FFMedic

Thanks for all the suggestions.

Thanks that's a good suggestion. That or a big safety pin.

Opps ya got me....."freefly" suit. My bad. Guess I can't spell two gud. No I'm not female and If you had my belly you might be unwilling to just flash it around for no reason. I was wearing a full jump suit with a neck to crotch zipper. And your right, no suit at all might be a lot safer.

I just thought I'd save someone a potential problem by reminding everyone that even small things can make a good dive go wrong. Not that this dive went wrong, actually it was great and quite a thrill. But as accidents usually start small and build on other small things until you have a big thing I thought I'd bring this up. I recently had a fantastic trip to San Diego jumping with my son who is a really great skydiver. ( no bias here I assure you ) On our second jump of the day He asked if I wanted to try my first head down. We were to hold on to each other and fall over trying to get stable. Actually neither of us expected it to work but it did after a little wobbling. Glory Osky! My alti later read 228 MPH. I could really feel the speed build and it was a trip. Some place around 6k we broke off and I started my deployment about 4200. ( I like to open high) and was under a good canopy about 3200ish. Then I noticed i was a bit colder than I thought I should be. When looked down My suit had stripped the zipper right down to my crotch and my t-shirt was up around my neck. Kind of embarrassing but not really a problem at that time. Later I realized that if I had experienced a problem with my main I could have possibly had a tricky time finding my reserve handles. I checked this action out on the ground and found that I could access them. However, under stress and in a freefall I wouldn't want to bet on it. Lacking a freefall suit I would want to make sure I pinned or otherwise secured my zipper to prevent this in the future. I don't plan on starting a habit of head down but it was fun that one time. I only mention this because it is one of those small things that just would never cross your mind at the time but seems like a "head slap" moment afterward. I even got my half nakedness on camera.

I have recently flown into Pheonix/Mesa, San Diego, Seattle and Las Vegas with my rig in its own bag. The worst I got was leaving Vegas. I checked in at the counter and the agent put some blue tape on my bag to say it was OK as carry on. When I got to the gate I left the bag with a friend and went off to the bathroom. When I returned I found some one from the gate had walked by and seen my rig and said it was obviously too big and tagged it to be taken off and stowed like a stroller or wheel chair. I was a bit hot because I have traveled with it like this a lot and no trouble. I objected at the counter and the guy just said as long as it fits in the test area. ( little bars simulating overhead ). So I took it up there and it fit. (it looks big but the rig is smaller than the bag) What I ended up with is a lesson. If it happens again I'll just act dumb and go gee? really? Because as they called my seat I put the bag on over my coat (black bag, black coat) and she couldn't even see it. I kept my back away from her and as I walked down the ramp I ripped the tag off. No tag, no body to take it from me at the plane. Problem solved. Usually its just a swab ( normally by a super, who knows why) but as I fly more the normal places I visit pay way more attention to my laptop and cameras and just wave the rig through.

Most likely my not being familiar with pro packing has a lot to do with it. Its not that I think its impossible as I have seen a few packers doing standup tandem rigs ( without a hook) at a few DZ's. But it isn't as comfortable for me. I seem to have an easier time making sure my lines are straight and clean if I flat pack and for right now that gives me a lot of confidence in my equipment. I used to think it was impossible to not look like a slab of plywood chucked out the door and now I can actually fly pretty steady. As I move forward I'm sure other things will change too.

{Flat packing is discouraged, if for no other reason than it taking so much realestate in the packing area.} I have not heard flat packing as being discouraged before. Maybe someone is annoyed at the amount of space you take up but no one has ever discouraged me. I flat pack for two reasons. One I have a Nav 280 and even with my 6'5" height the thing is awkward while standing. Second, I learned to pack from military instructors. The military flat packs and that's good enough for me. I actually have tried my first rig pro packed and didn't like the opening so went back. I just never felt like trying on the new one. I am conscious of the space I take up so often I find myself packing after the rest of the load is done. That does mean I might miss a load by being slow at some DZ's but mostly I find there is plenty of room.

FMD. Yep that's what I keep getting told. Here's our pattern. Fly this and we'll like you. Cool! I want to be liked. I want to jump here. How come at EVERY DZ I have jumped at, most in Washington, Eloy,Elsinore,Mesquite, San Diego and even in Canada, I dutifully get into the pattern to find I am the only one to do so? OK, not absolutely every time but so often I wonder why they mention it. I never hear of anyone being lectured or talked to and conclude that patterns are for newbies and regulars do as they please. Maybe there is some logic to this. I am not a "regular" at any one DZ so maybe I am out of the loop. I get surprised by people showing up in front of me on final and have no idea where they came from. (above no doubt). Not saying I'll just start landing as I please too, just wondering what all the lip service is about patterns if most people ignore them. Are they too boring? At my level they seem safe and appropriate. Do you lose that feeling as you rack up the numbers? Newbie who's just curious.

