dragonfyr

Sounds like fun Gary! Come on up to Chicagoland and we can fly ours together. I got one several years ago and pull it out every once in awhile. I was laughing reading your post remembering my first couple jumps with it. Forget flocking dives, let's get some Kruger dives going! Don Moffett

We have a pretty good Water Training presentation we use at Chicagoland Skydiving. If anyone would like a copy to use for their own purpose or for their dropzone, just drop me a line. We're happy to share some of the presentations we've put together. We also have presentations for Night Jumps and High Altitude Jumps. Don Moffett S&TA Chicagoland Skydiving

So if Sunpath can make alterations to the design and get it approved under the existing TSO via a Minor Change, or no change at all, why doesn't Sunpath just file for acceptance without the lanyard? Seems like them getting the system TSO approved without the lanyard (which is not permanently secured anyway) would resolve most of these issues. Is there any reason Sunpath is not trying to be part of the solution here? Seems like they could easily solve this for their customers instead of stirring up all the problem and washing their hands of it. I also don't understand why a Master Rigger is required given the lanyard is not permanently secured. Removing the velcro and ring I can see, but not the lanyard. I'm sure this has to do with modifications to the container and the legal aspect instead of common sense, but why can't Sunpath just authorize this as well? If they are standing firm because they think RSLs are safe in all situations, they're going to lose even more credibility and respect IMO. They are going to lose a lot of customers if they don't become part of the solution quick!

Many years ago there was an incident in the Chicago area where people went above a cloud layer, spot got really screwed up and they ended up breaking through the cloud layer to see nothing but water (Lake Michigan). I believe they all died. It's always good to know for a fact where you are getting out.

As a good rule of thumb, if you are wanting to try something new that you think might be risky, get some advice from your local S&TA or an instructor. They should be able to help answer these things. A lot of the posts here have some good advice. One of the big things is to make sure you have a good gear check before doing it. Chest straps should be secure, but if they are tight, the freeflyer may have difficulty getting it. You should check this on the ground to make sure the straps do not get loose under tension (it's a bad thing having a chest strap come undone in freefall). Good gear checks before exiting is also critical to make sure handles and pins are secure and in place. For the dive itself, there are lots of things that can go wrong, but every skydive has this to some level. Talk to some experience freeflyers and get some advice from them with hands on discussion. Overall, you did the right thing. However, if your group gets some advice, I don't see any reason you can't try it. Don

I just wanted to get this active again to see if anyone has any comments on the training slides. I would really appreciate any critiques or comments to improve the training. Thanks! Don

I just wanted to get this active again to see if anyone has any comments on the training slides. I would really appreciate any critiques or comments to improve the training. Thanks! Don

Hi everyone (again), First, I want to thank Tom Buchanan and The Ranch for making this post possible. They were nice enough to post the briefing on their S&TA webpage. http://theblueskyranch.com/sta2.php Tom also provided comments on the briefing that made it that much better - Thanks Tom! The first time I was asked to give a night jump briefing as S&TA, I started researching sources to get information. The S&TA manual has no details, the SIM has some good basics, but most of the detailed information was gained from people who had done a lot of night jumps or who had been in the sport for a long time. In order to give a consistent briefing at our dropzone, I decided to build a presentation to gather all the tidbits of information and put it into a logical flow. Most of the information is straight forward, so no speaker notes were included for this one. We are sharing the briefing here for two reasons: 1) To find out if anyone has additional comments or points that we missed 2) To share this with anyone who wants to use it. Obviously, the CSC logos are off limits, but please feel free to use any or all of the briefing material at your dropzones. It was designed for use with a projector, but it can just as easily be printed out in slide format or handout format (4 to a page). If you have any questions or comments you don't want to post, please feel free to PM me. Donald Moffett S&TA Chicagoland Skydiving Center P.S. A water training presentation is also located on the site and in another post.

Hi everyone, First, I want to thank Tom Buchanan and The Ranch for making this post possible. They were nice enough to post the presentation on their S&TA webpage. http://theblueskyranch.com/sta2.php Tom also provided comments on the presentation that made it that much better - Thanks Tom! The first time I was asked to give a water training as S&TA, I started researching sources to get information. The S&TA manual has no details, the SIM has some good basics, but I found most of the detailed information was gained from the collected wisdom of people around the sport with years of experience. I could not find any source that had the details most of us talk about in training. In order to help facilitate the training at our dropzone, I decided to build a presentation to gather all the tidbits of information and put it into a logical instructional flow. I also provided speaker notes to help clarify the use of some of the photos. We are sharing the presentation here for two reasons: 1) To find out if anyone has additional comments or points that we missed 2) To share this with anyone who wants to use it. Obviously, the CSC logos are off limits, but please feel free to use any or all of the training material at your dropzones. It was designed for use with a projector, but I have given it twice so far with the slides printed out in slide format or with 4 slides to a page for the trainees to follow along and take home with them. If you have any questions or comments you don't want to post, please feel free to PM me. Donald Moffett S&TA Chicagoland Skydiving Center P.S. I'll also post the Night Jump briefing we just completed.

