hokierower

What you're proposing is the same as in construction where there is tiered "reporting". Level 1 is a "On-Site First Aid" where the injury is something like a cut/scrape/headache/etc. Level 2 is a "Recordable" which is anything that requires a visit to a doctor/clinic/hospital/etc. Level 3 is a fatality. Right now you're either a 0 or a 1, alive or dead. I agree that it makes much more sense to add additional "levels" so that the full story is reported. You can even start evaluating dropzones the same way you evaluate jobsites based on their RIR or "Recordable Incident Rate". The RIR is the: (# of Recordable Injuries x 200,000) / Hours Worked. The 200,000 is 100 workers working 40hrs/wk multiplied by 50 weeks (only 50 because of holidays). A RIR for skydiving could be: (# of Recordable Injuriees x 15,600) / Jumps Made. The 15,600 is 30 jumpers making 10 jumps a week multiplied by 52 weeks. One of the questions that may be poised is how does this differentiate between small and large DZs...the same way the construction RIR differentiates: hours (i.e. jumps) worked (i.e. made). The biggest problem with this would be getting the DZs to stay on-top of it, but if you make it one of the requirements of being a Group Member, they really won't have a choice. My $0.02.

I'm going to be a bit selfish here, but this has been brought up by other posters... I'm at 143 jumps and of the last 25 jumps I've made, 21 have been hop & pops dedicated to working on canopy skills (checkpoints v. straight line pattern, landing from half-braked approach, lots of practice up high, etc.) and HP landings (front 90 and double fronts to front 90). I've already taken one 3-day canopy course, have a 2-day canopy course set up in July, and will take a third in the fall. I made a mental decision to focus completely on canopy piloting (and forego freefall) because that is what I enjoy, even at such a "young age" and it's the discipline that I want to pursue. With that bit of background given, how would this WL proposition affect someone like me, someone who gets out either alone or with another 1 or 2 people separate from the rest of the load? Someone whose sole purpose on that jump is to fly their canopy, not just see it as a necessary evil to get back to freefall. Would I be limited to the same rules as someone who has never taken a canopy course and their last H&P was on a day where clouds prevented full altitude or possibly even AFF? According to the solution that's been mentioned, I have to ask the BOD or Executive Committee for a waiver, people who may have NEVER seen me jump! My $0.02 Why not add to the ISP two high pulls where a student exits with a coach and goes through all of the drills required to receive an A-license? Add another two hop & pops to deal with the landing portion (landing from half-brakes and flat/front riser turns. Hell, if you don't want to add to the ISP, replace some of the freefall coached jumps with canopy coached jumps. Seems like a better way of dealing with the education "scope gap" than trying to limit people who aren't required to get any more education.

do you have to have it on for every skydive? Why would you not turn it on? If you read the manual and understand the parameters of operation, you may discover that answer for yourself. It was a rhetorical question but thanks for coming off as a complete jackass. Why would a DZO implement a rule like that and say that it's OK for a jumper to NOT turn on their AAD? Sounds like a legal nightmare if something were to happen down the road. If you're an individual who routinely performs maneuvers capable of generating those speeds then you should sell your Expert unit and replace it with a Speed unit to comply with the rules. Buying a $1400 life saving device and then consciously choosing NOT to turn it on is about the stupidest thing that a jumper can do.

do you have to have it on for every skydive? Why would you not turn it on?

I'm a tad shy of 150 jumps and don't have any idea about what I don't know. I can read "Canopy and it's Pilot" front to back a dozen times, but for me, actually performing the manuever while being observed and then critiqued makes the idea stick in my brain even more. Why teach myself and pick up bad habits? Makes much more sense to learn from those who have been there and done that. I learned MUCH more than just HP landings at the course.

I'm a newer jumper to HP turns and I learned more last week in 10 jumps at CPTS Event 3 with Greg Windmiller than if I had spent 75 jumps trying to figure stuff out. Advanced canopy course geared towards HP = good. Learning on my own = bad.

I have an N3 mounted to an AltiMount. I ended up securing the rubber mount by drilling four holes and using zip ties to secure it. I also drilled an additional two holes for the other sensors. No screws whatsoever.

