Clownburner

According to the SIM, you should only cutaway if you know the water is deep. My home DZ is pretty close to a lake (maybe 1.5 miles) and I've had several instructors tell me that cutting away on any water landing is not such a good idea. Drowning is almost always the result of panic, which is why they want you to do 'wet' water landing training before you get your B license. Disclaimer: I don't know what I'm talking about. 7CP#1 | BTR#2 | Payaso en fuego Rodriguez "I want hot chicks in my boobies!"- McBeth

Don't feel bad, we've all been there at one time or another. USPA to the rescue! 7CP#1 | BTR#2 | Payaso en fuego Rodriguez "I want hot chicks in my boobies!"- McBeth

Actually, i've been on a dogsled, and I can tell you they're pretty exciting. You're playing the 'stay on and ride' game, but the dogs are playing 'crack the whip' and it gets awfully thrilling when you're on a 4-foot-wide fire break in the Canadian Rockies in the middle of winter. Perhaps you should say "Garbage scow" instead. 7CP#1 | BTR#2 | Payaso en fuego Rodriguez "I want hot chicks in my boobies!"- McBeth

The fact that stupidity isn't painful is a-priori evidence against the existence of any kind of 'benevolent' god. 7CP#1 | BTR#2 | Payaso en fuego Rodriguez "I want hot chicks in my boobies!"- McBeth

Ohhh.. Cool. I guess I've not seen the nickel finish. I'm used to the ugly gray base-metal steel they use on the student rigs. Perhaps this isn't an issue at all then. I'll call the nice people at RWS tomorrow and I'm sure this can be cleared up in a few minutes. I do like the idea of the large rings, which is why I ordered them, but I really wanted shiny hardware too. 7CP#1 | BTR#2 | Payaso en fuego Rodriguez "I want hot chicks in my boobies!"- McBeth

While I know virtually nothing, that is how a PC hesitation was described to me... And my understanding is a hesitation that long is a serious problem waiting to happen. Perhaps you should read this thread for more information. 7CP#1 | BTR#2 | Payaso en fuego Rodriguez "I want hot chicks in my boobies!"- McBeth

I've taken the plunge and ordered my first rig. I had trouble finding used in the right size for me, and since I'm lucky enough to afford it right now, I ordered new. (the parachutes are going to be used though) But I ran into a situation and I'd like to get opinions from the peanut gallery: I wanted stainless steel hardware, but apparently that's not possible with the large-rings (I have type-8 risers). I have the choice of a large 3-ring system in nickel, or a mini 3-ring in stainless. Would I be better off with the large 3-ring, materials be damned, or a shiny stainless mini? I won't be using very highly loaded or super-elliptical canopies on this rig, as my experience level isn't appropriate for that, and the container is big enough that if I _do_ get to that point, I'll have to downsize beyond what this container can hold (the smallest main I'll get into it is probably a 1.2 wingloading, and I'm starting much lower than that). All opinions appreciated and taken with appropriate amounts of sodium chloride. Thanks in advance. 7CP#1 | BTR#2 | Payaso en fuego Rodriguez "I want hot chicks in my boobies!"- McBeth

Actually I frame-captured and retouched my own before I ever saw yours. Funny though, huh??? 7CP#1 | BTR#2 | Payaso en fuego Rodriguez "I want hot chicks in my boobies!"- McBeth

These look interesting but I've not been able to find a local source to play with 'em. Does anyone have an opinion? Seen 'em? Used 'em? Like 'em? Hate 'em? Please share. Thanks. 7CP#1 | BTR#2 | Payaso en fuego Rodriguez "I want hot chicks in my boobies!"- McBeth

The SIM isn't even sure which one to recommend here, they list both as acceptable. I am a recently licensed 24-jump wonder, but I was told that if you've thrown anything out, cutaway first. It's a tricky situation, no doubt. Best thing is probably to avoid the PC-in-tow completely through good equipment maintenance. 7CP#1 | BTR#2 | Payaso en fuego Rodriguez "I want hot chicks in my boobies!"- McBeth

I'll be there on Saturday.. And I'm a newly-licensed 23-jump wonder! But I'm not scared of clouds. Went through a 4000' one last weekend. Kinda neat, but it seemed like a LONG time to be in white-out. Mainly I was just scared of hitting some poor person under canopy. 7CP#1 | BTR#2 | Payaso en fuego Rodriguez "I want hot chicks in my boobies!"- McBeth

I think it depends on how visual you are. Many people can get an 'instant picture' of an analog clock or altimeter and their brains know exactly what it means. Others, like myself, have to look at the clock/altimeter and then READ the dial which takes longer. For me, the digital is better. As for accuracy, I'm pretty sure the digital and analog altimeters are comperable; I have heard that the digitude's solid-state circuitry is more accurate, but I have no empirical evidence to back that up. Anybody with a calibrated test chamber want to take the pepsi challenge? I'll be happy to provide my digitude for an afternoon for testing, and I'm sure we can scrounge an Altimaster 3 as well... FWIW, if I set my pro-dytter for 4000, it goes off when my digitude reads about 4.2/4.3, but I assume that's because it's in my helmet and the airflow is different on my hand. 7CP#1 | BTR#2 | Payaso en fuego Rodriguez "I want hot chicks in my boobies!"- McBeth

