paulca

Funny someone mentioned standing close to an edge, just to prove to yourself you could. I remember climbing a little rocky "tor" at the top of a mountain and standing looking over the edge... 30ft drop then an 800ft slope. My stomach felt sick, and I was standing in a way I knew if I became unstable I could fall backwards, not over the edge. But when I said to the person beside me that I was afraid of heights, they just looked at me like I was nuts and said, "Are you mad, what are you doing climbing up and standing here then?" "Because I can. Fear can be conquered".

I did a search and this hasn't come up (with my search terms) for at least a year. Personally, I am afraid of heights. I have a curious variant of it though. First discovered it by climbing to the top of the sports hall gymnastics frame (the one on the wall). I could look down and not be very worried, but if I looked out across the roof, knowing how high up I was, it made my legs go jelly! Looking out of the plane, however, the ground is just "cartoon distance" away. Even at 3500ft it doesn't look "tangible" and my sense of "fear of heights" does not compute it's in danger. I was more scared on the PLF fan trainers in the DZ hangar! Fear of falling to my death is another story! Paul

Speaking of putting your hand in the fire.... I suppose it could be seen as ironic to some that someone once suggested I jump out of a perfectly good feckin plane and ... I did that! :D

And should someone on here tell me to go and stick my hand in the fire, I'm going to do it aren't I? ... and No. 3 from the list please.

Still from what I gather DP on your third jump is extremely good progress! You must be doing alright! Personally I didn't even remember I had a parachute on my first, was convinced I was going to die for 3 seconds. 2nd I focused on that to stop my fear turning me into a flat stiff petrified board! 3rd I'm going to worry about keeping my head up and my eye on the plane which hopefully will lead to an arch! So keep doing what your doing, it seems to be working :)

Standard snail mail spam is easier to deal with. 1. Collect a load of it. 2. Look through it for a "Postage paid" envelope. 3. Wrap the rest of the heap of junk mail in a bag. 4. Add 5Kg of lead. 5. Stick the pre-paid envelope onto it 6. Post.

Is it worth wearing gloves early on in learning? I'm figuring they would add safety for my hands, in the unfortunate event I get my mitts caught in the lines. They should also had grip for grabbing the handle if/when I get to dummy pulls. And damn :(, it ain't going to be "summer" or what passes for "summer" here for much longer. If I sit the whole winter out it will be a £50, full day, retrain. If I was to use gloves and the DZ doesn't rent them out, would motorcycle summer gloves do? They are goat leather, I can easily operate small switches with them. :) Paul

I would agree. There is a lot of information and I respect them not giving it to you all at once. First jump training is, "Here is what you need to stay alive up there.", any more might involve the student (me) forgetting something critical. @yoink I said it was my GF who said she didn't get a gear check. I didn't say they didn't do it properly. I accepted that not tightening my own leg straps on my first jump was MY responsibility, it was here that I was told otherwise. The time I lifted the pack without a slip round the lower riser I got a gear check immediately afterwards. I am not forming opinions on Internet posts, I am forming an opinion based on being at the DZ in a rig watching what is going on around me. If my opinions lead to wrong conclusions then that will be because I am a student who has only jumped twice and I only have my 'feelings' to go on. The reason I asked here is I do not know how these things work with DZs. I/we were afraid if we even mentioned, "I don't think I had a gear check last time.", that the incident book would come out and our instructor pulled over the coals and official inquiries and all that ho-ha. So I was asking if it could be done discretely. I will also edit the post title to remove the last 2 words in agreement with that point of yours.

I wanted to reply to this specifically. On my first jump the plane had engine issues the lift before. The pilot was sorting that out with a screw driver, then test flying and then said he wanted only 3 on the next load JIC. With all this going on I had too much time sitting in my rig brooding. The ground women who usually does the checking is running around like a headless chicken changing jump loads and jumper numbers, doing radio checks and altimeters.... calmly and quietly shouting (in that way women can!) at the other instructors for not bothering to help out. But... I had a feeling I had to keep stepping on to keep my nerves in check, but it boiled down to... "I am in their hands right now. I hope they don't forget something." I hated that feeling, the feeling of being completely in someone's hands when that someone looks like they currently have too much on their plate. I knew the solution is to learn how to look after myself, but ... it was jump no. 1.

I had a think about this on the drive home from work just there. I have a plan to turn what might be a complaint into a positive, pro-active step forward instead. I/We will ask, 1) Can you show us how to check a rig is good? 2) Can you talk us through a gear check? ... and if we don't feel we have had one, we will ask, can I have a gear check. Thanks for the suggestions. Paul

It's supposed to be part of their procedures for students. Because... (a) They usually just say, grab and rig, lid and suit and come over, and (b) they don't teach us how to do a gear check to ourselves or each other. Not yet anyway. This is why we don't want to rock the boat. There is only one DZ in this country. The next is a good 100 miles away in the republic of Ireland. EDIT: Point taken about asking if you haven't yet received a gear check.

