mccordia

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Posts posted by mccordia

  1. Quote

    I am 20 and have about 150 jumps and have been contemplating a career in skydiving. I would love to see how some of the commentors feel now about there decisions.

    Find a decent job outside of skydiving, and use the income to get real skills in flying in your discipline of choice, so you can get a cool / fun job in skydiving.

    Though there are a lot of nice entry level options (packer etc) they tend to not really generate a lot of budget for skydiving, unless you work so much you don't have time/energy for skydiving. Also having real world skills will mean that you have actual fallback options in case skydiving for some reason is no longer your main source of income or passion at later age.

    I work fulltime in skydiving, but still do some work in my real profession (3D animation) on the side, as that is what allows me to not have to work 30 days a month, but also take time off for own skydiving/basejumping adventures with an actual budget to spend.

    Working in skydiving is incredible, but its the coaching at a higher skill level where the real fun is to be had.

  2. · Edited by mccordia

    On 11/11/2022 at 10:26 AM, RMK said:

    >If you are either a 1) first time jumper, 2) have only jumped at Skydive Spain or 3) a
    >professional/sponsored Skydive Spain jumper you may a differing viewpoint.


    Though flying a suit with the DZ logo assisting in DZ promotion, I have a good 400+ jumps at the DZ paid from my own pocket, for training, funjumps and events I organized. Though in other parts of the world, there might be plenty better options, but if looking for a place to jump in Europe in winter, you options are incredibly limited. With 15.000 ft as a standard drop altitude, multiple fast twin turbine airplanes, it's definitely one of the better (if not only) real choice in Europe for fall/winter.

    Arizona, Elsinore and many USA dropzones trump SS in facilities, lift capacity and more.
    The only reason I mentioned the dropzone, is as Ive been there a lot, and feedback on EU dropzones tends to be limited.

     

    Quote

    nice airplanes, some air 

    These tend to be my primary focal points when looking at places to coach/train. Champagne and a lounge area are nice perks, but not always the main reason I visit a DZ ;)

    • Like 1

  3. Have passenger hold you on the shoulders / rig, and use your hands to hold the passengers legstraps.
    Exit linked with this 4 point configuration, once stable belly to earth, place passenger on your bum where you want him/her to be, then open arms and fly. This works out of any side-door, tailgate etc.

    As long as you have these 4 points of contact, like a tandem, you can roll 6 times and still stay tight together and come out flying...

    • Like 2

  4. Practically, you can probably time a flare to have the 'close to zero momentum' moment coincide with touchdown on an object. A true 'wingsuit landing'

    But most methods discussed, practical and theoretical, including past (intentional or unintentional) successful attempts have all relied on boxes, water, a hill, trees, a huge slide, engines, windtunnels, rope/hooks etc . Though indeed all 'landing a wingsuit' you're still using an outside additions of a gradient/hill or various bits of gear to assist in decreasing velocity. If choosing to use an additional object, parachutes are most likely still the safest bet, until someone actually lands a wingsuit unassisted...:)

  5. Though there are many examples of flying sustained over 3.0 glide, its in 100% of the cases residual energy from a dive and/or tailwind, or (BASE) having the right conditions with high lift and/or a tailwind.

    Ive done a few flights where the glide got pushed up to a comfortable 4.5, but if you where to take the winds/thermals out, that would still only end up around 3.0 sustained.

    • Like 2

  8. Quote

    Assuming despite poor flare power

    There are many wingsuit specific canopy options available, with good flare and same low bulk or standard material options. Aerodyne, NZ Aerosports, Atair...it's worth looking (and asking) around, and most of all, actually demoing various options, as each manufacturer and sponsored athlete will be mainly advocating their own preference. Nothing but your own ankles will tell you more honest how good or bad a flare is, after a demo jump or two.

    • Like 2

  9. Quote

    What about sewing a pocket to a reserve D-bag?

    No matter what the price of a potentially lost reserve D-Bag is, but it can not be worth potentially complicating the function of the reserve deployment by adding additional sewing/volume and edges that could snag a line.

