obelixtim

I think I pointed out a few reasons why repack cycles can vary.......but one big reason is because NZ has always been extremely progressive in its approach and attitude.....and has led the way in many areas of skydiving over the years......always a "can do" attitude with forward thinkers to make things happen............NZ went to a 6 month cycle years ago...........in the early 80's if I recall..... The Poms are 25 years behind.....always have to have a committee to look into something then never make a decision........NZ by comparison is small and its easier to get consensus and monitor change.....most of the ex military dinosaurs were replaced in the mid 70's......unlike many places where they still control a lot of the DZ's........military bases........they have no time for civvies or their ideas............ Your way of presenting your thoughts seemed very convoluted to me thats all....... My "Sparky" comment was aimed at another poster who will know what I mean....... Yes I'm always known for speaking my mind.....it gets things happening........too many PC people pussyfoot around issues for my liking.......makes for good friends........but deadly enemies....... What DZ you from???..... What about those All Blacks then............ My computer beat me at chess, It was no match for me at kickboxing....

As a rigger they could double the price of reserve repacks and I will still hate packing reserves.......I never ever packed a reserve to get rich......just to keep the DZ running.........I don't know a rigger who has a love of packing....its a necessity for skydiving and someone has to do it..... Reserve repack cycles have no relevance to fatality rates..............Jimbo is quite correct......... Taupo Tandem Skydiving is a tandem factory, and do a hell of a lot of tandems.....so what....they cater and service a market....I'm sure all the T/M's check their rigs before each jump...as any one who enjoys living will do......... A lot of different factors can influence repack cycles...jump numbers are but one of them....climate/environment is another......there are always reasons for different cycles/rules, some logical, some not................ What exactly is your point Bigway???.....Are you trying to big note about NZ's bounce rate for some reason......if so please desist......as anyone who has been around skydiving for a while will tell you......it can turn to shit in the next 5 minutes!!!!!.... A reserve is supposed to save your life....but I'd prefer you to pack and deploy your main properly in the first place......... Is that OK with you Sparky???.... My computer beat me at chess, It was no match for me at kickboxing....

... Target fixation is a problem, especially for low timers...... My computer beat me at chess, It was no match for me at kickboxing....

I said words to the effect that a freebag (or any bag) makes the opening comfortable..... But tell me.....how would a square open if you had no bag at all???.............the word "explosive" comes to mind...... Its something we tried as an experiment once with CRW.........lines freestowed in a pocket on the tail......subterminal openings were quick but messy.......... Not out of answers.....just don't see the point of answering the same questions twice......... My computer beat me at chess, It was no match for me at kickboxing....

No way Jose..... Too complex, too confusing, too many variables, not a huge problem that needs addressing..........A huge can of worms........don't go there..... The simpler the training...the safer it is..................always approach student training with that in mind, and you won't go too far wrong............... My training is all based on the assumption that my student doesn't have English as a first language, so I've cut out every unnecessary bit of information possible....to keep it easily understandable.... in order that they get thru that first jump safely..... For example, I've seen training where the instructor went into a long winded spiel about the workings of the AAD that left ME confused, and a bunch of bewildered students anxious that they'd missed a vital lifesaving bit of information.......total waste of time and totally unnecessary........ I tell mine that they have a back up system to help them in the unlikely event everything goes totally wrong and they forget everything I've taught them..........very basic, "what it does"....end of story... They believe me, because I'm the instructor, and what I say is true........ and thats all I want at this stage........ Then I focus on more relevant stuff that they MUST know........... If they continue jumping, you can then add more complex bits where necessary....because they then have some experience of jumping and have salted that basic knowledge away...........and are now more receptive to more complex information... I train a lot of tourists...students from all over.....Japan, Sweden, Germany, etc, sometimes all in the same class at the same time.....and some have little or no English at all, so simplicity is vital........... A lot of experienced jumpers would stuff up a canopy transfer....... Confusion kills...............KISS...... My computer beat me at chess, It was no match for me at kickboxing....

