slotperfect

My rule of thumb: I get my pins checked well before the door opens (usually we are not on jump run yet). After they are checked, I no longer lean back against the inside of the sircraft. At this point I check all my handles and my RSL. When the door opens, with the exception of goggles down (I do this at the last minute) I am ready to exit. Respectfully, SP

***I would hate to think that a student might hesitate to cutaway even for a instant because one of my JMs wet off on MY choice.*** Right as you can be, FW! I witnessed a very low, but successful cutaway years ago at my home DZ. The jumper was in a 4-way that broke off really low (like 2000FT). Consequently, he pulled really low. He had a brake line malfunction (another story in itself), which caused a spinning mal. He attempted to control it unsuccessfully, and cutaway so low it made me cringe. His round reserve opened in time for him to quickly turn it into the wind and do a stand-up landing on the runway. Myself, and another jumper in a position of authority on the DZ, took him aside and talked about his choices one-by-one. We did NOT blast him for being an irresponsible idiot. Both of us recognized the bottom line - he walked away after saving his own life. After our talk, he clearly understood what had contributed to the potentially disastroud incident, learned from it, and was back out again next weekend - a much safer and wiser jumper because of it. Respectfully, SP

My first set of emergency procedures was for round canopy gear (shot-and-a-half capewells and a chest-mount reserve). No, I am not a skydiving senior citizen . . . that's what the static line progression students used back in 1985 when I started skydiving. We in the Army use the one hand for each handle method: "look, grab, look, grab, pull, discard, pull discard." The "discard" part is there so the jumper confirms that the cutaway handle was completely pulled. That's the method I learned 14 years ago, and the one I use today. I have 2560 jumps and have used that method successfully twice. For civilian students, I train USPA's EP's which use the two hand method. I was told by a USPA AFF Course Director that these procedures were implemented for the same reason I mentioned above - to make sure the cutaway handle is completely pulled. USPA also teaches students to "strip" the cables before they throw the handle away. Another plus for this method is that it aids in getting the handle out when the jumper is fighting against the shear of the velcro, rather than peeling it, then pulling the handle. I am told they train "peel and pull" in UK. Not a bad idea. PC in tow or container lock malfunctions: the Army teaches full cutaway procedures, seemingly to simplify the EPs for us nugs. Personally, I won't pull the cutaway handle for this type of mal, because of the possibility of the risers coming free and interfering with reserve deployment. That is the method USPA teaches as well. SOS: I would not personally choose an SOS for myself, nor would I buy one to train students with. The SOS works fine, and I have a friend who swears by hers. There are many other situations when pulling the cutaway handle will get me out of a potentially bad situation (e.g. being dragged across a runway in unexpectedly high winds). An SOS would limit my ability to handle these. Changing procedures: "muscle memory" is very important. That's why Chuck Blue puts his students through the wringer pulling so many handles. USPA, citing some study or other, teaches that it takes about 25 repetitions of a technique for it to be committed to memory. "Sensory awareness" is also important. Being 100% tuned into what you are engaged in, and being prepared for what might show up will save you altitude, time, and maybe your life. If you stay in the sport long enough, you may be required to change your procedures. When I go from a sport rig with a BOC to a military rig with a main ripcord to a tandem rig in the same day, I take a minute to check in with myself and get tuned in to that piece of equipment. That keeps me from reaching in the wrong place for the deployment handles. The bottom line: skydiving is inherently dangerous. Period. So, we make it as safe as we can by jumping well-designed, well-maintained equipment, knowing our emergency procedures cold, and making sure we are safe. So, two-handed, one-handed, or SOS - just be really good at your EP's. Jump in the harness on safety day or on a weather hold and practice them all. Respectfully, SP

Here you go, Lippy: http://www.aerialfocus.com/angelfalls.html Respectfully, SP

Oh yeah, I forgot. I loved your quote: "A dumbass with 1000 jumps is still a dumbass." LOLOLOL! Respectfully, SP

Thanks, folks . . . and no offense taken anywhere. All very valid and useful feedback. I know Tom Sanders and I would definitely choose to make the trip with He and Clem and crew. That would be a large part of the fun. I do plan to ask lots of questions, especially if I find someone who has made the trip - I can pick their brain. Although it will be at least a coupla years before I make the trip, it would be cool to come back here and post how it went. Not for "I told you so" purposes, just to share the experience. The jump is dangerous, and I accept that. I am coachable though, and Tom & Clem will smack me around if I get too confident. Respectfully, SP

My recommendation is that you make a bunch of jumps without the booties first. You can still use the suit, just tuck the booties under and secure them (I use duct tape when not using mine). I equate skydiving with booties to swimming with fins. The principles of use are basically the same. When I learned to swim, I learned without fins. Make sense? To me, booties are like audible altimeters. I don't depend on my audible; I use my hand mount altimeter as a primary altitude reference to stay altitude aware. On the other hand, I know I can skydive in any situation without booties if I need to - but the booties sure are nice! :) Respectfully, SP

