FlyingRadio

In the April 2012 issue of Parachutist there is an announcement of a CYPRES 2 user-selectable activation altitude increase in increments of 100' (30 m) up to 900'. There's currently not much information about how this new feature works, if it takes effect at next servicing, etc; the cypres.cc website says that more information will be published as the feature becomes effective. It will be interesting to see how this feature is displayed when active, and if/how it works with a landing elevation offset (when the landing area is higher/lower than takeoff.) For those that don't get Parachutist: -- Radio

SIM section 8-2 C. 2. b. 7 lists signatures on the log entries as "encouraged but not required" and leaves verification up to the RD or ND. -- Radio

This is a mildly interesting topic that has degraded into the usual bickering on DZ.com. For those interested in some reading, AC 150/5230-4A essentially confirms the assertion quoted above. I'm not really taking any sides, and more interested in highlighting an AC I didn't see referenced earlier in the thread. From the AC: In other words, the FAA has listed no rules, regulations, or requirements in this AC (outside of part 139) and leaves it up to the airport to determine what training programs (and by extension, operational procedures) are required. As I read the AC, this 'safety training program' the AC stipulates could be as simple as a briefing with the person fueling in the case of small airports (ie: dropzones,) or a formal written procedure for larger operations. -- Radio

I'm fond of spinning that to "I tried bowling once and they suggested I take up skydiving" Perhaps more often I tell them I wouldn't want to be on the plane when it comes back down; that didn't go over so well when it was a non-jumping observer who asked me... -- Radio

This is an interesting topic for me since I jump with both a digital and analog - a digital Neptune 2 on my wrist and an analog on my chest-strap (plus an audible, but that's not a visual and doesn't apply so much here.) I don't find myself having to process either longer than the other, although that may be partly because I regularly jump with both. For me a lot of it boils down to what orientation I'm in; when sit-flying the chest-mount is more convenient, while belly tends to see me using the wrist-mount digital more often. Near deployment (tracking, the reach & pull, etc) my brain is able to process the digital a bit better. Similar to the experience of others, the analog seems to tell my brain "you're near 3k" instead of "you're at 3.2k and to pull at 3k you should stop your track now" - both take the same amount of time to process visually/mentally, but the digital seams to give me more useful information. I'm mid-twenties, and I grew up with a mix of analog/digital clocks around the house, although a bit more to the digital side with wrist-watches and alarms. -- Radio

At 7 jumps? Yup, full-flight is the first mode you'll learn to fly the pattern in. Your instructors will introduce you to more canopy skills as you progress. It's one technique to adjust canopy speed for the conditions, as others commented on. I fine-tune the flight during my approach depending on my ground position, winds at and under 1000', and (especially) other canopy traffic. I'll frequently fly the downwind and base legs with medium-light toggle pressure (perhaps 1/4 brakes) as it gives me options either way; more brakes to slow the descent, and less to speed it up. Light brakes also gives you adjustment options when turning throughout the pattern; if you're already in some degree of brakes, you can make a braked turn to loose less altitude than a typical turn at full-flight. Chances are good your student program includes an introduction to these techniques. Just be sure to take direction from your instructors and not take comments here to the air without discussion first since the instructors will be familiar with your abilities. -- Radio

It's probably the same feature that the N3 has to countdown to when to board your next load. Pretty nice; I've missed a few loads by getting something to eat and forgetting how slow the service is at my local DZ restaurant ;-) My N2 has that (which is another nifty feature...) but the NeoXS has a freefall countdown timer; for example, you could set it to go off 35 seconds into a skydive. -- Radio

A lot of the choices boil down to what you're looking for out of your altimeters and personal preference. If you have specific features you're looking for, or simply want to know what an altimeter offers, it can't hurt to visit the manufacturer's webpage since they usually offer free downloads of the manuals. Personally, I have 2 digitals, a Neptune2 (N2) on my wrist and a NeoXS audible in my helmet. I use the N2 as a wrist mount as a visual reference in the air, its logbook features, and its excellent canopy alarms; the N2 (and I'd imagine the N3 as well - check the manual) has 2 canopy volumes: one for helmet-mounting, and another "loud" setting for use when wrist-mounted. One of my favorite features is that is chirps as you approach your canopy altitudes and then gives you a solid tone when you reach it. The N2 also offers freefall alarms, but I don't use them since they do no good when on the wrist. The NeoXS has no logging and is purely an audible with up to 3 freefall and 3 canopy alarms, plus an adjustable "timer" alarm (I haven't quite figured out how this is useful, but you never know.) -- Radio

