freeatlast

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Posts posted by freeatlast


  1. I'd Email or Phone Chicagoland Skydiving and buy one of their Pro Passes (or any similar US drop zone that offers the equivalent).

    All you can jump for the season for $5199.00 (it was $4999.00 until 31st Jan) this leaves you $8300 for a trailer / food etc...

    Get all of your stuff for your trailer from Walmart and return it every 30 days for a full refund (that way you can have a trailer full of fantastic goodies and never have to pay for them) :)
    Then learn a skill that will be useful for your long term skydiving career - Camera / AFF Instructor / Tandem Master or Rigger...

    Job done!!!


  2. There are Mars M2 units for sale from the ukskydiver and smartrigs websites and we will ship to the US if you want us to :)


  3. I'm not too fussed about seeing the LA nightlife, but would like a restaurant or two nearby so we can get some food and a beer or two...

    Budget - $200 max (it is the first night of our holiday, however, a nice $100 place is better than an expensive $200 place with no atmosphere)...

  4. Hi Guys

    I'm flying into LAX for a holiday with my (non jumping) girlfriend.

    We're planning on visiting San Diego and will be picking a car up from Los Angeles airport and driving down to San Diego before heading to Vegas.

    I'm wondering if any of the locals could suggest a good place to stay somewhere en-route between LAX and San Diego.

    Thanks!!

    James

  5. Approx yearly costs of a £2500 used rig (with cypres 2) would be

    £110 approx for the cypres (linear depreciation and services included at current rates)

    £70 for 2 reserve repacks (although if you only jumped April - Sept you could get away with 1 reserve repack).

    £5 for bungees

    If borrowing the money then any interest payments or if taking the money from your savings then the loss of interest (£35 is probably reasonable based on current interest rates if the rig is being purchased with savings).

    It would be prudent to factor in an amount to cover other perishables etc although if you only make a few jumps you might well get away without needing any!!

    All in all buying a used rig would probably be a good idea both financially and for other reasons such as:-

    The familiarity of your own equipment

    The ability to jump when you want

    The possibility that you might surprise yourself and do over 30 jumps

    The ability to spend time examining and learning all about your own gear

    This is just my 2p worth!!

  6. Hello there

    We had a spate of spammers signing up to UKS which led to me changing the settings from automated approval to manual account approval.

    Currently there are 8 outstanding account applications and none are more than 4 days old, so i am unsure what has happened as you say your applications are weeks old...:$

    I have moved house and jobs in the last few weeks so my internet access has been more limited than usual plus Paul the other moderator has been on holiday!!

    I will ensure that all outstanding applications are checked and approved just now. If you are still having problems call me - i'll pm you my number...

    Regards

    James


  7. Quote


    None of the DZs will have the capacity of a Perris or Eloy (who does?) and most are very tandem oriented. For example, if you have one rig and pack yourself, you might get 3 to four lifts a day. Sometimes more, most of the time less.



    Absolutely - no UK dz is in the same league for lift capacity per day except possibly Hibaldstow with it's 5 Dorniers (although I doubt that they generally run all 5 at the same time usually)...

    3-4 lifts per day would seem a fair average although as stated it's definitely possible to do more at some UK dropzones but tandems etc do have an impact.

    Also there are some Boogies where you get the opportunity to crack out more jumps if you want to because of a higher than normal lift capacity and more people to fill the plane...

  8. Hi Linn

    I'm all in favour of safety, but definitely not in favour of this kind of system.

    Why not use BG's chart or a max wing loading based on jump numbers using either total jumps or perhaps the total number of jumps made over the preceding say 1-2 years (to reflect currency rather than jump numbers which may be more relevant).

    Also you could simply categorize certain canopy types (such as beginner / intermediate / advanced canopy categories) and again depending on experience you are allowed to jump more categories.

    This way everyone with say 100 jumps and limited experience would be flying larger and more docile canopies whilst everyone with say 800 jumps would be allowed to jump smaller and higher performing canopies (if they wanted).

    If you also want to increase safety you could also make anyone jumping a higher performance level canopy undertake canopy training before they move onto the new canopy type and possibly ask them to attend a course each year to keep their flying skills current.

    On a completely different note, will these restrictions apply only to Norwegian jumpers or will visiting jumpers find these rules imposed on them??

