kkeenan

As said above, Landing. Injuries from opening do happen, but the incidence is very low compared with landing injuries. If you do lots of stretching and are able to do a bunch of PLFs from a platform without much discomfort, chances are good. Kevin K. _____________________________________ Dude, you are so awesome... Can I be on your ash jump ?

Thanks, Terry, for a balancing out the rose-tinted "Go for it" point of view. The truth is, as with all human endeavors, we're all different. In my opinion, the key is in honest self-evaluation and openness to others' opinions. Student jumpers can get away with a lot of mistakes. That's the way the program is designed and why there are talented instructors. By the time a jumper finishes basic instruction, however, they should be able to operate somewhat independently. Going through training will subject someone to most of the physical and mental tasks and stresses that occur in everyday skydiving. This should be the time when someone should see how they are holding up to these, listen to their instructors, and decide whether they should continue. Trainers who immediately dismiss an older person simply on the basis of age are just as wrong as an older person thinking that young folks are "know-nothing dipshits". Sometimes it's true, but not spending the time to find out for sure is a mistake. Kevin K. _____________________________________ Dude, you are so awesome... Can I be on your ash jump ?

Well said, Jimmy. The best asset is clear thinking and quick decision-making ability. Flexibility is very important, in addition to strength. Yoga conditioning and pre-jump stretching go a long way toward preventing injury. Kevin K. _____________________________________ Dude, you are so awesome... Can I be on your ash jump ?

Having seen the movie, I thought the skydiving scenes were pretty well done. Of course, there is the usual extremely over-long freefall times, but as Hollywood goes it wasn't bad. They did say that the guy "pulled at 300'", which, as has been said, Would put him into the ground. However, the low opening depicted looks to be about that altitude, as does the time between opening and landing. So, I'd say in the story, the guy pulls low and gets open at 300'. Now that we've settled that, does anyone want to discuss the anal sex in the final scene ? _____________________________________ Dude, you are so awesome... Can I be on your ash jump ?

I was on this jump with Scotty Carbone...

http://youtu.be/djAKgm-iaL8

Conversation with Mirage indicated that it had been pull-tested to 7k+ lbs. _____________________________________ Dude, you are so awesome... Can I be on your ash jump ?

Thanks, Jerry. In my work as a govt. contractor, I, too, was used to very well-defined specs. Since the FAA has such loose requirements, the submissions may be just as loose, such as, "Sew here". So whatever came from a FOIA request might be worthless.

Thanks. Good reference. Do you know if the actual harness construction drawings are required by FAA for the TSO paperwork? And, if so, is that available to the public? I'm pretty sure most manufacturers do not release their drawings. Kevin

Looking at a 2003 Mirage G3 harness, the way the bottom of the lower main lift web terminates at the hip ring is interesting. The section is made from a loop of Type VIII webbing with the ends joined by WW stitch. The stitch pattern is centered where it passes through the hip ring slot and folded flat, with a confluence wrap sewn around just above the ring to hold the folded webbing in place. I'm no harness designer, so I'm wondering how other manufacturers handle design of the main lift web between the rings. Are there detailed drawings available to riggers showing original construction specs to check a harness for modifications or repairs? Kevin K.

Time. Correct. The release mechanism is such that the bombs are let go sequentially, with a time delay between each one that can be varied based on the type of ordnance used. If they are release too closely together, they will collide, which will make them deviate from the expected trajectory and possibly malfunction. Kevin K. _____________________________________ Dude, you are so awesome... Can I be on your ash jump ?

Do you know if they have a demo program for people to try them out ? Kevin K. _____________________________________ Dude, you are so awesome... Can I be on your ash jump ?

A question to riggers: Would you decline to pack a reserve that used a ripcord that was longer than specified by the manufacturer? I realize that a too-short cable has obvious issues, and that is not my question. If the mfg. specifies X length for a certain model of their container, and a customer presents a ripcord that is X + 1" or X + 2", etc. (even though it is from the same mfg.), would you consider it to be an acceptable alternative, or would you consider it an improper substitution ? If longer is acceptable, how much over the specified length would you allow ? Kevin K. _____________________________________ Dude, you are so awesome... Can I be on your ash jump ?

As has been said, this technique, called "warping", is used a lot in CRW. When flying next to a formation, it is necessary to increase descent rate, but not forward speed. Warping distorts the wing and kills off lift. The more warp, the higher rate of descent. The trick is to control your heading while doing it. Each input (front riser and toggle) will turn you in that direction. The front riser has much more pressure than the toggle, so it's sometimes difficult to balance. But just add more in the direction you need to maintain straight flight. You can also steer in a warp. It's pretty hard to see the rate of descent increase unless you're flying relative to another canopy. But you can practice holding heading if you're alone. I have sometimes used a bit of warp on final approach to adjust altitude if I'm higher than necessary. However, make sure you come out of it at a high enough altitude to get the wing flying properly, or you'll pound in pretty severely. Kevin K. _____________________________________ Dude, you are so awesome... Can I be on your ash jump ?

The last I heard, from their shop in DeLand, was that the current delivery time was 16 wks. That was about a month ago. Since they are considered slow to begin with, I would use that figure as a bare minimum and add time from there. They make excellent suits, and I've heard nothing but the best reports of quality and workmanship. However, they are also known for long lead times. Kevin K. _____________________________________ Dude, you are so awesome... Can I be on your ash jump ?

Thanks. Thought I did that. _____________________________________ Dude, you are so awesome... Can I be on your ash jump ?

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[/url]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q3WadQpkLzk[url] _____________________________________ Dude, you are so awesome... Can I be on your ash jump ?

That's some kick-ass canopy flying. I don't ace who you are. _____________________________________ Dude, you are so awesome... Can I be on your ash jump ?

Interesting how things go around. I jumped with both Charlie Waters and Manley Butler at a DZ near Austin in the early 70s. Butler and I were pretty new back then. Charley Waters was a master designer of plenty of innovations. Manley obviously picked up a lot. However, me being an Aggie, not so much. Kevin K. _____________________________________ Dude, you are so awesome... Can I be on your ash jump ?

Does anyone know the last year that Precision manufactured the Micro Raven ? Kevin K. _____________________________________ Dude, you are so awesome... Can I be on your ash jump ?

I liked the bar on the front side of the 206. I've never seen that before, but then I don't jump 206s often. _____________________________________ Dude, you are so awesome... Can I be on your ash jump ?

I wear earplugs on all jumps, RW and CRW. I simply take them out just before jump run and put them in my jumpsuit pocket. Yes, I suppose I'm exposing my hearing to a few minutes of excessive noise, but it's only a small percentage of the total climb time. I do a lot of CRW, and it is vital to be able to hear while under canopy. On some jumps we use radios with an earphone, but that's not the usual jump. I think if you're looking for quiet and serenity, CRW may not be the best source. Kevin K. _____________________________________ Dude, you are so awesome... Can I be on your ash jump ?

Does anyone know if the Image helmet will accommodate a ringsight mount ? Kevin K