pms07

The guy to talk in the USA is Van Pray Jr. He has an approved U206 PT-6 conversion, flies skydivers, and has aircraft flying jumpers in the USA and Europe. Van and his wife are both very experienced pilots and skydivers. https://www.aerialtransport.com

5 July 1986. 20-way base with a 10-way star at the center. I remember it well as I was closing on the 20-way on the left leg of Guy Manos in the 10-way, with Carol Clay to my right in the 20-way. Carol wanted to race on our approaches and, I'll admit, she won on most but not all the jumps of that event. The "blow hole" formed by the larger base in the center, as we were briefed, was designed to allow the base to fall faster than those 5-way base or similar attempts.

Yup. I've seen it, and a video from elsewhere also. I've filmed a bunch of deployment/pull sequences with a rearward facing go pro on my own jumps. I'd like to see some of the same with a ripcord/spring loaded pilot chute setup.

I only have about 1600 wingsuit jumps. I also have maybe 2000 jumps (mostly RW) on rigs with a main ripcord/spring loaded pilot chute. And I'm having a difficult time imaging ripcord main deployment being a good setup for general wingsuit use. It seems that a spring loaded pilot chute has the potential to increase the possibility of pilot chute/bridle entanglement but I could be wrong, plus a dramatic increase in the potential for the pilot chute just laying on your back after pull. I can however imagine wingsuit body positions to help alleviate those problems but I'm a bit skeptical. Either way, I'm going to stick with a BOC and recommend others do the same. Kleggo: I would like to see some video (if any are available, rearward facing go pro or whatever) of those wingsuit jumps using a ripcord and spring loaded pilot chute. Maybe we can learn something new...

Looks like a non-issue as gowlerk indicates but there is a better solution than crowd sourcing internet rig advice. What I would do, were I concerned, I would get off the internet and call RI, send them the video, discuss what you perceive is the issue. This forum is no place to get real answers, go to the manufacturer. Sandy, Brenda, Salena, and the rest of the RI Curv gurus are very approachable and always interested in ensuring any issue with their gear is sorted out. Go to the the source, get off the friggin' internet...

Seems like the K20 and Phantom 22 were about the smallest packing reserves back in the late 70s/early80s. Both packed as small or smaller than 23 tricon from what I recall. The Piglet reserve was also very small packing but I had no experience with it. I've got at least 3 rides on a Phantom 24 at field elevation over 6000'MSL. I was lighter and lots younger in those days and thought the landings were okay. Anyone putting something similar in a pilot emergency rig ought to think about the landings, possibly in rough terrain with little or no time to prep, before strapping one on. Small pack volume isn't everything, especially for someone with little or no experience under such a canopy. I get that its an emergency/last hope piece of equipment but when I've flown with an emergency rig, one of my criteria was to being more likely than not to walk away from the landing using it under less than ideal conditions...

Sad news indeed. Randy kicked me off the Baldwin drop zone back in the mid-'70s but likely I deserved it. Still, we got along well and he welcomed me back a week or two later...

In answer to "Is skydiving dangerous?" The answer is yes, anyone who says otherwise probably has not considered all the possibilities. You can do everything correct and have perfectly functioning gear, and still die. Are the risks, generally, manageable? Sure. But acknowledging that we participate in a dangerous activity seems like the first step of risk management.

That is not really correct. The reason available AADs were unpopular in the '70s and '80s was because they were generally unreliable and prone to firing at almost any altitude. At least that was the common belief and I personally witnessed multiple AAD fires at altitudes when people were or could have been turning points. In the '70s if an experienced jumper had an AAD, they were not welcome on many RW loads. Two out was, generally, a lesser concern compared to an inadvertent reserve fire while doing RW. Probably because that seldom happened with an experienced jumper because so few had an AAD.

Curious; You do know that the PD Horizon has the little plastic snaps on the slider to secure it to the canopy as it comes out of the bag and you get to line stretch. Yuri: How does that figure into your theory? Just wondering....

Yeah, the notion that the original Sabre "didn't work" is absurd; It was one of the besting selling and longest on the market main canopy designs ever. Certainly it set the standard in its day. Personally, I have around 2000 jumps on Sabres, all with no modifications.

Never had a BPA temp membership, never had to pay for anything extra related to insurance, was allowed to jump with USPA. I can't speak what is required versus what is enforced in any country. It has been a couple of years since I've been in Europe however, maybe things have changed in some locations.

I've jumped in the UK, Germany, France, Netherlands, Spain and Belgium. I've never had an issue with USPA or had to buy additional insurance.

I'm always fascinated by the "fashion statement" complaints about full face helmets (and other skydiving gear choices). If someone doesn't want to jump one, they should not. The "fashion statement" thing seems silly to me however. I've been jumping a full face since 1990ish and am satisfied that these helmets do I what I intend for them. Cuts down on wind and noise, while offering some (perhaps limited) protection from minor dings, knee or foot to the face, other collisions, etc. Also gives me a place for audibles, cameras, flysight, etc. Many skydiving gear choices seem expensive, given the small market. it's been that way always and is unlikely to change...

I do two disciplines, FS and WS. I don't believe there are good arguments on both sides. Barrel rolls following breakoff to clear your airspace, generally, are a stupid idea in either discipline. Anyone that thinks otherwise is confused on how to generate good separation. Following the more conventional plan for separation, that many have explained here, is more effective. Also, I don't understand why emphasizing (and incorporating into training) the idea of not being over another divers back, following breakoff, gets little mention here. Bottomline: If you are above another jumper following breakoff, move, move now, move quickly. For me, I track, I wave, I look, but if you are over my back between 3000' - 2000', expect to dodge a pilot chute in the very near future. I'm curious, when was the last time a largest formation record event had everyone barrel rolling on breakoff? My experience is never...