I am all about this one . . . we as jumpers who care about safety can instill safe attitudes and common sense in our peers without Big Skydiving Brother imposing more stuff for us to comply with. After all, they watch us do it - and when they understand why, it serves as a great example. Good point! Respectfully, SP

The canopy control is not an issue as I have loads of experience putting a canopy into tight areas. Also, I would ensure that the gear I used was suited for the opening & landing. Otherwise, I am interested in why Angel Falls is one of the most dangerous BASE jumps?? 3500 feet is a lot of altitude, and from all the nideo I have watched, there is one outcropping to clear in the first coupla hundred feet, and the rest is enjoying the ride? Am I wrong?? More feedback, please. Respectfully, SP

Once in a lifetime is exactly right. As I said, I have never made a BASE jump. While I have nothing against it, I have never had a desire to do it. Angel Falls would be my one and only. Thanks for the feedback. Respectfully, SP

Aston Martin DB7 Vantage. British racing green, tan leather interior. Ohhhh yeah! Respectfully, SP

More points to ponder . . . I always say faster is better. Think about driving your car on the Interstate at seventy miles an hour and changing lanes. You don't have to turn the wheel much, and it happens rather quickly. Now imagine making the same lane change at 15 miles an hour. You would have to turn the wheel more or wait longer for the car to move into the other lane. Free fall is quite the same. The faster you go, the less effort it takes to perform maneuvers and they happen faster as well. Also, for me, when the fall rate is "up," and I can wear a jumpsuit that has less heavy material out there flopping around, I fly MUCH smoother. Jumpsuit selection tips from "Big John:" -buy used ones so you can afford more than one at a time -booties not only provide more forward thrust, but they also provide lift. Choose Cordura for your bootie material. -always choose a polycotton type material. It's hotter, but it's a slower falling material. -choose big arms and legs over "wings." Unless you are using wings for a specific purpose (like jumping camera or sit-flying), they are a pain-in-the-ass, inflating when you don't want them to. -I own about seven jumpsuits. My fave is a Michigan comp suit. It is a medium fall-rate suit for me, and it kicks ass. My slow faller is a big standard Tony suit with full booties. Falling fast is NOT a "problem," nor is it a handicap. It's just another factor that has to be considered in planning a skydive. For example, unless it's a planeload of Clydesdales, I don't choose the exterior "hero" slots in a 25-way. I am happy with an interior slot. My biggest is a 74-way, and I was in the base. Because we big 'uns were smoking the fall rate, the formation built quicker and only one person went low cause he over-boogied (OK, so it was only 73). Feel free to email me with more questions . . . slotperfect@nc.rr.com Respectfully, SP

1) During your student progression, it is your instructors' responsibility to match your fall rate. That is why most instructors whose physical attributes don't allow for a lot of range have a whole bag full of jumpsuits. Now, they might be smart to put you in a bigger cotton suit to meet them halfway. Personally, I would never train a student to fly flat or de-arched to allow me to match their fall-rate. 2) Once you are humming along in the licensed jumper mode, jumpsuit selection will be important for you. Another REALLY valuable tool for you would be a vertical wind tunnel if you can swing it. The SkyVenture tunnel in Orlando, for example, has mirrors about 8 feet off the bottom so you can turn sideways and look at your body position. PERFECT for "fine-tuning" your de-arch (which will become necessary in RW for recovering from going low). 3) I am a BIG boy (with a steamer trunk full of jumpsuits, I might add), so if you're ever down my way give me a call. We can put together a fast faller plane load! Hmmm . . . I think I'll start jumping a Pro-Track to log my fall rate! Respectfully, SP

I would like to hear some feedback from anyone who has made the Angel Falls BASE jump trip with Tom Sanders and his crew. I have never made a BASE jump, but plan to give that trip to myself as a retirement (from the Army) present in a couple of years. How was it? Respectfully, SP

If anyone can clarify any of this feel free. The camera-guy-with-no-gear jump was here in North Carolina around 1989 or 1990 at Franklin County SPC, I think (help me out, Chuck). He had been turned away from the airdraft earlier that day by the pilot for coming to the aircraft with no rig. The camera system he was jumping was one of the pre-camcorder types with the recording deck attached to his chest with a separate harness. Thus the "rig on" feeling. On this jump he was on the aircraft before the pilot got in, and exited filming his subjects until pull time, when he discovered his error. My wife saw the video from his camera on the evening news (the lower end of the dive was edited out). Rather than jump on the "boy was that stupid" bandwagon, I choose now to learn from it and check my camera gear almost the same way I check my rig. During my gear check I get my "checker" to inspect by big camera wings as well, to make sure they aren't misrouted. Respectfully, SP

I had one many moons ago, and loved it! The only weird thing about it was that it would open in a stall about once every 20 jumps. Clearing the brakes took care of the issue, so I never bothered to send it back to get the cat eyes checked. Respectfully, SP

