EFS4LIFE

82 views, only 15 votes....really wtf? Maybe a Mod could move this to a more appropriate forum? Funny how it is 100 percent so far though. I would love to hear someone argue against it. USPA take notice ;-) I am an asshole, but I am honest

Well? I personally think "secret ballots" should not be allowed. I will go a step further and say that I think we should demand that our elected officials vote by name for ANY vote. I feel we have a right to know where our officials stand on issues so that we may make better informed votes when it comes to re-elections. What say you? Edited for grammar and spelling I am an asshole, but I am honest

Thanks Ian. As I said I realize I am far from the parameters yet, but it is good to know when I downsize to the KA 120 I will still be ok on my Vigil. I don't do more than a 270 yet and don't plan to for quite awhile. Looks like I shouldn't even need to go to the Speed yet from your experience. I am not trying to "worry" about something too far away in progression to think about, but at the same time you don't know if you don't ask the questions, and I don't want to end up killing myself from a "known issue" that would just be silly. For shits and giggles I think I am going to borrow a radar gun from work. I am an asshole, but I am honest

I hear you. Unfortunately no one at my DZ has a fly sight that I know of. Small Cessna DZ, no wingsuiters. I realize a 1.5 on a 136 is most likely not approaching the danger area, but I am going to be moving down to 1.7 on a 120 this season, hence my questioning to begin with. I understand there are a ton of variables at play here but I don't think that should exclude some very rough ballpark of hey Speed model "here." The statistics can be interpreted however one wants to interpret them. I for one have have heard of them firing but not cutting loops effectively giving jumpers a reserve container lock. They have misfired in planes because a door opened. They have fired on swoopers who have exceed the parameters on hp landings. One manufacture puts out a service bulletin to check yours with a magnet to make sure there is a cutter in the damn thing because they had a major boo boo on the assembly line. One fired high on a tandem pair just before the TI was going to release the drogue. Now one fires on the packing mat supposedly from static and we better be pressing the button again before every jump to make sure the thing is working. All this and this is only my FOURTH season in the sport. I am not trying to turn this thread into "to have an AAD or not" but I have seen a whole lot of reasons to not have one and only one reason to have one (being unconscious) I might still be a baby in this sport but I have enough experience to draw my own conclusions. Thanks to those that have contributed relevant experiences and data. I will figure out a way to collect my own data and will post it here when I get it. I am an asshole, but I am honest

Ian- I understand most of the pro top echelon of swoopers like yourself don't jump with AADs turned on while competing, but do you have any insight as to a regular fun jumper like me that likes to lay down a little swoop after a jump and when one should switch to a Cypress speed (if jumping a Vigil or Pro Cypress) or maybe consider not turning on their cypress speed even on at all if they intend to swoop? We have known about AADs firing unintentionally and killing swoopers for awhile and I am trying to understand when this should be a problem. I know Brian Germain said during an interview on Skydive Radio about wearing a device from an AAD manufacture regarding this manner but no details on data were given I believe. Should I start collecting my own data and figure this out own my own as I go or is this knowledge known and not being shared or I am simply missing the boat and can't find the data anywhere? Obviously canopy type, pilot skill, altitude density, type of turn, and a host of variables all come into play, but I figure there has to be some kind of ballpark here from either the manufactures or our community where we say hey speed model on X WL and canopy. The more experience I get the more I think an AAD isn't a good idea. My short time in the sport I have already seen one manufacture go under. They have killed people. They have saved people too, but no one can answer my question apparently and that doesn't exactly give me much confidence. I realize a guy on a 136 at 1.5 is probably far from firing the damn thing but no one can say who is close to firing one either and I don't want to find out the hard way. I am an asshole, but I am honest

Thanks for the input I am an asshole, but I am honest

Ya Rich. I understand the parameters of the Speed vs Vigil. Just mainly trying to figure out if anyone has done the homework of figuring out when (size and WL wise) it is possible to near the parameters of the vigil. Obviously pilot skill comes into play but every canopy has a "terminal velocity" so to speak. Looks like I may have to get that Viso 2 though, and just see what I am currently achieving. I bought the Vigil off student status when I thought "I would never swoop" and I liked the lesser overall cost and required maintenance. Now I am looking to trade it in the future I guess. *FACEPALM* I am an asshole, but I am honest

