Di0

Dude, the turns in place by the guy with the camera are sick fast, clean and precise, the guy is probably either an AFFI or a coach, or a guy with a shit-tons of jumps helping people out. The "can't fall stable" is when the student is trying backflips and front loops, the camera guy is backflipping and frontlooping with him (so maybe not an AFF jump, but a very experienced guy helping somebody out). He's probably an AFF-I since he's giving other people the "separation count" on exit for the whole load, I would assume they don't let do that to a 30 jumps wonder in Deland. Still, seriously, the guy with the camera seems to have more than enough flying skills to fly a camera, nothing to do with Geraldo "the parashut jus esploded" Flores. I'm standing on the edge With a vision in my head My body screams release me My dreams they must be fed... You're in flight.

What... I'm standing on the edge With a vision in my head My body screams release me My dreams they must be fed... You're in flight.

AFF on NAV240 to NAV220 #15-#25: NAV200 (for some reason, some of my worst landings) #25-#40: whatever was available from NAV260 to NAV200. #40-#45: Pilot 188 #45-Now (about #110): Safire 2 149, WL 1.2 "clean" (without lead) Last couple of jumps I am starting to progressively throw lead on (+5lbs now, probably go to +10lbs soon), not to increase the WL, which I am happy with, I know it's already on the "risky" side of the curve and I'd like to stay there for a couple hundreds more jumps; but unfortunately increasing it is a side effect I have to deal with if I want to RW comfortably, a few experienced instructors who are my friends offered to give me canopy coaching and of course I am taking this as seriously as I can. I'm standing on the edge With a vision in my head My body screams release me My dreams they must be fed... You're in flight.

Seriously? 3 years old tweets? I won't take any part since I don't know you, I don't know him and even more so, I don't know the facts, but honestly: 3 years old tweets, including his first tweet ever, and one complaining that nobody follows him on twitter, really don't prove somebody's behavior. If you go on my FB over the year, you'll find all sort of stupid stuff posted and drunk bragging, most of it is just that, it might suggest that the guy is a bit douchy and maybe an attention whore, ok, I'll give you that, but from here to build a case about somebody behaviors based on a couple of old tweets, of which one is pretty much a "let's see what happens when I post" kind of tweet, c'mon. As for the pictures, I'm no TI, I'm not even a good or expert skydiver, so I honestly won't say anything, but that is my 2c about social networks stereotypes and bragging and forcing themselves to look cool and act like rebels, something I will admit I have done. It really doesn't prove anything, it doesn't disprove it either, but let's say I am not surprised that people would not act based solely on a few ancient tweet dug out from the bowels of internet (and, frankly, I am happy for that). I'm standing on the edge With a vision in my head My body screams release me My dreams they must be fed... You're in flight.

Another thing your friend was not used to do (and I bet now changed) was a proper gear check at least once in those 40 minutes. I'm standing on the edge With a vision in my head My body screams release me My dreams they must be fed... You're in flight.

Not that it's recommended, but you gotta give it to him. That's quite badass! I'm standing on the edge With a vision in my head My body screams release me My dreams they must be fed... You're in flight.

Oh the good old "student cutaway" myth. There is no such a thing. EVER. Yes, true, bad student body position can cause some nasty spins, but the Tandem Instructors are trained to correct them or take other actions to safely bring both of you down. As to why you can't have a backup parachute, because then it wouldn't be a tandem. The whole point of tandem jumps is trusting a person with hundreds if not thousands of jumps to operate the dual parachute system. Do AFF and you'll get your own parachute, actually you'll get two. ;) As for your worries, statistically speaking, tandem jumping is the safest way to skydive, I remember statistics that suggest how the death rate is half of other "sport" skydiving (from the USPA website), so you're pretty good from that point of view. I guess it's safer because: a) there is a very experienced instructor tightly strapped to you and in charge of emergency procedures and other actions b) the presence of a very inexperienced student and having the huge responsibility of his/her life, will make the forementioned very experienced instructor not willing to do any sort of "stupid shit" that people try with "normal" skydiving. Just freefall, deploy, fly your canopy, land safely. I'm standing on the edge With a vision in my head My body screams release me My dreams they must be fed... You're in flight.

I 101% agree with the second part and the "purpose" of tracking. Anything less than trying to maximize horizontal vs vertical distance is bad tracking. As for the first part, though, I would not be so conclusive in my affirmation. Considering that a "flat" tracking is mere illusion and unreachable in reality, even the best trackers are still moving vertically with speeds that are in the same order of regular belly freefall, therefore a less-steep angle is all we can reasonably hope to achieve. Just throwing some numbers out there, maybe a bad tracker will fall at a 65degrees angle, a good tracker at 45degrees, a beast tracker will fall at, what 40-35 degrees? No idea, but for sure far from flat, the angles when tracking remains pretty "steep", although the forward speed gives you a different illusion. IMHO. I'm standing on the edge With a vision in my head My body screams release me My dreams they must be fed... You're in flight.

