relyon

The main benefit is to be able to correct an off-heading opening asap. A secondary benefit is to be able to start any turn sooner. Since the brakes are unstowed, the canopy opens a little slower and you just stab both brakes to get full inflation. The Russians have been doing this for years and it works quite well (it does look a little wierd with the brakes velcroed to the mudflaps). The 30 second rule only applies to rotations and even then, you just can't slow a competetive CRWdog down. Bob

There's plenty of people who feel just the same. Being under canopy at 13.5 is great, and it's even better with some friends. I love it. There's going to be a CRW camp at Jumptown June 17-20 organized by Mark Gregory and Paul Quandt ("Q") of the US CF team. At your experience level you won't be able play, but stop by and introduce yourself all the same. Bob

Like Wendy mentioned, it depends on what you're doing. If it's small stuff (9-way or less), you generally don't hold points long enough to matter. It's the bigger stuff where you may be handling a wing for several minutes and want an advantage. 2-to-1s have a greater range of control but require more pull to hold them. B-lines are almost as effective at wing control with minimal input. Ideally you shouldn't need any input in a properly engineered and piloted formation, but often reality is far from the ideal. I find that if the formation is flying slow a B-line may not be enough, but if the formation is reasonably fast (subjective) a B-line is all that's needed, if anything. Another thing to consider is that 2-to-1s only require a riser mod while a B-line attachment involves both the riser and the canopy. Not a big deal if you always jump the same canopy, but somewhat problematic if you have more than one or go to demo something else. It is possible to build both attachments such that they're removable; it just takes a rigger who's willing to do it and some cash. Having said that, I prefer no extra attachments and rely on arm strength as I need to. I have blocks wrapped with Vetrap and that's it. If I'm flying wing I typically dock and set the grip with outside front riser, reach across with the inside hand to hold the riser while I grab the B-line, then ease up on the riser and fly the outside with just the B-line. Bob

Is this a guess or is there telemetry to go with it? Without a wingsuit, the human body really isn't that efficient of a lifting planform (even with a wingsuit it's not that great). I'm more inclined to believe .6 to 1. Bob

The topic is about getting the most out of a canopy and individual line control is part of that, IMO. As to your question, outside B line control is very effective at quick altitude loss with little input. The turn rate and G buildup is far less than brake toggle, so there's less dizziness on recovery. I use it to loose altitude quickly when I want some vertical separation from other jumpers so we're not all landing at once. Talk to Henny Wiggers (ParaShoot) at Teuge for more information - I learned the technique from him. Bob

Try pulling individual lines. Outside B lines (or A-B lines if cascaded) are particularly effective at spiralling without building a lot of Gs. Do it high up with small inputs (3") until you know how your canopy reacts. Bob

Actually, it's just timing and distance. If CRW gets out at 7500' or below, by the time the plane gets to altitude we're usually on the ground. We also get out anywhere from 1-4 miles from the DZ depending on the wind and exit altitude. When we go to full altitude we're quite a ways from the DZ and then we're the last on the ground. Keep in mind that a one minute skydive from altitude to opening for freefall is just 1000'-1500' for CRW. That's when we stay away from the DZ until at or below a deck. For example, the rule at Perris is west of Goetz above 2000'. That keeps the CRW well away from freefall deployments, yet still enough altitude to reach the landing area most of the time. If not, we land out. At the big DZs there can be multiple loads in the air at any time, so the air is never really empty. That's when staying away above a deck is most important. That's also when we have the most chance of landing out, but I'll take a parahike to a canopy/freefall collision anyday. Believe me, CRWdogs are extremely aware of aircraft and jump runs. Bob

In the US it's more than that for jump operations. Same as Class E minimums - see 105.17. Bob

0. CRW (really high pullers) We get out on the way up, usually a mile or more from the DZ. Depending on exit altitude, the CRW load is often back on the ground before the first freefallers exit. Bob

Does that include the C-141 that had a wing fall off while taxiing a few years ago? Kapowsin's aircraft are maintained by the chief pilot, inspected by the DZO, and jumped by the entire family. Works for me. Bob

