InfiniteSky

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Posts posted by InfiniteSky

  3. Quote

    Has anyone actually jumped one of these yet? Opinions? I'm definitely intrigued and it's good looking.



    I jumped one a couple times. (That's me in the pictures DSE posted.) I'd have to say it's the most comfortable rig I've ever worn. Their new weight bearing system is incredible while you're standing around on the ground. Feels like next to nothing on your back. It hugs your body like a glove in the air. It felt a little tight after opening until I loosened the chest strap, but I think that's due to the rig being a little small on me and the fact I really tighten everything (especially the chest strap) down.

    I only jumped it in a wingsuit, so I don't know how it flies in other disciplines, but there was no restriction or movement of the rig when I was bending every way I could while standing on the ground. In the wingsuit it gave me a really clean deployment from a full flight pitch which you can see in the second of DSE's photos.

    I love how they built the main container closing system. There's a number of features and construction methods I haven't seen on any other rig that are really cool.

    For the record I'm not sponsored by RI, but after jumping the rig I really wish I was. I would love to have one of my own.

  5. I jumped an "Eel" banner setup a couple times. It was about 70 ft. long. The banner was made of some super lightweight material that was very porous and silklike. Even at 70 ft. you could hardly feel it once it was flying and it had no real noticeable effects on flying the canopy.

    It was hooked up with two of the cheap keychain carabiners. One went to the risers and one to your foot. The carabiners were hooked to the banner with a rubber band each. The idea being that they're cheap breakable rubber bands and would break if the banner snagged or you had to suddenly cut away or something. The guy who built the setup said he had seen that breakaway system work on an eel jump previously.

    I'm not a big fan of hooking things to my risers, but I think there were enough fail points in the system that it was pretty safe. Be much better to not have anything on your risers though.

  7. Yes, it can be fairly easy to miss, especially in a tight fitting suit and if you tend to wear your leg straps on the looser side.

    At Skydive Elsinore we've developed a quick easy wingsuit gear check that doesn't require unzipping the suit. Stand facing the wingsuiter and put your hands between the yoke of their rig and the to of their shoulders and have them shrug their shoulders. If their leg straps are on and tightened your hand will be pinched between the two, but if their leg straps aren't on or tightened the rig will ride up and won't tighten on your hands.

    I also then double check their chest strap and make sure their handles are clear. The whole check only takes a couple seconds. Buddy checks are good. Don't think you're so good you'll never forget. We had a newbie wingsuiter insist on giving an experienced one (who insisted his leg straps were good) a gear check only to find his leg straps were not on.

    If you wingsuit please get a gear check from someone before you get on the plane. And one before exit doesn't hurt either.

  9. I did that drill in the canopy course I did as a newbie. It was made clear that we were to clear our airspace before each flare and open our eyes upon returning to full flight. I would say that doing them consecutively without opening your eyes would be foolish. FWIW we also did flares watching the canopy and flares looking at the horizon. I think it's definitely a useful drill to learn to feel your canopy early on.

  10. Quote

    as yesterday I learned, somewhat belatedly, that I was supposed to take and pass oral quizzes corresponding to each jump level.

    I only have level "A" signed off! D'oh![:/] Feeling rather stupid about that...



    I did all my quizzes (besides the Cat A quiz) right before taking my A License test. It's not a big deal, and more your instructor's responsibility than yours anyway.

  11. Congrats to Pat! It was great to be out there and watch (whenever I could escape the packing tent, haha). He always landed with a smile on his face and looked like he could have kept going for quite awhile longer. Amazing guy! I can only hope I've got that much energy and life left in me when I'm his age.

  12. Quote

    Quote

    Here is more food for thought folks Provided by NAVCENT/US Coast Guard:.....

    ....China Lake, CA
    (CHLK 11-13)
    07 NOV 11 - 16 DEC 11 (Dates/Distance are Approximate)
    100 NM RADIUS OF POSITION:
    36 09 18N; 117 37 32W



    This could very well be the reason and would fit my suspicion of jamming.

    This could also explain why the units worked on side of the plane and not on the other. Was this maybe the side pointing to Crystal lake?

    [Edit: From what Lurch describes (Signal was lost on the way up and re-aquired ont the way down): Is it possible the mountains were actually shielding the jamming signal?]



    I was sitting opposite Lurch and as the plane flew it's base leg to the jumprun he would have been on the Northeast side of the plane, a little more towards Northwest on jumprun itself, but we were exiting almost immediately after the turn onto jumprun.

    I also had jumps that only started recording at the bottom end of the competition window.

    So I'd say it seems quite possible that it was that interference that was causing the issues, and as we got lower the mountains could have given us some shielding and allowed the units to function normally.

  13. Never jumped a Wings container. But the options you and Ronaldo mentioned are really nice when wingsuiting. No reason not to get them if you're buying new. Just don't go over 9ft on the bridle. Things can get interesting sometimes if you do.

    FWIW I love my Sabre2 as a wingsuit canopy. Started wingsuiting on a Sabre2 170 at around 1.25:1, and now I'm jumping a 135. Yes, there are canopies that have more consistent openings, but even in line twists it behaves well.

  16. Quote

    No one's even mentioned the GPS capability of many phones nowadays. It could come in handy if you're hurt (whether you could make a call or not). Or if you're stuck in a tree and don't quite know exactly where.



    +1

    I had my phone with me on an off landing. I turned on Latitude (an app that lets you see other friends locations when they have it enabled), called my friend and told him to turn his on and come pick me up. Then I dropped my gear and started packing. No need to give him directions, he just drove right to me. Pretty handy. I always keep a pull up cord on me too.

  19. Robyn was a really wonderful person. I got to know her during her trips to Elsinore and always looked forward to her visiting us again. I had just talked with her about when she would come visit again and finally jump together. My arm was broken on her last visit and I spent my time on the DZ visiting with people and taking pictures. I'm glad I had that down time and was able to sit around and talk and take some pictures of her (including the one Skymama posted and a few I'm including here).

    The picture Skymama posted captures her well and it's how I'll always remember her. She was vibrant and full of life and was a joy to have around the DZ. She was a passionate person. About skydiving, her son, and her life and the way she lived it. She has been taken far too soon, but she lived her life to the fullest she could.

    The first picture is Robyn just before going up on a jump. The second is after her first sunset canopy flock jump. And the final picture is of that flock.

    Blue Skies Robyn. I miss you already. Fly Free.

  24. If you use receiver's gloves every weekend or so for half a year it loses the "sticky" and just stays nice and grippy. I have noticed they get a little slick when wet, so maybe not the best idea in wet conditions.

    I usually use my receiver's gloves in winter (especially in the tunnel) and I have some batting gloves for the summer time. I love the batting gloves and wear them as long as I can until the cold gets too much for me. They're super thin and have a great grip. Almost like having nothing on.