GLIDEANGLE

Take a stab at the math: -- I pay $6.00 for a pack job. (When I use a packer) -- Assume you are a slow packer who takes 20 minutes to pack a rig. -- Assume that there is enough demand that you have enough rigs to pack all day. -- Assume that you work 8 hr days. -- Assume that you have to pay $1.00 per pack job to your supervising rigger. FAR Sec. 105.43 The main parachute must have been packed within 180 days before the date of its use by a certificated parachute rigger, the person making the next jump with that parachute, or a non-certificated person under the direct supervision of a certificated parachute rigger. That would be: $5 x 3 x 8 = $120/day before taxes. If you can pack 4 rigs an hour = $160/day before taxes. If you can pack 6 rigs an hour = $240/day before taxes. I know packers who have done as many as 90 pack jobs in a day..... you do the math! Good packers often get tips too! The choices we make have consequences, for us & for others!

More on packers from my (customer) perspective: http://www.dropzone.com/cgi-bin/forum/gforum.cgi?post=3217786#3217786 The choices we make have consequences, for us & for others!

Some thoughts on packers from the perspective of a customer: http://www.dropzone.com/cgi-bin/forum/gforum.cgi?post=3374197#3374197 It has been my observation that those packers without significant skydiving experience have a really steep learning curve... sometimes the CONSEQUENCES of gear issues are hard for the novices to understand. The choices we make have consequences, for us & for others!

1. Congratulations. 2. I am surprised that your group was so small. I would bet that most large DZs could put together a bigger group from just their regular jumpers. 3. Good luck next year! The choices we make have consequences, for us & for others!

My jump # 13 was a terrifying episode as well. My excitement had to do with instability at pull time and a resulting low pull. Not my finest moment! I had a great coach and we got through it. Patience, Grasshopper. The choices we make have consequences, for us & for others!

Don't sweat it. Neither of those tests is difficult. I suggest that you simply read the material identified for each exam in the SIM and take the test. I WAY over-studied for both. Here is what is on each exam: http://www.uspa.org/SIM/Read/AppendixB/tabid/175/Default.aspx Doing the interactive quizzes at the end of each Category of Section 4 of the on-line SIM would be a good start. http://www.uspa.org/SIM/Read/Section4/tabid/166/Default.aspx The choices we make have consequences, for us & for others!

Here is video of that jump and ceremony: Once upon an SCR The choices we make have consequences, for us & for others!

Do you mean to imply that these don't require college? Rad Tech and Nursing most certainly require school... lots of school. Not only that... admission to those programs is very competitive, so one needs really good grades to get in. Yes, there is a lot that one can do without a college degree... but those don't happen to be. The choices we make have consequences, for us & for others!

1. SCR is alive and well in Texas. There was a SCR jump and SCR ceremony yesterday at Skydive Dallas. 2. My NSCR is my proudest skydiving moment. 3. I got my SCR on my first day with an A license. I got my A license late on Saturday. I paid my beer fine that evening. The next day the experienced jumpers pulled me into 5 or 6 jumps, one of which was an SCR. Obviously, it was a big weekend.

Start reading the document at this link. Keep a pencil and paper at hand as you read. I bet that you will find lots to ask about. Make a list of your questions. Don't be afraid to bring your written list to your instructors and work your way through it with them. http://www.uspa.org/SIM/Read/Section4/tabid/166/Default.aspx The choices we make have consequences, for us & for others!

I pre-paid for my AFF too. However, I didn't assume that meant that I could jump whenever I wanted. I knew that there was a limited supply of instructors and that I needed to make reservations for AVAILABLE slots. Smile, Breathe, Relax. The choices we make have consequences, for us & for others!

Agreed, psycho packing isn't much different from conventional PRO packing. The only difference is the rolling of the canopy into the bag rather than z-folding it. However.... that little difference can be a huge help if you are struggling to get a slippery mass of uncooperative ZP fabric into a tiny D-bag. A minor advantage... after flipping and putting the canopy on the floor, I can open the tail and LOOK to verify that no lines are in front of the nose before rolling it. I suspect that you don't need to re-take the packing course... practice and get some old dogs to coach you (weather holds are a great time for this). The choices we make have consequences, for us & for others!

Psycho Pack The choices we make have consequences, for us & for others!

