RockSkyGirl

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Everything posted by RockSkyGirl

  1. Another thing to consider is your jumpsuit. If you have a baggy suit or one with loose material in the arms and legs, you'll have a lot more drag and hence fall slower. Suits with polycotton fronts also fall slower. A tight suit fit to your body, with a slick nylon front, will allow you to fall faster without wearing nearly as much weight. A suit with tight spandex forearms will also decrease the resistance against your arms and make it easier for you to take grips. That said - I routinely fly at 72-73% with my teammates, with all but the fastest-falling person wearing weight. All of us wear tight, slick competition jumpsuits with booties. I have a weightbelt that allows me to add up to 18 lbs in 2-lb increments; with the people I fly with the most, I wear 6 lbs. If I'm flying with heavier people who want to turn up the wind speed, or when I'm putting in a lot of time over just a couple days (when you get tired it gets harder to maintain optimal body position and wearing weight takes some of the strain off), I'll bring extra lead packets into the holding area with me. If I find I'm struggling to stay down with the group, when we rotate out for our 1.5-minute break I'll add in another lead packet. One thing you can do after you get your weight belt is to put in 5 minutes with it. Start with 6 or 8 lbs and a comfortable body position and see how it feels as they turn the wind speed up, before you start flying with a group. Finally, if you are interested in learning 4-way, which I highly recommend because it is FUN and it will greatly build your flying skill, you'll want to get comfortable in a solid mantis position. Mantis is the best neutral from which to move to take grips, and you'll fall faster more comfortably in that position as well. There are a bunch of online outlets for weight belts. Most sell the belts and weights separately. Here are three: RockSkyMarket has a couple: https://www.rockskymarket.com/search?controller=search&orderby=position&orderway=desc&search_query=weight+belt&submit_search= SquareOne also makes a couple: https://www.square1.com/manufacturers/square1/p515.asp#DeluxeWeightBelt ParaGear sells the Parasport belt, with weights, for $125.http://www.paragear.com/skydiving/10000145/L11404/PARASPORT-SKYDIVING-WEIGHT-BELT The belt I have looks similar to the SquareOne deluxe, but with the zipper on the inside instead of the outside, and I can fit 1 or 2-lb weights in the 9 pockets. I don't remember the brand; I'll have to check when I get home. I got lucky and found an old abandoned belt at the local tunnel, with Velcro that didn't stick anymore and a broken buckle, and no weights. The Velcro isn't important so I ignored it. Replaced the broken buckle, and bought a bag of lead shot from a hunting store and made my own 2-lb weights with heavy-duty Ziploc bags. Ended up with an awesome belt for only $60 (the cost of the lead shot).
  2. When SDAZ runs the DC-3, which seats 43, we run two passes, no matter how big the groups are. The smaller groups typically break off lower and don't track as far, while the big groups (we had a 20-way speed star with video out of that plane a couple weeks ago) break off higher and track farther and hence need more separation at exit. And we have a LOT of open desert to land in, lots of outs. Agreed that it doesn't seem feasible to run a full 40-jumper plane with a single-pass jump run. However, it could be an asset, at certain times of the year, for large dzs which have a steady tandem business as well as a lot of teams training. A plane that large could let out some h&ps at 4500, then do a team pass at 10,500, and still take a full Otter load's worth of jumpers up to 13k.
  3. I'm going to suggest 5.10 also. I have a pair of high-top Guide Tennies that are great for jumps. Solid ankle support (they prevented more than one ankle roll in my first year when I was still recovering from a busted fibula). The Stealth Dotty rubber sticks to the floor of the plane but slides on the grass. Reinforced rubber toe cap, too. Several color combos to choose from.
  4. Welcome back to the sky, Jim! Get in touch with Tim Long via the Skydiver Resurrection Award Facebook page. He created the SRA for those who are gone from the sport for 10 years or more; your SRA number is the total number of days between your last jump and your first jump after your return. Tim is based in Arizona but the SRA spans the entire country and local members meet up at boogies, PoPs and SoS events all over the U.S. They have their own wings awards for numbers of jumps made since resurrection; they have a special patch for SRA 8-way... really cool group. :-)
  5. Another option on new risers is the anti-fire toggle-riser set you can get from Innovative Parachute Technologies (www.innovativeparachute.com). Any length, any color. The toggles (again your choice on color) have a triple tab system which will not unstow on opening or when bringing your slider down or making a rear riser avoidance turn; the risers also have magnetic keepers for your excess line. I've noticed that the excess line likes to come free on opening if the risers are oriented such that the rear riser is stacked above the front riser against the side of the reserve tray (what I mean by that is closer to the outside of the container as opposed to closer to the backpad), and that's been true no matter what type of risers I've used. Try making sure you (or your packer if you're using one) lays the rear riser closer to the backpad and the front riser closer to the outside when packing; that might fix your problem, if it's simply a matter of a touchy toggle stowing system.
