slotperfect

When I used to do demos, and the ceiling was low, forcing us to exit at 2000 feet, we would increase our normal indicated airspeed for exit from 110 to 130 knots. The canopy would open faster that way. Arrive Safely John

From the USPA Skydivers' Information Manual (PRO Rating requirements): ". . . make all jumps in front of at least three witnesses, one of whom is an S&TA, Instructor/Examiner, or USPA National Director." All one has to do is organize his certifying official (it would be an S&TA at my DZ) ans witnesses before going up, pre-declare the jump as a PRO rating qualification jump, make first contact and land standing up in a 10 meter circle (the size of most pea gravel pits). Arrive Safely John

One and only PRO Rating: Silhouette 210 (tapered hybrid) loaded at 1.2:1 DZ elevation: 1900 FT Arrive Safely John

But you could easily jump a larger canopy (rented, borrowed, etc.) and complete the requirements, assuming you hadn't done it already on your way to 200 jumps. Ah! Now I understand what you mean by "one-by-one." As earlier stated, they don't need to be pre-declared or sequential (one-by-one). Only our PRO rating requires jumps like that. Arrive Safely John

Nice rig, Nathan! When are you coming back to Bragg so you can arrange its Raeford debut? Arrive Safely John

This is some very wise advise. Very very well said. Putting any canopy, regardless of the design or wingloading, where you want to put it in all conditions (within reason) is an important survival skill. From billvon's excellent Downsizing Checklist : "4. Land reliably within a 10 meter circle. This is essentially the PRO requirement. This is critical because your accuracy skills are what will keep you from _having_ to turn low. It's very comforting to know that you can land in any 50ish foot clearing if you find yourself having to land out; it's especially important as you get to smaller canopies that need longer and longer runways to land well. Your only option may be a section of road, and you may have to hit the beginning of the road dead-on to have enough room to slow down." In my opinion, the C License accuracy requirements are not only quite practical, they are essential. With proper instruction and coaching early on, students and newly licensed jumpers will hone their canopy accuracy to a fine edge while still jumping larger, more forgiving canopies. Then, when they reach 200 jumps, they will likely have already knocked out the requirement for 25 landings within 2 meters Arrive Safely John

Annually. I skydive nearly year-round here in North Carolina. I land on grass and pack indoors on carpet. I am no where near the coast, so salt air is not a factor. I take very good care of my gear. I would break my rig down for a top-to-bottom inspection around Christmas, use the next couple of weeks to resolve any issues, then pack it after the holidays are over. IMHO Arrive Safely John

The flap you speak of is the "reserve pin protector flap." Call or email Aggie Haggas at SunPath: (813) 782-9242, Email Link He will hook you up! Arrive Safely John

If the lake is clear, rinsing should not be necessary. If it's a lake full of crud, he should rinse it twice in a tub of fresh clean water, changing the water each time. The trim check is a good idea as well, and I would replace the french links unless they were stainless steel and show no ill effects. Arrive Safely John

It's very basic . . . you are a dissatisfied customer. Talk it over with him and hopefully if he wants your continued business (and good referrals), he will repack it for you. The hard spots you speak of might be the Maillon Rapide Links that connect your reserve suspension lines to the reserve risers. When the bagged canopy is placed in the container, the risers are placed in the bottom, as far to the outside as possible, with the links "fanned out" so they are not stacked on top of each other. Stacked links or links in the wrong place could very well be the issue for you. I hope this helps. Arrive Safely John

Use the search feature and input the words "hook knife." This subject has been discussed numerous times in the past - lots of good information there!

From the USPA SIM: "3-1 B. 4. License qualifications made during military training jumps may be properly recorded on the application for that USPA license and verified by the appropriate USPA Official." That being said, if he were to choose to seek a USPA license, he would simply: -Obtain a copy of his MFF jump logs -Use them to create a logbook -Join USPA -Find a USPA I, S&TA, or appropriate official to give him the exam(s) and sign his application. Arrive Safely John

This is really up to the DZO. Have him call the DZ where he intends to jump and discuss it with the DZO. The quals is one thing, the use of the rig will be another. Make sure he discusses use of a military rig there. Arrive Safely John

