mdrejhon

Give them a few weekends. My first weekend of my freefall training, I only jumped once. Weather and wind holds was the blame. But on my next weekend, I completed most of the freefall training by doing 8 jumps! (4 jumps per day).

That is the route I am going if I am getting used. I am talking to my dropzone this weekend before getting specific sizes. For new -- My thinking was it would pack better with future downsizes if I want to jump with a new container 500-1000 times. And then I'll be at nearly 75 jumps by the time I first jump that rig so I should be ready for a 1.07:1 loading by then, by the time a new container is manufactured. That is yet to be confirmed, obviously - I wouldn't go for this size without approval by several at my dropzone. Personally (maybe thinking incorrectly) I'd rather be under a new PD176 with good flare than, say, a used Raven 190 with crappy flare, based on the information I've been hearing. Keep tuned, I haven't made a final decision. Decisions, decisions.

I have never asked anyone to downsize me or even asked when to downsize. The 190 was given to me when they thought I was ready. I won't be asking Scott. Unless I have many people, including Scott, spontaneously telling me that 170 is more appropriate for my skill levels and I am comfortable with it, I'd like to do my next 200-300 jumps on a 190 to really get familiar with a canopy. I just have been reading up on guidelines to downsizing and the most common one is the 1:1 for a starter rig, and 1.1:1 at 100 jumps, 1.2:1 at 200 jumps, 1.3:1 at 300, etc. But I'm not planning to downsize every 100.

There are not many gay skydivers but I think I know about 3 of them.

SOLD OUT... Damn! My fault for not knowing this earlier *sigh* .... However, they put me on a waiting list and I'll be prepared to pay on the deadline day if someone misses. At least I'm hoping to go to Deland in October.... Maybe I'll be able to get it there too. That'd be my backup plan if I didn't catch a nearby canopy course.

Got it. That was not at all the meaning that came to my mind. Thanks for the clarification. I think I know the alternate meaning you were thinking of

Maybe you're right. That's another argument for a used container for the first one, and buy new for the next one in a couple years. See, that's why I'm sitting on the fence, so many good arguments to either side. However, even if I buy a new container, I'll only have funds for used canopies and a used AAD. So it's not entirely 100% new... Or maybe I should jump 100 times on rentals first and then immediately settle on 170, then I'd be more-or-less within the Germain specification of WL 1.1 at 100 jumps (General guideline 0.1 increments per 100 jumps), meaning 170 sq/ft would be fair game, becoming the canopy I'd now stick with for several hundred jumps to really get familiar with the same canopy rather than downsizing regularly. (Obviously, timing of when to go 1.1 isn't always set in stone, and who knows, I might have no business flying even the Sabre at 1.0 WL -- although the dropzone specified it for me and thinks I'm flying it fine so far and landings have been good so far). This is likely moot anyway, since I want a rig before Scott Miller visits my dropzone in August, and I feel it must be a 190 for safety, the same size I'm flying right now. (Unless there's a good reason to keep doing rentals a bit longer...and postpone my "A" license a bit longer...since I'll have to be pack-trained when I have my own rig) I have a specific color scheme that I'd like to stick with for about five years, so I am aiming for that. If I am wrong, then that's because of my improved finances in the future... I've already got the altimeter in the same color scheme, I've already designed the rig in RWS's designer, and I'm about to do the same with the jumpsuit.... Decisions, decisions... Used vs new. (That brings me back to the other post I made the other day) Advantages Of Buying New - Much more comfortable harness designed for my body - Newer rigs are generally safer, free-fly safe. - Custom colors - Custom sized for the canopies that I truly want - Can be designed to comfortably fit one level of downsizing (at least). Advantages Of Buying Used - More inexpensive - Usually less depreciation than a new rig - Less chance of buyer's remorse if I decide to get rid of gear soon - "Successfully Pre-tested"

Good point. I am having a harder time finding used rigs that fit a Sabre 190 than used rigs that fit those Stiletto 135's. That may equate to less depreciation for a new rig fitting a 190. Hmmm. I want to try to stay with the same rig for many hundreds of jumps, and I don't want to be in a rush to downsize. I think I'll be happy with 190 for years to come and I intend to take a canopy course sometime this year (probably Scott Miller since I found he's coming to my dropzone). I want to settle on a specific size, such as 190 that I am flying now, for several hundred jumps to get really familiar with the canopy before downsizing. That's the recommendation I hear. I do want to make sure it lasts a reasonable downsize or two, so that I may be able to bring the container to between 500-1000 jumps jumps before I sell it... At 150 sq feet, that's still a wingload of only 1.25:1 for me and that'd be relatively conservative for a 1000-jump count...

Easy. I'm trying to be helpful. There are search results December 18th, 2004, which is only 7 months old. It may not help much, but, it DID contribute something to "anything newer than 1 year?".

Search Is Your Friend - CLICK

Your profile says 284 jumps in 6 years....But you said first jump in 22 years? Profile in error?

Very impressive video! That many flyers in the same airstream at multiple levels! Gotta visit AAC someday. I do have a trip to Virginia at some point, maybe I'll be able to make time for AAC too which is about a few hours drive away.

Dropzone has a policy of not pack-training on rental gear. This is pretty common at many dropzones in this country. I could travel, but... There's not enough parachutes to go around, plus there are obvious safety concerns about renting out a beginner packjob. Or maybe I should buy a beater rig today with a retired canopy, just for ground training only and donate it as a training harness. But, hey, at least I'm getting free RW coaching! So that kind of makes up for that.

