Ron

True, but I was answering the question asked. "No free man shall ever be debarred the use of arms." -- Thomas Jefferson, Thomas Jefferson Papers, 334

If I could say it was the main's fault, I would not have bought it. (BTW I sat down and thought about it...I think I only have 6 mals total. One I did not pack on a different type of canopy, and one was a line knot). However, I know people with tons of jumps on the same type of main with no problem...so that makes me think it is packing. Hell no. I plan on landing the main. In fact I have been thinking of getting a new type of main just to have a less sensitive canopy. "No free man shall ever be debarred the use of arms." -- Thomas Jefferson, Thomas Jefferson Papers, 334

You fail to read. How many mals on your main John? And how many jumps do you have on it? I know folks that are jumping the same main as me, and don't have the same number of mals. Fact is that I stated that I am checking to see why I have more than what might be normal...I am betting it is my packing since I have been trying to make my main open slower. You failed to read that part. There are several reasons why I have a 1/500 mal rate. One factor is my lowest WL is 1.73. At that WL a normal problem that might be fixed at 1.4 is not so easy to fix. Maybe 1/500 is normal? At any rate I am looking into WHY I have a 1/500 mal rate. Since I know others that don't with the same equipment, then I need to check the maintenance...Fairly new canopy. And packing...Well I was just trying to slow the openings down...WOW look I probley screwed up the pack job. Now if I didn't look into possible factors and saying, "well, thats why I have a reserve"...Then I would be doing what you encourage others to do. "No free man shall ever be debarred the use of arms." -- Thomas Jefferson, Thomas Jefferson Papers, 334

There are already laws against carrying a gun while drinking. Just as there are laws against drunk driving. The problem is alcohol, not the gun, or the car. I see no reason a person can't be in a bar as long as they don't drink. (Provided the Bar owner allows it) "No free man shall ever be debarred the use of arms." -- Thomas Jefferson, Thomas Jefferson Papers, 334

Way to dodge the question. "No free man shall ever be debarred the use of arms." -- Thomas Jefferson, Thomas Jefferson Papers, 334

It is a life saving device. I like them. But the problem I have is NOT the device. It is when people use them to allow themselves to do things they would not do without them. IMO if you decide that a jump is to dangerous to do without one...Then you should consider the jump to dangerous to do period. The running a red light just cause you have airbags is a great example. The same can be said of jumping a main that you would not jump if you did not have a reserve. For the record I am thinking of changing my main for this reason. I have 7 mals, 6 are on the same type of canopy and are the SAME mal. I am looking at other mains to see if this is normal. I am going to check my line trim. I am also looking to see if it is something I am doing packing that could cause the same mal no matter what main I had. To be honest I am betting it is something I am doing, and not the fault of the gear....Now I need to see if I can identify the problem. THATS being safe, not just continuing to jump the same type of main just cause I have a reserve. "No free man shall ever be debarred the use of arms." -- Thomas Jefferson, Thomas Jefferson Papers, 334

Good question. My first reaction is that I would do certain big ways without a CYPRES, but I would never do "Reserve CRW". I can see how you think they are equal. But I think they are not. In one case you are risking your life saving equipment, in the other you are not. I have been hit in freefall, but still able to deploy. I have been in a two way CRW jump that if we had each only had one main...One or both of us would have been hurt/dead. So since the "Reserve CRW" requires me to risk my ONE chance at living...It is a much higher level of risk than a big way sans AAD. "No free man shall ever be debarred the use of arms." -- Thomas Jefferson, Thomas Jefferson Papers, 334

No but 90% means that it is a majority and while it is not always assured that it is the cause, it is the best way to bet. So if 90% of CYPRES fires are due to human error and not getting knocked out....Does it not make sense to look at the decision making process and training that led to the problem? Here is the difference....If you pack like shit, ignore the maintenance on your gear, or deploy without trying to be stable...Just cause you have a reserve...You are stupid. If you pack like you have no reserve, maintain your gear like your life depends on it, and try to be stable when you deploy...Then add a reserve you are much safer than they guy that just has a reserve. "No free man shall ever be debarred the use of arms." -- Thomas Jefferson, Thomas Jefferson Papers, 334

So why should everyone follow yours? "No free man shall ever be debarred the use of arms." -- Thomas Jefferson, Thomas Jefferson Papers, 334

The majority ARE jumper error...Go to the Airtec site and read them for yourself. You will see that most are jumper error with like 4-5 being someone knocked out. Look th einfo up for yourself...Don't trust me or anyone else...Do your homework and you will see. "No free man shall ever be debarred the use of arms." -- Thomas Jefferson, Thomas Jefferson Papers, 334

Sitting on the plane two weekends ago. A buddy looks at me and says, "I ruined my streak...3500 jumps and I just had my first reserve ride". I say, "Thats not bad, I have had 6". He says "Yeah, but you have more than 3500 jumps". Me: "Nope right at". That jump my Stiletto started the death spiral...As I looked up I said, "Here we go again"...As I cut away, "Fuck you Chris". I landed and he laughed at me....He had anotehr chop later that same day. We promissed never to talk about malunctions again in the plane. "No free man shall ever be debarred the use of arms." -- Thomas Jefferson, Thomas Jefferson Papers, 334

I can confidently do a gear check on the plane....What part of a gear check do you have to do on the ground? Hell, I can have several gear checks on the plane. A gear check is a gear check. If you don't trust the one you can get in flight you had beetr not trust the one you get on the ground...Unless you consider a reserve repack as part of a gear check. Fear of not doing a good gear check is a lame reason to land in the plane.....Since you can easily get one at altitude. Kallends fears are nothing more than trying to start shit. If you understand what Hook, Bill and myself are saying you would be much safer than just listening to John. "No free man shall ever be debarred the use of arms." -- Thomas Jefferson, Thomas Jefferson Papers, 334

