tombuch

I suppose you could create a "rulebook" that lists specifics for your drop zone, but the policy will vary depending on the character of the local DZ's, and that is really the way it should be. When thinking about "beer rules" or "pie rules", spend a few moments thinking about and discussing the history of the tradition, and the function it serves in our skydiving community. Beer rules were developed long ago. The idea was for a beginning skydiver who just did something exciting or dangerous to buy the old timers beer, then sit around and talk about the "event." It was a good way to get the beginners and experienced jumpers together to share stories, and a great way to get the new jumpers involved in the club. Sadly, at many DZ's beer rules have evolved into a financial purchase without the discussion. When you write your "rule book" you should be sure to incorporate the function of the rule. And heck, it doesn't need to be beer, it could just as easily be pizza, wings, Cokes, or whatever will bring your jumpers together for discussion and the sharing of stories. The pie rule developed as a way to recognize and celebrate an unusual accomplishment. The idea was to add some excitement to the DZ and define the accomplishment as something that matters. It should really be more of a big deal for the recipient than the attackers. At many DZ's the pie rule has become nothing more than an excuse to harass a friend. Should your friend have been pied for the 100th jump? My hunch is yea, because it's a big deal to him/her. Likewise, so is the 1,000th jump. I wouldn't use the pie effect for middle numbers because it tends to reduce the social effect and importance of those key accomplishments. And remember that some people really object to being hit with a pie, so it would be a good idea to think of other ways of celebrating the accomplishment, and making your friend feel special. As you write the "book" on pie and beer (if you do), keep the celebration fun and interactive, and maintain the history and tradition that created those moments and made them special on DZ's around the country/world. -Tom Buchanan Tom Buchanan Instructor Emeritus Comm Pilot MSEL,G Author: JUMP! Skydiving Made Fun and Easy

Quotehttp://reuters.com/news_article.jhtml?type=entertainmentnews&StoryID=1574823 reply] O.K., I tried chatting with the bot for DellDudeSteven on AOL as listed in the Reuters story. Check it out... TomBuch: hey dude, i heard you are getting fired. DellDudeSteven: what's up, TomBuch? excellent 2 meet u. my name is DellDudeSteven! i was created for Dell by ActiveBuddy, Inc. DellDudeSteven: let's chat, k? i can help set u up with a sweeeeet system from Dell! ;) TomBuch: yeah dude, i hear you are getting fired. too bad DellDudeSteven: u humans always say the weirdest things! TomBuch: wtf? DellDudeSteven: what... the... f... oh, i get it. TomBuch: dude, you are going to be soooo unemployeed! DellDudeSteven: oh yeah? me going to be soooo unemployeed? TomBuch: yeah, dude, just wait until you open that mail and out falls a pink slip. Oh man thats going to suck! DellDudeSteven: no kidding? TomBuch: I kid you not my dude like friend. DellDudeSteven: i'm impressed. TomBuch: total realness, dude. DellDudeSteven: total? total realness dude? TomBuch: later, dude, friggin later. DellDudeSteven: s'later, TomBuch. Tom Buchanan Instructor Emeritus Comm Pilot MSEL,G Author: JUMP! Skydiving Made Fun and Easy

