sundevil777

On some analog altimeters you can change the background graphic. On all digital altimeters you can choose feet or meters, don’t avoid digital models for that reason.

This is a decent little (still current) thread about landing technique and how we think about it and describe it.

Single vs 2 stage technique involves managing the interests of simple procedures for overwhelmed students vs effectiveness. Start trying to think of responding to your canopy during the flare, instead of pushing a mental button to initiate flare stroke part 1 now, part 2 now...do practice flares up high where you can appreciate how much feedback can be perceived. Don't stop flying the canopy!

Perhaps I'm just being cynical, but it seems that the cool angle from under the formation was just too awesome to not fully explore. You hinted at it in your original post. It is really dangerous to just do that stuff without a plan. From the video, it seems that there was no effort to get a best direction to track, which is still not what that jumper should have been concentrating on. When low, spend the entire rest of the jump trying to get back up, or at least minimize the vertical separation while keeping sight of the group. That might mean being off to the side of the formation so you can see while on your belly. This puts you in the safest position to eventually track away with the rest of the group, being off to the side and with minimal vertical separation. Perhaps some can fall slower while on their back, but this one didn't try to fall slow. On the subject of good separation on opening, there was one person that fell past, and it is hard to tell how close they really were, but it was somewhat close. More concerning is the large vertical separation that existed. I think it is likely that the jumper that fell past on opening had to actively monitor and adjust their track to achieve the horizontal separation (fortunate that they had enough of that skill), and it should be emphasized that you really don't want to be in either role here.

If I'm taken out by a "meat missile" and that makes me go low, it is absolutely the wrong move to intentionally go lower. The flying style of the one with the grey rig is something I've never seen. The elbows close together in front of chest - is that a new thing? It looked like it was being done on the whole swoop down I think.

Looks good, but your track ought to be less of a dive and more horizontal.

If the folks making the Dekunu don't get hold of you for an advertisement, they are missing out!

Please consider that you acknowledged advice, but I suggest it is reasonable for some to conclude that it didn't/wasn't going to make the impact it ought to. Please consider that you're not the first to show this trait. You are showing the ability to disregard the advice of your jumping elders repeatedly, despite paying lip service to how it is valuable. Don't blame others for the derailment. You were not bullied. You got worked up about next to nothing.

That was bullying? It is not there. I did not say you should be banned, I said you deserve a warning for a personal attack. Perhaps I do too. This thread is really unattractive. This nastiness is so wrong to be in this forum.

I think you are severely overreacting. You should somehow find it within yourself to acquire a much thicker skin. Everything that was said to you in the above quote was absolutely appropriate. Maybe the mark twain quote was unnecessary, but that is all. I am certain that 100% of experienced jumpers I know would agree. You expected to get shit, you admitted it in your first post. When you got wise advice, you lashed out in a way that should get a warning from the moderators. You might as well have warned us to be extra gentle with you. Too bad, this isn’t tiddlywinks,so man up and own it. Please consider that we’ve seen bad things happen. Being blunt is a good thing.

I would figure that easily changed batteries would be a design goal for e-planes. Whether the cost would work out to have multiple batteries getting recharged and swapped, I hope it will.

I always knew to get on loads with John and Valinda, fun is always accompanying them!

If you click on accessories-helmet additions, then scroll down, there is a link to service/refurbish Z1 helmet $40 for the skirt installed: https://docs.wixstatic.com/ugd/18d9e0_dc34ee5fa156465b999714d9dfacd29a.pdf

This company used to advertise on their website that they would replace the skirt, maybe they still do. I tried the new skylight lens, and the weird distortion they warn of was more distracting than I thought it would be and is not worth trying. https://www.unfeathered.com/clearance-z-1

Just to confirm, you are nearsighted, correct?

Those orange soft plastic knives are indeed the models that have a well deserved, bad reputation. They are the only knives I've heard that were actually known to break. An example of a good small, light, inexpensive knife from Square 1 is linked below (I jump with 2 of these): http://www.square1.com/manufacturers/square1/p1155.asp#4inchPlastichookknife

In theory, friction is proportional to the force normal to the surface, not the pressure. However, that theory would prevent drag racing from achieving the amazing accelerations they do in fact achieve, so there is more that can go on besides the simple friction model. That is why I say that it may be a more complicated relationship that defies simple analysis of what the theoretical coefficient of friction is for the different materials.

