darkwing

Members
 View Profile  See their activity

  • Content

    2,354

  • Joined

  • Last visited

  • Feedback

    0%

Everything posted by darkwing

  1. darkwing
    My advice is that this is a really bad idea. I have experience with this, and so does anyone else who jumped in the last half of the 1970's. That was a main parachute. It is "fun" when the pilot chute comes over the nose or tail and wraps around the suspension lines. -- Jeff My Skydiving History
  2. darkwing
    Just make sure you count the day it was packed as day # 1. -- Jeff My Skydiving History
  3. darkwing
    There are a FEW people who use a washing machine, but the vast majority use a big tub (or a bathtub), Woolite, a not-too-stiff brush, and plenty of elbow grease, and soak time. -- Jeff My Skydiving History
  4. darkwing
    There is nothing inherently unsafe or inferior to a B-12 snap. I think it is mostly a cosmetic issue. While I have a step-in harness, I have often wished for B-12s. One advantage of B-12s is you can tack the legstraps at the correct length. Just to balance things out, there have been incidents with the current legstrap hardware also. Leg staps slipping, etc. -- Jeff My Skydiving History
  5. darkwing
    I need more information before I could give you a meaningful answer. The number of jumps on each component (rig, main, reserve) is vital, as is where the jumps were made (the desert is a lot different environment on a rig than is a green, grassy DZ). So, to get to the real answer, you must take it to one or two riggers for their opinions. -- Jeff My Skydiving History
  6. darkwing
    Put it back together and while slowly pulling, watch the left 3-ring assembly, and note your arm extension when the 3-ring disengages. No, you don's have to pull all of the cable out. -- Jeff My Skydiving History
  7. darkwing
    It still wouldn't be a parachute jump, and therefore it isn't under USPAs umbrella. -- Jeff My Skydiving History
  8. darkwing
    Because it WAS a parachute jump, and the jumper did not have an approved system. Also, I don't see any relevance to USPA stuff at all, since it isn't a parachute jump. -- Jeff My Skydiving History
  9. darkwing
    My generic response would be dictated by the speed of the malfunction. Of course there will be a gray area in any definition, but 95% of the time a low speed malfunction will result in a low speed deployment of the reserve. A high speed malfunction would result in me calling it a terminal deployment of the reserve. Also, if a person delayed a few seconds after cutting away I'd call it a terminal deployment. It is a fine point anyway, a competent examination of the canopy would tell you if it was stressed by a deployment. If not, then no worries. -- Jeff My Skydiving History
  10. darkwing
    I'm going to disagree with Quade. The FARs are, in my view, vague, at best, on this issue. I think a lawyer could get around it. It may not even take a lawyer. I bet the FAA would make a change in their wording though. Now that I think of it though, could the FAA could interpret a wingsuit as a parachute? Here is their definition of a main parachute from FAR105: "Main parachute means a parachute worn as the primary parachute used or intended to be used in conjunction with a reserve parachute." So I think not. It will be interesting though. They might go with the theory that the law is vague enough that they can get away with it once. Or they may go for the kind of permission you can get for attempting a stunt. -- Jeff My Skydiving History
  11. darkwing
    Don't confuse low dollar with the best deal. There is great value in having a dealer you can work with, nearby, etc. Also, while I have nothing bad to say (or think) about the Smart Reserve, I'm always concerned by the justification "it's cheaper than PD." I am not a dealer, and likely not particularly helpful. You are a big kid and can do whatever you want. The above comments are more intended for beginners. Enjoy your new gear! -- Jeff My Skydiving History
  12. darkwing
    Yup, twice. Not bad, just be careful moving around, climbing out, etc. I wouldn't recommend it for a big person. It is a novelty, which quickly wears off. I wouldn't be anxious to do it again, even if I was skinny enough. -- Jeff My Skydiving History
  13. darkwing
    You might as well say "Skydiving - Sport or Stupidity?" Which is something many (most?) non-jumpers would consider a good question. -- Jeff My Skydiving History
  14. darkwing
    #186 -- Pat & ???, 2 man, me slow & coming up. Lil John took it out & knocked off his goggles. 28 April 1974, Cessna 180, Paracommander, 24' reserve, 7,500 feet -- Jeff My Skydiving History
  15. darkwing
    I think you'll get a much better response if you post them...
  16. darkwing
    Looks like a classic scam. Go ahead and close the deal, but don't ship the gear until the check clears though. -- Jeff My Skydiving History
  17. darkwing
    We do it because we believe it is worth it. Also, note that bad stuff gets on video and TV because it is sensational, and unusual. I've been jumping a long time, but the crazy stuff I see on video is very rare, that's why it makes the rounds. Also, even the crazy ones can be instructional, as mentioned above, the trick that preceeded the double malfunction is a reminder that we can minimize such bad possibilities. -- Jeff My Skydiving History
  18. darkwing
    2,653,581 Probably about as good as any other number you will get. -- Jeff My Skydiving History
  19. darkwing
    I find it difficult to deny an adult, who is fully informed of the possible, even likely, consequences, the opportunity to skydive. I also fully support any instructor who refuses to participate. Remember, there are plenty of people out there who will tell YOU that you should not jump, it is too much risk to you, and your loved ones. At what percent risk do you say no? 5%, 25%...? Do you base your refusal on whether they are married, or have kids? -- Jeff My Skydiving History
  20. darkwing
    Competition from Vigil (and any others) will help keep pressure on the price, but honestly, an AAD is vastly more complex, with a vastly smaller market than drills and DVD players. Suppose R&D cost $10 million for each. Think about the number of units you can spread that R&D cost over. Also, failures on drills and DVDs aren't a big deal. -- Jeff My Skydiving History
  21. darkwing
    I was watching some video and said to myself, damn, now that's a lonely feeling. Then I got to thinking about other situations that give you a similar feeling. Here are some in no particular order... 1. Being the only guy out in a 10-way speed formation, and being low. 2. Having the people behind you in the exit close the door after you climb out. They usually smile and wave at you as you look down to see if the pilot was in on the joke and you are 5 miles from the DZ. 3. Doing a pirate demo into the wrong backyard, in the wrong neighborhood. 4. Just after exit on a jump you realize you have forgotten where to dock. 5. Three people facing you in the formation are all gesturing wildly at you. 6. You land in a small clearing, way off the DZ and you have no idea what direction to go. 7. You see the dogs in the backyard you are about to land in, and they see you. -- Jeff My Skydiving History
  22. darkwing
    This is the junction at the upper control lines. Velcro isn't likely an issue here. -- Jeff My Skydiving History
  23. darkwing
    Not sure if it is jumpable, but I am sure it is out of focus. See your rigger. If he can't focus on it, then you have a problem with the space-time continuum, and skydiving is the least of your problems. I am a physicist, and it might be that you have a black hole nearby. -- Jeff My Skydiving History
  24. darkwing
    The problem with going to the skydiving videos site is that it will be hard for you to find a video with what you want. Maybe a bigger problem is that there are lots of videos of "mutant" jumps, which may give you the wrong impression about what you will experience on your first jump. I'd recommend trying to get a video from the DZ you expect to jump at. Most DZs would have such a video available, for PR and familiarization purposes. -- Jeff My Skydiving History
  25. darkwing
    I have had and witnessed failures. In some cases the igniter doesn't fire, and in others it fires, but the starter doesn't catch on. Either way the result is the same-- no smoke. That is another reason (besides visibility) to wear two smokes. If one fails, you still have smoke from the other. -- Jeff My Skydiving History