I got that, I was telling the OP that I used those videos and they've worked out well for me.

I would sit at the DZ and pack for practice on weather days. After one particularly frustrating day I was watching the PD packing video and that seemed to make a lot of sense to me. I pack using that method now and it works solidly for me. :)

Yep. Mine is a 2011 Triumph Street Triple R in Blazing Orange. Bought her new in February. Such an awesome bike to ride, I'm convinced it can read my thoughts because it just goes exactly where I want it to. https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-n7E-eoOPWkA/TgqMgu5RVKI/AAAAAAAAATA/tk_8Ug0kvOc/s640/IMG_20110628_182046.jpg

I like the Eagles and whoever is playing the Giants. Fixed it for you. How did trying to buy the NFC East title work out for them this year?

I like the Giants and whoever is playing the Eagles. Just gonna leave this here for ya... https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-MYTeDHeljMA/TxSDUItzxXI/AAAAAAAAAXo/v92a21U7jbE/s800/Shredded.jpg

Spending christmas & new years alone in Minot, ND trying to finish up a construction project before the end of the year. Haven't jumped in 3 weeks and don't see myself jumping for at least another month. Cool thing is that it'll be a new DZ (Skydive Orange in VA) but I'm gonna need a refresher jump :(.

Best team for building up the hype and then failing to deliver...my very own CHokies!

1. Jump #1 as soon as the canopy opened. 2. Jumped my own rig starting on jump #20.

UVA...booooooooo

Skydive San Marcos - Texas State, UT Austin, UT San Antonio

I like to listen to music when I'm snowboarding or riding my motorcycle, but don't think I'd put in headphones while skydiving. Just doesn't seem necessary to me.

Oh, there was Crown that night too. Briefly faded back into consciousness at an irish pub next door drinking crown and coke. Then blacked out again. Back to and doing car bombs followed by blacking out again. Woke up in the morning and the world was still twirling (and I was still in kansas). Found out last year that I drunk dialed my parents at 4 in the morning. Good night.

On my 21st, I blacked out in a bar in Manhattan, KS called Pat's Blue Ribbon drinking a pitcher of PBR by myself. Needless to say, the next day was not fun.

Thanks Dad! 30 years and still going!

The few times I've traveled with a rig (2 round trips to date) I've never had a problem with the airline staff. I get a few extra stares from the other passengers, but I usually carefully stow my rig below the seat in front of me. On my last trip leaving Minot, ND, one of the TSA agents grabbed my rig, looked at me and said they were going to open it. I responded (without thinking) "no you're not". She was kind of shocked and repeated that they were (this was 5:30 in the AM) and I said, "Fine, please make sure you have a rigger on standby then." Her boss laughed and told me not to worry, they weren't going to touch it, she was new and didn't know what a parachute rig looked like. Coming home I was flying out of San Antonio and they asked me if it was mine, said they needed to test it, waited for me to grab all my things, took it over to the analyzer, and I gave the agent a brief description of how a modern rig operates. EDIT: I just carry it on the plane on my back, since I travel with all my luggage as my carry-on. I think it's safe to assume that a parachute is a "personal item"

I use a pair of $35 construction safety glasses that I got from a mechanical subcontractor. They're comfy, fit my face well, and the lenses are just right. Tack on that they're Z87.1 rated and I've got a winner. Oh, and they're camouflage . http://www.drillspot.com/products/634871/edge_eyewear_tsm215cf_polarized_protective_eyewear?s=1

Not pathetic at all. Around jump 40 for me, I did my first jump of the day and went to pack. Nope, wasn't happening. I got it flaked and cocooned easy enough, but I COULD NOT get it into the d-bag. I swear, there was a mental block that was keeping me from getting it right. After 4 tries I asked a packer to take care of it because I was just tired of trying. I had an older jumper come over, tell me to relax and take a deep breath, and then he proceeded to put it in the d-bag while showing me a different way to pack it. After that I jumped all day and was able to pack with no problems. To this day, I use the way he showed me.

Dumped her body in the swamp...wasn't a clean breakup, but it wasn't messy either. I kid, I kid! Can't help you with this one. Haven't really had to worry about this.