    On the main Dbag, there are plenty of places where (even non permanent) a tag can be added without complication on inside or outside. But I would strongly advise to not to add anything to the reserve Dbag, as there is no real reason to do so..

  10. I use an Apple AirTag in both my rigs.
    Though android offers similar devices, there the handycap is that only people with the specific app installed help track the units. Where with apple, anyone with an IOS product walking 60 meter within a canopy, helps update the location for you.

    I dont have it in the Dbag (sewn in) as much for finding it after a cutaway, but more for when its taken/stolen after a cutaway, and (weekly) when traveling on airlines with my rig, seeing where it is.
    Ive already once recovered my lost luggage due to the tracker in the rig.

    For the 30 dollars an Airtag costs, its well worth having one in your gear as a rig tracker..

  11. Looking at the rig options guide on the website, the Javlin features the same 'folding tabs' as UPT has on their containers. I had that on a previous rig, and had it modified by a rigger to what's sometimes referd to as 'drop stitch' method. Essentially having the normal corners, but not sewn up fully, and instead opened up about 50% from whats standard. This is enough to allow the bag to leave fully straight/backwards, but enough 'corner' to make the rig pack nice.

    The folding tabs and open corners for me created a but of a saggy shape when packed, and the rig (cosmetically) never looked as nice as I wanted to. How neat it looks with the folding tabs will mostly depend on the canopy sizing I guess. 

    I know UPT (on request) does offer the 'drop stitch' version of open corners, so perhaps worth asking Sunpath as well, should you prefer that over the folding tabs.

    • Like 1

  12. Though hop and pops are a good way of getting the 'numbers' up.
    Doing actual full altitude skydives, getting coached in various disciplines, will also give you the freefall skills and all round body awareness/skills needed when you go towards terminal jumps, and/or onepiece tracking and/or wingsuit later on. If you're already skydiving, might as well actually learn something.

    Even when doing hop and pops, don't do it all 'with advice from the internet' but get some actual coaching on flying, landing etc. as there is a lot to learn, and just banging out 'numbers' is not the best way of actually doing so. Having access to people who can actually maximize the learning in the (intended) small amount of jumps you're planning to do before a BASE course, for sure find those with knowledge and experience to help you out.

    Going abroad, to somewhere with good weather. Be it one of the bigger USA dropzones, or places like Empuria Brava, Skydive Spain you'll def. get most jumps in, in a shorter amount of time.

    • Like 1

  13. On 11/12/2019 at 2:15 AM, timski said:

    Let me know when or where you see the Atair Winx advertised??? ;)    Seek and you shall find the truth!  


    I've been jumping the WinX 120/135/150 and 210 (WS Jet stuff) and have over 4500 jumps without a cutaway or issue with openings. It has a good glide, is fun (assertive) in flying, and has an actual flare where you dont need a surge or front risers to have a decent landing. And swoops nicely as well (though low, as it has a very fast recovery arc:) I couldn't be a bigger supporter/fan of the canopy if I tried. 

    I think best advertising for the WinX is that (Atair) doesn't do any real advertising, and it's incredibly popular. Seeing practically no WinX for sale on the 2nd hand market, is a good indication people are happy with it.

    • Like 1

  15. Quote

    Well if Jarno says no then there's no way in hell I'd fly it.

    I've only done two jumps on the suit, and managed to fly it on the back ok (no back inflation).
    Video must be floating around online somewhere still (it was for a FOX news item). But nothing too special flying wise. The BM Skyflyer 3 was a nicer and more agile suit to fly in comparison.

    But the complex rigging, zipper system, and issues with handles getting tucked in/under the suit easily, combined with the problems of the (not really functional) arm-wing release, make it quite a big safety issue, for zero to no benefit in performance or otherwise, compared to wingsuits of that period.

