Bergen

Anybody have any resources they use to do a night jump brief. I've searched the forums and checked out the SIM, but I'd like to read some more. Thanks

I'm 195 lbs and 5-10. Shooting mostly tandems. My range seems pretty good with a medium wing, but I'd like to get my hips much lower than my shoulders. I'm going to be ordering a new suit and would like to hear recommendations about jumping a larger or smaller wing. Thanks

Perhaps your first mistake is trying to pursuade someone your theory is true before the theory has been properly tested. Calling a sport safe or unsafe represents a misunderstanding of the concept of safetry. Safety is a usable concept when describing a set of operating practices and determining whether they are designed to minimize injury, damage, or risk. Perhaps a better thesis for your paper is that most skydiving mishaps are avoidable and are the result of human error. While this is true for most high demand endeavors (60-80%,) the perception out there may be that most skydiving injuries are the reult of catastrophic equipment failure.

Just wondering what you are teaching new students about a downplane under student gear? One of my buds swears that a downplane under a student canopy is no big deal. Another says that it should be pretty easy to get them back together. PD doesn't distinguish between student gear and sport gear in their report. There are risks to a cutaway, and students might not have enough juice to get them back together. Thanks

I can't figure out how to ask this question, but I am a little confused-please bare with me. The IPC dive pool shows sidebodies being built with the point and OC facing north and the tail and IC facing west. (I know these heading references relate to the page, not the compass.) Could you build the formation with the point facing south and the OC facing north? I know the rules say you can build mirror images, but I would imagine that refers to the whole piece, not just one individual. Thanks

I was wondering what you guys think are the easiest 4 way exits and easiest 40 way blocks. Thanks

I'm a relatively new instructor and while debriefing a student the other day, I am positive I smelled weed on his breath. Since I don't partake, I really don't know much about it and I could use a few answers. Can you smell it on somebody's breath? Does it impair your judgement and motorskills like alcohol, or does it only give you a feeling of wellbeing? How long after smoking a joint do the effects wear off? After you think the effects wear off, can you jump? Do the effects get worse with altitude, like alcolol? I've seen a few people lighting up am wondering--Any other real world info about skydiving and pot would be greatly appreciated. How common is it? What are the effects? I told the DZO and our head instructor about it. The DZO gave the guy a copy of our rules -- which prohibit jumping under the influence of anything. The student didn't protest or deny that he'd been smoking and left quietly. One of our post-jumping recreational users told me that the student would have protested it he had not been smoking. I don't know if he is coming back. Thanks

I spoke to Jennifer today. The suit is on its way. I'm really looking forward to it because my last suit from her was a good one.

I ordered a Zute Suit in early April. Jennifer cashed my check, but I have been unable to contact her by phone and she hasn't answered 3 emails sent over the last several weeks. Does anyone know her or have any information? I was very pleased with the last suit I purchased from her and am surprised by the silence. Thanks

I've never flown jumpers, but I have been a professional pilot for 25 years. I've also been an accident investigator and done research into human factors in aviation. There are 3 essential skill sets a pilot must have. How good he is will be determined by his ability to master those skill sets AND practice them every second he spends operating his airplane. It is my belief BTW that most of what follows applies to being a good skydiver. The first skill set involves the pilot's ability to complete the common tasks of operating the airplane. Knowledge of systems, regulations, procedures, and good operating practices are essential. This also includes the basic airmanship skills that make someone smooth and efficient in the air. (Yanking and banking.) Specific types of operations would require somewhat different skills in this category. A jump-pilot flying a C-182 requires different set of skills than a Naval Aviator flying F-18 night missions in the Gulf. I spend most of my time looking out the window, monitoring the autopilot, and drinking rancid coffee. But every now and then I have to land an airplane in a 20kt crosswind on a short snow-covered runway after a 14 hour day. Different operations have different demands. I'm not going to list all the specific skills required. Yes, you do have to be able to do a takeoff, but you also have to ensure the electrical system is functioning properly. Which one of those skills is most important probably depends on which angel is manning God's operations center that day. The second skill set that is required but not often used is an extension of the first. It simply involves the pilot's ability to respond to unusual situations when they occur. Unusual situations run the full range--minor system problems, (hydraulics,) major system failures (engine failures,) and hazardous meteorological conditions are good examples. This is a more interesting category because it not only involves an extension of the basic skills required in the first category, but it involves the pilot's ability to recognize potentially dangerous situations and make decisions to resolve them. The final category is the most interesting, most complex, and most important in my view. Don't get me wrong, I'm not trying to minimize the ability to land the plane, but landing is a relatively simple (not easy, simple) skill to master. A pilot must have the ability to continually make good operational decisions to keep him out of trouble. Bad decisions and lack of situational awareness are responsible for over 2/3 of all aircraft accidents. Being 50 kts fast ten miles from the runway is no big deal. Being 20 kts fast 2 miles from the runway just might be a big deal. This category is equivalent to a skydiver who decides to land in the middle of the landing area on a windy day versus the skydiver who decides to land near the hangar. Who is the better pilot? (And we never have a parade for the guy who sits it out.) You never hear about the accident that didn't happen. You usually don't know how it was prevented. How's that for positive reinforcement? This is a very personal category, and it is by far the most important. This is the category where honesty and personal integrity come in. Can I admit I screwed up? Can I admit I should be somewhere else right now? Can I admit that the safety margins are not satisfactory? This is where neurosis, peer pressure, ego, fear, denial, hesitation, stubbornness, rigidity, showing off, and complacency show up and ruin our day. I'll take an honest pilot (or skydiver) over the ace of the base, any day. Fall in peace. Bergen ATP SA-227, DC-9 (80), 757/767

