velvetjo

Interesting that he's either willing to invest in gear (but not training) or someone has loaned him a rig. Either one raises judgment concerns. Lance

HZL is non-towered, but I'm not aware of ever having any restriction on jumping due to landing or departing turbine traffic. Just see-and-avoid, as usual for VFR ops. The LOC approach full procedure puts IFR traffic right over the field, which can cause a hold from ATC, but I can't remember waiting more than 5 minutes at altitude for one of those. It is kinda fun landing 100' away as they're taking off or rolling out a landing. The main LZ is just north of the midpoint on the single runway. Lance

Above the Poconos at HZL sees Kingairs regularly, and has at least one jet (older Sabreliner?) based on the field, plus State Police turbine helicopters and 3-4 firefighting air tankers (also turbines). There are as many as 5-10 Kingairs on the ramp at a time when there are NASCAR races at Pocono. The only traffic issues I ever saw there were with piston singles cutting through the pattern and one a bozo in an R-22 who decided to hover in the main landing area with a load on the way down. Darlene Kellner (ripcords on this site) could give you more current info if you need it. Good luck! Lance

Great post! The thing I've noticed with a lot of folks who are intelligent, athletic, and have assertive personalities is that they sometimes need to "see it for themselves" to be convinced. This generally serves them well in life, but in aviation it can significantly shorten one's lifespan. I've recognized some of this tendency in myself, and have actively sought out opportunities to fly with pilots who've been around the block a few times. It's little stuff like where to look for the first indications of ice on the airframe that saved my bacon on later solo flights. Rides in more advanced aircraft with better weather and de-icing systems were great ways of seeing what little airplanes were *not* capable of getting through too. But skydiving is more of a solo deal, and there's less opportunity to learn directly from other jumpers while in the air. It's cool that folks on this site offer constructive suggestions to break down skills into manageable chunks - it's about the next best thing to being in the rig with somebody else. I get a lot of questions about flying video & stills lately, and see a variety of reactions to the answers. I'm still learning a lot myself, so it's sometimes discouraging when a jumper with no camera experience tries to rush the process or simply won't listen to answers they don't like. I heard a very accomplished mountaineer a while back who likened climbing to an appreticeship with the mountain. Seems that we could do well to emulate this ethic. Lance

Try motocross gloves for cold weather. I got a pair of Thor gloves with neoprene backs and synthetic seude palms that are really nice. They also have tacky rubber fingertips which help for grip as well as a little bump padding on the knuckles. The best feature is that they're pre-curved, so it's not a strain to hold toggles, pull handles, etc. BTW, nice avatar photo. Then again, I'm probably biased because I shot it. I'm guessing you pulled it from the Skydive Delmarva site--if you're interested in the full-res version, PM me. Lance

You say to-may-to, I say to-mah-to - it's still the same thing. I'm done with this hijack. Maybe someday (after I've been threatened with legal action too?) people will start taking me more seriously. You are correct, and I bow to your superior knowledge. All better now? To the OP: Have a great time on your balloon jump, they're a blast. Last one I did was about $100 per jumper. If you're looking for something similar and can't find a balloon, try your local EAA chapter for powered parachute pilots. I've found several willing to drop jumpers. Lance

It's the same thing. Call it what you want, but when you provide ATC with the required information, you're filing a NOTAM whether you like it or not. Since you seem to be pretty well versed in this, please explain how you would file a NOTAM directly aside from calling the information in to ATC. Have you actually done it? Figuring out a location isn't too hard, since you're also giving a radius around that point. With the winds aloft forecast and a rate of ascent, you can easliy compute a pretty accurate prediction for the spot. ATC was cool with a 5 nm radius each time I talked to them, and that's plenty of room for most balloon jumps. I didn't ever get the impression that a bigger radius would be a problem. Maybe most balloon jumps are done without a NOTAM, but that doesn't mean that they're done legally. Seems pretty dumb, given how simple it is to comply. Lance