Actually, thinking about it further, it could be a problem for him at pull time as well....depending on the position of the ripcord/pilotchute, is it possible he might go a bit head down or roll a bit when he comes in to pull when solo???...... Perhaps his handle needs to be positioned quite high on the harness so he can use his left elbow to keep a bit head high.............just a thought, but maybe you've got it sussed already....... My computer beat me at chess, It was no match for me at kickboxing....

Try reading the first 2 lines of my last post..... I was talking about round RESERVES at terminal velocity..... Sheesh!!!!!..... End of discussion from me about it............... My computer beat me at chess, It was no match for me at kickboxing....

I think the F/f probs are solveable as you say....AFF is the way.. you can teach him to fly stable I would think..... Canopy ride, particularly landing, seems to be the major problem for you....My guy was so strong, one handed controlled flare was easy for him.....I tried it and couldn't do it, and I'm quite strong...... Maybe the best bet for him would be to use both toggles in one hand, but only pull on half brakes for landing and PLF (ex military shouldn't be a problem).......doesn't require so much power to pull them on evenly.....maybe only let him jump in 10 to 15 knots of wind for easier landings....if its possible.........plus a big canopy.....but don't forget the possibility of a reserve ride...allow for the differences........ Or you could shorten the brake lines a bit....will decrease performance a little, but make for a shorter pull to flare.....but tell him to watch the stall point...... Turning only one way under canopy is not really a big deal once he gets used to it...careful spotting would help him as well..... My guy had obviously put a lot of time into beefing up and increasing the strength of his good arm.....tell your guy to get to work on that, it'll help a lot....... My computer beat me at chess, It was no match for me at kickboxing....

I'm talking solely about round reserve openings of course.....no sleeves, bags, sliders or reefing system....... I have about 800 jumps on round mains....P.C's, 28 ft cheapo's, 35 footers, Papillons... Plus 2 round reserve openings...... One a 26 ft lopo,(subterminal, quite soft), one 24 ft ripstop, (terminal, nutcracker).....that hurt, ( but it was a GOOD sort of hurt, you know)...... Packed about 400 round reserves.....all flavours....and about 600 squares.....done quite a few test jumps as well... I do know a little of what I talk about.... I wasn't talking about packed lineovers......read my post again....... A square does not have an inherent "lineover on deployment" problem......this lack of inherent problems is the one major factor why squares became popular and took over the market after they sorted out the openings (trim, reefing lines etc......). The old strato star with slider was the first really reliable square...the days of the round main were numbered right then.....mals became rare.... With round mains you would see a mal most weekends, sometimes several.... Inherent problems......NOT packing problems....humans will always find a way to stuff something up once they get involved...... My computer beat me at chess, It was no match for me at kickboxing....

Tricky...I had a S/L student once....right arm missing just below the elbow (about a 2 inch stump)....His left arm was massively developed and strong.....he did a strut dangle one handed, no probs..... Steering.....he just hooked the right toggle over the stump and steered OK, but I'd already suggested he could just steer with the left toggle only...which wouldn't have been a problem..... Landing.......he just set up early with both toggles in his left hand and hauled both brakes down together, got a stand up..... Gear was Telesis 2, SOS, PISA 290 sq ft 9 cell main......... He only did one jump, and was stoked..... If your guy is going F/f, your problem seems to be what his arm is gonna do in F/f....is it just flopping around or is it rigid.....is it gonna cause a turn during the F/f...... What else can you tell us??....a bit more info please...... My computer beat me at chess, It was no match for me at kickboxing....

Jeez.....the "myth" word sure sparked everyone up.....as I knew it would.......but I'm sticking to my guns on this one.... I'm talking about the "inherent" word..... Perhaps my post wasn't clear enough......I was talking about deployment mals......and how a square does not deploy or inflate anything like a roundie......and I would suggest a lineover could not happen on a PROPERLY packed square canopy..... Any fool can stuff a bunch of fabric thru a set of lines while packing......thats called a PACKING mal..... ...I know this.....because they come crying to me to repack their reserve for the next load...... The proper term for a lineover on a roundie is a blown periphery.......and usually comes from bad/unstable body position during deployment.......... You can easily deal with a lineover on a roundie....hook knife.....cut the offender off at the connector link....... I've seen a few turn into very small fast helicopters, I certainly wouldn't like to ride one into the ground.....if you walked away from one I'd say you were having an extremely lucky day!!... Now quit blocking up my inbox!!!....:)....OK... My computer beat me at chess, It was no match for me at kickboxing....