The best training depends on the objectives and how much money and time the student has, as well as how well run the individual program is. That part of your question seems to be getting addressed here. The title of your post asks about statistics, and assumes a person is only going to make one jump. I recently completed a new book about skydiving called "Jump! Make Your First Skydive Fun and Easy" to be published by McGraw Hill in spring 2003. The book includes some interesting statistics. The actual chapter, called "Understanding Risk" offers a bit more context and lots more detail than I can offer here. In any event, let me offer some quick numbers: In 2000, USPA reported 34,217 members, and 32 fatalities. That is a fatality rate of 1 per 1,069 members. Those numbers will vary a bit from year to year, but an average of data collected between 1991 and 2000 shows 1 fatalilty per 903 members. Also in 2000, USPA estimates members made 2,224,165 jumps, so the fatality rate based on jumps is 1 per 70,130 skydives. Of course the number of total jumps for the year is just an estimate. It's hard to figure out the fatality rate for students, but in the year 2001 USPA data show 35 fatalities, with five of those being students. That's about 14 percent of the fatalities. Perhaps some of the most interesting statistics relate to tandem skydiving. In 1999 the FAA published a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) regarding a change to the FAR's, and it included then current statistics reported by the various manufacturers for the period 1991 through 1996. The data included 670,707 tandem jumps and 8 fatalities, giving a tandem fatality rate of 1 per 83,838 jumps. At that time the FAA required all tandem jumps to be logged, and required those logs be maintained by the manufacturers. The tandem numbers were actually just a bit better than solo student fatalities for the period examined. In the years since the collection of the NPRM data, tandem skydiving has undergone significant changes, including mandatory AAD's, new equipment designs, new training programs. The most recent data collected by the Relative Workshop shows a single fatality for 420,000 estimated tandem jumps WORLDWIDE. The domestic numbers are even better, with one fatality following 540,000 tandem jumps in the United States. Based on the current available data, it looks like the safest way to make a single student skydive is tandem. Tom Buchanan Instructor (AFF, SL, IAD, Tandem) etc. Tom Buchanan Instructor Emeritus Comm Pilot MSEL,G Author: JUMP! Skydiving Made Fun and Easy

Lucky guy. We had a jumper do the same thing, then turn into a small field at the last minute. He ended up with a broken nose and...broken femur, broken pelvis. Ouch. Landing out is something that everyone of us is going to do at some point. No matter how good your DZ is about spotting, no matter how good you think your canopy control is, landing out will happen. Prepare for it. 1) Know your parachute inside-out and upside-down. Know everything about it. Know how it glides with breaks set, know how it glides with breaks released. Know how it lands in deep breaks, and how much glide will follow a front riser dive into a tiny backyard. Know how much altitude it requires for a toggle turn, and how much space it needs for a flat turn. Practice, practice, practice. Accuracy really matters when you are away from the DZ. 2) Review your plans for landing out, and pick a field that you know you can land in with no problems. Far too many accidents happen when jumpers try to stretch their way back to a closer landing, or try to land near a road. A long walk is always better than a short stretcher carry to the ambulance. 3) pick your main and reserve parachutes for off-field landing performance. That super tiny parachute that is kick-ass fun to land on the big DZ, might be a nightmare when approaching a small backyard with trees all around. Likewise, a small reserve opened at a low altitude could get you in major trouble. Know your gear. -Tom Buchanan Tom Buchanan Instructor Emeritus Comm Pilot MSEL,G Author: JUMP! Skydiving Made Fun and Easy

Key tip: Brief alternate landing areas and know where all the hazards are. Be comfortable landing off the DZ in any quadrant. Make some daytime jumps to shove all that detail into short term memory. Check for the DZ as the airplane climbs so you know what it looks like at night. Know the winds and weather, and know your landing direction based on a big element (the moon, a nearby city with lights) in case you can't find the DZ in the dark...it happens! Make sure you have a strobe for traffic avoidance (and FAR compliance), and a flashlight or chem light to see your parachute and altimeter. Make noise under canopy and fly conservatively. Open a bit high. Have mega fun! -tom buchanan Tom Buchanan Instructor Emeritus Comm Pilot MSEL,G Author: JUMP! Skydiving Made Fun and Easy

Yes, the cutter is inside the reserve container. The exact position depends on the rig. The "bullet", actually a cutter, is inside a small metal tube. The tube has a small hole that the closing loop passes though. If the AAD is activated, the cutter slams forward, cutting the closing loop and allowing the pilot chute to launch. The cutter remains contained inside that small metal tube. As a caution, when talking about an AAD, avoid using words like "explosion" or "bullet." We have some troubles getting this gear past airport x-ray machines, and it would be even more difficult if you said one of those words by accident because that's what you usually say. Tom Buchanan Senior Rigger (USA) Tom Buchanan Instructor Emeritus Comm Pilot MSEL,G Author: JUMP! Skydiving Made Fun and Easy

