towerrat

I was born, isn't that enough?----------------------------- Play stupid games, win stupid prizes!

QuotePost: I remember seeing it while under canopy once... Now I've got an articulated pelvis. ***That's f%^*ing hilarious. Play stupid games, win stupid prizes!

take it to you rigger dude. It's really hard to explain over the internet. An experience jumper may also be able to help.----------- Play stupid games, win stupid prizes!

I was just amazed at how the canopy reacted. I read somewhere that rear risers were likened to riding a bike on ice. Very strange stuff. It really puts things in perspective.--------------- Play stupid games, win stupid prizes!

Today, I watched a guy stall his canopy on rear risers during a high speed swoop. It was very informative to say the least. The canopy acted like nothing I'd ever seen before, and I just wondered how often you more experienced folks have watched this.The canopy bucked and basically acted like an asshole, and the guy ended up on his back. How often have you guys seen this and has it been bad ? Just a little input would be cool!-------------- Play stupid games, win stupid prizes!

my personal opinion is that you must have a rigger that is familiar with Racer system. There is someone on my DZ who had a double total and cypress fire because a problem with the reserve pack procedure. She will personally never jump a Racer again, and I can't say I blame her ( what with the near death experience and all). I don't necessarily blame the container, but it does have to be packed properly. There were two kinks in the reserve cable, and video clearly shows her pulling with both hands.--------- Play stupid games, win stupid prizes!

I live in florida where there is a lot of moisture in the air. I just try to keep everything clean and dry.Different regions of the world are going to cause different wear, and there's not much you can do about it. I work at a large DZ, so I see a lot of rigs from all over.It seems to me that the sand and dust from the desert is hardest on gear. Don't drag your gear and keep it dry. Maybe someone else has better info?---------------------- Play stupid games, win stupid prizes!

Fantastic. Bravo! This is the only truly thought out answer to this problem I have seen on these forums. The only thing I would change is the wing load limits between the C and D license. With 400 jumps and a 1.4 wing load on an elliptical canopy, I am very comfortable. I bought my canopy from the head instructor at my DZ ( very large DZ ) and have had no problems in handling it. I bought it with 300 jumps and no formal canopy training, but I must admit that my landings were watched before He would sell it to me. If they were to bring about a canopy instructor rating, that would be the only instructor rating I would set my sights on.------------------------------------------- Play stupid games, win stupid prizes!

t: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Quote -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Did you pull your rear risers in attempt to help speed inflation? -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Anyone care to comment on that statement? I've heard contradicting remarks about that same thing. Some people say pulling on rears will majorly slow down openings, some say it makes it snap open. QuoteI'm sure it has a lot to do with the canopy and wing loading you are flying.I was flying a spectre for a while and found a nudge on the risers would speed it up a hair. I have found with my Jedei to just leave well enough alone, as it only makes things worse. Play stupid games, win stupid prizes!

Yes Dave I would call it an abnormal deployment. It's kind of hard to explain other than the way I did. The left side of the canopy was literally folded under, blocking the slider, yet the canopy was perfectly on heading. I fly a Jedei 150 , loaded at 1.4. I don't normally do a five count, because this canopy is generally fairly predictable. I know this is bad, but I'm one of those guys who tends to "fly by feel" This time I let it go a little long. As for considering a chop, yes and no.I was taught to keep my legs together and eyes on the horizon while deploying an elliptical main. Only when I realized that it was taking a while did I look at the main. It all felt normal except for the timeframe. I looked up, realized something wasn't quite right, went for my handles and it opened. Play stupid games, win stupid prizes!

The other day a funny thing happened to me that may open a few eyes.I was on a two way freefly jump that broke just a tad low (4000ft instead of the planned 4500ft). I tracked off, cleared airspace and noted my altitude at 3000ft.I pitched immediatly so I'll guess actual pull altitude between 2600 and 2800 ft. My canopy began to snivel for quite some time with the left side folded under the slider. I watched it expecting it to spin but it did not, and it still continued to snivel.I thought to myself, " I have to be getting low" so I reached for my handles.About that time, it opened. I quickly checked my airspace for other canopies, collapsed may slider and unstowed my brakes. Only then did I look at my altimeter (remember the last check at 3000 ft ?). My altimeter read 1000ft, too low.The moral of the story is pay attention. Things happen fast and you can lose track very quickly. With todays slower opening canopies, a long snivel can mean a lot of altitude.------------------------------ Play stupid games, win stupid prizes!

my hookah guy didn't do anything after the coke can landed Play stupid games, win stupid prizes!

