CanuckInUSA

Give me your # and I'll call you. Except you'll likely thing of me as a stalker rather than something else. Try not to worry about the things you have no control over

Ground Launching is when you launch a canopy off of a hill or a mountain, fly down the slope and land somewhere. It's not a safe activity. Check this link out. It speaks of the Ground Launch Center in CA. By the way, you'll see a picture toggling on and off of three guys kiting their canopies on this page. I'm the guy on the right. Try not to worry about the things you have no control over

1) My brother tied a scarf around my neck and pushed me down the stairs when I was a toddler. If my mother hadn't heard my yacking and spewing, I might have chocked to death. 2) I was in a car accident (I was a passenger) in the 80s which if it happened a split second earlier likely would have taken my life along with the lives of my friends. 3) I came inches away from hitting a tree at a very high rate of speed while mountain biking back in the early 90s. 4) I low sided my motorcycle on an extremely sharp switchback turn in the mountains of British Columbia back in the late 90s. If I had highsided it, or missed the turn completely I would have crashed off of the mountains and likely would have died. 5) I did a 180 degree hook turn two years ago with my reserve bridle dangling out of my container without my knowledge. If the reserve had come out and entangled with my main ... well I don't think I could have recovered from that. So it's kind of amazing that I'm not dead ... yet. Give it time though. I like to swoop, I'm a BASE jumper and I'd like to do more Ground Launching. Of course these activities aren't going to kill me. I'm going to have a heart attack or something like that. Try not to worry about the things you have no control over

I was going to ask this very question. Despite their skill does this kind of attitude make you keep your distance from these individuals? Yes there are a lot of people out hucking themselves off of fixed objects these days. But the people I have been jumping with sure don't think that it can't happen to them. I don't know where you get this perception that BASE jumpers feel immune to injury or to death. In fact I think skydivers have more issues with this than BASE jumpers. Try not to worry about the things you have no control over

I've questioned my sanity at the exit points and have actually walked away from a few jumps (plus have made the jump while others walked away). But you have to want the jump in order to take that leap of faith and if you do make the leap, you need to ensure that you're ready for any and all unexpected situations to occur. I BASE jump because: 1) There is a post jump satisfaction that does not exist (at least at the same level) in skydiving. 2) I have faith in my BASE jumping gear and my knowledge of how to maintain and pack it. 3) I have faith that I will walk away if the weather or the jump are outside my comfort levels. 4) Because it's fun and I'm starting to really like the ground rush. Try not to worry about the things you have no control over

Bryan Burke is also an outstanding individual to have a conversation about skydiving with. I wish I would have talked to him before I had my reserve ride last year as if I did, I think I would still have my handles (he told me to rehearse holding on to them while I was rehearsing my emergency procedures). It was a briliant response from a very smart man. Try not to worry about the things you have no control over

Thanks for the info weegee. Just an observation though. Canopy instruction is not limited to Scott Miller and Brian Germaine (yes these two individuals are recognized for their excellent instruction). I have received canopy coaching from guys like Hooknswoop (not active anymore) and lately from Jim Slaton (both in high performance canopy control but also in Ground Launching). Plus I know I could always travel to Eloy and/or Perris to receive addition coaching from guys like TJ, Dusty or one of the Team Extreme people. Plus locally here in Colorado some canopy control coaching for new skydivers has also been setup. So people need to look around and find the coaching which suits them. And of course if you're reading this and you haven't sought any canopy control coaching yet, do so at your earliest convinience. Jim Slaton has explained swooping to me like no other person has ever explained it and it has made a world of difference in my knowledge and I'm slowly starting to see dividends pay off in my actual swoops. Try not to worry about the things you have no control over

Yes let's please do. Skydiving is NOT a safe activity and it sure can be as dangerous as you want to make it. So to tell someone that skydiving is statistically safer than driving is not helping them out at all. Who cares how safe (which we know it's not) or dangerous driving is, we're talking about our risk tolerances in the sport of skydiving. To the originator or this thread. Hey I asked the same questions you asked when I first decided to get into the sport (and believe me I questioned my sanity when I decided to start BASE jumping). It is possible to make hundreds and thousands of jumps without injury. But in order to do this, you need to know your limits, know your gear and don't do stupid things in the air. Yes most skydiving accidents these days are the result of people doing stupid things under a perfectly good canopy. In some cases it's because they tried to go too fast too soon under a canopy they had no business jumping at that stage of their jumping career. In some cases, they just didn't know the performance characteristics of their canopy (and this is likely because they have yet to seek canopy control coaching where we are taught this very important skill). And in many cases they just did the wrong thing either because they didn't know any better or because they panicked. Most of us believe that the rewards out weigh the risks in this sport and this is why we continue to risk our lives. But make sure that you've accepted the possibility that you too could be seriously injured or killed by jumping. If you haven't accepted these risks, then go play golf or something. But if you do accept the risks, learn your limits, know your gear and don't panic or do stupid shit up there in the skies. Then skydiving too can be a sport for you. Try not to worry about the things you have no control over

