mjasantos

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About mjasantos

  • Birthday 09/07/1962

Gear

  • Container Other
    Vector 3 Micron V306
  • Main Canopy Size
    120
  • Reserve Canopy Size
    113
  • AAD
    Cypres

Jump Profile

  • License
    D
  • License Number
    21310
  • Licensing Organization
    USPA
  • Number of Jumps
    1312
  • Tunnel Hours
    4
  • Years in Sport
    33
  • First Choice Discipline
    4-Way Formation Skydiving
  • First Choice Discipline Jump Total
    1000
  • Freefall Photographer
    No

Ratings and Rigging

  • Static Line
    Jumpmaster
    Instructor
  • USPA Coach
    No
  • Pro Rating
    No
  • Wingsuit Instructor
    No
  1. You'll be missed Pat. RIP. Pat has been one of mine 4-way Formation Skydiving coaches, at Skydive AZ, back in 1998. Last January we talked on facebook... this news is almost unreal. My sincere condolences to his wife, children and family. Blue Skies to all. ----------------------------- Mario Santos Portugal
  2. Thanks Sangiro! I got an e-mail from him as well. Blue Skies! ----------------------------- Mario Santos Portugal
  3. Hi Dougie, An image worths a thousand words. After all the outstanding replies you got, I would just add one pic of the Meeker exit... I used to be OC, and everytime I launched that Random, I was visualizing myself as if I was Kirk Verner or Craig Gerard (from their Airspeed videos) to get the proper body position after launch (about 45º down from the horizontal line that goes from my centerpoint to IC centerpoint). I think the attached pic gives a good idea of it. Dan BC used to say: it's like launching a pizza out of the plane... and don't fall... jump! Everyone in the team has to know (it's a must) where his/her body will be placed once outside the plane, and go there in the correct timing at the launch. Blue Skies! ----------------------------- Mario Santos Portugal
  4. This is very sad news... and we feel worse when we know the person... words can't describe my feelings right now. I was shocked when I read John's name in the accident report. Damn! John was a Great person and a Great skydiver! First time I met him was back in January 2001, at Eloy for an Airspeed Skills Camp, and since then we kept in touch. He was a very current skydiver... 4 years ago I remember him having logged around 1400 skydives, now with around 5000, and participated in the World Team for the 300 and 357 Big Way World Records. In my mind I will always keep the image of a skydiver always playing safe and loving to skydive. Attached is a pick of our team at the SSL Meet, held in the last day of the Camp, when we teamed up along with Dan BC, one of our Skills Camp coaches. That was a place where we had a great and wonderful time. I will miss John! Sincere condolences to John's family on this difficult moment. Blue Skies... ever! ----------------------------- Mario Santos Portugal
  5. Forming a Team http://www.dropzone.com/safety/articles/FormingaTeam.shtml Blue Skies! ----------------------------- Mario Santos Portugal
  6. Every single time I go to Empuriabrava, I use to stay at Hotel Emporium (Castelló d´Empuries), located 2 Km from Empuriabrava. It's much cheaper than hotels at Empuriabrava, and has a good quality for a lower price. Their web site (containing all the information you need) is this one: http://www.emporiumhotel.com/. Their e-mail is [email protected]. Hope this helps. Blue Skies! ----------------------------- Mario Santos Portugal
  7. That's very true. If someone is tired, didn't sleep enough, had more than the average coffees, etc., will have a TUC smaller than the one listed in the tables. I found an interesting link regarding the TUC: http://www.berufspilot.ch/CBT.htm To select the altitude, place the mouse over the aircraft and drag it (it works like a cursor). It's a cool one! Blue Skies! ----------------------------- Mario Santos Portugal
  8. More dense or heavier air will slow down objects moving through it. Such air resistance is AKA drag and increases with air density. Lower air density penalizes canopy pilots as the lifting force on the canopy decreases. Temperature and air pressure at a particular time and place affects the air's density and therefore the canopy performance. In general, density altitude calculations don't take humidity into account since its affects are so much less than the others. Density altitude is defined as the pressure altitude corrected for the effects of temperature and humidity. Density altitude is a good way to relate air density to canopy performance. Here is a good link about Density Altitude: http://www.infodotinc.com/weather3/6-22.htm And also a link for a Density Altitude Calculator: http://www.wahiduddin.net/calc/calc_da.htm Blue Skies! ----------------------------- Mario Santos Portugal