Oh I didn't know, as said I was just throwing an hypothesis. Good to know, thanks! I'm standing on the edge With a vision in my head My body screams release me My dreams they must be fed... You're in flight.

He's talking about the G2, not the G3. I would assume the D3O might be a fairly recent introduction and/or new-ish material and the G2s didn't use it? Maybe, don't know. I'm standing on the edge With a vision in my head My body screams release me My dreams they must be fed... You're in flight.

uuuhh... I didn't think about that. Thanks! I'm standing on the edge With a vision in my head My body screams release me My dreams they must be fed... You're in flight.

Cheaper and batteries will last 1-2 years instead of 1-2 months. I'm standing on the edge With a vision in my head My body screams release me My dreams they must be fed... You're in flight.

Then you want the N3A or N3-Audio, I can't remember how it's called. Which is a DIFFERENT product from the "regular" N3 and won't work as a visual altimeter. I personally wouldn't use it at low jump numbers because (correct me if I'm wrong, but that's my understanding) it involves wearing some earphones/earbuds similarly to an mp3 player... honestly that's one more thing to route under the jumpsuit and under the helmet, when I gear up. One more thing to remember, etc. Not worth wasting time (although, to be fair, people who have it, like it). I have a "normal" N3 and that is something I like because it's "gear up and forget", as long as it's charged, all you have to remember to do is wear it for it to work (sure, it's good to check it works properly every time, and it needs to be charged every couple of weeks to a couple of months depending on use otherwise it become useless, but once charged and donned... at least it doesn't require any weird "extra steps" to be used). As for setup, I like to wear my trusted full analog galaxy and my N3 in my jumpsuit pocket. That way I know that I'll always have at least one as long as I wear my jumpsuit and I have an analog backup should the battery of my N3 die on the way up or something else happens. If you just want an audible to be inside your helmet, I wouldn't buy an N3 which does more that that and it's therefore more expensive, I'd get a simple Audible by L&B, they're awesome, precise, reliable and you'll be saving almost $100. I'm standing on the edge With a vision in my head My body screams release me My dreams they must be fed... You're in flight.

Like everything in skydiving, the absolute right answer is "it depends". I'm interested in belly RW, my suit is for belly RW with big booties, most of my tracking is with that suit, so there is no such a thing as a "bad habit", it's just what I need to get used to and I certainly appreciate them when I need to break away from the group and turn around to see them far-far away by the time I need to pull. They are not "training wheels", they are tools and they have a purpose. The comment probably came from some tracker/freeflier that thought it would have been cool to make you notice how much cooler he is because he can track without booties as well ass you with them. Which is true, in a way, tracking without them is certainly harder but, again, hey, I need them for other stuff not to "cheat" when tracking! :) P.S. I admit I haven't done many tracking jumps yet and I generally pull myself out of those unless the organizer is somebody that knows what he's doing (this hasn't happened yet, not for lack of good jumpers, but for lack of time) because there is a high chance of bad zoo dives with tracking jumps, and apparently low time jumpers love to get themselves into those zoos. I've seen a few of those, I haven't enjoyed them, I let other people do them. I'm standing on the edge With a vision in my head My body screams release me My dreams they must be fed... You're in flight.

I like his story better. Debauchery, revenge, sex and blackmailing, dangerous attractions, crime and punishment, it has all the elements for a good movie. Yours is... is... bland. Not much material to work with my imagination. I'm standing on the edge With a vision in my head My body screams release me My dreams they must be fed... You're in flight.

30s are the new 20s, get it over with! I'm standing on the edge With a vision in my head My body screams release me My dreams they must be fed... You're in flight.

Yup, I mean: I see your point, but my conclusions differs and I'd rather take a couple of seconds under canopy (if I can and it's safe to do it, if not... sure, it can wait, but let's be honest, if everything is going fine most of the times there is plenty of time to take a couple of seconds to undo your RSL even if you're already in the pattern, granted my primary focus should always be on flying the canopy, especially when landing in high winds). Not saying you're wrong and I'm right, you actually make a lot of sense, but I feel "safer" doing things the other way when/if I can. You have to admit we both have a logic for deciding to go either way. As long as you don't do stupid things without even thinking, it should be OK either way. I guess. I'm standing on the edge With a vision in my head My body screams release me My dreams they must be fed... You're in flight.

