BrianSGermain

It is true that the scary moments always turn out to be our most profound learning experiences. In this case, it appears that the jumper that descended toward you in the turn was the one most in need of learning from this particular event. We all need to look around us, but we are more heavily responsible for the airspace on and below our flight level, since we are descending. When we look before we turn, and focus our eyes where we are actually going, we must look down and in the direction of the turn. This is not something that everyone does. This scary moment is proof of this. Let this be a lesson of expanded awareness for everyone who sees the video, and not a lesson of trauma that makes people feel unsafe. Flying requires awareness, not fear. Often it is fear that brings us to reach for awareness, but the experience of awareness has nothing to do with fear. Paranoid shifting of eyes around, darting eyes that do not see, this is not the kind of awareness that we require. When we are truly taking in the whole picture, it is because we are in love with the experience and are leaning into it with the entirety of our hearts and souls. Awareness is the big YES that allows joy turn into skill. Fly in Joy: Fly Safe. Brian Instructional Videos:www.AdventureWisdom.com Keynote Speaking:www.TranscendingFEAR.com Canopies and Courses:www.BIGAIRSPORTZ.com

Please forward this link to anyone you believe needs to hear it. This is a discussion on SkydiveRADIO between Dave and Brian on the topic of spotting and exit safety. It is worth your time to check out. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3QK8_T0MSrQ&feature=youtube_gdata_player Enjoy!! Instructional Videos:www.AdventureWisdom.com Keynote Speaking:www.TranscendingFEAR.com Canopies and Courses:www.BIGAIRSPORTZ.com

Actually, Laura is naturally this enthusiastic! That is one of the reasons why I married her. :-) Instructional Videos:www.AdventureWisdom.com Keynote Speaking:www.TranscendingFEAR.com Canopies and Courses:www.BIGAIRSPORTZ.com

Thank you for this. Please tell us more about the context leading to the near-collision, so we all may learn from it. BG Instructional Videos:www.AdventureWisdom.com Keynote Speaking:www.TranscendingFEAR.com Canopies and Courses:www.BIGAIRSPORTZ.com

Here is some in-depth talk on the topic of parachute stalls. Please forward to your students! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ct5V9G_WIuA Enjoy! Brian Instructional Videos:www.AdventureWisdom.com Keynote Speaking:www.TranscendingFEAR.com Canopies and Courses:www.BIGAIRSPORTZ.com

You can also listen to the entire show here: http://traffic.libsyn.com/skydiveradio/sr147_05_15_11.mp3 However, there are diagrams and supporting video in the youtube version that may help to clarify some of the points especially in the third part. Enjoy!! Brian Instructional Videos:www.AdventureWisdom.com Keynote Speaking:www.TranscendingFEAR.com Canopies and Courses:www.BIGAIRSPORTZ.com

Canopy collisions are a danger that we all must work together to minimize. Please sit down and watch this feature-length 45 minute, three part episode of SkydiveRadio. I also invite you to discuss the topic in this thread. We are never done talking about safety. Part One: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bSB7q_HV-xU Part Two: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pn-63a02muU Part Three http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Esiimgqwuek Happy Landings, Brian Instructional Videos:www.AdventureWisdom.com Keynote Speaking:www.TranscendingFEAR.com Canopies and Courses:www.BIGAIRSPORTZ.com

After almost 1300 jumps, Laura finally has to chop! Sorry for the poorly framed video of the chop, new GoPro needed to be tilted up. Took care of it... -Brian Watch Here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RApgSTQpm1o Instructional Videos:www.AdventureWisdom.com Keynote Speaking:www.TranscendingFEAR.com Canopies and Courses:www.BIGAIRSPORTZ.com

Safety First Discussion about LANDING PATTERN ENJOY THE VIDEO HERE: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0y-f0PJPq-E Brian Instructional Videos:www.AdventureWisdom.com Keynote Speaking:www.TranscendingFEAR.com Canopies and Courses:www.BIGAIRSPORTZ.com

Thank you, I really appreciate help!! Thanks to you, I fixed the problem. :-) Instructional Videos:www.AdventureWisdom.com Keynote Speaking:www.TranscendingFEAR.com Canopies and Courses:www.BIGAIRSPORTZ.com

Breathing problems are not uncommon in newer jumpers, but it goes away with repeated exposure to the freefall environment. It is most likely that you had your mouth open, and the relative wind was not allowing you to breath normally. Don't worry, you didn't invent this. Just keep your mouth closed and breathe through your nose and the problem will go away. -Brian Instructional Videos:www.AdventureWisdom.com Keynote Speaking:www.TranscendingFEAR.com Canopies and Courses:www.BIGAIRSPORTZ.com

I have created THREE MORE Safety First videos for your viewing pleasure!! Fly Safe!! Brian Episode #143: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gQIrOQjcNCk Episode #144 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SvIqGH2eJk8 Episode #145 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0y-f0PJPq-E WooHoo! Instructional Videos:www.AdventureWisdom.com Keynote Speaking:www.TranscendingFEAR.com Canopies and Courses:www.BIGAIRSPORTZ.com

This is a normal phase of life that many of us have been through, so don't think that you invented it. If you would like to talk, I am willing to pitch in a free counseling session. This is what I do. Completely confidential. Please PM me or call or email. I am here for you. Brian Instructional Videos:www.AdventureWisdom.com Keynote Speaking:www.TranscendingFEAR.com Canopies and Courses:www.BIGAIRSPORTZ.com