  9. billvon has already answered that: it has to be very accurately planned and usually there is no margin for mistakes or contigencies. In such conditions the risk is even higher and that's why almost everytime there is one or another episode where things didn't go as planned. When I mentioned records, it wasn't exclusive for big formations records, but for those if your remember Eloy or Thailand, in any of them there were (luckily without further major consequences) some situations where skydivers detected others going under the effects of hypoxia and were not aware of that (as that is usually how it happens... if you don't know and are aware of how your body reacts to the lack of oxygen at altitude, you'll fade out without even realize it... that's why the physiological training and preparation are important, although not usually required). When I mentioned records, I was also remembering when Patrick de Gaiardon exited a Pilatus way above 25k and without bailout system during the descent. He breathed O2 while climbing to altitude but not during the skydive. He had a long period of preparation including the resistance to cold and to hold his breath. He was using a Cypres on his rig, but even with all this training and preparation, later he reported that at some point of his skydive he faded out (due to hypoxia) and recovered from that sometime later before the opening at a lower altitude. That's why a record is a record, because it has never been done before. Other thing I'd like to say is that even there are standard procedures to follow in such situations, that doesn't happen all the time... many times there are rules and we don't go according to the rules, but that's a different aspect. Such situations will bring an higher risk than the one "playing" at those altitudes already has even following all the standard and recommended procedures. I'd like to mention a final aspect, which is equipment related. There are canopies whose specs allow the opening at high altitudes. In the military, for example, those canopies are used for HAHO jumps (High Altitude High Opening jumps). The deployment can be done by static line (usually when skydivers carry a lot of operational equipment - rucksack, weapon, etc.) or as a normal hop'n pop, where normally the freefall time is around 2-3 secs and doesn't go above 7 secs, to avoid deployments at terminal speed. That's why in such equipments we find specs like this one: "The MT-1X can be safely deployed from 2,000 ft AGL (610m) up to 30,000 ft MSL (9144m) and at indicated airspeeds up to 150 KIAS." Even when specs mention it, there are situations where the equipment fails (I remember a situation of a friend of mine in Belgium, where an HAHO jump didn't go as planned, as his canopy has split in two, through the middle cell, just after the deployment...). Some of the main points here are: - There are rules but they are not followed all the time (usually due to logistical reasons), although we should; - When doing such attempts, at such altitudes, the training, preparation and equipment should be adequate; - Use common sense and always be prepared for the unexpected - things don't go all the time as expected; - There is an higher risk by the exposure at these altitudes; by doing it in conditions and not following all the recommended procedures, you must be willing to take that even higher risk, and also be ready to take any consequences from it, if and when things went the wrong way. Blue Skies! ----------------------------- Mario Santos Portugal
  10. Unless you're planning for some kind of record or stunt event, no one should be jumping from 30K without a compatible bailout oxygen system. Why? It's related with altitude classifications: 1. Low altitude: below 15,000 feet MSL; 2. Intermediate altitude: from 15,000 feet up to 20,000 feet MSL (a separate oxygen mask should be provided for each skydiver and aircrew member, although a common central oxygen bottle and regulator system may be used). In this case, masks should be put and begin breathing oxygen at 8,000 feet MSL (important especially if more than one jump per day is to be done). Skydivers should be breathing oxygen until within 30 seconds of exit. 3. High altitude: from 20,000 feet up to 40,000 feet MSL (all skydivers must be equipped with an appropriate on-board oxygen source and compatible bailout oxygen system, preferably with a backup bottle). When goal altitude is lower than 25,000 feet MSL, all skydivers should begin breathing from their onboard oxygen source at 8,000 feet MSL; if goal altitude is above 25,000 ft, then all skydivers should pre-breathe 100% oxygen for 30 minutes prior to takeoff. In any of these situations, at 2 minutes from exit, skydivers activate their individual bailout bottles, disconnecting from the aircraft oxygen system. In the event of a bailout bottle malfunction and that no backup bottle is carried, the skydiver should remain connected to the aircraft oxygen system. 4. Extreme altitude: above 40,000 feet MSL (all skydivers must be equipped with compatible onboard and bailout oxygen and body pressurization systems appropriate to the goal altitude). At this altitude range there are no general SOP defined, as they change from situation to situation, but should be developed for each specific mission and equipment used to accomplish it. Becoming under a prematurely deployed reserve (or main) at high or extreme altitudes, without a bailout oxygen, would be a real problem. Besides the very low temperatures at those altitudes, the lack of oxygen would cause the loss of consciousness. At 40k the Time of Useful Consciousness is 15 seconds; At 35k is 20 seconds; At 30k is 30 seconds; At 28k is 1 minute; At 26k is 2 minutes; At 24k is 3 minutes; At 22k is 6 minutes; At 