More BS as normal...do you get tired always trying to bash the US? Correct. My first reaction is to seek the truth, yours is to find a way to bash the US. "No free man shall ever be debarred the use of arms." -- Thomas Jefferson, Thomas Jefferson Papers, 334

Not quite. Lets say I would not do "X" without an AAD. But I say that if I had an AAD I would do "X". That tells me that I should not be doing "X" in any case. If the risk on that jump is too great to do it without an AAD...Then the risk is to great to do it period. Buy doing "X" only if I have an AAD I am relying on it....I am allowing my self to do dumber things just casue I have one. That is not safety, that is device dependance. If you want an AAD to make you safer, then have one, but jump like you don't have one. That measn if you would not do it without it...Don't do it at all. If you allow the ownership of an AAD to make dumber jumps....then you are not being safe. It owuld be like Hook said "Running a red light just cause you have airbags." "No free man shall ever be debarred the use of arms." -- Thomas Jefferson, Thomas Jefferson Papers, 334

No, he criticised her for NOT doing them when she did not have an AAD. Her skill was never questioned...Her allowing her danger level to be increased when she had one WAS. If I thought I could not be safe doing AFF without an AAD, I would not do AFF at all. As it is, I think I can do AFF with an acceptable degree of saftey...I then ADD an AAD. I don't do a skydive with an AAD that I would not do without. She just said she did, and thats kinda the point of Mine, Hooks, and Bills point. Don't do more dangerous things that you would not do with an AAD with one. "No free man shall ever be debarred the use of arms." -- Thomas Jefferson, Thomas Jefferson Papers, 334

I agree that you should not increase the risk of a jump just becasue they have an AAD. But, if there is a good reason to not do a jump without an AAD...That should be enough of a reason to not do the jump at all. Do you see that line of logic? Depends on WHY they would not jump without one. "No free man shall ever be debarred the use of arms." -- Thomas Jefferson, Thomas Jefferson Papers, 334

Only you know if you are dependant on an AAD. But if you are afraid to make a jump without it...then some kind of focus on retraining is most likley in order. "No free man shall ever be debarred the use of arms." -- Thomas Jefferson, Thomas Jefferson Papers, 334

If you would not jump without it....You are relying on it. If you don't use an AAD as a way to do dumber stuff...Then this whole thread does not apply to you at all. But if you had a gear check before exit and found out that you forgot to turn your AAD on....If you decide not to go, then you do rely on it. If you will not jump without an AAD...you do rely on it. All we ever want is for people to not use an AAD as a pass to do stupid things. the easiest way to decide if you are trusting the CYPRES is to ask yourself if you would do the jump without it....If the answer is no, then you are trusting it and relying on it. "No free man shall ever be debarred the use of arms." -- Thomas Jefferson, Thomas Jefferson Papers, 334

No offense but if you require one to jump then you both depend on it, and use it to allow you to push your limits. But that CAN be OK. As long as you don't use it to allow you to do dumb things...An perfect example of a dumb thing is anything you think you need an AAD for, or something you would not do without one. VERY few CYPRES fires are due to a jumper being knocked out. Most are due to a jumper just flat screwing up. "No free man shall ever be debarred the use of arms." -- Thomas Jefferson, Thomas Jefferson Papers, 334

So you do advocate depending on a CYPRES to allow you to do more dangerous things? Do you drive faster since your car has airbags? "No free man shall ever be debarred the use of arms." -- Thomas Jefferson, Thomas Jefferson Papers, 334

In the same way you say we "come over very negatively about their usage"...Which is FAR from the truth. You come accross as an AAD being a replacement for training. We advocate not using an AAD as a replacement for training and common sense. We advocate not doing more dangerous jumps just because you have an AAD. By opposing us so vocally you must support the very ideals we are against. "No free man shall ever be debarred the use of arms." -- Thomas Jefferson, Thomas Jefferson Papers, 334

The modern AAD is great. However as you see the fact that they are great...Has made people complacient. "No free man shall ever be debarred the use of arms." -- Thomas Jefferson, Thomas Jefferson Papers, 334

Here ya go: She will not without a CYPRES, but if she has one she will go on more dangerous jumps. Increasing her level of risk due to having a CYPRES. Going on more dangerous jumps just because she has a CYPRES. "No free man shall ever be debarred the use of arms." -- Thomas Jefferson, Thomas Jefferson Papers, 334

No you still don't get it....I'll try this ONE more time. You ARE less safe if by having a CYPRES you go on skydives you would not without a CYPRES. Therefore you negate the added saftey of a CYPRES by increasing your risk level. How hard is that to understand? So as we say over and over and over again. Don't do a jump with a CYPRES that you would not do without one. If you would not do a freefly jump with a newbie without a CYPRES, then you should not do it at all. "No free man shall ever be debarred the use of arms." -- Thomas Jefferson, Thomas Jefferson Papers, 334

Do you have any proof that it is just due to the AAD? Cause as you love to say "There could be other factors that need to be looked at" Such as: Low pulls are not seen as "cool" anymore. The advent of freeflying has raised the pull altitudes. New canopies open slower, so people pull higher. Audibles have become MUCH more common. Gear has become MUCH more reliable. So you have plenty of factors, but claim its only one....Seems like you need to do more homework. "No free man shall ever be debarred the use of arms." -- Thomas Jefferson, Thomas Jefferson Papers, 334