Anachronist

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Everything posted by Anachronist

  1. I started out not really knowing anything about skydiving at all, had done a tandem and just wanted to try more. I figured you just hopped out and pulled at some point. I knew BASE existed and thought wingsuit was just a "stunt" but that was about it, had an interest in BASE for a while until I ground crewed some and people I knew started dying, then that luster wore off pretty quick. I do remember watching our 1 resident wingsuiter at my home DZ do his thing and thinking "man I really want to try that some day." I did, so I guess I "made it." But my interests have changed as I've progressed, getting more interested in canopy flight and paragliding. Would also like to do more freeflying but need to lock in some serious tunnel time. So "still becoming the skydiver I want to be" in that sense.
  2. Hey Croc, just wanted to say that from a medical perspective both of those openings you described are pretty serious, and loss of consciousness or nerve pain in both extremities like that should warrant an ER visit (at the time). It would probably benefit you to see a physical/rehab therapist and do some neck exercises regularly, not just to strengthen muscles for deployment but you've probably done some damage and having stronger muscles will help decompress the joints just in day to day life. Having arm numbness from a neck injury could be mid level (C4/C5) involvement, that is not only in quadriplegic territory but also breathing.
  3. Thanks for the updates of first hand stuff guys, I stand corrected, seems like a reasonable safety precaution.
  4. Regular plastic mounts will break away if caught by a deploying main, and I would assume, reserve, or even slapped hard by a riser (seen first hand). A PC is unable to reliably break them, and not sure you want them detaching that easily. I find the chin cutaway to be, well interesting (or any other cutaway). I can't fault it I guess, but it is probably unnecessary. The only situation I can think of where you wouldn't be able to remove your helmet and the cutaway would be useful is if there was full body weight on the chin cup and you couldn't depress the ratchet clippy things (idk, you might still be able to). So imagine a situation if you will, where you end up hanging under a main by your head, I'm gonna guess you are already dead. I can only think of 1 person who has died skydiving as a result of GoPro entanglement and it was a swooper who got hung up in his turn, no time to remove it and chop anyway. There are a couple BASE incidents but that is another animal and at least one involved alcohol and some very stupid decision making that lead to the entanglement, on a chest mount. Speaking of which, I know a few dozen camera flyers, with 10's of thousands of jumps between them, none have ever chopped their helmet. Does anyone have a first hand account (or verifiable somehow) about someone having the use a helmet cutaway (rather than the normal release mechanism) in the last 20 years?
  5. That is my best guess as far as initiation, but there is no oscillation, just steady acceleration and increase in glide until stable. But who knows, phugoid is described in powered aircraft, maybe the unpowered version is what I described. But is it really "phugoid" or some other thing going on with a really inefficient aircraft that lacks a normal "tail" and rigidity? It may be that phugoid is initiated and then dampened/arrested due to the nature of a person in a WS rather than a rigid structure with a well placed CG? On a side note, I'd love the know where a human CG actually is, and I'm sure it is variable. That's why I'd love to see some better vids covering dynamic stuff
  6. I'm glad to see some people putting together better information and presentations than what is available through "official" skydiving organizations, e.g. USPA etc. But at the same time I would like to see some analysis of some more complicated aerodynamic principles and processes. The AOA vid is basically what Wikipedia can tell you. Force vectors in static positions just isn't very interesting. For instance, I don't totally understand what is happening when I'm flying at a slightly higher AOA, then pitch down and reduce AOA, over the next several seconds my glide ratio drops (I pitched down after all) and my airspeed increases, then without any intentional change in body position my glide ratio increases significantly. It is simply because of higher airspeed increasing lift and a gradual reduction in AOA as airspeed increases? Or is it because an acceleration due to pitching down allows an airspeed threshold of sorts to be crossed and flight at a lower AOA but greater glide ratio made possible? Or are those two things really the same thing? Seeing how pitch, AOA, and airspeed change throughout that process would be interesting. It's the dynamic aerodynamic stuff that is most interesting/confusing to me.
