GLIDEANGLE

I read your post last night and didn't respond, cuz I wanted to sleep on it and not give you a knee jerk reply filled with unkind words. The physics of this matter have been explained above. if it is unclear... discuss with your instructor. The much more important matter is your need to develop an understanding of the risk that we pose to each other in freefall and flight. The risks of skydiving extend beyond the obvious ... no canopy, or bad landing. When we jump together we create the opportunity for both great fun... and injury/death. It is critical that we work hard to NOT pose a risk to each other when jumping. The list of hazards is long and best explained by your instructor. You will quickly learn that the behavior of every jumper is being assessed and graded by other jumpers all the time. People make judgements about who they will jump with or NOT jump with based on that assessment of behavior. If you have poor skills, or worse... a poor attitude about safety... you will soon find that you are not invited on some of the coolest jumps. I am a low timer myself and have made MANY mistakes (mostly a risk to ME, but occasionally a risk to others .... (sorry about that kick in the head Larry)). Nonetheless, there are jumpers that I am wary of. Some I don't like to do RW with, others I don't even like to be on the plane with! Attitude is critical! So is developing a solid set of skills that can keep you and your fellow jumpers safe. I bet that you are saying "how bad can it be?" Here are just a few examples.... Freefall... A teammate of mine has video of a jump that he was on where a headdown jumper drifted into a belly down formation and collided with a jumper at great speed. It was a miracle that only ribs were broken. Deployment... I was at a boogie this summer when two jumpers were in proximity at deployment time. One was high and one was low. The high guy punched through the low guy's canopy. Once again... a miracle that no people were hurt (the canopy was killed). Under Canopy.... In recent years there has been a very tragic series of low-altitude collisions between jumpers under canopy resulting in several deaths. In each of these examples, the behavior of one (or both) skydivers affected the safety of others. For the vast majority of jumps.... we need to keep both ourselves..... AND OTHER JUMPERS... safe. Unless you are on the plane alone, and in the sky alone, your actions can seriously affect the safety of the other jumpers around you (and vice-versa). Remember... If all participants are walking on the ground after a skydive.... it was a good skydive. Anything more is just gravy! In closing... You get an "Atta-Boy" for at least ASKING about this stupid idea, rather than just doing it!!!! Good Luck, Keep learning! The choices we make have consequences, for us & for others!

Are there any practitioners of the ancient art of classic accuracy in Texas? I would love to visit, watch, and learn. My accuracy is terrible, and I have found that getting truly helpful coaching on accuracy isn't easy. Perhaps if I hang out with accuracy folks rather than swoopers... I can learn what I need to meet that damn "2 meters x 25 landings" standard for my C license. Thanks!

If the finger trap for the cat eye is made incorrectly there can be a high stress point in the outer line at the point where the inner line ends. This might be approximately at the point that you describe. In The Parachute Manual Vol 2, Poynter discusses this issue with regard to Spectra (Section 8.8). I suspect that this publication preceeded the use of HMA lines, and thus does not mention it. I suspect that the same principle would affect both Spectra and HMA lines. If the inner line is not taperd enough and/or is cut with a hot knife the resulting lump or abrupt change in diameter in the inner line can be a problem for the fibers of the outer line. Hope that the jumper recovers quickly. The choices we make have consequences, for us & for others!

I won't speculate about why others use packers. I use packers for two reasons: 1. If I need the time between jumps for debrief &/or dirt diving. This is usually either a team training day or a day when we are working on large group jumps. 2. If I need to conserve my energy for jumping. I have found that at age 52, that packing in 90 degree F & 80-90% humidity... I get too tired, too fast. If I get too tired, the quality of my jumping degrades... so it is smart for me to use packers on team training days or days when we are working on large group jumps. I don't have trust issues with my packer. She is a rigger, has a ridiculously large amount of experience, and is a friend. She takes good care of me.... she has NO desire to face my wife if she screws up and I die! (Besides, she survived a DOUBLE hard pull... both main and reserve. She was saved by her AAD.) She has a deep respect for what the risks are and the importance of her work. When I am fun jumping and have time... I love to pack for myself. As I get faster at packing, perhaps reason #1 will fade away. The choices we make have consequences, for us & for others!