Got signed off on my "A" the day before my 57th B'day. One year later I got my "B". I have noticed that it appears there are many young and many old jumpers at the DZ's I have jumped, but fewer true middle agers. Must be the family thing. No time, no money, no permission. :)

Well, my son taught me. So it was OK I guess. BTW I love your tag line. I use it myself on Skype.

@imanewdiver, I believe my son has contacted you and I thought I'd just let you know how I managed. First I am no expert and offer no advice. This is just what I did. Having my son, a military FF instructor ( also an AFFI and a tandem instructor), and his colleagues expert knowledge was the key to my getting started. My first 17 jumps through AFF were in a military MC4. Pretty big rig and a nice one to land. But I couldn't take the rough treatment it handed me on opening sometimes and had my son order me the Wings rig custom fit to me. I am 6'5" and 260# so my exit weight is 300+/-. I now jump with a Navigator 280 and a PD 281 reserve. My last 41 jumps have been on this. My son checked with the manufacturer as I had some of the same questions. I used to really fall fast until I got a new suit with winglets (body sport) that has slowed me from as much as 160 to 120-130 avg. I flat pack ( its a bit big and its the military way so how I was taught) and I roll my nose pretty tight so I get a real nice slow opening. I have only once had a hard opening and that was trying a new way to pack it. I do have at least a 1000 ft snivel or more, but I continue to love opening high as the canopy flight is more than half the fun for me. As has been mentioned my landings were the biggest challenge. The MC4 was a real teddy bear and I started right out landing softly and standing up. The new rig brought me in a bit faster and I have only gotten real comfortable with it in the last 15 jumps. No wind landings were tough but I stood it up in 10 knot winds fine. Now I am nailing my no wind landings 95% of the time but have never had a significantly bad landing in any event. I have about 1 1/2 hrs tunnel time. I am moving toward losing 40# where I feel much better and by then I'll probably even feel like downsizing just a little. I had great instructors who were more critical of my flying like a sheet of plywood then my weight or size ( at this height most people don't even look at me as overweight). I am glad I stuck with it as I am progressing every jump. I have my "B" now and will be in a wing suit right next to my son some day. I only wish I hadn't waited until much older than you to start. BTW, I understand you might know a bit about my work.

Thomas_crowe: I really like your response. I hope you don't take any grief giving it without being a 6 figure jumper.

Wow great, some intelligent well stated replies. MikeJD: I appreciate your taking the time to answer. As to my visor and chest strap, yes I have found them to be very distracting. They both gave me trouble early on, visor slightly difficult to open and chest strap tight and hard to loosen. I have since gotten over them both but up front they were taking my eyes and mind off the road, so to speak. To regression I guess we will have to disagree slightly. I do not find this particular activity much of a boundary and way far from a push. Despite all calls to the contrary I do not intend to fall belly first, alone, for 200 times so I can be called experienced. Little things will be added as I go and I considered this a little thing. Would I let it go? Hell yes. Will it foul anything , as stated I had a breakaway lanyard, any abrupt force and it would have let go. Its only a couple of hundred and I do have a good job after all. I still would like to know specifically if anyone does know how chest mounted, non adjustable cameras might cause problems that seem particularly dangerous. So far I just hear don't do it. I'm an old guy, that might work on young guys but I have always needed to know what people mean and often they can not articulate what is the problem. Often its just "I said don't". Make it plain and real and I'll go along with it easy. And to "chain of events". I agree. But we do not know what those events are until Monday Morning. Then everyone can say well I told you so. Every single thing I or anyone does up there could be the first link in the chain. Be cautious, think things out, follow a dive plan and be safe in general. Outside of that you might as well pack it in as you never know what that first link will be and it could be anything. Finally I'd be very interested in what "A" jumpers can do in UK at your DZ. Maybe you have a better system across the pond and I really would like to hear it. Thanks again and you sound like a great person to be able to jump with someday, if I don't scare you too much.

As a medic I have had 3 patients with MI's (heart attacks) who were 20/21. However, all were drug users, two IV drug users and the third using up the nose. First two in jail and I almost blew them off as fakers (early in my career). Turns out they had really bad family histories with relatives who died in early 40's. All they did was accelerate their future. Others can have MI's from defects of the heart and or the electrical conduction system.

Since this thread was old I thought I'd update it from my experience. I fly to Arizona and San Diego a lot lately to visit my son's family and new GD. I always carry on my rig and my back pack with all my computer and electronic gear as I don't want those clowns in baggage handling it. ( no offense meant if you work there and are not one of those clowns). It appears that at the smaller airports I tend to get the gear bag whipped down most of the time. At the larger airports they most often don't even notice it. I have never had more than a couple of minutes wait while they checked it. Usually its a nice talk about skydiving. As to fitting I follow the USPA guidelines and only have my rig in the gear bag. I carry a printout from the USPA and the TSA about parachutes but have never had to show them. My Wings container holds a Nav 280 and a PD 281 and its a big ass rig. I have never had an issue with fitting it and even with my computer bag no one has ever asked me to check anything.