  7. I couldn't care less about people forgetting to do stuff but this bit I agree with. Just an FYI for anyone who cares (and disclaimer, I am only aware on testing for large diameter climbing and sailing lines (~7-14mm) so I'm not sure how it applies to small diameter dacron and the like. Knots reduce the strength of line anywhere from 30-50%, so that 1k lb line might be more like 700-500, then you have to look at what it is tied to, possibly a reduction of some sort, maybe big, maybe small. In addition to that, I might not care about people "forgetting" stuff, but knots are a special skill set, that few people really understand, not something I would expect or want a skydiver to have to consider. And finally, you have to think about shock loading, you can generate extreme forces with moderate weights if the acceleration is fast. As I once heard described "You could drop a ball bearing from 1 inch off the ground and have it experience 1,000G if you stopped it suddenly enough." Now for the suit itself, I'd wager the suit fabric would probably fail before the line would (it might not though), then you just rip the suit away from the handle, and no matter how that happens, I think we can agree it would be a negative turn of events, especially if the fabric caught one or both handles and pulled them. I would also wager Tony has not tested any of the things I mentioned and some of them would be extremely difficult to test and relate to "the real world." Personally I wouldn't jump it. Haven't seen a new Phoenix suit up-close in a while but I really liked the handle situation on my Havok (not Carve). I am jumping a SQ suit now, begrudgingly, with their "innie-outie" system that I am not a fan of.
  8. Oh yeah, the color quality is really nice, even considering editing, and on a 5100 it looks like. Hard to tell a difference at 1280x854 in sharpness between the 16 and 10-18. Do you notice a difference between them at 6000x4000? (I guess I should mention I have a 27" (5120 x 2880) Retina display so that could skew my perception some).
  9. Vented BlackJack with a mesh slider should do the trick, good luck OP.
  10. I'd be interested to see some of your best 16mm shots, it is a nice lens but I'd be surprised to see it beat the 10-18mm just from my own experience, but I'm a amature so it could my own deficiency and the 10-18 is just a crutch. Also I think I must have an iron neck, I don't even really notice my camera during deployment, but I also don't have a high top mount style helmet so that might be making a big difference.
  11. So if you are shooting video you can get away with a cheaper lens and it isn't very noticeable unless you are recording above 1080. The 16mm pancake is pretty good for that. For stills it is decent, but there is a lot of room for improvement, at least in my experience. As for the mount, I haven't tried it but I remember seeing on here somewhere that someone basically put shims (plastic I think) under their mount to raise the front a cm or so. If you just have a little bit of helmet in your shot that might do it without moving the center of your frame too much out of what you are use to. How bad is it?
  12. Yes you are correct, thanks for pointing that out.
  13. I'll talk a little about Sony lenses, I'm not an expert by any means but I've done my homework and have some relevant experience with the Sony6000 and 6300. You can think of a lens and camera as equal partners. Put a shoddy lens on a $2K camera and you get crap pics, put a $1k lens on a shoddy camera and you get crap pics. If you are going to get a $1k camera, you should be expecting to be in the $500+ range of lenses to do it justice. Otherwise, get a cheaper camera. The Sony NEX/A5000 and 6000+ range of cameras are great for serious hobbyist or entry (NEX/5000) or mid/high (6000/6300/6500) level real camera flyer. Very high end start using things like Black Magic Designs micro cinema and whatnot. I know this isn't lenses but it puts you in the price range. As for lenses, the GoPro equivalent is going to be about 17mm, with these small mm sizes, a couple mm makes a big difference. I use a 19mm lens and it is considerably narrower FOV than a 17. 10mm is "ultra wide/fisheye." Now there are some differences between APS-C sensors (all the cameras I mentioned) and full frame, but since you are asking this question I'm assuming you aren't going to be into full frame cameras ($$$). So everything I'm talking about relates to APS-C. It is also relevant for video and stills. If you go the Sony mirrorless route (mirrorless really is nicer for almost everyone) then the 16mm pancake lens is pretty popular. You basically end up with a bad ass GoPro. If you aren't flying super tight, 19mm might be good for you. This 16mm Pancake is pretty popular and produces some nice images. It is appropriate for the NEX and about the cheapest lens you should consider putting on a A6000/6300/6500. If you are going to get a A6000/6300/6500, to really get the bang for your buck this 10-18mm lens makes some amazing photos. If you don't want to spend that kind of money on a lens, and like the idea of the 16mm pancake, you should probably mate it with a NEX/A5000 camera, then you get the camera and lens for about the same price as a A6000. Kit lenses generally suck, just buy a camera without a lens, then get the lens you want. In summary, good mates: Sony NEX/A5000 and the 16mm pancake. Sony A6000+ and the 10-18mm. If you think you might upgrade to the 10-18mm lens at some point you can save some cash by getting a A6000 rather than a 6300 or 6500 and I've seen photos from that combo, 100% professional magazine cover quality.
