EppyNephrine

Good ol' trolling right there...

Shit happens. Just ask the crowd at a NASCAR or Hockey game.

There are different techniques that involve rears that you can learn. If you do a large turn with an efficient snap at the end and purposefully put yourself a hair low, you can tap your rears to force a recovery that 'slingshots' you out of the dive and carries much more speed than if the canopy were to recover on its own. This, of course, is a more advanced technique and carries with it a much smaller margin for error as you must have the speed from the snap to be able to force a quick recovery.

Watch how far this guy pulls down his fronts... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=erFa7sfimqs&feature=relmfu

Why the hell did nationals get moved to early in the season?

A bit of both. Higher air temperatures amounts to higher density altitude. Simply put, hot air molecules move faster and farther apart, so the air is thinner, providing less resistance to you and your canopy as you dive and pick up speed.

Defacing currency also happens to be a federal offense

Here's a question to videographers: Do you use a skyhook? Why or why not? Also, if you can, please mention: -type of rig -type of canopy/WL -camera setup (side/top or both on top mount) -jump numbers Thanks!

I used to be an Icarus (NZ) fanatic. Loved the JVX. However, I switched to PD simply because the customer service at NZ Aerosports is horrible. Sucks because the JVX suits me better than the Velo. But the customer service aspect is a pretty big deal.

I just about pissed myself laughing at this. Here's my advice... You could jump that katana 120 and probably land it up first try. No kidding. But being able to stand up a canopy landing isn't the criteria for downsizing. The real issue that comes into play is if put find yourself in a bad situation, you need to be able to react with the proper maneuver and not drill yourself into the ground. With that being said, you're not too far off from being on that 150. I would take that other poster's advice and get current for this season. Invest in a canopy course if you can. You'll get to do a day of hop n pops and work on some really good drills/maneuvers. Canopy coaching is well worth it to damn near every canopy pilot in the sport. After that, you should be around 100 jumps and probably ready for that 150.

I agree. Just because a pet's physical needs are satisfied enough to survive over a three day weekend doesn't mean that its emotional needs are being satisfied. Part of the responsibility of owning a pet means giving it the daily attention it needs. Most people don't realize this and view pets as something they can put in a shoebox under their bed and pull out when they want it. An 8-year-old could be self-sufficient and survive a three day weekend but that doesn't mean he/she is getting the needed attention :/

You could build a much beefier system for around $900 in total if you buy the parts through newegg.com. Such a system would include a more capable motherboard, better video card, double the RAM, and an i7 CPU instead of the i5. I know you want out of the box, but a build like this would save you about $400, render videos much faster, and perform all around smoother. And I'm sure that someone around your DZ is knowledgeable and capable enough to put it together for a jump ticket. If I have the time in the near future, I can make a parts list off of newegg.com for you.

750 jumps over 4 years and you're at a 2.4 WL.... tisk tisk

Fixed.

Don't do anything to the nose. Also, stop rolling the tail so much! I've known a few people who had funky openings from over-rolling the tail.

Guns.

I have TruLok toggles on both of my rigs. But this summer alone, I've had easily 20+ breakfires with them. I double checked with UPT to make sure I was setting them correctly (hard to fuck up nonetheless) which I was.

Yes. I'm assuming that times have a changed a bit, but as of a few years ago, Spain Icarus hand cut their canopies while NZ has always used a precision laser cutter. This has led to some Spain made canopies being built with variances, some of which would have built in turns, for example. I have jumped both Spain and NZ made Xfires (recently manufactured) and I can say from personal experience that the two canopies do have subtle differences in flight characteristics. And yes, Daedalus is NZ only.