I'm not sure what kind of advice you are looking for. When you say help me get down, are you talking about calming down, or some tips to make you a better jumper? Your AFF instructor(s) will help you with the skydiving part. Their job is to keep you alive long enough and give you some tips so that you can teach yourself to skydive. Listen to others==but also listen to yourself. I think the best word in the English language is patience. The world only spins one way, and it spins in its own time. We can make believe that isn't true, but it is. You can find lots of people who don't believe that. You can usually spot them from across the street being very neurotic, unhappy, and trying to control things that can't be controlled. Patience requires faith. Faith that the universe works in a consistent manner and faith that you can handle adversity and uncertainty. How did you handle difficult situations in the past? How did it turn out? But adversity and uncertainty breed anxiety. That's where courage comes in. Courage isn't about being fearless. Courage is about making choices between what you want, and what you are willing to do to get what you want. Don't ever confuse courage with denial. Ignoring danger is not the same as facing it. Finally, there are some cortical and sub-cortical processes at work you should be aware of. We are wired to fight or flee when faced with anxiety. But the part or our brain, sub-cortical, that is responsible for activating that response only has access to limited amounts of memory and cognitive processing. Deep breathing, meditation, journaling, and talking with a good listener will push the process to your higher cortex, which will do some calculations, analysis, and recall. Those functions will bring the internal discussion to a more realistic level. If you do that, and your guts are still in a knot, maybe you have to give yourself some more time. Otherwise, its time to jump. On the other hand, maybe you were asking how to do better on your first AFF jump. Definitely, Arch and Relax. Fall in peace.

I have 3 pieces of advice that really hepled, or would have helped out team out. First, pair up and do some two-way. One new guy with one veteran. I'm not sure what kind of airplane you are using, but if it is an otter, you can launch a sidebody with the new guy being the top of the T and the vet being the vertical part. Start with the new guy goung out head first and parallel with the wing. After you nail it a time or two, have the new guy backing out and kicking his legs up to get horizontal. This drill is good for teaching timing, body position, and presentation. Two way exits are simpler and are good for teaching the basics. Second, a good two way drill for beginners, start with a two way star, have the new guy drive forward to a closed accordion, swing around to a cat, pivot back to another closed accodion, and slide back to a two way. Repeat on the other side. The vet just falls. The vet can vary fall rate after a few jumps to add excitement. My last tip is to rotate the captainship and team responsibilities each week. This will ensure that each team member is fully invested in the team and has additional investment in the process. Specifically, each member should be responsible for briefing a dive flow. The new guys might need help at first, but they will learn a-lot from being in the hot seat. Good luck Warmth comes from the fire, not the smoke. The light knows where you are.

I'm defenitely not teaching a student to chop a reserve. I reread the post you are referring to and can see where I wasn't clear. My concern is that if a student bails out at 2,000 on a main, and the deployment doesn't go perfectly, there is a risk of a Cypres fire. The policy at the DZ is to use the reserve below 2,000 and the main above 2,000. That's what I teach. But it sounds a little low to me, so I started this thread to find out what other DZ's use.

Does it matter? Yes. Tell me why it matters

Does it matter?

If the student uses his/her main at 4,000 and pulls right away, you would expect him to be under canopy by 3,000 and have 500 ft to do a control check before making a decision as to whether or not to chop the main. I could see the student using the main when bailing out at 3,000, But any lower, and you must have a perfect deployment sequence before you risk scaring the Cypres at 1,000.