Regardless of color, non-cascaded lines are easier to grip because the A line is not as far back and the B line is not as far forward. When I take a grip on a cascaded line, I often find I either reach too far back and grab both A & B lines or not back far enough and miss the A line. It's also fairly easy to snag the A line one cell in. Grabbing the wrong line or extra lines doesn't make a lot of difference on center grips but increases likelihood of end cell collapse and wrap (on your foot) on the outside. The red color just makes it simple for the person taking your grip to identify that they've got the correct line. I'm from the Seattle area and know all the CRWdogs in the area. I'll PM you with more details. Bob

Lay on your back looking skyward with your head to the north and feet to the south. The east will be to your left and the west to your right. Bob

Somewhere (eg. ceiling) such that the viewer is underneath it, looking up? Bob

I've never had a deployment malfunction. I have had nine cutaways, all in the aftermath of CRW entanglements or wraps. Bob

You've gotten some formal CRW training, haven't you? I assume you've seen BritS17's and hookitt's little double cutaway(thread here,videos here). A very nasty entanglement/wrap situation can develop faster than you can say "HP canopy" - seriously. Be extremely careful with that stuff ... Bob

I have. Jumped head first out the back of a Mi-8 into lake near Imatra, Finland (10 meters and 15 KTS). Damn near killed myself when I got the wind knocked out of me on entry into the water. I logged it as gear: none and delay: N/A. Bob

Sweet pic! I've seen that view before. I lived in Boulder in the early '80s and still remember how fantastic the flatirons looked early on a sunny clear morning after a fresh dusting of snow the night before (wouldn't want to land there either). Bob

Brett Clark (works in the Perris loft - thanks again Brett!) took the pic with some sort of ass kicking Nikon, IIRC. I'm piloting the lower two stack and geeking the camera with a thumbs up that can't be seen. It made last October's Parachutist on p. 40, where it shows even more of the less than friendly terrain we get out over. Sucks when it rains but it's gorgeous when the sun comes out. Bob

Here's one: CRW exit 3 mi SE of Kapowsin. If you get the spot/winds wrong or have a cutaway, it gets interesting real fast. Forests, clear cuts, river beds, and not a lot else. I've not actually landed in a tree, but I've retrieved gear (mine and others) from some pretty out-of-the-way places. If tree landings are the measure, I prefer staying less than a real skydiver. Bob

As ChasingBlueSky mentioned, AOPA is one of the best general aviation advocacy groups out there. Unfortunately they, like the FAA, consider skydivers pilots about as much the state DOT considers a 3 year old with tricycle a driver. Bob

The two aren't mutually exclusive. I feel it's even better to put your head where it won't be mashed and wear a helmet. Bob

I wouldn't say this info is wrong, but keep in mind a few things: First, it's far more the jumper and far less the canopy, that wins CF competitions. The Russians are machines (they consistently match their WR in competition) and the Tri is a good rotation canopy. I think it's doubtful you'll see a Triathlon used to win at sequential or speed because it's not as good for those events. Secondly, the canopies Aerodyne builds and what are jumped in CF competition are two different beasts. Competition CF canopies are almost always short-lined ('7-8'), heavily loaded (1.8-2.0), and may be trimmed differently. The flight characteristics are radically different. A loaded Tri in particular has really poor handling close to the stall point and an almost violent stall, IMO. Finally, don't even think of talking about landing characterics of competition CF canopies in terms of their RW cousins. When a low aspect 7-cell is shortlined and loaded it flares very differently. They have a ridiculously short recovery arc (that makes a Stilleto look long by comparison) and all land like crap. Don't get me wrong, I think the the Tri is a good canopy. I put about 250 jumps on one of the first ones (DOM late '95) back when I did freefall and I've demoed the 120 and 99 CF versions. I know a number of competitors that have used them with success. Bob

I'm curious, do you include clothes and/or corrective lenses in "without anything"? (seriously) Kapowsin has a waiver to put out S/L students without one. This seems to contradict. I assume by skydive you mean from the exit to the pull, not from the exit to the ground. For CReW the skydive doesn't really start until the pull. Bob

I voted none because I've done just that on several occasions. I don't have an AAD, RSL, audible, or goggles. I've even made one jump without my prescription glasses, but won't do it again and don't recommend it. The only items I regularly use are an altimeter, helmet, and jumpsuit. I won't jump without a hook knife (not on the list). Bob

A friend of mine (Bill M) snagged his center cell on a Racer pop top building a two stack. Bob