I agree with Derek. Sounds like you pulled the toggle down too far. I do 720. 1080 and more on my Stiletto at a WL of 1.7 using toggles and never have a problem. When you start a turn, you should never have to bury a toggle. A proper turn should only have the toggle down 1/2 - 3/4. Once you are in the spiral, you can pull a little more, but should never have it buried. You should also do it gradually and never yank the toggle down fast thinking it will give you a more "radical" turn. Also, if you switch directions, you should be even more aware of not burying the opposite toggle. Next time, try initiating the 360 pulling only half way down. As the canopy starts to dive, then gradually pull down more (careful not to bury fully). As you play with this more and more you'll feel where the limits are of how fast you can pull down. Don

Actually, the only reason you would have to pay for them is if you wanted the actual license for that level. Once you have your A, you could wait until you have all the requirements for your D, take all 3 tests, and then just apply for your D. You would only have to pay for your D-license and none of the others. I personally skipped my B license and only have A, C and D. Never paid for the B since I never applied. Don

If I was at the door and saw what the video showed, I would have tried one of two things: 1) Drop to my stomach and put my hand out to the guy to try and help him get leverage. I would have tried like hell to haul him into the plane, but I'm sure the wind would have made that quite difficult (but I would have tried). I'm actually surprised everyone just stood there watching with almost nothing done for that period of time. 2) Tried to position myself closer to where it was hung up and try to free it at that spot. However, I think this would be nearly impossible givent the weight on the riser. Cutting the riser would have been the last thing I would have done, only after trying everything else and figuring out what I was cutting. I mean, once the gear is cut, it's not like it can be put back together in the air. Then again, all of us have time to watch this several times and think about it versus the snapshot of time it took for it to happen. Don

230 out the door is not bad at all. I'm about 265 out the door, but I know others that are larger. Our normal 4 person base on our weekend big ways is over a 1/2 ton without gear! Don

On a jump several years ago I had a very hard opening. It was one of the hardest ones I ever had so I spent extra time checking my canopy looking for broken lines or damage. I didn't see anything outright but noticed a slight "flutter" at the tail of my center cell that didn't seem right. I continued to fly around and noticed the flutter kept occurring, but I couldn't seem to spot anything else. Did controllability checks, no problems. I continued to check my canopy and then the sun got positioned over the top of the canopy to show a huge tear in the top skin of the center cell (about 3 feet long and across the whole cell) with material flapping all around. All I can say is THAT is an unnerving sight. Checked my altimeter and was at 1400'. I decided I did not want to try and land with it in case it decided to fold up on me or tear further near the ground so went to the red and silver. If I didn't notice the flutter, I probably would have landed it without realizing it until I got on the ground. Chances are pretty good I could have landed it just fine, but I didn't want to take the chance. Don

For the past several years our dropzone has hosted an MS Boogie as a fundraiser for people with MS. Each year there have been people with various degrees of MS who have jumped. One in particular had little to no use of his arms and legs, yet he has now made over 5 tandems. The comments John made are spot on. Controlling the legs and arms (if needed) are critical not only for stability in freefall, but to minimize injury to the tandem passenger. For several of the individuals we used straps, but for the one guy we actually used duct tape for added securement. Keep in mind this requires a very experienced tandem instructor to do this as well. The added instability in freefall is a major factor for safety, but the comfort of the passenger once under canopy is also important. There is a lot for the instructor to handle, especially if something goes wrong. Best of luck, and if you ever want to visit our dropzone and use some of our guys for it, pop on over. PM me if you would like additional information. Don

First of all, do you have a jumpsuit that is designed specifically for you based on your size and weight? An exit weight of 175 is not light by any stretch, so I can't believe you would have trouble falling at a regular rate unless something else is at play (e.g. you are very very tall (bean pole effect of large surface area), or you have a baggy suit). If not, that would be your first place to start. Properly designed and fitted jumpsuits make a HUGE difference. Second, have you done any coach jumps or jumps with video to get some feedback? Many people think they are arching when in fact the are flat as a board. Having video of your dives or someone jump with you to look at your form can identify other areas where your body position could improve. Third, if you start to play with weight, start in small increments and slowly build up after experiments. Most people find small amounts of added weight make huge differences. I have seldom seen anyone jump with more than 10-15 pounds of weight unless in the base doing a very large formation (i.e. 100+ way). Lastly, keep your safety in mind. Adding weight will affect your canopy wing loading and performance. Be prepared for that and be very cautious on approaches until you get used to flying the canopy with more weight under it. Hope this helps. Don

I had the same problem for years with both arms and legs. I probably had 400 jumps on 3 different containers that were never quite the right size, but were the right price. I finally bought a container from someone at my dropzone that was close to me in size and wow, what a difference. Since then I have bought a new container and found it to be even better. IMO, the best investment is a container built to fit you. You can buy the other components used to save money, but the container is worth it unless you find a used one that fits you well. Don

