near the ground, it's likely your shadow from the moon. When it's dark you tend to pick out contrasting shapes and objects in motion, and your shadow can produce an interesting optical illusion. Pay attention to the spot. Know where you are when you get out - don't simply step out with the green light. In general it's a good idea to get used to the lay of the land on the way up. I have a couple of thousand hours of night flying, so I have a lot of practice trying to pick out viable outs in the dark. It helps to consider what could hang you up if you have a bad spot at night while looking at the ground during the day. This is to say, pick out obstacles such as power lines and such when you can see them, and figure out what visual cues you would use to avoid them if you had to exit over that area at night. Get on the same page with the people who are on the load with you. Agree to a flight pattern, and to avoid spiraling and so forth - clearing wraps is exciting enough when you can see what the hell you're doing. Keep it simple, since it's not just another skydive. Plan the dive, and dive the plan. Stay heads-up, but remember to smile and have fun. Blue skies, Winsor

For students an FXC 12000 is cheap and, by and large, better than nothing. When the FXC was the only game in town, you would not see an experienced skydiver use one in anything but the most unusual circumstances. Their level of technological sophistication is abysmal, and they can open anywhere between breakoff and impact according to their whim. The Astra, made by FXC, is but an electronic realization of the mechanical kludge that is the 12000. It is the gold standard for "artificial stupidity." The CYPRES is the first of the modern AADs. After over a decade it appears there is some competition; until now the CYPRES was the sole occupant of its niche. The CYPRES is in another league w.r.t. operational reliability, and is much more expensive. Where people might question the sanity of an up jumper using anything made by FXC, going without a CYPRES is considered bad planning in much of the skydiving community these days. If you're going to open HIGH, an FXC is okay, I suppose. Just be well versed in your procedures for an inadvertent deployment of the reserve and you should be fine. Blue skies, Winsor

I like to have a reserve about double the size of my main, and just stay the hell out of the basement. I chopped my 99 main and was under a 218 reserve above 2 grand this summer. I don't size my equipment on the basis of personal CRW. Blue skies, Winsor

It's been done. Now we're just trying to work out the details of surviving the experience. Blue skies, Winsor