tsalnukt

We teach clearing the cables. It doesn't really take any longer and it ensures the both cables come out. I have witnessed 2 incidents where individuals pulled to their arms length at it wasn't enough to release both risers, or, they were just "lazy" cutaways but they both resulted in entanglements and the results weren't so good. I'm a big fan of clearing the cables

there's a strip joint up in portland maine that works on $2 bills, which IMO blows. The ATM dispenses $2 bills and the bartenders and cocktailer give you $2 bills for change. I'm sorry but there isn't a girl in that place worthy of a $2 bill.

Just because a person is a rigger, doesn't necessarily mean that they have loads of pack jobs (main or reserve) under their belt.

In my 15 years of skydiving I have found lot's of great riggers that know gear inside and out and they have the skills to back it up. I meet more and more riggers these days that are good at PACKING RESERVES. Ask them to do anything else (line-set, pack a racer, patch a parachute, even make closing loops)or about anything and they look at you crosseyed. There are also a lot of them that talk the talk and have very strong opinions about gear and what works and what doesn't and how things "should be", and most of what they are saying/believe is stuff they heard someone else say or read on dz.com without actually doing the research and LEARNING. There are lot's of good knowledgeable riggers out there. But there certainly are way more wannabee's. I would rather give my gear to a "functioning alcoholic" that has been rigging for 30 years then to one of these wannabe's that took a 2 week course and has to use 15 or 20 tools to do it. That's when shit get's left in pack jobs and stuff get's hooked up wrong. GOOD, KNOWLEDGEABLE riggers aren't hard to find, you just have to sift through all the bullshit ones to find them Let's talk about the pilots that don't adhere to the "8 hours bottle to throttle" rule. Or the tandem masters that are up ALL night and then go and do tandems all day. Eat Me Raw

I know a few SOBER riggers that have made most of those mistakes (especially the molar strap thing......no need for a molar strap) completely straight and sober. And leaving packing weights in the canopy too. I know for a fact that these people were, and still are, clean and sober. Really GOOD, KNOWLEDGEABLE riggers are hard to find....drunk or sober.

That's the way the skyhook was designed. If the 2 couldn't work together, then I don't think it people would buy it.

HAve you seen the way the door is set up????? I have seen the inside parts of the door grab ripcord handles and plastic p/c handles. too many snag points to be "designed" for skydiving.

Sorry dude, It should have been Pull-out p/c, not throw out. If you close left right, The pin bridle has been known to creep around the corner of the right side flap (like in the pictures earlier in the post) and sometimes create a hard pull/total on PULL-OUT system. If you close L,R, and route the bridle straight down and then up and in and over it's a lot cleaner and reduces your chances of having a total/hard pull. On THROW OUT systems it doesn't matter on javelins. Other rigs are different stories.

The other people that are going to be doing VRW with the guy should know better than to go skydiving with someone with a rig like that and 30 jumps. Tunnel rats could be an exception for jump numbers but experienced jumpers should know better than to jump with people with unsafe gear. You don't need an S&TA to be able to see what is safe and unsafe.

Anyone that is jumping a pull-out system should know the you don't wrap the bridle around the flaps like that so if a packer packs it like that you would know as soon as you do your gear check before you put your rig on. The pin should be straight up and down and the bridle should go stright down to the bottom and then up and under the side flaps. A very reliable source from sunpath has told me that when you are jumping a throw out p/c, it doesn't matter which side goes first. If you are jumping a throw out p/c, then you should close right, left to prevent a total. If people are packing their pull out p/c's with the bridle wrapped around the flaps they are asking for trouble. It shoudl look the same as a throw out p/c.

I have to sew a piece of velcro onto PURPLE webbing and I don't have purple thread. Any suggestions on what color might work without looking ridiculous??????

OK then....prove it. The problem lies in the lesser experienced jumpers trying to be cool and probably not being thoughtful enough to take precautions and do it safely. ......tell me how it's SAFER.

More recently, during a boogie, directions were given on the plane, directly to someone. They had their helmet on with their "i-pod", they "seemed" to understand what was said to them, but when it came time to follow the directions, the dude blew it. On the ground he was asked: "Did I tell you blah blah blah right before we got out of the airplane??? To which was replied:"I guess so". That's unacceptable. Johnny Loudmouth doesn't look like he's paying attention and it's pretty obvious. You tell him to shut up for a second and listen. The dude with the I-pod might look like he's paying attention, but are they? How many times have you walked up to someone to talk to them and they look like the are listening to you but as you are waiting for the answer to the question you just asked them, eye to eye, they realize that you may actually be saying something they might want to hear, they take out their ear-bud and say, "huh?" How often have I HAD to talk to someone under canopy....I don't think any, but....I have flown up to people and gotten their attention just to say hello and I have flown up to students that are flying the wrong way. (I'll tell you all about it sometime). To have the luxury of being able to accomplish such communication, is really nice. Some people are out in their own little world out there and to isolate those people even more by putting a huge distraction on them is dangerous. Nope. People that have their tunes cranked up under canopy are more dangerous than deaf people. Deaf people are used to being in a silent world. They are more "naturally" aware of what's going on. (Oh yeah, I helped teach a deaf skydiver. Don't talk about them around the bonfire) No, They probably aren't going to hear you yelling at them under canopy but I know that they are deaf. I would hope that a "hearing" person would give other people the courtesy of being able to communicate with them. I can think of more reasons not to than I can to. In certain situations it might be ok. The BS about skydiving better with some tunes on is crap. I skydive better after a few beers, so why can't I get a good buzz on before I get on the load.

