obelixtim

As a matter of interest, what type of gear are you jumping on your SL jump. SL jumpers are often able to do more jumps thatn AFF if weather (clouds) are a factor. If you are getting into jumping, its not something you want to do occassionally. Full on is the way to go. Not being current is a factor in accidents. If you jump intermittedly, retraining will be up to the instructors. How much you have to do depends on the time since your last jump. My computer beat me at chess, It was no match for me at kickboxing....

Exactly. I have no desire to jump a B4 with a cheapo and belly wart ever again either. My computer beat me at chess, It was no match for me at kickboxing....

You don't actually have to be a skydiver to be a rigger. so you could start on a riggers ticket anytime. You can buy copies of manuals by contacting manufacturers or gear sellers. Check out some of the major US gear dealer websites. I find the attitude of your DZ staff strange. They should be happy that you are interested in gear. They would be jumping antique equipment themselves if it weren't for the innovators in parachute design, who all started from scratch. But being the UK, their attitude doesn't surprise me for a second....its quite typical. Negative. The son of a friend was alway interested in doing what you are doing, so I gave him a ragged out parachute. He dismantled it, and started building kites and the like on his mothers sewing machine. Today he owns a VERY successful business building kites, and has captured the NZ market for kite surfers and land yachties. He's a lot richer than I am!!!. Go for it. Edited to add: As an afterthought, a lot of rigging involves sewing and the techniques thereof. something that holds no real appeal for me. However, you can learn a[ lot of the techniques from other industries, and obtain materials from them as well. I'm thinking sailmakers, upholsterers, saddleries who make horsey stuff. Some of them should be easy to find. I recall a young skydiver exactly like you. Paul Martyn, his name. Everyone thought he was wasting his time when he first expressed an interest in gear. He is better known in skydiving circles by his nickname, Jyro.....and he's the one responsible for the Icarus range of canopies, now a world wide brand. So go for it. My computer beat me at chess, It was no match for me at kickboxing....

Yeah, skydiving was incredibly more dangerous before people took up freeflying......The bravery of us old farts........ Even though velcro has become largely redundant, at the time it came into use on skydiving gear, it was actually a large step forward in terms of safety. Gear has evolved, and will continue to do so. Maybe in 20 years people will be saying that todays technology is not skydiver friendly. Imagine that!!!. My computer beat me at chess, It was no match for me at kickboxing....

Why would you want to, or even bother?. Vector make perfectly good drogues. Is there a point to your question?. My computer beat me at chess, It was no match for me at kickboxing....

The basic skills are the same, the important thing is relaxing, which is something you may have to focus on more, seeing as your tasks will be a bit more complex, plus you only get a short time to get them right. That pressure is a bit more intense than anything you will come across in the tunnel. Mostly, on the skydive, you'll have to save your own life if things don't go as planned. The planet coming at you at 120 mph is a little different from geeking the tunnel floor. My computer beat me at chess, It was no match for me at kickboxing....

Velcro wears out and you end up with bits flapping around in FF. Freeflying means you are in a head down attitude, thus your speed increases considerably. Not the place to have loose riser covers flapping around. You don't want toggles and things exposed to the windblast. Tuck tabs simply hold the riser covers more securely when you are going fast. Do not buy gear simply because it seems to be a bargain, you could be wasting your money on something that is not suitable for you. Take advice from your local rigger before you buy anything in the way of equipment. My computer beat me at chess, It was no match for me at kickboxing....

As I said, the problem Felix faces is an accidental opening, especially if he is at altitude and has a high speed terminal velocity. Like 800 km/h. My computer beat me at chess, It was no match for me at kickboxing....

Imagine long hair being bloown backwards in the wind as you ride a fast motorbike. Let your arms and legs be blown back by the wind as if they were hair. You have noy relaxed your arms and legs as Popsj has suggested My computer beat me at chess, It was no match for me at kickboxing....

No, there are no hard and fast rules, and that is the problem. Common sense applies, but unfortunately, common sense ain't that common. Its taken the threat of losing access to light a fire under a few arses, as you can see by a few of the responses on this very forum. If some meaningful solutions come out of it, we should see the incident rate drop markedly which is totally necessary. Then swooping may regain its lost access. An awful lot needs to be done to make that happen, because I see the actions of the big two Socal DZ's setting a precedent that many other DZ's will find difficult to ignore. My computer beat me at chess, It was no match for me at kickboxing....

