AndyMan

In the following terms: Deaths:jumpers Deaths:total number of jumps The answer is easy - right now is the safest skydiving has ever been. You can see these details outlined in the 2011 USPA "Safety Day" statistical analysis Powerpoint, available here: http://www.uspa.org/Portals/0/Downloads/2010FatalitySummary.ppt I would expect to see the numbers improve this year again, as the number of jumpers and jumps made continue to increase, while the number of fatalities remains relatively constant or declines. One differing aspect is that I suspect the number of serious injuries (femurs, broken pelvis, etc) is increasing, as more and more people jump very high performance parachutes, something that was previously less common. Conclusion: USPA stats indicates death/USPA members and death/jumps is at historical lows, but I suspect the number of serious injuries is rising. _Am __ You put the fun in "funnel" - craichead.

My non comp-velo came with them last June. They did nothing to prevent the hard opening that caused a disk injury in my neck. Yet more packing 'voodoo', if you ask me. _Am __ You put the fun in "funnel" - craichead.

I think you misunderstand. The FAA requires AAD's for students, and they are required to be maintained to manufacturer standards. The point was that a DZ, and instructor, and rigger would all be named in a suit if a fatal student jump was done without a properly maintained AAD. I'm not a lawyer, but that just seems obvious. And of course, nobody's suggesting that's what happened here. _Am __ You put the fun in "funnel" - craichead.

This is the only case I can think of a suit actually making it to trial... Are there other recent examples that I'm missing? _Am __ You put the fun in "funnel" - craichead.

Yup. I have done the exact same thing - flown the malfunction to a safe cuttaway location. Of course, I did this when I was sure I had sufficient altitude first. In my case, I didn't want the main landing on an expressway, so I made sure I was downwind of it first. I learned this lesson the expensive way when I once cutaway up high, only have my stuff land in a river and get lost. Also, in this case there was little hope of fixing the malfunction. But, if you have altitude available, like on a 13,000 foot H&P, then spending some time trying to fix a malfunction is a reasonable choice too. I did this once on a spinning malfunction - I spent 4000 trying to get out of line twists, which I successfully accomplished. I could afford this time because I opened at 12,000 feet. I was under a good canopy by 8,000 feet. The key point here is altitude awareness. It is absolutely required that if you're going to do this, you know where you are, where you need to be, and what you need to get done. It's not something we train our students, but given the right person with the right experience, it's not always a bad choice. __ You put the fun in "funnel" - craichead.

I'd seen that, and that is the reason everyone is asking about a hard cuttaway, or a gear issue. Those questions make sense given the description as quoted above. Normiss is telling us that if we knew what actually happened, we wouldn't be asking those questions. Saying "you're wrong, i know what happened, but I'm not going to tell you" isn't particularly helpful. _Am __ You put the fun in "funnel" - craichead.

That would be helpful if I knew who he was. _Am __ You put the fun in "funnel" - craichead.

This discussion would be a lot more reasonable if you'd just tell us what happened. Since you seem to know. So, what happened? _Am __ You put the fun in "funnel" - craichead.

I'm a bit curious why there's a tendency to overthink this. Riggers have the tools and ability to inspect parachutes. One of the tools riggers use is a pull-test, the procedure is common and well known. It's also reliable when done correctly. I happily inspect and reserves that I'm familiar with - this includes some from the late 80's and early 90's such as the Swift Plus. _Am __ You put the fun in "funnel" - craichead.

Been to the ER twice, both times ended up being sprained ankles. Neither was swoop related. I fly a highly loaded velo and have 2500+ jumps I may be naive, but i believe swooping can be done without trauma, but it requires the right person and the right mindset. _Am __ You put the fun in "funnel" - craichead.

I live downtown and am a regular at CSC. CSC is building some outstanding facilities, and SDC is fantastic. Skydive Midwest is small but has a loyal following. I don't know of any skydiving clubs. _Am __ You put the fun in "funnel" - craichead.