    If you want to jump something old, grab a BM Classic, S3, S-fly Expert or orginal V1. The'll be more fun to fly. GS1 is nice as decoration for the DZ Bar wall/ceiling

  17. I know one still floating around, but personally would recommend against jumping it.
    The few jumps I had on the suit, I had handles completely disappeared inside the suit one jump after deployment, and trying to use the arm-wing release (to test) it actually just bunched up the sleeve, without the cable coming out, essentially locking the sleeve. With the zippers not being the greatest, not a useful or safe feature.

    I know Andy Ford, jumping one for a project many years ago, had a cutaway (spinning mal) where he had the same issue with handles disappearing inside the suit, and he actually performed a cutaway/reserve with his thumbs punched in above the handles, pulling the cables out.

    As to the suit itself, its stable, but looking at actual wing size, not that big, as the armwing bellow the hips is so narrow/small, it doesn't add to much in actual lift/profile. Performance was comparable to a skyflyer 3, perhaps only a tiny step up.

    I do like the segmented/interchangeable idea behind the suit (you could 'zip off' the full wing, and potentially replace it in future with bigger/smaller wings). But in construction, and rigging, quite complex and price-wise probably not that much of a save, vs just buying / making a new suit.

    I think the suit had a great idea/design philosophy behind it, but similar to the early TonySuits with webbed gloves, not something comparable with modern day wingsuits in performance or safety.

    • Like 1

  18. With the cost of traveling all the way from Uruguay, and the cost of tunnel time, putting the money in (coached) skydives will probably get you to your dream a lot faster, and have a better all round preperation with good exposure and skills in freefly, formation skydiving and more..

    • Like 2

  21. 17 hours ago, BigMick said:

    How did you record the conversations? 

    The earpieces have a splitter (earphone plug) so relatively easy to connect to phone or direct to GoPro / Insta360 (I record direct to the GoPro so its not a lot of editing work to sync conversations later)

    • Like 1

  23. Quote

    The only issues I have ever had with Seville are (1) they put up a 100/200/500 jump limit fairly sharply which, at times, can limit the jumps for less experienced jumpers  

    A dropzone making correct safety decisions in terms of wind/weather conditions is in my view never a bad thing. Having been at some dropzones where I (at +- 6000 skydives) skipped loads due to weather conditions on landing, and then seeing guys with 51 jumps go up because 'the limit is 50 jumps', it can at times feel like a jump-limit was set with DZ income in mind, as opposed to safety.

    In the 6 or so weeks I've spent at the dropzone over 2021, I've seen the DZ limit jumping at 50/100/500 jumps, but in almost 100% of those, I had already taken myself of the load. There, at lower jump numbers, its sometimes worth trusting the judgement of people with more experience and eye for local conditions.

    The landing area is indeed not the lush patch of grass you see on other dropzones, for a large part caused by the all year round warm to hot weather.

    Summer season (June to August) we also avoid, as it just gets too hot. Though jumping from early to mid-day, and then chilling at the pool of your hotel, is never a bad thing.

    My main gripe with the surrounding area is not too much to do (sea/beach is an hour away) in the direct area surrounding the DZ, but enough good restaurants to not stress about that too much, as in the end, we're there to jump ;)

    • Like 3

  24. We have been visiting Skydive Spain (Seville) regularly the last 1,5 year and they seem to have jumpable weather all year round. No issue with dust devils in summer, but you do get general turbulence making jumping a thing from 7:00 (1st load) to around 14:00 or so on those days, and a few sunset loads if enough people hang around. But September up to around May, the dropzone runs pretty much non stop all day long, and 15.000 ft standard jump altitude (2x Dornier), from 9:00 to sunset.

    Heading there again next week, February as well as April. It's perfect for EU 'winter' jumping, at a comfy 16 to 18 celcius, even on the colder days...

    • Like 1

  25. In performance havok and funk are quite similar when looking at glide, with the funk typically a bit slower on the forward speed. The Havok a bit more agile in terms of lateral control. But all marginal. Pilot skill and weight/body type will usually be the main determining factor in comparing one to the other.

    • Like 1