obelixtim

That was NOT a joke. Nothing funny about smashed bodies on the DZ. I've seen my share. I've heard about many more than my share. Its reality. Brutal reality..... My computer beat me at chess, It was no match for me at kickboxing....

Not any more. Exactly his point..... My computer beat me at chess, It was no match for me at kickboxing....

Students have been known to follow ALL the instructions they hear before realising that they have made a mistake....ending up somewhere they shouldn't really be, and then having to sort out a safe landing for themselves. Landing off from the DZ they are told on the radio to fend for themselves... With 4 students under canopy at the same time, often not familiar with the English language, the potential for confusion is always there. If the DZ is near a huge lake or the sea, with a large forest also nearby, it doesn't take a student long to fly themselves into a potentially troublesome area. This kind of thing didn't happen very often, but you have to allow for it to happen at anytime when dealing with first jump students. My computer beat me at chess, It was no match for me at kickboxing....

My students were taught to ignore the radio if they figured the instructions they were getting were incorrect. A student landing off the DZ is usually landing out of sight, and the operator can not know where the canopy is taking him. The key for the students was simple, at 1ßßß feet start looking where you are and select a good landing area, at 500 feet face into wind and steer for open space. a safe landing was the priority, exactly where that was didn't really matter. We often had 4 canopies in the air at once, and the radio man could get very busy, it was not a job for the inexperienced. added to that, a lot of my students did not speak English as a first language. Therefore we had to keep the radio instructions simple and very short. The radio man needs to use the fewest words possible, and needs to speak in a clear and calm voice. Nothing worse than a radio person having an attack of verbal diarrhea, and yes I have seen many radio operators tell a whole life story. The radio should only be used if necessary, the student must use his training to get safely onto the ground. Radios were so unreliable enough back then, that we had to assume they didn't work. The old adage, "once out the door you are on your own", was one of the themes of my training. We had very few incidents, which proved that the training was OK. My computer beat me at chess, It was no match for me at kickboxing....

I have never experienced that on any of my SSE or Alti-2 Altimeters, is this a problem with others? Matt I was one of the first, anywhere, to equip my students with ramair mains, and very shortly afterwards with ramair reserves. This was about 1987 or so, and after the first load I put out with them I had to rethink my canopy training completely, because the old "follow the arrow" method previously used when students jumped roundies, just wasn't good enough. At that time radios were so unreliable and bulky they were not really in the picture. I gave them altis, and trained them to fly the canopy from 1000 feet down to a pre set 500 foot point where they were to do their final turn into wind for landing. The alti was vital. and the system worked very well. We soon sorted out some reasonable radios, but only put them on the student on kitting up. They were always trained to fly by themselves, and the radio was only used to comunicate if they were heading off into the boonies. Many students were able to fly land land the canopy safely from their first jump. Knowing when they were at 1000 feet, and 500 feet was vital. I'm not a big fan of the simple "listen to the radio" brigade, and I think that is partly a reason we see pooly trained canopy pilots and the problems that go with it today. My students were in training to spot from their fourth or 5th jump, and were required to spot for themselves (without input from the JM) once they'd completed a few freefalls. They learned to use their altimeters, and relate them to "sight pictures", to help train the MK 1 eyeball to assess altitudes... I think there is still a place for that type of training, and the alti is the most important part of that. I cannot believe in this day and age students stilll get put out without them....and BTW, I never had a student smash one, and that was over tens of thousands of student jumps with them.... My computer beat me at chess, It was no match for me at kickboxing....

I remember taking a look inside the Concorde, accompanied by my nephew who is a 737/A330 rated check captain. His comment...."most young pilots couldn't fly this thing, it doesn't have any television screens". I think he was only half joking..... My computer beat me at chess, It was no match for me at kickboxing....

When you are landing and trying to judge when to flare, don't look at the ground immediately below you, it will seem like it is whizzing by and speeding up. This is an illusion as the parachute is not accelerating, its just that your mind has got used to apparently moving slowly, because you are high up with no close reference points immediately before you land. Thus when the eyes do see movement, it tends to exaggerate, making it seem like things are moving faster and faster. This will normally cause you to misjudge your height and flare too soon, or jerk on the toggles. Look at the horizon ahead of you instead, this will give you a more accurate picture of your actual height AND descent rate. Then your flare should be smooth, with full flare just as you touch down. You'll soon get the hang of it, and you'll suddenly start to stand up. Its much easier with a bit of wind though, on windless days its hard to wash all your forward speed off completely. Practise a few flares under canopy, you'll soon get the feel of how the canopy reacts to your toggle input....whether fast or slow. My computer beat me at chess, It was no match for me at kickboxing....

http://www.experimentalaircraft.info/homebuilt-aircraft/aircraft-refueling.php These facts pulled from this other web site, not MY web site! Ryan Air fuel aircraft with all passengers on board, frequently. While not having the engines going, asll the electrical systems are powered up, which effectively are ignition points. I don´t know how they are allowed to do that. My computer beat me at chess, It was no match for me at kickboxing....

