Bandanarama

http://www.skydivingmovies.com/ver2/pafiledb.php not documentaries but one you should know about anyway... sweet stuff there!!!

I think it would depend on the state of the canopy when it was cutaway like how many twists and how much air the canopy was retaining as it headed towards the ground. The more of a mess it was, the faster it would fall. Additionally, the size and shape of the canopy would make a difference as well as the wind conditions. A really small elliptical HP canopy will fall faster than a big docile canopy. Eric ___________________________________________________ One's destination is never a place, but rather a new way of looking at things. ~ Henry Miller

http://www.dropzone.com/cgi-bin/forum/gforum.cgi?post=1789829 "In hind sight, I feel I left too short of a distance between my last stow and the risers. I was also distracted by a new load request (conversation) to get on while placing my d-bag in the container. I hastily plopped it in the container and felt like the little but excess lines right past the risers should have been organized better before resting the d-bag on top and closing the container. I believe this caused my d-bag to spin as it went to full line stretch in the opening sequence. " If anyone has a cut-away and needs to go back and search for their canopy, I'd probably recommend getting back up in a plane ASAP and doing a hop n' pop from 5-6k with rental gear. Grab the largest canopy you can get your hands on and float in deep brakes as you search for your main.

Good point! I tipped my rigger well for doing such a fantastic job of not only saving my ass but providing great turnaround time during the peak season. He also helped me untangle the mess when I brought my main canopy in and reconnected it for me. That was in addition to the bottle of Absolut Vodka. It's good to take care of your riggers. Todd Higley is a stud and not only a great rigger but a great instructor too!

I can't recollect what I paid for my A license to be honest with you but I also didn't do the same student progression you are pursuing. You can look up info for the dropzones in Texas at http://www.dropzone.com/dropzone/North_America/United_States/Texas/index.html From there, you will most likely find the URLs or links associated with any DZ that has a web site. You can even read reviews for the various Texas DZs, which may help in your final decision. Then you can browse each one for prices. I can't imagine there being too much of a price discrepancy between the DZs closest to your proximity. Skydive Aggieland appears to have a great reputation even though it is in Aggieland. Personally, I think you might be better off in "Hook em' Horns" country but I'm sure them Aggies will take good care of you. Just remember to say "Farmers Fight" right before you jump from the planes. Eric ___________________________________________________ One's destination is never a place, but rather a new way of looking at things. ~ Henry Miller

Since I purchased my Infinity container brand new, it came with all the gear I referenced with the exception of the main canopy. It was included in the price of the container. I imagine most container purchases come with those goodies even though some slight variations may exist with regards to option selections and prices. Thanks for all the replies everyone. I guess the moral of my story is a familiar one. Don't rush your pack job and let distractions affect your work. I know sometimes no matter how well your rig is packed, you can end up enjoying a reserve ride. However, focus before, during, and after a jump can surely help avoid any unnecessary events. I just hadn't thought of each little component that could get lost and require replacement before. I thought it would be good to detail for those who have yet to enjoy their first reserve ride and haven't thought about all the angles. Of course, such costs are extremely low in comparison to ones safety but something to consider as well.

