airborne47

Actually the 170 supposedly had 60 some jumps on it. And i had a rigger check it out and he said it looked like a new canopy. But i only put 7 jumps on it after returning to the sport after a three and a half year absence. Plus i was taught to do PLFs by Uncle Sam. So PLFs have allways been naturale to me. (Had a real hard time at first NOT DOING PLFs) So think in large part it was just a matter of my comfort level.

I've jumped a Triathalon rental and didn't have any complaints. I don't have a lot of experience/knowledge so don't know why people would think that way? But don't care if i'm one of (the cool kids) or not. I realize i will never be one of the greats of the sport. And have NO DESIRE to be a super swooper! But just because i can't jump as often as i would like. Does not mean i want to call it quits and sit on the coach. I just want to be able to jump once in awhile as safely as i can! If that means i use a bigger canopy or less cool canopy then others so be it!

Thanks will keep that in mind. hopefully i'll be able to make it to a holdiday boogie and get the chance to jump a demo or two.

Answer. Nope. And point taken. But we learn with experience!

Thanks for the replies. i was curiouse because my first canopy was a Falcon 210 and i really liked it. Then i went to the 170 (after jumping a few 190s) So was thinking of maybe another Falcon 210? But think i'll go with a zero p now! I had a seriouse neck injury in the past. And should be dead or paralyzed. And had one hard opening which took over a month to recover from. BUT i'm sure it was self induced as i was at a boogie. (with low experience) And let myself be talked into going 1000 feet lower then normal before deploying. And am sure i dumped straight out of my track! Then on my second jump on this canopy i had another hard opening and was told that's common with those canopies so want to be more selective this time. I realize it can happen at any time on any canopy. But want to (try) and limit the odds as much as i can.

I just came back to the sport after a three and a half year absence. And only 158 jumps. I was flying a zero p Conquest 170 (South African) when i left. So being how it had been three and a half years. And i had put on about ten pounds. Thought i would get a 190. But got a good deal on a Falcon 170 which is F 111. I only had a few jumps on it and was haveing problems landing it. Which i compensated for by doing PLFs. When i really screwed up! So decieded to upsize to a 210. Because i drive truck for a living and don't get to jump vary often. So am wondering two things. What's the main difference between an F 111 and a zero p canopy? And what canopies should i stay away from if i want to avoid hard openings?

Haha!. Yeah i think we're the reason for climate warming. I think all them pushups we did moved the earth over a bit from it's alingment! We had Ground week with PLFs and mockup door exits. Then tower week with more mockup door exits from an elavated tower. (With harness and zip line) Then jump week with 1 jump per day (and one at night) But We still did spur of the moment PLFs (and pushups) constantly all the way through. I was amazed when i took up skydiving how natural PLFs still were! And that 1200 feet really wasn't that high! Roflmfao!!!! AirBorne!

Not a direct answer to your question. But a word of advice. Practice PLFs! Check out my post. (Please learn from my stupidity) I am apsolutly positive that the only thing that kept me from rideing off of the dropzone in an ambulance was my PLF ability! At the time i thought it was overkill and bullshit. But i had a 3 week jump school curtosy of Uncle sam. For the first week all i did was PLFs. Mockup door exits. And thousands of pushups! 20 some years later doing A GOOD PLF was as natural as scratching my nose. And when i screwed up recently and was hurting. I walked off of the dropzone on my own because of it!

I agree that (I don't have to take it) But am willing to if it's at least constructive! As for the guy who talked to me about rideing my brakes. That was a (talk) And i could see that he was visably upset allthough he didn't berate me. So i took what he said as an honest concern. And was glad he was concerned enough to talk to me! And decieded to listen to what he said and learn from it!

Gee Wendy i wish you had been the lady in the golf cart. I've got a feeling you may have given me a ride back. And used that time to talk to me and help me learn what i did wrong without makeing me feel like a compleate idiot!

Yeah i had some choice words for her and just wanted to pack my shit and leave. But now i don't have any hard feelings towards her. She was obviosly upset as well. But i think she could have handeled it better! Which is why i asked you more experienced people to let us know WHY what we did was stupid!

Thanks for that input. I hadn't thought of the disruption of the norm by going to deep brakes aspect. Point taken! I know i made several mistakes. But believe my initial mistake of changing my thought preocess. And not takeing the out as soon as i realized i was going long. Put me in a bad position where my lack of experience/knowledge made me a hazzard to myself and others as well. Which is why i posted origianallly. Like i said i seriously considered calling it quits after that. And it wasn't because i was shook up because i could have hurt myself. or worse. (which i was) But because i had allowed myself to make such bad decisions! I've seen 2 people die in this sport and both were because of panic in emergencies. So i had to really ask myself if this was for me or not? I finally decieded that this was a one time incedent that i could learn from and move forward. I've allways been vary conservative and realize my limits. And was pleased with how i handled my one cut away in the past. So decieded to continue but learn from it. And hope i can help others to as well.

