ninjaswooper

I realize this post will probably just be deleted immediately as is the case with anything antithetical to the establishment at dropzone.com, but I can't help it. How obvious it is that this thread found its way to the front after the recent fatality. Is the rating too easy? Should the instructor be able to get to the student 100% of the time? Are these really the questions you people ask? Skydiving is not safe, and it isn't the responsibility of gear manufacturers or instructors to make it so. If that were the case their jobs would be impossible. If you jump out of an airplane, you have a certain likelihood of dying. If you don't do what you are supposed to, said likelihood increases exponentially. You make that decision, you are responsible. Instructors are merely enablers. Even if they do everything safe and by the book, a student can still kill themselves. It's your choice to throw yourself at the globe, take responsibility for it. Stop trying to blame it on someone else, please.

You mean he does a blindman before he touches a front riser and before he starting his dive? Wow that's either impressive or plum crazy (maybe both!) If indeed this is what the poster was referring to, initiating a 180 degree line twist prior to executing your hook-turn, in effect doing a blind turn and in fact inducing a malfunction, then depending on the timing he may not have been the first. I know a person who was doing this on a regular basis at Skydive Spaceland when I first started jumping there in '05. Sick shit, you thought he was gonna bite it everytime. I don't know if anyone did it before then but it certainly is possible.

I've actually seen this happen to an SA2 at a similar loading. In this case I think the guy went from a hard flare into a hard right hand turn which caused a monetary collapse, followed by spiraling line twists which he had to chop. To his defense, he was a good bit higher than our little buddy here.

So this would be.... in our dreams. Grass doesn't turn green without water though!

i've packed a 365 into a micro sigma before... it's a bitch, but doable.

Here is a place that may jump you, I have known them to take people your size. www.skydivespaceland.com DONNY!!!! Can you say HANS??

So by your definition everyone currently occupying the government is a liberal?

I'm very happy for Ron, wish I could afford to contribute more to his campaign than I already have. I'd also be inclined to give more if he'd consider and independent run. I think Ron actually has more independent or even democratic support than he does within the Republican party. Still I'll vote in a Republican primary for the first time ever because of him.

The day of my second AFF jump (this was in late December and the dropzone wasn't a very lively place) I met a fellow skydiver. When he asked what my plans were for the evening and I told him to grab a bite to eat and stay in the bunkhouse, he said that I should come with him. Really it was my 3rd jump but this guy welcomed me into his home, simply because at that point, I simply wanted to be a skydiver. This is how the community should be... I got a home cooked meal, entertainment for the evening, beer!, and got to work my first ground crew. All he asked of me is I do the same for another brother of the sky someday. And that's the way it should be.

Hmm, let's see, we don't like the service or regulation from an organization that is at the very least arguably self-chosen, so we're gonna go and ask the federal government to take charge? Yeah, cause that kind of thinking has done everyone so much good in the past.

ahah, that is good clarification todd. yeah it looks like hitting the gates is critical. oh yeah, is everybody competing considered rookie class or what? no pros in the tx district?

Exactly, before I had 500 jumps I was jealous of the people who passed before me who got their Ds before the change... Since hitting a grand, I start to sometimes doubt that even I, d licensed and instructor rated, am qualified to be called "expert". To me, reducing the requirements for the license is ludicrous. What priviledge do non-night jumpers hope to receive by qualifying for d-licenses anyway? Are those avoiding "excess" danger just dying to be tandem instructors or do they want the bragging rights of holding the highest license in their sport? If it's bragging rights, in a sport for those with big balls, non-night jumpers have some growing to do. If your night vision is bad, that's one thing, otherwise, get a sack!

Well I've got some work to do, hope to be ready for Houston at the end of the month! I know my velo is looking forward to more air baths. Any info on what folks were flying... wingloading etc.?

Holy crap! Was there some insane wind or what?? I don't get it... the distance rounds seem hella short... Tell me it was terrible wind, otherwise my ego is growin'... I gotta get to practicing cause i think I could go big. Holy crap I say again.

Same difference. I just want to know why either way. You basically just have two different, though similar solutions to the same problem, how to keep the reserve in the container. I can logically see arguments for and against eack system... 2 pins equals half the risk of a premature deployment and twice the risk of a hard reserve pull. Maybe not exact but it is a logical flow. No real reason to pinpoint that I can think of other than manufacturers having unique solutions to identical problems.