Far from a dumb question, this gets into some operational fundamentals of flying a canopy. Your canopy is always generating lift (this is what keeps you from falling out of the sky) and you can change how much lift is generated by using control inputs, namely toggles and rear risers. The further you go into brakes, the more your canopy levels out relative to the horizon. This slows your fall rate down, allowing you to stay airborne longer. You can use this for vertical separation from other canopies, or simply to enjoy a nice view for longer. Going into braked flight also means you're exposing the canopy to the winds at altitude for longer, and this is what can get you back from a long spot (with a tailwind) by "riding" out the wind for a longer period of time. Rear risers work similarly, and various canopy types and sizes have a slightly different ideal amount of brakes or risers to hold to get the most distance. You can try out different amounts of brakes (half, 3/4, nearly full brakes) up high to get a feel for how this changes the flight. For the opposite effect, pulling on front risers will decrease lift by pitching the canopy down relative to the horizon (a dive,) resulting in increased speed and descent rate. So will turns and spins. It's also a good idea to know what the stalling point of your canopy is with both toggles and rear risers. Eventually, if you hold both toggles down far enough, the canopy will deform and stall. Doing this up high (well above 2500') will let you know how far you can hold brakes safely without stalling the canopy. It's also a useful thing to know if you have a bad approach and need every bit of flare you can get; the last thing you want on your final approach is a canopy stall at 12'. Just remember to let the toggles back slowly if you try this (best might be to talk to an instructor to get some of these tips if you haven't done this before.) -- Radio

I made some jumps over this past winter, and went just shy of 3 months from the end of fall until weather & scheduling permitted a winter jump. I didn't pay the 3 month old main pack job any mind, and it worked as it always has. Reserves are packed for months more (6 in the US, more elsewhere) and they open. Granted they're not ZP, but I am tossing fabric into some massive wind. -- Radio

I own both a Neptune2 (used as a visual+canopy alarm) and a NeoXs (I think this is what you meant - I'm not sure if they had an older 'NeoX' version prior or if that was a typo.) The NeoXs has 3 volume levels for both the freefall and canopy alarms (and these can be set independently.) The Neptune2 also offers canopy alarms, and compared to the NeoXs has a nice feature; it beeps as you approach your target altitude. It's a very specific sequence of single beeps that gets faster as you get closer, and then a final unique tone at each of your 3 pre-selected altitudes. The Neptune2 also has a feature to set the canopy alarm to "loud" volume so you can hear it from your wrist when used as a visual. Compare this to the NeoXs which initiates the tones once you're at the altitude. There's nothing wrong with this, and I've actually been using both audibles for canopy alarms recently - my Neptune aids me with pattern points while I set my NeoXs for various manoeuvring altitudes for a total of up to 6 altitude alarms. And remember, the alarms only aid in altitude awareness - eyes are your failsafe when audibles fail. -- Radio

I'll add my own experience similar to what folks above have said. I didn't jump with an audible (or earplugs) until around 100 jumps. When my gear came (a NeoXS audible,) I tried out the 3 volume levels in my helmet while on the ground and decided that level 1 was plenty loud and feared for my hearing at the other two. On my next jump, I didn't hear the audible at all until I pitched, and that meant that the freefall wind was enough to drown out the "already very loud" audible. I was so concerned about my hearing that I put in earplugs for my very next jump. I've been jumping with earplugs ever since, and set my audible on level 2 (of 3.) While I can still hear it on level 1 with earplugs, it's easier to hear on level 2 and in no way painful. I'm using some of the disposable "Laser Lite" foam earplugs you can buy in bulk for about $0.10 a pair. Under canopy I use my Neptune2 for canopy alarms on the "loud" setting (designed to be heard when worn on the wrist as a visual.) I have no problem hearing my Neptune from my wrist with the earplugs in. I have no problem with ear pressure - on the way up it's similar to flying commercial and I "yawn" my jaw only when I need to (I find I don't usually have to think about it as it's rarely an issue.) On the way down it's never been a problem. As others have said, it's actually easier to hear people in the plane, and the engine noise is vastly reduced as well. Just beware of shouting to your friends on the ground or before takeoff. -- Radio