  6. Burner and company are back! Balloon jumps are happening again in Eloy. Signups are outside Manifest. I've already had friends do it this year; it's definitely a go!
  7. We have a local jumper at SDAZ who is missing half of his left leg; he jumps with his prosthetic. He's worked his way up to his D license, has a Coach Rating, flies video, and is now working on his Pro Rating! I'll have to ask him what he did in the beginning when he was still learning but I can get back to you on that. You can also send an email to AXIS Flight School in Eloy. They do a lot of work with Operation Enduring Warrior and have taught even triple amputees how to skydive, from AFF Cat A onward. They'd be a fantastic resource for you!
  8. I got my A at SDAZ a bit over three years ago and like you I felt a bit lost when it came to who to ask for help when I had questions. I felt cast to the wind, so to speak! First, Square2 has a great rental program. They have a LOT of different gear you can try, and renting in the beginning is a good idea for three reasons: 1) it gives you a chance to try different things and see what you actually like; 2) you'll put a lot of wear and tear on the gear you jump for awhile while you are learning and it's better when it's not on YOUR gear; and 3) many people transition at least a couple main canopy sizes (and hence container sizes) fairly quickly after getting licensed, and you'll save money in the long run if you buy gear that you're not going to quickly outgrow. #2 and #3 are also very good reasons to buy your first rig used! As you progress and experiment, Margie at Square2 will be a great resource for you. John Lyman who runs Desert Skies Rigging (attached to the school building) is also a fantastic resource, and he has two sections on his website about shopping for used gear. He also sells used gear on consignment, and does inspections on gear you might be interested in purchasing (for a fee of course), as will Aviva Maidman, who owns Red Sky Rigging. Here is the link to the section of Lyman's website which talks about buying used gear. Scroll down the links on the left side of the page and you'll find parts 1 & 2. http://desertskiesrigging.com/education-and-training/ Another great resource for you after you get your A is AXIS Flight School. You'll take your B license canopy course from them. Niklas helped me decide on which canopy to buy when I was trying to decide on my first main, based on how I'd been flying with the ones I'd been demoing and what he'd seen of my skill level when I took the B course. Carmen does AFF at the school, flies video, and she is also a rigger, so she is also a great person to ask. Rich LaBarr is one of the more approachable instructors and unless he's swamped he'll take the time to give you a thorough answer to your questions. A few of the very experienced local jumpers, like Alex Swindle (who sometimes works for the school, and also teaches wingsuit first flight courses through Phoenix-Fly, once you've hit #200; he was the one who told me to make sure my main canopy was highly visible colors) and Remi (Remster on dzdotcom) can also give solid advice without showing too much brand bias as many of the sponsored jumpers will. There are three local gear manufacturers. Firebird and Rigging Innovations, who make containers, have already been listed in other posts on this thread; and Sandy Reid from RI will be around the dz on 10/28 evening because he judges the Halloween costume contest (the overall winner gets a free Curv container - so you might want to think about building a wicked costume and going for the grand prize...). You can ask Sandy all your container questions if you're there when he is (or you can walk over to the RI building near the hangars and ask for a tour). The other local manufacturer is IPT (Innovative Parachute Technologies). They make awesome main canopies. Square2 has IPT Axon canopies as a rental option, and Ken and Rachel Sego, owners of IPT, are on the dz almost every weekend and are always keen to discuss gear. If there's someone on the list above that you haven't yet met and would like to, shoot me a message after you get your A and the next time we're on the dz at the same time I'll introduce you.
  9. As of this past Saturday, the sign outside Manifest says "No balloon jumps until further notice." It's possible they may come back this winter but I wouldn't count on it. I'd check out other places that may offer balloon jumps; I've seen people posting about them at Perris.