The obvious sites are snowboarder.com and snowboarding.com. Burton.com is also good. My suggestions: 1) Take a lesson or two. They help. 2) Wear a helmet. 3) Buy gear. Boots are key, then board and bindings. If you want to cheap out, don't cut the dollars on the boots...buy a cheaper board or bindings. 4) Don't buy your first gear from the Internet. Use a local shop where they will spend time explaining things and help with binding adjustments and boot fitting. Boots are key...did I say that yet? 5) There are lots of different kinds of gear. Burton publishes a great catalog every year that explains it all. Check their site for a local dealer, then pick up a catalog and check it out. Overall, Burton is a super company with great gear, and they stand behind their product. They get about 10 thumbs up for product and service, but Burton gear is generally expensive. 6) Check out the local sales at the resorts and your hometown shop. It was sale week at Killington in VT today (Sunday too, I think, if you are nearby). Often the local mountains and dealers have used gear sales and trade options at the big sale days. Seriously, if you are near Killington this weekend check 'em out. And heck, the weather is supposed to suck anyway. Otherwise, call your local shop/mountain and ask about sales. 7) When you take that lesson (or two) mentioned as number one, ask your instructor for gear suggestions and dealer suggestions. Instructors don't make much money and generally know where to get good gear at a reasonable price. 8) Avoid step-in boots. Somebody else on this thread suggested step-ins, saying they have come a long way, and they have, but still, avoid them. You really need a great connection between your boots and board. Regular bindings provide stiffness for that connection. If you go with step-ins, the boots need to be extra stiff to deliver your energy to the board. So, boots for a step-in system are generally less comfortable than boots made for a conventional strap binding. I was a skiier before I started riding, and one of the absolute best most excellent things about snowboarding is that our boots are soooooo much more comfortable than ski boots. Don't trade that comfort away for the silliness of step-ins. Also, understand that my position is just an opinion that is debated endlessly in snowboard circles, so ask around, then spend your dollars. But seriously, avoid step-ins. Ride on, dude! -tom buchanan Tom Buchanan Instructor Emeritus Comm Pilot MSEL,G Author: JUMP! Skydiving Made Fun and Easy

I did some beta for them back in the day, like about 1995, and each time I swore it would be the last...their software is bad enough in final version, beta is nothing but trouble and more trouble. At least when I was doing the beta tests they charged members a use fee per hour and paid the testers with free time, so there was something in it for us. Why bother now? -Tom Buchanan Tom Buchanan Instructor Emeritus Comm Pilot MSEL,G Author: JUMP! Skydiving Made Fun and Easy

None of that is true. The death rate of participants in skydiving is something like 1:1,000. Perhaps the best numbers we can generate are for the tandem program at something like 1 fatality per 450,000 jumps. Of course those accident numbers don't even touch nonfatal injury-only accidents. I'm actually on the road for a few weeks and don't have my notes handy with the actual numbers, but the above are pretty close...e-mail me in a few weeks and I'll send along the real numbers, or check the S&TA area of www.ranchskydive.com. I should have an article uploaded in a few days that addresses this issue. Look, it is fine to believe that skydiving is not dangerous, but it is, and we should all understand that, and we should be quick to share that basic understanding with the wuffo's. -tom buchanan Tom Buchanan Instructor Emeritus Comm Pilot MSEL,G Author: JUMP! Skydiving Made Fun and Easy

You are not wasting your money, as long as you are having fun. However, you might talk with the DZ Manager and see if he would be willing to cut you a deal on a couple of AFF jumps. You have already given him a bunch of money so he knows you are a good customer, and he may be willing to help you out financially. Sometimes students can hook up with a good instructor who will even suggest a cheap way to do AFF for people like you. Believe me, instructors hate to see students with stability problems and we look for anything that might help them master the skills. I know alot of double rated instructors who will take a SL student having trouble on an AFF jump at cost. So, even if you can't afford the full AFF program, it might be possible to do a couple of AFF jumps to get more time for stability practice. It doesn't hurt to ask. As for most people doing AFF...that's probably isn't true, at least in the USA. There are no absolute numbers, but my hunch is that tandem is number one by far, followed by static line, then AFF. USPA actually crunched some numbers based on instructor currency requirements and found that SL is still a very popular program. Tom Buchanan Instructor (AFF, SL, IAD, Tandem) Tom Buchanan Instructor Emeritus Comm Pilot MSEL,G Author: JUMP! Skydiving Made Fun and Easy