OK, so you love to teach. The bottom line is, our sport needs people like you - people who are passionate about giving back a portion of the joy that they have received from skydiving. I am no authority on the percentage of DZs that that use SL/IAD vs. AFF (or one of its spin-offs), but I would venture to say that AFF is the most common instructional method nowadays, with IAD second, and SL third. Of course, Tandem progression factors in there somewhere, but that eventually leads to AFF in most places. If I were in your shoes, I wouldn't train for, pay for, and earn a rating that I knew I would not be able to keep current. Instead I would maximize the privileges of my USPA Coach rating, teaching as much a possible inside those parameters. Meanwhile, I would be building my free fall time & jump numbers, shadowing real AFF skydives, learning to launch CAT C1 & Cat D2 AFF exits from different aircraft, learn the Cat C1 & Cat D2 dive flows, work on recovery from going low & diving straight down to reach a jumper directly underneath, side sliding in slot, and the other vital AFF skills. With 300 jumps like that, by the time you meet the prereqs you will be extremely well prepared to smoke through the AFFCC and be allowed to exercise the full privileges of a USPA Instructor. Good luck . . . keep us posted on your progress! Arrive Safely John

Today's second jump is a perfect example of why I do tandems . . . SFC Frank Pelaez (Retired), now 81 years young, retired from active duty in 1968 with 21 years of service. His last jump as a Paratrooper with the 504th Infantry Regiment, 82nd Airborne Division, was in 1967 - jump #36. As a volunteer at the Airborne & Special Operations Museum in nearby Fayetteville, North Carolina, Frank was interviewed by the Fayetteville Observer about his experience as a Paratrooper and Glider Troop. During the interview, he mentioned that he would love to jump again one day. One thing led to another, and that word got to Gene Paul Thacker, Patriarch at Raeford Parachute Center, who invited him to come out and make jump #37. I was lucky enough to be his Tandem Instructor for his return to the big blue skies. Frank, all of 5'6" tall and 140 lbs, was wearing his complete khaki Army uniform, ribbons and all, and his Corcoran jump boots (highly shined, of course). He arrived early, and brought a huge entourage of family and friends. Even Rodger Mullen from the Fayeeteville Observer came out to write a follow-up article. My good friend and fellow dotcommer Arvel Shults (BlueSBDeath) stepped up to assume duties as camera flyer. Two Golden Knight has-beens and a veteran Paratrooper, with over 160 years between the three of us. Frank's strength and agility were amazing, and after protecting his uniform with a jumpsuit, we boarded the Twin Otter. The entire jump went off without a hitch. It was a real treat to see how amazed he was at his brand new free fall experience, while reacquainting himself with other parts of the jump that were familiar from so long ago. Tandems like the one today with Frank reinforce my reason for doing tandems in the first place - to share the experience of skydiving with anyone who chooses to meet the challenge. They come from all walks of life, choosing to skydive for many different reasons. And occasionally, they become uniquely special for me. Frank now stands as my oldest Tandem Student . . . I can only look to the future and wonder . . . what's next? Arrive Safely John

A quick search for "hypoxia" resulted in THIS great thread. Arrive Safely John

Remember the Jetson's episode where Astro (the family dog) got lost? He was found by a rich family who took him home and named him "Tralfaz." Astro heard his new name and said: "Ralraz!?!? Yecch!!" Edited to add: "Resther!?!? Yecch!!" Arrive Safely John

There are three books but not three volumes . . . 1) The original Volume I, black cover 2) Second generation Volume I, blue cover 3) Volume II, blue cover HERE is Dan Poynter's website. Maybe you could email him and ask him if there are any plans for a Volume III? Please let us know what you find out! Arrive Safely John

If I fly to Arizona, clean up real nice, and buy you dinner, will you make me a clicky? Now, about the skydive . . . wasn't there a 100 or 101 year old Canadian gentleman who made one a few years back? Arrive Safely John

Lots and lots of posts on this before here in the forums. A quick search for the words "Mr. Bill" produced these results. IMHO you guys should wait until you have more experience under your belt. I have only done one Mr. Bill in my life, and there were about 3000 jumps between the two of us at the time. It went off without a hitch, me weighing about 215 and him aout 140. You have to plan and execute carefully, otherwise things can go wrong. Check out this video: Mr. Bill Gone Wrong You will need to register on the site to view it. It's worth the effort. Arrive Safely John

Lots of posts on this subject before here in the forums . . . a search for the words "hook knife" revealed bunches of them. Check it out Arrive Safely John

Please don't create post titles with lots of special characters. I edited the title of your post from bunches and bunches of exclamation points to just three. Also, there was really no point to the poll . . . no question and two identical responses. I disabled it and left your post as a request for help, as I'm sure you intended it to be. Another suggestion: fill out your profile. It will help us get to know you better, and will provide you with some credibility in the forums, especially since you are asking for donations to help your injured friend. Thanks. Arrive Safely John

And that implies that he doesn't look like a chipmunk when not in free fall?? Arrive Safely John

Note to self: "Add this to my list of theories not to test." Arrive Safely John

Questions/comments about this movie have been posted numerous times here in the forums . . . HERE are the results of a search for the words "Gypsy Moths." That oughta keep you busy for a while! Arrive Safely John