dthames

In my life (mid 50s now) I have seen a pattern if doing things that not everyone does and often doing them for the challenge of learning something new. I had always considered skydiving something that I might want to do. It certainly looked fun. After I started I didn’t fall in love with it the way some people do. I am not “thrilled” doing the jump. But I feel like I am rewarded in other ways that are meaningful to me. I started less than 18 months ago. At my age, I expect to give it one good shot and if I leave the sport, I most likely will never return. Knowing that makes me put out my very best effort, to explore the sport to my fullest desire. I don’t want to look back and wish I had stayed with it and not quit. I want to fly wingsuits and I am just now starting that. Maybe the "love" will come. But in the meantime there is a great challenge and I love the challenge. You might try to better understand what you want to get out of the sport. If you can nail that down, it might help you decide. Instructor quote, “What's weird is that you're older than my dad!”

You are paying to jump just like everyone else. So why would anyone care. I actually enjoy the HnPs going out if I am near the door. On the jump run where I exit, I have my mind on my jump. When someone else is exiting on a HnP, I get to sit back and enjoy watching them exit and have fun. But, that's just me. Instructor quote, “What's weird is that you're older than my dad!”

"analog book"...that is a new one on me. I know what you mean. You know... the one you play in an analog book deck. Like your lap top? Instructor quote, “What's weird is that you're older than my dad!”

"analog book"...that is a new one on me. I know what you mean. Instructor quote, “What's weird is that you're older than my dad!”

I found jump data where under canopy I know I was on my rears for a while. The attached KML file can be opened if you have Google Earth installed on your PC. You can tell a lot from looking at that file in Google Earth. The Canopy "track" Elevation Profile view is what is shown in these two images. The blue is speed down in MPH. The red is glide ratio. The lower speed area just before 0.25 miles up to the point just past 0.75 miles I was on my rears. [inline canopy-glide.JPG] Selected below are altitude and horz speed. You can see on the graph and by the red pointer that at 1000 feet I was going 28 MPH. [inline canopy-horz-speed.JPG] I hope that helps. Instructor quote, “What's weird is that you're older than my dad!”

I downloaded it to my PC and I think that is where it is viewing from. I can pull the network cable and check it to be sure. I did notice a feature on the Amazon page where I can loan the book out. I am guessing the rights I have to view it would be transfered for a period to my friend who I might loan to. That would suggest moving of the rights. Instructor quote, “What's weird is that you're older than my dad!”

Hellis and I have been working to make ways for this data to be more meaningful. Hellis is writing code to massage the Flysight GPS data into charts and the Google Earth type file. The graph data for the canopy flight is the latest addition. I don't have examples to answer your questions but you can see the spiral and the change on horz speed caused by it. You can also easily determine how many feet down I went on each spiral revolution. I fly a very lightly loaded canopy and I can't old down the fronts. But I can pull down the outside A lines. I plan to do a test to see what that does for my ground speed. I want to know how much that will help me penetrate the wind. [inline canopy-extended.jpg] Instructor quote, “What's weird is that you're older than my dad!”

Thanks both of you. It seems to be a good middle of the road fit. Just wanted some feedback in light of that comment. I like to get stuff and stick with it. I am still on my first canopy. The R-bird will be "it" for a good while. Instructor quote, “What's weird is that you're older than my dad!”

55 years old. 52 heart rate, resting. The only exersize I get lately is a little work around the house. Instructor quote, “What's weird is that you're older than my dad!”

I want to slip in a question related to a statement in the book. "When flocking, the smart jumper will fly the smaller suit at 70% of its performance level, rather than the big suit awkwardly at 30%. This will give you more options in your flying. You can fly comfortably and cleanly without over exertion, but still have power in reserve for when you need it." The terms "small" and "large" are relative. I am 6'1" 165lb and plan to fly an R-bird when I get up to a suitable skill level. Would an R-bird put me in that 70% perfornance range with a group of average type flock birds? I know you could see groups that were weighted one way or the other and you really need to fit the group. The question is "in general....." Instructor quote, “What's weird is that you're older than my dad!”

Thanks for the diagnosis Andy! Once you trust your equipment and your ability to operate it, my way of thinking is "I am going over there to open my parachute and land it. The easist way to get "over there" is because it happens to be down, you can use gravitiy to help you get there. That takes the falling part out of the process and all is well. Instructor quote, “What's weird is that you're older than my dad!”

A quick google search turned up, http://northeastbirdschool.org/about-us/ The 200 jumps is more of a rule than a suggestion or a guideline. If you want to do it bad enough, hang in there. Instructor quote, “What's weird is that you're older than my dad!”

I downloaded an app for my Iphone that records GPS tracks for skiers. It might take some work but I think with a little effort a process could be developed where an Iphone could be used to record jump GPS data and make it easy to review. Two heads are always better than one. If there is anyone interested in helping let me know. Help with ideas, testing, programming, or whatever. Dan Instructor quote, “What's weird is that you're older than my dad!”