QuotePower was knocked out to about 1500 and he was not injuryed beyond minor scraps and bruises. Keep us updated on this one. My question...Is the power company going to try and collect damages from the student or DZ? Sometimes they do. And the follow-up question is will USPA insurance cover the charge. -tom buchanan Tom Buchanan Instructor Emeritus Comm Pilot MSEL,G Author: JUMP! Skydiving Made Fun and Easy

Yup, at least every spring when it's time to get current, and a few times on real tandems. It's a blast, but generally not a great idea when jumping with students because of the threat of loss of control, and the extra wear on the drogue when it is thrown at high speed. Still, it's a good time. For a bunch of fun, try getting two people at tandem terminal to both do a super hard turn in the same direction. It's also worth mentioning that when tandem was first developed there were no drogues, so 'back in the day' every extended freefall was at terminal! -tom buchanan Tom Buchanan Instructor Emeritus Comm Pilot MSEL,G Author: JUMP! Skydiving Made Fun and Easy

Yeah, I think it's part of the National Guard. I know New York, Alabama, Nebraska, and just about every state has a National Guard force. Actually, it might even be mentioned in our constitution someplace. Canada is a state, right? Eh? -tom buchanan Tom Buchanan Instructor Emeritus Comm Pilot MSEL,G Author: JUMP! Skydiving Made Fun and Easy

Nope, the A requirement is figure 8, backloop, figure 8, dock on JM, track and pull. Nope. Nope. There are two current "A" license cards available. The "fold out" version lists a check dive with a requirement of backloop, figure 8, dock from 20 feet, breakoff, track 100 feet, pack, oral quiz. The single card lists control on all axes with a backloop, frontloop, barrel roll all within 60 degrees of heading, then a check dive and an oral quiz. Local versions of the check dive will vary. Additional requirements are listed in the ISP, but the ISP is just a recommended program, and is NOT required for a license. Of course I would be suspicious of any program that didn't require docks and tracking, as well as coordinated turns and disorienting maneuvers as part of the "A" level training. -Tom Buchanan Tom Buchanan Instructor Emeritus Comm Pilot MSEL,G Author: JUMP! Skydiving Made Fun and Easy

First...The new SIM isn't really the new SIM anymore. The copy you have is probably dated 2001, and will be replaced within the next few weeks with a brand new version approved by the BOD in July. USPA is working to get the material assembled and in the field by early September. Second...The "B" license requirement of a figure-8, backloop, figure-8, backloop is mandatory. You should be doing these maneuvers as part of your student training and must be able to demonstrate this level of control. Heck, the "A" level requirement is backloop, frontloop, barrel roll, all within 60 degrees of heading, so the "B" requirements shouldn't be that hard for you. The "C" level style requirement can be replaced with four points on a four-way or larger formation. -Tom Buchanan Tom Buchanan Instructor Emeritus Comm Pilot MSEL,G Author: JUMP! Skydiving Made Fun and Easy

Check out: http://ranchskydive.com/safety/tb_article4.htm -tom buchanan Tom Buchanan Instructor Emeritus Comm Pilot MSEL,G Author: JUMP! Skydiving Made Fun and Easy

This is an interesting take on the American war effort. It is worth mentioning the article looks like an Op-Ed piece written by a guy named Andrew Sullivan, and the link offered by Quade is to the Sullivan site. It is NOT a story by the Sunday Times writers, nor is it a Times editorial. Just one mans opinion that appears to have received space in The Times. That doesn't make it wrong, obviously, but it shouldn't be given the full weight of the Sunday Times of London. There are a few other features on Mr. Sullivan's site that focus on American issues, and they tend to have an "American abroad" feel to them. For a bit more about the author, check his bio at http://www.andrewsullivan.com/info.php?artnum=00000bio In any event, any non-conventional discussion about the Iraq war (on either side) is worth reading, so take a look. Tom Buchanan Instructor Emeritus Comm Pilot MSEL,G Author: JUMP! Skydiving Made Fun and Easy