I'm reading a lot of misconceived ideas here.... "....Rounds have no inherent line over mode....." Where did you get that from???.... Lineovers are about the most common form of malfunction you can get on a round...if you understand how they inflate you'll know why that is... Actually, its a square that has no inherent line over mode......despite the number of posts you see where people claim to have had a line over....what in fact you have in these "lineovers" is nothing more than a pressure knot, which pinches the canopy in making it look like a lineover....if you know how a lineover occurs...it can't happen on a square like it does on a roundie because the openings are totally dissimilar.... When a roundie has a lineover it almost always suffers damage, most of this is friction burns...caused by the fabic passing thru the lines at high speed....I've seen a roundie cut almost in half by a lineover... I had a terminal opening on a roundie as a student which destroyed the canopy...over 100 holes in it....fortunatly the canopy went all the way thru the lines and was completely inverted, and I landed OK...didn't realise what had happened until we checked the canopy later..... If a square ever really had a lineover you would find that it would probably saw it in half...there would certainly be major damage.... "Lineovers" on squares are a myth.... on roundies they are a reality..... And let me assure you roundies at terminal open fast.....real nutcrackers....a square has a freebag and slider to make the opening comfortable......but still fast.... A diaper makes no difference to to the opening speed of a roundie....again, if you understand how one opens you would know why that is....a diaper is specifically designed to prevent lineovers..... The rubber band on the apex of a square again has no influence on the opening speed of the reserve... Ultimately if you pull the handle at 200 feet or less at terminal, you are now relying totally on luck to survive, whichever canopy you have....don't go there....one day you'll walk, next day you'll bounce.... Subterminal base jump....probably a hand deployed roundie is your best bet......go and find an old rigger and ask exactly what that is..... Into water....jump whatever you like....but DON'T dry your reserve in the sun.....hang it up in your basement/garage...give it a couple of days to dry out thoroughly...... My computer beat me at chess, It was no match for me at kickboxing....

As you know......in skydiving certainly....."what ifs" always turn into reality at some time......always Murphys Law as well.....if it can happen, it will, and always at the worst possible time..... Never discount the "what ifs".... or sooner or later they'll sneak up and bite you on the arse!!!!!...... My computer beat me at chess, It was no match for me at kickboxing....

My radios are easily able to be heard at 5 miles on the ground.... in line of sight....much further..... The student can transmit but I tell them not to do so unless they land off the dz and have a problem or need directions to the pickup truck........... Good quality radios are essential, and expensive, but worth their weight in gold.......one of the better investments you can make.......but you must have a quality well trained radio man on the end of it..........not just any old Joe who comes along..... Pilots in aircraft don't make good air traffic controllers, especially with lots of air traffic around....... Its a good idea to carry a backup with you though, a good communication system never caused a problem...... My computer beat me at chess, It was no match for me at kickboxing....

Never thought it was a good idea for the J/M to carry the radio on him to use under canopy......what if he has a mal......the student will not get the instruction they need..... Always trained my students to do it by themselves as if a radio wasn't gonna be there, and told them about it just before the jump.......there were many times when I said nothing to them under canopy because they were doing fine without it..............most students came off it completely after 3 or 4 jumps.....they were quite capable and confident of their canopy control...... My computer beat me at chess, It was no match for me at kickboxing....

Actually...to be fair to the 750....the Cresco had no handles or step, the door was smaller and a bit further aft....and it stank badly of fish one time.....(Bernie had been spraying a fish based liquid fertilizer.........)..... So the 750 probably has fewer vices than the Cresco, probably a beefier powerplant as well..........but the Cresco was a rocketship........ My computer beat me at chess, It was no match for me at kickboxing....

