Tolgak

The above x 1000. A good jump is one of the most calming and joyous things I can do. I've had a few times since I first started that were really rough on me. The emotional pain gave way to bliss each time I hopped out. I guess it's a combination of a few factors: The overwhelming beauty of the view; the fact that for the next minute, literally nothing matters but your jump and the safety of those in the air, the cleanness of the air, and often the looks of joy on the faces of others on the jump. I am left at peace with everything. Dropzones are terrible places for inspiration. What does one think when one looks up for a sign only to see a bunch of people falling?

Broke mine during the week before thanksgiving. I was hanging up a poster on my wall (of skydiving), and as I jumped down I landed directly on my tailbone on the corner of the desk. You really can't take much worse a hit on it than I did. It still hurts to sit in various positions. I went skydiving a few weeks later, but a lot of you are missing the real advice... It isn't the parachute opening or the landing that will get you, it's the ride up. If you've got straddle type benches, you're good. Don't sit quite centered on them and it shouldn't even be an issue. For side benches, push down on the bench with your arms to keep the pressure off your tailbone. Leaning towards your knees also helps. For aircraft without benches, sit on the side of your hip. The leg on the ground will be somewhat straight while the other will be more bent than usual. You'll take up some more space than in a normal position, but people can deal with it (unlike the people who will fall into your lap and not even check to see if you're ok with your balls being pancaked). Here's the most important part, don't shift your weight. The pain will be excruciating if your tailbone is moved the slightest bit. Find a comfortable position and stick to it. The worst part for me was sleeping in the first month. Prolonged sitting sessions will numb the pain, but you will feel it when you get up. I never took any painkillers. I figured I would have much less to complain about in the future if I could take the pain immediately after the injury. However, you should do what's most comfortable to you. I just hate being tethered to pills. Dropzones are terrible places for inspiration. What does one think when one looks up for a sign only to see a bunch of people falling?

Slow enough that there are many loads with no tandems on board. Busy enough that even on a day heavy with tandems and team training, you can still get a ton of jumps in with good time management. Dropzones are terrible places for inspiration. What does one think when one looks up for a sign only to see a bunch of people falling?

I was there until pretty late and I heard nothing of success. The clouds were heavy enough that at one point, a load I was on had to circle for about 10 minutes waiting for holes so the 4-way teams could jump. I can't say whether or not it happened, but the cloud cover was prohibitive for much of the afternoon. Dropzones are terrible places for inspiration. What does one think when one looks up for a sign only to see a bunch of people falling?

One more. Dropzones are terrible places for inspiration. What does one think when one looks up for a sign only to see a bunch of people falling?

What can you do after you release your pilot chute to hurry up your opening? You're saying it yourself. Aside from body position, everything you do to control the length of your opening happens before you put your rig on. If you pull your PC late, there's no getting out of it. If you start your initial dive for a swoop late, you can still abort. It's the difference between dropping a dumb bomb and dropping a guided one. Once you release it, you can't change the course of a dumb bomb. The course of a guided bomb can constantly be adjusted. Control means you can adjust as you perform the move. It gives you a lot more leeway in terms of safety. Dropzones are terrible places for inspiration. What does one think when one looks up for a sign only to see a bunch of people falling?

No offence meant, but here is another example of speaking with authority on something you have little knowledge about. Solid built 7 cell with a free-pack strap and a pullout pilot-chute approaching the size of what (gee) B.A.S.E. jumpers use...sit up and throw the same WAY every time, and you will be in the same PLACE every time it opens. The point I was making is that, as far as I know, you cannot control the length of the opening once you commence the sequence. A packing error cannot easily be compensated for while you're waiting for the parachute to inflate. I wasn't considering base jumping in my argument as the packing methods are different. A swooper can pull out of his dive early if he needs to (and has the altitude). He can turn away from obstacles and adjust his flightpath as he goes. I don't think there's much you can do to speed up the opening of your canopy after you pull your PC. Dropzones are terrible places for inspiration. What does one think when one looks up for a sign only to see a bunch of people falling?

