JohanW

Guys, he said double mal, not terminal. Impact might have been at 20 mph. Drag might explain the orientation as well. And I hope you are not implying the tooth fairy doesn't exist either. She lives right next door to Santa. They make for a better world between the both of them, don't you think? Johan. I am. I think.

This may be a dangerous discussion without some caveats. The comment about energy in the system makes sense - if you have more energy in the system to work with, you can handle turbulence better if you have the skills to pull it off. There are circumstances where no amount of skill would be enough, and you'd be looking at damage control instead of salvaging the situation. Students would be at this point sooner because of lack of skills. A collapse at 20 feet leaves you no time to salvage anything, and at that point less energy in the system means less impact trauma. A large 7-cell will reinflate and start flying again sooner, and drop you out of the sky with less energy; a small airlocked canopy will keep flying longer but unceremoniously drop you into a newly created man-size crater after that point. If conditions are bad enough to warrant this discussion, the highly loaded more efficient canopies continue flying a little longer, and their probably more experienced pilots may get away with keeping jumping. I'll be at the bar, having this discussion, waiting it out. There's always another day, as long as you're still there for it. Johan. I am. I think.

Congratulations, to both of you. The more I understand, the more I agree with you. Thank you for answering my questions. Johan. I am. I think.

A number of years ago I nearly bounced due to spinning linetwists. I stopped the spin and got it out at 500ft after having lost altitude awareness. Big mistake. Well, now I have a 1 revolution rule. I'm jumping at a wingloading that I will burn through 1000ft before I know it and the G-forces will be as such that I may not be able to cutaway if I fight it for too long. Thus I had my 6th cutaway (2nd sport cutaway) last weekend. Hop-n-pop that bounced out of the container and spun up (4 linetwists). I was thrown to my back and spun HARD. I grabbed the opposing riser group and pulled as hard as I could, but it still didn't right the spin. Chopped it. Velo 111 loaded at 2.55:1. (As a side note a PDr-176 swoops decently).Oh, I've chopped three spinners myself. I didn't agree with Brian then, but that's not what I was asking about. I'm hoping to pick his brain on the apparent inconsistency of those two statements. Or I recalled wrong, that's a possibility. It was more than 15 minutes and more than a couple of beers ago, after all. Johan. I am. I think.

Brian, some years ago you were in the Netherlands for a weekend full of seminars (by you and a couple of others) for (almost all) Dutch instructors, tuning up their knowledge. I recall your saying at that occasion you had never cut away a production model parachute because of linetwists, and stating that most people cut away sooner and more often than necessary when faced with diving linetwists. In this video, I hear you advocating cutting away in this situation immediately. Did you change your mind, are the situations incomparable, are you different somehow from the rest of us (I mean this in no bad way, really. Most of us don't have 13000 jumps, I know I don't, and I highly respect you), or what else did I not pick up on? Nice work on the video too. You were fully admitting to being all revved up during and after clearing the twists, but the effect of the calm voice-over was to keep my heart rate down while watching rather radical twists being kicked out of, and that can only help deal with my dealing with my next spinner (if and when ..) and that can only be a good thing. Editing in the good jump after made it complete. And yes, Laura looks lovely, all blue and performing very well and radiant. (So, when are you going to make an honest woman out of her? ) Johan. I am. I think.

I had a Silhouette for a first canopy and jumped all of those, though some in different sizes. I (heart) Silhouettes. Two things. * Demo, demo, demo. There is no substitute. * It's always the pilot. (You, not the canopy.) Buy any of those, and with practice and some theory and coaching (yes, I volunteer, but with all the options open to you you don't need me) you'll be amazed what you can do. BTW, you do know a Silhouette is a Navigator, don't you? Same canopy, small differences in reinforcements, maybe different lines (material, not trim). Same airfoil and planform. Some things just work. Did I mention I (heart) Silhouettes? (PD should pay me.) Johan. I am. I think.

Ask him to explain the Swedish 180° hookturn. (Or was it Norwegian? Something Scandinavian.) Johan. I am. I think.

What made you think it's not a student? (Apart from the clothes, that is.) Johan. I am. I think.

Hey! No advertising in the forums! (7. Can you vacuum? Carpet?) Johan. I am. I think.

That's four weaks earlier than Cochstedt. I don't see time being the issue here. Money definitely, but hey .. Jarno can always sell himself Johan. I am. I think.

I remain unconvinced stuffing in the nose does anything to slow down openings; it may promote off-headings and goes against PD literature. Making sure the slider is all the way to the stops, and *keeping* it there while cocooning the canopy, then making sure some more, again *keeping* the slider up while bagging the canopy, finally making sure still more the slider *still* is at the stops is what makes most any canopy open slow(er), while still on-heading. Even freepacked Lightnings and Triathlons. Yes, a domed slider will help as well. Johan. I am. I think.