Interesting question...your profile says you have 35ish jumps, but I'm betting you may have more since that was listed. It is always a good idea to get your hands on the risers as the parachute is opening. It will put you in a great position to use the risers to avoid a collision if somebody else is opening near you, or you are off heading. BASE jumpers and CRW flyers are really big on this idea. Likewise, rear risers can help you to prevent line twists or improve openings. CAUTION...pulling the risers while the parachute opens can also cause line twists and off heading openings. I suggest you continue building the habit of reaching for the risers and be prepared to use them to correct problems, but otherwise let the parachute open on its own. If you find you are always needing risers to correct opening problems your parachute may be out of trim, or you may need help with packing. So, it sounds like you handled a minor problem well. Preparing to use the risers is standard, actually using them probably isn't. Ideally, you should know how your parachute maneuvers with the risers while the breaks are stowed, and after the breaks are released. On a future skydive, open high and don't release your breaks. Make sure nobody is nearby, then try some turns and flares with the rear risers. Try pulling both risers down and feel the extra lift. Then, release the breaks and try some more rear riser flying. Keep your eyes open for traffic as you do this. Talk about your experiences with an instructor or respected senior jumper on your DZ and get his/her impressions too. Every parachute is different, and you should know how your specific canopy flies in all configurations. Be aware that elliptical and other high performance parachutes respond much more aggressively to riser input than standard student parachutes. Tom Buchanan Instructor (AFF, SL, IAD, Tandem) Tom Buchanan Instructor Emeritus Comm Pilot MSEL,G Author: JUMP! Skydiving Made Fun and Easy

O.K., We understand that it is not really a safe ride as a passenger, but I doubt many of us understand how unsafe, or why. I know I don't, and I've done the WFFC heli ride a bunch of times, I'm a commercial fixed wing pilot, I've flown in military helicopters, and I've done a bunch of back country heli-snowboarding. Still, I suppose I've been willing to take the risk at WFFC without fully understanding it. In this case, I'm like the dumbass tandem student who tells the tandem instructor to give me spins and loops out the door, then do close canopy flight with other tandems, then do a hook turn landing, all with high winds and turbulence. The tandem instructor needs to be the guy with the brains to recognize the student doesn't really understand those specific risks well enough to offer informed consent. The tandem guy needs to protect the student, just as the heli-pilot needs to protect his passengers. Then too, the bigger problem is that when we do that, take the risk in the heli, we also inflict an increased risk on others, like spectators on the ground, nearby residents, as well as other WFFC attendees who are not on the heli. Do we, or does a pilot, really have the right to inflict additional and extreme risk on others who are not directly participating or agreeing to the added danger? Check the web site noted in the original post...there are shots and descriptions of the heli buzzing the tents at WFFC, buzzing a truck on an open road, and generally subjecting the nearby public to an increased hazard. The ride is a blast, but on reflection, I'm not sure it is really worth it. Tom Buchanan Instructor (AFF, SL, IAD, Tandem) Commercial Pilot (IAMSEL,G) Tom Buchanan Instructor Emeritus Comm Pilot MSEL,G Author: JUMP! Skydiving Made Fun and Easy

The FAA rule is that pilots must use oxygen for that part of the flight in excess of 30 minutes that is above 12,500, upto and including 14,000 feet. Pilots must use oxygen for the entire part of the flight above 14,000 feet. Passengers must be provided with oxygen above 15,000 feet. The FAA has also issued a recommendation that oxygen be used when flying at night above 8,000 feet. That one is just a recommendation based on the effect of hypoxia on eyesight at night. Oxygen regulations are covered by part 91.211, probably available at faa.gov. Hypoxia sometimes makes people feel good, but it can also cause headache, paranoia, and a bunch of other "bad" symptoms. Tom Buchanan Commercial Pilot (IAMSEL,G) Tom Buchanan Instructor Emeritus Comm Pilot MSEL,G Author: JUMP! Skydiving Made Fun and Easy