  14. Nice work, yeah weight makes a big difference for everything. Say you get down to 180 or so, now you can jump a smaller main and reserve at the same WL which means a smaller rig (another 5 to 10lbs lighter just in equipment) so it is a snowball effect. It is also better for landing like you said (nice job taking canopy courses, everyone should) as well as flexibility, and it takes less force to move your body around so endurance increases. It is really a win, win, win situation. The only folks that start running into "I can't keep up with people" are when you drop to 150lbs or less, and even then, with practice they can indeed keep up. Tracking in relation to WS has been discussed here a lot, but the threads become hard to find and the title doesn't always relate to the content of what is being discussed. Anyway, a little tracking is good but the benefits become minimal after only a few jumps. I would say this opinion is not uncommon. Learning to "feel" the air on all parts of your body and coming from multiple directions is good for every aspect of skydiving, tracking just doesn't do that very well. Angle flying (extreme tracking) on the other hand does, but that is a very advanced skill, well beyond entry level WS stuff. Another benefit to good belly and freefly skills are for when you aren't flying a wingsuit straight and level, which is a lot, especially when you become unstable, which you will. The tracking body position doesn't really relate to WS very well other than "hands below your shoulders and elbows." There is also a lot of control using your knees and arm sweep, not applicable to tracking in the same way, more akin to angle flying but still pretty different. In a WS you are also using small movement of your feet, hips, and shoulders to create a LOT of control, again in a whole other ballpark from tracking. And when you aren't flying normal and relaxed you have to do a lot of weird body stuff, which can only relate to having a good "feel" for the air. So whether you want to WS or become a angle flyer, freeflying is important. For angle flying it is absolutely necessary as a prerequisite, for WS it just makes everything easier. And before you learn to freefly strong belly and back skills will help you out a lot. So anyway, unless you just love traditional tracking and that is what you're most interested in, your best skills are going to be belly and freeflying for moving on to other things. Anecdotally, I've seen some high end angle flyers put on a wingsuit for the first time and be more agile and comfortable in just a few jumps than I was after 100 on a WS (It is kind of infuriating ). I too am a 200lb+ guy and I came into WS with decent belly and back skills but very little freeflying experience.
  15. Weight is always going to be a disadvantage. If you can lose some (i.e. not a bodybuilder or something) that is your best bet, even 10-15lbs can make a difference. If you are tracking with less experienced people that might be a problem too, they might not know how to fly fast with you and are just flying what feels comfortable to them. You should try leading and letting them chase you. Everyone has a "range" per their body type, short and fat has the smallest and tall and skinny has the biggest. But they all overlap to some degree, just takes both parties flying in that overlap. Practice will of course help but won't fix everything. If you are interested in wingsuiting (baby bird comment), lay off the tracking and build up your belly and freefly skills. Tracking is a completely different position and basically only teaches you to start thinking "forward" rather than "down," and to pull without going into box-man position. It is about navigation more than anything else. You've learned 90% of what you are going to about wingsuiting after your 5th track jump without actually putting a wingsuit on. Belly and freefall skills teach you how to move and feel the air stream better. The smoothest transitions to wingsuiting I've seen were competent freeflyers.