Ok. See the attached text file for Part 105 (also referenced above at the CFR website noted). Take a look at Sections 105.15 and 105.25. As the series of posts above describes, ATC will take the required information described in Part 105.15 and post a NOTAM. I'm not sure why folks perceive this requirement as a difficult or bad thing. It's basically a phone call which then allows ATC to give other aviators a warning that an aircraft will be doing something potentially hazardous in their vicinity. Lance

If you say so. The times I've pre-notified ATC (by landline, as they prefer) for one-off jumps, a NOTAM has shown up in the system almost immediately. Every time I've talked to FSS to try to do the same thing, they gave me a phone number for the local tower or approach control. How exactly has it worked in your experience? In-flight notifications are obviously by VHF radio, direct to local ATC. Lance

doh! You're right - just looked it up. I was remembering it wrong. Looks like you just have to notify ATC between 1-24 hours prior to the jump, and then on jump run. That sound about right? You think ATC just might use that notification to issue a NOTAM? That sounds about right. Lance

You do if you want to comply with the FAR's. See 14CFR105-- Subpart B Operating Rules if you don't believe it. You can find that document on this site. Personally, I respect jump pilots, and wouldn't ask a balloon pilot to risk their ticket by not filing a NOTAM. Lance

Sounds great. I'd be up for all of the topics, and have no problem with paying a small fee. One other thing you might consider is making a DVD available to the participants after the webinar for reference. Hope you get this off the ground, Lance

Here's something for you to try, since you don't seem to be convinced of the differences between a tandem and a typical RW jump: actually jump a tandem rig by yourself (no passenger). My old DZ had every new videographer do this to demonstrate the complexity of a tandem rig and the tandem's restrictions on moving laterally. After you've done this, consider the variables that a passenger adds, including everything from de-arched exits to freefall puking. Then ask yourself who you want to be near you with a camera during a jump like that. If you're human like the rest of us, you'll screw up at some point while shooting video. Better to find out what "too close to a burble" means on a 3-way than landing on a tandem's back and tangling up in the drogue, no? There are lots of ways to learn video without putting customers at risk - a great one is filming inexperienced RW groups. You'll have lots of fall rate challenges, slides, spins and framing issues that will make you a much better photographer/flyer than exiting early to be hundreds of feet below a tandem. Give the tandem rig thing a whirl and let us know what you think. Inquiring minds want to know. Lance

Nice thought, and good luck with that approach. Let's look at the example of a GA fast-mover like a corporate bizjet. When do you think was the last time that the corporate pilots on that airplane whipped out a sectional chart during a VFR leg? They're moving so fast they'd spend half the flight just re-folding the chart. Their GPS/FMS databases and WAC both don't indicate DZ's, nor would a typical standard briefing (IFR or VFR) since it's a published NOTAM. Bottom line is that in our airspace system it's see and avoid for VFR. Sport skydiving is supposed to be a purely VFR activity, so we need to accept the reality that others will pass through our playground on a regular basis. Do what you need to do to keep yourself safe, but don't rely on assumptions about someone else's judgment when it's your butt on the line. Lance

microbattery.com has been a good source for me. Lance

Thanks for the info, you just saved me a trip to the AME next month!

Good point! Thanks, Lance

Interesting. My thought is that the solo student's independent actions during an IAD would muddy the waters of direct responsibility a lot more than something like a botched tandem landing where the instructor is in control. I'm curious as to why you feel it's the other way around. However, as Bigun pointed out, that discussion might not really be relevant in the big picture. In for a penny, in for a pound, no? Lance

That's exactly the crux of it. Did you have a specific reason for not renewing ratings, or was it the general climate? Lance

There's some truth in what you're saying, although I don't think I'm prepared to give up on instructing. There are plenty of DZO's who surely face similar (and worse) challenges and have managed to stay in business for a long time. I'll have to look into college savings funds and see if they offer any kind of firewall from the parents' liability. Another option might be a trust of some sort. Lance

