west33freefall

Same thing with trying to buy my RAWA camera helmet and setup.

I am looking to get into wingsuiting. I made about 5 jumps on a GTI a while back and fell in love with it. I want to get a rig just for the wingsuit, or just to belly fly with as well. I do a lot of camera work and freeflying with my other rig and I am a poor college student who is getting married. I really don't see many problems with the Dolphin containers with belly flying (I would refuse to jump one freeflying) but didn't know if anyone has experience or opinions about jumping one with a wingsuit. Seems like it would be fine since your belly to earth the majority of the time. Thanks.

My body position is not bad, Expecially when I jump camera, I have a whole routine on deployment and I ensure the best body position, I was just making a remark that most line twist probably occur due to slightly bad body position. And also the stiletto is a very soft opening canopy, I would prefer to have 2 seperate rigs with a spectre 135/150 for camera but I don't so I do with what I get.

I still jump the wings container, and I have noticed if I leave a little more unstowed line in the container, it tends to open a little better but it makes me nervous leaving all that loose line in there, I Do make sure slider is all the way at the stops, a couple times through out the pack job, for aware of that because I have had hard openings and I make sure its there since I jump camera a lot. I usually make pretty clean stows but will definitely check to see if they are straight throughout the line stows, While definitly give this a look next time I pack it. Also any one who knows wings, do you use the inside, or outside stows or both like wings suggest and what do you notice is the difference.

So Had my 2nd cutaway this weekend. Severe line twists with a spinning stiletto. Did 3 rotations in less than 1.5 seconds before I cutaway. I do get the occasion line twist, about every 10 jumps or so. I know its usually bad body position but I was wondering what all the packing errors are that could cause line twists. I Flaked and laid down a spectre 135 last weekend, that got cutaway for the same thing last weekend. Got me thinking that I may be doin something. I didn't do anything extraordinary with either pack jobs, I am pretty efficient and clean in my packing, I was a packer for a season and a half. What can you do to pack twists so I know what not to do. The only thing I know I do with my stiletto that PD doesn't recomend is I push the nose a bit up in the tail before I roll the tail. I fly camera and I rather have a little softer opening. Any opinions would be helpful! Or is this more of just a coincidence that they got chopped?

Bigger canopies are going to be more apt to collapsing due to the lower wing loading. The less wing load the less force (or change in force) by the air is required to make it collapse, or feel the turbulence. Think of aircraft. A fighter has an extreme high wingload, most can fly through pretty strong thunderstorms and be perfectly fine. Then think of a cessna 172, Not a whole lot smaller wing surface than an F-16 but a hell of a lot lighter. You can feel updrafts, wake tubulence, temperature inversions, wind changes caused by trees, buildings etc, in a 172. Thats why more experienced jumpers don't mind flying a 1.5-2.0 loaded canopy in heavier winds. However, you still have to be very conservative in the flying. Gusts are risky for any canopy, think if your canopy flies at 20mph and you have a 10 mph headwind with 10 mph gusts that means at any given second your head wind could change from a 20 mph head wind, which will cause you to have no forward drive, to a 10mph headwind, and your canopy will have to recovery its airspeed by increasing 10 mph and how do canopies gain airspeed, they dive! So gusts are dangerous no matter what you jump. Also think of tandems, huge canopies but usually moderate wingloads of 1.2-1.5 and they are usually not that apt. to colapsing. Its more in the wing loading than in the pure size of canopy.

I don't have a skytie but want to get one soon heard nothing but good things about them. However I have had luck by collapsing the slider, then bringing it all the way down in front of me and then practically doing a chin-up using the slider, this kinda cinches down the slider gromets in the risers where they split front and rear, then I throw it behind my head, I can look back, put my head all the way back and see perfectly fine, sometimes it comes up a bit but I just put my head back to make the slider go to the base of my neck and I have no visibility issues. Hope it helps.

Winds aloft would only affect your relative motion to the ground nothing else. Just like terminal velocity once you reach it. you will speed up or slow down depending on how much surface area the wind hits. However you/your body will not feel this because to it you are not accelerating at a high enough speed. Just like Your airspeed under canopy versus your ground speed. Your ground speed will change depending on winds but your canopy will always try to fly at the same airspeed/given the control purposes you put in.

We will also be getting a Casino in the very near future that may or may not be some added potential revenue. It just seems like a decently worthy venture. Ifly Utah doesn't have many DZs in the area minus a few and they stay busy. I am not a business man I would just like to see a windtunnel with-in 2-4hrs drive. Seems to me it would have some potential for revenue. But Like i said I am not a business man. Just a pipe dream.

So Ohio has over 10 DZs, Pennsylvania has over 10, and Indiana has Over 10 DZs as well. Chicago is with-in a drive. So why is there no wind tunnel around. We have really nice shopping complexes in Columbus on the north east side called Easton and Polaris. Both of these would be prime spots for a windtunnel. Not only would over 30 DZ's have access to a windtunnel, but these prime shoping and tourist areas would ensure profit through first time flyers. I am just trying to see if anyone else thinks someone needs to put one in.

My Rawa Vision with a HC38 and a Canon Rebel XT tongue switch cameye and ring sight. Nothing has gafers tape or zip ties yet. Just built it. Any Thoughts?

I thought that is how it would be. If gopro would make some sort of adapter or even make a tighter angle lens. Do the photos still come out super wide angle as well. Those would be so much better to carry on the noggin' then a video camera and a nice digital camera.

i am flying outside camera. Videographer only. I know for a handycam it would work great but wondering if anyone has used them for outside video flyin or photography?