"...Skydive Arizona does have a lot of guidelines because we have a lot of visitors from drop zones that apparently don't." Thanks Bryan. I find it absolutely astonishing that this is still the case, but it is. I travel to different drop zones fairly often and even the basics, such things as pattern or landing direction, are not well explained or adhered to at some locations. I also try to avoid some boogies because of the "jungle rules" that seem to apply to canopy flight. Eloy does a great job with this issue and, as an annual visitor, I appreciate what you guys do.

You probably couldn't give away a 25 year old canopy made from F-111 to most experienced jumpers, thus it is almost worthless. Could it be safely jumped? Perhaps, but I wouldn't jump it without it going back to the manufacturer for evaluation. Yes, age matters. Yes, fabric can degrade over time. And yes, you should probably look for a more modern design that is not so old. Most of the advertised "bargain" parachutes are no bargain...

Where is 17 in your poll, that's when I started (43 years ago)? I have multiple friends that started when they were 16 or 17, and two that were 14. Your categories exclude many. Young person's sport? Go to a POPs, SOS, or JOEs event, it might give you some insight. Or just go to any FS record event, lots of people that you might not consider "young".

Well, different people have different motivations for why they skydive, what they want to accomplish, and what their goals are. It's always been that way but when I started skydiving there were 2 disciplines; S&A, and RW. Now there are many and the sport is more complex; vfs, ff, fs, each with various sub disciplines like 4-way, 8-way, big ways, team, then there are CF, CP, sport accuracy, classic accuracy, angle flying, tracking dives, wingsuit flying with sub disciplines like flocking, carving, performance, xrw. And the professional instructor staff. You are free to choose your own path. There have always been some in the sport that want to make a few jumps and basically survive, while others want to make a million jumps and achieve world-class status, and stretch the boundaries of flight. And everything in between. One person's "unsuccessful jump" might be another's greatest feat in the sport. Everyone has their own motivation, best to accept that and gravitate toward the drop zone, people and dives that coincide with your own.

Fly Free is closed permanently. Flying V is is an awesome place, great facility and people. Call ahead, not open every day and sometimes only a handful of fun jumpers. You will get to jump a Cessna 206 with a PT-6 turbine engine, awesome and almost unique in the sport, and you will get plenty of jumps usually. Mid America Sport Parachute Club in Taylorville, IL, seems like a nice place, Cessna 206 and 182 last time I was there; club atmosphere, very friendly. Gateway Skydiving in Greenville, IL, is a nice place but slow for fun jumpers in my experience. Haven't been there in a while but when I have been, almost no fun jumpers and a single 182. They will squeeze you in on a tandem load when they can however and try to ensure you get up to jump. Lots of riggers in area, pm me and I can refer you to someone, depending on what you need and when. There are no full-time riggers around STL so there might be better options elsewhere. Something to consider, I live near Saint Louis and Skydive Chicago is 250 miles from my house. Chicagoland Skydiving is 275 miles. Depending on what your expectations are, these are an option also. The round trip makes for a long weekend but both are world-class, full service, loft, restaurant, bar, coaches, and multiple turbine aircraft drop zones.

Paradactyl was an interesting canopy. I have a few jumps on the single keel and thought it might be a decent PC replacement in the mid '70s, but it fell short in performance compared to the squares that were emerging at the time. Few will remember but one of the first big DZ AFF programs was at Perris. They used double keel paradactyls for AFF student canopies with good success. I made a couple of AFF jumps as JM there back around 1982 and thought it worked well. Jerry Swovelin and Bob Buehrer ran that program as I recall.

Ron is correct when he said "And I don't really think skysurf was ever really *big*." The reality is there were very few that really pursued skysurfing, and many that gave it a try but quickly decided it was not their jam. That was reflected at the U.S. Nationals where there were only a few teams...which was the impetus for USPA dropping this as a competition event. And who knew that Gary Peek was a skysurfer once upon a time?

I have a few skysurf jumps, actually some jumping boards owned by the OP, tidlof. I enjoyed those jumps but made a personal risk management decision to not pursue the activity and jump bigger boards after about a dozen jumps. It's a complicated discipline with a lot of risk. Frankly, I'm glad skysurfing never caught on like wingsuiting has. Were skysurfing to become very popular, and attract many low time jumpers like wingsuits have, there would likely be a significant level of carnage.

Only 5 demo jumps but I think the Horizon is a pretty cool canopy. It's not for everyone but I think it meets the needs of wingsuiters that are seeking less opening drama, small pack volume, and a wing that lands well in a variety of conditions. I put the Horizon 190 in my container that typically holds a Storm 150 or Sabre 135, good fit. You want swoop canopy performance, then look elsewhere. You want reliable and predictable performance with high-performance wingsuits, and easy landings? Demo a Horizon.

It's just one photo but it might be enlightening to see what kind of inspection and maintenance program for tandem rigs that dz has. Tandem rigs, generally, require way more attention than our experienced skydiver gear. I've seen a couple of places that don't really pay much attention to this issue, and one or two cases that I wouldn't consider their tandem rigs airworthy. Waiting for something to break is not really the best route. I also see a few TIs that just "strap it on" and hope everything is good. I don't really get that that type of thinking...