GLIDEANGLE

Hmmmmm... Without more info I suspect that the answer may be NEITHER. 1. Make sure that you are distibuting the bulk of the main canopy correctly. Often folks pack the main too much like the shape of a football, which makes the middle of the container tight...and the sides / corners empty. Pack to exploit the lateral space in the container...which will make the middle of the rig thinner. 2. Get a "power tool". 3. Watch a expert pack the rig. Have them watch YOU pack it and coach you. The choices we make have consequences, for us & for others!

Situations like this (or landing FAR out) are good reasons to keep a pull-up cord in the document pocket of your rig. The choices we make have consequences, for us & for others!

http://www.uspa.org/GroupMembers/StartingaDropZone/tabid/105/Default.aspx The choices we make have consequences, for us & for others!

Tangental but related: At least one, and possibly two, tandem students fell out of harness. They fell out the bottom back (as described above). Recent death of a wingsuit jumper who failed to put legs through leg straps when donning suit. Suit covers leg straps, so problem was not obvious to anyone. As I understand the above cases, ALL involved improper donning/adjustment by the parachutist in command. Lesson to be learned.... the most important factor is YOUR BEHAVIOR. The choices we make have consequences, for us & for others!

Try this: SKYDIVING SURVIVAL SERIES DVD It is a set of five videos about safety, emergency procedures, canopy flight, and canopy packing. You can find it at: http://www.paragear.com/templates/parachutes.asp?group=461&level=1 OR http://www.square1.com/manufacturers/square1/p1078.asp Price is ~$60 (before shipping) The choices we make have consequences, for us & for others!

My first jump was a 50th birthday gift to myself. Never looked back. I jump most weekends now. In some ways empty-nest age forlks are in a better situation for jumping... often more $$ than the 20yr olds, often more free time than the folks raising young families, often a more cautious approach to learning to skydive. I found that improving my RELAXATION & FLEXIBILITY made a huge difference in my skydiving performance and enjoyment. I also found that getting the RIGHT jumpsuit (for fall rate control) and a full face helmet made me a much happier jumper. The choices we make have consequences, for us & for others!

There is a HUGE amount of info in the SIM (suggested to you above). If you choose to read that... focus only on Section 4 Category A for now. There will be time for the other stuff later... The choices we make have consequences, for us & for others!

Everything you ever needed to know about pull ups: http://www.pull-ups.com The choices we make have consequences, for us & for others!

Michael.... I will always have the memory of my coach eval dive with you. You were delightfully "bad" on that jump. That fun memory is the one I will hang onto when I think of you. Vaya con Dios.

The video here will illustrate the difference. At ~4:50 into the video is an example of freestyle. However, you need to watch the rest of the video to see how it compares to freeflying. http://www.uspa.org/AboutSkydiving/PressCenter/tabid/309/Default.aspx What freestyle is to ballet, freeflying is to square dancing. The choices we make have consequences, for us & for others!

Not uncommon. For most of us it passes with time and experience. I used to be pretty damn wired in the plane.... Now I can almost doze off on the way up. Smile, Breate, Relax. The choices we make have consequences, for us & for others!

Most important is being able to walk to the hangar afterward. Canopy flight errors kill. Sometimes they even kill other jumpers who did nothing wrong. Turning points is cool.... Landing safely is essential. The choices we make have consequences, for us & for others!

When I switched from open faced to full faced I was astonished at how much more peaceful my freefall felt. I was able to concentrate without the distraction of the air battering my face. For me, full face is well worth the issues mentioned above. I wear a Bonehead Havok. (Ugly helmet... but works well for me and my spectacles.) The choices we make have consequences, for us & for others!

Hard deck for deploying your main for B, C and D licence holders in Canada is 2200'. I believe that it is the same in the USA and other places. Almost... From the USPA SIM §2.1 G. Minimum opening altitudes Minimum container opening altitudes above the ground for skydivers are: 1. Tandem jumps–4,500 feet AGL 2. All students and A-license holders–3,000 feet AGL 3. B-license holders–2,500 feet AGL 4. C- and D-license holders–2,000 feet AGL The choices we make have consequences, for us & for others!

