Oke

Ok, so a lagit rookie question then. Assuming legalities of things. Most will pull prior to cloud entry? Correct? But for those who don't follow the rules... What are procedures upon entering cloud regarding pulling? Pull immediatly? Pull after you're clear of cloud? What prevents collision flying a turn vs. straight? -Adam Oke

Ok if you are tossing more people into the equation, don't refer to my post as I have no idea about procedures. What I was discussing were the physical conditions and illusions that the mind and body will go through giving you spacial disorientation. Because I didn't know how else to phrase what I was trying to portray with a "safe cloud exit altitude". I'll try again. Busting through cloud base at an altitude and position that poses no conflict with terrain, or the given altitude required to plan a safe approach. -Adam Oke

It's not so much what is going on while you are disoriented, but the after math of what happens when you re-gain visual cues after your vestibular system has been telling you other wise. Vertigo or the "spins" if you will, giving you the tumbling head over heels sensation is one example. I personally wouldn't want to be planning an approach with that on the mind. How ever your comment with regards to terrain is very very valid. I did edit my post (.. might have been while you were typing.) with regards to situational awareness and a safe "cloud exit" altitude. I agree with that. -Adam Oke

At no point in time flying straight is a bad idea if you are jumping in conditions where the cloud base permits a safe "cloud exit altitude". So what if you land out? Fly safe. If you pop and out find you can't make it back to your suggested landing area ... suck up the ego and instead of trying to make it back, chose another landing area. Land outs are fine ... just inconvienent and likely costs beer. I think along with your body giving false indication, then further disrupting it is dangerous. You can only have so many strikes before you lose. Unfortunatly this game you just don't go to the end of the line and try again later. It's been killing pilots for years and year. People still don't learn. Your wing is just different profile than my wing that I am familiar with flying. -Adam Oke

If you enter a cloud in flight I would not do anything but straight and level flight. You may very well alreay be disoriented as your body is sending you cues that could possible be unreliable. Spiral turns can cause even more disorientation. Gentle turns even worse! If your body is in motion with out visual reference to a horizon or artificial horizon your sence of balance and knowing "which way is up" are completely unreliable. 90% of the information used to maintain a sence of balance is through visual cues. Our secondary system to aid in balance is our inner ear or our "vestibular system". How ever the inner ear can only suplement our vision and can not replace it. A very basic outline of the vestibular system is that the inner ear has 3 perpendicular tubes that contain water and tiny hairs that line the tubes. As the body moves, the water moves, thus in turn moving the hairs, giving signals of pitch, roll, and yaw. (This is how you can walk with your eyes closed :) ) How ever if you take inertia into account...if you start a motion, then suddenly stop it (ie Flying on your belly into cloud, pulling, abruptly chaging body position to vertical) this cases the water to continue in motion ... when in reality the body has stopped. A simple test of this theory/explaination is the "forehead on the bat trick". Bend over and place your forehead on a base...spin around 10 times...stand up and try to walk a straight line. voila Inertia of the inner ear. If you go to the other side of the spectrum from sudden movements to little movements now ... Think of gradually moving your body, slow enough so that the water does not need to "catch up" via inertia ... in fact it stays relatively calm. Now without any visual referance, moving the body slowly with the inner ear not in motion .... now you're really messed up! 3 degree's of roll per second is not noticable with out visual cues. Lesson of the day: Stay straight in level with out visual cues. Period. Besides ... You knew what cloud base was prior to the jump right? Situational awareness 101. Thus you can guess when you'll pop out. -Adam Oke

The addiction of power flying and gliding is far more expensive. I say do it! ... but don't say I didn't warn yea about the debt/eating KD for years on end. Come september I'm about to splurge on the skydiving addiction I picked up 2 years ago on the first jump . Time to get solo! -Adam Oke

What you experienced was convection or more commonly noted as a thermal. You can think of a thermal as a rising colum of air which is warmer than the surrounding air. As this air rises it cools and eventually will condense into what you see as a nice puffy cumulus cloud. The theory of what comes up, must come down still stands. As this colum of rising air is going up, the air surrounding this colum is falling. It’s on a mission to replace what went up. As you can not just have air disappear into … thin air . This sinking air surrounding the rising column of air is depicted by blue skies above. Keeping drift into account the cumulus cloud may not be directly above you as this column can be on a slant … same goes for blue skies or the sinking air. But generally speaking …. If you wanna stay up in the air … seek puffy flat bottomed cumlus clouds and circle beneath them. Usually spotted by freshly plowed fields, ashfault, anything that looks like it will give off heat. If you wanna get down … seek BLUE! With one jump under my belt, and a couple hundred hours of soaring … I do however have an idea about lift

Hey Everyone, Here is a quick brief on the situation. I’m a glider pilot and tow pilot and hold one jump under my belt. It is very common for glider pilots to wear a parachute while flying … makes sense. Unfortunately the vast majority of glider pilots out there haven’t the slightest clue about general care and operation. So a typical brief is a demonstration of the straps, and exit procedure, and how to pull the only handle available. At every gliding club I have been to I have been doing my best to give instruction on care and operation. Even with the minimal knowledge that I carry this was one of the reasons why I did one jump. I would rather have at least minimal training as opposed to none when it comes to my first jump. (I will get back in to jumping though, don’t get me wrong!) I would like to produce some information to be given out to members about general care of equipment. I would like to hear anything simplistic enough for a glider pilot with zero knowledge of skydiving/parachute care, and with no intentions of jumping. (ie Do not place the chute on the ground without the bag … moisture is bad … UV is bad. When carrying the chute ensure both shoulder harnesses are parallel and you aren’t carrying it like a one strap school bag … do not attempt to clean the chute with product ...) Let me know about general care of this valuable piece of equipment. Ideally having a skydiver come around and give some instruction would be key. That will not be overseen. -Adam Oke

17. I want this snow to dry up anytime now.... -Adam Oke

Pitts Special Anyone? The pictures look killer! -Adam Oke

Icing....seem possible...numbers add up. What's your take on popping through cloud in the winter time and picking up some ice on your body? Or maybe the numbers don't add up? Too fast through the layer of cloud and not enough time to pick anything up? I'm sure one could pick up icing...any stories out there?

Anyone else care to BASE jump from a tree? -Adam Oke

Awesome, figured as much...just makin' sure. Thanks, -Adam Oke

Sweet vid, I like the one from the chopper though N00b question : On the pink slider, what is the purpose and/or theory behind the two drawstrings that pinch it together? -Adam Oke

Pheeww...Not the only one then haha. I came pretty damn close to as well. Free Fall...perfectly fine. Right after free fall...not so good. Got on the ground...one good heave and nothing came up, after that I was perfectly fine. So much adrenaline, maybe shock? I don't know....but not a deturrent thats for sure. Come on spring! -Adam Oke