apley

thank you for touching my heart, adria. the joy in that smile was contagious, your energy enlightening. i will miss our time in the sky, and the beauty that ran to the depths of your soul. i will never jump without the memory of the many we have lost, but yours will remind me of a very special blessing. blue skies, beautiful lady

Exactly how i handle this situation on my ODYSSEY. If you look closely at the flap, it will likely be ROUNDED where it has been forced under all 3 flaps. That plastic piece conforms to this inefficient tuck, and becomes pretty sloppy. My ODYSSEY is only less than 2 years old, and i just started noticing it. I like tucking under only the right & left flaps for this reason, and also because i feel like i've secured the bridle here as well. Can't be too careful in freefly safety!

i don't think the S&TA should overlook this situation by not demanding adherance to good practices. it affects others most definitely. whether the errant immortal skydiver kills himself and creates bad press for our sport, or actually takes someone with him/her. what i have found to be most effective is the dropzone hotline. gossip can be a good thing. if a skydiver is dangerous at my dz, he/she jumps alone! there is nothing more effective than a little peer pressure and a skydiver's ego to remedy this problem. as an added bonus, make sure the skydiver knows that they are considered persona non grata! solos suck if that's all you get to do!

boc=back of container a pud is used on a "throw-out" pilot. the bridle is S folded under the flap where the pilot is located on top of the deployment bag (D bag). so many terms to learn... the hackey or pvc used to be referred to as the "pud", the way i understand, but with the 2 different methods of deployment, that term has gone out of usage. of course, it's always fun to tell your wuffo friends that we have to "pull our pud" to deploy. stay high

The cool thing about the human brain is that it can only think of ONE THING AT A TIME. I liked that advice about looking at each individual step instead of the last terrifying few... but like everything else in life, you have the choice to make your thoughts concentrate on the positive , or the negative . I can relate to your dilemma, my friend. I was injured last year and haven't been the same since. At first, it was difficult to drag my broken ego and busted ass down to the DZ. I even considered getting away from the sport completely a few times, forgetting what it was that kept the passion so strong prior to the injury. I've had 3 chops, a broken leg, a few sprains, and a bruised ego and still choose to return. It took months for me to regain the passion, but it is on a different level. I am more cautious (seasoned), and a MUCH safer Skydiver because of it. Parachutist did an article that addressed the subject of jumping after time off, usually following an injury, but generally just extended periods away from the DZ. It helped me to know that my experience was not unique. We have a lot of time to question our sanity when we are unable to experience the sheer joy of human body flight. Don't listen to your negative voice. It didn't stop you before, and it is the reason you were a Skydiver in the first place. One of my favorite tshirts says it best: "We don't take risks to escape life, but to keep life from escaping!"

I don't get Clusters, but had a close friend who lived the horror for many years. My expertise is limited to my discussions with him

I like this conversation. I am one of those who chose FF over RW almost immediately. Bored by Jump #60 of flying on my belly, I chose instead to make the world a dangerous place while I practiced sitflying solo. Fortunately, before I could take anyone out, an experienced FF'er went up and videotaped me sliding down the flight line.

The pouch itself is more likely to wear out before the mouth. The mouth is doubled (tripled?) and sewn, making it that much stronger than the boc spandex. Pay careful attention, though! If the pouch wears out and the mouth is strong, you might pull the pud, wad up the PC inside the pouch, and never make it out of the mouth. Added caution.... always make sure you route the bridle out of the folded pilot chute at the MOUTH SIDE of the BOC! Not doing so may cause exactly the same results mentioned above without a worn BOC, and is almost certain to make a wad if you do have a worn BOC. Have your Rigger show you what to look for in a worn BOC. A picture is worth a thousand words, but basically, if it doesn't stretch any more and require some effort to stuff the PC in, it is either worn out, or too big.