(Not counting all the rounds) MT1-X XL Cloud Cruiselite XL Raider Startrac II Startrac I Falcon 265 Falcon 235 Silhouette 230 Silhouette 210 I have countless onesy-twosy jumps on lots of other stuff, but that was my main progression. Great question! Respectfully, SP

A parallel from the history of our sport . . . the CYPRES AAD was born as a result of a German gent named Helmut Cloth who cared enough about safety to create a state-of-the-art solution to the widespread mistrust & non-use of AADs. "Fashion" was one of HIS concerns as well. I have witnessed a CYPRES save, and I jump one with complete confidence. I trust Airtec, and don't grumble about the battery life, maintenance schedule, or service life. Sadly, his quest started as a result of the death of a friend (who was not wearing an AAD). People like Bill, and there are many out there, want to create a skydiving world where we don't wait for our mates to be killed to learn from their mistakes. Part of making this happen is for every jumper to learn as much as they can about their gear . . . why it's built like it is, how everything functions, and why things like exercising the webbing of your 3-ring system are important (that was for you, Bill). I encourage all of you to learn about your gear. I think you will find it truly fascinating once you get into it. I sure did. Respectfully, SP

skybytch, my dear, you are a HOOT! Respectfully, SP

I am in the Army, and got in the habit of getting a gear check early in my skydiving career. It is a requirement in the Army to get a Jumpmaster Personnel Inspection (JMPI) before you get on the aircraft. This is done by trained individuals who were tested in their ability to inspect a jumper's equipment for correctness. In the Navy, they get TWO. The importance of getting a gear check became HUGE for me in around 1990 or 1991 when a French (?) jumper with over 14,000 jumps (one of the top dogs at the time) bounced because he failed to initiate his emergency procedures with enough altitude left to open his reserve. He was making an accuracy jump, exiting at 2000 FT AGL. He was jumping an older rig with the throw-out pilot chute on the belly band. The belly band was twisted, which created a pilot chute in tow malfunction. Instead of simply pulling the reserve handle, he chose to unthread the belly band and remove the twist so the pilot chute would clear. He gave up and pulled his reserve, which was still deplying when he went in. What hit me was that this guy had 14,000 friggin jumps! My personal analysis of this one, learning a big lesson that changed me forever, was that a gear check on the ground might have saved his life. A quick check of his own gear in the airplane before exit may have also saved him. Lastly, simply firing his reserve may have brought him back to earth safely as well. Now, on EVERY jump, I . . . -check my gear before I put it on -get a gear check on the ground -get a pin check in the airplane -quickly check my gear on jump run -run through my EP's for the rig I am jumping (whether mentally or by simulating handle pulls I jump sport rigs with a BOC, military free fall rigs with a main ripcord, and tandem rigs. Quite often I jump them all in the same day. I cannot remember the last time I reached in the wrong place for a deployment handle. I learned this from those like Chris (in the original post), who cares enough about his fellow skydivers to help them skydive safely. Thanks to Tito, Eddy, Carl, Jon, and the lot. Thanks for this post, as it is one of my favorite topics (can you tell)? Respectfully, SP

-In my opinion, all of the reasons listed here are worthy of an RSL disconnect. -Myself, I jump a "high profile" camera helmet with lots of stuff to snag on, so I disconnect the RSL for camera jumps. In case I get lines entangled with my helmet, the disconnect allows me to jettison my helmet, cutaway the main, and get clear of the mess before deploying my reserve. Note: when jumping camera I always pull high (NLT 3000 AGL). I also get a gear check before every jump, and I tell the person checking me that my RSL is disconnected (for my own checklist as well). Last, I always double check everything on jump run, including the RSL disconnect. -I jump a Javelin, on which the RSL lanyard is long enough to shove down safely in under the mud flap (shackle closed). On other rigs with a shorter lanyard, I have re-closed the shackle around the cutaway cable housing. To reinforce an earlier post - DO NOT secure the shackle to the base ring. -When I was doing CRW I would disconnect my RSL as well. This allowed me time to get clear of a wrap/cutaway and deply reserve. Hope this helps! Respectfully, SP

Thanks, Chuck. It WAS great to be back. You will see me again soon. Life is all about balance for me these days, and I get enough jumps at work to keep me happy. This year I get to branch out a bit though . . . I am looking forward to tandems in the "REAL" world ;) Save me a shicken sammich. Respectfully, SP

I'll take "Shameless Plugs" for $500, Alex Respectfully, SP

I am about to start jumping a Sigma Tandem Rig with a Sigma 370 tandem canopy in it. I know a lot about the Sigma Rig, but know ZERO about the Sigma 370 canopy. Has anybody been jumping one? Is anybody familiar enough with it to give me the scoop? Thanks! Respectfully, SP

-non-pertroleum silicone spray lubricant is my pref -spray the silicone on a paper towel -wipe the cables clean, repeating as necessary, but conservatively -wipe off the excess with the dry parts of the towel -i do this at every reserve repack -you'll know if you overdid the spraying part if you end u with a lot of black crud on your cables -all manufacturers i have talked to have said yes to this, although one recommended mineral oil Respectfully, SP