herv

This brings a question to mind that maybe one of you more experienced jumpers could answer for me. When I pack my rig, arn't I laying the main risers over top of the reserve risers? So if I didn't cutaway, would there be a possibilty of the resrve risers getting fouled by the still attached main risers? Or would that not be a factor at all? Maybe someone could help me out on that. Thanx

I saw the same show on realTV. The jumper lived but busted his leg in two places

The biggest reason the Army uses the round is because of load planning. Ideally if you have 22 aircraft disgorging (mass tac) at 800 ft AGL (400ft in combat), you load the birds so that soldiers from the same unit will land in approximatley the same area. In other words each aircraft would only have maybe 8 soldiers from each unit so that when each aircraft passes the same point on the DZ, soldiers from the same unit are exiting in the same spot. This allows the unit to assemble quickly and move off to their specific objective within very few minutes from the first person exiting the aircraft. The Army also uses the MC1 which has toggles but is still a round. It has a slight forward speed but nothing compared to a ram-air. Originally the MC1 was to replace the T-10 but a problem arose. During peace-time training missions you jump with an aviators kit-bag. When you hit the ground, you have to shove the parachute in the bag and turn it in at the parachute drop-off point before assembling with your unit. I remember many times having about a 90lb ruck on my back, running a few hundred yards on a DZ that is like beach sand at 0300 in the morning. Pretty damn tiring (but I loved it)! In combat you would just do a hop & pop which means that you leave the canopy where it lays. Now here comes the problem of steerable parachutes. You exit the aircraft along with 2500 other soldiers and realize that you maybe can steer your parachute closer to the parachute turn in spot (less running). The only thing is, that about 75 of your peers have realized the same thing. So, soon you have 75 paratroopers trying to occupy the same space at the same time. So much for the use steerable canopies. Also, there is a good chance that all that higher level load planning just went to shit. Now soldiers are not landing where thay were supposed to land! Cats are sleeping with dogs! Anarchy is everywhere! AND some S-3 Air is going to get a royal ass chewing.

Hey Skymonkey, I'm also an SFC (ta-daaaa). 7 years till retirement. ALL THE WAY!

I have to agree with Skymonkey. As I am a begineer myself (just got mt A-license number) I can speak as someone in your shoes. I bought a Sabre with about 500 jumps on it around my 15th jump. I flat pack and have no problem packing the rig. Though I am one of the slowest packers in the hangar right now, I was told when I had 18 jumps that I packed really well. Of course I have also been told that I'm too anal. That is because I'm still so new at this (only 49 jumps). Anyway, my rig opens on heading and I don't get the Sabre spank because I tandem roll the nose (well I did have one, but I may have deployed when I was in a slight head down position). So I would say, do not let the thought of being a begineer and packing a ZP stop you. I really like my Sabre.

Great Job Michelle, it's a great feeling when you realize that no matter what body position your in, you can get stable without a problem isn't it? Once again, good job!

Put your oven on bake and pre-heat to 150 degrees. Turn oven OFF. Put helmet on cookie sheet and place in middle of the oven ensuring it doesn't touch any sides or top. Leave in oven for 10-15 minutes. Take helmet out and place on your head pushing down toward your ears and pushing ear pieces inward. Wear until helmet cools. Remove from noggin.

I have only recently joined the sport and only have 44 jumps. I bought a sabre 170 (used) at around my 15th jump. The guy I bought it from told me about the the sabre-spank and said that the best he found was to roll the nose tightly. My first jump on the rig I thought my gonads had ended up in my throat the opening was so hard. However I attributed it to my lack of experience and packed it the same way. Next jump same thing happened. I was told to try a tandem roll (roll the first 4 cells until the Sabre labal begins to become part of the roll, then roll the last 4 cells until the label becomes part of the roll, then tuck the center cell in between the two rolls.) I flat pack and this pack job has worked beautifully for me. Nice snivel, always on heading gentle opening. Also, another trick told to me (which you may already know) is that as my d-bag is deploying I reach up and grab the risers with a slight bend in my arms. This serves two purposes for me. One, my arms kind of act like shock absorbers for the opening and two, my hands are there ready to do a riser turn in the event I end up needing to do an emergeny turn. I don't pretend to have the knowledge or expertice that most of the people in this forum have, I am just telling you what I do. Hope it helps.