Thanks guys. I have an older Neptune. Not sure if it has that on the display or not as I really don't use it much once under a good canopy and tend to rely on my eyes. I will be damned lol. If the older model doesn't do that I might have to upgrade to the N3. Not sure on the accuracy though as the freefall speeds always seem jacked up. I do where it on my hand though. Would still be hard reading that mid hook. Maybe I could mount one somewhere else and have a small format camera pointed at it? That max speed under canopy on the Viso seems like the ticket maybe. I am an asshole, but I am honest

Started a thread in gear and rigging. Any canopy pilots have any input as it is both a gear and canopy piloting issue? http://www.dropzone.com/cgi-bin/forum/gforum.cgi?post=4448230;#4448230 I am an asshole, but I am honest

My Neptune shows freefall speeds I believe but not descent once under canopy that I am aware of. Does the Viso 2 show descent rate under canopy? I am an asshole, but I am honest

I have grown tired of reading through old threads in an attempt to find the answer to my question so I apologize if this has been asked and answered previously. I also wasn't sure if this should be in swooping and canopy control or gear and rigging. While swooping what canopy size and WL can you expect to be approaching the 78 mph trigger for a vigil? I am only at a 1.5 on a 136 right now and don't think I am anywhere near the parameters but I will be stepping down to a 120 with a 1.75 WL in the near future. Does anyone know of a way I can measure my vertical speed during my turn? Would using time and distance measurement be accurate? Trying to figure out how long I have to budget for a Cypress Speed I am an asshole, but I am honest

No...HE decided that. Cop killers don't have an old timers reunion, he knew the drill. Exactly And all the clueless fuck monday morning quarterbacks-sure as hell didn't see you volunteering to go in the cabin and talk him out. Just hope hell is hotter than that cabin was...... *** Bravo. Everyone wants to second guess the guys that are out on that two-way range when those second-guessers are the same people that would refuse to put themselves in such danger to begin with, and I would be willing to bet have no experience with getting shot at. Two of their men were bleeding out already, one sadly didn't make it. How many more would you allow to die needlessly as the Incident Commander before taking Dorner out by any means necessary? He made it clear he was NOT going alive and was going to take as many cops with him as he could. Once you are confident there are no innocents inside (probably confirmed by infrared) smoke him out. It is a no-brainer. Dorner signed his own death warrant by his own choosing and some bleeding hearts want to criticize the guys that carried out the job that they themselves are to afraid to do themselves. Give me a break. These people are the sheep trying to persecute the German Shepherds that they hired to protect them from the wolves. The shooting incidents of the mistaken ID's were obviously negligent, maybe criminally so. I would be shocked if there wasn't a full investigation into those incidents. I would also be shocked if those same bleeding hearts wouldn't have fired in fear as well in those incidents. I for one would rather be tried by twelve than carried by six. I hope hope I would have the ability to control my trigger finger until I had a positive threat ID'ed, but from experience in the matter all I can say is I have learned not to judge the boots on the ground because I wasn't there, and I know how hard those split second life or death decisions are to make. I especially wouldn't base my judgement off of fucking media reports while not have any first hand experience or evidence it the matter. I am an asshole, but I am honest

THAT guy has Mad Skillz I am an asshole, but I am honest

A Pulse packs a size smaller and is a blast to fly. You can maximize a container's time in your progression with starting on a larger pulse in a container that is made for a smaller wing. IMO it gives more performance than some other canopies the same size. It really is fast and fun. Easy to pack too. Have you thought about demoing? PD has an excellent demo program. I would try several different wings in the size your instructors suggest just to find out what you like. I am an asshole, but I am honest

WTF are you doing swooping if you don't know the answer to this question? I am an asshole, but I am honest

Ya I know. I have only been in the sport for a wink over 3 years and all I have to do is think of the great ones that we have lost in that short time. Kane, Emily, Tagle, Peter G, and so on. If those guys can get dead so can I, very easily. I never met Brady, but heard only good things about him. Sorry for your loss. I am an asshole, but I am honest

I personally doubt he does I am an asshole, but I am honest

http://youtu.be/UTHE-Eu80ro Made a clicky I am an asshole, but I am honest

That's the plan John. Thanks. I am an asshole, but I am honest

Ya I hear you. However this injury is common in athletes that participate in a lot of overhead movement. Baseball pitchers, weight lifters, and apparently skydivers lol. I read somewhere that the majority of people over fourty develop SLAP tears from normal wear and tear. I also read though that in those cases PT helps strengthen the surounding muscles and aleviate symptoms, so that would coincide with your point. Fuck it shit happens I guess. Next time it is bumpy I will save the swoop for a better day. I am an asshole, but I am honest

