SkymonkeyONE

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Posts posted by SkymonkeyONE

  1. Quote

    For me, the solution is suitS. Yep, most of the AFF-Is that I work with have at least two suits, of different speeds. I have three:



    Truth!

    I've got a lot more than three suits, though....:ph34r:

    I'm still a HUGE fan of doing "traditional" two-JM AFF in bootie suits because of the power they afford you on the hill. I've got a tight Michigan comp suit with spandex forearms for fast, big guys and I've got a less-tight Michigan comp suit that I generally use for swooping bigways that works great with lighter AFF students.

    Still.......Where I work we train military clients and I make around 850 AFF-type jumps a year in freefly suits. Again: I've got a cut-off shorty that works great with heavy guys on release dives, a tight Boogyman Bionic for fast guys, a bigger Boogyman for lightweights, and an older and floppier LS for really small students.

    Ultimately it's up to YOU to "dress for success" if you are going to be doing AFF work at your dropzone. For super-light students I've gone so far as to wear XL tandem suits. Don't be ashamed to pull something floppy off the rack of your school if the job calls for it. Seriously. Your buddies will understand.

    Good luck and have fun! I LOVE doing AFF.

    Chuck Blue, D-12501
    AFF/SL/TM-I, MFFJM, MMPCI, S&TA, PRO
    Coolidge, AZ

  5. My rules:
    -must be able to do it in the classroom prior to manifesting.
    -must be able to do it at mock-up prior to boarding.
    -must be able to parrot it back to me in exact order prior to putting them in the door to exit.

    I've scratched from the load with the props turning because the student could not do it right at the mock-up and I've also landed with the plane (a number of times) when they could not parrot it back to me after final JMPI at 8000 feet. It's VERY, VERY dumb to do otherwise. If you do, you are not only risking the life of the student, but your own safety and the reputation of the dropzone.

    Chuck Blue, D-12501
    AFF/SL/TM-I, PRO, S&TA

  7. The111

    Sorry but the entire idea is nonsense.

    If you have the ability to control the suit in any way, then fly and deploy as intended. To somebody who is tumbling out of control, I am not sure why your weird upside down streamer position is supposed to somehow be more achievable than normal flight position. Out of control is out of control.

    If you don't have the ability to control the suit, then pitch before you die (first jump priorities from AFF and all that). And stop jumping suits you don't know how to control. ;)



    This is absolute truth. Your three pull priorities remain the same:

    1: I MUST pull
    2: I NEED to pull at the correct altitude no matter what my orientation
    3: I would LOVE to pull at the correct altitude in the correct body position

    I was an AFF, Tandem, and Static Line instructor with over 1500 jumps when I made my first WS jump in 1999. When I became a BMI right after that I made it a point to emphasize those three basic rules in my FJC.

    What we are experiencing here is a systemic problem, just like in canopy downsizing, where people are in the HUGE race to jump massive suits. People unwilling to spend the time getting super-proficient in mid-sized suits and learning the skills (aerobatics, backflying, docking, poop exits) which will prevent such incidents once they "supersize" for whatever reason. I see it ALL THE TIME at EVERY dropzone where there isn't a core group of local wingsuiters who fly together often. There are way too many people out there trying to be teh Lone Ranger and figure it out for themselves; too bad. I think it is a horrible idea for a person to do WS solos, then strap on a big suit without being vetted, trained, or coached by super-experienced WS instructors/coaches on advanced skills.

    Chuck Blue
    PFC/E (among other things)

  8. I've been instructing for over 32 years now. The most-common reason young jumpers (and more experienced jumpers who just never got good feedback) fail at standing up is because they flare with their arms out in front of themselves and do not lean forward in the harness to get their center of gravity over their feet at touchdown.

    Another thing: it's never OK to pike your feet out in front of you and slam in on your ass. When jumpers are forced (for whatever reason) to slide in a landing the first thing that should touch the ground is your "landing gear". Your feet should be out in front of you, but lower than your ass; your toes up to resist snagging anything; and like someone else said: sort of like slalom waterskiing. When you touch down you slowly transition from sliding on your feet to sliding on your ass.

