fencebuster

Nice job! That is about 10 revolutions beyond where I would have cut away. But I am a pussy, I guess. Like I said, good save! Charlie Gittins, 540-327-2208 AFF-I, Sigma TI, IAD-I MEI, CFI-I, Senior Rigger Former DZO, Blue Ridge Skydiving Adventures

I am no expert, but I am a pretty competent lawyer. This is a bad idea on so many levels that it is hard to express. It violates the tandem manufacturer's rules that you have to agree to before you get the rating. No drogue. You want to put the tandem manufacturers, the DZ and TI out of business or bankrupt them, killing one student in this scenario is likely to do it. It just ain't worth it, girls. Charlie Gittins, 540-327-2208 AFF-I, Sigma TI, IAD-I MEI, CFI-I, Senior Rigger Former DZO, Blue Ridge Skydiving Adventures

I'm no doctor, but the opening shock on a slightly hard opening could cause internal stuff to move around and potentially rupture, I would suppose. A really hard opening can rupture an aorta, so I think this is a case of "stuff happens" to older people. I am 54 and I am well aware I am not in the same shape as most of the 20-somethings I jump with, so I try to mitigate my risks by being careful about what I do. Sorry about your friend, but I cant think of anything a TI would/could physically do to cause hyperextension of the neck. More likely, opening shock is the culprit. Just my $.02. Charlie Gittins, 540-327-2208 AFF-I, Sigma TI, IAD-I MEI, CFI-I, Senior Rigger Former DZO, Blue Ridge Skydiving Adventures

Come to Orange. Period. Charlie Gittins, 540-327-2208 AFF-I, Sigma TI, IAD-I MEI, CFI-I, Senior Rigger Former DZO, Blue Ridge Skydiving Adventures

I waited 2 weeks after Lasik, but I wore a pair of medical goggles under a full face helmet. I did that for two weeks and then went back to regular goggles and an open face helmet. That was two years ago and I have had no problems. Take care of your eyes! Charlie Gittins, 540-327-2208 AFF-I, Sigma TI, IAD-I MEI, CFI-I, Senior Rigger Former DZO, Blue Ridge Skydiving Adventures

I am 6 foot and 245. Try a Deepseed Multispeed Suit, ask for it extra baggy. It is a little pricey, but well worth the money. Very well made and durable. I use it on AFFI jumps with medium students and it slows my fall rate (with slow fall body adjustment) to the high teens. Charlie Gittins, 540-327-2208 AFF-I, Sigma TI, IAD-I MEI, CFI-I, Senior Rigger Former DZO, Blue Ridge Skydiving Adventures

No question . . . egos. Plenty of them. Charlie Gittins, 540-327-2208 AFF-I, Sigma TI, IAD-I MEI, CFI-I, Senior Rigger Former DZO, Blue Ridge Skydiving Adventures

Congrats , all!!!! Charlie Gittins, 540-327-2208 AFF-I, Sigma TI, IAD-I MEI, CFI-I, Senior Rigger Former DZO, Blue Ridge Skydiving Adventures

Mr. Bill gone bad. Tension knots . . . spinning . . . . Fought it for 4000 feet and as my vision started to gray out decided it was time to give it up. Unremarkable reserve ride. My canopy and d=bag landed about 100 meters away. With the exception of the bruises from the Mr. Bill gone bad, no harm, no foul! Charlie Gittins, 540-327-2208 AFF-I, Sigma TI, IAD-I MEI, CFI-I, Senior Rigger Former DZO, Blue Ridge Skydiving Adventures

We take people on tandems to introduce them to skydiving and grow the sport by bringing in new jumpers to the sport. I talk to every student I jump with as a TI about their "next step" if they want to be a skydiver -- AFF. Just my $.02 Charlie Gittins, 540-327-2208 AFF-I, Sigma TI, IAD-I MEI, CFI-I, Senior Rigger Former DZO, Blue Ridge Skydiving Adventures

