jumpervali

Ask the pilot what he wants. He is the one who has the final say so with regard to far (91.7- b), this has to do with stopping the flight due to unsafe structural condition. If he wants the door closed for takeoffs close it. Also the pilot is the top dog with regard to seatbelts too (far 91.107). If he said keep them on till 10,000 you must do it. :-( The FAA will back up the pilot with federal laws if you give him any grief, as stated in far (91.11) interference with crew members. We always keep the door shut till 1000 ft., belts come off then the door opens. It would be a bad day if your pilotchute gets out and your belted in. jumpervali

I dont work, I own a dropzone, so I skydive, and clean the restroom :-( jumpervali

Setting the lines into their connections points refers to where the line is looped to the binding tape on the ribs of the canopy. When you get a new canopy the loops on the end of the line and the tape will not locked into a tight knot. The line is attached well, but not pulled tight. If you ever see loose attachments on a canopy it's new, or been rigged with a new set of lines. If you ever question if a reserve has been deployed at terminal the knots will be snug. I hope this helps jumpervali

Please allow me to have a point of view. I have a past and am in no way a saint, but I feel compelled to post on this thread. First the reason folks have to wait till the beer light is on is to take all the questions out of the equation in the tragic event of a fatality. The FAA and the local cops will wonder what's up with all the drinking and jumping going on, even though the drinkers are not jumping. Now just think of it from a none jumping point of view if the news paper reads "jumper dies in drug induced stupor." It may seem over the edge, but remember the larger majority of people that effect the laws in this country I.E. voters don't use dope. The sport could suffer. You may not think weed is a big deal, but your normally surrounded by people with the same habits as yourself. that's my . 02 worth jumpervali-6yrs clean and sober

The AFF program is the same, or should be at all uspa dropzones. There may be little differences, but the diveflows and TLO's are the same. That's the beauty of the program. The level 8's are the clear and pulls, but they are not assisted in freefall by an AFF jm or I. jumpervali sl/aff-i-01

Over the last few years it seems that most of the fatalities have been due to improper landings of high performance canopies. But as of lately their has been a lot of video folks having their cameras entangle with the mains during cutaways. It seems as your skills become better your pron to add more to your list of factors to consider on each jump. It is important for everybody to have a set of procedures for all emergencies. Then to rehears them regularly. Touch your handles in the manner you intend to use them. If you jump video can you eject your helmet quickly and accurately? Ingrain the proper technique you may one day need. I've had one malfunction in 1500 skydives, do I still practice my emergency procedures? Every weekend. jumpervali

You can take all the guess work out of it by checking the pack volume of your container. It will have the Max volume of the reserve and main. Usually listed in cc's. The reserve companies will also have volume info. for their canopies. It's easy. Don't be afraid to ask them for it they will know your an informed customer. jumpervali

If a canopy had to be deployed at sub-terminal for the first jump, then should you not deploy a reserve if you find yourself with nothing out at 1600 ft? I think not. Most people like to do a clear and pull from 5 or 6 k to learn their canopy. One of the main reasons folks do this sub-terminal is to keep from finding out the packing secrets of their new canopy, and set the lines into the connection points on their canopy. Line stretch is not an issue. The canopy will not be damaged from a terminal deployment, but you might feel it. jumpervali

Get your orange A license card form your instructor, or your S&TA. It will have all your needed TLO's for all your remaining freefall, and canopy flights, also skydiving far-bsr required reading. The card looks like a lot of work, but if your done with your AFF you've done a lot of it already. Keep your logbook up to date even if you have 1K jumps it's a good habit. Keep your learning curve going like it is and you'll be a really good jumper at 100 jumps, doing mega point dives. Have fun! jumpervali

The risers are the lanyards that attach the canopy lines to the D rings of the rig. They look like seat belt material. When you take the toggles down from the rear risers you can the steer the canopy by changing the air flow across the trailing edge of the canopy. Like the ailerons of an airplane wing. You can also change the airfoil by pulling one rear riser, this is more like wing warping. You can turn quickly if you put a lot of force into it. Pulling both rear risers 6-8 inches will slow the canopy just like pulling down on your toggles. This is like an airplane lowering it's flaps. If you plan to check this out under canopy remember to do it at a higher altitude, don't try to learn new canopy skills low to the ground. Be safe, have fun, look cool for the camera.

Packing is a good idea, but there is normally a crew for that, and it is a slow return to earn a jump. As a dzo here in Georgia I have traded AFF jumps for mowing work, auto repair, painting, cooking and things mostly grounds related. Many a student has traded a one day job for a jump. Look around your dz and offer ideas for improvements that you can take care of alone and do well, then make a deal. Every skydiver has a wide range of talents they bring to the dz. Trade yours for aff talent. blue skies jumpervali

I would like to give you some insight to where your at, and what to try on your next jump. First I would like to say PLEASE filter this advice through your jm or i that your working with. I'm a sl/aff-I so it should be close to what your being taught. I also was a static-line student, so I've been where your at. 1st) kicking on exit is not uncommon. 2nd) Wanting to be stable at pull time can cause a lot of pressure to your pull alt/stress level. pulling at proper alt. w/stable is very nice :-) Place an ARCH into your pull count ARCH, LOOK, REACH, PULL, CHECK, ........... Even if you think but I'm already arching, put MORE hips into the first word of your count. So even if you have an unusual pull it will aid in you staying stable, or get you off your back when you may have to just pull at proper alt. now for your pull, this will require many reps. 20 to 30 daily for a week place a handle on your hip or for a boc locate it on your back, a film can works good, but find something. the key to a good pull is hips forward, the spine and the shoulders are fixed, like a "T". the hands should never come forward of the shoulders, and the hand should move as if a string is tied to your wrist, use a string if you need to. Look at a mirror to see if your moving each hand equally now for your exit, If your jumping a c-182 keep your chin up, arch on exit and try to watch the plane pull away from you until you are off the hill, approx. 3 sec. When you climb out before your release think about your legs, focus on them keep them fixed, let the plane slip from your hands and relax, just keep your chin up and legs fixed. It works. The most helpless feeling I have as an instructor is putting out a clear and pull and watching them try to fix their body position as they blaze through their harddeck. It's like watching a child run after a ball onto a busy street. They know better but it just happens. You are in no way a child I know, but you are a young skydiver. Please be safe, have fun, and look cool for the camera! jumpervali