You may remember my first post here where I said on my first jump nobody checked my leg straps were tight. Well, my second jump I found no rigs in the student rack (left open to the world, unlocked), so I lifted one of the post packing table. No packing sign off slip, no indication it was actually ready to jump other than it "looked" packed. I meant to ask, but... forgot. Luckily it was grand, pulled to the right a little, but worked fine. My girlfriend and a friend of ours did their 4th and 5th jumps respectfully on Sunday and while this information is second hand, I trust it. First, the pack that our mate lifted off the shelf had some of the deployment bag showing out from under a flap! He just picked another. Then neither of them got a gear check, the JM just tugged their chest straps after putting on the altimeter. The rigs were not checked the ADDs not checked, leg straps not checked, nothing. Both jumped and both rigs worked fine. Trouble is they were not planning on taking up the student plane (206) as it was being used for a demo at 4 o'clock and worse yet the pick up van was needed for said demo to pick up the jumpers, so it needed to leave ASAP. In short, they fumbled together a jump master, a left over tandem, these 2 students and sent the plane up. Everything was rushed. When my GF told me this and I remarked I'd received several PMs on here about just my legs straps, that maybe she should raise this issue, at least informally about not getting a gear check. I also wanted to draw attention to the fact, and you may correct me, but packed student rigs should always have a packing slip attached or some other indication that they are READY TO JUMP. The student rig rack should also be locked! It would not be too hard for a kid or bad person to simply fiddle with them, intentional/malicious or not. We don't want to rock the boat, so, do you think it's possible to have just a quiet word with one or more members of the team to raise these concerns without the hassle of starting a whole stewards inquiry etc. and making everyone's lives difficult? Paul

Never did a tandem, but I'd support this advice based on my first solo jump. All that bravado from the OP would quickly vanish with the sound of the plane and the faces of the other jumpers leaving you all alone thousands of feet up. Your life, your hands, your mistake, your price.

I may stand corrected but the "cabin pressure" on an average airline flight at cruise is maintained around 7,000ft to 10,000ft. So similar pressure change. It is slowly increased during descent over 20-30minutes. So... not so similar rate of change :) If you have ever had your ears not pop on the way down to land in an airliner it's definitely very sore but usually non-damaging. Makes a damn good fart noise when it does finally go. Descent is usually easier to deal with as you can force equalize the inner ear by holding your nose and forcing air up your sinus cavities. Just like blowing your nose, except you don't let the pressure release into the hankie. Worst is you end up with a snotty mitt. You could also try to not equalize your ears on the way up! Don't swallow, don't yawn etc.

From a newbie on static line, there is nothing quite like sitting beside the (lack of) door on a Cessna 206, knowing you are attached to the plane. Taking off from a full throttle + full brakes run up and clearing the trees at the end of the runway, with the plane creaking and groaning, by mere feet. Seriously there is a large tree either side that you look UP at! No belts, 'cept your static line, worn out carpet, gaffa (duct) tape holding the plane head lining in place, etc. The plane itself is on it's second engine it's that old. 6 people on a 4 man plane. My GF on the last jump she did, sitting in the door position, had to be grabbed by the guy behind her as the pilot decided a non coordinated 60 degree bank was appropriate! She said she really felt like she was going to fall out! Myself sat in across from the door position hated the pilot when he got the shout, "10 to the right!" and promptly stamped on the rudder pedal to achieve this, rocking everyone around. All part of the fun. Now for the serious question... It was not part of our formal training, for that we were told, just listen up to the jump master, he will decide. But a qualified diver on one of our lifts, when the plane was showing signs of sick engine that day said, "700, 800ft if the engine dies I'm out, pull the reserve it opens faster." Now I got to thinking, I'm on static line, at 800ft is it likely to deploy the main in time? If I jump and do my emergency drill I'm certainly dead. So jump and immediate reserve and accept the fact I'm going to land with reserve and potentially a just deployed main entangled... I'll live, probably. What would the best approach be? (Well obviously, it IS: Listen to the jump master/dispatcher and he will decide!). but I'm curious for your opinions.

Scary reading this thread as a newbie! First jump... got rigged up, but the plane lost power on the load 2 before mine. Pilot spent 20 minutes at it with a screwdriver, then took it for a test flight. Then back to taking up loads. "Any change of de-rigging for a smoke?" "You had a gear check?" "Nope" "Go for it then." Quick smoke. Came back got into the harness and thought, "Those leg straps are wild hard to sit in... I know, I'll not pull them tight until gear check" Ooops. Gear check came and went, climbed out, jumped and then after (what I think was) a hard opening, I found myself sunk way down in the harness with line twists, just able to reach the toggles with my chest strap pretty much at my adam's apple and the chest strap fitted altimeter resting against my chin! Couldn't see over either shoulder due to my shoulder straps being so high up.... I could actually see between my shoulder and the strap! "Oh yea, forgot the tighten the leg straps."