Most, if not all, manufacturers offer downloadable manuals from their websites. Some even walk through primary features in a 1-2 page document for quicker reading. This should give you an idea of how each unit operates and takes care of functions like zeroing, LZ altitude offset, and all other available features. Like any skydiving gear, it's important to know your equipment. This means reading the manuals and understanding features, adjustment options, and failure modes. I jump with an analog on my chest and 2 digitals: a Neptune2 on my wrist and a NeoXs audible in my helmet. Just like you check your analog altimeters before boarding, you check the digitals for zeroing, offset, and alarm settings (if present.) To highlight the importance of knowing your gear, I have a story from last fall. I was on a plane load where a low-pass at 500' involved tossing pumpkins at a truck in a field. My Neptune2 tracked the slight decline (perhaps several feet per second) at the low-pass altitude as a "jump" and then reset to 0' at 540'. I didn't worry too much about the digital before boarding since I have the 2nd visual altimeter on my chest-strap, although I paid more attention than usual to the altitude readout during the climb. The NeoXs was accurate the whole way. I relied primarily on my analog that jump for accurate readings, although I was paying attention to the Neptune to see what it would do. The Neptune was very accurate, just low by 540'. In fact, when I touched down after the jump, it read -540 feet. As I learned later when reading the manual at home, there's a setting on the Neptune2 specifically for low passes like this that tells the unit you're still on a climb so it won't flip to freefall mode early. I didn't have time read the manual before the jump, and I would have manifested on a different load if that was my only visual altimeter, at least until I could pull up the manual for proper operation in such a case. -- Radio

I fixed that for you; the attached PDF was exported from your posted word doc and is slightly smaller than the source document. (For the curious I used OpenOffice to open the original document and the included PDF export feature to generate this one.) And the obvious disclaimer: this is Muffie's work, not mine. -- Radio

Bingo. A conscious jumper following EPs can still extract the pilot chute from the container, even if the cutter is disconnected. We don't need to ban all AADs (since it's not just Cypres that operates like this, per the linked thread), but reducing the chances of any failure case should always be worth looking at. psychoswooper, thanks for linking that thread; I missed that in my initial search, and it directly answers my question earlier in this thread about the behavior of AADs in this case. I also wanted to roll up the various possible failure modes of a broken/disconnected cutter. I've included some possible prevention methods further down. Cutter cable completely severed during installation or repack. In this case, the unit would fail a self test when it was next turned on and the failure reported. Cutter cable partially damaged during install, repack, or damage due to use (eg: pressure during a bad landing, rig transport, or jumper (ab)use.) Here, the unit may pass a self test if the cutter was connected when it was turned on and could fail during the day's use if the loose connection was severed and the AAD met activation conditions. Cutter cable completely severed during the day's use after initial self-test (same jumper examples from #2 apply.) So how serious are each of these examples? #1 is easy to prevent; make sure to cycle your AAD after a repack. If you get your rig back with the AAD armed, cycle it. If it's off, turn it on as usual before your next jump. #3 is a bit tricker since you don't know exactly when "too much" pressure might have caused damage to the cutter cable/mechanism. This said, if you have a particularly bad landing where you rolled on your rig, it can't hurt to cycle the AAD. I think #2 is the example worth focusing on. An AAD with a cable/cutter that is damaged but quasi-functional may pass a self-test, then later become disconnected when it's needed in the air. There's been some discussion about various manufacturers re-locating the cutter above the pack job (either above or below the pilot chute.) Doing so may have replaced one problem (overly-tight reserve packjobs "stuffing" the cutter) with another (AAD cutter/cable damage due to a more exposed location.) Clearly, the case least-likely to prevent intended activation would be best, but it's possible there isn't enough information to know which is the larger danger. All of this said, perhaps we could reduce both of these potential cases on certain H/C models by moving the cutter back to the bottom of the pack job and releasing a SB reminding riggers not to cram larger reserves into containers that won't contain them. -- Radio