Here's where to draw the line. A swoop is a controlled maneuver. A low pull isn't. You cannot guarantee with any precision the altitude and time it will take for a canopy to open. The thousands of successful swoops that happen every weekend in this country show that swooping is a repeatable maneuver. I am curious though. Do the majority of swooping incidents happen because the initial spiral to speed up is too low, or is it that the person misjudges his recovery arc and doesn't flare as he approaches the ground? Dropzones are terrible places for inspiration. What does one think when one looks up for a sign only to see a bunch of people falling?

I'm kind of late but here's my take on it. My mom has an account and I really wish she didn't. My dad doesn't have an account and I really wish he did. It's a great way to keep in touch with family, but the quality of that connection depends on the personalities of members of the family. If I go on facebook at any moment my mom has internet access, I will get stuck in a conversation with questions I have no idea how to answer. I can't turn off the chat because I have other people to talk to. I have to be really careful about what I post for fear my mom will interpret it the wrong way and overreact to it (the aftermath of my first posted skydiving picture was an experience I wish never to live through again). If I post a status update that's negative in any way, like a simple sad face, I get a flurry of calls and e-mails and chat messages asking why I'm "so sad." On the other hand, I want an easy way to show my dad pictures and videos of my shenanigans, without having to send new links with each e-mail (which he ultimately forgets and asks me for again). Some of my family on facebook wont respond to anything, and I end up more frustrated and wanting to contact them by e-mail. Now I have to remember which e-mail is the one they look at often. If he really wants you to have an account, it's a good call to get one. Just be reasonable about the amount of participation you have in each others' accounts. Dropzones are terrible places for inspiration. What does one think when one looks up for a sign only to see a bunch of people falling?

These people were telling me that it was something that goes on even after you commission. I'm glad to hear I am wrong, as I'm working on joining in the near future. Dropzones are terrible places for inspiration. What does one think when one looks up for a sign only to see a bunch of people falling?

From what I know about my own research and skydivers in ROTC at my school, there is an agreement you sign regarding high-risk activities that basically says you accept all repercussions, and may lose some of your insurance benefits if you get hurt. Dropzones are terrible places for inspiration. What does one think when one looks up for a sign only to see a bunch of people falling?

Jumpchuterist. Dropzones are terrible places for inspiration. What does one think when one looks up for a sign only to see a bunch of people falling?

I have no belief in the supernatural, so spirituality isn't the word to describe how skydiving affects me. Skydiving brings me a temporary but thorough release of stress. At the moment, it's the only thing that can consistently bring me happiness. Even on jumps that are intense and complicated, I feel at peace with everything. The best way to put it is that it's the ideal activity to relax my mind. I rarely have a lasting thought while in freefall, and the thoughts I get under canopy are almost always positive. It brings me clarity and joy. That's all there is to it for me. Dropzones are terrible places for inspiration. What does one think when one looks up for a sign only to see a bunch of people falling?

That's what I mean by a procedure. You're not checking to see if the gear will work at that point, you're rehearsing an emergency procedure. I'm saying that it is the procedure of touching your handles (as you described) that will save your life. You could make sure your AAD is on, your pin is smiling, PC is cocked, everything else is well set up. But that checklist isn't going to do squat for you if you don't practice touching your handles. I guess I'm just arguing semantics, as none of what you said is wrong. But I think it's important to differentiate the idea of a gear check from the idea of an emergency procedure. Doing gear checks ensures that your gear will work. Practicing emergency procedures (as you call, checking your handles) ensures that YOU will work. Dropzones are terrible places for inspiration. What does one think when one looks up for a sign only to see a bunch of people falling?

Incorrect. Yes, it is a huge part of being safe. However, your first concern should be yourself and the environment. You should know what you're getting into before you even consider touching your gear. The reason behind this is that you will be more inclined to go in adverse conditions if you have your rig on before you look at the environment. At that point, you're in jump mode, and for most people, you are more tolerant of threats to safety. But none of that helps you react to a malfunction, it just ensures that your solutions will work as designed. You could run through the most thorough checklist ever created before a jump and still freeze up during a mal. Working on those procedures is the only way to minimize the risk of a brain freeze when the situation goes bad.. Dropzones are terrible places for inspiration. What does one think when one looks up for a sign only to see a bunch of people falling?

