Yossarian

I'm going to be in Z-Hills for around 8 days in Apr (6-14) as a lone jumper from the UK, is there much going on during the week in terms of organised FF? I'm proficient head-up but starting out with head-down, also very much enjoy tracking. If you're around I look forward to jumping with you! Lee

i got the wings bundle about 10months ago, everytime i tell anybody how much it cost they cant believe what a good deal it was, some said they wouldnt want to be 'told' what canopy to put in it but i wanted a pilot anyway so im happy! theyre really helpful at sunshine factory as well, the only downside was how long it took for the canopy to arrive

we have the same problems with brake-lines on our 188 (uni club kit, has around 150 jumps on it) and the lower section is needing to be replaced, ill have a look at the DOM but i think its around 2 1/2 years old

ive got about 25 jumps on my pilot 168 now and i feel exactly the same way, having done 30-40 on a 188 previously, and i cant think of any reason to jump anything else (other than something slightly older that i would have such bagging issues with

he said the reason it was 3months was in case my goggles came off, it should have been alright after a few weeks but it was the risk of exposure to the high airflow. pressure at altitude etc is a non-issue

i had it done a year ago and am still jumping fine, surgeon said to give it around 3 months to heal before jumping again and all would be well. ive never had any problems

yeah ive spoken to him about getting on a course, didnt have the money in time for the august one though. was thinking of doing it through the autumn when sometimes a low lob is all there is to be had anyway

that was all very interesting, thanks very much!

yeah, will do. ive just been told its something you should do a few times, like landing on risers (havent tried that yet either)

During a general conversation about downsizing and canopy choices and was receiving some advice about getting the most out of ones canopy and being able to handle it well in all situations before even considering downsizing (good advice i believe!). One thing that was mentioned was knowing how to sink a canopy into a tight spot. Then the load went on a call and the font of knowledge had to go kit up. so my question is, how is this done? obviously ill go and talk to an instructor before i try this, but as far as i can gather its flying an approach on half to deep brakes in order to reduce forward speed and come down a little faster, the point being to land in a perhaps confined space. by the way i fly a pilot 168 loaded at just over 1 thanks for any explanation, and like i said ill always go to an instructor first...

had mine 6months now, love it :P (note; thats what it looked like on delivery, closing loop has since been shortened...)

dont think you need it signed off to pack for yourself, its only when you pack for others or kit belonging to clubs that you need a packing certificate

I cant imagine it ever being a bad decision to stay in the plane and not jump, if your worried about the wind then the jump isnt going to be as enjoyable as it should be for a start. as i am constantly reminded when unsure as to whether i should manifest due to the conditions, its better to be on the ground wishing you were in the air than in the air wishing you were on the ground (or in this case, the plane...).

there's no such thing as a fully trained skydiver... i feel like a noob (i really hate that word...) when i jump with people who i consider to be good, and i dont when i jump with those just off student status. ive also jumped with people with over a hundred more jumps than me and felt eminently superior and yet ive been humbled by those with half my jumps. its all subjective and relative, and it doesnt compromise my adherence to the rules and consciousness of safety. all in all, with just over a hundred jumps im basically still a student...

bought a complete system from them earlier this year, outstanding service

one of my instructors told me he always wears gloves (even on naked jumps... ) as once he reached up to grab his risers on deployment, his canopy span up, and one of the lines cut through his hand and fore-finger to the bone. personally i look at my gloves, see the battering theyve recieved in the 80 jumps ive had them and am grateful it wasnt my hands... usually from any kind of sharp edge on the aircraft, or, mostly when i was a student, landing badly and scraping hands on gravel, concrete etc... plus it gets very cold up there!

big hands help, but really its just being careful for me, my new pilot (13jumps) was hell when i was packing it how id pack other canopies, but with the first fold i started using my chest to control it while i moved my hands about. wearing shorts helps as well as although trousers tend to have more grip on the canopy material, your knees will slide around inside them, whereas there is more control with bare skin - if that last bit makes any sense... other than that its just a question of quickly replacing hands with knees and vice-versa while you manipulate the bag. after packing brand new i swear i could bag an f111 student canopy one handed... (and dont discount my advice because of low jump numbers, im a packer as well... )

no worries, im pretty sure you're mind would have been somewhat preoccupied!

just curious, why does the ops manual state that all student parachutists must wear an alti while using piggyback equipment? why wouldnt one be required while using a chest mount reserve?

was that you at langar the other day then? awesome mate, just try not to step through your risers when you pick your rig up next time, really makes me earn my £4 :P BEER!!!

Islander C206 Dornier G92 Pac 750 Grand Caravan Skyvan

our club triathlon went 5months without coming out and when it did it just sat there in the shape of the bag, even though it was only about 70jumps old. it wasnt tacky like you described, but it definately took some encouraging to openin it up. a rigger who just happened to be standing around nearby said although it would have opened eventually it would have been noticably slower and probably spun up due to the inevitable asymmetry of it 'unsticking' itself. ever since then i repack every month, just in case. its only 15mins of my life and it gives me peace of mind

No one seems to know quite how the letters come in to the answer of that level, however I can tell you that trying to find a town in America that has a relevancy to pines would be a good way to go. If that's still too vague I'll give you more of a clue. Anyone at floor 34 yet? Melli (signed in on bf's account)

first week at university, fancied something a bit different, saw the stall at the sports fair and got on course. both the best and worst decision i ever made, but i dont regret a single penny spent :P

for what its worth ive only experienced great customer service, both with my own rig and two complete aerodyne systems i look after for my club, they went out of their way to fix a problem we had on one of our rigs before a competition. your experience could have been a one off, but then so could mine...