What follows is probably not helpful to you… it is purely the product of a brain turned to mush by too much 4-way RW team jumping and too little fun jumping. Poised exit??? I don’t even remember. For most of my exits from Otter or Caravan I just swing my butt out the rear of the door… jam myself in the doorway with my head or elbow on the inner edge of the doorway (Otter = head, Caravan = elbow), grasp the leg grippers of the inside and outside centers (one with each hand), trail my forward leg out the door, smile at the inside center (I can’t nod my head if I am head jamming), watch for the key… AND FALL STRAIGHT DOWN OUT THE DOOR. I arch deeply and do my best to anchor the formation on the hill. In other words… There will be a day soon when you will very comfortable getting out the door in any number of ways… Be patient and keep jumping! You will note that with only 20 months of jumping and only 200 jumps, I am already unable to recollect what a geek I was during my first poised exits. (Perhaps I have simply repressed those embarrassing memories.) (Here is a trivia question for the smart-alecks in the crowd… What is my slot and what are we launching?) The choices we make have consequences, for us & for others!

I did two (one solo, one RW) earlier this summer. They were an exqusite mix of "Damn this is beautiful!" and "Damn, this is scary!" We found that even with a surface wind check a couple of minutes before exit.... the wind at 2-3000 ft AGL was a real problem. Be mentally and physically ready to land out in the dark. I look forward to doing them again... after I have forgotten how landing by the moonlight alone was terrifying and poorly executed. The choices we make have consequences, for us & for others!

I used to have the same problem when packing.... I would look down at the canopy hanging from my shoulder and see nothing but chaos. I asked a VERY experienced rigger for guidance. His suggestion was WAY too easy. I will do my best to describe it: After you have straightened all the cell noses (but before you stick them between your knees), swing them upward toward the ceiling.... this will pull the A-lines up and away from the others. Reach in and flake between the A&B lines. Now stick the cell noses between your knees. Now you cheat by using the slider grommets... the B and C lines pass thru different grommets... so you can easily identify and flake between them. Lasty are those confusing C & D lines (with those damn brake lines mixed in). I find that pulling the lines away from me helps them settle out into thier groups. Hope that this helps. (Of course, you could simply buy an Aerodyne Pilot with the color coded tapes!) The choices we make have consequences, for us & for others!

USPA SIM 2-1,E 6. Students training for group freefall a. Student freefall training for group freefall jumps must be conducted by either: 1. Student freefall training for group freefall jumps must be conducted by either A USPA Coach under the supervision of a USPA Instructor or; 2. USPA D license holders provided there is a minimum ratio of one D license holder to one student with a maximum of a 4-way. Hope this answers your question. The choices we make have consequences, for us & for others!

On high H&Ps, I take my cell phone & the DZ phone #. That gives me a bit more flexibility in choosing alternate LZs. If necessary, I can look away from the DZ to find and use a safe LZ within my range while knowing I have a means to call the DZ for a ride. By having my phone I can also tell the DZ that I am OK when I don't show up immediately. Flat turns are a wonderful thing... and they are cheap! I am pretty sure that a flat turn kept me out of the hospital when I was near the end of a series of bad choices. http://www.dropzone.com/cgi-bin/forum/gforum.cgi?post=3178836#3178836 The choices we make have consequences, for us & for others!

