Casquito

I know it's fast- it's a riot to fly but demands 100% attention when diving. Just being humble with deference to the guys on the cutting edge doing big turns on small canopies hitting 100 or more mph. Bundy hit 94 on his new JVX hybrid the other day out at Perris. Now THAT"S smokin' fast. As far as my speed, hopefully I can get it faster. I was working with Duane Hall on the turns and it's been getting better, but I can probably eke a little more speed out of the thing without having to downsize.

I did a jump with the new LB Viso which has canopy speed as one of the recorded variables that can be played back in real time. I jump a Katana 107 loaded at 1.75 or so and it recorded a descent rate of 20 mph in full flight and 65 mph in my 270 turn to final from 650 feet. Having never checked my top speed under canopy I was surprised it was that fast under a 107. Just out of curiosity, has anyone else gotten readings during their dives? The Viso is pretty new so perhaps not that many people out there know. Certainly I had no idea I was going over 60 on a 107 doing a mere 270. It would be interesting to know what speeds people are attaining under what wing loading and how many degrees of rotation.

Is that an actual toggle stroke or taking up the slack in the brake lines that's left when you release the rear risers to keep the same aoa?

Katana 107 All white with red ribs/stabilizers Custom colors

You don't looked stoked though...

Not sure of your point there... It would depend on the MD. A pathologist- no. An ABEM certified EM MD who does USAR in addition to working at a trauma center... Not a bad choice. Again, depends on the MD. It's always a hoot when one shows up and tries to take control, and when you ask them what they do, they sheepishly reply "pediatrics" or "gastroenterology." Though most would realize their limitations and stay out of the way. But I would venture that most EM MDs would not be "out of their arena of training." Most have significant EMS experience (part of most EM training programs) as well as contact with EMS on a daily basis (runs, base station, and administrative- who do you think writes and approves EMS protocols?). Knowing what happens before patients arrive in the ED as well as what needs to happen when they are there would provide a big picture perspective on what needs to get done when. It's a mutual respect thing. Everyone has their area of expertise and if you do it for a while you know where they overlap and where the hard line is. This thread is getting a bit acrimonious. Just remember we all want to help and have different skills we bring with us. Do what you can and feel comfortable doing, but always remember you can do more harm than good. The middle of grassy field is no place to provide definitive care for severe injuries. We just need to support them and prevent further injury until they get to somewhere where they can get that care.

There's a reason EMS systems in the US (arguably the most advanced in the world) have gone to a "scoop and run" approach. Transport to a facility that has the resources to treat the patient is a priority. By treat I mean definitive treatment. You do what you can on scene to stabilize or attend to the basic ABC's (airway/breathing/circulation) but not to the point where it will delay transport. Intubating someone seems very heroic, but in a majority of cases people can be ventilated with an ambu-bag just as effectively. It is a matter of balancing what can be done at the scene (limited) with the delay in transport to definitive care. It can be a judgement call and therefore all EMS systems have protocols in place to minimize having to make such decisions. Realize that there is little that can be done immediately other than providing supportive care, eg clearing the airway, supporting breathing, applying pressure to stop bleeding, and immobilization. Keeping a cool head and providing comfort if the jumper is awake and preventing further injury is the best most of us can provide. I would resist the urge to be the hero unless there is an identifiable problem that you have the knowledge and experience to treat that cannot wait until EMS arrives. Medico-legally, there are issues that need to be considered as well, and as far as I know, no one is covered by anything other than the Good Samaritan law when outside their realm of practice. Obtain the text of the law and study the language VERY carefully. It's not perfect by any means. Just a word of caution for all medical folks out there. I know it's harder not to do anything than to do nothing at all. I'm not advocating doing nothing. I only advise restraint. If someone were hurt at my DZ, I would help them as I always do, but just be careful and think of the big picture and your place in it.

I picked up a new lens the other day for my HC42 It was hard to find a lens wider than the stock .6 for cheap but I found a .45 at BH for 30 bucks http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?O=productlist&A=details&Q=&sku=320929&is=REG&addedTroughType=search I swapped out my sony .6 but the fov was the same- disappointing. The Sunpak has a macro ring that you can unscrew but is required to thread the lens onto the 25 mm mount. the macro makes the base lens less wide. but, i managed to remove the lens from the step ring and the lens is REALLY wide now. Probably the .45 advertised. No vignetting at the wide end but tele's only to mid range now. Just FYI for anyone looking for a decent cheap lens for 25mm mounts. I don't know if the link works but you can search BH for it Sunpak CAL-1185 25mm 0.45x Wide Angle Converter Lens Mfr# CAL1185 • B&H# SUCAL1185

Listen to your orthopedist. You will only blame yourself when you make it worse and prolong your recovery. Take time to read the written resources out there (SIM, Brian Germain's book, etc...) The risk isn't worth the benefit if you think about it. Just find a way to deal with the frustration of not being able to jump by redirecting it. Now do as I say and not as I did...

I've been jumping my Katana 107 at 1.8 for about an year now and haven't had any problems. I was demoing one for a few months before that and the openings were a little anxiety provoking on the 120 but the 107 was fine. I had one cutaway on the 120 due to line twists that spun up. video here (lost the helmet on that one- reserve riser strike. on the video there's a jet taking off after I cut- pretty cool) http://www.docmed.ucla.edu/emres/V/Eject.wmv Nothing on the 107 with careful packing. Smooth, on heading and predictable. I've had more problems with nut under malfunctions than line overs...

Just a plug for Infinity/VelocitySports I sent in a rig for some cosmetic repairs and they fixed it fast and for free. While it was out there I asked them to shorten the leg straps a bit and they said it would be 50.00 if it required new pads. I got the rig back today and it looks great. They never mentioned the cost, so I figured they resized the leg loops without new pads but after looking at it, they replaced the leg pads and never charged me! They even put a new butt bungie on the leg loops. Talk about attention to detail... Anyway, great customer service and communication. I can't think of a bad thing to say about the company. I'll buy another one if and when I need one.

So Curt, what's your advice for slowing down the sit there buddy? how did the matter suit fly after you changed out of the baggy suit? i think you need to stay heads down when we jump

I think there was a bit of a misunderstanding here... I never thought Bill was making negative comments regarding PD. He is the picture of moderation and knowledge and as such, is a rare bird in these forums. I was actually referring to the initial dig by the pro-PD camp against Aerodyne for offering free iPods of glasses with the Mamba. I thought it had nothing to do with if and when a 135 or 150 Katana was coming out and didn't contribute to the discussion. I like both companies- my reserve is a Smart and my first canopy was a Pilot (which I preferred over the Sabre 2), but now fly a Katana. Neither company is perfect and it boils down to personal preference, which is why arguing about it is silly.

Having said that, that character on the bottom of the canopy doesn't look too good anyway. I may be wrong and it could be some super cool calligraphist's work, but stylistically it looks like what happens when Western tattoists copy kanji from books. *** same idea... being japanese my friends and i always laugh a bit when we see people with kanji that makes no sense or is just plain wrong that someone tattoos on themselves permanently. i think the katanas with the large logos only go to sponsored jumpers. most come with small logos on the stabilizers (as did mine) getting a bit off topic here though.

It sounds like a Ford vs Chevy argument here and making negative comments about competitors' products isn't the most helpful thing. Now that said, I love my Katana and wouldn't fly anything else, but with all that research, you'd think PD would be able to write the correct Japanese character for Katana on the canopy. It gets all kinds of laughs out of people who can read Japanese because it sure doesn't say Katana. But I fixed mine with some sharpies... I asked PD to fix it before sending me mine but it's still not fixed... not that it matters when you're smoking in under it though...