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I want to be "This guy" but for right now I need those other guys help to get there. Thanks to all those guys/gals that have helped me so far. I feel I have a lot further to go to be "this guy." David

Wait till you get 5-6 line twists, you pulled at 3500 feet and your canopy typically takes 800-1000 feet to completely inflate and slow you down. It happened twice to me last weekend. I had just gotten the lines untwisted each time by my DH. Almost crapped my pants each time because of the altitude. David

I got my own rig with new canopy at 55 jumps with little packing experience. I got a lot of help and have switched from packing with a hook to shoulder packing. This weekend I have finally been able to get the canopy in the first bag each time, albeit a little sloppy looking. This sucker only has 20 jumps on it and is still pretty slippery plus it is a 210 and a little big. The packing techniques will come. The biggest problem I have now is the time it takes, about 45 minutes right now and how tired I get from it by the end of the day. ' If you can, get a packer to do it for you for awhile and have fun jumping. Then get back to packing and learning for yourself. David

I can speak for the Pilot. It does normally open soft, but I packed myself a good slammer last Saturday. I got the bruises to prove it! But usually it opens fine. This was my mistake as I lost control of the slider I am pretty sure. I had issues packing that pack job. David

You mentioned a better form factor. Did you have to make a custom camera box for the new Canon or is there an existing one already on the market that works? BTW, several websites such as amazon.com show the camera in stock for anywhere from $849-$1049. Hopefully they are actually shipping and not hiding the truth. David

I finally confirmed yesterday that my control lines are indeed too long. I was given a tip at the DZ yesterday as to how to "tune" my canopy by pulling the toggles down until the lip of the canopy just begins to curl then make note of how much line is below the brake setting ring on the risers, about 10-12 inches worth. With this in mind, since the rigger couldn't fix it right away, we both decided it was best to try wrapping the lines once to see how much of a difference it made. It turned out to be a world of difference. For the first time, my canopy flared and actually slowed down, popped up a little and sank. Unfortunately, I am so used to PLF'ing, that I as afraid of it. I made 2 more similar landings and was able to get the last 2 video taped. I can see the flare happening and that I could have stood up both of them. Once the lines are modified, I just have to work on the confidence issue. I thank everyone here for their great advice in helping me overcome the last big obstacle I feel I have to becoming an average or better skydiver. It has been a challenge, but well worth it. David

Me thinks you were at Perris Valley! As soon as I read the part about the video tape, I started laughing. Welcome to our world! David

Just in case someone reading this thread does not know, USPA offers third-party AD&D insurance that does cover skydiving. FYI I do not know any more about it other than what is on the USPA website. David

Thanks for posting this. It looks like a lot of fun. I might give a try at getting some folks to try it this weekend. I don't know if I am good enough to be that accurate, but I wanna try. Will be fun regardless. Time to have fun at this skydiving stuff, no more deep instruction. Woohoo! David

I have bought small from them several times without any problems. David

Some of your problem besides the usual relaxation was probably the time off. I got my A license 6 weeks ago and got injured the same day. I had been unable to jump until yesterday. I was nervous and tense. I did alright on the first jump, but the second and third were so much better. I had similar problems during my AFF and coach jumps. The first jump of the day always seemed to suck and eb a waste. It was like beign in a rut. I couldn't change it. Eventually though, the first jump of the day turned into the best of the day several times. Keep working on it and it will come. David

After careful consideration and review of my log book as well as taking into acount my lack of experience, so on and so forth, I have decided that altering the canopy caracteristics at this time would not be in my best interest to do. I only have 11 jumps on this canopy since it was brand new. As long as the canopy was properly rigged, then the most likely problem is me not doing something like I should be. I think I will keep working on technique and get a coach to watch/video tape me landing a few times to try to fix myself. I know yesterday the first 2 landings someone did watch me and caught me not finishing the flare. That was a problem I thought I had fixed. The 3rd jump I did fix it and the guy thought I would stand up the landing but he was behind me and couldn't see my flare that time. I thought I was going too fast and tried a PLF which turned into a forward roll over. It would be preferrable of course to get a canopy piloting course, but that probably won't happen for awhile. Thanks to everyone for the advice. For all I know I may be flaring at the wrong time still, or too fast, or need a 2 stage flare. It is hard to tell under canopy when the ground seems to be rushing up at you. Yesterday was also full of stress with a bunch of new "1st's" for me such as: 1st skydive after being broken and 6 weeks off, 1st skydive with new full face helmet, 1st skydive with new RW jumpsuit, 1st skydive from a tailgate aircraft (CASA), 1st skydive at this dropzone, expected to be cold on exit, the weather wasn't great was pretty cloudy, not used to that, and being off jumping for 6 weeks for the injury. I am sure there are a few more, but that is all I can think of for the moment. Let's throw in some lack of experience and intimidation to. Hopefully I didn't miss anything here. Too many variables to blame the canopy for my problem. The time off was probably the biggest cuplrit in hindsite, making me nervous/scared. David

