Canadianfella

Is that neoprene?

Last fall I saw Dan BC enforce that rule for 2 people within 4 days... Both were experienced, one had been involved with many cypres fires... they rightfully deserved to be grounded... I agree with whomever said grounding leads to being uncurrent and that could potentially cause more problems, but if you look at a DZ like Perris, the jumper will likely just got to Elsinore or SD to jump instead. Further to that, I believe (correct me if i'm wrong on this one) Perris requires some extra training (emerg. proc.) before they are allowed to jump again.

While I do agree with a little bit of what everyone has been saying, jump in whatever you want once you have gotten decent enough to land safely every time... It's your choice and you need to make decisions based on what you are comfortable with. I probably have a couple hundred, maybe up to 500 in VFF's... I don't remember which kind I have, but they're pretty awesome. All of those landings were into pea gravel or on the sand in the river bed at the dz i was jumping at last summer. Even when getting dropped by shitty wind gusts, the worst problem I ever faced was getting rocks lodged between my toes... an easy fix! I found that I could feel the plane far more with them on when exiting, making AFF and tandem exits much easier... I also found it quite refreshing. Wearing them in my booties though was tricky because the sole is so thin. It didn't work well. My recommendation for you is to get really good at landing a parachute in all conditions before wearing them because as mentioned, they don't really provide a lot of support. All in all though, great for jumping in! :)

Do you have video flyers on AFF 4? Or do you wear camera? Take a look at it and watch the left arm closely. Your students could be dropping their left elbow when they look to their alti or reach for practice touches... If that left arm isn't level, it could cause a turn. Elbow down - left turn... Elbow up... right turn. food for thought...

I'm not sure if there's a rule in the US for instructors to wear helmets, but in Canada, all coaches/instructors (while acting as such) must wear a helmet... I've seen too many students see a more senior jumper (or instructor) do something and think "geez, if he can do that, so can i..." I have also heard conversations on the dz of "well, that guy (instructor) still wears a helmet on every jump... he's got thousands... he may be on to something..." The impression you leave upon your students may be more than you think. To each their own, but perhaps something to keep in mind!

I'm curious to know why you jump a gopro on your hand when you can (do always?) wear a camera on your helmet for debriefing? As mentioned, it seems like an added risk for little reward... In my experience, AFF students tend to be stoked on helmet cam... good enough! All that said, all my AFF is 1 on 1... we did AFP at my last dropzone so there was NO way I would ever put something on my hand... I never really knew when I'd have to grab on... and my alti (an N3) was always on my wrist... While I won't castrate you for jumping such a thing, I maintain that I don't see it working for ME... ** When I took my PFF course (Canadian AFF), I was taught leg strap and shoulder of rig... NOT arm... and this is how I do AFF... I find I have more control of the student... arms move too much... But this would NOT allow for me to have a useful camera on my forward hand.

What setup do you have for the handcam? A full glove? Do you not find it gets in the way, or at least could get in the way or be a snag hazard? If I have a student try to get out of control on me, I don't want to have a camera on my hand that could catch on anything... especially right next to risers.

Get yourself a Vertical Suit... best quality out there and Vlady is awesome when it comes to customer service. He is also good on the dates he tells you he'll deliver in.

Maybe give him a call again and find out... I don't see why it should be an issue... They're basically the same thing. The other question is this: Why won't an american doctor forgo sending in your medical to the FAA and just print you off a copy, store his in his records? Is the doctor required by law to submit the medical paperwork if you specifically say it's ONLY for skydiving? USPA doesn't require the FAA to provide the paperwork... just the jumper, yes no? And maybe try talking to Jay Stokes as well as Jim... I've always gotten better answers with less run-around from Jay...

Bed bugs can live a hell of a long time without feeding... I wouldn't just seal my gear in bags and leave it until they die... I'd have a new Vector before the bugs were dead......ha "A well fed bedbug can live anywhere from four to six months, while a dormant one might live without feeding for up to 18 months." -Source: www.bed-bug.org