Well I am still so new to this that I wasn't even sure what the hell a Falcon was. I hit the DZ late on Saturday and noticed that the manifest has been busy all day. Winds are kind of high and everybody looks to be starting to wind down. So I just turn my cypress on and kind of meander around getting my stuff together. Brought my brand new Bonehead with me and hoping I'll be able to pop it's cherry. Soon enough, the names starting popping up on the chalkboard and in no time we have 6 people for the C-185. Then someone gets the bright idea "Let's get Herv on his first four-way!" (Uh-oh, don't these people realize I just graduated and only have 36 jumps AND I might screw up their skydive!) Well, before I knew it the other three are deciding what type of skydive to do. Bright idea #2: "Let's get Herv his first Falcon!" (OK, besides the raptor that I see flying aroung sometimes, what the hell is a Falcon?). It's explained to me, then we move to the plane to practice an exit. After that we do some dirt dives to practice the points. Since one of the other skydivers is my former instructor (Darlene) I figure that she knows how I fly and if she thinks I can do it, then I must be able to do it. We get to altitude and set up for the exit. READY, SET, GO! What do I do right out of the plane but turn onto my back. (Arms extended to much, legs not enough). I let go of Sal to get back stable and then him and I come back together. Almost at the same time Darlene and Marie fly in and we have our round going. It was decided that when everyone first linked up the first nod everyone would just release and hover in place to make sure I could stay stable with them. That goes great. (Which was a huge suprise to me)We only get two more points and then it's wave off. Next jump I skip. Winds were a little too high for me on the DZ. Next lift I'm ready to go up again. My positon is changed on exit and now I will be calling the jump. (Great, no pressure! :) ) Once agian the exit goes a little screwy. But, we get linked up into our 4-way pretty quick. Then the nod from Darlene, turn right grab her wrist. Nod, turn left back to the center. (Hey, this going pretty decent) Now, it's my turn. Nod, everyone faces me and links up, nod again, back to center. Wave off, track, wave, arch reach pull. I land thinking well I didn't screw it up too bad we got 4 points anyway. Darlene, yells to me "Congratulations Herv. You got your first Falcon. Make sure an AFF instructor signs your logbook on that one!" Man this is so great that I jump at a DZ where the experienced jumpers are so willing to make you a part of their fun. I have to give credit where credit is due though. If it wasn't for the fact that the other three jumpers were so experienced, I probably wouldn't have been able to pull it off. Marie did compilment me though saying that it's pretty good that someone with 38 jumps can get a Falcon (boosting my confidence immensley and making smile like a schoolboy). Thanx once again to Darlene, Heather, Pookie, Sal, Jerm and the rest of them at Above the Poconos Skydiving!

Congrats! Just wait till you JM's release you and you flying on your on own! It's incredble!

That's totally cool. Man I wish I had started this a long time ago. But at least I'm finally doing it instead of wishing I had. BTW I made a stand up in the inner circle today! Woo-Hoo!

I bought my own rig about 4 weeks ago. One I had done a few ctp's I knew I was hooked. Bought a used Infinity with a Sabre 170 main, cypress, rsl, and reserve.