  16. Looks super sketch, but isn't a TSO problem because the harness isn't modified.
  17. Skydiving with a GoPro is surprisingly smooth. I've had no issues with shakiness even with crappy mounts. I've tried to ski with the same setup though and it looks like I am attached to a paint shaker, and that is what I thought was "smooth" skiing. Also their advertising vids are undoubtedly extremely processed and they would use any mechanical or digital means of smoothing the image available. If you want to see what professional color correction can do, check this out .
  18. Sounds like you might be a candidate to "jump in with both feet" as it were. Just some tips. Living in a tent/camper is not uncommon. People eat ramen every day, don't own anything, and live in poverty at the DZ to "live the dream." Packing is a good way to generate income and spend time at the DZ without just being a bum. Practice and you'll get better fast. More long term: Stay away from the "hustle," most of those people suck. Trying to coach or LO for a free slot is lame and makes people not like you. Getting a rigger ticket is much more respected/useful. On that same note, stay humble. Your next upgrade is becoming a camera flyer, but you'll need several hundred jumps and your own camera setup. This is where a lot of folks go from 500 jump wonder to 1000+ and don't pay for most of the second 500. If you want to jump a lot, you basically have two choices, make sufficient money doing something else, or be a full time skydiver/packer/rigger. Oh, and if at all possible, get baller health insurance. Break an ankle and you could be out 10's of thousands of dollars. IMHO jumping without good medical insurance is retarded. Good luck.
  19. Open face market is completely saturated from protecs to ski/snow helmets, to Cookie and Tonfly. Full face is the only place for significant improvement. In order of importance: 1- < $300 (< $200 even better). 2- Removable and user replaceable liners. 3- Real protection. Integrated cameras are stupid and won't sell. Reasons: 1 - You can only integrate shitty cameras (every GoPro is shitty). 2.0 - Shitty camera probably married to helmet, need to replace one? Have to replace both... 2.1 - Zero angle or placement adjustment due to marriage. 3 - You can count on one hand the number of people that have died from GoPro entanglements (not counting 3ft poles, but integration doesn't fix that problem). You can probably still count them on one hand even including the 3ft poles. E.g. it is a non-issue. 4 - I'm sure I'm not the only person that thinks they look stupid.
  20. What evh said, Never "plan" on an AAD or SkyHook doing its job, they are just there to hedge your bet when the fit hits the shan. If you wouldn't do something without an AAD or a RSL/SkyHook, then you shouldn't do it with one either.
  21. From my own experience upsizing too quickly (P3 to S-Bird/X-Bird) I'd say the biggest piece of advice for someone would be, are you comfortable enough with your current suit that you could intentionally tumble out of the door and not be nervous about it? If the answer is yes, then sure go ahead and upsize. The acro thing is fun but takes a ton of work, and then you have to have other competent people to jump with. At least for me, there were no hardcore acro people around and leading jumps on my back is boring AF. I'm just a casual fun jumper so the work involved to dial in real acro wasn't worth it to me, might as well just learn to angle fly. Back flying my Havok got boring after about 20 jumps. Doing the stuff in all the cool acro vids would be great, but so would tearing it up in a tunnel, it just ain't happening for me anytime soon, so I prefer to enjoy the jumps I make more rather than be in training mode all the time. Upsizing allowed me to tag along with more experienced people and do some formation stuff as well as race with each other, which is more fun for me than a slow flock (I would rather do a solo). The feeling of flying a big and fast suit also makes solos and cloud surfing a lot more fun, there is just more that you can do and the forward speed actually "feels" a lot more like flying. I've played with my C2 on its back and it is "neat" but cruising fast and carving around clouds does a lot more for me. So basically for me the appeal was, with a big suit I can fly with everyone (including trackers, which is kinda fun flying with it shut down, it takes a lot of nuance). I can also have more fun on solos. And I was surprised how much more like "flight" it felt compared to a mid size suit. Not to mention being able to have hop and pop esque deployments after a good flare.
  22. Thanks for the input. Any additional info about the Washington one? I've been to Paraclete and it's pretty nice, but I'm spoiled having a DZ 10min from my house right now so I'm really hoping to find a 1hr or less drive for weekend day trips.