18k must be done with oxygen supplementation in the USA. FAR Sec. 91.211 Supplemental oxygen (a) General. No person may operate a civil aircraft of U.S. registry-- (1) At cabin pressure altitudes above 12,500 feet (MSL) up to and including 14,000 feet (MSL) unless the required minimum flight crew is provided with and uses supplemental oxygen for that part of the flight at those altitudes that is of more than 30 minutes duration; (2) At cabin pressure altitudes above 14,000 feet (MSL) unless the required minimum flight crew is provided with and uses supplemental oxygen during the entire flight time at those altitudes; and (3) At cabin pressure altitudes above 15,000 feet (MSL) unless each occupant of the aircraft is provided with supplemental oxygen. Here is everything you never wanted to know about high altitude jumping: http://www.uspa.org/SIM/Read/Section6/tabid/169/Default.aspx#982 The choices we make have consequences, for us & for others!

Consider exploring some of the diciplines in skydiving that you may not have tasted yet: -- Wingsuit -- CReW -- Competitive Accuracy Give yourself permission to take a break for a brief while and then see how you feel when that time has passed. The choices we make have consequences, for us & for others!

The is a civilian US effort to set a new record via a ROCKET ascent rather than using a balloon. A jumper at my DZ is part of the team. I have no additional details. The choices we make have consequences, for us & for others!

The SIM is a big document. The following part of the SIM addresses your question: http://www.uspa.org/SIM/Read/Section7/tabid/170/Default.aspx#71n While demo jumps are the main topic of this chapter, if you read closely (and folllow the embeded links) you will note that much of this applies to NON-demo jumps off the DZ too. Regarding general skydiving info for students: Rather than being overwhelmed by the huge quantity of info in the SIM, as a student you will probably be smart to start with Section 4: USPA Integrated Student Program The choices we make have consequences, for us & for others!

I suspect that the reason that the pacemaker specialist said "no" is that one of the weakest elements of a pacemaker system is the structural integrity of the wires ("leads") that run from the pacemaker itself to the heart. These leads can fracture, which can result in failure of the pacemaker to provide proper sitmulus to the heart. If the leads are broken they have to be replaced $$$. The reason that this is so relevant to skydiving is that a pacemaker is generally placed under the skin in the vicinity of the parachute harness main lift web. The concern probably is that the opening forces applied by the main lift web to the pacemaker, could lead to damage to the leads. My bet is that the above issue is negligible for a single tandem jump. Repeated jumps could place repeated small stresses on the leads and might cause failure. Nonetheless, I expect that there are dozens of sport jumpers who have pacemakers and who do just fine. The choices we make have consequences, for us & for others!

50 The choices we make have consequences, for us & for others!

I would argue that the SIM is NOT the correct place to elaborate on the specific details of the operation of a unique brand of harness/containers. The owners manual is the correct place for that discussion. Page 44 of the Oct 2003 version of the Racer Owners Manual covers this issue. The choices we make have consequences, for us & for others!

I am confused by your question. The manufacturer does NOT reccomend jumping the canopy at that loading...yet you are looking for reassuance from strangers on the internet? The manufacturer puts a lot of time/effort/jumps into making those recommendations... perhaps heeding them would be wise. Here is a relevant quote from the PD "Sabre2 Flight Characteristics" document: Aggressive Approaches (High-Speed Approaches): As we mentioned above, the Sabre2 loses slightly more altitude in a turn than the original Sabre and the Spectre. By comparison, the PD Stiletto pulls out of a dive relatively quickly. As with most canopies, smaller sizes dive more in turns than larger ones. The entire document can be found at: http://www.performancedesigns.com/docs/Sabre2-Flight.pdf Is the cost savings in buying this "decent deal" canopy worth the risk of the economic cost of lost work and medical care following a crash? How about the pain and suffering? You are proposing exceeding the manufacturer's recommendations by almost 20%! I wish you well. The choices we make have consequences, for us & for others!

These look like good places to begin your hunt for a work visa for the USA. http://travel.state.gov/visa/temp/types/types_1271.html#1 http://www.uscis.gov/portal/site/uscis/menuitem.5af9bb95919f35e66f614176543f6d1a/?vgnextoid=a7cc6138f898d010VgnVCM10000048f3d6a1RCRD&vgnextchannel=48819c7755cb9010VgnVCM10000045f3d6a1RCRD The choices we make have consequences, for us & for others!

My first jump was a 50th birthday gift to myself. Never looked back. Have fun. The choices we make have consequences, for us & for others!

Here is the USPA SIM: http://www.uspa.org/SIM.aspx Begin reading at Section 4 (The integrated student program). You can buy a hard copy, download a pdf copy, or read it online. The choices we make have consequences, for us & for others!

Read this to understand what folks are saying about the appropriateness of this canopy for a jumper w/ 60 jumps. http://www.performancedesigns.com/docs/Veng_Flight.PDF Washing an entire canopy is NOT generally reccommended. The components of the canopy may shrink differently... tape vs fabric. This can distort the shape of the canopy. If it were my canopy, I would c all the manufacturer for advise. The choices we make have consequences, for us & for others!