jmfreefly

At least he is using a good synthetic..

uh... trim check? I don't think so. Nylon / spectra /etc. don't suffer from shrinkage due to water (as far as I know, someone correct me if I am wrong). Shrinkage on lines comes from heat (slider grommets). j

I was working with Mike Ortiz a while back on larger formation HD flying (12 ways, which is big for me). He had some really good briefings about safety and flying, and we did many drill dives to bring people up to speed and flying well together. If you can work with Mike at all, I recommend it. BUT, one thing that I didn't get while we were dirt diving the exit is how he was positioning people in the door. He was building a 4 way base, and positioning people inside and outside the plane based on who was floating and who was diving. But after we practiced the exit, he started turning the base and swapping around! I didn't understand what the heck he was doing. It just didn't make sense to me. I asked him about it, and he told me the answer, but it didn't click. The whole deal is that depending on how you are taking the base off the plane (either line of flight, or perpendicular to the line of flight), different slots 'swap'. Trying to organize the exit is problematic, as where the floaters and divers are is not always intuitive. * If the base is going out head to line of flight, the front and rear positions 'swap' for purposes of determining divers and floaters. * If the base is going out perpendicular to line of flight, the inside and outside positions 'swap' for purposes of determing divers and floaters. These rules still just didn't really work in my visually-oriented brain. Determined to figure it out, I spent a lot of time turning my head upside down, over and over. Finally I figured out what visual tool I needed to better understand the mechanics of it. So, I patented the 'Head Down Base Configurator'. Ok, ok. no patents, and it is just a piece of paper taped into a loop. But it works well (for me) to visualize which is the floaters side, and which is the divers side. Dirt dive the formation, and figure out where everyone docks on the base (or on another person docking on the base). Keep the reference of who is docking on which person (or between which people). Take a strip of paper, tape it into a loop. Make little stick figures to represent the people in your base. Label them. Now put the base upside down (head down) based on how you want it flying (oriented to line of flight). Determine which slots are now on the 'divers side' (line of flight and plane side) and which slots are on the 'floaters side' (tail and opposite the plane). Match the people to their slots, and you have how you should set up in the door. Remember that it makes a difference which way you take the base off the plane. Once I did some visual representation with the the little loop of paper representing the base, it all made sense. Hope that all made sense.. j

I'd agree that standardization is a huge plus as part of the human factors design of gear. Our dz swapped over from spring loaded PC to BOC for all our student rigs. This was mostly to maintain consistency for students moving on to their own gear. However, we still are using an SOS for simplicity and reliability during a malfunction. A great example of the dichotomy. j

I have also seen pillows with either a webbing loop around the outside, or a 'pocket'. Both increase 'grabability'. I agree with a previous poster that a fabric loop handle doesn't reduce snagability. I also agree that Mirage makes a good handle nowadays. I haven't really looked at Bill's handles. j

ReelDVD. Not very user friendly, but powerful enough. Did our 2003 Year In Review video with it. j

I glanced through it during his canopy seminar. It is pretty dated, and not as good as the information I have gotten through 1on1 coaching from say, Mike Ortiz or Max Cohn. Not to say the book isn't interesting, just not as good as you might hope for instructional purposes.

Absolutely right, it doesn't have to be rock concert loud to damage your hearing. I wear earplugs in the plane, and a snug fitting bonehead in freefall, and I have noticable hearing loss after a few years. I bought huge boxes of earplugs and hand them out to whoever needs them. I keep extra pairs in my jumpsuits, in my helmet liner -- just about everywhere. Do whatever it takes to make it quiet. Your grandkids will thank you for not having to shout. j

ALWAYS. I either track or backslide enough to ensure horizontal separation. (Large wings can make backsliding almost as fast as tracking). Vertical separation doesn't mean squat. Seeing a 'fully inflated canopy' doesn't mean squat. There is a video clip in our 2002 Year End video that shows a Tandem (still in mid snivel) falling past the video guy under canopy. Close enough to see the bald spot on the Tandem masters head, and that is with a .45 lens. Extremely close. Maybe I will pull the clip out and post it. I also saw almost the exact same scenario on a compilation from Oregon. Additionally, I try to take care not to fly my canopy under the Tandem just after I open also. Tandem masters tend to muck around with sub-terminal, or fully open Mals a bit longer (because of the altitude they have). Having someone with a spinning malfunction spiral down into you can't be a fun time. j

I am a pretty generous person with my gear, as long as people abide by the 'you break it, you buy it' rule. However, be careful who you lend your gear to. Here is an example, which cost me parts and a repack. http://www.dropzone.com/cgi-bin/forum/gforum.cgi?post=627233#627233 Lesson learned with that one: A friend of a friend may not really be your friend. j