More power to you. That is fantastic. If someone turns you away again say, "Okay, but could you at least give me the bowling speach?" All my days as a kid we had in our community an older gentlemen with Cerebral Palsy. He was able to walk with a cane. He coached youth league baseball even though he had never played. He was good at it too. He was very well respected by everyone around as a coach and a person. Odds are, without his handicap he would have been just another guy. But as it was, he inspired many youth to do their best no matter what. Instructor quote, “What's weird is that you're older than my dad!”

Well, how many students do you want to put into the sky at the same time? Besides that, good luck with innovation when we can't even get some DZs to put students on different radio frequencies due to "cost". Right. There are GPS recorders for smart phones. No cell tower connection is needed to record the GPS data, only if you try to get map data. I will test my Iphone the next time I jump and see if it does a fair job of recording compared to the Flysight. Looks like rain and low ceilings tomorrow. Instructor quote, “What's weird is that you're older than my dad!”

It is one of my favorite videos so was it was easy for me to find https://vimeo.com/14833103 Thanks, I was hoping someone would know where it was. Instructor quote, “What's weird is that you're older than my dad!”

About a year or so ago I saw a Youtube video. The skydiver was done for the day, sitting on a bench, looking out over the DZ, when he saw some money on the ground. It was what a jump ticket would cost. Several possible scenarios played out in his head. Most involved beer and something he or his girlfriend would enjoy. Then he went to manifest and spent the money on another jump ticket. That clip tells more than the survey could discover. Too bad, I can't find it now. Instructor quote, “What's weird is that you're older than my dad!”

I know for many years skydivers have been trained without the aid of nerdish gadgets. But if you want to get specific at where and how someone flew, a GPS recording of the flight can tell the story in amazing detail. It is also not open to “as I recall”, differing points of view. I only jump on the weekends. While waiting for the next weekend to roll around, I try to review what I did the last trip to the DZ and learn as much as I can. For tracking jumps and now wingsuit, where I flew is important for me to review before deployment. But the after deployment data might be useful as well. I don’t know if viewing a canopy flight with this level of detail would serve any real purpose in training or not. But a correct assessment of the flight can be made without personal perspective being a problem. Here are several screen images of a canopy flight and landing from a GPS recording made with a Flysight and displayed using Google Earth. The Flysight target market is the wingsuit community. I have no affiliation with Flysight. http://pyrodan.privatedata.com/skydive/NerdishViewCanopyFlight.pdf Instructor quote, “What's weird is that you're older than my dad!”

If you don't get the data, post the question to the Wingsuit forum. Wingsuit often use Flysight loggers on their wingsuit jumps and some of them swoop, I am sure. Instructor quote, “What's weird is that you're older than my dad!”

I am just starting as well. I am lucky to be able to rent a beginner suit by the jump or by the day at the DZ. If you have more than one DZ in the area, check out your options. You might also find a friend that might rent a suit out to you for a period of time. Start getting to know people and make friends, even if you are still short of 200 jumps. Most of the suit makers have their products lined up by experience and skill level on their web sites. Tonysuit I-Bird, T-Bird, R-Bird, etc is shown with suggested min flights per suit for each level. Your mileage may vary. Instructor quote, “What's weird is that you're older than my dad!”

I was not interested in a series of canopy downsize moves. Getting into my own rig (early) so I could work with the same canopy all of the time was a good move. Instructor quote, “What's weird is that you're older than my dad!”

Congratulations on the A license! Instructor quote, “What's weird is that you're older than my dad!”

I am an older "new jumper". I have always trusted the advice and guidance of the instructors that worked with me. But in the end, a person has to make the best decision for themselves. One instructor told me something like, “You really need to pay attention to the SIM. It was written with the blood of those that went before us”. I took that advice to heart. For those that think or say, “You (I) should be okay”, when that goes against the SIM, I would say you should back up and rethink things. I don’t agree 100% with everything in there either. But still there are good reasons for what is written there. Small people don’t make a small parachute okay where experience is very limited. That is basically what the SIM says…..not Okay. The fun for me in skydiving is to be able to skydive tomorrow, and next week, and next month,………. Take a bigger chance, get hurt, and see if it is fun wishing you were jumping instead of waiting to get better. A friend of mine downsized, got hurt, and plans to upsize after recovery. How much fun would it be to just skip all of that and keep jumping? I expect to make my share of mistakes. But I try to keep the deck stacked in my favor. Instructor quote, “What's weird is that you're older than my dad!”

Yes, thanks to the pilot for allowing the sharing of the video. Great tool to study. Instructor quote, “What's weird is that you're older than my dad!”

That is what I was thinking. Instructor quote, “What's weird is that you're older than my dad!”