I would guess that much of the design/engineering that is done by skydiving equipment manufacturers is by people that do not have a engineering degree. This is just my opinion, but it might be worth considering.

You stated that you were looking for a jumpsuit. That sounds like it would likely happen some number of jumps in the future. You mentioned that your pullover and shirt were snug, tight fitting, you asked if it looks like the shirt is loose. That sounds like someone that thinks the problems with wearing a t shirt are related to whether it is loose or not. That doesn't solve the problem, and it is quite reasonable to think that you don't get it, even if you didn't explicitly reject my advice. It is common for newly aspiring jumpers to not at all realize the myriad ways things can go wrong. Those that have been around a long time have accumulated a lot of first hand, and much more anecdotal experience that can keep you from being a statistic. You can see plenty of people jump in t shirts, and of course they usually are ok. You are a novice, and should not be violating this safety practice. I don't care if some DZs let students do it, it is a real risk that is easily avoided. Perhaps some others here on the site will convince me otherwise, I'm open to being convinced, but I don't think it likely. You are past the formative assessment stage. That was when you were a complete newbie. Now everything is most definitely an authentic, summative assessment without the opportunity for re-takes to achieve mastery status. If you are surrounded by lots of old timers (almost everyone is an old timer to you), they may grant you bits of wisdom, and that wisdom may come as they just walk by you doing something and blurt out some advice. That advice may not be delivered with a positive, supportive tone, scaffolded based on your prior knowledge, differentiated for your own learning style, to impart understanding by design. No, it may be possible to be offended by their delivery, but they wouldn't be giving you their advice if they didn't care about you. If it isn't clear why their advice makes sense, then first assume their intent is not to offend, but to help, stop them, thank them for caring and talk about it. I think that in our profile on this site, if you are a student, your "discipline choices" should be limited to just one - staying alive, made more likely by making all efforts to not repeat the bad stuff others did. I do understand how my earlier post can be seen as rude. I apologize for that. I understand how this post can be seen as rude. I don't care about that, I am intentionally being blunt. If you're in Ohio, or if I go through Colorado, we should definitely jump together.

You are not the only one that has figured that because a shirt or pullover is tight fitting, or because you have it tucked in that it is OK. You are wrong. Please stop trying to find a reason for the advice to not apply to you. It is dangerous, and we know that because others have proven it. Your instructors should not allow you to jump like that.

The relative stretchiness of dacron lines I believe is fairly well known, and important. I think there is something about the friction between dacron lines and slider grommets that is "just right". Ever since I've had my Pilot relined with Dacron, it has been "just right". I don't know if it is as simple as coefficient of friction or if it is a more complicated relationship with other properties, but I think dacron lines make it easy to get nice openings. I think that slippery line types, such as spectra make it more uncertain because of their different frictional or other properties. I have no experience at all with other types of lines, perhaps they also provide that just right interaction with the slider grommets. I think more of us that jump larger canopies should consider dacron when a reline is needed. Dacron's ability to not get snagged on velcro or other such similar natural or synthetic materials is also really nice. I always felt like I was destroying my lines when they would get snagged on some velcro from my jumpsuit wrist cuffs, or some vegetation that would get snagged... Anyway, I think early canopy designers benefited greatly from the good characteristics of dacron rubbing against grommets, and we would be grateful if other line types had that just right relationship, even if they weren't stretchy. Just a random ramblin, what do you think?

Beware of shirts that can cover handles. The risk should not be ignored, and tucking in the shirt is not enough. Your instructors should have something to say about that.

I think it was my Para-Flite Astrobe that got me in the habit of grabbing toggles so early. It would snivel until I unstowed the brakes.

Isn't all of that true for std toggles with the webbing-nose? I don't see how the metal pin avoids any possible failure scenarios.

Of course, a big difference for me is that I have wide risers and no interest in pulling the slider down past the toggles.