bclark

I agree, I cannot think of a single reason to do aerobatics on exit. I have heard instructors assert that the extra airspeed following instability gives them more authority. IMHO if you need that extra airspeed you already have problems with your exit technique.

Alti-2 sent me a new Neptune on good faith while I held on to mine. They even sent me a shipping container to send back the old one. You should not have to go altiless. The logbook thing was a battery issue for me. I was told they used a cheaper more readily available battery rather than the hard to find cr2330 the pro track uses. It will show full battery right up until it doesn't, and then it's toast. Many of the glitches seem to be low battery issues.

Lots of different ways to do it, every Tandem I insists their way is best. In my opinion, the best way is to start out kneeling, facing the front whether you are in the front or back. Open the door and spot. Place your right foot on the strut above the step. Place your students right foot on the step. Make slightly more than a 90 degree turn so you are facing out the door a little toward the tail. (Yes it is a tight squeeze turning past the pilot's chair with a rig on, a good way to do it is to keep your spine vertical rather than crouching over your knee.) Keep your student sitting on their left foot in the door. Have them hold on to their harness and get down low (chest on their right knee). Ready set go and pivot over your right foot out the door. I like this because you only have to get your's and your student's right foot out the door, and them low enough to exit cleanly. Very little fuss. I have done the back to dash sitting exits, but I don't like them because it is very hard to check your drogue when it is jammed up next to the fuel selector. It is also frequently difficult to get your students feet past the rear of the doorframe. I also don't like the possibility of banging the back of my rig around on the instrument panel. During the dirt dive on the ground I familiarize my student with the airplane, and have them sit next to the pilot facing forward. I sit behind them facing forward. I instruct them not to push on the rudder pedals or grab the pilot or controls. When it is time to hook up, I have them grab the leading edge of the doorframe and I help them up from behind. Then I get up behind them and hook up kneeling. I get a good hookup that way, my rig is not getting banged around, and it is easy to spot and climb out.

I went against my rule of "never buy anything the first year it's out" and got a Neptune. I have had a couple of problems with it. First, I had older version software, and it would stop logging jumps when the battery got low. Second, it was going through a battery about every other week. Thankfully Alti-2 is an awesome company, with great product support. I purchased a $30.00 USB / IR adapter, and updated the softward for FREE. This not only solved my logbook problems, but it also took care of the battery issues. However, Alti-2 went ahead and sent me a new Neptune, in the same color, once again for FREE! WOOHOO! All in all, I love my Neptune, it is cheaper than a Pro-Track and does more stuff. More stuff is good. I use mine as a visual, so I don't know about the loudness of the beeps. They do seem a little quiet. It does bracket your freefall speeds into 12000, 9000, 6000' etc... I love it when I take fat tandems, I can look at it and say, " look man, we were doing 146 mph in droguefall!" Other people I know have had minor problems with theirs, but they have always been solved by an upgrade.

I'm a Utah transplant to Texas. There is plenty of stuff to do in SLC. Someone already mentioned the Cotton Bottom and Garlic Burgers. Check out Junior's (hole in the wall Irish pub / blues joint), the Dead Goat, Brewvies (bar / pizza / movie theatre). If you like the outdoors, you have the ski resorts, all Southern Utah attractions (Canyonlands / Zions Ntl. Park). All beer puchased in grocery stores or convenience stores is 3.2% alcohol. You can purchase regular beer at state owned liquor stores which are closed on Sundays and most holidays. You cannot buy kegs. Bars cannot serve liquor unless they are "private clubs". You either have to buy a membership or get someone to sponsor you. In other words, " hey man, I'll buy you a beer if you sponsor me". Lots of good brew pub type places. Squatters, Red Rock. What's up Wingnut.

I learned how to skydive @ 5003' MSL and made 1500 jumps there. I started on a PD 260 and when I was done my regular canopy was a Stiletto 120. I had jumps on FX 104 , Xfire 109 at that altitude. I moved to a new DZ to go to work and our elevation is 32' MSL. I have been here for 16 months and made about 750 jumps at near sea level. I made my first jump back home in over a year a couple of weeks ago and the difference in the air was amazing. I jumped a Sabre 170 and the forward speed on landing and the difference in the flare was impressive. This was in the wintertime with snow on the ground and "fat air". On a hot summer day in july there, the density altitude can be close to 10000'. You can tell the difference in the freefall, your openings, your canopy flight, and your landings.

It depends on where I am. In Utah where I learned to skydive I would not jump in over 20 mph of wind. Where I work now @ Skydive Spaceland I will go in up to 30 mph of wind. In Utah it is much more turbulent than it is here in Texas ( High altitude, mountainous terrain, dust devils etc... ). It has alot to do with obstructions in the LZ that can cause mechanical turbulence. In Texas I can jump in high winds and it is not as turbulent until 1000' AGL or below, and turbulence is usually mechanical. My wind limits have also changed with my level of experience. There are alot of factors to consider when you are jumping in winds. I would definately be conservative with your decisions at an unfamiliar dz until you are familiar with local conditions.