I had my rigs with me in my hotel room in SF when I got bed bugs... I emailed PD to ask them about it and I did get a response from them... the information below is not their response... i forget what they said and couldn't find the email. I washed all material in my appt in HOT water and dried on HIGH heat and sprayed surfaces/luggage/furniture/floors/baseboards etc. with insecticide... Make sure you get something with permethrin...The higher the permethrin content, the better it will work. This is what professionals use. see info here: http://www.epa.gov/oppsrrd1/REDs/factsheets/permethrin_fs.htm Once you've cleaned everything in HOT HOT water/drying and sprayed everything with permethrin, wait 10-14 days and do it again... You should have everything taken care of.... a 3rd application MAY be necessary, but keep in mind 2 things: a) it can take a while for a new bed bug bite to manifest... so if you wake up with a "new bite," it's possible it was 2 days ago you were bitten and you sprayed yesterday... the bug's likely dead you just had shitty timing. b) your skin can be sensitive to chemicals so if you spray every 10-14 days for months on end, you could start to develop skin irritations from the chemicals that you may think are bug bites... or that will prevent your bug bites from healing, making you think you have more! DO NOT SPRAY THIS ON YOUR GEAR...OR PUT YOUR GEAR IN HIGH HEAT. Take your gear, put it in plastic bags (i double bagged incase i accidentally punched a hole in the outer bag) and put it in the deep freeze for at least 2 weeks... Remove it and inspect (outdoors) the whole thing... every stitch and seam... You will know if there are bed bugs in it... you will either see bugs, dead bugs, eggs, bug feces or nothing... you can't miss it. Make sure you look under the loose edges of binding tape along every seem on the rig... If you plan on having a rigger do the inspection for you, make sure you tell them what's up so they do the inspection outside and don't infect their homes/loft. I didn't find any bugs in my gear and when I woke up I probably had 5-10 bugs on me, more in the bed and I had well over 100 bites in less than 2 hrs of being in the bed. there were LOTS of bugs in my room... seems like they didn't go for my gear though. :) ***DISCLAIMER: My brother used to be an exterminator and I consulted with him and his boss (company owner) prior to undertaking this mission. It was a huge pain in the ass but the bugs were gone in 2 wks... YMMV***

Does the paperwork (USPA TDM Application) not say you need an FAA Class 3 OR EQUIVALENT??? Head up here to Canada, get your class 3 here, where nothing has to be submitted to Transport Canada or the FAA... send that to USPA and get back to livin' the dream. I have a CDN Class 3 medical and USPA was happy enough with that to give me my USPA tdm rating... I've done plenty of tandems in the US without ever having an FAA medical... or ever having any government organization know anything about my medical history... the paperwork went directly from the doctor to me, no copies anywhere else. No stress, no hoops, no FAA, no big brother... just a short appt and maybe $80. ...that reminds me, I need another one soon...

There is a solid group of jumpers that live in SB... at least 1 or 2 are UCSB students... I'll let them know you are posting next time they come up to jump.

CAA medical covers skydiving and scuba... and it's not too expensive. that's what i use anytime i head south of the border.

Hey I'm going to these camps (Oct. 7-10 and 14-17) in Perris. I'm coming from the central coast... Santa Barbara area... If anyone else from this area or north (or slightly south) is also going and would be interested in carpooling, please let me know... I'd like to be able to cut down on costs as much as possible! Cheers

With a number of riggers is done after, that dose not mean they are wrong for doing so. It's real easy there Einstein, you make a note of all Dom's, SN's Batt. dates & next due, for the whole unit on your tool count sheet as you check each component's data panel, this way you also have an additional list of the info to hand the owner when they pick up the rig and you can review the info with them without getting out the data card again. You have your way, others have their way, in the long run what the fuck dose it matter, as long as the work is done right, is legal and your not missing your molar strap or temp pins a week later when your done. The rigger your talking shit about may or may not be a fuck up, maybe their new and have not learned a method that works for them yet, or maybe some asshat disturbed him during the process, maybe the phone rang, maybe you were there asking stupid noob questions and distracted him, there are many reason why one might make a mistake, wait till you make one or two and see if people start to bash you too. Your ticket don't make you GOD, it's a ticket to learn forever! If your so bent about it then file an report with the FAA or transport Can. or who ever you report to up there. Go fuck your hat... I wasn't naming names, I wasn't talking trash, i was looking for opinions and common practices... That's great if you write down the info on your toolsheet... this donkey obviously did not... not only that, but the rigger couldn't even find the data tag... which tells me the rig wasn't even looked at. I don't know about you, but when I get a new rig, i inspect every stitch, every piece of material, every everything... because manufacturers are human too... which would have led me to the data label... In my opinion, a good rigger should not need to call the MFG or ask someone else where the info is AFTER they have already packed it... if you can't find the info, you don't pack it... you ask first, THEN pack it. for those who said find someone else, I do all my own rigging... it's the dz gear not packed by me that i worry about... this rig is a DZ owned student rig...

Not that it matters, but the rig was an Aerodyne Icon... My original question was whether this particular situation would cause you to distrust the rigger (that goes to all riggers and non-riggers alike)... And of course how safe you would feel having someone who couldn't find the data label, but packed it up anyway, be responsible for your reserve... The next question i posed was to whether it was common practice to fill in logbook/data card before or after packing... My question to you Lee, how on earth do you fill in the data card and your logbook after you pack a new rig? Yes, you can typically access the rig info and AAd info but how do you find the reserve info? Do you call the MFG every time? This is the 2nd time this rigger has had to call a MFG to get a serial number in the past 2 months... My viewpoint on this: IF a rigger can miss something as necessary as the data label on an inspection, what else are they missing? I don't expect all riggers to follow the same procedures and protocols that I do, but if you can't do the job right, get the hell out of the loft. And Rob, yes, you taught me well... it made it easy for me to pass Jay Stokes' tests...