On one's own rig, to shorten the extra control line length prior to the half brake stow hole by means of a knot or two or three? It has been identified by myself and one other person today that the reason I am not getting a full flare on my Pilot 210 is that the control lines may be a tad long. I forgot to run this by the DZ rigger today so I am asking the masses here. I am not going to do it though until I get a landing videotaped to actually show the problem and make sure it is not my imagination and I find out who is supposed to do the job. I do not feel I need to physically shorten the lines above the stow hole. Just maybe shorten them an inch or two for flare and see if it helps. David

I am glad it helped you. If you don't mind me asking, what things were you doing wrong that they had to correct? David

I am a Private Pilot and I have always been taught that a good pilot is always learning also. I expect to cotinue learning. I have heard that you "old timers" have trouble in the wind tunnel for the first couple times. I did tunnel before AFF 1q and another hour and 20 mins or so up through getting my "A". Tunnel isn't easy, but it sure is a good tool. I had trouble in the tunnel myself. David

I have been reading the webpage than BIGUN sent. It looks like a lot of fun and looked that way on tv last night. It even looks like something I can do to! I am ready to start having fun skydiving. Being under instruction was and wasn't fun at times. Sometimes with the all day coaching, it got to be a pain in the arss. David

Sounds like fun. I look forward to being there. I could see this hoop diving taking a couple tries as I haven't done anything near this before. As for the "first beer" you mentioned, that could break me financially. hehe We'll see though. I might be able to spring for some on this occasion. Let's see, 1st skydive after being broken, 1st skydive of "A" license without getting broken (we hope and expect) after first actual a license skydive I got hurt, 1st skydive with new full face helmet, 1st skydive with new jumpsuit, 1st skydive with new freefly pants if I get the opportunity to do a solo with them sometime, 1st skydive at SGC, 1st skydive in Ohio, 1st skydive on east coast, 1st gonna be freakin' cold skydive, 1st skydive with other people most likely, 1st RW skydive that isn't under instruction. I am sure there are a few more, but that is all I can think of for the moment. See you in the morning, David

My former southern California DZ was charging $99 per coach jump, which I paid for a couple until I hired an instructor for the whoel day several times for $300 a day and his slots. I am not sure whether or not I got ripped off. I was having exit problems and couldn't get my "A" signed off. I feel I am a better skyudiver for the extra attention, its just that my pockets are a lot lighter for it. David

Ok, I will be there tomorrow morning, you don't have to twist my arm. I just changed my other gotta do plans from tomorrow to Monday, so no jumping on Monday. Unless I hear otherwise, I will plan on being at the DZ around 0800 as I don't know what time the action starts. I do have to do at least one confidence hop first as it has been 6 weeks since my last jump due to injury, I have a new jumpsuit I have never flown, and haven't jumped at SGC yet. I have jumped an Otter mostly, but never a Casa. I must seem kinda complicated now. Are you hanging out in any particular spot or jsut have them call you on the PA system to meet with you? I got your name from your profile already. I probably won't do a demo rig just because my rig is so new with only 7 jumps on it and I am not used to it yet. We'll see though. Thanks for the invite btw! David Burnworth

Hey Eric, I was gonna ask you if you thought anyone at SGC might wanna do it. I am pretty sure I will be there Monday, if not, next weekend for sure. I went to Richmond today for the boogie, but the clodus were way too low with intermittent showers, so cashed in my jump tickets and came back home. I was really frustrated after having waited 6 weeks to heal. Catch you later, David

Thanks! I figured this was jsut a fun thing to do, but now it has turned into a big challenge. I will work on getting thsi together at my local DZ. David

I was watching America's funniest home videos tonight on tv when a skydiving video popped up. Two guys were holding a hula hoop and their buddies would track through it. The first person made it, the other kinda messed it up and it was funny. Anyway, question is this. For someone like me who has never carried anything in freefall so far, is it too dangerous for me to do yet at 60 jumps? Second question: If myself or someone else holds the hula hoop for me, how do you hold on to it during the deployment phase and then what do you do with it before you land? Do you drop the object (hula hoop in this case) before you make your turn to final or hold on to it all the way down? Thanks, David

For clarification purposes, what is meant by line continuity check? Would this be when you separate the three lines groups at each riser and run them up to the main making sure they are separated and untangled? THat is what it sounds like to me. David

You would win the purple category for sure! David

I admit to doing it once. When I had jsut gotten my packing class was when I just started using the rental gear from Square 1 in Perris. Each main has to be parapacked at the end of the day and removed from the particular cotainer you are using. I packed it myself and having only packed a couple times, I didn;t catch the nose being the wrong direction. Whe nI got done, I started my gear check. I noticed that the RSL rings were outwards, not inwards. It didn't look right to me. I had someone look at it. He wasn't sure enough so we decided to take the pack job apart. Voila! The main was on backwards. I think it is easy to do when you have to get gear that way. It is one benefit of having one's own gear. So, any way, it is possible and has been done. I am just glad I caught the mistake and got help. David