CrashProne

Unfortunately, while GPS is good at many things, accurately determining vertical speed is not generally one of them.

The latest small action cam's are getting GPS now, maybe the day you are talking about isn't that far off?

So, it's well established that a ZPX 188 will fit nicely in an I-45. How about a standard ZP Pilot 188?

Funny John, I've used that technique when faced with some "interesting" aeronautical decision making before. Read back your possible actions and decisions like it's an accident report and being reviewed by a court of law... "The PIC was aware of a minor maintenance discrepancy, had seen the forecast for embedded thunderstorms and had calculated the trip over mountainous terrain would leave him with marginal fuel reserves, but when the passengers arrived two hours late with an extra 400 lbs of baggage..."

When you get your Inspire's, make sure to check to see if yours can hold a level image horizon. We have an Inspire 1, V2, and it does not. No fix found unless you get DJI to swap it out with a new one. Take it out for a flight, and wring it out pretty good. Fly it fast, fly it sideways and turn it plenty while at speed. When you watch the video, pay particular attention to the horizon. If it holds level, be happy!

Wow, have you been to Nikon's website and read the reviews there on the 360? Not for me until that turns around!

Download and print out the B license canopy proficiency card. On your first jumps with the new canopy, try all the exercises that concentrate on practice flares, do them a bunch. This'll help your landings a bunch, I know it did for me. Learning the flare performance of your canopy, and the perfect timing of that flare will be huge. Soon, you'll be looking forward to each landing as just another opportunity for a nice grass surf and a tiptoe landing! As for the transition to your 190, I wouldn't worry yourself too much about it, especially considering you're still below a 1:1 wing loading. Just plan for a nice pattern with a turn to final at a reasonable height, and no aggressive turns once you're on final. That'll help keep things at a reasonable speed and you'll do great.

I took advantage of their "free audible w/ purchase of an AAD" deal a couple months ago. My Vigil 2 and Optima 2 arrived two days later, both in the original sealed factory packaging. I mentioned the deal to my local rigging loft before pulling the trigger, and they told me they couldn't touch the price but had no experience with that shop/site. I would use them again!

More importantly, as a student you may find it makes more sense for you to start looking for your "first" rig, and not your end all, be all "last" rig. This first rig may only be with you for a hundred jumps or so, depending on your progression. Most would steer you towards finding a reliable, serviceable used rig with a reasonably good fit. Ideally, it will hold that nice big canopy you'll use to transition off of student gear and an even larger reserve. Buy it right, don't abuse it too much, and you should be able to get most of your money back out of it when you're ready for whatever comes next. Most people just starting out, myself included, haven't yet figured out their long term path in this hobby. You'll want to figure that out before you drop big coin on a brand new rig.

I did, but mostly only on my first 20 jumps or so and it only lasted a few minutes. Don't know how many jumps you have, but I'm betting the more you jump, the less you'll notice it. Also, if you have any congestion or a head cold, that can certainly make it a bit worse. Are you equalizing your ears on the way down? I know I usually need to, and it helps.

I've had a wide range of different experiences flying with more "seasoned" pilots (read, over 60). I've come to the conclusion that the we all age very differently, and how that aging will affect someone's flying is difficult to predict. Maybe the most glaring example would be two gentlemen, both were recent retirees from major airlines, having spent large portions of their careers flying big iron all over the world. The first came to me because he had just bought his "retirement airplane", a TurboCommander (twin turboprop). He needed an instrument reproficiency check and his insurance mandated 25 hours instruction in the airplane before he flew it alone. After 15 hours, I had to have a long and difficult talk with the guy and basically refer him to another instructor for a different perspective and second opinion. This guy scared the heck out of me, he really no longer had "what it takes" to operate a complex airplane in a busy environment. Coincidentally, the second instructor only made it about five hours before telling him the same thing. The second guy (five years older, by the way) is a rock star. He came to me by recommendation of a mutual friend as a pilot candidate for the operation I work for, and in short order he was trained up and flying a much faster and more complex airplane with me. Oh, and he skydives, so now I do too! Bottom line is that everyone ages differently, and whereas one 77 year old may be able to safely handle an A26 single pilot, another certainly may not. Sorry for that long winded response, here's a more direct answer... NO, I wouldn't. At not without knowing more about his recent flight experience, seeing him fly and/or talking a bit with others who had recently flown with him. The A26 is a whole lot of airplane, and could kill you pretty quick. Turning down a ride in one would be difficult...

+2

Yes, you should start working on your A license application now. You can print a copy, or likely the DZ has a copy handy. Grab an instructor and have them show you how it's done.

Wow, you've really got yourself wrapped around the axle with this one, but you're still operating on a significant piece of flawed logic. You are not "swinging into a headwind". It's been pointed out to you numerous times, but you keep ignoring it. You are one with the airmass you are flying in, there is no headwind or tailwind until you begin to reference the ground. There is only your velocity with respect to the airmass you are flying in. Turn to the east and wait 10 seconds, you'll be flying at whatever your canopies "resting" airspeed is through that airmass. Turn back to the west, and it'll be the same. The dive and recovery will also be the same, all of this irregardless of which way or how fast the airmass is moving.

I believe Skydive Kapowsin is the answer to your questions!!! https://www.facebook.com/SkydiveKapowsin/photos/a.513433095368166.121100.343019979076146/1276517245726410/?type=3&theater

Ah, that makes sense, brain fart.

Aerodyne (at least) publishes volumes for each canopy size, although not by individual cells. http://www.flyaerodyne.com/pilottech.asp Short of measuring the cell dimensions (lxwxh), I don't know a better method.

As the airplane climbs, the static air pressure decreases. If you took a half filled balloon or sealed bag of chips in the plane, you would see it inflate as you climb. If you climb high enough, that bag of chips will actually pop. Any gas inside your body will act the same as the air in that bag of chips. It will start to expand as you climb, and start looking for a way out... Ever notice the plane starts to smell somewhere around 8-9,000'?

Nice job!!! My mentor is in that shot, still killin' it. He's got over 20 years on me, and I'm carrying a POPS card too! Old guys (and gals?) rule!!!

https://youtu.be/1YdWgxdbJR8

Worked for my wife and I. This year we'll celebrate our 25th! (And No, we weren't pregnant.)

Grab a "B License Canopy Proficiency Card" and an instructor you trust. Get briefed up on each jump, then go out and practice all the skills until you're comfortable. A good bit of this is built around feeling out the flare performance of your canopy and it can only help. I know it did for me. I was actually flaring too late, but after lots of reps I became more comfortable flying the canopy all the way through the flare and this helped my landings a TON! http://www.uspa.org/Portals/0/files/Form_CPProficiencyCard.pdf

Hip rings with floating laterals (Infinity)? Worth every penny.

The hard bags on my HD Road Glide will swallow a pretty big load, but not sure they're up to the challenge of my huge rig stuffed with a 210 main and 218 reserve... I guess I'll go give 'er a try. Another option would be strapping it to the sissy bar then covering it with a drawstring type rain cover (like those you find stowed in the bottom pocket of a hiking backpack). Edited to add: Uh, no. Helmet and gear bag fit just fine, but that rig is huge and not going to work. Next possibility to explore is stashing my rig at the DZ and just hauling the remainder of my gear back and forth.

I've visited the encyclopedia and spent half a day reading. I realized I'd already read more than a few of your stories, but now I can link a name and a character to them. I also figured out that sometimes it helps to let my mind slip into 'poetry mode' so as to find the flow... I hope you're having a great day, and I look forward to the possibility of being properly introduced someday. As for me? The sun is shining and I think I'll throw my rig in the saddlebags and go jump with JohnMitchell!