johnbamburg

Never mind,
I'm done here.
I'll stick to asking the opinion of real people at my DZ
No trolls there to confuse things

Glitch

What's a skyhook handle?

I didn't say Skyhook Handle.
I said skyhook and reserve handle. The skyhook being located on one side of my rig and the reserve handle on the other.
Are you just trying to be difficult???
Almost all others understand what I mean. The phone conflicts with the areas to grab the the handles. It protrudes from the inside of the jumpsuit pockets to the area of the "rsl", skyhook, reserve whatever you fly.
Please all knowing 500 jump wonder. Don't make it difficult

We just had our annual Safety Day at the DZ. I personally think this is the best thing a DZ can do for it's people. Allot of knowledge and allot of topics that don't get hit on very much but are important.
One topic was the occasional off DZ landing that occurs and how good it is to have a cell phone with you while jumping, to contact the DZ to come pick you up.
I have 2, but both are too big for the small pockets in my jumpsuit and an Iphone, actually gets in the way of my skyhook and reserve handles on my rig.
A cell phone seems mandatory, any ideas on a smaller, talk only phone to tocall back to the DZ??

mcordell

End cell closure is a non-issue. It makes newer jumpers uncomfortable because of how it looks but it's not something to worry about. When I jumped a Sabre 2 as my primary canopy when I first started I used to get end cell closure on every jump and I would take the time to do a slow flare to inflate the end cells and then I would start my regular flying. Over time I realized it didn't matter. I jump primarily Volt mains now and I get the exact same end cell closure on my jumps but I just unstow the brakes and fly and they open on their own.

I have to agree Mike,
I'm jumping a Volt 185 and can't help but say how much I like it.
I own two rigs. One main is a PD Saber2 190 and the other main is the Volt. I know the Saber2 seems to have more of a following at my DZ. But the Volt flies better and definitely gives me better landings. Even in no wind situations.

85 jumps, ended up with 2 rigs. afp and all. approx 9k

Well,
I have to say thank you to everyone who help me through this little issue.
I finally realized that no matter the altitude...The hill is the hill.
Relaxing and making a good presentation into the relative wind on the 5500' floater exit HnP riding the hill and pulling toward the end was suddenly easy.
The samte with the 3500', diving exit HnP. The same hill....pull toward the end.
It all went down with no issues once I wrapped my mind around the fact that altitude really doesn't matter when pulling this close to exit.
I'm now on to self supervised solos and a feww jumps away from my A license check dive. Thanks to everyone

Baksteen

Too right! I remember that first scary, long, slowly flat-sprinning freefall from 12k all too well


To the OP, personally i have never managed to nail a solo floater exit from side door aircraft (Caravan, C206, Otter).
I prefer to jump sideways from within the plane.

I prefer the same. But I realize that as I progress into RW with others. I need to be able to handle a floater exit with at least some proficiency.
I'm re-doing the HnPs tomorrow. I don't see a problem anymore.
" I Got My Mind Right Now, Boss ". I know there's plenty of time and I'll just watch the airplane and take the time.

flyhi

Quote

In our AFP we do 2, Hop and pops. One from 5500 and the one that counts from 3500.I screwed'm both up.

So, after pooching the first one, someone thought that doing one from a lower altitude with less time and more stress would help you nail it?

I kinda push for it. Thinking well the first one didn't really count. Let's do the one that counts.
The truth is that the first one was allot better than the second. I wasn't exactly stable but I was flopping and spinning like a fish on a boat deck. It just got worse and to the coach's defense. I pushed it ahead.

Blis

When doing HnP's you should go for straight exit instead of diving exit becouse the latter is much more unstable and you loose more altitude (For fun jumps diving exit is totally cool and extremely fun at times)

I think I mean what you are describing. I said dive but I mean presented to the prop and straight toward the end of the wing of the aircraft. I apologize. I don't have my nomenclature down yet.
But....what you said

Andy9o8

***We have both a King Air and a Caravan at the DZ. Both of these ridiculously poor Hop and Pops were out of the Van. And yes it was from a "floater" position outside.

Not to contradict your instructors, but the general point of (a) low hop & pop(s) as part of training for AFF students is for at least one such exit to be un-poised, to simulate the conditions of an emergency exit.

I understand and If I were given a preference for exit. It would be a dive, chest and pelvis to prop. But I don't think it would have made a difference on the first 2 screw ups. I simply went completely wacky.