  10. Agreed that carelessness and complacency don't mix well with skydiving, and shame on you if you missed a step-through when packing as that's easy to see when you walk up your lines. Even if you don't know how to fix it on your own and need to ask someone to help, it's still obvious that something is wrong. However, a flip-through (what OP had) is different from a step-through and you can have a perfectly normal walk-up when you check your lines and still give yourself a flip-through if the bag goes through the lines when you put it into your container. I did that exact thing right around same number of jumps as OP; I was flying a large docile canopy which responded well to the control check so I chose to land mine, but it was still scary as f***. 500 jumps later, almost did it again - but because I knew what to look for when packing (the need to pull the pc and bridle back through the lines instead of just around them to keep it clear when you put the bag into the pack tray --> flip-through), I caught it and fixed it. Not something I was taught in any packing class or by any packer I got tips from as I was learning, but something I had to find out the hard way, after it happened.
  11. A completely different approach: use a small (but large enough to be visible under canopy) square of bright material (tent material or something, maybe a scrap square of zp canopy material you might be able to beg (or buy) off your local rigger; with weighted corners) to mark your target. The center of this is the center of your 10m circle. Carry in a pocket (or tucked in your sock) a golf tee with a 5m piece of string attached. When you land, before you move, press the tee into the ground between your feet. Then, if you can walk to the center of your small bright target without running out of string, you landed within the 10m circle. Probably the least invasive way in terms of effect on the dz property, with the smallest amount of material needed.
  12. I just got an Ogio Big Mouth, but I need mine to hold more gear than you need. Ogio makes smaller bags also, like the 9800 and the Adrenalin; the brand is highly recommended by the instructors at my dz. I've also had Ful recommended to me; and my first gear bag was a Samsonite HighSierra. No matter which you choose I'd recommend one with wheels and a retractable handle, and ALSO some other form of carry-straps, so you can drag it when the terrain is good but easily be able to lift it over mud/gravel or into your car.
  13. Yeah, that's Kebe in your video. He put that skin on his board himself, a bit over a year ago. I watched him exit like that for a night jump once. He put a red light on one end of his board and a blue one on the other end, and it made for an sight awesome picture as he spiraled away from the plane into the dark. That was my first night jump so getting that visual right before my own exit was even more of a treat. At Eloy he always goes out first, and if he's flying with others they go out first with him. I can ask Burke the rationale for that, as he falls faster than the belly flyers especially when he's spiraling, which puts him in the freefly category. But it's probably because he still has a significant horizontal component to his flight, and as we can put the trackers/angle flyers out either first or last-before-wingsuits, and Kebe can only get hooked up when he's on the end of the bench or on the camera bench and that has to be done before the light goes on, it makes sense to put him out first; otherwise he'd need a go-around every time. I'm not sure what he did at SDC, where the planes don't have benches.
  14. Kebe is a very active sky-surfer. He has several thousand skysurfing jumps. He travels all over the U.S., following his whim. I'm Eloy-local and he's usually out here in the winter, but I ran into him at SDC at the beginning of July. There are a lot of pictures out there of him that Raymond Adams has taken at various boogies.
  15. You could try contacting Bryan Cavage at Dropzone Solutions. He is a major advertiser for all sorts of used gear. Florida-based. RockSkyMarket out of CSC also sells a good bit of used gear and they also post on the forums.
  16. I've noticed that the dirtier the lines get, the more the slider hangs up - on any canopy - and found that to be even more true with thicker lines (like the Dacron lines on student Navigators). Three years ago when I was renting and the canopies I was on had older and dirtier (usually Spectra) lines, pumping the rears to get the slider down within reach was a common thing. With my own canopies, I'll only start having a problem if I have a bunch of dirt landings in a row (and that is dz-dependent; not everywhere has grass). I've had it suggested by one rigger to gently wipe the lines down with a lightly damp (NOT wet) cloth if they have gotten dirty. You might also want to check the grommets on your slider and make sure they don't have any burrs which could be snagging on your lines. Finally, if you do really have 600 jumps on your lines, I'd expect they'd be more than a little out of trim. I think 600 is close to the max for a Spectra line set, and I'd recommend having them checked by your rigger. I don't know enough about rigging myself yet (still working on my certificate) to know if that would keep your slider from coming down all the way, but it will certainly affect your openings to say the least!