Since I had my first cutaway at jump #96, I thought it would be nice to list the potential monetary losses associated with such an event due to carelessness. Sometimes people listen to monetary reasoning over obvious reasoning... Of course, it's paramount to consider safety first and foremost but good to know the additional costs as well. As a novice to the sport or a fortunate, seasoned veteran that lacks cut-away experience, I don't think many people fathom just how much money one can lose due to a bad pack job. I chalk my experience up to a bad pack job. Here is a list of common items one can lose during a cutaway: The following source was taken from Velocity Sports Equipment's web site since I have an Infinity Container. http://s90422833.onlinehome.us/parts.htm Cazer Kill-Line ZP pilot chute with hackey handle 95.00 Main risers (w/toggles) 95.00 Main risers with stainless steel hardware (w/toggles) 125.00 Main deployment bag 60.00 Infinity reserve free bag 85.00 Reserve pilot chute 100.00 Reserve ripcord pillow handle 65.00 Cut-away handle 20.00 Reserve ripcord (D-Type) 45.00 Main or reserve toggles 15.00 Prices current as of June 18, 2005 Safire 2 189 Main Canopy $1500.00 Accessories Item Total $500.00 In my case, here is the Grand Total: $2000.00 Since I have a pillow cut-away handle and a D-Type reserve handle, I wasn't sure how to calculate it above. I used $20 for my cut-away handle in the aforementioned accessories item total calculation. However, it probably should have been $65. So, one might possibly have to throw in an additional $45. One could also be very unfortunate and have to deal with medical expenses as well. I'm not going to get into any emotional suffering/losses associated with serious injuries or death but those are definite factors as well. I just thought it would be nice to digest the tangibles. In any event, I was fortunate enough to avoid any injuries and not lose a single item. I actually landed nice and softly at the landing zone as intended. However, I ended up paying retrieval and first time fees. 30 Minute Helicopter Search Ride $150.00 Reward to Farmer Who Returned My Main Canopy $100.00 Case of Beer for 1st Reserve Ride $25.00 Bottle of Booze for Rigger Saving My Bacon $25.00 Reserve Repack $50.00 I wouldn't be doing this post justice without at least mentioning it's not uncommon to spend a lot of time on foot searching in frustrating conditions such as challenging terrain, uncomfortable temperatures, climbing trees, etc. Additionally, no one should wish this upon skydiving buddies who may end up searching with you or on behalf of you. Hell, they may even be searching for you... The bottom line is try to avoid the experience as much as possible. It can be a royal pain in the rear but also very expensive. I'll leave it up to you to pick your motivation. 1.) Think of Safety 2.) Think of your Friends or Family. Don't cause them any unnecessary stress associated with your experience. That includes having to get out there and search. 3.) Think of the $$$. Think of how many jumps you could have enjoyed with the money you spent on the experience. Or, wouldn't it be nice to spend that money on some new skydiving gear instead? I'm sure we can all find a better way to spend that money... The first two motivations are usually stressed the most. You'll find all sorts of tips and threads on them. I haven't seen any recent threads on the last motivation and thus chose to shed some light on it. I know I am much more careful with my pack jobs these days...

It's common to see people not listen to radio talk downs due to being unable to hear the radio or just being overwhelmed/distracted by the excitement of their first few skydives. Radio talk downs take place as soon as you deploy your main chute by pulling your rip cord. Usually you will hear an instructor come online to tell you to flare or practice a canopy controllability check. Then they will have you perform turns to get to the landing zone and conclude by instructing you to flare or put on the brakes right before landing. Here are my suggestions: 1.) Make sure your radio is on and the volume is turned up all the way. Perform some radio checks with your instructor when you first put on your gear and right before boarding the plane. 2.) When you end up under canopy, place your ear closer to the radio just to make sure you can hear ok. Confirm you can hear ok by performing the instructed commands. 3.) In the event the communication link fails (radio battery dies, etc.), look down to the landing zone as the instructor should have some flags to guide you visually. Have your instructor review the flag signals during your ground training especially for your flare or braking procedure as you come into land. I was able to successfully land without any problems during my talk down jumps. However, I do recollect having difficulty hearing the radio and having to place my ear closer to it. With all the wind noise up there, it can be challenging. Keeping such tips in mind, your jump should proceed smoothly and you will have the time of your life. Relax and have fun! Blue Skies!!!

Somebody's trying to earn some skydiving karma points. That should get you out of a nice mal some day. Eric ___________________________________________________ One's destination is never a place, but rather a new way of looking at things. ~ Henry Miller

Thanks for sharing. Did Kenny Shroyer do anymore jumps after that miraculous event? These types of stories are amazing and hard to believe but they do happen.

You can pull some nice Gs if you are really aggressive with your turns. If your harness shifts on your shoulder it can cause rasberries or bruising on the upper arms. I have always liked to really push my turns not only in one direction but in the transitions too. You can easily end up above your canopy with this type of "play". Am I the only one that has experienced rasberries or bruises from aggressive turns? This has happened to me on student gear as well as occasionally on my own gear. Eric ___________________________________________________ One's destination is never a place, but rather a new way of looking at things. ~ Henry Miller

It might not be from the openings. It could be from aggressive turns while under canopy. Of those two possibilities, one you can control in the immediate future. The next time you're at the DZ, take it easy under canopy and see if you have bruises. Think of it as just enjoying the canopy ride and sites longer... Of course, a better fitting rig will always help and you can always toss on some extra layers for padding in the upcoming months as the temperature gets cooler. In the meantime, you may want to try on different size student rigs for optimal fitting.