  9. Depends on the time of year - obviously the weather plays a part but there are several DZ's and some cool jumpships.

    These include Grand Caravan's, Dorniers, PAC 750XL, BEECH 90 and a Twin Otter!!

    Plus with wind tunnels number four and five in the pipeline it's better than ever :)


  10. Jonathan

    Your exit weight is 158 - 163 lbs approx with gear.

    According to conventional wisdom a maximum wingloading of 1:1 ie 1lb per sq ft of canopy is the maximum that you should have at this time so a 160 - 170 is the minimum size that you should be jumping using this system.

    Brian Germain has a great downsizing chart see www.bigairsportz.com/pdf/bas-sizingchart.pdf.

    According to this an exit weight of 165 and your jump numbers would give a 190 as a sensible canopy to currently use (middle of range) and a 170 or 160 as the SMALLEST you should use depending on your canopy skills.

    I would strongly suggest speaking to your instructors further as they are the only people to have seen you flying a canopy (I certainly haven't)...

    ask why they have made their recommendations and decide honestly which you feel is giving you SAFE advice.

    Remember once you leave the plane - you're on your own until you return to earth so stay within your own personal Comfort Zone - no sense in rushing things only to get busted up!!

  11. There's a couple in use here in the Uk.

    One of the University clubs has one as club kit and they posted the following in the gear section of dz.com

    Quote

    Our University Club owns an Advance 7. Basik were extremely helpful in adding/removing options that were necessary/unsuitable for University club kit (e.g. remove the Magnetic D-bag/Freefly PUD, add adjustable laterals, RSL etc.) For people who just completed their AFF, transitioning to "more comfortable" kit is something they always enjoy. The comfort of the "Seven" is comparable (although not equal) to that of my own (custom) Vector 3. I was surprised to find, in spite of my extremely tight specifications, that the rig arrived with a "Hooktable" cutaway handle. Not that this is necessarily a bad thing, just a surprise. A couple of minor flaws that I identify with this rig (from a University perspective): 1) The "magnetic d-bag" leads rookie (student) packers to become lazy and simply "shove" lines in. Hence why we ordered a bungee d-bag. 2) The cordura freebag is substantially heavier than its equivalents. This concerns me in the event of a (admittedly unlikely) reserve horseshoe/reserve PC in tow malfunction. 3) The main closing sequence appears "odd", particularly if students are used to learning to pack Javelins/Vectors. I've already caught one person trying to force it the "wrong way"... In spite of these minor flaws, which can (except for 2) be corrected using education, the value provided by the Advance 7 rig is phenomenal. Having chosen Cordura 1000 material, since it will have a tough life (University students and all), I will be updating whenever there appears to be wear or damage to the container. I foresee it being easily durable enough to stand a decade of University student use without major repairs required.



    This is a copy of an email sent from one of the guys who rented one from me in 2010 to a guy who was enquiring about them:-

    Quote

    Hi Liam,

    I just had a look through the posts on UKS, and although there are a lot of people who are very experienced skydivers saying these things, very few have actually jumped one. I rented an Advance Seven with 170 X-Fun and an X-Fast reserve with Vigil 2 AAD off James for the BCPA Perris trip and managed to put 39 jumps on it, and i must say i loved it.

    The padding is excellent bar none, our club ( Birmingham University Skydiving) had ordered a brand new vector 3 container with 'Extra' padding to be assembled while in Perris, and i tried it on, and it felt positively uncomfortable compared to the Seven, and jumping only in short and a t shirt, the rig was still as comfortable, despite the lack of a jump suit.

    The canopy was something i agree, never having heard of, i was a little wary of, especially since i hadnt done that many 170 jumps and i am a fat buggar! But to be honest, it was an excellent canopy, it was extremely responsive, yet forgiving in the landings, with the flares being lovely and gentle ( on occasions lifting me and gliding it in). Also the fact it is a hybrid (half F111 and half ZP fabric) it was very very easy to pack as it didnt keep inflating like so many non hybrid canopies. Compared to other canopies i have jumped, i would put it as one of my favorite, MILES above a Sabre and on par with my favorite which is a Pilot. If i ha to compare it to a modern canopy i was say it was somewhere between a Spectre ( nice openings) and a Pilot (Very responsive and nice landings.)