I'm a big guy. Any container that is custom fit and built will be comfortable. I've had Javelins, Icons, Mirages, and now I've got a Vector on order - none of them had significant differences from the point of view of pure comfort. The most important thing is that the rig is measured by someone who knows how to measure for rigs, and that it's built to fit you. Pick your container by looking at the options that are important to you (eg, Skyhook). If it's custom built, it will be comfortable. _Am __ You put the fun in "funnel" - craichead.

Simple - unpack it. Actually, if you're going to store it for a few months (like the winter), unpacked, with the main in a plastic bag is as good a way to store it as any. _Am __ You put the fun in "funnel" - craichead.

Student jumps without altimeters were common in static line programs. Students were taught to count on their early freefall jumps. Many tandem jumps are done without altimeters for the student. Certainly altimeters are required for AFF. _Am __ You put the fun in "funnel" - craichead.

My personal favorite is Chicagoland Skydiving Center in Rochelle Illinois - but I have worked as an instructor there. They use 2 instructors for the first three AFF levels, which I believe to be a better option. CSC is a much shorter drive than Spaceland, and infact they have a regular group of St Louis folks who make the trek most weekends. I've done both 1 and 2 instructor AFF jumps, but have had enough challenging jumps to prefer having another instructor to help out if need be. If the student does everything correctly, 1 instructor jumps are fine. _Am __ You put the fun in "funnel" - craichead.

If you look hard enough, you'll find people that will allow you to jump virtually any canopy in existence. 1.1499 is the MAXIMUM wingloading. You'd be smart to get something at a lower wingloading than that. Going right up to the maximum allowed right on your first rig? Not a good sign, at all. _Am __ You put the fun in "funnel" - craichead.

http://winaviation.com/ _Am __ You put the fun in "funnel" - craichead.

Take a look at a Strong tandem pilot chute next time you get a chance. Or, at the velcro notch on the main top-flap on most rigs, where you velcro the bridle in place before closing. Velcro eats many things, but not mail bridles. _Am __ You put the fun in "funnel" - craichead.

Wow that's a big hook. _Am __ You put the fun in "funnel" - craichead.

That person gave you good advice. Kirk, who owns Para-Concepts, the loft at Skydive Chicago, should be able to help you. _A, __ You put the fun in "funnel" - craichead.

The jumper making that assertion doesn't necessarily make it true. Like I said, you're free to hold onto that idea for as long as you like, despite whatever evidence to the contrary. _Am __ You put the fun in "funnel" - craichead.

You can keep holding onto this train of thought if you like, but the jumper in this video was very clear - the skyhook saved his life. _Am __ You put the fun in "funnel" - craichead.

Well, like I said - there's some risk. You can't avoid it all, or we'd be playing golf - as they say. I'm familiar with the concept, but in reality I haven't seen that happen to any skydivers yet. I've seen enough chopper flights to know they're expensive, but I've yet to see an insurance company try to recoup. Yet. The risks you describe are no different than someone getting knocked out in bigways, for example. Yup, it could happen, and yup - skydivers have sued - but it's rare, and I don't know of any insurance companies doing it on their behalf - yet. _Am __ You put the fun in "funnel" - craichead.

It's a big reason why I don't use my TM rating. The OP might consider some of the other things I do for fun: 1 - AFF. Far more rewarding than tandems for people who are skydiving for reasons other than income. 1, you actually get to help people learn the sport rather than "just give a carnival ride". 2, while the liability risk is still there, I generally assume it to be much less since you're working with people who have a better understanding of risk that they're undertaking. 2 - Rigging. Not nearly as rewarding as AFF, but there's more cash flow if you care about that. Again, still some risk, but you can limit it by choosing your clients. Rigging for your friends is very different than rigging for the DZ student gear. _Am __ You put the fun in "funnel" - craichead.

One big change, CSC moved from their old spot in Hinckley to a new airport at Rochelle - KRPJ. HTH, _Am __ You put the fun in "funnel" - craichead.