True. At about 100 jumps per year, I would want my container to last about 4 years before I sell it. I am hoping to take a Scott Miller canopy course as I have just found out today that it is coming to my home dropzone this August. I would like to stick to my first canopy size for approximately 200 jumps to get really familiar with it, and this will take me about 1.5 to 2 years. Assuming one or two downsizes, I would be able to keep the container for 4 years. Jumping about 100 to 150 jumps per year, realistically. By this opinion, a new container would pay dividends in safety and room to downsize. I don't think I'll be that aggressive and downsize to a 1.5+ WL in less than 400 jumps later. There's the possibility that after a good canopy course (ie Scott Miller), myself and some others may think 190 is too docile for me and I should do a 170 for the next 200-300 jumps (after my 60-75th jump). If that happens, then it'll be already a perfect fit for this container and I'd still have room to downsize safely to 150 after I'm very familiar with the 170. Or on the other hand, I may even feel like sticking to the 190 for about 500 jumps. I heard some of the best jumpers flew the same canopy several hundred times before switching, so that's another good reason too... I am still open to buying a used rig. I'm still sitting on the fence about it, but if I buy new, I might as well get one of the best -- Vector3 with a Skyhook and articulated harness. It'll probably even improve my arch too for my current discipline of interest (RW) with making it easier to stretch my legs back even with a tight harness... [Now, 200 jumps at a high wingloading? Ouch. I'm not going in that direction...]

That's the status I am now on. I've also completed most of the A objectives, but I need to own my own rig for my pack training before I finally get A and hopefully B too shortly thereafter.

Gonna talk to my dropzone about it this weekend, but am also checking opinions here too. I'm really considering buying a new container and they often have long manufacture times (up to 8 weeks!). I am seriously considering getting a container custom built with a 190 main and a PD176 reserve after I confirm these are okay with the dropzone... I'm flying a Sabre 190 now, so these numbers probably should be OK. Probably a Vector 3 (I wish I ordered before the price increase though...*sigh*) with a Skyhook and articulated harness. Some people say I should size the container for a 190 of a 7-cell type, so that it would still reasonably fit a 190 9-cell albiet a bit tightly. The supposed advantage is that I'll be able to safely downsize to 170 and 150 in the next several hundred jumps, and the container will last me many years. The supposed disadvantage is that a tight-fitting canopy would be an increased pilot chute in tow (or baglock) danger. On some of the big container name websites, some manufacturer specifications show room for one size bigger and one size smaller, which indicates a container, if properly custom designed, should last through two down sizes (i.e. 190 -> 170 -> 150) so it looks like some container manufacturers sanction this practice. I'll have done about 60 to 75 jumps by the time I am jumping this rig. Opinions, especially based on real-world experience, are welcome.

Fuzzy, sign me up immediately! I'm there! I was also going to ask you all this weekend about canopy courses. I'll see you this weekend. Scott's website (freedomofflight.tv) doesn't even mention Gananoque so I didn't know about this... I'll contact him as well through his website about this. And if I can reserve my spot. [Edit: I see it on Gananoque's website now. Thanks. I have emailed Andrea Greening now.]

What about canopy air traffic concerns at high traffic dropzones? If canopies open really high, they can't fly other jumpers up there as easily, because of freefallers collision danger with canopies? I would think that dropzones prefer to clear the air quickly for back-to-back loads?

I got sand blasted on one of my jumps. I even got a little ice on my goggles, so it was clearly ice. Not a pleasant experience. I just had reddened tender skin, not smooth skin. I did try to shield my face during freefall through ice crystals, so I spared most of my face, but my neck remained mostly unprotected...

Good catch. Yes, that's true. The diagonal speed may be much faster sometimes, but the vertical fallrate would be slower. I did a few tracking pratice jumps already, starting tracking cross-jump-run at about 9K-10K. (Usual breakoff is at 4.5K, but these were solos). Need to keep praticing. I kind of enjoy it.

Any opportunity to take the class two times in a row? Cheaper than an interpretor and may also give you a second chance to catch things on things you missed.

Hey there Heidi :-) I think you need to edit this poll....it's not too relevant because you need to break this poll into 5mph increments because not many people fall slower on their belly than about 90mph or faster than about 140mph. So the poll should be: Below 90mph About 95mph About 100mph About 105mph About 110mph About 115mph About 120mph About 125mph About 130mph About 135mph Above 140mph For that matter, I don't think I have heard of anybody fall as slow as 90mph except in very light tandems and fall as fast as 140mph, except for weighty skydivers with weight belts :-) The faster fallrates are during tracks and headdowns, and freeflying, not for belly flying. I am a slightly slow faller. I usually had to dive down to catch up. I just need to work on my arch, but I also blame my harness for being a bit tight too, and the jumpsuit for being slightly baggy.

Just FYI. I am finally getting 2-way coaching now: Last weekend's 12 jumps!

Course cost me $1200 CAD (About $950 USD) However, I was required to have 4 tandems before taking this course. This varies by dropzone. Now I'm only paying $15 to $35 CAD per jump depending on altitude. However, I'm also paying for rig rental (That's "parachute rental" to whuffos) at either $20 per jump or $65/day+$5/pack. For that reason, I jumped 9 times in one day last weekend to save on rental. At least until I can afford to buy my own gear. It's well worth it if you want to jump regularly. Get off those darn tandems and onto an AFF type program! (Just make sure you read the waivers and know what you're getting into!)

Hi, This topic clearly overlaps two forum areas, so I'm posting a pointer in this topic area, and not just the "Disabled" area. I am interested in comments about options for canopy piloting courses for a deaf individual such as me who's about to buy his first rig in about 1-2 months from now: See This Thread