Reginald

Wow, that is the height of lazy. The SIM has a section in back that tells you what sections to study for the A license test. "We've been looking for the enemy for some time now. We've finally found him. We're surrounded. That simplifies things." CP

Rick is closer to 12,000 jumps!

Nice video! You are doing great for your jump numbers. So who was the coach on the video? You know the one flying mantis. "We've been looking for the enemy for some time now. We've finally found him. We're surrounded. That simplifies things." CP

QuoteI agree with everyone else, get coaching. IF YOU CAN AFFORD IT. There is a trend toward paid coaching on the DZ. There is still a huge population of fun jumpers who will jump with you for free. If, like most of us, you can't afford to pay for the coach. Go meet the experienced jumpers on the DZ and start doing 2-ways. Someone with 40 jumps might not be your best choice. Make sure an instructor or S&TA approves of your choice.Quote Unfortunately this is not really an option for a student. You need an appropriate instructional rating such as an AFFI or Coaches rating to jump with a non-licensed student. So virtually none of the “fun jumpers” at a DZ can touch the guy legally (insert notes about waivers, etc., etc.). He must finish up his A-license requirements with an instructor of coach, who is probably going to want to get paid. To the original poster, your instructors should have a defined plan to get you from AFF to your license. If they don’t I would start looking at other DZ’s in your area. Any DZ worth it’s salt should have a plan to get your from point A to point B. At my DZ we do SDU and have very defined teaching and learning objectives on each jump and make sure the student meets all the requirements for the A license card in the process, such as “diving after another skydiver 100 feet.” Also, have you reviewed your A license card with your instructors? Did they tell you how to get all of the items check off? I can’t believe any DZ would let a student finish AFF and put him out on his own. "We've been looking for the enemy for some time now. We've finally found him. We're surrounded. That simplifies things." CP

But we were on a BREAK! "We've been looking for the enemy for some time now. We've finally found him. We're surrounded. That simplifies things." CP

In another thread there was confusion on these two items. Some people thought they were one in the same, other thought they were different. What is your view and why? Here’s my opinion: Hard Deck: 1,800 feet – the altitude if I don’t have a landable main above my head I go to my EP’s. Min Cutaway Altitude: 1,000 feet – the minimum altitude I would cutaway before deploying my reserve. Below this altitude I probably fire a reserve without cutting away. What are your thoughts? "We've been looking for the enemy for some time now. We've finally found him. We're surrounded. That simplifies things." CP

LOL! Larry is great. I don't get down ther as much as I would like from SD Dallas but he runs a fun operation down there. So how did the observer feel after finding out you wern't hanging from the plane???? "We've been looking for the enemy for some time now. We've finally found him. We're surrounded. That simplifies things." CP

Ditto!

An interesting question! I’m not a rigger but I’ll give you what I know. As you mentioned and UTDave

So you think this statement accurately reflects best practices? The last time I read the US SIM it talked about not cutting away below 1,000 feet not a hard deck. And at only 185 jumps I presume you use a hard deck of 1,800 to 2,000. I also really question your assertion that altimeters are not accurate. A properly maintained altimeter is highly accurate and is more accurate the lower it gets. Moreover, the discussion is about what best practices should be given various gear innovations not what they are currently. "We've been looking for the enemy for some time now. We've finally found him. We're surrounded. That simplifies things." CP

All Black, with wite gloves. Nothing shows up better on video for turning points. "We've been looking for the enemy for some time now. We've finally found him. We're surrounded. That simplifies things." CP

I do that every week. "We've been looking for the enemy for some time now. We've finally found him. We're surrounded. That simplifies things." CP

Good post. I’m glad it worked out okay. There are a lot of things going on in your post but one stuck in my head. I’m confused here. I can do a flat 180 turn while losing only about 50 feet of altitude. I only lose about 250 feet on a maximum toggle 180. At 500 feet a flat 180 should not be a problem, what was going on caused it to be one? Was your “flat” turn not a flat turn, was there traffic, etc.? "We've been looking for the enemy for some time now. We've finally found him. We're surrounded. That simplifies things." CP