In my first jump training, I always warned about propellors, but instead of calling them propellors I always called them "mincers". That word always got the point across..... My computer beat me at chess, It was no match for me at kickboxing....

Bill, you'll strain the barrel of your rifle if you take long distance potshots from the rarified atmosphere of that pedestal. FWIW, my comment was only partly directed at Sangi, but perhaps it was too subtle for even you to grasp that point..... Be clear. I am definitely NOT one of those offering a friendly shoulder for Sangi to cry on. I'm glad he is alive, but I have no sympathy for his self inflicted misfortune. Having dealt a crushing blow to both his body and his ego, the sympathy vote is all he has left. He doesn't get mine though.... That might suggest he suffered an unfortunate accident through no fault of his own, which was clearly not the case. He is an example for his bulletproof peers, but that is about it. Like him, I doubt they will be receptive to his message though. Like him, they need to know there is no glory to be gained both before or AFTER they've tried the "damn the torpedoes" game and lost, no matter how humble they have suddenly become. I wish him well for his future career in the bowling alley. My computer beat me at chess, It was no match for me at kickboxing....

Amazing the effects of a hard impact on the ears, radically improving the ability to listen. Also seems to have triggered an ability to impart common sense to others. Extraordinary...... Nothing like the school of hard knocks to provide a sound, instant education. My computer beat me at chess, It was no match for me at kickboxing....

OMG. The wings were loose!!!. As well!!. I wonder if he really thought people would swallow this load of BS, but I suppose he had to stick with it once he'd started. Machine gunning your own airfield would need a good excuse..... I guess it got him off a charge. My computer beat me at chess, It was no match for me at kickboxing....

Things happen. I've been in a 206 a mile out to sea with an offshore wind when we had an engine failure at 6 grand, with 6 jumpers on board. The glide ratio was that of a brick... The water drills would have been handy, but fortunately the pilot got the engine started at 2 grand. We were just about to leave him to it at that point..... That day we had bad luck, followed by good luck. Over the course of a long jump career, unplanned things are gonna happen. Its nice to be able to draw on practical experience at that point. My computer beat me at chess, It was no match for me at kickboxing....

We removed the cartridges from our lifejackets, and stuck with the manual blow up method. Agree with you about landing in moving water, very sticky situation to be in. The reserve I had on when I tried my test jump had just been packed, so may have had a bit more air in it than one that has been packed for a while. It definitely gave me some bouyancy... My point was simply that there is no need to panic and flail around desperately trying to get your gear off if you land in still water which is what the guy who drowned did. (Actually that applies even if one lands in moving water.) Staying cool is vital. Disconnect the RSL and chop the main. Had he stayed cool he may have survived, rescuers were on the scene withbin 5 -10 minutes, but he was gone by then... My computer beat me at chess, It was no match for me at kickboxing....

I´ve been waiting for someone to come up with the "why not do jumps into power lines, trees, and onto roofs", as they are also hazards that are likely to be encountered, and experience you might need...but my answer is simply we can learn from those experiences from the people that do that either accidently or stupidly...... Surprised no smartarse has come up with that one yet in this discussion..... As far as water landings go, there seems to be an irrational assumption that landing in water results in instant death, and while it can be hazardous, the only time instant action is required is if you land in water that is moving, i.e. a swift current in a river, or surf if you are near the shore of a large lake or the ocean. IMO, the big hazard comes with the temperature of the water, because in cold climates, even the right equipment and the ability to swim is not going to be much use if you are not adequately insulated against exposure to low temperatures. Falling out of the harness after undoing the chest strap above water has killed at least one jumper, or so I have heard, I would be careful about doing that. If you have an inflatable lifejacket, you can partially inflate it under canopy, without undoing your chest strap completely, and then you are able to get out of your gear once you are in the water quite easily. Contrary to most peoples seeming assumption, a set of gear doesn´t instantly drag you under the water, in fact a packed reserve contains quite a lot of air and retains some bouyancy for some time. I did a test jump into water one time just to check this out (after a drowning fatality in the local lake where a non swimmer landed in the water and panicked. He had neglected his lifejacket and left it in the plane.), and found that without inflating my lifejacket the rig retained positive bouyancy for quite a while, holding me head high for about 15 minutes. My conclusion was that you have a bit of time to get out of your harness after landing, without rushing, if you are going into still water. Ditching all your gear is not always a good idea as well. In the case I mentioned, the jumper discarded both his helmet and shoes, which were found floating on the surface after he´d disappeared (the helmet was lined with polystyrene, and the shoes had hollow, air filled pockets in the soles).....both would have been bouyancy aids had he not panicked and ditched them. Retaining the helmet would also provide good insulation for the head, where heat loss can be rapid. Another tip about landing in the ocean is not to try to make the shore if it means landing in the surf, it is better to land further out, beyond the surf line. in deeper water, where a boat can easily pick you up, something which is impossible if there is a big surf running. In all these unusual situations, as in most others, the most important thing is to keep calm and carry out your pre practised emergency drills. Everybody does practise emergency drills....right???. My computer beat me at chess, It was no match for me at kickboxing....