Used to do a lot of RW jumps from the Cresco (the agricultural version).....in NZ in the 1980's....since then its mostly been used as a tandem hauler........... Some very clear rules....we would not hang more than 4 floaters out......a risk of stalling the elevator.....you get a warning shudder, then an instant stall.....pucker factor quite high......doesn't react well to sudden big C of G changes aft............ Also if you are out after the base /pin, beware the "Cresco Kiss", as the tail leaps up as everyone suddenly lets go, and the door sill takes the bark off your shins........makes the eyes water...... Great jumpship, but take it easy with your stacking till you get used to it......don't leave your floaters hanging outside for more than 10 seconds....fast stack then go........... You'll love it once you get used to it............. If you can find and contact a Kiwi pilot called Bernie Haskell.....he's the man.....lots of experience with RW flying the Cresco......not sure where you'd find him these days....lived in Taupo up till late 90's.....then moved....don't know where to, but NZ is a small place............shouldn't be too hard to find him.......... My computer beat me at chess, It was no match for me at kickboxing....

Maybe not....if the low guy has a slammer, and the high guy has a snivel......things could get interesting..........quickly!!!. My computer beat me at chess, It was no match for me at kickboxing....

Jumpsuits ....yes...on a commercial DZ with lots of tandems (mainly backpackers and tourists)....a lot would turn up in unsuitable clothes.....made it easy to cater for them.....also jumpsuits protect their clothing.........part of the service....... My computer beat me at chess, It was no match for me at kickboxing....

Yeah......he was born before the Wright brothers flew.......blows you away when you consider it........ My computer beat me at chess, It was no match for me at kickboxing....

Dump, keep tracking, sideslip, backslide.......whatever, just don't fall stable right down the pipe.......you just get outta there......... My computer beat me at chess, It was no match for me at kickboxing....

Silly statement for many obvious reasons....... Over 100,000 tandems on the DZ over 15 years......not one facial injury to a T/M in that time...... All riders wear a soft hat....T/M's don't postion any part of their person in the line of fire of a rider induced problem....thru takeoff in the plane till touchdown under canopy..... Simple and obvious.....part of the job........ My computer beat me at chess, It was no match for me at kickboxing....

An hour is about right......I don't rush or neglect any checks or procedures.....but I don't fart about either....job to be done, do it.....I've got better things to do than spend hours on a reserve job....its not that exciting..... Pedantic doesn't equate with efficieny....or a "safer" pack job.........I know what I'm doing....... I, and I'll speak for a lot of "we's" if I may....prefer squares because yes, we "like them", and because we've done the considered thinking about the pros and cons of both types, and made our decisions for sound reasons....... I defy you to find anyone who has made the change to squares to say it was a bad decision and they would change back to roundies..... My static line training was a lot easier....and takes about 4 hours as opposed to around 7 or 8 hours...a big saving in time......but the training was simpler, more efficient and a lot better quality......and there was more time for jumping........ My computer beat me at chess, It was no match for me at kickboxing....

Well, part of the pre dive plan you make with all the jumpers on the dive...is what the break off drills are.....for all the scenarios......normal breakoff, funnels, working limits etc.....and everyone knows and sticks to that plan religiously..... Changing the plan mid dive, is not on, and anyone who does so should expect to be axed from the load......breakoff shouldn't be a time to be guessing about people are gonna do......nobody appreciates surprises at or above breakoff/opening time.... And if you scan properly during your track you should be able to see everyone else.....if you can't he could be in your blind spot..... And thats why everyone needs to wave off.......... My computer beat me at chess, It was no match for me at kickboxing....

Why???......to me this guy has a rating to look after others.....and that is a serious obligation...... Looking after himself is a big part of that, and it doesn't take a brain surgeon to work out a helmet provides more protection than bare heads......what about the crash on takeoff scenario.....?? or the other potential problems......or don't they count??..... It is my experience that people won't wear helmets, or listen to common sense in case its uncool......I could be wrong in this case....... I don't have a lot of sympathy for people who suffer self inflicted (preventable) injury....I'm glad he didn't get seriously hurt......but I hope he learnt a lesson.......... and I don't think this kind of behaviour needs to be validated by people rushing to defend something that is avoidable in the first place......it only helps to perpetuate unacceptable practices........ This event was going to happen...... You tell me why jumping without a soft helmet on your rider is a good idea.......because I can't think of one........... My computer beat me at chess, It was no match for me at kickboxing....