    Right, now we get to the interesting part - the Magnets...

    Magnet D-Bag: Right i was a worried about packing this as anyone. However, the magnet bag was very very easy to use. I spent an hour with a Rigger, who just passed me onto someone who knew how to pack them, and then i was packing it for myself, and packed it for the entire 39 jumps and had no problem with openings. Considering the age of the canopy, around 20 jumps when i got hold of it, the openings were as soft as you like with opening annoyances likes twists and end cell being almost non existent.. a few of the openings were off heading but i put that down to me having a rubbish body position. The magnetic stows resulting in gorgeous openings, and resulted in less twists than conventional bungee bags. Once you get the hang of it, the magnetic stows in my opinion were easier than bungees, and a lot kinder on the fingers :P

    Magnetic riser covers: Having read a lot on the UKS about these, i can honestly say that i never had a problem with my riser covers, and can only assume people who picked up on this problem were either using old rigs, or older versions of the Seven. Myself and a friend had a Seven in Perris, and neither f us experienced this problem, to be honest i was commonly tucking in other peoples covers who didnt have magnets. The key to it, is not to just place it in, ie put the cover in 1-2 mm, you need to shove it in, put it in all the way , and the magnets will do their job.

    Magnetic Freefly Handle and Pouch - Right , this would be my only criticism of the rig, but something that if you are getting a new one can be easily rectified, as obviously i had no choice in this, but did find a solution. I had the Freefly pud handle which used a magnet and a tucking tab. The tucking tab was far too stiff and required a two handed pull a few times! However, i then instead of using the tab and the magnet, used only the magnet ( which was cleared by an instructor to be secure enough to jump in) and i even used it for freefly, tubes etc etc. and it was perfectly secure and resulted in a pull easier than a spandex pouch. However, the rig my friend had, didnt have the tuck tab and had a larger handle (which i would recommend if you are a new A license holder) and he had no problems with this, but since you are getting it new, it can be up to you on the type of handle you get ( i would recommend speaking to James.)
    Also the codura pouch, yes did prove difficult to get the pilot chute in at first, however after some practice it became very easy, and obviously as mentioned above, if you are still uncomfortable with this, it is something you can get modified in manufacture.

    Sorry for the essay and i hope it has been of help to you, and if i had the cash sitting about i would definitely be buying the Seven i hired, as saying goodbye to it was painful.
    However if you do decide to buy one, expect instructors and very experienced skydivers to be looking at the new features ( like the stainless steel yellow cable housing) and complimenting you on the rig :-P we had a lot of AFF instructors in Perris looking at the new features, and mentioning how much better they were than conventional ways.

    Like i said, if it was my money, i would love to buy one and i think you wouldnt regret it.. alot of people who havent tried something properly are often too quick to snub it..Hi Liam,

    I just had a look through the posts on UKS, and although there are a lot of people who are very experienced skydivers saying these things, very few have actually jumped one. I rented an Advance Seven with 170 X-Fun and an X-Fast reserve with Vigil 2 AAD off James for the BCPA Perris trip and managed to put 39 jumps on it, and i must say i loved it.

    The padding is excellent bar none, our club ( Birmingham University Skydiving) had ordered a brand new vector 3 container with 'Extra' padding to be assembled while in Perris, and i tried it on, and it felt positively uncomfortable compared to the Seven, and jumping only in short and a t shirt, the rig was still as comfortable, despite the lack of a jump suit.

    The canopy was something i agree, never having heard of, i was a little wary of, especially since i hadnt done that many 170 jumps and i am a fat buggar! But to be honest, it was an excellent canopy, it was extremely responsive, yet forgiving in the landings, with the flares being lovely and gentle ( on occasions lifting me and gliding it in). Also the fact it is a hybrid (half F111 and half ZP fabric) it was very very easy to pack as it didnt keep inflating like so many non hybrid canopies. Compared to other canopies i have jumped, i would put it as one of my favorite, MILES above a Sabre and on par with my favorite which is a Pilot. If i ha to compare it to a modern canopy i was say it was somewhere between a Spectre ( nice openings) and a Pilot (Very responsive and nice landings.)

    Right, now we get to the interesting part - the Magnets...