As I understand it, a student Cypres will fire at 750 ft if the student has a total, (100 fps descent) or 1,000 ft if the student has a partial (50 fps descent). Also, you have to be 1500 ft agl before the unit will arm. Freefall is about 150-200 fps. Given that, with a 2,000 ft main bailout, if the student hesitates, has a snivel, or a partial, they have a good chance of 2 canopies out at 1,000. They have almost no time to recognize a malfunction or chop it. In fairness, our DZO is pretty confident that two giant student canopies out is not that big a deal. I have no experience with that. At our DZ, we assume the Cypres has a 1,000 ft error and don't allow the students to spiral below 2,000. I'd argue that the advantage of having two shots at a good canopy has to be weighed against the possibilitiy of having two canopies out. I'm inclined to have the student use the reserve below 4,000, giving them 1,000 to get it open and 500 ft under canopy before they make their decision to chop. I'd love to hear from some more instructors, particularly your reasoning. Thanks in advance

I was wondering what guidance you give students regarding bailing out of an A/C during an emergency. The SIM leaves it up to the DZs. I have heard that below 1,000, a student should generally stay with the plane. Above 1,000-they should use their reserve. My real question is when should they use their main? My specific concern is avoiding a cypres fire. I know some DZs that recommend deploying the main above 2,000. Does that sound low?

I have the student walk down the hangar stairs several times to point out the "accuracy trick" so they can figure out where they are going to touch down. I also use chalk and the tarmac to simulate the landing pattern and we walk around on the ramp holding our simulated toggles.

You make an execellent point. Usually, when I am doing trauma work, I work with small groups that experienced the event in a similar way, whether it is the surviving crew, or the investigators. People respond very differently and you are exactly correct that my post does not apply to everybody.

I am a relatively new skydiver but have been flying professionally for 25 years and am currently an accident investigator and trauma team member for one of the major airline pilots’ unions. As you might imagine, plane crashes and skydiving accidents have a-lot in common. And I’m not talking about things falling out of the sky, I’m talking about people. What happened to Gus Wing would be classified as a line of duty death. It was sudden, violent, and involved participating in a specific activity that is shared by a close knit community. The psychologists will tell you that those characteristics aggravate the impact of the event on the survivors because we can so easily relate to it. If it can happen to Gus, it can happen to any of us. It is therefore easy to understand why we grasp so desperately to find the cause of this particular accident. If we can figure out a way to blame the pilot or Gus and conclude that one or the other screwed up big time, we can convince ourselves that this was a freak event and won’t happen to any of us. This isn’t something we do with malice or even something we do consciously. It is purely an attempt to explain the world so we can go on jumping with some piece of mind. My experience tells me that many of you are getting a little annoyed with this theory right about now. I have seen that before also. The goal of any accident investigation is to determine the cause. However, the reason we need to determine the cause is not to make ourselves feel better, or to blame someone-- it is to determine whether we need to make changes to equipment, procedures, or training so that the incident won’t be repeated. That is a lofty goal, and anyone familiar with the NTSB or USPA accident database will know that we aren’t there yet. However, people involved in accident investigation, safety, and training, understand that you never know how many accidents you prevent. This may be of little consolation during times of tragic loss, but it’s all you get. I understand the desperate need most of us share to find out what happened. But this is a time for quiet reflection and for an objective investigation. Busying ourselves with mindless postulating might serve as an effective distraction, but it takes us far away from the two primary tasks—finding the cause with the singular goal of prevention, and finding spiritual peace with the singular goal of getting through the day the best we can. I'm not being critical of the content of the threads, it is a perfectly normal and sometimes even helpful activity. But let's also take a moment to focus on what's really important. My thoughts go out to the victims of this tragedy. Gus, the pilot, their families and friends, the jumpers at Deland, and all of us who take to the sky. My thoughts also go out to the investigators. My prayer is that we can find out what happened and all of us become wiser. It is important to remember that mistakes aren’t always what they seem to be. We are all part of a complex system where things don’t happen as they should. As Einstein reminded us, “’Things should be made as simple as possible, but never simpler than they really are.” I love skydivers. I love you for who you are, what you do, and what you have all given me. I can't begin to explain what skydiving means to me. So I ask that you all embrace your wisdom. Wisdom will give you patience. Patience will give you time. And time will bring you peace.

I should have been clearer in my original post. The plug for the Cameye doesn't fit in the Cookie box. When I put the plug in the box, the box won't close all the way. The plug goes into the right side of the camera, which is the side that sits against the helmet. So I'm looking at making a hole in the right side of the cookie box that will accomodate the plug. Has anyone out there had to modify a Cookie box? Any tips?

I'd like to run my cameye and tongue switch cable through my helmet. It sounds like most splices are made with a soldering iron. I can't find any connectors that will wo the job. Is soldering really the best way to go? Any tips? thanks

If the strapectomy is done properly, and you buy your rigger a beer, a little Velcro in the right places will make the strap easy to reinstallusable for those windy days when you want to video landings.

I just got my new Cookie box and absolutely love it. It is very sleek and the bungee cord closing system is really cool. Unfortunately, it doesn't accomodate the CamEye switch on the right side. (Sony HC-40 and Bonehead Optik Illusion) Has anybody had any luck installing a CamEye on a Cookie Box? Do I really have to drill a hole through the helmet and Box?