I see no point in doing that. You are distracting yourself at a low altitude, when things are even more critical due to the ground proximity and lack of time/altitude. What is preventing you from disengaging your RSL as soon as you land? Even more, what are you doing jumping in winds high enough that might require you to cutaway to don't injury yourself once you are on the ground? On my opinion, if you can't control your canopy on the ground you can't control it on the air. The only exception I would make is if you are going to land in a deep water body, but I don't think it happens that often, or does it? Yes and no. Meaning: absolutely yes, if you are in that situation, you already messed up by deciding to board the airplane but sometimes winds pick up while riding to altitude, some other times, we simply get over our head and take the wrong decision, at that point you have to land like it or not, thinking about what you should have done before boarding the plane (i.e. cracking a beer and watching others land) is not going to help. As to whether there is a point or not, I think it's on the SIM, undoing an RSL only takes literally 2-3 seconds, if that, and not much attention, you barely have to look at the thing, honestly I do it if I don't know where exactly I'm going to land because of whatever reason: I might end up being too close to the plane, ending up on a roof, that kind of shit that might happen at the last moment (unlikely but who knows...), I'd rather take 2-3 second when setting up my pattern at 700 ft, where I still have enough time for corrections, rather than struggling to find my RSL ring when I have my knees on the ground, my canopy is dragging and inflating, I am having a hard time finding my balance and I need to chop that thing FAST. You make a good point, jumping in winds so high that you have to cutaway on the ground is a MISTAKE (even much more so for low-experienced), but once you do that mistake, there is no need to do a second one (in my opinion) by landing with the RSL still attached and making a cutaway on the ground a lot more complicated and potentially useless. My 2c. I'm standing on the edge With a vision in my head My body screams release me My dreams they must be fed... You're in flight.

That's something worth to discuss with your instructors, every once and a while, even after your first few jump. Personally I do the following, but take it with a grain of salt, your instructors are qualified the best to go through these kind of things. My thought process on this issue in case of a MAL is simple: if my reserve is out and I didn't want it to be out (which means my main is still attached, packed or not), I undo the RSL. The only two other cases I undo my RSL are "preventive" and are: in flight is if I have to land with sketchy winds but I undo it only once below cutaway altitude (although I'm reconsidering this procedure, now that I have a skyhook and that thing could save my ass potentially to very very very very low, not that I want to test if the advertisements are true and one should always trust training and procedures written in blood over fancy backup devices, but if everything goes wrong, I mess up because I'm stupid and I cutaway too low instead of adding fabric, etc., I'd prefer to be considered the stupid skydiver that is lucky to be alive because of the skyhook rather than being dead. So with a skyhook and high winds, I generally undo it as soon as I touch the ground, if I need to cutaway because of an unexpected strong gust). Again, you should talk about this with an instructor, I think SIM recommends to undo the RSL once below 1000ft (no-cutaway altitude) when landing with high winds, on roofs, in water and other potentially similar dangerous situation. Basically, if you reach the point where you can't cutaway safely anymore but you might be forced to do it only after landing for whatever reason, undo your RSL, it's only an harm at that point. Only other time I undo my RSL, is when doing high pulls, because chances of getting tangled with another skydiver when both doing stupid stuff at 10k, or an airplane flying by, are after all higher then not being able to find your handles in time if you're doing a high pull (note: this is a very personal assessment, nowhere in the SIM, it's not necessarily correct or true, but it makes sense to me). I'm standing on the edge With a vision in my head My body screams release me My dreams they must be fed... You're in flight.

They're called "practice" pulls for a reason! :) The way you describe seems like a pretty darn successfull 1st jump to me! Congratulation and welcome to the sport and the forums. I'm standing on the edge With a vision in my head My body screams release me My dreams they must be fed... You're in flight.

It might be because, when reading about these things on books and charts (like Brian Germain's stuff), it is stressed that WL, Size and Performance are non linear in nature, even for conservative canopies that are more "linear" than others. Meaning that dropping 40 sqft from 240 to 200 is not nearly as noticeable as dropping the same "percentage" of fabric in the 100 sqft range (roughly a 20% drop would be from an 100 sqft to 80 sqft). Going from WL of 1.0 to 1.2 is not as noticeable as going from 1.8 to 2.2 (roughly same increase of 20% in WL, but much bigger increase in performances), etc. etc. That is my understanding of the problem. Although I see what you mean, the huge increase in weight from NAV240 to NAV260 and then again smaller increases all the way up to the end of the chart. No idea. Maybe toward the end of the chart, they had to limit the WL because they were approaching the "limits" of the canopy design itself, that might in general not be designed for high WL independently of the skills of the pilot, rather than its size? So this "squeezes" the bottom and the top of the chart a little? Again, just brain storming, no idea. :) I'm standing on the edge With a vision in my head My body screams release me My dreams they must be fed... You're in flight.