I got over it because I came to the realization that I ahve been responsible for someone else's well being for 3000 jumps or so. I don't want to have something that could be out of my control dictate the fate of an unsuspecting passenger. Canopies collapse, turbulance happens, students put their feet down on landings. I saw too much and had things happen to friends that just made me think. I can do everything right and WE could still die. I would much rather if something is going to happen then let it happen to me. I know it seems silly but that's just how this brain works

try flying up to someone and yelling. With all my camera gear on I can still hear if someone is around and trying to get my attention. I have flown up to students staring at the ground and they can hear me when I yell at them to "look around". So let's just say that you are on your way to altitude rocking out to your "50cent" and an announcement has been made that changes the landing direction, exit separation, Increasingly gusty winds on the ground, or any other fairly important piece of information that could affect your safety or other people's safety. Now you get hurt or you hurt someone else on the load all because you wanted to listen to some music and tune out the rest of the world for 15 minutes. I have seen this very thing happen on more than one instance. If you want to oopen really high and listen to some tunes or you are doing a solo all by your self...ok. But please if you are going to be anywhere near people give us the courtesy of being able to hear us if we want to talk to you.

what about using "s-links" with vectran and HMA lines?????

I just got a note from "the Universe" Whenever your perspective on something creates emotional pain, it's always because your perspective is still so narrow that you've yet to see all the good it will make possible. Because it will. I can see clearly now... The Universe

the pilot in the above scenario is doing it from a 206 with a cargo door. The packers in the above scenario are getting 12 dollars for a tandem. 20 loads in a 206 in one day is pretty hardcore. I'm not saying it can't be done but probably not that often.

Anyone have any experience with either of these 2 cameras??? Before you freak out I have done searches and haven't gotten any satisfactory results. Which is best for side mounting is basically all I need to know and maybe if anyone likes one better than the other. Thanks

I totally agree, but I have seen this being done with my own eyes. The most common I have seen is to leave the main packed and hooked up, pull out the reserve, inspect and pack it, and right before you put it on the container take the main out of the main packing tray only, close the reserve and then close the main. I think this is just lazy. I take the main off and attach it to a special board that I made (I thought I was the only one), Mine has straps to hold the packed main as well as for the risers. do the reserve and stuff hook the main back up and then give it to a packer to pack....they could always use and extra 6 bucks.

what does everyone do with the main canopy when you are doing a reserve pack job? just wondering. Also what are people's policies on packing main canopies if they come in to the loft for a reserve repack with an opened main?

"...and look for the camera man to see what I need to do if he is not with me. " Can I just say that I wish there were more TI's like you. Awesome.

Anyone know of any really nice, not so "touristy", safe, cheap, beautiful, beachy places to go for a month or 2? we're basicly looking for somewhere to just sit on a beach, sip cheap drinks, and chill for a while. Any ideas????

A good canopy pilot should KNOW where EVERYONE is. I can agree with what you are saying but there really shouldn't be anyone that you don't see. Good skydivers/canopy pilots have a responsibility to know where everyone is. In the plane you should be looking around a seeing what groups are in front of you and what groups are behind you. You should be looking for these people under canopy. If you can't find everyone that could be a potential traffic hazard then you need to be extra careful when landing and maybe you should fly a safer more defensive landing. They call us experienced skydivers. we need to be responsible skydivers

Is it or is it not a requirement to have the RSL hooked up on the vector/sigma rigs. I always thought that it was part o the TSO or something. I know Strong issued a service bulletin on it but as far as I know vector still requires it. Anyone out there know this to be fact or fiction? I can see disconnecting it on a strong rig with no collins lanyard, but I don't see any benefit from not having it connected on a vector/sigma. Now with the skyhook on tandems it's even better. Who cares what you people do on your sport rigs. Tandems aren't sport jumps. They are tandem jumps. it's a whole diffrent animal and sometimes just 'cause you got "skill" doesn't always mean that you can overcome what the person on the front of you is going to do. If you think that you are better than the safety systems that are installed on the tandem system than maybe you should take a look at why these things are installed on a system and not necessarily take it upon your self to use it or not.