Try registering with the site and that should allow you access to the photo. If you still have problems let me know. Eric ___________________________________________________ One's destination is never a place, but rather a new way of looking at things. ~ Henry Miller

Your 2nd image is almost identical to what one of our camera guys wears at our DZ. I thought you might like to visualize it. Just substitute white for lime green. http://www.snapfish.com/slideshow/AlbumID=27718651/PictureID=774535020/t_=31430940

I haven't flown a stiletto but the safire 2 is closest in flight characteristics to a sabre 2. Just look at http://www.performancedesigns.com/docs/stiletto.pdf for a comparison of the stiletto vs. the sabre 2 and you can get a good idea of the differences. I'm definitely far from being a seasoned veteran but I love my Safire 2 and I have yet to see or hear anyone else make any negative comments about their Safire 2 either. BTW, you might want to post your jump numbers so those people with stiletto experience will feel more comfortable recommending anything. Good luck with your canopy selection! Eric ___________________________________________________ One's destination is never a place, but rather a new way of looking at things. ~ Henry Miller

Thanks guys! Yes, I'll be back up in the air soon

NOTE Up Front: A little of this describes recovering my canopy... The rest is a bunch of thank you(s)! Hey Paul, Good news, I tracked down my canopy! It took walking door to door out in the middle of farm land. In fact, I ended up finding the guy that had my canopy on his day off at the edge of a river fishing. He had stored my canopy on the farm premises. I gave him all that I had in my wallet at that time, $80, plus a bottle of wine. So, I shelled out another $100ish towards a good cause. It turns out he grabbed my canopy almost immediately when it touched ground. Unfortunately, he never called Harvey Airfield to report anything. It was kind of shady with regards to that but I'm just happy to have my beautiful Safire 2 back in perfect condition. I would happily pay a reward in another such circumstance but would hope the person would contact the airfield or DZ. I didn't lose a single piece of equipment also. So, I'll be back in the air soon. I also just heard today also from Jillian the names of you guys that actually went out to that dreadful field where I found my reserve pc and free bag. I knew from Lidia that some people had gone out there but wasn't sure who... I feel really bad that you guys experienced the misery of that field for a bit too especially since I had searched that area for quite some time. When I left, I figured it was virtually an impossible task for any size group of people on the ground to find it especially since someone had grabbed it right away (hind sight). If it was in that field, an air search was the way to go. In any event, I wanted to thank all of you very much! At the end of the day when you guys had gone out there, I had already left rather upset after spending quite some time only to come up short. So, I had no clue who all went out there. Thanks Elaine, Jillian, Lidia, Linny, Paul and Tyson!!! I just listed names alphabetically

I think Frenchy68 is just pointing out that things can head south very fast at times. He's probably just trying to open your eyes to other potential hazardous situations that do occur in our skydiving world. Examples: You could have a canopy wrap caused by someone colliding with your canopy or vice versa. You could have suspension lines snap at lower altitudes. You could have a canopy stall turn ugly. You could have an unplanned two-out which turns ugly. I suppose there are plenty of reasons why one could require a very low cutaway. It just helps to be prepared for anything.

Hi Paul, According to Gui, some farmer found it and has it in cool storage. I have no clue what kind of cool storage or if I'll ever see my canopy again. I think it is the same person that stopped by the LZ at the time of the event. They just kind of mentioned an approximate area of where my canopy was but I never found it that day. I'm going to do some searching tomorrow for some farmer named "Pheete" or something like that... He drives a white Ford F150 class truck. At least that's what I recollect regarding his truck. Gui was the one who sent me the farmer's name in email. So, there's still hope... I ended up taking a helicopter out there ($150 for 30 minutes) on Tuesday to look for it but came up short. I think the farmer must have gotten it on Monday which is good and bad. I just don't understand why he hasn't called the DZ. It's not like the small community of Snohomish doesn't know about Harvey Airfield or Skydive Snohomish. I also offered a reward of $100 to any fellow skydiver who found it. So, it's not like I haven't made any effort. I took a half day off work, spent about a total of 6 hours in hellish fields and spent a nice chunk of change on my helicopter ride. This is becoming one expensive jump but if I get my canopy back, I'll be happy. I just hope it's in good shape and this farmer pipes up soon. Doesn't he want to collect any dough? Maybe he's holding out for more $$$... The saga continues... Eric ___________________________________________________ One's destination is never a place, but rather a new way of looking at things. ~ Henry Miller

One thing not mentioned that I experienced recently is the fact that your clothing or jumpsuit can obstruct the view of handles sometimes. Such an event can dictate which procedure must be used at a time of emergency. See http://www.dropzone.com/cgi-bin/forum/gforum.cgi?post=1781102 for details. Personally, I have a red pillow for my cutaway and a stainless steel d-handle for my reserve. I like having different types of handles to also help differentiate between their function. Food for thought and you will see various debates on this topic too... Additionally, when you are done with your student progression or possibly during your solo jumps, you might consider some practice EPs while both free-falling and under canopy. Just make sure you have your hands clinched and go through the motions, taking care to not grab any handles. You may find a true preference during such exercises. Last but not least, it never hurts to discuss these issues with your instructors or experienced mentors. Have fun practicing your EPs on the ground in the harness too!

