stanlholmes

I'm a little lighter than you, but jump the same size canopy. I found out that my brake lines are a little longer than they have to be. Someone told me this isn't unusual on student gear, but I'm not sure. I wrap a handfull of brakeline before I flare. That helped.

This has been going on for over 28 years. In this time, I've ran the DZ, trained many students, did tandems for over 10 years and AFF for more years than that. The only time I've ever really noticed an affect in freefall was if I jumped by myself. I will do it, but a long solo freefall is not fun for me. People think I'm joking when I say "I'm scared to jump by myself there's nothing to do but look at my altimeter." In fact, this is my first public discussion of it. ---------------------------------------- That's funny. I thought I was the only one who felt like that. If there's someone else there, it's almost like "Well, it must be OK. There are other people here too". I love to jump w/ other folks, but don't enjoy jumping alone. I'll do it only if there's no other option. Stan

I'm not expert, but I have a PD 260 and my son has a PD 250. If I pack them the same way, mine opens beautifully and his nearly jars my teeth out. I got some expert instruction and now I can get his to open nicely. I'll let you talk to your riggers, instead of getting advice from me. There may be another trick to try. Stan

New, fairly in-experienced guy here . . . Don't fly your approach in half brakes. Your canopy will have less forward speed which will transition to less energy available in the flare. I took the canopy class at DeLand. My big take-away was that with slow, fat, student gear, like mine, the flare takes longer than I thought. I was starting it too low, so the canopy didn't have time to react fully before I touched down. Get some expert advice. I also wrap one handfull of brake line, but that's another thread. Read my top line again. Stan

Jump number 5! The year was 1979, I vaguely remember. My last static line. I had a bag lock w/ a Paracommander. Somehow I managed to get the Capewells open, get my thumbs in them and release them at the same time. No, I did not stand up that big, white round no-name reserve. As a matter of fact, I sat on the ground for a while to make sure I wasn't actually dead. The rules were, you had to make your last static line and first free fall on the same day, so I did a hop and pop that afternoon. It was perfect. I was sure I was going to die anyway, so why not have a good arch off the step! Stan

New guy here, with old, big, student gear . . . that being said . . . I jumped my own rig and pack job several times and had wonderful openings. Then I jumped my son's rig and my pack job and nearly had my head ripped off by the opening. At first, I figured I screwed up the pack, but it happened every time I jumped that canopy. I only know one way to pack, so it had to be canopy differences. I got some advice from an expert and now it's much 'mo better. Good Luck, Stan

Way back in a previous life, I jumped w/ that equipment. I remember looking at that chest mounted reserve thinking, "there's no way that will work!". Fortunately, that reliable T-10 opened every time. I didn't graduate to a Paracommander for a couple of jumps. Stan

Hey and welcome to the sport. I guess I'm ridiculously blessed. My wife is very supportive to me jumping and when I got my older son involved, she kept it up, even though I'm pretty sure it cost her (and maybe even me) a couple of heartbeats. I try and be smart with my time and money, but she is really cool with it. On a side note, when we were dating, she rode as an observer when I jumped back in college, nearly 25 years ago. I was the last one out of the plane and all my "friends" kissed her on the way out of the door. Maybe that's why she still lets me jump???? She rides my Harley with me too. I haven't gotten her up in the powered paraglider yet. Stan

Hey Folks, I jumped at Magee Mississippi in the late 70's. It was great and I'm surprised we all lived - jumping borrowed gear that I had no idea what it was, trying stuff WAY over my head, etc. Sure wish I would have stayed in it, instead of taking a 25 year break. Anybody else there?? Stan

You are an above average instructor. I absolutely yield to your skydiving experience. I've sat in 3 FJC's and it was never mentioned. Of course 2 of those were in an Otter, so I couldn't have seen the darn thing anyway. I teach primary flight training. My students have had several simulators and have an altimeter 24 inches in front of them. It's very common for them to see it, but not be able to interpret it or make any changes because of it, at least early in their program. Not to mention they aren't under the added stress of preparing to jump out of the a/c. IMHO, there are more critical things for the 4th jump student to be concerned about. We all trust our rigger to pack our reserve. Your 4th jump student trusted someone else to pack his main. He should be able to trust his instructor and the pilot to find the proper altitude. From a skydiving point of view, I'm a rookie, so take this for what it's worth. Stan

There's one right in front of them on the dash just before they climb out. That's true, but it's asking alot of a 4th jump person. I doubt they are that airplane smart and I don't think it's covered in any first jump course. Stan

That's probably right. I'm very afraid to add up all the money I spent to get my A. Not to mention I paid double, since my son got his the same day I did. Unbelievably well worth it though. Welcome. Stan