1) At about the 160-175 jump mark I took a canopy control course and it was here where I was told how to do front riser dives (the pros and cons of this sort of thing). Plus I didn't actually start doing them with any consistency until I had over 200 jumps. 2) On average I've made at least 200 jumps per canopy before downsizing (too soon in some people's eyes, just about right from most of my experiences). Plus I have always been pretty current with my jumping habits. 3) I have done a fair number of normal hop n' pops and high altitude hop n' pops. 4) I have done some CReW. 5) I have sought out high performance canopy coaching from one of the PST's top competitors and I will continue to work with this coach in the future. 6) I'd like to think that I know I'm not invincible and I am capable of messing myself up if I do something stupid under canopy. 7) I'd like to think that I know when to abort my swoop due to traffic. 8) I'd like to think that my "you're too low to complete this turn the way you're doing it" spider senses still work and that I will get off of my fronts when it gets triggered. Pretty soon I will own four different skydiving canopies: 1) Spectre 150 (for wingsuit jumps) 2) Samurai 136 (interim GL canopy, but could be used for more) 3) Crossfire2 119 (will be selling it in the Spring) 4) Velocity 111 (I start jumping this in a week or two) So if I find myself uncurrent on something like the Velocity (which I haven't started to jump yet), I can always jump one of my bigger canopies. Plus I have a FLiK 293 BASE canopy and a Rock Draggon 303 BASE canopy being made. So I've got tons of choices besides the Velocity or the Crossfire2. Try not to worry about the things you have no control over

Unfortunately the answer is no. Your approach speeds will be faster, but since the air is thinner, you will lose your lift faster. That is why it is imperative that people who jump smallish canopies here at altitude know how to complete their flare. I'm thinking that is was a result of the higher wing loading. But a more qualified person may correct me. This is a good time of year to downsize if that is what you plan on doing. The temperatures are cool (if not cold) and the density altitude will not be as bad as in the summer months. In a week or so I will be taking delivery of a canopy 8 square feet smaller than what I jump and more importantly it will be my first (beer) cross-braced canopy. I could have choosen to wait until the fall or decided to jump it now (I know where the canopy nazis will chime in). But I would absolutely be asking for trouble if I chose to start flying this canopy for the first time during the hot summer months. And since I want to compete on the CPC with a cross-braced canopy, now is the time for me to take the leap. If I crater, I only have myself to blame. Try not to worry about the things you have no control over

I voted yes and I do BASE jump. Try not to worry about the things you have no control over

That slope looks remarkably similar to the training hill at the Ground Launch Center in California (meaning that it is launchable, but don't expect too much from a small hill). What sort of winds were you launching in and what was the wing loading of the canopy? If the winds were high and you were on a fairly lightly loaded canopy, then this might explain why you felt like you were hovering instead of flying down the hill. Jim Slaton (my Ground Launching mentor) has told us that the optimal wing loading is in the 1.3 to 1.4 range. But once again a lot has to do with the slope (the steeper the slope the easier it is to launch and the higher loaded the canopy can be), the winds (the lower the winds, the large the canopy and a more open nose will work better whereas in stronger winds a higher loaded canopy will work and a more closed nose canopy will be better). So there is a lot of variables to Ground Launching. And if you watch Jim and Dwain (Jim's launching mate), then both are carrying multiple canopies up their larger hills and deciding up top which one will work better in the different conditions on the slope they are launching from. Try not to worry about the things you have no control over

I am not against standardized canopy training. In fact I am all for it. But I am against the USPA telling me what I can and can't do, what I can jump and what I can't jump. Yes seeing someone with only a couple of hundred jumps (and no training) under a highly loaded elliptical canopy is wrong. But instead of blindly trying to hold back the jumper telling them that they can't jump a certain canopy I am all for: 1) Educating the jumper in knowing their limits. 2) Educating the jumper in aerodynamics. 3) Educating the jumper in basic canopy control. 4) Educating the jumper in high performance canopy control. 5) Getting the jumper to dedicate jumps towards canopy control (too much emphasis on freefall these days). So I don't think we're all that different in our opinions on getting people to understand how to fly their caopies. We just differ on our opinions as to who's responsible for the jumper. Try not to worry about the things you have no control over

Didn't I just mention that I feel it is the responsibility of each person to seek their own training. The part that experienced jumpers and instructors need to do is to instill this need in each new jumpers mind when they enter into the sport. You're living in a pipe dream and don't seem to understand the dangers of this sport if you think the USPA can make it safe (because it will never be a safe sport). The only thing that will make us more capable of managing our own risks is to take responsibility for seeking our own training and knowning our own limits. The USPA is going to do jack shit in terms of making me do this. Try not to worry about the things you have no control over

