chuckakers

Good points. The decision altitude definition does reference emergencies and since it says "must" it can be implied that above that altitude a jumper still has other options like continuing to work on a mal, get out of a wrap, etc. As for the hard deck definition, I think that can be applied to any altitude-specific scenario like bailing out of an aircraft, chopping a mal, etc. This could be better stated. I will pass this along to S&T for a possible rewrite. Thanks for the input. Much appreciated.

Not sure what you find unclear. DECISION ALTITUDE: A predetermined altitude at which you must decide and act during an emergency. Meaning the altitude at which a jumper should make the decision that action must be taken and take it. Example - the (minimum) altitude at which a jumper would decide to cut away and deploy a reserve. HARD DECK: A predetermined altitude above which an action must occur or below which an action must not occur. Meaning the altitude at which it is no longer safe to take an action one would normally take at or above the decision altitude. Example - a jumper rides a malfunction to an altitude so low that it is no longer safe to cut away (hard deck) and a different action would be appropriate, like deploying a reserve without cutting away, attempting a canopy transfer, etc.

From the USPA Skydiver's Information Manual: DECISION ALTITUDE: A predetermined altitude at which you must decide and act during an emergency. HARD DECK: A predetermined altitude above which an action must occur or below which an action must not occur. In rating courses, it indicates a minimum altitude by which a certain maneuver must be performed in order to get credit for the action. No need to guess or invent definitions when there are accepted ones already in use.

From the USPA Instructional Rating Manual Section 1.A.2 2. A USPA Coach may— a. conduct training in the non- method-specific portions of the skydiving ground school. (1) equipment familiarization as it pertains to the first jump (2) basic canopy control (3) parachute emergency procedures (4) landings and landing emergencies (obstacles)

Not true. This was discussed when the board debated the Red Bull waiver request. It was clearly stated that a waiver would be considered for any person or group that could demonstrate appropriate competency for the waiver being requested. There is no person or group that gets special treatment. Each request for a waiver is considered based solely on its merit.

Not true. I travel extensively and see AFF instructors jumping a variety of canopy types and sizes.

Without explanation that is a completely irrelevant statement.

I can only speak for my personal experiences, but I do visit a LOT of DZ's. I have found that it's not about AFF vs other training methods as Moe suggests. It's more of a DZ culture thing, not which training discipline was used. There is also NO evidence that AFF grads are less safe than others. Quite the opposite. AFF students are - on average - much better equipped to transition to group skydiving than static line/IAD grads because they spend much of their training actually doing basic FS.

Uncle Moe is incorrect. AFF has proven to be the best training method skydiving has ever had and on the whole produces the safest skydivers when taught properly.

Covid causation aside, the raw numbers don't tell the story. Fatalities per total jumps is a more accurate reflection of our safety. Additionally, it's very hard to point at anything a year at a time because the sampling is so small that it only takes a minor shift in the annual total to make a significant move as a percentage. USPA uses 5-year and 10-year averages (by decade) to provide a meaningful look at trends. That said, I truly hope I see any 12-month period with no fatalities in my lifetime.

Very true. I was specifically replying about competition CP where there is a lot of safety enforcement and monitoring. The vast majority of CP incidents happen outside competitions by non-competitors. Those are the folks who are too cool for school.

You are WAY off base with that comment. USPA encourages skydivers to chase their passion, and promotes best practices regardless of the discipline. Is canopy piloting safe? Nope. Not even close. CP is dangerous - damn dangerous - but that doesn't mean USPA should discourage it. Is freeflying safe? Nope. How about CRW? FS? And then there's speed skydiving. Consider a premature deployment at 300 mph. Nothing we do is safe. The CP culture is the most peer-policed discipline in skydiving. Go to a CP comp sometime and observe. You will see the best pilots on the planet coaching, mentoring, and critiquing - all with the goal of keeping one another safe. CP has come a long, long way since the days of toggle hooks and ditch digging. Today's pilots have a deep understanding of the science behind the discipline and continuously hone their skills and education to stay as safe as possible. They are also acutely aware of the risks. From an organizational perspective, the ISC (International Skydiving Commission) and national-level organizations like USPA have and do modify competitions rules and practices to make safety a top priority. One great example is the change in distance rules that now require pilots to stay below a certain height for a portion of the run before climbing their canopies. This was done specifically because folks were getting injured by climbing so high that landings were becoming sketchy. I have been following the competition CP community for over a decade. My son is one of the top pilots in the world. Do I worry about him? Every single day. Would I ever dream of discouraging him from doing what he loves? Never. USPA does not "endorse canopy piloting competitions that encourage skydivers to land in very unsafe ways". USPA encourages skydivers of all disciplines to conduct their activities as safely as possible. Some disciplines are more dangerous than others, but none of them are safe. Canopy piloting is not safe. Neither is any skydive you have ever made or ever will.

Eloy. Killer pond, perfect winter weather, two onsite PDFT members.

There are now BASE rigs with reserves. At least one that I am aware of is also TSO'd. The Red Bull guys have some that they use for low altitude wingsuit exhibition jumps at specified airshows. They have a waiver (by jumper name and venue) from USPA that allows them to deploy at 1,000 feet. The rigs are outfitted with MARDS for rapid reserve deployment.

The use of dual parachute systems is an FAR (not a BSR) and thus not applicable outside the U.S.

No matter how good the gear is for the application, the human factor gets in the way. There are already a lot of incidents and near incidents caused by jumpers who don't take action in a timely manner. Allowing people to deploy low just because the gear can handle it doesn't mean the jumper will.

The folks who have responded have it right. In summary... Modern canopies take longer to open Average aircraft today climb higher (no need to squeeze every second of freefall) Some jumpers are setting their AAD activation altitude higher Honestly, I have never been a guy to dump at the bottom. There's nothing down there but trouble.

As Paul said, USPA's position on wing loadings for licensed jumpers is to lend guidance through recommendations rather than dictate through ruling making.

Yes it is. I attended the entire week and got to hear folks racing right across the track from the CP area. The course was quite challenging, as it was surrounded by tall trees and actually had to be set up with a downhill angle after the pond. The course was also too short to run traditional distance, so the rules were modified to require the athletes to score water dragging points. That killed enough speed to keep them from flying out of the course into the trees, lol. Great facility.

The wind has no effect on a canopy's glide ratio. To your question, the Stiletto has a notoriously flat glide. It also has a very short recovery arc.

The original Sabre can be packed to open comfortably. My wife and daughter jumped 135's without hard openings. Contact PD. They can provide some guidance.

Get professional coaching. It makes a difference, even at 1:1.

I broke my tailbone after getting dropped by turbulence during a landing flare. The doctor said I snapped the tip like a toothpick. I was able to jump, although I admit I pulled back on frequency. I was jumping at a Cessna DZ, so I stayed on my knees on the way to altitude or sat in the back while leaning to keep the weight off the tailbone. This break take a very long time to heal, so I assume a bruise does too.

If I was going to line the bottom of a bird cage, it would be with fresh copies of something political, but NEVER with Skydiving.

Use them as wrapping paper for gifts given to skydivers.