While I understand your perspective, the question was related to the rigger packing it up and not knowing at all where it was... a rigger should ask questions and then carry on, not carry on and then ask questions.... It is one thing to not see it while assembling and then asking questions, but to assemble and pack the rig THEN ask questions is something I feel is inappropriate... My question remains: is this common practice - to pack up the rig THEN start looking for serial number and date of mfg? *And if a rigger can miss this on his/her inspection, what else are they missing?* When I learned how to be a rigger, I was taught to find the info first, fill in my logbook, fill in the data card (or verify if it's only a repack) THEN do the inspection, then pack it... My training tells me that if I don't have that info in my logbook, I don't pack it... I am a junior rigger... I've been a CSPA rigger for just shy of 2 years and an FAA rigger for just shy of 6 months... I've got almost 50 repacks, only done a couple patches and only assembled probably 10 of the rigs in my logbook. I can honestly say, without a doubt in my mind, that i have NEVER packed up a rig without having the information verified and in my logbook first...

Every once in a while when returning my Sigma tandem rig to the packing mat, I notice that the medium and small rings are the wrong way through the big ring... To fix the problem, it often requires 2 hands and some pressure to push the smaller rings back through... If that were ever loaded in such a way, I bet it would stick exactly the same way yours did on the drogue release... until it had enough slack or was squished enough to come back through.

who asks you where the data label is on a brand new rig (mfg date, s/n etc.) AFTER it has been assembled and packed by him/her? I didn't know, as I'd never dealt with the particular type of rig before. I suggested a phone call to the MFG to ask... The answer? It's on one of the reserve risers... you know, where you attach the lines to... one of those things you have to "inspect" before assembling and packing the rig... How safe would you feel if this were YOUR rig?

I'm a dealer for Alti-2... I'm also an AFS... I love my N3... it's a great toy... I have put almost 400 jumps on it in the past 2 months... It logs, it works well, is easy to use, easy to modify on my PC without infrared and the buttons are 1000 times better than the neptune 2... BUT... the silicone holder you get with it that doesn't come with screws or any other sort of reinforcement to be held onto your wrist or hand is absolute SHIT... I've had one come apart on a jump... another instructor here lost one swooping... (the neptune was found in the pond a minute or 2 later...) and i haven't gotten any feedback from Alti-2 about what they're going to do. Rumour has it they went to the silicone because people didn't like having to unscrew the neptune 2 to change from wrist to helmet... etc. etc... that was the RUMOUR i heard... i don't know what the company says about it. Either way, they're a great device but awful for wearing for visual... i'm nervous about losing it on every jump... and when i do, i plan on kicking up a big stink with the company for a new one... until then, i just keep telling them they need more than just a thin little piece of silicone to hold the damn thing on... it's not enough. /end rant.

My system automatically runs weekly scans and updates automatically... I would guess that it's up to date and unless it told me it found something, it didn't... but I will run a full scan during the day tomorrow and see what turns up. Thanks for the advice. **edited to add: when I tried to edit this, it redirected me to "videocop"... but I don't get this issue with any other website it seems... only dz.com which also leads me to believe it isn't a virus. but will check as i said.

Talk to Vlady at Vertical Suits... I have a pair on order right meow... He makes some pretty badass stuff and stand behind his work. He's also very easy to work with and his prices aren't too bad. And he's in Canada so that might make it a bit cheaper if you're US and you get the exchange rate (not that it's much, but it's a little)...

Every time I log onto DZ.com I get re-directed to random sites... The first tonight was an anti-spam site, the 2nd was a celeb porn site, the 3rd was the anti-spam again... I have to load the page and just before it finishes, quickly click STOP on my browser to stop it from re-directing... It also happens when i click into the forums... Is anybody else having this issue? Or could it just be my computer? I run mozilla firefox 3.6.8 and don't usually have any issues with other sites i frequent like hotmail, netflix, youtube, google...

Assemble the main AND the reserve yourself... Including the pilot chute and D-bag... and even assemble the freebag to the reserve pilot chute... Use instructions from all the manuals you got. If you don't understand some of the instructions, ask a rigger... Then once you are finished assembling it all, take it to your rigger and say "hey, i put this together myself... Please inspect and pack as you normally would... I'm happy to pay for assembly if I did something wrong and you have to re-do it..." Then tell all the people on here to go to hell for telling you to not do it yourself... There's nothing wrong with trying it yourself... Even if the FAA says you can't... And if your rigger won't do that or isn't cool with it, bring it to me. I'll do it for you. Ni4ky b FAA Senior Rigger CSPA Rigger A To all those telling this guy not to do it himself: Give your heads a shake... If he does it then takes it to a rigger, he's fine. If the rigger fails to find a mistake that this non-rigger made while assembling it himself, he (or she) is a shitty rigger... End of story.