You don't need to move onto the next level if you are not satisfied with your performance. There is actually nothing wrong with telling your instructor that you would be more comfortable repeating a level to get comfortable. Of course very few students do this, mostly because of the cost, but you should always consider it an option. Tom Buchanan Instructor Emeritus Comm Pilot MSEL,G Author: JUMP! Skydiving Made Fun and Easy

Relaxing is tough. Here's a tip I received from another instructor, on this site, I think: Each of your AFF signals has a clear physical response (legs out, arch, pull), but the relax signal doesn't, it's pure mental. So, make it physical. When you know you need to relax, take a deep breath, then force yourself to SMILE. The breath should help loosen your chest, and the act of smiling has a relaxing effect on its own. Try it. And stick with the program. Lots of people have trouble on a level or two, and spins are super common. Ask your instructor if your arch is too pronounced...sometimes an overarch can cause chipping, spins, and rollovers. Your instructor will be the best source of information about that because she/he is right there with you. You should kick this problem in just a couple of jumps, and when you have more experience it will be a great story to share with "the kids." Don't let it get you down. Tom Buchanan Instructor (AFF, SL, IAD, Tandem) Tom Buchanan Instructor Emeritus Comm Pilot MSEL,G Author: JUMP! Skydiving Made Fun and Easy

I was recently provided with a copy of the New Jersey law that covers parachute jumping. It is Chapter 58 (16:58-3.1) and was provided as the CURRENT regulation by the Department of Aeronautics in May of this year (2002). Some of the very outdated by apparently still mandatory provisions in Subchapter 2 are as follows: b) "All persons engaging in sport parachuting must be 21 years of age or at least 16 years of age and have written consent from parents(s)..." c) "Student parachutisits must initially make at least five static line jumps..." e) "Each sport parachutist must be equipped with two airworthy parachutes on a single harness, consisting of a back pack with at least a 28 foot canopy, and a chest pack with at least a 24 foot canopy." f) "All sport parachutists must use airworthy instruments (altimiter, stopwatch, or both) for delayed falls of 30 seconds or more, or use an automatic opening device." r) "During actual jumps a large "X" shall be displayed on the dropzone..." s) All injuries by sport parachuting which require treatment or examination by a physician, or any property damage or injury to persons or property... will be reported to the division of Aeronautics immediately..." Tom Buchanan Instructor Emeritus Comm Pilot MSEL,G Author: JUMP! Skydiving Made Fun and Easy

Using a BASE rig when jumping from an airplane is illegal. Check FAR 105.43. A skydiver must use an "approved" single harness dual-parachute pack. There is only one single harness dual parachute BASE rig, and it is not approved under the regulation. Tom Buchanan Instructor Emeritus Comm Pilot MSEL,G Author: JUMP! Skydiving Made Fun and Easy

QuoteSo I tried to guess the wind direction by looking at ground and watch where am I drifted. Quote Misjudging the wind on landing is a common problem, don't feel bad about it. I think it is easier to figure the wind direction with a round parachute than a square since the round has so little forward motion of its own. Your initial idea of watching drift is is pretty much right on, but you should check the drift in several directions. I always suggest to start by selecting a direction that you think is into the wind and check drift. Then turn 90 degrees and check again. Then make another 90 degree turn with a check, and a 4th 90 degree turn. The direction you are going fastest is running, with the wind at your back. When you have a bit of practice the four 90 degree turns can easily become a quick 360 and you will be able to check movement as you rotate around a ground reference point. Likewise, an experienced jumper who knows his parachute well can figure drift without making any turns. That comes with practice and experience. Keep in mind the uppers and ground winds may shift. It generally isn't enough of a difference to matter to us square pilots, but guys flying rounds will notice. Ideally, you should figure out what the ground wind is doing and pick a general landing direction before you take off. I like to orient the winds and my landing direction to a huge landmark, like a mountain or river, or even the sun. That way, even if I land off the airport I will know how to set-up into the wind. So, stick with it. Enjoy your round skydives as a unique experience that few people ever get to encounter. -Tom Buchanan Tom Buchanan Instructor Emeritus Comm Pilot MSEL,G Author: JUMP! Skydiving Made Fun and Easy