Hypothetically speaking, since ther actually is an Atlanta Skydiving Center (a DZ with that name located in the Atlanta area), wouldn't misdirecting people who were searching for it be just as unethical as the business practices you intend to educate the unknowing masses about? Not defending them, just saying.

Hey, I gained some weight over the winter, I'm not so little anymore... I even try to make this one but I'm so uncurrent. Come on, you can hold off just a little bit longer in the name of having more competition, not that I'm competition to anyone, but still.

Is it wrong to hope for rain?? Hmm, that might mean I could make all the meets... Doing a rain dance now.

Be careful using rears at slower speeds. I'm no expert but in the past I was told that to use rears in an attempt to extend your swoop is pointless until you are pretty much maxed out on other parameters (degree of turn etc.). Rear riser inputs can be sensitive to dynamic stalls during "low" speed swoops. I've experienced this one first hand and I am lucky to have survived it. Had I not been on the surface when the canopy planed out I would have been flung onto my back when the canopy collapsed behind me, because I asked too much of the rears...

As far as I know, the recent tandem deaths had experienced people at the helm, not only as skydivers but as instructors as well. So, maybe that not the issue with the deaths there either... Of course it is still a good idea to require experience in our instructors. But, does 500 jumps even make a skydiver an expert anymore?? Definitely not in canopy piloting. But then again, you have to get experience somewhere.

I think you missed my point... maybe I should have elaborated... Of course rules, or mainly strict recommendations have a place in the sport. Of course some things are hard and fast. It definitely isn't cool or safe to fly up to your buddy in a two way head down and pull his reserve ripcord and I don't believe I seen a written rule addressing the issue. But now I'm just rambling. Yup, there's a place for rules, and a time for them to be broken. But most of the time experienced canopy pilots should be allowed somewhat of a margin for decision making. That's why many DZs have separate landing areas for low-time jumpers. So the big boys can "have a little fun". The point I think I intend to make is that the degree of turn is not the problem, and restricting it will not solve the problem. I firmly believe swooping can be done with a relative level of safety (it will always however, be inherently dangerous) and it is up to all of us through continued education and awareness to look out for one another. If you're not looking around you from open till landing you're being lax. But it starts before that. Knowing who is on your load, what they're flighing, what kind of jump they're doing, wind conditions etcetera, all are very important. But rambling once again...

The only rule that can keep people from dying while skydiving is to ban skdiving altogether. And that probably wouldn't end it. Humans weren't meant to fly, god didn't give us wings. But he did give us brains... So, is the degree of turn the problem in canopy colisions? I doubt it but surely it will will be debated on these forums ad infinitum. But let's use our brains, when it's our own lives on the line, wouldn't we prefer to have more options (any degree of turn available to us as experienced skydivers)? Or would you rather be locked into a couple of scenarios? In the end accidents happen no matter the rule, we've got to be vigiligant in caring for ourselves and our siblings of the sky. Do we accomplish this by blindly following arbitrary rules (180?? why not 90?) or by awareness and thought. Keep your head on a swivel boys. They sometimes call it russian radar. It saves lives. Blue skies and safe, long swoops!

Went from 1900 a couple of times (low clouds, jonesin' to jump), want to go from as low as 1500', just waiting for an opportunity.

Hmm, the likelihood of getting a lower total cost for an AFF first jump vs a tandem is not high. Not when you consider the cost of ground school too. Usually the first AFF jump with ground school is a good 50 bucks or so more than a tandem. Plus the investment of time and energy is much greater. If you're in it for a good time, go tandem, if you are sure you want to pursue skydiving, well, I'd suggest AFF though others may disagree.

One of the differences between a coach and an experienced jumper who is "good enough" to jump with an unlicensed skydiver is liability/responsibility. Part of a coaches responsibility is to know a proper gear check, know spotting techniques, etc. Part of being just a "fun jumper" is not taking this responsibility (at least not the responsibility of informing anyone else how to do those things). I know you all scream "how can a 100 jump wonder teach a student anything?" You definitely have a basis for argument, but the coaches rating took the place of the BIC, which was basically the same but didn't require any in air skills. At the same time, who do you want with your student, someone with 175 jumps who wants to teach other skydivers and displays the knowledge required by the coach rating, or someone with 1000 jumps who refuses the responsibilities inherent in teaching? Desire and acceptance of responsibility say a lot.