I have seen groundings for safety violations at my home DZ. I grounded a jumper who, on a memorial skydive for a deceased friend and jumper, in a belly group of 6 including very low number jumpers, thought it would be funny to turn the belly formation into a hybrid right above breakoff. He funneled the formation and a bunch of newbie jumpers found themselves below their pull altitudes unstable. He thought it was funny . . . Unsafe act and lack of judgment to recognize what he had done created a safety hazard for other jumpers. And, by-the-way, just prior to exit, I specifically warned the jumper not to pull any funny stuff on the jump. 2 weeks off to think about it. And he came back with a better attitude and appeared to be more safety conscious. Charlie Gittins, 540-327-2208 AFF-I, Sigma TI, IAD-I MEI, CFI-I, Senior Rigger Former DZO, Blue Ridge Skydiving Adventures

I did one when I had about 150 jumps -- after talking to and getting advice from everyone on the DZ who had successfully completed one. We used my Sabre2 260. Deployed right out the door and had a pretty hard opening. We both got all bruised up in the legs and ankles as we were pulled apart very kinetically. I had tension knots and a partially inflated main spinning pretty good that I ended up cutting away. I landed my Reserve, survived; got all my gear back and retired from the Mr. Bill business. I won't try another one . . . . I am a much smarter skydiver after another 700 jumps. Charlie Gittins, 540-327-2208 AFF-I, Sigma TI, IAD-I MEI, CFI-I, Senior Rigger Former DZO, Blue Ridge Skydiving Adventures

No, that was just the Examiner's fee. I paid the USPA and UPT license fees in addition, which is what I expected anyway. Charlie Gittins, 540-327-2208 AFF-I, Sigma TI, IAD-I MEI, CFI-I, Senior Rigger Former DZO, Blue Ridge Skydiving Adventures

I paid $350 plus slots at Skydive Orange last June. Charlie Gittins, 540-327-2208 AFF-I, Sigma TI, IAD-I MEI, CFI-I, Senior Rigger Former DZO, Blue Ridge Skydiving Adventures

I am a big guy -- 242 lbs. I had a very hard opening on a Stiletto 190 after I changed packers at a boogie. Broke several lines and ripped the outboard cell. Really got my attention, a little whiplash, etc. Cut away and a decent landing on my Reserve. Lost the main, which convinced me to keep my Sabre2 260 as my primary canopy. I also had an unstable opening on my C1 when I was a student and the high speed deployment blew up the canopy (a 300) requiring a cut-away. Stick with it. I am an AFFI and TI and feel your pain. I am working out again to take off about 15# which will both slow me down in FF and give me a little more safety margin. Good luck with your skydiving. Charlie Gittins, 540-327-2208 AFF-I, Sigma TI, IAD-I MEI, CFI-I, Senior Rigger Former DZO, Blue Ridge Skydiving Adventures

Deepseed multispeed suit in baggy helped me alot. I am an avg 130-134 mph and I have gone as slow as 122 in it with all the slow fall tricks. Charlie Gittins, 540-327-2208 AFF-I, Sigma TI, IAD-I MEI, CFI-I, Senior Rigger Former DZO, Blue Ridge Skydiving Adventures

Not much to say beyond what Chuck had to say. Once you start bending the rules you are on a slippery slope. Better to say NO and let the pilot get you out of the clouds before you jump. It isn't going to kill anybody to descend the airplane a couple of hundred feet. But, you might get killed if you hit the VFR plane you can't see when you exit above or in the clouds. I have paid for a couple of airplane rides rather than get out in sketchy cloud conditions and I am glad I did. Charlie Gittins, 540-327-2208 AFF-I, Sigma TI, IAD-I MEI, CFI-I, Senior Rigger Former DZO, Blue Ridge Skydiving Adventures

I know a pilot who was caught falsifying his medical application, denying he used meds, when he actually did. The FAA found out, revoked his medical and ALL of his ratings. Charlie Gittins, 540-327-2208 AFF-I, Sigma TI, IAD-I MEI, CFI-I, Senior Rigger Former DZO, Blue Ridge Skydiving Adventures