Oh yeah and for those of you wondering about wing loading and weather. I'm 185 and it was mild dessert weather with hardly any winds. But i'll SAY AGAIN. I believe my number one mistake was changing my mental focus. And thus not immediatly takeing the out at alltitude!

Thanks all for the replies. What i feel was my biggest mistake and want people to learn from. Was changing my thought process from. I want to safely land at the DZ. (or an out) to. I NEED TO land in (the landing area! That was an extreamly dumb choice on my part and put me in a bad situation! I should have taken the out at alltitude! But once i was (in the pattern) I did not want to make an aggresive turn out for it. So i then tried to compensate for my mistake on a canopy i only had a handful of jumps on. And that handful of jumps was all i had made in three and a half years! As for canopy choice. i feel a 170 zero p would be ok in most situations. But want to go to a 210 because i do not get to jump as often as i should. And yes i've done deep brakes up high to see what would happen. But this was an extended flight. So after i UPSIZE i want to get with a canopy coach and just go over basics. To include emergency landings. (braked approach into tight areas etc) Also like i said i can and will take an ass chewing. But please include something constructive! her chewing me out for landing (there) Just made me think. NO shit really! While his TALK made me think of what i had done! And finally. I want to encourage EVERYONE to practice PLFs. I would really like to see DZs put in a little zip line. It would only take a couple of beams cemented into the ground and a cable. With a platform and bicycle handlebars. Then you could slide down the line let go. AND FLARE as you did a plf. Trust me that little extra training could make a world of difference someday! And what else do you have to do on bad weather days?

With 158 jumps spread out at many DZs over a long period. I left the sport only to return three and a half years later. I bought another 170 but it's an F-111. Haveing skipped my B license planning to just wait and get my C. I looked at the reqiurments and saw i had to make 25 landings within 10 meters. So on my last jump i went for the (target) when i saw i was going long and was in to heavy of traffic to even think of S turns. I remembered seeing an older guy who jumps a big canopy for accuracy routinly use deep brakes. So i went into deep brakes and held it! When i should have made a slight right and went for open dessert. When i saw i was still going long and heading for obsticales. I went even deeper in my brakes trying to bleed off alltitude and chose my out. I let off on my brakes and made a slight left to line up with a road and avoid the obsticales. Then flared just in time to get a little lift. But still had a hard landing! I'm positive that the only reason i walked away from it is because i had PLFs drilled into me as a Paratrooper. A female staff member came out in a golf cart obviously expecting the worst. When she saw i was walking. She chewed me out for landing (there) because of the obsticale danger. And told me i could walk back for being so stupid. I can and will take an ass chewing when deserved!!! But all she did was piss me off and make me want to leave and never come back to that DZ! When i got to the packing area. An experienced jumper TALKED TO ME and said i had scared the hell out of him riding my brakes like that. As he had thought i was going to collapse my canopy down low. That TALK ws like a kick in the gut and scared the hell out of me! I thanked him and realized just how lucky i was! I seriously considered giving the sport up becuase of it. But decieded to first of all learn from it. F... the landing area! That IS NOT a prioraty! I also decieded to UPSIZE to a 210 due to the sparadic nature of my jumping. As well as getting some canopy coaching. I fully realize not being able to jump on a consitant requlare basis is increasing my risk factor. But feel these steps combined with my self grounding on windy days. And not pushing my limits as well as being satisfied with just landing on the airport and walking a bit. Will make the risk factor exceptable. I can do S turns if there's no traffic and land pretty close to where i want. But will never again allow myself to think that i HAVE TO land where everyone else is. So for all you newer jumpers please learn from my mistake. I could have easyly killed myself had i induced a stall!! And for you experienced jumpers who see us less experienced people do stupid shit. Please TALK to us and let us know what we did and WHY it was so stupid! That's a hell of a lot more helpful then just yelling at us for being stupid without telling us why we're stupid!

personally having watched an experienced jumper go in during a demo in front of thousands to include his wife and kids. And seeing an incident report of a lady being knocked unconcious during an emergency exit and saved by her aad. I can think of no logical reason to jump without one IF YOU CAN AFFORD IT! I jumped without at first because of finances. (This was well after watching the guy go in.) And will not hesitate to jump without one now. But do have one as i can afford it. However I DO NOT trust it to save my life! But realize it just might give me a chance if the worst should happen. (no pull on my part for whatever reason) And beliefe a chance of saving my life to be worth every penny!

I just got current after a three and a half year absence July 2nd. And with an a license and 158 jumps i was required to do an aff level 7? after some one on one refresher training with an instructor. So am sure that for the recurrency jump at least you will have to use gear with an aad. After that unless the drozone requires it you don't HAVE TO have one. Except for peace of mind. As for E.P.s rather you do a fjc or one on one that will be covered. And i can not imagine an instructor not taking any questions you have seriously and spending time on them. So i would advice just going to the DZ and saying you want to get current! As a side thought. Having watched a jumper go in during a demo in front of a crowd of thousands. To include his wife and kid! I FIRMLY believe in AADs (if you can afford it) but do not think they should be mandatory. Either from the dropzone or individual jumper.