once again, i am humbled by you guyz. thanks for grounding this issue back to action and away from inflammation. i was getting ready to order up some suppositories! i hate to sound like a corporate weenie, but i have a suggestion that may prevent these incidents and the hard feelings they can spawn... it seems to me that in order to reconnect the experienced jumpers with the staff, and especially the S&TA, we could hold an informal, SCHEDULED meeting with the staff and a funjumper liason to address safety issues on a REGULAR BASIS. i am often uncomfortable demanding the attention of a staff member while they are trying to support a busy student schedule on the weekend, and i forget the issue once i can spend a few minutes with them whey they are not so busy. (can you say "senior moments"?) this solution can provide several things... - a forum for all jumpers to ensure that their concerns are heard, and a line of communication that keeps EVERYONE aware of the fact that safety is a preoccupation and a necessity; - constant review and tweaking of existing procedures. - accountability. not just for the staff, but accountability that reminds all jumpers to remain diligent; and in that diligence, becoming an active participant in keeping SDSD a safe place to play. in exchange for this service, i would also suggest that when an incident occurs, this liason could expect an IMMEDIATE response from the S&TA so that jumpers will leave the dz with the feeling that their concern did not fall on deaf ears. (i recently reported an incident to manifest but walked away without the assurance that my concern was valid and would be addressed.) the disconnect between staff and funjumpers is the reality that students support our addiction. our playground is centered around these activities, and the staff is human and often overworked and/or preoccupied. funjumpers can get selfish and egotistical when our needs are not met because of the perceived priority the dz must grant to students. i am committed to doing my part in supporting the needs of the dz over my own wish to have a plane waiting for me every time i'm ready to jump. i like paying only $15 a jump and take a stand for whatever it takes to keep the prices this low. if that means taking an active part on EVERY jump day to make sure none of us suffers injury, i am available and willing! peace, chuck

i can't let this discussion go without sending a response myself. having landed off a minimum of 10 times,and had 3 chops, i can relate to barb's concerns. on all but one occasion, there was always someone there to make sure i was uninjured and accounted for. i have witnessed the concern and reaction from both staff and experienced jumpers whenever a jumper fails to make the dz or suffers an injury. we are family, and nobody wants to see another get hurt. i've heard the call from manifest many times to have a load check in after a long spot & off landings. i have seen the little white truck race off to assist a jumper after an off. i've also seen experienced jumpers on even more occasions, race out of the dz to pick up a fellow jumper. the potential for confusion is high when nobody is sure who has responded to the situation. this one isolated incident seems to indicate a need to review the policy regarding the responsibility of the LO. i personally would like to know why this particular LO did not measure up. sunset is the worst case scenario to landing off in this rugged terrain. having never been a LO, i don't know what the policy is, but experience tells me that the LO generally accounts for his load following the dive, and is especially diligent when the dive goes bad, as this one seems to have. are we going to hear from him/her? the bottom line to me is that this discussion would be productive if both the offended parties and the S&TA investigate the incident and take corrective action. without inflamed conversation, and with an open mind, policy can be refined to make every jumper aware of the concerns and responsibilities relative to injuries and off landings. from my point of view, skydive san diego has always demonstrated concern and response when things go awry on a jump. i also realize the we are all human and there will be incidents where communications break down and procedures fail. one breakdown in communications should not be an opportunity to tarnish the reputations of the fine people who work so hard to maintain sdsd's fine safety record. there are a few issues common to dz's all over the country i would like to see addressed, and i maintain constant communications with the staff in san diego to voice my concerns. self-regulation always brings with it a higher margin for error, and this tightrope should be walked by EVERYONE. the bottom line, is, SKYDIVE SAN DIEGO is my home, and it is so because i enjoy the people who fly there, and respect those in positions of responsibility who work there. we are all skydivers, and our continued enjoyment of the sport requires that we all become involved in keeping it safe and caring for everyone who plays with us. this thread tears at my soul because all of a sudden communication has been replaced with half truths and negativity. c'mon, brothers and sisters, remind me why you are a group of very special people. get off your egos and band that energy together to create a solution to this problem. you have proven many times that you can set everything aside to help a fallen comrade, i challenge you to use the same energy to PREVENT incidents that will cause us all pain and suffering.

