ZigZagMarquis

A-chick... why are you grounded??

Back in 98 when I had about 900ish jumps... low turn... impact... shattered right ankle... ambulance ride... surgery... 8 screws and a plate... 6 months off jumping... Heal up. Take re-hab seriously. Do what the doctors tell you. Finding a doctor that's also a jumper is a plus.

Well... what are you looking for in your first jumpsuit? ... Relative Work or Free Flying??

and here is the clicky http://www.bigairsportz.com/pdf/bas-sizingchart.pdf The afore mentioned chart appears very conservative. This is a good thing.

Going into it... If the repack cycle goes to 180 days... I figure I'll still charge the same for an I&R, $50, but I don't rig for a living and it will be most interesting to see what those riggers that do rig for a living and/or rigging is a substantial part of their income do. You gotta figure they're going to jack their rates for an I&R up since they'll be doing less I&Rs, but want to (need to) make the same amount of income?

Good! Talk to your instructors more. Let them know you're serious about continuing with AFF and that you want to start learning more and more about gear. They should start showing and teaching you more about gear as you progress through the program, but speaking up yourself on your interest is a good thing. My 2 cents... on student status you won't be jumping anything over or even near to a 1:1 wing loading. If you know what that means, my apologies, but in case you don't that means no more then 1lb of exit weight to 1 sq ft of canopy surface; and your exit weight includes You + Your gear. So, if you weigh 190lbs + 25lbs of gear that's 215lbs. Now if you're jumping a 280 sq ft canopy, that means... 215 / 280 = 0.77 or you're at about a 0.8 wing loading. Looking down the road to when you're off of student status, my 2 cents again, but IMO... others will differ... you're better off staying close to a 1:1 wing loading for several hundred jumps or not much over 1:1, so, you're probably looking at a 210 or maybe a 190, depending on the design, as you're first canopy off of student status, if you stick with things. Anyway, others will be along with advice too.

That is nothing, i got banned from tallahassee..beat that does getting kicked out of the Phillipines count ? That happens when you don't pay the hookers, Bozo!

Yes, its a real issue because if mis-routed an RSL can kill rather then help. My 2 cents... In my time, I too have found RSLs that have been mis-routed. I can think of one instance where the RSL was mis-routed around the reserve risers before being hooked to the ring on the riser. It came to my attention when the jumper of the rig had just landed, got back to the packing area and was in the process of "cutting away" the main so they could swap it out for another. They had pulled the cut-away and released the 3-rings, but couldn't figure out what was up with the RSL; they hadn't undone the shakle and stoped and came and asked me for help. I told them about unhooking the RSL first, but more importantly pointed out the RSL mis-routing and what could have went badly for them on the preceeding jump if the had to have cut-away for real. After that, the jumper, a low timer at that point, got REALLY interested in gear checks. I've also seen a couple of RSL mis-routings on rigs with the "no sew a ring on the main riser" technique of hooking up an RSL. This technique is hard to explain if one has never seen it before, but it involves a loop of tape through the bottom of the main riser (where the middle rig attacheds to the main riser) that the RSL is hooked to rather then to a ring sew to the riser. While this works and you don't have to do any sewing on a main riser that doesn't already have a ring to hook the RSL to, it can be more easily (IMO) mis-routed by someone unfamiliar with this set-up such that the RSL would have to be drug throuh the big ring (rig side) upon cut-away. I've seen folks with such rigs with the RSL hooked up such that it would drag the RSL through the big ring on cut-away. I've also seen second parties trying to "help" a third party wearing a rig with such a set-up during the ride to altitude where they disconnect the RSL conviced it is mis-routed before, but actually re-hooked it to where it was okay before, but now really was mis-routed. Last but not least, even though the "theory" behind an RSL is pretty much a constant, today, they "appear" more different from many a rig mfgr to antother rig mfgr as opposed to say 10 years ago. For instance... ring on the right main riser... ring on the left main riser... ring on the side of the riser... ring on the back of the riser... Velcro used to afix the lanyard... tucks used to afix the lanyard... a channel used to afix the lanyard... two guide rings... one guide ring... no guide rings... reserve pin actually on the end of the RSL lanyard... the RSL lanyard acting as a pin puller... etc. All similar in appearance and operation, but different enough to confuse many, IMO. Okay, not everyone needs to be a rigger, but it never ceases to amaze me how little some know about the gear they're using to save their lives after jumping from an airplane and the misinformation they'll defend as truth from well meaning, but similarly misinformed others. Okay... I'll get off my soapbox... Anyway, anyway, really last but not least. Last of my 2 cents... Stand by to stand by... as the Skyhook begins to proliferate... Skyhook, not a bad thing, but definitly more complex... RSL + Collin's lanyard + hooked to reserve bridle... the chances of mis-routing that critter are going to be exponential as compared to just an RSL.

Dude! That rocks!!

What if your grandfather was a skydiver... ... and you're a packer... ... and you went back in time... ... and packed him a mal and he bounced... ... would you still owe beer?