    Magnet D-Bag: Right i was a worried about packing this as anyone. However, the magnet bag was very very easy to use. I spent an hour with a Rigger, who just passed me onto someone who knew how to pack them, and then i was packing it for myself, and packed it for the entire 39 jumps and had no problem with openings. Considering the age of the canopy, around 20 jumps when i got hold of it, the openings were as soft as you like with opening annoyances likes twists and end cell being almost non existent.. a few of the openings were off heading but i put that down to me having a rubbish body position. The magnetic stows resulting in gorgeous openings, and resulted in less twists than conventional bungee bags. Once you get the hang of it, the magnetic stows in my opinion were easier than bungees, and a lot kinder on the fingers :P

    Magnetic riser covers: Having read a lot on the UKS about these, i can honestly say that i never had a problem with my riser covers, and can only assume people who picked up on this problem were either using old rigs, or older versions of the Seven. Myself and a friend had a Seven in Perris, and neither f us experienced this problem, to be honest i was commonly tucking in other peoples covers who didnt have magnets. The key to it, is not to just place it in, ie put the cover in 1-2 mm, you need to shove it in, put it in all the way , and the magnets will do their job.

    Magnetic Freefly Handle and Pouch - Right , this would be my only criticism of the rig, but something that if you are getting a new one can be easily rectified, as obviously i had no choice in this, but did find a solution. I had the Freefly pud handle which used a magnet and a tucking tab. The tucking tab was far too stiff and required a two handed pull a few times! However, i then instead of using the tab and the magnet, used only the magnet ( which was cleared by an instructor to be secure enough to jump in) and i even used it for freefly, tubes etc etc. and it was perfectly secure and resulted in a pull easier than a spandex pouch. However, the rig my friend had, didnt have the tuck tab and had a larger handle (which i would recommend if you are a new A license holder) and he had no problems with this, but since you are getting it new, it can be up to you on the type of handle you get ( i would recommend speaking to James.)
    Also the codura pouch, yes did prove difficult to get the pilot chute in at first, however after some practice it became very easy, and obviously as mentioned above, if you are still uncomfortable with this, it is something you can get modified in manufacture.

    Sorry for the essay and i hope it has been of help to you, and if i had the cash sitting about i would definitely be buying the Seven i hired, as saying goodbye to it was painful.
    However if you do decide to buy one, expect instructors and very experienced skydivers to be looking at the new features ( like the stainless steel yellow cable housing) and complimenting you on the rig :-P we had a lot of AFF instructors in Perris looking at the new features, and mentioning how much better they were than conventional ways.

    Like i said, if it was my money, i would love to buy one and i think you wouldnt regret it.. alot of people who havent tried something properly are often too quick to snub it..

    Jonny



    I am biased but have always found them to be decent rigs :)

  12. There is another aspect to yelling at students through the radio...

    I was initially taught how to fly a pattern, but was given a radio and told to 'obey instructions'...

    On one of my early jumps the guy talking people down on the radio (there were three of us in the air at the time) had a problem with the guy in front of me...

    I was happily flying my canopy to the required holding point, when the radio guy panicked - he was concentrating so hard on jumper #2 (I was #3) that he kept screaming at me to leave my toggles alone and left me flying on full drive in a random direction - every time i tried to correct my course I was 'instructed' to leave my controls as they were...

    Eventually #2 landed and the radio guy (I hate to call him an instructor) turned his attention to me and successfully got me to crash land on one of the main runways (a long way away from the student landing area!!)...

    The result - total confusion for me, 1 dangerous landing, 1 messed up knee (I ended up seeing a surgeon later because of it), 1 radio guy who then tried to blame me for trying to stay in the holding area!!

    As a result of this incident I stopped training at that DZ went to another and did my AFF without further incident.

    IMHO - the radio did little for my safety that day...

    (I understand that in certain circumstances that radios are useful, but i wonder how often they contribute to incidents)...

    And before anyone else jumps on and says it - I am aware at that time i was an inexperienced jumper (student) and that this is just my interpretation of the situation and that there are two sides to every story...

    However without the radio, I would have flown my pattern and landed in the student area whereas with the radio and 'instruction' I ended up having a nasty landing and almost ending my skydiving career there and then...

    A radio is only as good as the person using it!!