NSEMN8R I hope I am wrong, and you are right on this one. I am an asshole, but I am honest

Reach ya maybe, in a court of law you need proof beyond a reasonable doubt to obtain a conviction. I am not trying to advocate that necessarily. Let's look at it this way. If I am using a CI (confidential informant) to make drug buys off of a dealer. Then I in turn apply for a warrant to a judge. That warrant needs to be based off of probable cause. In court that CI WILL be brought to light. There is no way around it. A defendant has a right to face his accusers. That is why it is important to know the background of your CI's. If they have character issues or CH (criminal history) they will be flamed by the defense and worthless. Entire cases have been lost off of this in the past. DSE is in this example applying for the warrant. WE are the judges (voting memebers) You can bet your ass the judge wants to know the CI's character and CH before signing that warrant. I want the same. He has stated anonymous examples of tailstrikes and known WS schools teaching bad exit techniques, but is not making the facts known. He won't name them. Is his assumptions based off of probable cause? I don't know, because he won't allow us to know. I am not signing yet. I personally think he may have got the diagnosis wrong. Sometimes good cops make honest fuckups. DSE is probably a good cop, with good intentions, but lets dot the I's and cross the T's here. I am an asshole, but I am honest

Bravo Bill. Excellent point. I am being serious here, not smart ass or sarcastic. Believe it or not I am open to actually thinking about this issue. I just don't think the diagnosis is correct. As Kallend has stated serveral times. I believe tailstrikes are from complacency. I do not believe a WS I/E program will fix this issue. As fas as the AFF example you gave, let me draw another comparison. If a coach candidate showed up to a coach course without already knowing how to increase/decrease fall rate or forward/backward movement then there is no way he is going to pass his eval jumps. Those are skills he learned in his ISP and has spent time perfecting with experience. Although someone with just 100 jumps is by no means perfect at them yet. The same can be applied to WS experience exp. IMO. I was just throwing this prior instructor thing out there honestly as a way to help validate the potential FFC teacher to a group of people that think this WS I/E regime is necessary. The people that argue that some instructors may not teach it well enough is lame, because they are instructors that passed an examiner's course. If DSE's proposal is implemented then 20 years from now we are going to have some that are unfit to hold ratings for WS-I, just like we have TI's that allow granny to almost fall out of her harness today. To think this will be any different is rediculous. I will be the first to admit that I am a youngster (as far as time in this sport) and that I don't have all the answers. But that doesn't mean I can't think critically about an important issue that will effect our sport and association. I believe Kallend's proposal would work. We allow a S&TA to observe the profeciency landings required for a Pro Rating already, I believe the same could be adopted for WS. I am an asshole, but I am honest

Power grab...It's not so ~ just because you say it's so. I challenge you to make the case with evidence not just opinion. I responded the USPA is the only place he could lobby. I have no idea what the hell you are talking about good sir. You have me thoroughly confused. First you say it is the last place he would go if he was attempting to power grab, and then you say that going the only available route excludes a power grab. I am just a lowly cop man. I can't get your reasoning here. Evidence of what? The butler in the library with the candlestick? There is no physical evidence judging someone's motives over the interent, but there are interesting points to be made. One he is keeping details of tailstrike incidents on the "down-low" I believe was his words. In other words he is using an anonymous incident as evidence to support his proposal. I wish that evidence was submissible in court, but it isn't. In court anonymous doesn't exist. Two, he is claiming there are instructors out there at well know WS schools teaching to exit with some unnamed anonymous poor exit technique, but despite repeated requests to name the source he has so far refused. It is clear that a lot of people are split on this issue. I don't think you are going to change your mind, and I am not going to change mine. So we can just let it be what it is. Sadly I believe the vote will pass just because people will do it for "safety" without thinking of the big picture here. Mark my words though. It will not stop tailstrikes. It will cost our association a lot of money, and it is not necessary. It is unprecedented to create a I/E program for advanced disciplines. It is not the road that I believe the USPA should travel down. YMMV. I am an asshole, but I am honest

Yes I do consider myself to be reasonably fit. I am 6 foot and 185 lbs. I don't work out as much as I did when I was in the military for sure, but am by no means some lard ass. What gives you the impression I am unfit? edited to add: I probably run once a week, sometimes I definitely skip a week though. Don't lift weights however, which I could see wearing out the tendon in question possibly contributing. I am an asshole, but I am honest