First mal was a bag lock. Jump #41 if I remember correctly. I didn't really think about it as it happened. I recognized the problem, cut away, and pulled reserve without hesitation. I credit my survival to the handle check that we are all trained to do multiple times before we jump out. The AAD wasn't on (I didn't know the rig had one and didn't bother to check), and the thought crossed my mind as it all happened. While I'm not a very experienced skydiver, I can tell you as a pilot that rehearsing emergency procedures at a reasonable frequency will be what saves your life in a dangerous situation. The same holds true for many other activities and professions. If you rehearse your procedures often enough to the point that you can do all the motions and recite all the solutions without pausing in thought, I can almost guarantee that you will be calm and collected during your first mal. Dropzones are terrible places for inspiration. What does one think when one looks up for a sign only to see a bunch of people falling?

Here's something I noticed about design competitions. While it's always appreciated that entrants follow the constraints, Often times the winner is a person who breaks some of those rules. We don't have a limit on the amount of designs we can submit, so where's the harm in introducing something unexpected? Dropzones are terrible places for inspiration. What does one think when one looks up for a sign only to see a bunch of people falling?

I'm a pilot. I can tell you that wings, when flying, are unaffected by the direction of the wind relative to the ground. They will fly the same whether you are pointed upwind or down or at an angle or whatever. The only thing that changes is ground speed. In an ideal world, with perfectly uniform winds and a perfectly symmetrical wing with perfect inputs, a stable glider or canopy, once in full flight, will continue on its merry way through the relative wind without turning. If there is wind shear, it could turn. Turbulence could do it too. Thar be much crap science goin' 'round. Dropzones are terrible places for inspiration. What does one think when one looks up for a sign only to see a bunch of people falling?

My club has a Sabre2 190 that I use when our larger rigs are not available. Even with the quite high wing loading I have using it, the only issue I have is a slight turn immediately after opening. It's corrected by shifting my weight. I have had no issues with off-heading openings, no issues with stability. It even flares better than our Spectre 210. It is the favored canopy of many of the club members. I don't have much experience, but it is canopy I'm considering buying when the money comes. Dropzones are terrible places for inspiration. What does one think when one looks up for a sign only to see a bunch of people falling?

Choose your favorites out of the thread and subject them to discussion by the team. If they would like to see any improvements for the best design, tell the creator what needs to be done (if any), and have him/her resubmit a few modified designs. Put it to vote again and you should end up with a design that everybody approves of. My favorites out of the thread. shveddy's design #1 http://www.dropzone.com/cgi-bin/forum/gforum.cgi?do=post_attachment;postatt_id=116826; Freak Accident's #4 http://www.dropzone.com/cgi-bin/forum/gforum.cgi?do=post_attachment;postatt_id=116914; sjadczak's #1 http://www.dropzone.com/cgi-bin/forum/gforum.cgi?do=post_attachment;postatt_id=116934; Nova's #12 http://www.dropzone.com/cgi-bin/forum/gforum.cgi?do=post_attachment;postatt_id=116953; And... of course, the best of my rigs #1, #2, #4, #5, #6, and #9 1 http://www.dropzone.com/cgi-bin/forum/gforum.cgi?do=post_attachment;postatt_id=116821; 2 http://www.dropzone.com/cgi-bin/forum/gforum.cgi?do=post_attachment;postatt_id=116822; 4 http://www.dropzone.com/cgi-bin/forum/gforum.cgi?do=post_attachment;postatt_id=116824; 5 http://www.dropzone.com/cgi-bin/forum/gforum.cgi?do=post_attachment;postatt_id=116825; 6 http://www.dropzone.com/cgi-bin/forum/gforum.cgi?do=post_attachment;postatt_id=116859; 9 http://www.dropzone.com/cgi-bin/forum/gforum.cgi?do=post_attachment;postatt_id=116862; Dropzones are terrible places for inspiration. What does one think when one looks up for a sign only to see a bunch of people falling?