Congratulations. Here are some hints for your coming jumps: -- Smile, Breathe, Relax. -- Slow is smooth, smooth is fast. The choices we make have consequences, for us & for others!

Per the USPA SIM: §5-2: Recurrency Training A. Students Students who have not jumped within the preceding 30 days should make at least one jump under the direct supervision of an appropriately rated USPA Instructor. http://www.uspa.org/SIM/Read/Section5/tabid/168/Default.aspx#970 You are a student until you are licensed. Personally, I find the concept of AFF "graduation" one of the more confusing and unhelpful in this sport. AFF is simply phase one of a path to a license. Of course, there are other paths too... SL, IAD. You are a student until you have completed your path to a license. The choices we make have consequences, for us & for others!

The title of this thread is unfortunate. It implies that the aircraft was the culprit. There are at least three key elements which play roles: -- Pilot -- Jumpers -- Aircraft Each is important and needs to be considered when thinking about an incident like this. The choices we make have consequences, for us & for others!

I did a hoop dive for my #100 (with video). The choices we make have consequences, for us & for others!

I suggest that you discuss this with a rigger as well. You mention nothing about the harness. At your weight your "exit weight" MAY exceed the legal weight limit of the harness (depending on which harness you are considering). The choices we make have consequences, for us & for others!

I knw two jumpers with long standing depression. One found that skydiving completely stopped the depression. The other found that medication was required, skydiving didn't help (skydiving was fun, but it didn't help the underlying problem). Good luck to both of you. The choices we make have consequences, for us & for others!

I have not had this experience. However, I was on a full altitude hop & pop with a friend when this happend to him. Because he discovered this at 10,000 ft, he had LOTS of time to practice with his rear risers before he made a decision to land the main. He stated later that if it had happened at his usual depolyment altitude, he probably would have cut it away. I don't know what canopy he was flying. He made a safe landing, and the only sad part of the jump was that he missed being in our canopy proximity flight photos! That said... the comment above about a hook knife makes sense to me. The choices we make have consequences, for us & for others!

In the USA...with enough money, good weather, and aircraft/instructor capacity, you could get your entire license (25 jumps) in the time you have available. Knocking out AFF in that time should be a breeze...

One way to get air out of a ZP canopy: 1. Lay it out on it's side as if you were going to side pack it. 2. Most air should come out easily. Any remaining you can put to the nose. 3. PRO pack it on the floor. (Do NOT put it over your shoulder). Detailed instructions for this process can be found in the FAA Parachute Rigger Handbook pp: 5-33 through 5-38. This description is in the context of packing a reserve, but you can readily see that you can adapt this to pro-pack a main on the floor. This handbook can be found for free at: http://www.faa.gov/library/manuals/aircraft/media/FAA-H-8083-17.pdf The choices we make have consequences, for us & for others!

You may do it. With your background the sewing part ought to be straightforward. However, the lolon cables are carefully dimensioned. They are intended to release asymetricly... NON-RSL side first, followed by the RSL side. Be damned sure that the swaged end of the lolon cables is very securely attached in the handle. Imagine pulling with all your strength against a "hard pull" on the cutaway... you sure don't want the fabric handle to come off the cables! Good Luck. Post a picture of your handiwork when you are done. The choices we make have consequences, for us & for others!

I was newly arrived in Texas after working in emargency/trauma care in California for many years. The hospital helicopter launched to a motor vehicle crash but returned empty. I asked the dispatcher why. His reply was "The patient was DRT." L_O_N_G pause as I desperately try to figure out the meaning of the new acronym...... I asked the dispatcher to explain (and hoping that I didn't sound like too much of an idiot). His reply was priceless..... "Dead Right There". Meaning that the patient was so clearly dead that there was no reason to bring the patient to the hospital. The choices we make have consequences, for us & for others!