Just a note. The OP does not even say what part of the country he is from much less which DZ. Many Static line dz's that I have been do not have rentals in various sizes. The dz I started at had Manta 288 for student canopies. Others I have been to have been similar that way and then you are on your own. A few have a smaller canopy usually in a smaller harness for small women. I only ever had my static line ratings so I am unaware what the larger dz's have for rentals as I have never been involved in their programs. But I wouldn't assume that is absolutely an option for him. I also wouldn't assume it isn't. Just a thought Sure thing and 100% agree, we can't know. In a way, skydiving is the art of getting the best out of what you're dealt. Not everything is in our control. When I was working on downsizing to "reach" my first canopy (used gear for small people usually comes with smaller canopies, so I had to work for it), I almost thought about driving 4 hours just to get to a DZ where I knew they offered sabre 2 170 as a rental, the smallest I had at my DZ was a Pilot 188 and I didn't want to skip a step, then eventually I came to conclusion that driving 8 hours in a weekend just to maybe get 3-4 jumps (if that) might not have been that worth it. I thought getting more jumps and much more canopy work on the Pilot 188 with instructors around to talk with and get feedbacks, would have been a better bet then simply going to get few jumps on a 170 and nobody I know and trust to talk to about what I was doing. Still, if they had a 170 at any of the DZs I usually go, I would have never skipped that step... I would have put however many jumps necessary to get comfortable with it, it's all about finding the best compromise between all factors. At the end of the day, skipping a size might not be the biggest deal, sure, but if the transition canopy is literally THERE for you to try, why wouldn't anybody take advantage of it? That I don't know. I'm standing on the edge With a vision in my head My body screams release me My dreams they must be fed... You're in flight.

I honestly don't understand why, when downsizing as a beginner, anyone would skip sizes that are readily available as rentals. Yes, you're paying rent for an extra 20-30-40 whatever jumps, true. You'll hear people saying "by having your rig you'd be saving that money", but then again: if instead of buying a container that fits a 240, you're able to work your way down to a 200, then buy a 190, now you have a canopy that will last you a long time. And a container that will fit a 170, maybe even a 150 (maybe...) so a container that will last you a very long time. Not only you save money on the long run, but you have something that you really enioy getting used to and build consistency with. Nothing wrong with staying with a 240 either, I'm just saying you seem oriented toward the pilot 188? I am not saying this is right or wrong for you, I have no idea neither the expertise to give advice. But the advice I can give you is this: great, if nothing will change your mind, just don't be stupid: USE ALL THE RENTAL THAT YOU CAN up to the closest size to the canopy you want,so to build your way toward the 188 instead of going directly 240->188 to save a few bucks. I'm standing on the edge With a vision in my head My body screams release me My dreams they must be fed... You're in flight.

Oh yeah, absolutely agree!! Let's put it this way, to me it's a matter of apples with apples, when talking about reference frames. So most people say flying 10 mph in 0mph wind is the same as flying 20 mph in 10 mph wind and I say true. Relative speed is 10mph in both cases. But to me that's not comparing apples and apples, because with a glider (no engine) or a canopy (no engine) you have limited control over approach speed (for the sake of arguments, let's assume an "uncontrolled" approach, you just let that thing fly an trim itself according to its own aerodynamic characteristics). So you see, I say that "wind" changes your approach speed, because I always reason with respect to the ground, when studying glide performances. I agree that the canopy will fly absolutely blind to what the wind is, but I think a canopy will also automatically "trim" itself to a certain relative speed (please, correct if I'm wrong), so wind do matter a lot, because wind will determine your absolute velocity wrt the ground. Actually, now that I think, most classes about flight mechanics use ground-fixed references, most classes of aerodynamics use wing-fixed reference frames, there must be a reason!! :) Problem with these things, they are tricky to understand (sometime counter-intuitive) and hard to explain and communicate, especially without drawings. I'm standing on the edge With a vision in my head My body screams release me My dreams they must be fed... You're in flight.

Ok, I see part of the problem. To me, faster and shorter had the same meaning during the discussion. This is clearly not the case, I think in english they mean something different: faster with respect to time, shorter with respect to space? Is that right? In that case, I agree. Headwind will make the climbing "shorter", not "faster". I'm standing on the edge With a vision in my head My body screams release me My dreams they must be fed... You're in flight.