Baksteen

Like the others said, you have enough time to make a nice, unhurried exit.

But if you're exiting from 3500 ft and having (subconscious) worries or stress about 'the ground being really close' you might like to try a hop and pop from the usual AFF-depoyment altitude (5000 ft).

It won't count for your training card, obviously, but it's good practice. Get comfortable, and then do the 'real' H&P from 3500 ft.

ETA: of course this depends on whether your DZ allows H&P from 5000 ft and you should discuss this with your instructors beforehand.

See, That's the screwy part of the whole thing. In our AFP we do 2, Hop and pops. One from 5500 and the one that counts from 3500.I screwed'm both up. That's OK though I'm just adding them to the 25 I need and I'm going to do a Re-Do on Friday. I think I was just overthinking and letting my mind get ahead of what the present moment was. I also never really put the dive flow through my mind correctly.
As I've thought about it since....There really is allot of time. At least 8 seconds before anything critical, (altitude wise) can happen. Breathing and smiling. even with these hop and pops, is going to be my savior I think.

We have both a King Air and a Caravan at the DZ. Both of these ridiculously poor Hop and Pops were out of the Van. And yes it was from a "floater" position outside.

jumpsalot-2

Are you setting up by climbing outside first into a prone position, or just stepping out into the relative wind ? I prefer just stepping out into the wind ( King Air / Otter ) ..... never jumping up of course. What type of plane do you jump from by the way ?

We have both a King Air and a Caravan at the DZ. Both of these ridiculously poor Hop and Pops were out of the Van. And yes it was from a "floater" position outside.

Quote

What you do speaks so loud, I can't hear what you say.

I like that phrase. "Embracing the air". That's the feeling I'm searching for in this crazy sport.
I know I can't expect to have that feeling with just 15-16 free falls under my belt. But I didn't expect to seize up on those first hop and pops either.
I do need to convince myself that a hop and pop from 3500 is a full 5 to 8 second count. I see the dive flow in my mind. I just need to convince myself that the 6 count dive flow is the actual dive flow.
Still it does concern me that not that many people have had this problem. I'm not sure why it should concern me.
Actually it absolutely should not concern me.

Blis

Sounds like you get a bit too anxious becouse of the lack of height and then miss the exit, nothing new there. Relax, visualise and jump.

Obviously there is also the chance that since your coming from AFP your exits might not be as good as you think...

This is true

I'm sure this has been covered before. I can't find where exactly so I thought I'd ask for what at least has to be...again.
I'm coming to the end of AFP. I've had pretty decent exits and very little stability problems through out. Yet it got really strange when it came time to do the hop and pops.
On 2 attempts. I seemed to get "brain lock" or something. My exits were very bad and I ended up pulling, once in a spin and another almost in a sitting position. Just totally wrong and as if I'd never had any real training at all.
Let me say that my instructors are the best and my training has been great. Even the training for these hop and pop attempts.
I'm having a "Do Over" this weekend. I can't figure out why this suddenly got so difficult when nothing else really has been. I know there is plenty of time for these. Why am I acting like there's no time to get stable and pull? It's like I've got a brain lock.
Am I the only one whose had problems like this. Allot of the folks at the DZ just laugh. And I really can't blame them.

I'm getting ready to buy my first new rig. Money is an issue, but not the biggest issue. I already have the used stuff.
I'm really leaning toward the Vortex 185+Volt 185+Decelerator.
The biggest reason for this leaning is that a couple of people I respect have recommended this rig. The price isn't bad and I can get my choice of colors.
The size sounds right for for me, 5'-9", 165-170. I'm not interested in a "super fast", athletic canopy. I prefer the nice opening, easy ride.
Any pro or cons on this rig that anyone would care to share??
Thanks for any opinions

In Charlotte North Carolina.
At the time the DZ was between Monroe and Concord, in Midland NC.. On hwy 601.
That DZ's been gone a long long time

My name is John, I'm 55 years old.
I had my A license back in 1983. But had to quit due to deployments and later raising a family.
I actually come from a skydiving family.
My father and 6 other guys made their first jump as a club when I was 2 weeks old in 1959. Until I was 6 years old, I thought that's what everybody's father did on the weekend.
I joined the military, retired and am just now getting back to the sport. It sure is allot more expensive today than it was in the 80s. I'm beginning A.F.F. all over again.
At any rate, it's worth it. I've always been an adrenaline junkie and this will keep me going for another 30 years.
Well, that's my story. Just wanted to say hello.