excellent video and dub, buddy... i broke my leg last summer and my video skills have gone to shit. i lost my discipline in keeping my subjects in frame. still trying to hold still and forget about participating in the fun parts of the jump so much. i've even been thinking of shunning the cam for a while and just playing like everyone else. i'm too afraid of missing a good shot, though... anyway, i enjoyed the vid and wanted to let you know. choppin chuckee

i have both a bonehead optik and an aviator i bought more than a year ago... i've worn several styles/brands in the past few years, and my all-time favorite is still the AVIATOR. this is so comfortable, and includes a stretch band over the forehead probably designed to cut down air infiltration, but it is excellent for storing your goggles on your forhead until the door opens. i'll give the optik it's due, however... it is very comfortable and well insulated! of course i fly it more than the optik cause i'm a camera slut.

the sabre has a reputation for hard openings. you want snivel and soft, forgiving landings while you perfect your canopy skills? buy a SPECTRE! i'm on my 2nd one, and if you don't believe i'm a landing retard, ask anyone at my dz...

i am in total agreement that overloading the spectre will make some HARD landings. i have flown both a 150 loaded @ 1.27, and after breaking my leg @ high altitude, a 170 loaded @ 1.15. it's like 2 different canopies. under the new loading, my sink has decreased dramatically, and my flare is much more forgiving of timing errors. bottom line to me is... buy a canopy that will serve you well at ANY drop zone if you plan to travel! of course, i intend to NEVER swoop, and look at the canopy only as a means of reaching the ground safely for another freefly jump!

i would keep looking... i had a vector II for about a year, and did freefly with it. the more i learned from my super-safety-conscious rigger (thank you CRAZY LARRY @ perris), the more scared i got. after witnessing a few premature openings on other rigs, i got rid of that beast! the worst of the hazards: velcro riser covers & no bridle protection other than velcro. even though you can continually replace this velcro, shorten your closing loop for a harder pull (bridle is less likely to pull the bag out when catching air), and pray to your plastic jeezus, why add risk just to save a few bucks?

my last spectre was a 150 (i am about 160#), and it opened PERFECTLY, (around 600 ft) in my opinion and comfort level. after breaking my leg in lost prairie, i UPsized to a 170 spectre. COMPLETELY different opening.... the 170 snivels for as much as a 1000 ft, depending on what i do with the slider... ie., pulling it out the tail side more to speed it up. the f*ed up thing is, i end up struggling to keep it on heading and keep it out of line twists quite often. i've had the lines inspected and the brake lines brought back to factory spec, and that did help, but i'm starting to believe that i am just not loading it enough. spectres are noted for consistent, pleasant openings, and that was my experience on the 150. i am playing with my packing and it does change my experience, but the 170 is unpredictable; presumably due to the loading, but hard to say which variable to really pin it on. my suggestion, because it has helped me, is to consult your rigger frequently, and get his/her advice, taking small steps in changes so you can identify the variable that gives you what you want. the spectre is an awesome canopy, and will get consistent once you find that magic place. at least when clinton lied, nobody died.

ok, i just couldn't help but reply, because i totally disagree with the conventional advice that RW Belly must be mastered before FreeFly. First, let me totally disqualify myself. I have 180+ jumps, and am unconventionally is every aspect of my life. Hell, I only work so I can go skydiving 10-15 times a week! Anyway, here's my personal history with FreeFly... I started FreeFlying out of curiosity (sitfly, of course) at around 65 jumps. I sucked big time. Lots of guys came up with me to see what I was doing, but eventually, some of their advice actually worked. (The best advice I've used: 1. Exit in the sit position! (Back to the blast) 2. Keep your feet FLAT to the earth; 3. Always think about getting that feeling of the air between your back and the container.... Well, after months of playing with this stuff, including attempting and eventually mastering the Stand, and still working on a lame heaD dowN, I have finally mastered the sit. The above suggestions got me there is a very SHORT time.... What about RW? Opinion: I am a better than average RW (floater for sure) guy when it comes to maintaining the proper relative position and descent control. I believe very strongly that it was the awareness bonus from FreeFly that got me here. I sucked big time and was totally uninterested in RW Belley before doing FreeFly. I have developed an awareness of my relative position in the flight line that I doubt I could have done with Belly RW. I have FUN on every skydive, and don't require all that tense time drilling and such before a jump. I am totally a NON-competitive person, an old fart, and just wanna have fun with this new passion of skydiving. FreeFly is the Juice.