Just wondering if anyone uses Go Pro cams for Tandem Video? It has a 127 degree field of view which is like a .3-.2 wideangle which would make it difficult to get a good shot unless you are in their face. I currently use a .45 or .5 wideangle for tandems but looking at go pros for stills and maybe video. Just looking at anyone with experience with these. Thanks.

I was just wondering if anyone had any experience with DZs that have a Skygod type of personality and create wakes with every other DZ in the area. I am not putting names in this thread yet but just want to see what others have experienced and how you deal with these people. Everybody at our DZ is like a big family and treat visiting jumpers like family as well, untill you do something stupid or insult or threatin anyone on our DZ or in our family and you have a shit storm coming your way. I feel like skydivers from all over should feel like we are a part of a big family but some think they are the elite of the elite. Just because you have a shit ton of money, brand new aircraft, brand new equipment, and can afford to loss money on almost every flight because your jumping $2-3 million aircraft, and you feel the need to push your skygod, big swinging dick personality around like you own the sky and the sport of skydiving. Feel free to comment how you want.

Also airspace in the continental u.s. is divided into many classes of airspace, typical dropzones either operate in class G which is uncontrolled airspace air traffic control can not see a lot of this airspace so they can not control air traffic here. However most places class G ends at 1200' above ground and becomes class E which is controlled airspace but has very liberal flight rules and is where most all jumping occurs, at 17,999' above sea level everywhere airspace turns into class A which is controlled, highly regulated, and must be on an instrument flight plan in order to fly in it, however special permission through the local FISDO can approve flights in it but require a lot of paper pushing and probably knowing someone in the FAA.

Anyone know of any tunnel camps that may be going on this winter. I live in Ohio so when it starts to get white outside I would like to head somewhere for a camp so I can come out next season like a pro, Anywhere in the U.S. Would be great I work for the airlines so I can practically fly anywere.

I would have to say that you should be a little nervous or anxious at some point through out the jump. I still get nervous about 10-15 secs before the door opens but once it opens you have a job to do, and your training and the thrill takes over. The little bit of nervousness should be felt it keeps you safe and alive. I love skydiving and i mostly like being nervous or a little anxious...if I don't feel that nervous then I try something new to do because i feel i am getting to complacent with things so i try to push it a little more. Or progress more in the sport. I think if your getting complacent and not a little nervous you should try something new...not outrageous were you might kill your self but something to progress,learn, and get a rush!!! -just my $.02

I have a jedei 170 which is airlocked. I have recently developed a hole on the airlock material in the center cell. Its in the bottom left corner where the stitching meets the bottom skin of the the center cell. The rib, bottom skin, and top skin stitching are all great with no rips or anything. I had two riggers pull the material back and re stitch the material to close the hole but it has pulled away from the stitch both times. I have talked to a few people and even the designer and they have said its not a critical part of the canopy and as long as it is not getting really bad or really loose it will be fine. I was wondering what I could do to fix this problem this winter. I need a reline in the winter anyways and the canopy is great besides that. Any Ideas would be appreciated. Thanks.

I jump a Jedei 170. My slider has two kill lines and the velcro center. I still have to roll mine up after I colapse it, pul it down over my toggles and front risers and stow it behind my head. If you slider is like mine it has a lip on it which catchs more air and makes it open slower. But it also catches air even when its collapsed. So you might want to think about putting a single center kill line or like crossed kill lines. Just somethin to think about. it takes me a good 15-25 seconds after opening to get all set-up.

Was just wondering if anyone has experience with jumping out of a twin beech westwind doing video. It is a taildragger and the tail sits relatively low in level flight. The pilot will be in a slight nose down attitude when we exit but still very cautious of the tail. Any tips on best way to exit and stay set up for the video. I no not to open my wings right out of the door but anything else to expect or try with anyone who has some experience around this aircraft?

I purchased my own rig around 30 jumps or so. I jumped a few other peoples rigs and discovered how real parachutes open instead of the thwack kick in the pants openings of the student gear. However, I am a pilot and canopy control was very easy for me and I was told by a few instructors that I was fine jumping these different rigs. Every harness feels different, every canopy opens, flys, flairs, and feels different as well so ask a lot of questions about opening characteristics, how it handles, how it flairs, and things to watch out for.

Any time taking off downwind/tailwind its a little more tricky in judging the take off roll. But with a competent pilot who is familiar with the super-otter this is fine. I believe the Super-Otter is pretty close to a STOL rated aircraft if it isn't. (Short Take-Offs and Landings.) And when it comes to Jump aircraft, weight is always an issue and since they are so stripped down its more of the experience of the pilot rather than technical/on paper statistics.

I have a collapsible slider that I can pull under my toggles and put it behind my head. What is the best way to stow it behind my head to keep it from being in the way or reopening. I try to just roll the $#!* out of it and then place behind my neck but it still seems to un roll often when I am playing under canopy. Looking to see what others do. Also is there anything I could get put on it to keep it rolled up?

Yeah I am newly licensed I probably wouldn't have jumped. Especially with a big freakin sail like that student canopy. Wind is so important with big canopys. Even the small ones are affected but can get more drive and control out of them. I jump a semi-eliptical 170 and I get caught in thermals every now and then. Start studying weather. I am a pilot too and the weather knowledge of being a pilot helps a lot in decisions and understanding what is going on around you. Good job on getting the job done! Blue skies!