hillson

News Article Didn't see this anywhere already. I like the drogue toss on the video. I'd like to know about this mysterious $4800 "special permit for skydivers" that is required by state and federal law...?

Sky's the Limit in East Stroudsburg, PA has one, IIRC. Whether it is flying / how often it flies...dunno. Give 'em a ring. Google tells me it is 2.5hrs from X-Keys to StL. We had all of their aircraft (SkyVan, 900hp G.Caravan, T.Otter with -34s...) over the winter. I miss them...they were very fast. http://skydive.skysthelimit.net/

Thanks for the organizing (and all the free tips...)! Also did my first pull out the door at altitude with a group of 5 other people. 20 minutes of pure bliss.

Gotta have the evening TV ratings...can't expect us to watch it live...! lol. Good show, however.

Contact Sally or Martin @ www.tunnelcoach.com Sally mainly RW / Martin mainly FF Ari Perelman @ http://www.ariperelman.com/contact.aspx or ari@ariperelman.com (I was in the tunnel in there with him last night...very helpful) Ari does both. Bob Byrne does RW as well but I don't have his info handy... I'm sure that others from the area may chime in...I only have a few hours in the chamber so I can only really speak to Sally and Ari.

Get a Pulse...problem pretty much solved. I put a 170 in my Talon FX sized for a 150 no problem (RI sized it for me). Put a 190-210 in a Wings, Jav O and G4. Well, the packers put the 210 in and it was snug but the rest fit with room to spare (170 main tray). Granted very humid here at the moment and YMMV of course...but definitely easier than full ZP

Assuming it is this video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mfN4RI1B7Ws...been a while since I've seen someone swoop from the southwest corner. Might of even rated a golf clap from the deck.

Give yourself a good hour+ is better to get from ZPH to TPA. Assuming you'll get to the terminal around 5...the traffic at the I-4 / I-275 interchange can be totally balls around rush-hour. Might not be too bad as Labor Day is the next Monday but...

Yup. Saw a buddy with a broken steering line do it so I figured I should learn more. Lots of talk with the instructors, several jumps using nothing but rears until final (did a standard control check obviously...) and then a dedicated H&P at a time with sufficient wind. Granted I was controlling as many factors a I could in my favor (planning etc)...plan on doing it again in a few weeks now that I'm on a smaller Pulse. Proper planning, coaching and instruction...

Maybe it does double the area...now not sure. I was just making a 100m radius circle...as I was assuming 100m in every direction which I don't know is actually the case...but I assume it is a good assumption. Who know.

Notwithstanding the "shape" issue for student landing areas this is the same as the current BSR. 100m radial distance is the same as a 200m diameter circle. In the appendix where the FAA describes how they developed the proposal they state something to the effect of: we incorporate the BSR for the least experienced jumpers into our reg for PLA sizes for the least experienced jumpers. I tend to agree with the USPA that the real issue is the classification of runways and taxiways (ie: asphalt) as hazards. When they looked at the regs for uk/Canada/Ireland it looks as though the FAA ignores the larger PLA requirements for those countries (our BSR is smaller) BUT incorporated the asphalt hazard requirement of NZ and SA. I think the key to understanding the access fight and the proposed "solutions" can be found in the surveys they gave to airport operators, dzos, and jumpers. Outside of basic questions about the PLAs there are some pointed ones: have you / are you aware of jumpers running into parked aircraft; how long does it take you to un-ass from the LZ once you've landed, do you have to cross and active runway or taxiway; do most jumpers hit the LZ; how often do you have jumpers land off the designated LZ; and perhaps most importantly: what is the PLAN when jumpers land off the LZ near movement areas - have you been briefed on what to do in such instance - is there an agreement with the airport for jumpers crossing movement areas etc To ensure that the active airport surfaces are NOT included in radial hazard requirements I think these are the key questions that need to be answered. On phone so sorry no clicky but all the data can be found here where the FAA explains how they determined the proposed "fixes" - a bit more instructive than the proposed circular I think... http://www.faa.gov/documentLibrary/media/Advisory_Circular/AR11-30PLAAirports.pdf

That's a bit of a letdown

That's pretty spectacular

As a new jumper myself I'm going to have to disagree with this - particularly as the training is supposed to be "program-based" and not "personality-based." My FJC course was taught by one person, CAT A & B by other folks (they were the same but that was simply luck of the draw) and then it was "you put your name on the board" and off you go. Consistency and continuity are found by following the prescribed dive flows, review of the previous instructor's comments in the log book and the ground prep etc. Besides, regardless of who I was with the comments were pretty similar: arch & legs out... Just my 100 jump chump thoughts...

Good job on not quitting when others would have...jump more. :)

Outside of stow your own brakes (which I'm guessing was the point of some of the above)...with respect to the brake (setting? guide?) ring I'm guessing that: 1) setting below the ring ensures that brakes are set deep enough in relation to the rest of the lines. 2) the ring handles the opening shock load hence the ripped toggle keeper if the brakes were set above the ring Am I out in left field?

This. Those shirts are a lifesaver. All good advice but those shirts are the shit (FL is pretty awful right now - at least the weekends). Sitting by the door helps too - anywhere on the floor really if the exit order allows for it...

I've found that is easier to figure out where you don't want to get out / land and go from there. With wind data and an aerial photo of your DZ it is pretty easy to figure out where you want to be and more importantly where you don't.

Will Johnny pull? Tune in next week and find out...

for shits and giggles, attached is the google maps satellite image of the address listed above - the A in the map. Take a close look at the associated picture...not a lot of outs.

I found tunnel time much more helpful during AFF (post-C2) than I did the 15 minutes I spent before my first jump. The return on the time/money was much greater. Granted I'm a sample size of 1 but it seems to track with the experiences of those that were roughly the same place as me in their progression that followed a similar tunnel/AFF path. I'm lucky to live an hour from the Orlando tunnel so YMMV if you don't have easy access to a chamber. Just my two ducats...

I did...two weeks ago. I, too, am interested in rw and as I wanted to get a suit that I'd have for a while I went with the big booties. Not the Airspeed style but I think tony suit calls them megaxl or something. Was also recommended by my instructor when I asked. Big difference flying. Had some fun potato chipping my first few. Put 3 jumps on it solo because I was all over the place, managed to snag tunnel time that night, and was back in the sky in groups the next day. Tunnel certainly not required, of course, it was just lucky timing. But be prepared to move a bit different than you're used to. That's all. Get them...you won't regret it.

That sounds about right...knew I was forgetting something...

Forget which article (telegraph maybe???) said that he hit the boxes ~15mph

I have about 60 jumps on a Pulse 190 and I've had some goofy off-heading openings. I'd say almost if not all of them were due to poor body position. I also found that it opens better if you don't bleed off all of your speed coming out of a flat track. Not dumping in a track of course but a slight bit of remaining horizontal speed (compared to std neutral body position) helped a bit. Of course working on my body position every jump helps too. . Canopy was brand new in the demo/rental fleet - I put the first jump on it - so no trim issues that I can tell. Just my experience...