skymick

I just posted this using a mobile using GPRS This would have to be a first for dz.Com would'nt it?

Apart from student canopies I've jumped only Sabres so far. I've found generally speaking openings are as hard or as soft as you want them to be. Get an expert to show you how to pack and find out various techniques to get it to slow up on opening such as puttin the slider over the nose of the canopy, using correct size bands/tubestows etc but dont end up just getting someone to pack for you all the time. Take the time to learn yourself and try out new techniques (get advice before you try though). I found doing it that way I was able to learn how to ge the Sabre to open any way I want (to a point). Ive found though if you get sloppy with pack jobs prepare to get slammed. Ive had one shocker so far that put me out for a week (tip: dont dump in a track! ) and one or 2 pretty bad ones due to sloppy packing. The rest were fine though Cheers

9 calls generally have better glide then a 7 cell as they have a higher aspect ratio which means less form drag (which is induced by the friction of the air against the skin of the canopy). They also tend to need less input so tend to react more aggresively then 7 cells. But due to the higher number of cells they tend to infalte more unevenly (takes more time to inflate the ends cells) and they do have a higher pack volumne becuase of the higher number of cells, which means more matieral. OK for anyone who hasnt realised I just scabbed most of that from http://skydiveaz.com/resources/book_canopy.htm so instead of trying to sound like I know what Im talking about ill just copy and paste some if it below... The seven cell is more likely to open on heading, will pack slightly smaller for the same wing area, and is less vulnerable to malfunctions of a line-over type. In a partial malfunction situation, the seven cell will be less radical (have a slower descent rate and less violent behavior.) A nine cell will have a flatter glide, giving it slightly more range. It will have a longer flare, which may make the flare easier to time but requires a longer runway. The seven cell will be more stable at slow speeds, give more warning before stalling, and recover from a stall more predictably than a nine cell. The nine cell may have more forward speed, an advantage in winds. If anyone has'nt read the 'Book of Canopy Control' by Bryan Bourke go and read it..it is really interesting and helpful (the addy is above)

Two words: Astro boy! Oh yeah I forgot... Captain Planet!

What was your injury and how long did you take to come back? ( i think from seeing an old post of yours you have have your back fused is that right?) Did the docs you speak to try and persuade you to wait longer or did you take their advice and waited? Cheers

I've worn contacts ever since I started jumping and had no major problems. Just make sure whatever goggles you get that they are done up real tight. Ive had mine come off twice or come loose..had to close my eyelids to stop them from peeling off my eye which was damn scary..had to track like that and just opened my eyes quick enough to have a look around before dumping. Also wore glasses on just one jump..the goggles I used were so bulky and hard that they caught the relative wind and blew stright off! amazingly my glasses managed to stay on somehow

Hmm make that 576 hours... Damn doc has decided to go on holidays...gotta wait to the 29th now...damn I was really hoping to get rid of the brace on Monday

dont worry bout it..I had completely forgotten about this thread anyway till now!

Ouch! Ive found that out the hard way...

Hey if you get out and it takes your canopy till 1.5k to open there is something seriously wrong with it. Dont forget while it may take longer to open, your vertical descent is pretty low to. Even if you wait 5 seconds then pull your speed should be enough for it to open at it's nomal pace just about. At your stage you should still follow your emergency procedures exactly as they were told to you, and if that means getting rid of it when you count to 5000 then so be it but I would be very suprised if it didnt open before then (asumming it was packed ok) HnP's arnt so scary once you do one or two, Ive gotten out just nover 2,000 and been open by 1800 no problems (thats what I told the CI anyway ). Its just what the other guys said, just be stable when you get out and everything else will be sweet. Cheers

Damn you needed him to tell you that Swanny? Any of us at the DZ could of told you that!

Hmm unfortunately the doc I see is in the outpatients clinic at the local hospital so I get what im given, got no choice in the matter. Oh well I know a doc who used to jump (not orthopedic though) so Ill see what she says... Main thing that worries me is the fact that an injury that I could get that would allow me to walk away from if I wasnt injured might be enough to send me back to hospital due to the previous injury. Ah well Ill find out in 161 hours... (but who's counting eh! )

Damn what is it with the Yanks and their guns??