I had a slammer at Sebastian for the New Years boogie that loosened my teeth. I fractured the right side of my canopy causing a spinner, had to cut-away a canopy that was seriously jacked up and lost my main and free bag in the river. It was a 15 second delay and I am rock solid on exit. Packing error. It sucked but I am still skydiving and my packer didn't mean to do it. Shit just happens. Charlie Gittins, 540-327-2208 AFF-I, Sigma TI, IAD-I MEI, CFI-I, Senior Rigger Former DZO, Blue Ridge Skydiving Adventures

Peter is in a better place. He was a great free fly instructor and I got to know him in Sebastian in 2008 making 12 jumps with him while he helped me with safe free flying after watching him do tandem video at Orange VA for 2 seasons.. Blue skies, my friend! Charlie Gittins, 540-327-2208 AFF-I, Sigma TI, IAD-I MEI, CFI-I, Senior Rigger Former DZO, Blue Ridge Skydiving Adventures

I am an AFF Instructor at Skydive Orange. We are a student-oriented DZ. I received my A license there and worked hard to get my Coach, AFFI and TI ratings there with the help of the entire staff. Everyone on staff is safety oriented and concerned that our students have a fun, safe and professional experience. We have military guys on staff, staff with thousands of jumps and a great after-hours vibe. Come visit, spend a day and make a jump or several jumps. By now, you should be doing all free fall, and if you are not, we'll get you there, safely. You will be convinced. We also have a Super Twin Otter, which is probably the best jump plane out there. You will feel welcome and get first class training at Orange. Charlie Gittins, 540-327-2208 AFF-I, Sigma TI, IAD-I MEI, CFI-I, Senior Rigger Former DZO, Blue Ridge Skydiving Adventures

I just bought a Pulse 170. I love it. I demo'd a Pulse 190 and then a 170 before I bought it. I am loading it at 1.7 It has a nice soft opening like a Sabre2, although body position can make it hunt a bit off of on-heading. It will get you back from a long spot like a Stilleto, turns like a stilleto and lands like a Sabre2. I love the damn thing. Plus, it is easy to pack and it packs small. Great canopy Charlie Gittins, 540-327-2208 AFF-I, Sigma TI, IAD-I MEI, CFI-I, Senior Rigger Former DZO, Blue Ridge Skydiving Adventures

I completely agree with you. It was a stupid thought in free fall -- I recognized that. The most important thing is to be able to skydive again. If the Reserve didn't have a purpose, we wouldn't be jumping with them. I have no hesitation to cut-away or use my reserve in the first instance if things are not going right and the procedures call for it. It was just a crazy thought as I am reaching as hard as I could for my hackey and just grazing it x3. Charlie Gittins, 540-327-2208 AFF-I, Sigma TI, IAD-I MEI, CFI-I, Senior Rigger Former DZO, Blue Ridge Skydiving Adventures

I had the same thing happen to me at 400+ jumps. New rig, it shifted in FF and at pull time I could touch the hackey but not get my fingers around it. Like you I made three unsuccessful tries and went to silver. I had that same thought about bringing my main back in the container with my reserve out but I quickly decided that being alive was better than being cool. Good work. Anytime you survive something like that you become a better and more heads up skydiver. Charlie Gittins, 540-327-2208 AFF-I, Sigma TI, IAD-I MEI, CFI-I, Senior Rigger Former DZO, Blue Ridge Skydiving Adventures

I started at age 50 -- made a tandem just for grins and to celebrate my 50th. I made a second one and I was hooked. My first tandem was July 27, 2007. I am one of the "old guys" at my DZ, but age does not seem to mean much other than I am likely to take longer to heal if I break myself. As you can see, I really got hooked. Decided I liked teaching so now I am a TI and AFFI. Charlie Gittins, 540-327-2208 AFF-I, Sigma TI, IAD-I MEI, CFI-I, Senior Rigger Former DZO, Blue Ridge Skydiving Adventures