Just come to Z-Hills. We have a fantastic swoop pond. What else matters? Play stupid games, win stupid prizes!

mmmmkay. Maybe it's just because i've always lived in florida, but no, I've never heard of anyone changing brakefluid unless it's contaminated by an outside source. My brake fluid has never just turned black.Your brakes are a sealed system, and should remain that way. Thats why you bleed your brakes after you open the system.If you're getting water into your master cylinder, you need a new cap.If it's air you are having a problem with, you have a leaky system and it needs to be fixed.I have never had a problem with a disk brake system, as long as it's been properly bled.Maybe it's a Northern thing. Play stupid games, win stupid prizes!

Tampa, Florida, home of Joe Redner and his famous Mons Venus.The juke box alone reportedly makes $250,000 per yer. And then there was the suicidal 14 year old who flew his rented cessna into an office building.-------------- Play stupid games, win stupid prizes!

don't count the painted sections, count from flange to flange. most mid-sized guy towers have 20 ft sections. You can always take a tape and measure on a lower section (not the first section, it's usually shorter).Then just count the flanges from the ground with binoculars. Play stupid games, win stupid prizes!

QuoteHere's another Q......How many times have you had your main relined vs your brake fluid changed? ***never in my life have I heard of brake fluid needing to be changed. It is hydraulic fluid and does not wear out. Unless there is a leak in your system or a foreign material has been introduced, you should never have to add or replace brake fluid. Edited to add: I think I'll stop at Jiffy Lube tomorrow and ask them how much to change my break fluid and add some blinker fluid.Maybe change the air in my tires from summer air to winter air. Play stupid games, win stupid prizes!

for me it's not just the sport itself. It is about the lifestyle.I can see trying other things, but I doubt I will ever totally leave the sport. Play stupid games, win stupid prizes!

Quote I dunno. I just got this feeling in my stomach like...It would be so incredibly easy to die. *** It is incredibly easy to die.Take everything you can from the really experienced people around you and learn from it.They are still around for a reason.I find that I learn on the ground as well as in the air.Good decisions and a safety conscious attitute starts well before you ever board the airplane. Don't avoid the incident forums, they are a good place to find out what is killing people.Don't do those things. Then there is luck...... Play stupid games, win stupid prizes!

line dump or bag dump? line dump is a fallicy.You can free stow your lines and still have nice openings.The ones that really count are your locking stows.They should be able to break if necessary.If you have a locking stow that hangs up, you have bag lock.- Play stupid games, win stupid prizes!

alot of people have given good advice here to answer your question. I'll add just a little if you don't mind. Every parachute is going to react differtly in suble ways. It's wing loading, wear, conditions and so on. The key is to get on a parachute and learn it in and out.I hate to sound like a freak, but you have to feel the canopy. Fly it more. fly it often. RELAX! it really helps. you won't find help online, take a course and pay attention.soon you will find that your canopy becomes an extension of you. It's really cool. Play stupid games, win stupid prizes!

huh huh, I live in Florida..... Play stupid games, win stupid prizes!

QuotePost: I use large Skybandz for my 4 locking stowes and I use Tube stowes for my 4 other bands.... ***skybands and tube stows won't break if they need to.I've talked to many riggers and experienced skydivers who say they are much more likely to cause baglock.----- Play stupid games, win stupid prizes!

It's no big deal to land in the aircraft, I just choose to not fly in conditions where that may be an issue.If yhe plane goes up and weather moves in you don't get your money back. I have landed in the rain rather than land with the airplane( yes it was stupid).These days I try to make better choices about the weather before I go up Play stupid games, win stupid prizes!

sorry Andrew, but your car analogies are not holding up. I think I would liken an old round to driving a covered wagon Play stupid games, win stupid prizes!