This sounds too much like a troll, especially since you are unwilling to put any information into your profile, but I'll bite and completely disagree with you. I have to take Tom's side on this since he is spot on. I disagree, they must take on this role. Skydiving is a self regulated sport in the government eyes. If we have several dropzones not following rules, that means the government will step in and regulate it. That is the last thing this sport needs. We have seen many times where we have managed to overcome major obstacles thrown into the fray by the goverment where the USPA has stepped in and knocked those barriers down. I agree there are many instructors that are not great, but you cannot be serious saying that pencil-whipping instructors is a good thing. Having a consistently applied course to train instructors is the best way to do things. If instructors are not performing, they should be re-trained or have their ratings pulled. This is where I really started thinking you have to be a troll. This is ludicrous. Sure, a first jump student could put someone out and have a chance of succeeding, but the purpose of having "trained" instructors in the specific discipline is to learn what to do when things go to shit. Coaches are NOT trained on how to deal with these things. Having been a coach, a S/L Instructor, a Tandem instructor and an S&TA, I know for a fact that each instructor training course is drastically different and focuses on different safety aspects of that specific discipline. If a jumper is truly a student, they should be supervised by a trained instructor in that specific discipline or in a discipline related to that student's progression (e.g. an AFF I supervising a S/L progression student who has already been cleared for freefall). And I'm sure it has nothing to do with trying to promote a consistent way of keeping this sport safe by promoting a consistent way of teaching? Imagine if incidents start happening at non-regulated dropzones because they chose not to follow the USPA guidelines. Once the news and government gets hold of it, it's going to impact the entire sport. If you have specific issues with the USPA, deal with those. But you have definitely picked the wrong topic to pick a fight on. You seem to have a chip on your shoulder about the USPA, so I'm sure no amount of reasoning will work. But as stated earlier, I have to agree and support Tom on this. Don

I would put nothing but the rig in the carry on. It makes inspections a lot quicker and it is less clutter on the x-ray machine image. You are bound to have a checked bag, so just put the logbook, alti and other stuff in that. Also, you will probably find that the dimensions you were given have some wiggle room. The container will be able to squeeze into a tight space, you just want to make sure it doesn't snag on anything. Don

I'm sure you can find a carry-on suitcase that your container will fit in. I have a Javelin J-3 and can fit it into one of my smaller suitcases that is able to be carried on. When I had my J-5, I had no problem finding a suitcase for it also. Just pack everything else in your gear bag, check it, and then swap stuff around when you get to your destination. In most situations, carrying it bareback won't cause major problems, but why go advertising and looking for trouble when it should be an easy solution to find a suitcase able to hold your container. Most of the time they won't even blink at the suitcase. Don

I know I have never had a real spinner so you’re right maybe when I do have one I will change my mind. But if I really don’t have 1.5 secs to disconnect an RSL would I have enough time to get stable from spinning on my back and then pull? I don’t know I am asking the guys who have had spinners on their backs and have cutaway with out an RSL how long does it take to get stable? Quote From my experience, you will not have the time or the mindset to try and disconnect a small clip on your shoulder during a high speed spinner. My spinner happened fast and you lose altitude even faster. The key is, why wait to get stable? If you know you are low, get the reserve out! Getting stable is a nice-ity, not a necessity for a reserve deployment. There have been many threads discussing this already. I know I was not stable after my cutaway, but I knew I was low. I chopped and pulled my reserve handle within 1 second of my cutaway. My reserve opened perfect with no twists or anything. This is what they are designed to do. IMO, RSLs are great for students and low experience jumpers. I agree with Tom though that once you have a couple hundred jumps, you can make your own call. I prefer to jump without one because I know I will get my reserve out fast and I personally want to get a little separation from my main. Don

Sounds like the container does not fit you properly. Did you purchase the container used or did you buy it custom to fit you? A properly fitting container should not require you to cinch the straps that hard to keep the chest strap in place. Don

I would be very careful about getting back into the sky too soon. Strengthening your back muscles will go a long way in making sure you don't get re-injured worse then before. "Most" tandem openings are relatively soft and would likely be fine. However, what you are up against is that one opening that isn't and that will be the one that can end your skydiving career for the rest of your life. You can always get a second opinion from another doctor. I would recommend going to an actual sports orthopedic who might have a slightly better understand than a regular doc. Good luck! Don

Two options I can see: 1) Continue working with your instructors. I am sure they can get you through this as it is quite common. 2) If you have the money, go up to the wind tunnel at PErris and get some tunnel time. While in the tunnel you can do practice pulls and figure it out when you have more time. You can practice a lot of stability exercies. If possible, get some coached time and you will have it in no time flat! Don

I had a Tony Suit with swoop cords for awhile when I was 240 OTD, but then I gained an extra 20 pounds and the suit just didn't allow me to float as much. The new suit I got was a Merlin suit without cords and I have regained my range again. Best bet is to get a good suit designed for you, most likely with loose cotton material and swoop cords. IMO, most of the primary suit manufacturers are similar, but it takes someone with knowledge to measure you up and work with the mfr to get a slow suit designed specifically for you. Another recommendation is to go up the road to Perris and log some coached tunnel time. I went this past January and spent just 15 minutes with Pat McGowen. Most of the time was spent on playing with fall rate with different body techniques and it was absolutely amazing what I learned in that little time. Even with 12 years and 900 jumps, it amazed me how every little body action affects fall rate and you can really see the effect in the tunnel. Don