Thanks for bringing up valid concerns Tom. I will address each one. 1.) I have cranked down my toggles before for 10ish aggressive turns intentionally at both high and low altitudes in the past. I didn't feel any concerning physiological symptoms during the event and knew I was up really high. I was aware I was taking my time while addressing the issue. I would have acted sooner if I was at lower altitude or felt it was extremely aggressive but this is something for myself and everyone else to be aware of, definitely... 2.) Wearing a t-shirt only "obstructed my view" of seeing both handles simultaneously. It never affected my ability to reach my handles in this case. Since I couldn't "see both handles simultaneously", I elected to place each hand on a handle simultaneously and transition to a slightly different EP. Loose fitting clothing and how a rig fits oneself is an important issue to discuss and that's why I added it to my description. In my case, my t-shirt was tucked in my jeans. Additionally, I can see this as being an issue with many free fly jumpsuits. Thus, I reached a conclusion to change my EPs to reflect my real world experience. I'm not advocating this for anyone else but sharing my deductive reasoning. One hand on each handle worked great for me and I feel more comfortable with it. Analyze the pros and cons of either EP and discuss them with an instructor or someone with lots of experience (thousands of jumps). If you elect to make any changes to ones EPs, practice them routinely and regularly on the ground and in a harness. 3.) I had my RSL disconnected only because I was doing hop n' pops from high altitude and practicing CRW-like maneuvers with fellow skydivers in recent history. I always connect my RSL for true free-falls. I was altitude aware and elected to free fall for just a few seconds before pulling my reserve handle. Once again, I was well aware of my altitude and knew it was safe. I would not have delayed had I been at low altitude and most likely my RSL would have been connected to begin with if I was at low altitude from a free fall. 4.) I have a Cypres 2 and have turned it on every jump. Anyway, thanks again for your feedback! All of this is a great learning experience and I plan on skydiving till I can't do it anymore which I hope is when I'm a very old man.

Hmmm, the file attachment doesn't seem to work. I clicked on the Browse button and selected the jpeg file (34KB) and clicked on Upload Attachment. No luck... Oh well, my verbal description is pretty good I think. I honestly don't think it would end up on EBay but one never knows these days... ___________________________________________________ One's destination is never a place, but rather a new way of looking at things. ~ Henry Miller

I don't have a picture handy but I have attached a design image. Here are some further details: Icarus Safire 2 189 DOM: 10/2004 SN # 94214622 It's gold, navy blue and white in color. I think it's one of the best looking canopies at Skydive Snohomish and it is missed... Eric ___________________________________________________ One's destination is never a place, but rather a new way of looking at things. ~ Henry Miller

Thanks for the feedback everyone. I plan on heading to the DZ tomorrow to take a hop n' pop in the general vicinity of my reserve pc discovery location. While on the ride, I'll have at least another person or two on the load looking out below for any lost canopy. You are correct with your interpretation. In hind sight, I feel I left too short of a distance between my last stow and the risers. I was also distracted by a new load request (conversation) to get on while placing my d-bag in the container. I hastily plopped it in the container and felt like the little but excess lines right past the risers should have been organized better before resting the d-bag on top and closing the container. I believe this caused my d-bag to spin as it went to full line stretch in the opening sequence. I felt like the timing of my 5 second delay and body position were fine especially considering how many hop n' pops I had done from 13000 ft. in recent history. People had been joking that I was afraid to free fall anymore... Since I had been doing jumps with other people in attempt to enjoy some mild CRW-like canopy flight, my RSL was disconnected. Thus, when I cutaway, I truly detached from my main canopy and had to pull my reserve handle. Anyway, as annoying as it has been to deal with the loss of my canopy, I thought I would try to share a learning experience for my fellow skydivers. It's probably not new information for the majority of people out there but perhaps a few people learn a tidbit here or there...

Thanks for sharing your thoughts, ACME! To me, it was a scarier thought than reality. It reminded me of when I was a new student and was paranoid about all line twists. Then I had my first line twists and realized they weren't that bad. I had successfully recovered from several line twists throughout my jumping history. NOTE: There was no excessive line twist history. Every blue moon I would have one and I got out of it without any hitches. This time around was different from the past where I could attribute other issues such as body position as the culprit. I was very high and confident my reserve would play its part and I had ample time to take action. I recollected a few tales of high altitude canopy cutaways and the horrors of tracking them down. That was the only fear or anxiety that I experienced. I have no reservations about jumping from a perfectly good airplane in the future.