    One should never "assume" they are going to PLF, but they should be prepared to do so. Again: this is very rare if you have performed a satisfactory flare at the correct altitude and have got your center of gravity forward over your feet. One can, however, predict if they are going to possibly have to slide a landing out (hot, no-wind days, etc).

    Chuck

  10. bum357

    Sorry...I tried to do a search...but didnt find anything definative...I was wondering if the saber 1 would open softer due to the fact that your not moving at terminal velocity...also on a side note would a canopy know for its snivel like a pilot take even longer to open if used for wingsuiting...thx



    Yes. That's why people snatch them up off the internet. The original Sabre is a great WS canopy. I suffered their hard openings for a long time prior to the advent of wingsuiting. I was stoked to find out they work so well for wingsuiting and that you can pick them up for so cheap.

  11. Quote

    And starting at 26 could be a major distraction to your work, causing you to get fired. Starting at 36 could be a major distraction to your marriage causing you to get divorced. Starting at age 46 could be a major distraction to you family causing your kids to hate you because you are spending their college tuition money. Starting at at 56 could be a major distraction to your retirement plans making it so you have to work longer. Starting at at 66 could be a major distraction to your retirement making it so you miss too many shuffleboard games....



    Excellent post! I started when I was 17. I WOULD have started at 16, but I got a D in some high school course and my dad (also a jumper/pilot/rigger/instructor) made me wait till I got my grades up. Ultimately, if you can afford it I see no reason whatsoever to wait. Skydiving gave me great focus and made me into a much-more social person.

    Chuck

  12. skylawgirl84

    I think it would at least help some! :)



    Are you sure you aren't doing it because you see all the skinny little freeflyers doing it these days? Seriously. You are correct when you say that you can just wear long sleeves under your suit in the winter; that's what every one of the skinny freefly girls do here in AZ.

    If you are intent on cutting your current suit down just take it to your local seamstress.. But, FWIW: every one of the riggers here where I work has the skill set to cut down/ modify a jumpsuit. My grandmother taught me how to sew when I was 12!

    All the job you are talking about entails is cutting, building, and installing new cuffs. Very, very simple stuff.

    Chuck

  15. I spent three months in Trinidad around 2001 training their military. The only jumping that was done there at all was at the abandoned airport near the base we were on, but it was only military. Trinidad is a pretty big island and the ethnic diversity is different than any other Caribbean island I ever visited. Lots of Indian (dot, not feather) folks mixed with Carib indian and black. EXCELLENT food there.

    Chuck

  17. Quote

    Is there a negative with the storm in changing the brake setting to something a little shallower?



    I would not contemplate changing the brake settings on ANY canopy. PD put a LOT of work into designing and testing the canopy and I'm not about to fiddle with mine. What I CAN tell you, from personal experiences in the past though, is that changing the brake setting can drastically alter your opening characteristics. The Storm openings are great. My advice to you is that you REALLY need to pay attention to how you set your brakes and stow your excess in order to prevent brake fires.

    Chuck

  20. Let me just put one thing out there in regards to Storms as related to wingsuiting (and general flight): The brakes are set QUITE deep on Storms and once released the canopy dives QUITE steep. That's great right up to the point that you have a brake-fire. The resulting turn needs to be dealt with VERY fast (opposite rear riser) to avoid a chop as compared to the action needed to fix one under a Sabre2 or Spectre.

  21. How is this related to Z-Hizzy? Is this where the OP got fired from? BTW: I've seen PLENTY of tandem hook turns performed there, but that's besides the point.

  23. Wrong forum, but what the hell; I'll bite.

    To the original poster: you would not BELIEVE how many people with over 1000 jumps I've trained who "just didn't get it" and did very poorly on their first WS jumps. Conversely, I've trained a lot of people with the minimum experience needed who did very well.

    Ultimately, you've answered your own question when you stated "I'm not very good". Wingsuit flying is very simple when things go right, but when done wrong things happen very fast and "normal" recovery actions just don't work. Currency and CONFIDENCE in your general skydiving abilities are paramount. Don't be in a race; we aren't going anywhere.

    Chuck
    PFC/E (among other things)