SP, Agreed. Why can't y'all set it up so that when someone registers that they HAVE TO fill out their profiles? Of course, that wouldn't stop them from putting in B.S. There's lots of long time posters with obviousl B.S. in their profile... # of Jumps: 99999999... Years in Sport: 99999999... etc. That bugs me about as much as folks who don't fill out their profile.

I prefer not to break them at all--ever. The most casual inspection of these during every pack-job can result in replacement of these before they are worn to the point of danger. IMHO if a loop breaks during packing, it has already been used beyond it's safe wear limit. Is that so expensive? Ditto. Sure, I've broken a closing loop or two in my time, but it always bugs me a bit when I do because in the back of my mind I think that I've been ignoring something I should be paying attention to. Its really easy to replace a closing loop when it starts to show wear. There's no reason to push it and keep using a worn one until failure.

I'd have to agree and call me callous or uncaring, but I'd have no problem just walking by his busted up (or dead) body and just shaking my head and thinking "told you so"... I've done so in the past. Problem is, these days, that sort can not only take themselves out, but can also take others with them... as recent incidents have shown. I've sat around BSin' with a couple of DZOs about topics similar to this. The DZOs that stand out in my mind as "doing it right" when it comes to dealing with such things are the ones that just 86 such offenders... put them on the "leave and don't come back here forever" or the "forever list" for short and stick to it. Sure, they'll give a warning or two or three (depending on the seriousness of the infraction), but when it comes down to it, they don't play the, "You're grounded for X-number of days" game (i.e. 30-day board), it goes straight to "You're Outta Here! And Don't Come Back!" Specifically, I recall the instance of a DZO I know dealing with a habbitual "low pull artist". He had warned the guy more then once and was having to warn him again after another low pull "stunt". Well, the warning quickly turned to argument with the offender having lots of excuses and trying to finish up with the DZO couldn't stop them from pulling low if they wanted to and the DZO saying something to the effect that they were right, they couldn't, but they could stop them from doing it at his DZ... at which time, the offender got on that DZs "forever list." Frankly, I'd opt for that's how the DZ in quesiton here sould deal with the individual who is the topic of the OP. Obviously warnings and groundings aren't working.

Hansen also offered the, "Glue your camera helmet to your head" option... RiggerRob can tell you about that one... Anyway, I too recall seeing the "camera helmet with pilot chute" option a few years back, but nothing since. I never saw one up close, but basically it looked like one took a pilot chute and birdle, hooked it to the inside of your helmet, stuff all that inside before putting it on your head, then, if you jettisoned the helmet in freefall, the PC would find itself out and gently lower your helmet to the ground.

I know of a surfboard that hit the tail of a Twin Otter and damaged it...

I got mine at 24 jumps, Carey... no matter how much lingerie you buy / wear, you are NOT a hot chick and never will be!! Oh, Philly having something to do with beer... like DUH!

Where are they putting the dummy handle on you? Right leg strap or BOC? "Back in the day" when most all were on the right leg strap, they'ed teach you that if you were having problems finding the rip cord handle to place your hand on your right leg strap and follow it up to your hip / where the rip cord handle should be. With BOCs, I've seen instructors teach a similar technique where they tell students having trouble finding the handle to slap themselves on the ass, then follow up to the bottom of the rig and then to the outside rig corner where the PC handle (hacky) should be. Back when I used to put S/L students out and would teach them PRCPs, I'd also remind them that its not a race. They don't have to complete the PRCP before the S/L opens their main (direct bag), because basically, you can't. So, do it deliberately, but don't rush. Call up Joey at Skydive California City, he's so good at PRCPs, it makes it look almost real!!

Well, it "depends"... Hot chicks will usually get invited on an SCR load at ridiculously low numbers... i.e., like on their graduation jump... Conversly, if the ol' grey hairs around the DZ are anticipating feeling "thirsty" later, they may grab a newb or two and go get them their SCR... and then play the "BEER" card on them... Anyway, the SCR award has nothing to do with the USPA; its not a USPA award. I'm somewhat disappointed that the USPA didn't pick it up as part of its awards system a few years ago when they had the chance. I'm glad though that its still going though.

Opinions may differ, but usually the D-bag will stay with the container and not move with the main. The driving factor when moving a canopy from one container to another is whether or not it is "safe" in the container it is "new" to... i.e. "too big", "too small"? You already mentioned the issue of making sure the closing loop is adjusted to a correct length, as necessary.

I had to do the battery search for my ProDytter awhile ago... went to Radio Shack, Kmart, Walgreens and got the trout-look at all places. I wound up having to buy them on-line from this outfit... MicorBattery www.microbattery.com 1-866-WWW-CELL 1-866-999-2355

http://www.skydivecaliforniacity.com/

Well, I did my firs... err... initial & second wingsuit jump today. It was a Phoenix Fly - Prodigy Wingsuit. It was a lot of fun!! ... and "yes" I did buy beer!

DZ.com

... get a subscription to Skydiving magazine too...

Hmmmm... I've got a Talon94, okay, not a Flexon, but closer then not... and I've got a Raven 2g reserve in it (218 sq ft) and a Sabre 170 main in it. The main closing loop is about the same for me; just long enough to stack the gromets on top of each other, but I've never had problems with the main pin flap coming open on it. Can you post photos?