Let her go in the tunnel by herself, and observe from the outside. You should be able to pick up problems quite easily. You should easily pick up if she is relaxed or not. Most problems come form the person being too tense. My computer beat me at chess, It was no match for me at kickboxing....

This is going to take a bit more than a couple of weeks, and will cost a bit more than an arm and a leg. Jumping out of aircraft costs quite a bit, and the cheapest option may not always be the best or safest option. Most places will charge fairly similar prices. You'll need to do quite a bit before you are ready to put on a wingsuit. As stated, your wingsuit friends should be able to put you on the right track. Good luck. My computer beat me at chess, It was no match for me at kickboxing....

Well the point as I see it (and experienced it) was that a D licence qualified you to go for ratings like instructor, which then qualified you to to become a CSO (chief safety officer), which meant you were then in charge of all aspects of safety on the DZ, in fact you couldn't have a dz unless you had a CSO. Suitably qualified people who were willing to take that responsibility for the lives of others were not that common back in the day. Since you would be dealing with safety across all aspects of the skydiving spectrum, having achieved these standards meant you were better equipped to deal with all or most situations that arose. And if something "new" came along, you had the basic grounding in how to approach that particular aspect. A lot of what you already knew, could be adapted to attacking the new problem or aspect, since many of the general skills apply to most situations. It all boils down to extra experience. For example I did a high altitude course with the airforce, back in the day when Cessnas ruled the skydiving world, it was very rare to go above 12500 feet on a skydive. I learnt a hell of a lot, which added to my experience "bank", even though I knew I would prolly never get to 26000 feet in a skydiving aircraft. When turbines came along and we started going to 15 grand regularly, I knew what we had to do to technically wise to make that happen and the problems that could ensue. Of course not everyone who gets a D wants to run a DZ or become an Instructor, but you knew on any DZ if you approached a D licence holder for advice, what was forthcomingwas pretty sound information. And people with the appropriate qualifications are not that thick on the ground. Without them, skydiving would be pretty difficult. And as more and more of us dinosaurs retire from the sport, we will see mistakes as that experience is lost, and the wheel is reinvented. The D licence means someone is ready to begin to take ultimate responsibility for the lives of others, and has a base core of knowledge and experience to start down that road. As has been said, night jumps are something different, and require a different approach, which all adds to the experience bank. I think people should do them, and also water landings, NOT because I had to do them, but because they are useful tools to have in your box if you need them, and also because, they are fun. Night jumps are fun, and having maybe 40 or so under my belt including RW and CRW, are some of my best skydiving experiences. Why do people approach these things as if they are some sort of imposition?. My computer beat me at chess, It was no match for me at kickboxing....

Al Kruger, back in the day when uncontrolled zooming around trying to make contact with others in the sky and not killing them was the go, told a bunch of us to switch our brains on in FF. Voila!!!.... My computer beat me at chess, It was no match for me at kickboxing....

This guy should have had his ratings pulled after the first time. Permanently!. End of story My computer beat me at chess, It was no match for me at kickboxing....

You can`t turn sheepshit into raspberry jam......no matter how much sugar you use. My computer beat me at chess, It was no match for me at kickboxing....

An old jumper I knew, theorised that jumping canopies that someone had bounced on was the safest thing to do, his reasoning that the odds of two people dying under the same canopy were infintesimal. Of course this was in the days before you could crash and burn under an open canopy. Is there a breakdown of fatalities under open canopies by type?. That could be very interesting..... My computer beat me at chess, It was no match for me at kickboxing....

Doors on jump aeroplanes are only a relatively recent phenomena....a lot of dinosaurs prefer not to have one. Falling out is actually quite difficult due to the prop blast when the plane is at full power. Good cartoon again, you are making good progress.... My computer beat me at chess, It was no match for me at kickboxing....

I think the guy who just surfed that 90 foot wave can wear any T shirt he likes....No way would I want to go there, but I don't really surf. Same with free climbers who don't use ropes...... Give me altitude any day.... My computer beat me at chess, It was no match for me at kickboxing....

Turbulence can be generated quite a long distance from obstacles. On one of my DZ's you could jump in any winds apart from an easterly, From that direction we had turbulence from the terrain, and it was generally pub time if an easterly was blowing. I have called jumping off when it was only 5 knots on the ground, to the disgust of a few visiting jumpers who weren't familiar with the conditions, but jumping in easterlies was a no no. One of my most experienced TI's took the risk one day, and smashed his femur badly enough to ground him permanently, fortunately the rider was unhurt. Flying in behind another canopy is also asking for trouble.....wake turbulence can collapse your canopy as well. If the old guys sit it out, its for a reason. Follow their example, and live to jump another day..... My computer beat me at chess, It was no match for me at kickboxing....