Haha fuck, my bad. I'm not much of a car person as you can tell

Is a Honda Civic more aggressive than a Ford Viper if you only step on the pedal a little bit?

http://www.downforeveryoneorjustme.com/

I believe that there are two primary causes enabling jumpers to fly canopies past their skill range. The first is the mindset of defining what is acceptable by hard numbers (ie 500 jumps for fully elliptical, 300 for 1.3 WL, etc). The second is the lack of education that these younger canopy pilots have. Most are so undereducated that they do not even realize that they do not know. Hell, I bet half of the folks trying their first swoops do not even have a concept of what a proper swoop is. I've put quite a bit of thought into a solution for our current situation. It may not be perfect, but it is an idea. Feel free to support it, help mold it, or shoot it down. But nonetheless, keep in mind that it is an honest effort to help shift this current paradigm. In a nutshell: I purpose a mentor/coach hybrid program. Qualified individuals would be designated as HP canopy instructors (HPCI). Each student wishing to break into the swooping world and/or wishing to transition to a HP canopy would be assigned to a HPCI. The involvement of the HPCI should remain flexible, ranging from monitoring, policing, and approving downsizes at no cost, to personalized paid coaching and advice. Not only would this offer a more thorough approach to regulating canopy safety, but will also promote networking and friendships within the skydiving community. In depth: What qualifies an individual for HPCI status? This is a big one. A HPCI should be a well seasoned canopy pilot who is still active, making at least 250 jumps on HP canopies each year. Simply put, refined skill on, consistency with, and knowledge of HP canopies are the requisites. I do not believe that a S&TA status, 10,000 jump badge, or any other type of rating should translate to HPCI status. What are the duties of the HPCI? The HPCI at a minimum keeps an eye (when possible) on their students in an effort to regulate and police the individual, as well as observe firsthand the student's skill level and abilities. With an accurate understanding of the student's abilities, the HPCI would also give final approval for downsizing. This approval, in a tangible form, could also help regulate sales of canopies from major factories. These services would be provided to the student at no cost, with the exception of a downsizing checkout jump (which I will elaborate on in a minute). If the student wishes to become more involved in the program, then the HPCI should be able to offer additional help, in the form of paid coaching, advice, canopy courses, or videotaping landings. What qualifies a jumper to downsize/swoop? In order to transition to HP canopy (elliptical, or a WL in excess of 1.5), a jumper must have a minimum of 300 jumps, 100 of which must have been completed within the last year. They must attend a mandatory canopy class that covers HP canopy characteristics and basic swoop principles. Education is key here. And finally, they will be assigned a HPCI to chat with the student about the student's goals, gain an understanding of the student's abilities, and give the final approval to move on to a HP canopy or swooping. Before the HPCI can give the student permission to downsize, the student must complete a checkout jump, similar to an A-license checkout. This would consist of one or two hop'n'pops on which the student would have to demonstrate skill sets appropriate for their skill levels... For example: -> To start swooping, a student should demonstrate moderate accuracy while performing a downwind landing (with a straight-in approach). Or perhaps a 90 degree flat turn under 125 ft. -> To downsize to a 2.0 Xbrace while swooping, you should be able to demonstrate a safe 270 with reasonable accuracy. To maintain the ability to fly a HP canopy or swoop, the jumper must complete 100 jumps a year on their canopy and be checked out by a HPCI. Perhaps a HP canopy pilot rating could be added to the USPA membership card, which would help regulate jumpers visiting new dropzones.

Hi, I just read through this thread and I am having a hard time deciphering your agenda, other than of course fueling this stimulating debate. Are you pushing for greater HP canopy regulations, or seeking to completely ban these 'lethal' canopies?

A DZ in Colorado has a super king air that makes altitude (12.5AGL) with a full load/full fuel during summer in 7 mins - and that's starting at a 5300MSL field elevation. I also know that Mike Mullins has a super KA, as well as another dz somewhere in the US. And when you're sitting on straddle benches in a packed KA, it can take a little more than 60 seconds to properly hook your student up. Hell, it can take about a minute just to find the space to tighten down the straps when the plane is that full. Don't get me wrong, I'm not making excuses for people who fail to properly hook their students up. Just pointing out the fact that some airplane conditions aren't as ideal as all TIs think. And, given that we're all prone to human error (as demonstrated in another thread dealing with riggers), accidents can happen.