LOL! I;m sure it was a couple of line twists "We've been looking for the enemy for some time now. We've finally found him. We're surrounded. That simplifies things." CP

I've done several days with an hour in a day and I think my top is an hour and a half in one day. I didn't find it too taxing as long as it was spread out throughout the day. I will add that my first time in the tunnel (at 10 jumps) was much more taxing than any other trip since. "We've been looking for the enemy for some time now. We've finally found him. We're surrounded. That simplifies things." CP

Waited until I got my "A" license. couldn't find used gear that fit so I ordered new. I got the gear by about jump 85. I lvoe the gear and with a downsized canopy it should get me through to jump 800 with no problem at all. "We've been looking for the enemy for some time now. We've finally found him. We're surrounded. That simplifies things." CP

Jim, The Cypres has an interesting bit of information built into its code. The air pressure difference in a person’s burble is equal to 200 feet of altitude. There is some sophisticated logic built to cover if a person is tumbling and to compensate for that, however. Basically that “lower” reading of 200 feet translates into a Cypres firing at 950 feet in a test chamber, this is equal to 750 feet in the sky with a 200 foot difference for the burble. So a couple of hundred feet difference is pretty well established. I’m surprised you got up to 900 feet difference based on position around your body and 500 between your Protrack and Neptune. Have you thought of putting an analogue altimeter on your wrist with your Neptune? I know I’m going to get flamed here but I‘ve heard a number of people (that you know) complain about the accuracy of a Neptune. "We've been looking for the enemy for some time now. We've finally found him. We're surrounded. That simplifies things." CP

Hey Dan, did you stand it up? "We've been looking for the enemy for some time now. We've finally found him. We're surrounded. That simplifies things." CP

Why do you think you need someone to "come along"? I happened to have a video guy do this jump for me for free but my instructor never asked for anything other than a notation in my log book I did it. Just like the landing requirments orthe RW requirments a singed notation in your log book should be valid. "We've been looking for the enemy for some time now. We've finally found him. We're surrounded. That simplifies things." CP

"We've been looking for the enemy for some time now. We've finally found him. We're surrounded. That simplifies things." CP

Now THAT needs to go in the coolest looking type of skydiver thread! "We've been looking for the enemy for some time now. We've finally found him. We're surrounded. That simplifies things." CP

Um, I think I need to hear this story! "We've been looking for the enemy for some time now. We've finally found him. We're surrounded. That simplifies things." CP

Hey, just send me a PM. I'm a regular jumper at Skydive Dallas, the only turbine DZ in the Dallas area and would be happy to show you around. Being a low timer is not a problem at all, we have a good group of people for you to jump with and a large landing area. The only problem is the nearest beer store is 20 minutes away. "We've been looking for the enemy for some time now. We've finally found him. We're surrounded. That simplifies things." CP

You will need to read it to pass your "A" license test and your "B" license test, etc. Do you think it's worth it? "We've been looking for the enemy for some time now. We've finally found him. We're surrounded. That simplifies things." CP

Hmm, very disappointing. I love the atmosphere at Perris/Elsinore when I visit there. They are 20 minutes apart and people go back and forth between hem. They both have something great to offer, but are in many ways, VERY different. I’ve never heard people at one talk bad about people at the other. I’m sure it happens but I’ve never heard it. At my DZ, which is the only big time turbine DZ in the metropolitan area, I’ve literally heard instructors on the phone telling people that are asking about how our DZ compares to others in the extended area that they are all fine operations and they will have a great time at any of them. Never, has a bad word about another DZ been said, in my presence anyway. Let’s be honest skydiving is a small community and everyone knows everyone else. It’s just not a good idea to badmouth people you might want to work for or will work with in the future. "We've been looking for the enemy for some time now. We've finally found him. We're surrounded. That simplifies things." CP