Do you honestly believe that some governing power will protect people? I guess you're also a big fan of BIG government. #### the USPA I say. They don't know what's good for me. I know what I can and can't do and I know what my limits are. Sure up and coming jumpers need guidance and education and once in a while someone needs to try to hold one of them back from killing themselves. But that's not going to be done through some legislative power. It will be done through talking to each other at the DZs, education and advanced coaching. Jumping is a hazardous activity which anyone of us can be seriously injured or killed on any given jump regardless of experience or skill. Obviously those who push their limits are more likely to become a statistic. But these are the risks we must accept and assume as individual jumpers. And if we don't know that each and every one of us can be hurt or killed on our next jump and have accepted these risks, then we have no business getting on that airplane or exiting from that exit point on a BASE jump. In the five years that you've been in the sport, haven't you even noticed that you yourself have been known to take more risks by jumping a more high performance canopy, by making a more high performance landing approach or by trying some riskier jump? This is what we as individuals do as we progress in our skill set and experience levels and it's what helps the evolution of human flight. Of course blindly taking risks without training and guidance is a problem. But it's a problem that each individual jumper must recognize and the sooner we get into people's minds to seek training and advanced coaching on their own, the better off we will be. Next risks for me in the not too distant future ... to start flying a cross-braced canopy soon, very soon. To start doing gainers at the birdge in Potato Land and one day once I gain more terminal BASE experience at some local tall "A"s, huck myself off of a cliff with a wingsuit. Now if I relied on the USPA to tell me what to do, I'd never do any of these things. Try not to worry about the things you have no control over

I am NO authority on Ground Launching. But from my brief experiences attending the Ground Launching Camp, being able to launch down a hill depends on the slope of the hill, the current wind conditions and the canopy size and type (different canopies fair better or worse in different winds and different slope conditions). But one thing I can tell by looking at your pictures is that you're in deep brakes (problem with flying in brakes is that you're flying slow and close to the stall point of the canopy). It's still possible to blade run while flying in brakes, but I had much better performance by getting on to my rear risers and flying them down the hill. But be warned that unless you've got good conditons (the right slope, the right winds and the right canopy for the slope and winds), getting on to your rears may not be doable. Plus be warned that your canopy will surge down a few feet while you transition from brakes to rears. So make sure you have a few extra feet of altitude to give up before you make the transition. But if you can transition, watch out. You may end up having a little too much fun. Try not to worry about the things you have no control over

I thought I'd try to get this thread back on track. The angel side of my personality thinks I shouldn't tell this story. But the devil made me do it. A couple of years ago, a friend of mine (some of you know him) was banned from the DZ due to a long standing fued with the DZO. Within one hour of my friend being banned, the DZO lay dead in a field after an airplane crash which also took the lfe of the airplane owner. Beside the other guy who died, the last person to talk to the DZO was my banned friend. Now the logical side of me says that the two are unrelated and that this was just a fluke things happened this way. But the devil in me says that my friend pulled out his voodoo doll and cursed the DZO. So don't mess with XXXXX XXXXXX as he may have a voodoo doll for you as well. Try not to worry about the things you have no control over

It wasn't raining here in Colorado, but Mother Nature was still full of hot air. Saturday the DZ that I was at was completely winded out and today looked like it would be the same. But I managed to squeak out one hop n' pop late in the day as the winds kind of calmed down enough (20 mph) as I joined two tandems in the Cessna aircraft. Dang so I guess I should count myself lucky as I was the only fun jumper who made a jump this entire weekend at the DZ. Try not to worry about the things you have no control over

Old? You're not even eligible for POPS yet. By the way, congrats on the new job (I started a new one last week as well). So where's home these days? Somewhere in FL or somewhere else? I was thinking of maybe checking out a new FL DZ some weekend this winter to (hopefully) do a shit load of jumps. Missed you in Eloy this last xmas ... or did I? Just pulling your leg ... Try not to worry about the things you have no control over

I've made 3 demo jumps on the PF Tracking suit and I loved it. But I could only muster up low 80s mph vertical speeds (with my ProTrack in a less than optimal place, in my pant pockets). I thought I was doing reasonibly well in the suit and am likely going to place an order soon for my own suit. But dang, it sounds like I'm still 10-25 mph off the good vertical tracking pace? Try not to worry about the things you have no control over

Offer me lots of $$$ and you can have my GTi. Try not to worry about the things you have no control over

It may not be a mecca yet, but I'm hoping that Skydive Moab becomes a mecca destination DZ in the not too distant future. Try not to worry about the things you have no control over

Flight Simulators are excellent tools for teaching and keeping oneself up to date with Instrument Flight Rule techiniques. But a flight simulator will NOT teach you how to land. So I'm not sure what a canopy flight simulator will do for you since IFR flight is not feasible under canopies. Try not to worry about the things you have no control over

My travel time from Denver to Eloy is only a mere 15 hours one way. But I've done it three years in a row now. I also drove to Rantoul one year (about 15 hours if I remember correctly) and have been up to the bridge in Twin Falls Idaho 7 times since Memorial Day 2004 (a 10 hour drive each way). Plus another 5 trips to Moab (6 hours each way). But that is the price in driving that I am willing to pay for 58 of my 60 BASE jumps to date, which are legal sites. Try not to worry about the things you have no control over

Yes it was me who suffered a similar fate as PK. If I can offer some advise: 1) Remove all personal info from your profile that you wouldn't want used against you in any way. 2) Do your job first and surf/post on DZ.COM second while at work. 3) Trust no one online. Yes good friendships can be made online, but there are still some pretty fucked up people out there who may not give it a second thought once they've decided to do you harm. Try not to worry about the things you have no control over