I visited DeLand on a Tuesday to take the Essential Canopy Control Course. The course itself, was good, but very basic. If you understand how the pattern is supposed to be flown and normally stand up your landngs, you may not get too much out of it. Read Brian Germain's book. One thing that was a huge advantage was that the class became a "team", so we got on the manifest easily. The manifest/check-in ladies were very good, even to an idiot like me who showed up with an expired reserve. (Next time I'll put my glasses on when I check the card.) They didn't laugh (at least not to my face) and were really quick with the rental gear. The packer (Mac or Matt??) was absolutely wonderful. He worked alone and kept everyone packed, including one rig that got totally knotted up, due to a really interesting landing. I jumped an Otter, a Skyvan (first tailgate) and a PAX 750 in one day (5 jumps). Incredible!! And Graham was great at looking after us lower experience folks on the planes. Maybe it was an anomaly, but I didn't see 1 normal up-jumper. Lots of teams, canopy test guys, video guys, but no one hanging around manifest to join up. They may have been there, but I didn't see them. Mapquest the street address, or you may never find the place. Overall, I had a good experience. I probably won't go back by myself, but would gladly go, if I had some folks to jump with.

I went through AFF at the same time my oldest son went through the tandem progression. We got our A license on the same day. It was totally great. The best Father's Day ever was a 2 way w/ my son. That being said, I'm sure I lost a couple of months off my life every time we jumped. The first time we jumped our own pack jobs was a significant event in my life. If your not a dad, you'll think this is stupid. The very second you become one, you'll understand. Stan

I'm one up on you. (Is that a good thing?#$%^&?). Mine was jump #5. A static line off the step of a 182 w/a Paracommander, Capewells and a Stevenson's Cutaway. It was 1978. I did my first hop-and-pop later that day. I was sure I was going to die, so my step off and arch were really good. Stan

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I just bought a used Pro Track and can't figure out how to set in my jump number and free fall time. I did a search and didn't have any luck. Thanks, Stan

In the Air Force, teaching primary flight training for the Navy. Stan

I'm new too. That being said . . . After reading Brian Germain's book, I started working on slow flight/stalls w/ my slow, big, first rig canopy. I found I could not stall the canopy, up at altitude. After taking a wrap, I could stall it and my landings got better too. I guess my brake lines are a little long, but this works for me. Stan

Hey, I'm a skydiver, a pilot and a powered paraglider pilot (not a BASE guy yet, but I'll try it eventually). I would LOVE to do the non powered thing, but I live in FL, and we don't have many cliffs. Having never done that, the powered thing is really, really fun . . . . and slow and noisy . . . . but out over the beach or the dz, it's really fun. Give it a shot. Stan

First of all, please don't take advice from me. I'm very new. That being said, here's what I did. . . . After reading Brian Germain's (spelling??) book and article about slow speed flying, I got under canopy and tried to stall mine. I found out I could bury the toggles all the way down and still not get it to stall. Someone suggested I try wrapping one "handful" of brake line. I did and it worked perfectly. My landings have improved now that I can really slow the canopy down. I know I should probably get the lines re-rigged and I'll get to that eventually, but it works great now. If your issue isn't strength, but technique, talk to the instructors at your dz about this. Stan

Way, way back in a previous life, I had a real bag lock. It was jump number 5, my last static line The rig was a Paracommander with a Capewell release system. I looked up, saw the bag still tight, pulled down the covers, put my thumbs in the rings and pulled. If I remember right, the old version of an RSL was a Stevensons cutaway system. That worked perfectly, so I came down under a big, round, white reserve. I went for the reserve handle, but it was already open. After I landed, I sat there, pinched myself a couple of times, then gathered up and walked back. My old DZ's rules were you made your last static line and first freefall on the same day, so I did a very uneventful hop and pop that afternoon. This all happened at the old DZ at Magee MS. Great place!

Didn't I read an "incidents" thread where one jumper had a 2 out/biplane on the same load where a new AFF student was under canopy w/ a radio? The instructor on the ground was yelling "cutaway, cutaway" into the radio, talking about the biplane, but the AFF student cutaway a perfectly good canopy. Both ended up OK, but this could have been a disaster. Before anyone dimes out the AFF student, I teach Primary Flight Training and am positive that if I emphatically told my student to do something dumb/different/dangerous, I could get them to do it. They' really impressionable. Stan

I was the opposite. I LOVED the exit and freefall but was apprehensive under canopy. I bought Brian Germain's book, "The Parachute and Its Pilot". It totally rocks. Now my canopy stuff is much better. Even if you are really comfortable under canopy , as a new guy (like me), the book is a great source. And like everyone always says, ask the experienced instructors you trust at your dz. Stan

I like the setup in that picture. Right now I have a pillow for the cutaway and a metal reserve handle. This is fairly normal, right? There was a long thread in the "Incidents" forum about a malfunction where the lady had a tough time pulling the pillow cutaway handle. (She is small, so strength may be a factor and I understand the whole "peel and pull" thing, but that's another thread). I really think the small loop would be easier to catch/pull in a cutaway situation. I saw a rig last weekend that had the soft loop for the cutaway and the reserve. Any advice would be great appreciated. Stan