Here is what the USPA has to say about medical requirements: 2-1, C. Medical requirements [NW] 1. All persons engaging in skydiving must: a. Carry a valid Class 1, 2, or 3 Federal Aviation Administration Medical Certificate; OR b. Carry a certificate of physical fitness for skydiving from a registered physician; OR c. Have completed the USPA recommended medical statement. USPA STATEMENT OF MEDICAL FITNESS: “I represent and warrant that I have no known physical or mental infirmities that would impair my ability to participate in skydiving, or if I do have any such infirmities, that they have been or are being successfully treated so that they do not represent any foreseeable risk while skydiving. “I also represent and warrant that I am not taking any medications or substances, prescription, or otherwise, that would impair my ability to participate in skydiving.” USPA SIM 4-3,D: 3. All participants in skydiving must meet the USPA BSRs for medical fitness. a. A person should be in good health and physical condition to skydive and should not be on medication; however, some conditions can be properly managed if the instructor knows about them. b. A FAA flight physical or a doctor’s statement of fitness for skydiving MAY be required in some cases. c. The instructor also needs to know about any recent donations of blood. d. People who participate in SCUBA diving should not fly for at least 24 hours afterward. Bottom line: Complete the statement provided by the DZ (which will be essentialy the same as the USPA sample above), keep your mouth shut, & JUMP! Edited to add: Given your DZ ID "phatso", I wonder if your weight might be the bigger problem. Obesity has a direct (physics) affect on your skydiving. So, if you are over ~200 lbs... talk to your local DZ. There are adjustments that can be made for bigger jumpers... up to a point! Good Luck! The choices we make have consequences, for us & for others!

Regarding: When I was a student I found the terminology "arch hard" to be unhelpful. In my mind, "hard" meant rigid... rigid ain't good. When I changed my vocabulary to "arch deeply" it worked better for me. I can relax and arch "deeply"... I cannot relax and arch "hard". This may seem like silly semantic games, but it really made a difference in my performance... and I bet that I am not alone in that. BSBD The choices we make have consequences, for us & for others!

Suggest that your calculate LIFETIME costs for each. With Cypres lifetime at ~12yr, and Vigil at 20yr; and the Vigil new 10 battery life statement... I think you will see a BIG difference in annual cost over the lifetime of these devices. The choices we make have consequences, for us & for others!

Depending on the specifics of it's design, the buckle on the belt may pose a snag hazard under some circumstances. For example, imagine deploying while unstable and the lines sweeping across the front of your body... a snag could be BAD. Remember, not all deployments are intentional! Instability and premature opening due to hard contact in freefall could put you in this situation (through no fault of your own). The choices we make have consequences, for us & for others!

You have asked an interesting question. I don't know the answer. I wonder if most riggers would consider the rig airworthy if it passed multiple thumb tests or multiple pull tests (per PIA TS 108). While the pull test might answer the question about the canopy fabric, how would one test the lines and risers? The choices we make have consequences, for us & for others!

Yes, owning and reading the SIM is a good thing. The money I spent on STRUCTURED training after AFF in Skydive University was quite worth it. Yes, I know many folks think that SDU is just a rip-off... but your post shows that there is a need for structure after AFF. I have never liked the term "graduating from AFF". It implies far more accomplishment than is warranted. Perhaps a term like "completed phase one" would be better, as it implies further phases. The choices we make have consequences, for us & for others!

THANK YOU!!! THANK YOU!!! THANK YOU!!! From a CReW puppy in Texas. The choices we make have consequences, for us & for others!

Skydive Spaceland (near Houston, TX) is conducting water landing training this weekend (the Independence Day weekend). http://www.skydivespaceland.com/ From their web site: Live Water Training and BYOM Grillout July 4th It all starts Friday, the Fourth of July at 6 p.m. Remember to bring a change of clothes, shoes, and a towel since you will be getting wet during this training. We do have showers to clean up in after the dunking. For the BYOM (Bring Your Own Meat) Grillout, Bart Stonestreet will be manning the grill during the evening. Bring your own whatever you want Bart to grill. The choices we make have consequences, for us & for others!

I did a hoop dive. It worked out great. A camera guy held one side of the hoop so we got video of folks approaching and passing through the hoop. Another video guy captured the action from above. It was great fun for all. I have a friend who put together a big jump (something like 12 or 15 jumpers) for her 100th. It was quite a zoo dive and not successfull. Pick something you are pretty sure you can pull off successfully! Stay safe, have fun!!! The choices we make have consequences, for us & for others!

I suspect that the bags of rice for ballast in Thailand may account for the smaller seating capacity during the 400 way. The choices we make have consequences, for us & for others!

OK, I'll bite.