I doubt it is that someone is inadvertantly side-sliding, rather someone is inadvertantly driving forward. Instinctively they are avoiding the base, creating a carve. I wouldn't be surprised if you both are doing it. Like suggested, have one hold base (no turning at all), and let the other fly. It will be obvious at that point who is doing what. j

I have taken the handles off of PC100,PC110, PC120, and PC9. They all are pretty simple if you can manipulate a small screwdriver and remember where all the screws go. I predict the 105 is very similar in ease. And BTW, if you send your camera in for service, they will give you back a camera with straps put back on (and charge you for it in some cases -- $#% Mack Camera). Save your parts, and put them back on before servicing. j

I'll bet Firmware. I had the same problem with my A04, and with a firmware upgrade, it was resolved. j

$300 - way less than a sony? Why not go used? I have picked up both a PC100 and PC9 for $300 - $400 each if you are willing to keep looking. I'd keep it Sony and suck up the extra $, personally. I have firewired footage from a JVC camera, and it was practically unusable (for high quality video that is), even after doing image stabilization on it on my NLE. j

Here is a pic of the blade I just finished. Collapsible Crappie fishing rod (BassProShops or Cabelas..) http://www.basspro.com/servlet/catalog.TextId?hvarTextId=27747&hvarTarget=search&cmCat=SearchResults Fabric was 200 Denier Solar-Max (from dupont), which is the same material used in high quality flags. http://www.dupont.com/solarmax/products.html We bought a bunch from a big distrubutor (to make tubes also), but here is a place where you can buy smaller lots http://www.seattlefabrics.com/nylons.html A 3/4 or 7/8 inch dowel rod (4 foot) to sink into the ground A little bit of pencil and paper, and some sewing, and viola, a windblade. That being said, swimnoodles make better gates. j

Having just finished construction on my newest tube, I would guess that it is actually for ease of construction. My tube has the rim with the tube sewn around it. Unless you have a machine that has a very high foot adjustment, sewing this is a royal pain in the butt. Additionally, getting the tube sewn symmetrically is a challange with this honkin rim in the way. Making several attachment points to the tube seems much easier to do. j

DAMN that was funny. Now everyone at work is wondering what the heck I am laughing at.. j

You are most likely still within the 'rotor zone' of the obstacle. And no, you may not have registered the 'bumpiness' when going into a downdraft, especially while the canopy is canted over. Usually, the bumpiness is you getting abruptly stopped by your harness going into or out of an updraft or downdraft. If you are pulling g's with lift almost perpendicular to the downdraft, then you would most likely miss the 'bump', because the vector is not what you usually associate with bumpiness. Just my opinion at least. Carving and updrafts/downdrafts don't make for a good combination. j

Have flown both still and video with my wingsuit. No issues for deployment. Only issue I can think of is this big honking camera creating drag. Other than that, no worries in my experience. Jonathan

Not stretch, shrink. (microline shirnks from heat of friction from the slider grommets). You have microline, which will shrink after use. I believe it was atair and related co's that used this on their cobalts, vipers, alphas. I can't find direct 'admittance' of this (didn't search too hard), but cobaltdan mentions this idea here: http://www.dropzone.com/cgi-bin/forum/gforum.cgi?post=370834;search_string=trim%20shrink%20atair;#370834

http://www.dropzone.com/forum/Skydiving_Disciplines_C3/Wing_Suit_Flying_F13/Birdman_specific_D_bag_P987554/ j

eeesh.. I don't pack grommet to BOC. That is putting the line stows as the first thing into the wind. It doesn't surprise me if you get a zillion twists. Kevin922 did that early on and had his first ride because of the same thing. I pack my as per mfg, grommet to reserve tray bottom. If possible, I rotate it up a little. If my container/bag combo allowed me to pack grommet to pin, I might do that, but I doubt it. That would have to be one squat bag in my rig. j

Made my pre-second jump on the freefly tube I have been building (since the dawn of time it seems). j

say what? So on 12 years + 1 day, all electronics discombobulate? The only reason SSK doesn't have more than a 12 year lifespan is 2 fold: 1) They don't have data on how the components hold up after 12 years and 2) They have a vested interest in selling new cyrpesses. They previously extended the usable life to 12 years. I wouldn't be surprised if they extended it again. I wouldn't throw away a 12 year cypress just yet. j

Sounds pretty conclusive to me then. Have you broken out a tape measure and checked seam to seam measurements? j