Hello Everyone, This is my first post and I am so pumped I figured I would bore you experienced jumpers with my Sunday. Started my training about 6 or 7 weeks ago at Above The Poconos in Hazleton, PA. I graduated on Sunday (my Birthday) on my second jump of the day! I've been wanting to do this for so many years it's not even funny. I left the military in '94 as a jumpmaster (static line T-10's) and every year said to myself, "self, this year you are going through AFF". How hard can it be. I already know how to land safely. Yeah right numbnuts, welcome to RW, ram airs, arching, flaring etc...etc..etc. I have to tell you, the only things similar is that you leave an aircraft while in flight and you WILL land. Thanks to the crew in Hazleton so much. I only live about a 40 minute drive from the school so every day after work I was on the phone "How's the winds? The clouds? Can I jump?" After pestering Don and Darlene everyday, I figured I'll just show up. If I go up great if not, practice packing. My two main instructors Darlene and Frank are incredible! I had a real problem arching (kept dropping my left thigh, here we go round and round la la la la la la). Finally one day it just clicked and I was actually in control. That was cool. Once I got novice rated I kept going up with coaches for extra work just to get better at the RW. Had great coaches thanks Jerm, G I Joe and Sal. I even got Don Kellner to coach me once (of course that was a case of beer). Don has a unique way of letting you know when you do well and when you don't. You just have to experience it. He's great! And then there is Harry. Rigger extraordinare, can this guy pack! He also teaches DZ etiquette, i.e. "That's a case of beer!" Anyway, when I realized that my b-day and my grad jump would be happening close to the same time I thought it would be cool to graduate on my 35th b-day. So I did everything on Tuesday night and announced I would graduate on Sunday. The weather sucked the rest of the week and I thought I might miss the opportunity. But then Sunday came and it was gorgeous! I was trying not to break any speed limits getting to the DZ (I failed). I got to the DZ and it was rockin! All kinds of jumpers I hadn't met before, tandems and everything. I decided to go up for an RW to work out any last minute cobwebs before I made my grad hop and pop. Great dive, stood the landing. Then I was ready. No shit, there I was....oh yeah you people have heard that a few thousand times. Anyway, I was sweating it (I probably always will) and then all of the sudden I hear myself saying "door"...there's the tennis court...."cut"...I'm out, tap the strut, great exit! clear and pull! Beautiful! What a pretty canopy! WOW! Now all I have do is land safely and I'm no longer a whuffo (or leg as we call it in the Army). Follow my flight plan stick the landing, there it is! I'm now an honest to goodness skydiver! Man was I pumped! Make another jump stick the landing. Man I'm getting good at this. Go up again. Decide to really concentrate on using the accuracy trick to land in the center of the circle. Approaching the DZ, easy Herv, don't hook turn, that's it brake turns....oh shit! I'm heading right for the center of the circle I've got this! You know how everyone says not to tunnel vision on where you want to land. Well, they're right. I wanted that center so bad before I knew it, I was counting the blades of grass. Oh shit! FLARE! They tell me it was quite a sight. My final flare was just as my ass touched the ground so I kind of skipped like when you throw a rock across the water. Swooped back up and landed on my feet. Does that count as a stand up? LMAO I then link up with a guy I never met before named Tony. He says let's go do a two way. We'll just fly and try to stay fingertip to fingertip. I'll remain stationary and you come to me. I say "Yeah Great!" Inside I'm thinking Wait till this guy sees me fly, he'll probably wonder if I even know how to say relative work. But, we go up and it's beatiful! Not perfect mind you but I'm moving to him getting fingertip with Tony and having a blast! Then we pick up another jumper named Jennifer and decide to try a 3 way. Tony and Jennifer come up with a pretty easy basic plan. Tony and Jennifer would be on the strut, I would be in the door and I would call the jump. We would then close the circle with me and Tony coming together. Then on the nod from Jennifer we would release, do a 360 in place and come back together. Keep doing that as long altitude permits. OK great. I think I can do this. Now remember Herv, tuck your legs up on exit until we level off so as not to flip the group over. OK Got it! READY, SET, GO! Nice exit, leveling off, go to normal arch, Tony and I are coming together.....just about there....Why am I looking at the sky above me, the ground, the sky? Our 3 way suddenly became a 2 way with a solo watching from a distance. I think I reached for Tony ( I know, don't reach dumbass). Once I was stable again I decided to watch Tony and Jennifer continue on (at a distance). We all pulled at the pre-determined altitude and everything was beautiful. I decided screw the damn circle on this one. I'm just going to make a nice baby soft landing and prove that the last landing was a fluke. After all it's my own rig I think I've found the sweet spot on my canopy for the final flare. I've stood up a little over half my landings. And I've watched the video a few hundred times. Final approach, damn the flag is barely moving, flare, flare, flare, fla... BASEBALL SLIDE! Landed right where the rain from the week before collected to make a 1 inch deep puddle. Don may hold the worlds record for the most jumps but I think I hold the record for the longest baseball slide in history! So, as I walk back to the hangar with a wet right leg and buttocks, who is there to greet me but my former instrctor Frank. With a big grin he says "So, what's up Skipper? Know what you did wrong?"....screw you Frank. I know this was extremely long but if you had time to get this far I want to thank the whole crew at Above The Poconos Skydiving. Darlene, Don, Frank, Harry, Rev, Tammy, Heather, Dave, Greg and Matt. Also thanx to everyone that uses the DZ who are becoming some great new friends! That was the best birthday I've had. I now am licensed, have 32 jumps, and am having the time of my life with some awesome people. Blue Skies!

As I am new to skydiving I have to say that I feel very lucky in choosing Above the Poconos to receive my instruction. I will soon be making my A license graduation jump and could not commend the instructors and owners of this DZ enough. As a Jumpmaster for the military (static line), I am highly impressed by their professionalism and patience. Even though I have had many questions which might be considered trivial by most, these people treat all inquires as very important. In addition, the jumpers that utilize this DZ do not give you the feeling of being the FNG. Everyone is very willing to share their experinces, tips and techniques with you. If you are thinking of getting into this incredible sport and are near Hazleton, PA, this is where you want to be.