Ah! 21x13 pixels. I had honestly missed it. I should get a smaller monitor. Johan. I am. I think.

Benedikt, didn't notice your post until just now. Yes, same. I'll be in Moorsele early, starting Friday probably, and move to Cochstedt on Wednesday. Ron and Marja have the same arrangement planned, they'd hate to miss either as well. Can't be helped .. Johan. I am. I think.

Irgendeine Chance auf eine Seite in Englisch? Anyway, my registration is in, I'll pay tonight and see you in Cochstedt! Johan. I am. I think.

It didn't take the OP a month to stop posting after he updated his profile with the Stiletto 135. I wonder why that is? Johan. I am. I think.

I was typing a reply, then noticed you're a rigger yourself. Do you really want to figure this one out by yourself, going on what someone wrote on Duh Innernet? Is that what's meant by 'I will be sure, always' ? Get a packing manual from the manufacturer and/or get someone to help you who knows how it's done. Preferably both. Save yourself the frustration. An experienced CReW-dog or another rigger with the applicable experience can help you muck with the deployment system. There are possibilities to fuck up royally, believe me. Does it have a slider or a spider, or are you planning to exchange that as well? In light of the tail pocket and retractable PC, a spider may make sense on a Tri. No more terminal openings of course. Take good care of your unique specimen. I for one have never heard of a Tri 163! (Oh, and please fix your keyboard. It seems your Caps Lock is stuck, and I hear you screaming across the pond. Unnerving.) Good luck with it. CRW is fun! Johan. I am. I think.

Doesn't he get those sponsored? Johan. I am. I think.

That page doesn't have an English translation, however. You know, I hadn't even noticed. Registration isn't open yet. I seem to recall when it is, there'll be an English page. Johan. I am. I think.

Let me guess, Henny would be Henny Wiggers? This means he now has one less canopy. He must be out right now buying two new ones if I know him one bit. Johan. I am. I think.

You don't know whether or not the student is going to be stable. So you plan for instability. Err on the side of caution. I wasn't assuming the M1 might be easier to keep stable than a Classic, I was leaving the option open. I've never flown an M1. I'd say we agree. Johan. I am. I think.

Lingua franca at this boogie is English, and it has regular, not specialty, jumping from a twin jet 3 abreast tailgate (eat that, Perris!) But with prices in Europe higher than in the States already and the current exchange rates, you'll be paying through the nose. €27 is almost $40 per jump. €27 (in Europe) sounds quite reasonable, $40 (when compared to the US) does not .. Johan. I am. I think.

Actually, it rather worked for me. It prevents the MTV ADHD flashing of disjointed images at you, and it fits the music. There are some nice images in there as well. But really, it should have more "jump, pull, have fun" Johan. I am. I think.

May I humbly suggest it doesn't really matter how well they do as long as they're doing well? What matters is how they react when they f**k up, at the moment they go unstable on the pull or have to make an evasive turn on late final. If they panic at that moment, it might kill them. They might not have the experience to react fast but smooth, controlled but adequate. They might react inappropriately because they're instantly overloaded. That's what I worry about. And that's where experience helps most, preferably varied experience, not just a thousand solo tracking jumps or a thousand straight-in upwind landings. You're allowed to f**k up, everybody does, as long as you can solve it. Less experienced jumpers have less ability to solve problems. So the thing I have a problem with is not the beginner wingsuiter on the M1, as long as he's stably on his belly. It might actually be easier to keep that stable than a Classic. But when you're spinning on your back going through 1500' in a rising panic attack, what suit will be easier to fix the problem in? What suit will require less of a coordinated reaction going against inbuilt reflexes? Johan. I am. I think.

At 100 jumps? I know I felt invincible then .. Yeah, I think he should trust his own judgement at 100 jumps (150 including base). At what point do you think he should be allowed to think for himself? As soon as he has more jumps than I do of course. Seriously, if his own judgement led him to these choices, I submit it's not to be trusted yet. (It's not just the wingsuiting. Wingload 1.4 anyone?) Johan. I am. I think.

According to 'anything that keeps you from jumping' I guess my number is 1 in 1300-odd. Nothing broken, but *extremely* sore, enough to keep me from jumping for a day and a half on a boogie. Do not hook low, it hurts. That was more than 5 years and more than a thousands jumps ago. I intend to _remain_ at 1 per career. I intend to have at least four as my number (of an entirely different kind) for 2008. Wingsuit boogies/competitions/records. Spa (BE) in April, Cochstedt (DE) in August, Elsinore and Eloy (US) in November. Johan. I am. I think.