I'm considering getting a tandem rating soon, and my wife raised a few good questions about liability the other day that made me stop & think a bit. I'm already a videographer, USPA Coach and IAD-I, but tandems seem to bring on a whole new level of potential liability due to the constant exposure to a stream of somewhat random students/passengers with varying levels of physical & mental ability. This wasn't as big a deal for me a few years ago, but with a toddler now and some assets to protect, it's got my attention. I'm interested in what you folks do as TI's to minimize your exposure. I understand that the DZ's waiver is the first line of defense, but what other steps do you take to protect yourselves? Some obvious steps seem to be: - complying with established manufacturer's procedures and equipment SB's - following BSR's and other USPA and DZ guidelines & procedures What about incorporation of skydiving activities as an LLC? Use of "uninsured" in the corporate name as RWS did? Do you use these or other tactics to protect yourself personally? I dislike having to even ask these questions, but I'd hate to see my little guy without a college fund because some bozo didn't lift their legs during a landing and wound up getting hurt. Lance

Huh? I use a 0.5 Royal on my HC-40 and get lots of compliments on the sharpness & clarity of the shots, even in low light. Not sure what's up with your setup, maybe you could try a different setting or two on the camera. I also have a Cookie Liquid3 that does a nice job with the HC-40. Got that instead of a Royal Diamand 0.3 since Max had a service meltdown a while back and I needed a lens in less than 6 months. The filter kit is pretty cool on the Cookie, I like the idea of replacing that piece instead of a scratched lens. Lance

I used a Rebel T2 for about a season and a half before switching to digital with no problems. Nice camera, overall. Great shots and relatively inexpensive. I kept it in case I ever have a need to shoot film, since it swaps very easily with my Rebel XTi. Not sure what to make of the problem your friend is experiencing. AF even seemed to work well in freefall on this model. Lance

Be considerate of the pilot! Not filing a NOTAM, not being in communication with ATC, and dropping a jumper without permission from a landowner are all good ways to get the FAA irritated with the pilot. It's his ticket, not yours, so respect the time & effort it took to get it before you risk it for him or her. Another aspect to consider is aircraft insurance. Not many GA policies cover jump operations, so if something happens during the flight, your pilot just might end up with an uninsured pile of very expensive aluminum. Are you prepared to pony up for any damage to the hull, let alone liability? If you're comfortable landing off a DZ, setting a jump run direction & spot for a pilot, briefing a pilot on how to fly a jump run, etc., then cool. If the pilot is aware of the regulations & risks and comfortable with them, then cool. If not, you have a decision to make. BTW, ever used a wind drift indicator? Depending on your spotting abilities, it might be handy to bring one along. If you do decide to do a real bandit jump, listen to the other posters and STFU about it. Have fun, but think this through before you make a decision. Lance

I've got about 250 jumps on Stiletto 190's, and about 600 on smaller Stilettos, mostly 135's. They are known far and wide as one of the softest opening canopies out there. That and the very flat glide are one of the reasons they are so popular with camera flyers. Saying they will slam the shit out of you and then go into spinning line twists is not exactly accurate. Just because you had a bad opening on one does not make it true for the breed as a whole. That being said, I would absolutely NOT recommend a Stiletto of any size to the OP. Your body position does have to be solid on deployment, and you do need to be on top of things if a twist starts to develop. The Stiletto is an advanced canopy for advanced pilots. It may not be a Velocity, but it still needs respect. I think a SabreII would be a better choice for the OP. I'm with DanG - not sure what pilot-one experienced, but ~300 jumps on my Stiletto 190 have been without a single spin-up. An occasional end-cell closure during sub-terminal deployments is about the worst canopy-related problem I've had with it. The one hard opening I had was from a rushed pack job, and in retrospect I think I let the slider get down the lines a little as I was bagging it. I really like the ST190 as a video canopy, and it consistently gives me soft openings with the nose split & tucked into each half of the center cell. Back to the OP's question: I moved from a PD230 (F-111) to a Stiletto 190 at around 300 jumps. It probably wasn't the smartest transition path, but it worked for me. At