skywombat

San Diego - SDSU or UCSD - dropzone is ~30-40 min away Pittsburgh - PITT / CMU / Duquesne - dropzone is about an hour away. Both are excellent dropzones, but are quite different from one another.

http://daniel-goh.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/10/god-v-satan.jpg

Here is another. Though it makes poor use of capitalisation, it does make a good point.

Ah, I found it - see attached. This is what my Triathlon looked like before I had the line mod done. Note how the indicated line goes to the very corner of the tail. With the line mod, the indicated line is now attached to where the red circle is. This has helped improve the flare power. If your tail looks like the photo, you may want to call up Aerodyne and have them send you the diagram for the mod (which may involve switching to the updated line spec- ask them about this too and give everything they send you to your rigger). Steve

I haven't got the experience to say anything about front-riser landings, but I will tell you this. Check the version number on your Triathlon, and the line trim. I used to have quite a few hard landings and it took a while (and some smart riggers) to figure out what was going on and to fix it all. There exists something called the "Triathlon V4 Line Mod", which was a modification to the brake line attachment points done by Aerodyne since (I want to say) version 4. There is no service bulletin for this anywhere that I could find, but if you call Aerodyne and ask, they will very helpfully explain what is going on and send you a PDF to print out and give to your rigger, who can do the modification (it is a very quick job). You can check if you have the modification by looking at your tail - if there is a brake line attached to the very corner of the tail, you most likely do not have it done (but check with your rigger). Doing the line mod is said to improve openings and flare, which is consistent with my experience when I had it done. Also, when was the last time you had your Triathlon relined? Who did the relining - did you send it in, or have it done locally? From what their service representative told me, if you had the lines replaced according to the published line spec (on flyaerodyne.com), you are required to have had the V4 Line Mod done if you don't already have it (that line spec assumes it is already done). The spec itself doens't really mention this, so if someone other than Aerodyne did the relining, they just sort of have to know about this. So, it is another reason to have someone double-check it. Finally, check your brake settings and trim (have your rigger do it). From what I understand, Aerodyne measures their brake lines a little bit differently than other manufacturers ("from the riser") and if they are done the "other" way, your brake lines will be quite a bit shorter than they need to be, leading to some funny openings and crummy landings. Again, don't take my (possibly wrong) word for it, but call up Aerodyne and ask them about this stuff. In my experience, they have been very helpful in resolving the problems, (even if the documentation on their website is a little bit lacking) and my landings have been improved as a result of this. I hope this helps you Steve

Disclaimer: I have not seen this unit so I cannot speak about it directly. That said, I would imagine your purpose-built altimeter is built to a higher standard of quality than a general-purpose GPS unit. It also probably does not undergo the same amount of manufacturer testing as an altimeter built specifically for parachuting. Moreover, is a complex piece of electronics and in general, embedded software tends to be notoriously bad. The refresh latency may not be suited for fast descent (that is, you have no idea what the delay is between altitude change and display update). Finally, an integrated altimeter/GPS unit may try to do some tricks like calibrating the pressure offset to GPS altitude (which is not always reliable, depending on satellite positions and VDOP) rather than figuring out if you are on the ground and resetting to 0 or detecting that you are on an ascending plane and leaving the ground offset as is.

1. Cloud clearance 2. Camera mount with strap - snag / entanglement point. 3. Red jumpsuit + red cutaway handle (though hers looks like it might be yellow).

Awesome! Are you guys going to have the skyvan and/or heli again?

What do you mean? I think the brake line is just threaded into it and back over. I'm not sure how to explain it clearly, but it seems like there is nothing unusual about it (compared to the other equipment I've seen/jumped here)... I can post a photo if it would help.

Hello So I had an odd experience today. It started as a normal fun jump. I opened at 3.5, cleared both brakes, did my control check (and it was fine), and started flying back to the DZ. I was just flying around normally, and at one point I wanted to make yet another right turn. So I tried to pull down on the right toggle, and it wouldn't budge! Upon examination, it looks like the top (stiff) part of the toggle managed to get itself threaded into the metal ring when I brought it back up following a previous turn. Pulling straight down on the toggle didn't help to free it, as friction between the top part of the toggle and the ring made the ring want to come down with it. I had to use one hand to hold the ring in position while using the other to free the toggle. Fortunately, I was high enough and far enough away from other people to be able to do this. After freeing the toggle, I was able to fly a normal landing. But, I could see this being a much bigger problem if it happened on final/flare. I guess what made it scary is that the toggle got stuck following a few turns (way after the initial control check). Has anyone ever had something similar happen to them? What did you do? Searching around brought up a number of slider-related stuck toggle problems, but this is was not the case for me. Steve

Apparently I was under canopy when it happened... the whole DZ was talking about it and our load was all going, "what earthquake?" I hear the pilot got word of it during descent - they felt it at the local the control tower too.

As is the case with some other people upthread, I come from an immigrant family (am one myself) with more traditional values for raising children. My mother was brought up in a very restrictive and protective environment, which, I suppose, may have been warranted by the times and the place. Some of this has been reflected on me as well, as evidenced by my mother's attempts to discourage me from participating in other "less conventional" activities (such as exploring, biking at night, etc). Furthermore, to say that my mother "worries about everything" is an understatement. Add to that the fact that her coworker, who herself stopped jumping after getting injured on AFF, fed her some gnarly stories from the DZ. I have lived on my own some time now, and I have found that in some cases, it is best to keep my mother blissfully ignorant of things that happen to me (like being mugged, for one). Telling her about my jumping hobby would place her into a constant state of anxiety that cannot be argued away through statistics and safety practices. Thus, there is no point in coming out with it since nothing constructive can come of it. On the other hand, the other "parent" is aware of my jumping and is indifferent to it based on the belief that if it's so popular, it must not be that bad.

I suppose I ought to chime in... My "male guardian" knew about my tandem, and my mother didn't. I only told him so he would "tell my mother something nice" in case I went in. I expected him to be cool with it, which he was. When I hinted at it to my mother some weeks prior, her reaction was something along the lines of "over my dead body" and "I would rather just kill you with my own two hands." Some 6 months after the tandem, I came back for more. The "male guardian" knew I kept jumping but had no idea about any of the details, plus, by then I had been living on my own, anyway. If my mother found out, she would absolutely freak, descend into that "nervous wreck" state and make me promise to her I would never do it again. So, for now, there's no reason to tell her.

So, do your parents know you jump? Did you outright tell them, or did they discover it some other way? How did they find out? What was the reaction? If my mother found out, I would be dead before I hit the ground, so I don't plan on coming out of the gear closet any time soon. What about you?

Greetings, Internet! I'm a newbie skydiver in the static line program. I am trying to get licensed before winter, but am not sure if this will happen, given the weather and potential setbacks on my part. This December, I have relocate for my job. My options are Boulder and San Diego. All other things being equal, which location is better for skydiving? I've read the DZ reviews on this site, but I wanted to see if people had anything else to add. I jump at a relatively small DZ right now and I really enjoy the close atmosphere. Plus, the people are awesome and it's run really well. Ideas? Suggestions? Where should I go? Thank you! Steve