Dear Mobile Phone Insurance Company, I recently dropped my iPhone from......

Another one. A highlights of the past year in this hobby. If you only watch one of these (my) videos, it should be this one. http://vimeo.com/26478072

Oh, while I'm here, just uploaded another video. GoPro watching the sunset from 500ft. http://vimeo.com/26443964 If you watch to (or skip to 8:00mins) you'll see it was one of those, "Now I'm up, how the hell do I get back down there again!?" flights. Approach is worse than KaiTak! Thank god for powered flight and "Go Arounds".

In short: * Camera with a standard video out. * Wireless CCTV Video transmitter and receiver. * Some device to watch from on the ground. For high alt, long range, you'll need a directional patch antenna on the ground and someone to guide it. Check: www.sunsky.com and securitycam2000.com for ideas. Cost (not including the GoPro) about $150. Most use a 12V CCD security board camera (due to high dynamic range and small size, low weight). You can connect the GoPro directly, as long as you have the latest firmware with the "Live out" patch, which sends video out the TV port while recording. Trouble with it is and why I stopped using it as a flying camera, it favors cinematic beauty over light level/contrast. So have the sun peak out from behind a cloudy sky and the ground goes black! No reference for speed or height makes flying stressful. Then a legal video transmitter. In the UK that's 2.4Ghz or 5.8Ghz at 10mw or 20mw respectively. ... or you can go dark-side and get something with a little more power. Avoid the mobile phone bands though! A video receiver on the ground connected to some device to view it on. A TV, laptop or an Archos (Video tablet). For flying I use video goggles for the immersion factor. Makes you completely blind to whats going on around you, so an extra pair of eyes is essential. Of course most of that is completely irrelevant if you are only intending on broadcasting your camera picture from 13,000ft above to the ground for people to watch live.... like an instructor or family. Just wire your GoPro to a video tx/rx pair from sunsky and your done. Power for the video Tx (and Rx) can be got from any 12V battery. I use a Lithium Polymer 500mAh 3 cell pack, that weighs about 20g, size of a small match box, lasts a good 30 minutes. Chances of getting a good signal from 13,000ft to ground are good. I've seen people take their RC plane's to as high! Naughty but cool. You'll need a high gain, circularly polarized patch antenna pointed straight up and the "rubber duck" transmitter antenna pointed out the side of your foot or helmet. A DZ with buildings could install this permanently on a building roof. This is my air side set up. http://www.campbell-multimedia.co.uk/gallery3/var/resizes/RC-Photos/Skywalker-FPV/skywalker_launch.png?m=1310727758 (sorry can't embed, sites restrictions are archaic).

Nah, it doesn't seem to embed video :(

http://vimeo.com/23113821 http://vimeo.com/26396096 http://vimeo.com/15327340 I stay on the ground. On one hand that's a bad thing, would love to be up there, but a good thing other times... http://vimeo.com/15906436 Hmmm. If you have ever considered a live feed to the ground from your camera, the same equipment would work.

Well, I did it again :) On Sunday. I was much more nervous on the ground before hand, more scared on the plane trip up. But again I just started focusing on what to do, not what would happen. Nearly fell out, getting into position in the door, nearly pulled out by the drag on my feet and... it occurs to me as strange this didn't actually scare me! Clearly insane. A little fluffy cloud appeared on my side in front and below and I was wondering if the dispatcher would wait, but .. "GOOO!!!!". Gone. WhoosHHRRRRRRRRR. Straight into the cloud, cold, wet, ping-pong ball white out! This time I managed to contain the fear with the count, because key ingredient was I remembered the parachute was coming this time, I was aware of stuff :) Much more gentle opening, no big jolt or swing forward ... just a gentle rumble and increasing pressure, slight rotation to the right.... big, square and no twists. "Right, time to have some fun, yea, ha!" Managed to actually do all my drills this time, a few 360s for fun, see my girlfriend jump from the plane and her chute appear then fly fairly decent approach Nearly landed in a hedge, came down short about 10 ft from it. Log entry was better than last exit, still "Flat position and postman being robbed spread". Dispatcher said I jumped in fear, but... I jumped. I should be more aggressive, not angry, but aggressive. Sounds about right.

Clicky for the motivator

In my case the 180* twist came from the deccel swing. Static line you are still travelling forward at a fair speed when the chute deploys, so you swing forward a lot. I felt myself rotate at the top of the swing and came down facing backwards.