Its not the death bit that worries me...its the paralysis if I biff in again and shatter the metal inside me that worries me...

1. Accuracy comp, wasnt where I wanted to be due to having to go around a slower canopy on finals. If I did that exact same jump over and over I would of landed off windline and away from the pit but I did a snap 180 to get to the target..didnt even consciously think about it. Dunno why I really did it, maybe I was subcounsciously just thinking about my accuracy and nothing else... 2. Canopy:Sabre 150 3. WL: 1.35 4. Experience: Had gone from X300 (SL) to 280 to Raven 228's on student status. Then got a sabre 170 for first canopy and at about 170ish jumps got the 150. 5. Jumps:249 6. Damage:Crushed and fracturred L1 vertabrea and I reckon I must of fractureed or badly bruised my tailbone acuse it hurt like hell to sit on it for a while. Had a bone graft from my hip fused with L1 and had rods and screws yet pput in (will be taken out in 1 yr) 7. Cost: dunno, have insurance so only paid for TV hire at the hospital and pain killer sonce i got out. Ambo ride was $600 but was covered for that. Reckon considering the length and complexity of the surgury (3hrs +) the bill would be in the 10,000s (AU) 8.Down time: Dont know yet...Ideally will be once I get the metal out but could be back in 3 months at the least.

Hey Spike, thanks for the reply. Did your doc have any problems with you jumping while you still get metal? Usually they are ultra conservative and wouldnt recommend it until you get it out...

Sorry should of been a bit more specific. I had L1 fused, coupla of rods and screws in there. Im told it will be out eventually, my surgeon at the time told me 9 -12 months bhut at my latest vist the doc said it would be at least that, and didnt sound too optimistic. So I know the smart thing to do would be wait till I get it out...but after hearing from different people who have jumped with metal in them im getting very tempted to come back in 3 or so months (assuming the doc says normal forces in a jump like opening shock wont dmanage my back further). Obviously I wont go back to normal jumpign habits till Im free of metal, but if i get a larger canopy,be very selective when and who I jump with then I can minimise the risk. What does everyone think? could it be a goer or am I just a idiot for even thiking of it? PS I go back to hospital in a week so ill be asking my doc this (even though im sure I wont like his answer) so at the moment this is just all hypothetical musings right now,... Cheers

Just wondering if who here has jumped with metal inside them from a previous injury (back, leg etc)? What was there Docs advice, any problems encountered, any regrets etc? Cheers Mick

How long does it take from when u pitch till the canopy is out of the bag? If its a few seconds it could be possible that the kill line in the bridle is too short so the PC never fully inflates.

Dude there are some low timers out there who never had a chop before and may not particulary have a lot of general awareness in the sky which is not a good combination. I can think of at least 2 people that have been saved by this rule in the last 2 years due to their inability to follow emergency procedures when the shit hit the fan...

I was just wondering what everyone's opinion is of the Mantis position. I've heard various things about it from being essential if you want to start cranking out shit loads of points to it being only useful for one or two different blocks and randoms, and generally the box position is ok for eveything else. Opinions? Cheers

I wouldnt worry about it, conditions can change without notice and your JM wouldnt of put you up if he thought the conditions were too harsh for you. I had the same thing happen to me on an AFF 5 jump ages ago. Conditions were just below student limits but sometime after we exited the winds must of picked up cause I found myself going backwards as soon as I dumped. Problem was the spot was shit as I opened right over the target. I ended up staying in the wind doing some sashays to loose height but ended up landing right in the corner of a field with factories on one side of me and a highway on the otherside. I was a bit harsh on myself after it happened but in those circumstances I was told I did the right things. The only thing that sounds you might of doen wrong is allow yourself to go too far downwind of the target but I doubt there would be anyone on here who hasnt done that at least once or twice

Go for the pit! At least if u spotted that load no one will ever doubt your spotting abilities again

bwhahaha..damn i shoulda thought of something like that!

Damn this has gotta be the funniest thing ive seen in ages.... Goto http://www.pornolize.com/ Type in www.dropzone.com into the page and view the 'enhanced' version