  17. Check out section 6-7 in the SIM. O2 on the plane is required for dives above 15k MSL. Bailout O2 is required for dives above 20k MSL. Above 25k jumpers are supposed to pre-breathe pure O2 for 30 minutes on the ground before take-off as well. There are times when a dz or a pilot will bust the altitude rules (sunset load in particular) but CSC is simply complying with regulations by using bailout O2 on their HALO jumps. For perspective, the first time I was flying formation loads to altitudes requiring O2, on the very first jump that I used O2, there was no flow through my hose. Since I had never used O2 before, I was using a cannula, and had no idea what to expect, I figured it was on and I just didn't notice. As it came time to exit at 16,500 AGL (18K MSL), I found I was light-headed, but thought it must just be a side effect of breathing pure O2. I was okay on the dive - probably because I made sure to sit completely quietly and breathe deeply and relax as much as possible for the rest of the climb after we reached O2 turn-on altitude. On the next jump, I was on a different plane with a different hose. When O2 turn-on came, I immediately felt it and tasted it, and that was when I realized my hose hadn't been working the first time. And the difference at 16,500 was dramatic. I was clear headed and alert. If I hadn't had the direct comparison, I would never have known there was a problem. I've gotten extra altitude on sunset loads at multiple dzs and never noticed a difference in my mental functioning; but when you get a surprise 15k AGL on the last load of the day you're too stoked to see that you might not be thinking as clearly as you could be. For a jump from 23k AGL at CSC which is itself at just over 800 feet AGL, you'll be above 15k MSL for 45 seconds to a full minute of freefall if you're belly-flying - and a whole heck of a lot longer if you have a premature deployment. In fact, it would royally SUCK to be under canopy much higher than you're expecting to be when you exit at 23k, for numerous reasons (cold AF? spot vs the uppers?? other air traffic???) and being up there without O2 could kill you. $159 for a HALO jump to 23k for experienced skydivers sounds like a pretty good deal. Did you see what they charge for a 23k tandem?! Skydance does experienced-skydiver HALO jumps for $575, up to 30k - IF you've made one there before; if you're new to HALO jumps they charge $650. So $159 for the equipment use, the O2 both on the plane (for the jumpers and the pilots) and in the bailout bottle, the ground training required to learn how to use the bailout system, the av-gas required to get the jump plane up that high, and any extra fees the dz has to pay to clear jump operations from altitudes in the commercial airspace range only 70-80 miles from two major international airports... that really doesn't sound bad at all!
  18. Every dz I've been to which has LOs (which is basically all of the big ones) offers the service free-of-charge to the jumpers. It's a good thing for the dzs, because it promotes retention. Sometimes the LOs are competition team members doing give-back in return for sponsorship; sometimes they are just older, more experienced jumpers mentoring in a give-back of their own (because people did it for them when THEY were starting out), and often it's a service provided directly by the dz and the LOs are paid by the dz to jump with anyone and everyone who doesn't have a jump-buddy (or who does, but wants to be on something bigger than a 2-way with the same friend all the time). Nowhere I've been so far (including your home dz, which has a heck of an awesome load organizing crew) have the LOs expected any kind of monetary tip. HOWEVER - a case of water or Gatorade or a bucket of snacks to add to the stash in the LO team room is ALWAYS welcome at Perris, and thank-yous are always appreciated. In my early days, I also spent a summer keeping the beer freezer in the manifest hangar at my home dz filled with Otter Pops, and I also bought beer a couple times for the organizers/coaches who had to put up with something particularly outrageous from me. Welcome to the sport!
  19. The first canopy I bought - and put almost 400 jumps on - was a Pilot 188 ZPX, loaded at 0.93. I bought it after demoing a Pilot 188 directly from Aerodyne, and that canopy flew and landed so well compared to the rentals I'd been using that I was sold. Yes, the power in the flare, at least at those lighter wing loadings, is WAY far into the bottom of the stroke. I had the new one hooked up to the risers for my rig and (thankfully) made a hop-and-pop to test it out. There was so much excess brake line that the tail didn't deflect until my hands were past my shoulders, and no matter what I did I couldn't get more than the weakest feeling of pick-up in a practice flare. Finally I just took a wrap on each hand and flew it that way, and landed it that way - still sliding it in. And then went to my canopy coach to figure out what was up. The Aerodyne demo risers were 22". The Aerodyne toggles use a metal pin instead of a lower tuck-tab. My VSE risers were 19" (I'm 5'6" and that was what was recommended for me by the coach I asked at the time; now I use 21" or 22" risers which I like much better). My toggles were also made by VSE. VSE toggles are set with a narrowed piece that pinches together to form the lower tuck-tab. When you unstow the toggles, you end up with an extra two inches as that section unfolds. So all together, thanks to the differences between my risers and toggles versus Aerodyne's, I effectively had an extra 5" of brake line in there. We had the rigger take out 3" and then stitch the expanding part of the toggle together. Even then, the canopy never flared quite as well as the demo. I debated having more taken out of the brake lines, but I didn't want to affect the front risers, so I left it. As I still couldn't stall it without taking a wrap, I probably could've taken out more without any issues. Instead I just got really used to always sliding it in, unless I had a good 8+ mph headwind. I know people who jump smaller Pilots which they load much more heavily, and they all say the flare is excellent. But it's hard to know if it's the wing loading or simply the size of the canopy.