Thoughts: 1. Don't go to surgery without an INDEPENDENT second opinion. 2. Ask ALL your docs about what your options are regarding the following rather than conventional open surgery: --video-assisted thoracic surgery (minimally invasive) --Chemical pleurodesis (If you go this route be damned sure that your doc has planned adequate pain control for you, and that more is available if you need it.) Good Luck, Jim McGraw RN The choices we make have consequences, for us & for others!

As stated, it varies on a number of variables. Once upon a time the clouds were thick at about 5,500 ft. All the other jumpers were stuck on the idea of going to full altitude and freefalling. The DZ had three aircraft that day... Otter, Caravan, and 182. I had heard that the DZ would launch the 182 for one jumper... so I asked manifest. Sure enough, I was the only jumper in the 182 on that hop and pop. The funniest part of that jump was when the pilot said to me: "Kneel up here and I will give you a pin check." After that pin check I exited at 4,500 feet and deployed immediately. I had a grand time flying my canopy on this jump. After that jump a bunch of other jumpers realized that hop and pops were the only jumping they were going to get that day and the 182 was busy hauling folks for hop and pops (and short freefalls) for the rest of that day. The choices we make have consequences, for us & for others!

I was busy yesterday doing 4-way RW team training jumps. It was windy enough for me to worry about my canopy giving me trouble on the ground. To allow a cutaway on the ground if necessary (without reserve deployment), as soon as I had a good main canopy overhead, I disconnected my RSL. I landed un-eventfully without cutting away on the ground. I hurried to pack my main for our next jump. We were on a short call so I grabbed my rig and put it on as I walked to the mock-up of the aircraft door to rehearse our exit. As I did so, I noted to my dismay that I failed to reconnect my RSL when I packed my main. I reconnected my RSL with a bit of difficulty as I wear bifocal eyeglasses for my myopia (nearsightedness) and presbyopia (can’t see close things either). The RSL was so close to me that it was hard to see. After I got the snap shackle closed through the RSL ring on the riser, something didn’t look right. I unhooked the RSL and discovered to my horror that the snap shackle end of the RSL had passed from back to front through the large ring of the cutaway 3-ring assembly! SEE THE ATTACHED PHOTOS. The rig is a “Wings”, so there is Velcro on the RSL. I suspect that this mis-routing would have delayed or prevented both the RSL pulling the reserve pin, and the departure of the main riser on that side in case of a cutaway. How did this happen? 1. Complacency “It is just the RSL.” 2. Urgency… packing and donning my rig in a hurry to make the load with my team. 3. Trying to fix this while wearing the rig, which made seeing the assembly well very difficult. What allowed me to catch this error? I knew how the RSL should be routed and why. The choices we make have consequences, for us & for others!

There is only one tiny problem with asking your doctor for a reccomendation about this.... rare is the doctor who understands the specific demands of skydiving. Without knowing what you need to do, it is hard for the doctor to say that you can do it safely with your injury. Here are a few things to fill your non-jumping weekend at the DZ (remember to bring ). --Hang out with the riggers & packers and learn more about gear. --Sit in the shade and STUDY jumpers' approaches and landings. --Sit through the FJC again. (I bet that you hear things that you missed the first time.) --Spend time in the training harness. --Chat up the pilot about spotting. --Hang out with the experienced jumpers and LISTEN. --Visualize (in detail) your next jumps and the skills that you need to improve. --If your hand tolerates it... practice packing. --Flirt --Pet the DZ dog.

Welcome! I hope you have a wonderful time here. I am not a professional packer or rigger. I usually pack for myself. However, I have watched how the good professional packers work. The good ones: --Know the gear really well. --Let customers know if they discover problems with a rig. --Are quite aware of what is going on with jumpers and manifest. This allows them to pack rigs in the order they are needed, not in the order presented. For example, if a jumper is taking a lunch break, that rig can wait to be packed. On the other hand, if the jumper is on a team which is training or on a big-way effort that rig needs to be packed quickly to keep the group jumping. --Learn how to pack specific jumper's gear. For example, who needs/wants the nose of the canopy rolled, who wants the nose left exposed. --Are physically hardy and keep packing in the heat and humidity (when I want to collapse with a cold beer in my hand). --The best ones usually get tips from satisfied customers. Good Luck, Blue Skies. The choices we make have consequences, for us & for others!