I invite you to check out the new video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6x2zsoXCItg Happy Landings! Brian LIVE ONLINE CANOPY COURSES WITH BRIAN GERMAIN ]url]http://www.adventurewisdom.com[/url] Instructional Videos:www.AdventureWisdom.com Keynote Speaking:www.TranscendingFEAR.com Canopies and Courses:www.BIGAIRSPORTZ.com

This is a joke paper. They are making a very important point here, although you have to dig to find it. Scientists often become so narrow-minded that they ignore all evidence that does not come in the form that they are looking for. If the data comes from something intuitive or experimentally unprovable, it is discarded. Many of the most important truths of the universe are unprovable, or as yet to be proven. To be a scientist, one must remain open, as science is the pursuit of truth, not the pursuit of that which is provable. We know that parachutes are a good idea, as do the authors of this paper. You can put your shotgun down now, Gary. :-) BG Instructional Videos:www.AdventureWisdom.com Keynote Speaking:www.TranscendingFEAR.com Canopies and Courses:www.BIGAIRSPORTZ.com

We are both right. I love it when that happens. :-) Instructional Videos:www.AdventureWisdom.com Keynote Speaking:www.TranscendingFEAR.com Canopies and Courses:www.BIGAIRSPORTZ.com

If people feel safer with a butt strap, they should attach a butt strap. My point is that it doesn't actually happen all that often. We are making a big deal out of something, but on the whole, it is a non-issue for most people. If your body type, combined with your particular harness, combined with your flying style makes you more vulnerable that the average skydiver, address the issue. The point I was making is that the exception should not be made to appear to be the rule. That is how we lost our right to carry water bottles on commercial airliners. Please do not be offended if my comments do not apply to you. I just want to be sure that new jumpers do not get overly paranoid that they are going to fall out of their rigs. Fly Safe, Brian Instructional Videos:www.AdventureWisdom.com Keynote Speaking:www.TranscendingFEAR.com Canopies and Courses:www.BIGAIRSPORTZ.com

Make it high up, and elastic so you don't limit the degree to which you can harness turn your parachute. Without harness input, your turns are uncoordinated and you risk collapsing in turbulence. See article: "Clean Up Your Turns" The truth is, unless your rig does not fit you, the likelihood of falling out of a properly adjusted harness are almost zero. The few on record are overweight tandem students. Do not mistake the magnitude of repulsion for the probability of actualization. (In other words, when something really freaks us out, we tend to assign a higher probability to that possibility.) Tighten your chest strap before your legstraps, and the rig should hold you in just fine. Fearless Skies, Brian Instructional Videos:www.AdventureWisdom.com Keynote Speaking:www.TranscendingFEAR.com Canopies and Courses:www.BIGAIRSPORTZ.com

Hey Meateors! Here is a safety video that I think you all will enjoy! http://youtu.be/FCNe6gZq8wY Happy Landings! Brian Instructional Videos:www.AdventureWisdom.com Keynote Speaking:www.TranscendingFEAR.com Canopies and Courses:www.BIGAIRSPORTZ.com

Hej Linn, I have spent a great deal of time working on this subject, and I must break it to you, this is much to simplified. I understand the desire to make things simple, however the issue is not simple. Here is a link to my downsizing chart. The concept is based on the Swedish chart, however the numbers are not as conservative, and there is a great deal of supplementary text that help explain how to use the chart. http://bigairsportz.com/pdf/bas-sizingchart.pdf Please feel free to contact me to discuss this in detail. We are discussing the possibility of a trip to Norway this July. Perhaps we can meet up! Sincerely, Brian Germain Instructional Videos:www.AdventureWisdom.com Keynote Speaking:www.TranscendingFEAR.com Canopies and Courses:www.BIGAIRSPORTZ.com

A few years back I realized that the only person who could really tell the story of freefly safety in a truly valuable way is an old freeflyer. So I made myself old... ENJOY! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sQtn1dFhp0Y Brian Instructional Videos:www.AdventureWisdom.com Keynote Speaking:www.TranscendingFEAR.com Canopies and Courses:www.BIGAIRSPORTZ.com

Hey SkyPeople! If you need a three minute break that will refresh and inspire you, I invite you to watch my newest video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4RuUWzgfVz8&feature=youtube_gdata_player Love Y'all, Brian Instructional Videos:www.AdventureWisdom.com Keynote Speaking:www.TranscendingFEAR.com Canopies and Courses:www.BIGAIRSPORTZ.com

Remain altitude aware, take a deep breath, smile, and go for it. Sometimes the things we most fear are the very same things that set us free. -Bri Instructional Videos:www.AdventureWisdom.com Keynote Speaking:www.TranscendingFEAR.com Canopies and Courses:www.BIGAIRSPORTZ.com

Thank you Quade. This is very helpful information. As time goes on, the technical aspects of the show will get better and better. I will take your help seriously, and again, I thank you for your ideas and look forward to more! Wanna come to Maryland and help me get this worked out? PM me! Be well everybody! Brian Instructional Videos:www.AdventureWisdom.com Keynote Speaking:www.TranscendingFEAR.com Canopies and Courses:www.BIGAIRSPORTZ.com

Here is a link to the first in a series of safety-oriented videos, based on the Safety First with Brian Germain show on SkydiveRadio. I realized that many of the points in discussion are better made through video, so we have launched... SAFETY FIRST TV!! (woohoo!) Here is the link to our first episode: http://www.youtube.com/user/BSGermain?feature=mhee Safety is no accident!! Instructional Videos:www.AdventureWisdom.com Keynote Speaking:www.TranscendingFEAR.com Canopies and Courses:www.BIGAIRSPORTZ.com