  20. I was in the same boat when I got my first set of gear, and I chose to get my MLW resized. My container was an Infinity and the resize ran $400, at VSE. UPT charges $450-$500 for a MLW resize. Some Master Riggers can do it, and the charge varies, but probably in the $350-$500 range. For me, it was worth it. I bought the container when I was jumping the largest size main it held; now I'm down to the smallest, and I'll still be using it as a turn rig once I get my new-used system put together next month. I've had the rig for more than two years and I'll have it, most likely, for another year at least. More than worth it, for the almost 600 jumps I've put on it so far. Rental gear, back when I used it, never fit right. I'm on the shorter side (5'6"), and the looser harness on rental rigs left me bruises on the inside of my thighs from opening and on my biceps from just about everything, because the hardware inside the mudflaps pressed there instead of riding lower like it was supposed to. It also made it harder to reach to reach the ties to collapse my slider, especially if it stuck a few inches above the risers; and while I could still look around I couldn't look over my shoulders very well, which increased the size of my blind spot. At one point I tried borrowing a buddy's rig, and while it seemed to fit okay on the ground, on opening the chest strap snapped up to my throat. On the one jump where I was looking down as I pitched instead of out, head-high, the chest strap hit my throat so hard I choked and almost blacked out. So it CAN be a safety issue, even if you're not worried about falling out of the rig. While most of the time you might remember to remind yourself to look up when you pitch, sometimes you might forget; and you certainly can't guarantee optimal body position when your reserve deploys, in the event of a cutaway. So while not everyone will agree, it is my thought that IF you are planning on putting a large number of jumps on your rig, it's worth paying the cost for a MLW adjustment.
  21. Search "high visibility" in the forums and you'll get a post with that specific spelling which is about canopy colors as the top hit. About halfway down the first page you'll see LloydDobbler's reply; he is referencing the 2007 PIA Symposium. As a climber, I learned long ago that climbing nylon (ropes, harnesses, webbing) exposed to sunlight loses strength very quickly if it's exposed to sunlight for long periods. If it's faded, we don't trust it. But from the study discussed in the 2007 post, fading doesn't necessarily equate to a loss of strength in parachutes; it's based on the color as well. Not that I'd want to pack or leave my canopy out in the sunlight, though! Take care of your gear if you want it to take care of you.
  22. I found this a couple years ago and while I can't read German, the pictures still give the drills! Maybe this is what you were looking for... http://www.skydive.de/fileadmin/Ergebnislisten/2way_2015/2way_2015_Divepool.pdf
  23. Yes check with Kebe. He has over 5000 skysurfing jumps at this point, if I remember right, and he travels all over the U.S. though I don't know how much time he spends in Europe. Also, Sean MacCormac with the Red Bull Airforce is an accomplished skysurfer.
  24. I flew both canopies extensively when I was renting gear after getting my A. I found that both canopies can get you back from a long spot just fine, especially once you learn how to effectively use brakes and rear risers based on the wind direction up there (thanks Flight-1). The Pilot had a bit better flare, in my experience, and was more responsive to toggle input (which made it feel more fun to fly), while the Pulse seemed a bit more responsive to rear riser input (and had a slightly longer rear riser control range). This meant when I flew the Pulse I ended up doing most of my steering above pattern height with the rears to get the response I wanted; and with the Pilot I spent most of my time using toggles. The Pilot also had a bit less of a snivel for me, while the Pulse seemed to snivel forever, and I prefer having a slightly faster opening. Ultimately I chose to buy a ZPX Pilot and put over 350 jumps on it before my next downsize took me to a new manufacturer. But if I were back in the same position of choice, I'd still go with the Pilot over the Pulse.
  25. And another one. Guess you didn't go to your dz's Safety Day presentation this year. At SDAZ last February, a very experienced jumper hooked his GoPro with his steering line while making a front riser turn to final and impacted in a hard turn 2 seconds later. Front risering technique aside, without the camera on his helmet he would still be here. Scroll about halfway down the first page of comments and you'll see Bryan Burke's statement about this incident: http://www.dropzone.com/cgi-bin/forum/gforum.cgi?post=4782260;sb=post_latest_reply;so=ASC;forum_view=forum_view_collapsed;;page=unread#unread