Hahahaha So you think we should raise the personale income tax on the extreamly rich like Bill Gates. That's a good one. They don't have a personale income to tax! It's corporate! More democratic rocket science.

First of all i want to say thanks for wearing the uniform! Look forward to seeing you at a DZ some day in the future. And i don't give a damn how many firsts you have. I'LL BUY THE BEER!!!! It's the least i can do for my younger brothers who put it on the line. AirBorne! Blue Skies and stay safe brother!

After 158 jumps and then a three and a half year absence. I'M BACK! Went down to Skydive Toledo in Washington Saturday and did a currency class and jump. Normal pre jump jitters but nothing more. Once in the air it felt SO RIGHT! Only regret is i can't explain to those who don't jump just HOW MUCH it meant to me. But know you (normal people) can appreciate it! Big props to Mike the DZO at Toledo. He's good people and what this sport is all about!

Should have put this in sooner but forgot where i read it. You said something earlier about wanting info for emergency exits. I don't have experience to state things as fact. But one thing that was told to me that made sence was to head dive on emergency exits. The reason being the aircrafts tail could be dropping from a stall or roll. And that it better to take a hit to the body or limbs then your head.

It might be a personal call but as a low experienced jumper (158) Who drove truck thus constantly jumped at different DZs. I made the personal decision early on to never do so. And when i had my only cut away at an unfamilur DZ i was glad i did. Once i had checked my reserve altitude and location. (Over far end of airport. Long way from landing area but safe out.) I did a series of gentle 360s watching where my main and freebag went down. once i knew about where it was going turned and flew to landing area. when i went to find my gear what had looked like a nice smooth field from 1200 feet. Was in fact a dried up swamp with lots of high brush and extreamly rough ground. Which could have easyly caused a leg injury from a rough landing. So i'm glad i made the choice i did!! But if you're at Eloy and have 5000 jumps it would be a different story. The bottom line is i won't chase gear unless i APSOLUTLY KNOW THE AREA IT WENT DOWN IN. Oh yeah after fruitlessly searching through high brash. I went back to the DZ and offered 100 dollars to anyone who could find it. went back with help and found both but my reward was refused so i happyly bought beer!! Blue skies!

Well Billvon as i've said to others. At least you use reason to present your opinion and i respect that! You have also made me think and question things which is THE ONLY WAY this is ever going to be resolved. But i still do not believe it to be a constitutional right. Although i'm sure that due to our political climate it will be some day. And when that happens I WILL RESPECT IT!! But for now i can not. As for a few states saying it is. So what? The supreme court has often disagreed with state laws. The right to KEEP AND BEAR ARMS is clearly spelled out in the constitution. And yet many states and cities say i can't! California also has medical marijuna laws. And yet growers with state licences are raided and arrested by federal agents for violating federal law. I personally do not care one way or the other how this plays out. Hell letting gays get married and loseing everything in divorce is not going to have any impact on my life. Why shouldn't they be able to be miserable and broke to? But there are plenty of others who feel different and will fight like hell to prevent it. And i think it's a shame that PEOPLE will continue to be denied their HUMAN rights because of it. I think it's to bad that we can't reach some kind of compromise. As i said call it whatever you want. (The domestic partnership act) And i would 100% support it! But yelling that it is a constitutional right to marry will get 0% support from me.

No not understand the meaning. But thinking (your) understanding to have more weight then the supreme court! Many attornies have argued before the court. And lost!! Many lower court decisions have been oveturned!! If all we needed was what (someone) believed for it to be fact. We wouldn't have any court system at all. When the court says it's a constitutional right it will be. But your saying so does not make it so. Even if you (understand) it that way

That's fine but as of right now it's not viewed as such by the courts or we wouldn't be having this debate. If and when that changes then you can call it as such. But those decicions are not made by me and you. I personally really don't give a shit! As i have made it pretty clear i'm no big fan of marriage. But i can understand where others are coming from and respect their opinions as well. When the supreme court finally rules it to be a constitutional right i will have no problem accepting that. (or congress ratifies it) And i'm sure that will eventually happen! How i feel about it or what i think has no relavence whatsoever. But i will not say it to be a constitutional right before that happens. And will say it is not to those who say it is! Neither your interpatation or mine carries the weight of law. And to think just because you interpet it that way it is so is pretty self rightious in my opinion. I am not saying it's not based only on my interpatation or personale desire. But based on CURRENT law. I really don't care if it happens or not. But will respect and accept the law. And as for gay people. I have made it very clear i think they should have the same protections as straights. This is not an anti gay argument! It is about constitutional rights. And the current definition of the word marriage. Neither me nor you make either of those decisions. Just thinking or wanting it to be so does not make it so.