20k is 10 minutes; And at 18k is between 15 and 30 minutes. That's why above 20,000 feet MSL all skydivers must be equipped with an appropriate on-board oxygen source and compatible bailout oxygen system (preferably with a backup bottle). Besides the lack of oxygen at high altitude, there are other problems. At higher altitudes, the terminal velocity increases, so does the rate of change in speed from freefall to open canopy. Due to this, a premature and unexpected parachute deployment might cause serious injuries as result of the greater opening shock that would be experienced in such situation. On the other hand, the equipment used might not be able to sustain that shock without damage. Even if the skydiver doesn't get injured and the equipment not damaged, would still face an extended period of exposure to the extreme low temperature at those altitudes. So IMHO, a premature reserve deploy at 17k wouldn't be a big problem; at 20k, the problem would get bigger, but wouldn't still be a limit situation if the skydiver gets able to descend to FL150 within 5-10 minutes from the opening. However, at 30k, the ideal would be to have a backup bottle as well, depending on the duration of the main bailout O2 bottle. Otherwise (without a bailout O2 system) a skydiver in this situation would face an extreme situation, with more than likely serious consequences. Blue Skies! ----------------------------- Mario Santos Portugal
  11. While docking you should avoid to bring any momentum into the formation. That's why one should stop before grip. After you stopped (at reach distance), then you may grip. Also, rather than extend too much your arms to grip, extend and use your legs "strong" and efficiently, in a way that your lower body helps pushing you into the formation regardless any air bubble deflection from other skydivers. And when extending your arms to grip (just the necessary move, not exagerated), keep your arms as much relaxed as possible, while you keep flying your body, rather than just your arms (the tendency is to concentrate too much in what your eyes can see - usually your arms - forgeting the lower body - legs). To dock properly, you'll also need to be aware of levels all the time. Hope this can help you a bit. Blue Skies! ----------------------------- Mario Santos Portugal
  12. -----Original Message----- From: FAI Secretariat Sent: Tuesday, September 21, 2004 15:57 Subject: New Parachuting World Record Attempt - 21.09.2004 FAI has received the following Class G (Parachuting) record claim : ================================================================ Claim number : 9808 Sub-class G-2 (Group jumps) Competition / Team records General Category Type of record : G-2-D : Canopy formation, 8-way speed formation Course/location : 11th FAI World Canopy Formation, Rijeka (Croatia) Performance : 23.37 seconds Pilot : Russian National Team (Russia) Date: 19.09.2004 Current record : 24.65 seconds (06.07.2000 - Russian National Team, Russia) =============================================================== The details shown above are provisional. When all the evidence required has been received and checked, the exact figures will be established and the record ratified (if appropriate). ----------------------------- Mario Santos Portugal
  13. They've just set a tentative CFS8 World Record with 23.37 seconds in Round 3. http://www.omniskore.com/comp/2004/WPC_FS_CF_SA/tidbits_19.htm http://www.omniskore.com/comp/2004/WPC_FS_CF_SA/teams_pics/results_cf_speed.htm Blue Skies! ----------------------------- Mario Santos Portugal
  14. Just to add some Superpositioning drills (from the TunnelCamp.com Basic Curriculum): (...) III Day Three A. Superpositioning – Moving Your Center Point While You Rotate 1 Accordian 180 Stairstep and back 2 Accordian 360 Accordian and back (inside turn) 3 Accordian 360 Accordian and back (outside turn) 4 Half-Star 360 Bipole and back 5 Spin around the instructor (Half-Star 360 bipole, 90 to the Accordian, 360 to the other Accordian, 90 to the Half-Star, 360 to the Bipole than reverse the whole thing) (...) http://www.tunnelcamp.com/content.asp?id={E9B7DA16-CB3E-455D-9340-DAFF292F78E6}&cursection=01.12 Blue Skies! ----------------------------- Mario Santos Portugal
  15. Hi, The move you're talking about is included in the superpositional movement "class". Is a composed move because it includes 2 or 3 out of the 3 different following basic types of movement. Basically we have rotational moves, translational moves and level adjustment moves. You can do each of this separately. But when you combine any 2 out of these 3 basic moves, or even the 3 at the same time (as for example when performing "verticals", which is 3D formation skydiving blocks), you have a superpositional movement. That said, means that you'll only be able to execute a correct superpositional movement when you are able to execute in perfect control each of these basic moves separately. When you're OK with turns, slides and levels, then you're in conditions to start practicing superpositional moves. Superpositional movement is one of the course goals in Airspeed Tunnel Camps. http://www.tunnelcamp.com/content.asp?id={DE889C09-00EC-4115-B7FB-5F6DD7261E73}&cursection=01.03 Blue Skies! ----------------------------- Mario Santos Portugal