I'd recommend two kits, actually. Kit #1 is a basic first-aid kit. You can get these at any drug store for about $20 and they'll have plenty of bandaids and some bactine and stuff like that, for minor everyday bumps-and-scrapes. This way, you won't be looting your main trauma kit for this kind of thing, which can leave the kit in less-than-ready condition. Kit #2 would be a proper trauma kit. Galls has good ones, or you could also try Practical Trauma, who can customize a kit for you as well. Make sure the kit you get includes (or add to it) an adjustable cervical collar, some cardboard splints, a few big rolls of gauze, a TraumaDex hemostatic kit, a chest seal, and (ideally) a backboard - long if you have room, short if you don't. And most importantly, make sure you get the staff some emergency medical training. Red Cross has a good first responder course that's a good start, or you may have a Skydiving Paramedic or EMT willing to do some training; the training is at least as important as the equipment! And get some people CPR-certified for sure. I'm an EMT and I have a fanny-pack trauma kit in my gear bag, and carry a CPR microshield, just because you never know... 7CP#1 | BTR#2 | Payaso en fuego Rodriguez "I want hot chicks in my boobies!"- McBeth

Finally, I have completed my long and arduous trek, and my A-License stamp is now indelibly inked on my progression card, signifying the completion of my first Skydiving milestone. I'm looking forward to jumping with my fellow dot-commies at the DZ, now that they actually trust me enough to jump out of the plane with other people! Of course, now that I'm licensed, it means Skydiving just got a whole lot more dangerous! 7CP#1 | BTR#2 | Payaso en fuego Rodriguez "I want hot chicks in my boobies!"- McBeth

Hey, and while I'm thinking about it, it's worth remembering that Alti-2, the makers of the Altimaster altimters that everyone so loves (even in that nauseating DZ rental pink color ) now manufacturer a fully-digital altimeter: The Neptune.. So they can't be all bad. I still love my 'tude though! 7CP#1 | BTR#2 | Payaso en fuego Rodriguez "I want hot chicks in my boobies!"- McBeth

As soon as I was cleared from AFF I strapped on a Digitude and never looked back. I love it! I found that the Alti-3, while a well-built unit, was way too hard for me to read below 1000 feet, and I also don't like analog watches - I can read them, but it takes a second. They seem well built but probably will not take the same pounding as an Alti-3 would, owing to the plastic case. One of the senior instructors at my DZ uses one as well and swears by it. The battery arguement is pretty spurious, IMHO. Just carry a spare and replace it when the light comes on, no big deal. I think it comes down to whether you're an 'analog' person or a 'digital' person. What flavor ice-cream do you like? 7CP#1 | BTR#2 | Payaso en fuego Rodriguez "I want hot chicks in my boobies!"- McBeth

Basic Canopy Flight by Skydive University, Inc. They recommend the downwind and base legs be at half brakes, and it made a big difference to the glide path and I started landing much closer to the target and a lot more reliably. At the student wing loadings (.77-.82) the canopy is very very floaty, and I was overshooting the target a LOT. Doing some half brakes makes the canopy 'sink' a bit and gives more control over the approach. Plus, you can make your turns flatter, which gave me more confidence when turning at 300ft to get onto final - I was even willing to make slight corrections on final, when before at full flight I was too nervous to, because the canopy lost too much altitude in turns. Just getting a few more soft landings should help too. 7CP#1 | BTR#2 | Payaso en fuego Rodriguez "I want hot chicks in my boobies!"- McBeth

Yes, but at my DZ it's almost impossible to get in the right spot for a final at full glide, because most of the time with the direction of the winds, it would put you over a bunch of building construction and a busy highway at 300 ft, and that's even LESS fun. :-) I think it's whatever works best for the pattern you have to fly. I always go back to full flight at 150ft or so to get the best flare. 7CP#1 | BTR#2 | Payaso en fuego Rodriguez "I want hot chicks in my boobies!"- McBeth

True; however I was being a little sarcastic anyway: I don't think I'd try this at all. Fashion's just not that important to me I guess! 7CP#1 | BTR#2 | Payaso en fuego Rodriguez "I want hot chicks in my boobies!"- McBeth

I suppose that means you could tie-dye it too. I'm not going to be the first to try that, though. I would think the coating they use for ZP would not react well with dye... But what do I know? I would not recommend trying this with your reserve until _after_ you've jumped a dyed main... 7CP#1 | BTR#2 | Payaso en fuego Rodriguez "I want hot chicks in my boobies!"- McBeth

You'd have some serious explaining to do, no doubt... "So, prisoner, how did you get that parachute?" 7CP#1 | BTR#2 | Payaso en fuego Rodriguez "I want hot chicks in my boobies!"- McBeth

It's as much fun as golf, but with a much higher chance of massive trauma! 7CP#1 | BTR#2 | Payaso en fuego Rodriguez "I want hot chicks in my boobies!"- McBeth

Wow, I hope there are no prisons nearby; if a student landed in there by accident you'd never get them out again. 7CP#1 | BTR#2 | Payaso en fuego Rodriguez "I want hot chicks in my boobies!"- McBeth

Yes, I think that was what did it for me: finally being confident about turning at 300 feet so I could get to the target. Not suprisingly, even if you fly an otherwise perfect pattern, being unwilling to turn under 500 or so feet makes you overshoot the target by quite a bit. Also, I discovered that none of my instructors had mentioned to me to fly the downwind and base leg in half-brakes, and that made a big difference in getting to the target too. 7CP#1 | BTR#2 | Payaso en fuego Rodriguez "I want hot chicks in my boobies!"- McBeth

I don't have nearly that many jumps, but it was a big problem for me, too. I bought the book/video 'Basic Canopy Flight' and started in on the excersises they recommend, and I nailed two of my next three landings right in the peas. Worked for me... YMMV. good luck! 7CP#1 | BTR#2 | Payaso en fuego Rodriguez "I want hot chicks in my boobies!"- McBeth