The test doesn't take time into account. It probably accounts for age, so all of the post-adolescence people getting answers correct will have very high score regardless of the time. The most legitimate IQ tests consider time. We're all pretty decent at detecting patterns. The more easily and quickly you can do it, the higher your IQ. Also, since IQ has been tied to one's upbringing and social status, it is no surprise that people who use the internet and make enough money to skydive regularly will have better IQ scores. Now, very few of us should have gotten anywhere near the "gifted" range, but it is more likely for it to happen here than it is when sampling a bunch of Walmart employees. A side note, the SAT is very similar to an IQ test. Perhaps we should be comparing those scores instead. Dropzones are terrible places for inspiration. What does one think when one looks up for a sign only to see a bunch of people falling?

148 My one and only official test put me at 141. Internet IQ tests (pretty much all of them bullshit) have me at a low of 126 and a high of 178. Dropzones are terrible places for inspiration. What does one think when one looks up for a sign only to see a bunch of people falling?

I agree with everything except the note about rip-stop fabrics. That name is total crap, as I have seen many instances of those fabrics continuing to tear after small rips with minimal force. Dropzones are terrible places for inspiration. What does one think when one looks up for a sign only to see a bunch of people falling?

The responses to these types of threads is always very interesting. We have our "I am freakin' awesome scenario." Those scenarios are either encouraged or shot down by the forum masses. We try to be humble by saying we'd be pansies like everyone else, but I think the most honest answer for many of us is the most conservative response + a healthy dose of bravery. I'm a fairly calm person under pressure, so long as I am not under an authority figure trying to rush my decisions. The few instances I have been through life-threatening situations, I have been able to keep my cool and respond appropriately. Considering the above, my most honest response follows. Open space or inside of building with many halls or rooms, plausible response: I would do what I can to help as many people escape as possible. I would play decoy if there was a high probability of my survival and for the successful evacuation of the people I'm sacrificing my safety for. I would do my best to pull injured people to cover and tend to them. I would leave people behind if the gunman had me in his sights for two reasons. The primary being self-preservation, the secondary being that I would be useless to help anybody if I was injured or killed. I would not return to the incident area to help more people once I left, unless there was a clear chance of helping someone that really needs it. I would think to offer assistance to emergency medical services, but probably wouldn't because of the high chance my offer would be refused. Single room, plausible response: Freeze because I'm scared shitless, take a few seconds to breathe and think. Throw everything I can grab straight at attacker and try to take him down. Throwing a stack of paper or a notebook at the shooter would be ideal because it would overwhelm his vision. Fight to the bitter end. If I had access to a gun in any situation, I wouldn't use it unless I had absolutely no choice and a clear shot on the shooter. I'd rather not be mistaken for a shooter, and I don't have enough experience with firearms to be accurate under pressure. Give me a rifle and I might be more bold, but again, I'd rather not be mistaken for a shooter. Dropzones are terrible places for inspiration. What does one think when one looks up for a sign only to see a bunch of people falling?

Clewiston is terrible with their rental gear. The only time I went (back in August), they had like 7 rigs available in piss poor condition and had no shame in taking them off your back and giving them to students. When the rotation came to my rig, I had already packed it and we were minutes from boarding the plane. They gave it to the student with my packjob, even though I warned them about it. The DZ itself has a great layout with a plane that pulls right up to the hangar. But if you're looking for quality and safety in gear rental, go elsewhere. They also charge $27 per jump for those rigs on top of the $25 jump fee. I can only suggest DeLand, as it's the only other DZ I've been to (and the one I have pretty much all of my jumps at), and I can say that there is plenty of rental gear in good condition. I do not remember the price specifically, but I think it's $70 a day. It's about a 3.5-4 hour drive from Miami. Fun jumpers are hard to come by (but we do exist) and many of the loads are dominated by the Qatari military. Wednesday has been the best day for jumping in my opinion. Dropzones are terrible places for inspiration. What does one think when one looks up for a sign only to see a bunch of people falling?