Well, with the ladder, you could leave it on the DZ, land on top of it and simply climb down from there... Until someone with a go pro takes it out.... My computer beat me at chess, It was no match for me at kickboxing....

Glad to hear that, stepping in where necessary should be the norm, not the exception. The problem is that it has become unsustainable/incompatible on dropzones that are in business and promote safety as a top priority. Is it any wonder that the unwashed public (and many skydivers) cannot comprehend why people are being maimed and killed under open canopies?. Something was always gonna give. And while there are many expert pilots out there, way to many wannabes are trying to follow their examples with neither the skill, correct equipment, education or experience to do so. It was suggested a while back that swoopers should split off and become a seperate discipline completley, with seperate DZ's, aircraft and operational procedures. As base jumping, parapenting and parasailing have done, all of which evolved from skydiving, but went their own way..... Maybe we are simply seeing evolution in progress again. Looking at it logically, it is easy to draw a conclusion that swooping is not really skydiving in its truest sense. As has been said, the problems could have been solved a long time ago, but I don't think anyone expected that things would get to the stage they have. And the problems were allowed to fester for far too long. We all carry some degree of responsibility for that. My computer beat me at chess, It was no match for me at kickboxing....

Spent a great evening at the local bikers club one time that got extended into the wee small hours...in fact it was daylight when I left.... Later that morning I exited over a friends place dressed as Santa, it was a Xmas party for 20 or 30 little kids. Landed on the front lawn as planned, and went inside for a moment to collect the sack of goodies to hand out with a few ho ho ho's to a group of very excited kids..... Called up the first kid to get his present and handed it to him with a hearty "Happy Birthday"..... D'Ohhhhh!!!!!. My computer beat me at chess, It was no match for me at kickboxing....

You think its a game?. There's not a lot of fun to be had picking up smashed people. Its time to listen to the wake up call, and take the problem seriously. The only sportsmen taking divots out of the ground should be golfers. My computer beat me at chess, It was no match for me at kickboxing....

FIXED!. My computer beat me at chess, It was no match for me at kickboxing....

Well I've seen mind sets change in skydiving before, so it is possible. Picking up dead and injured becomes tiresome, so I would expect DZO's to be the first. If they are filling in the pond at Elsinore that might be an indicator to the careless that they need to get their act together or lose access. And the real answer willl prolly happen in countries where national bodies have more control and influence. It might take a while in the US.... An immediate effect could be made if jumpers themselves took ownership of the problem in the interim. My computer beat me at chess, It was no match for me at kickboxing....

Yeah, not hard to have some sort of reefing system to slow down your openings, but not sure if its a good idea on your reserve if you also want it to open fast if necessary. My computer beat me at chess, It was no match for me at kickboxing....

Can't read that one Richard... My computer beat me at chess, It was no match for me at kickboxing....

Upsize?. My computer beat me at chess, It was no match for me at kickboxing....

As a matter of interest, what sort of penalty would they face if the police actually caught them in possession of a joint?. In most civilised countries, I would imagine it would be treated as a misdemeanor, with either a talking to or small fine imposed. Without debating the rights and wrongs of this, the reaction seems to me a bit over the top, and even more so if others involved got no sanction at all. It seems to me the DZ is taking rather more responsibility for their actions than is necessary. My computer beat me at chess, It was no match for me at kickboxing....

Bloody Aussies, anything to get on the news.... My computer beat me at chess, It was no match for me at kickboxing....

Hmmmmm....you'd think a serious issue would be given some sort of priority over discussions about what to have for lunch. Do they not have a process to fast track something under urgency?. Something about Fiddles, Nero, Rome on fire, comes to mind. And yes, you only get into skydiver politics if you have no other life to live.... My computer beat me at chess, It was no match for me at kickboxing....

I would say, if he has a terminal reserve opening at 100 grand, at the speed he is going, the opening shock is liable to make his eyes water a little. I'd say a premature opening is one of the greatest dangers he will face. My computer beat me at chess, It was no match for me at kickboxing....

Quit while you're ahead.... My computer beat me at chess, It was no match for me at kickboxing....

I don't know about that....I've found the DI approach VERY effective at times....some aspects of DZ policy are NOT open for negotiation....and thats how it should be. Clear borderlines are a must. My computer beat me at chess, It was no match for me at kickboxing....