I have seen Sigma harnesses used on other systems with no problems. (Eclipse). I just got a chance to have a real close look at one of the new Strong harnesses. They look nice, but I don't understand why they went back to the reverse adjusting, spring bar vertical lift webs. Seems like a step backwards to me. My buddy was actually warming one up so it would be easier to adjust. (granted it was cold).

I am a young jumper, started jumping in 1996 and am lucky enough to have 546 Beech 18 jumps, and 54 DC-3 jumps out of the Southern Cross and Blue Streak. Love the nostalgia of the old a/c, and the sound of radial engines!

I seem to remember something about a manufacturer / manufacturers coming out a few years ago with a statement STRONGLY DISCOURAGING any intentional aerobatics on exits. Does anyone else remember this and what were the details? Also, it seems to me that most DZ's I have been to have a "no aerobatics" policy. I can see no reason to do aerobatics on a first jump. Hell most first tandem students don't remember the first 10 seconds out the door anyway. When I get a first tandem student who wants to do flips I say, "OK, we'll do some flips." And then I go skydive stable and most of them either don't notice. Most of them mistake a good diving exit for a flip!

I will very rarely do a little with a heads up 2nd or 3rd tandem student. Usually it is my alternative to the whole "can we do flips out of the plane?" thing. I don't do intentional aerobatics on exit, as I really take alot of pleasure in the very nice, well controlled, aesthetically pleasing diving or poised exits. So, I will sometimes challenge a student to give me a really nice exit in exchange for a little drogueless time ( 10-15 seconds ). YES, it is hard on the drogue. So I don't do it too often.

Jump # 26. I was barely off student status and transitioning to my "brand new" rig from student gear. "New Rig" being an old ass accuracy Talon with a Strong G2 reserve and a Pegasus 220 main. (7-cell, F-111, etc...). No Cypres. I had tension knots on deployment causing a built in turn. I looked up at what appeared to be a good parachute in my limited experience ( and with my limited awareness as a novice ). The turn could be countered by pulling approximately 1/2 to 3/4 toggle opposite the side of the knots. My mistake was spending so much time messing with it before I decided to cutaway. Many students and novices are afraid of their first cutaway, as was I. I was so sure that I would be able to clear the seemingly minor problem that I DID NOT CUT AWAY UNTIL 1000'!!! No problem, I landed. Everyone was full of questions about why I fucked around with it for so long and congratulations for not dying. I learned from it. It is very easy to lose track of altitude awareness when messing around with seemingly minor problems, especially with low #'s / experience.

I agree 100%. Strongs do not look like shit if you take a little time to clean them up and stow excess bridle / mud flap where you should.

Nothing different about the skydive. Little 140 lb female tandem student. Sigma harness, properly adjusted. I think it was just ONE OF THOSE THINGS. I have spoken with several other experienced instructors who have had the same thing happen. When it slipped on the one side it unloaded all of the students weight on that side onto the side connector which then became VERY difficult to disconnect. I landed going WTF? Anyway, we landed under the main no problemo, and I have not had the problem before or since.

Did 630 of them last year, and I guess you can say that I am current, but I haven't had a malfunction in my last 750 tandems. I will feel MUCH more current when I get that next emergency out of the way. You know how you feel when you have not had to chop in a while right? The most exciting things I have had happen on tandem in the last year: A vertical lift web on a Sigma harness slipping ALL THE WAY out of adjustment to the doubled end. Tension knots on an Icarus main which I landed because they didn't affect controlability appreciably. A couple of drogue / suspension lines entanglements on Sigma mains which were also fully controllable.

neptune uses a battery that will indicate full until it starts to lose charge then will show a quick and dramatic decrease in battery power. I have had mine for 2 months and am already on the 3rd battery. ( I do alot of jumps. ) But, when the battery begins to show low, your log books and jump #'s / freefall time, etc. go BYE BYE. Other than the short battery life, I have had no other issues with my Neptune. However, they do drink the batteries. I heard from a friend who had his Neptune updated by a Alti-2 rep at Richmond that they chose to use a more readily available, inexpensive battery with shorter life for the Neptune. Rather than the expensive hard to find types of batteries used by other devices, i.e. Pro Track / Dytter. Personally I would rather have a more expensive, harder to find battery that I don't have to replace every 3 weeks! That is my only Neptune bitch. I just updated my software to 2.2.0 A using an IR adapter and the stuff from the website. God that is cool. And even a computer idiot like me could figure out how do do it.

Did my first 500 tandems taking over at 1000'. I had a couple of "pop ups" etc that discouraged me from letting students help. Then I moved to a DZ that "strongly encourages" the instructor to have the students hands in the toggles all the way down to the ground. Now I've done about 600 with students hands in toggles. All it takes is a little bit of extra attention and practice in the air, and getting a good feel for your student. We pull @ 6000', and I do anywhere between 2-4 practice landings. Always stress that working together as a team is important, also that if they overpower you on the controls they will have a VERY hard landing. And of course if you cannot get them to cooperate during practice up high, make them let go at 1000'. I guess it's one of those things where you go with what is S.O.P. at the DZ you are at. It can be done safely either way.

Racer: Only seen one once and know lots of DZ's don't use them, but they seem to have a great following among TI's who own their own gear. Sigma: Awesome tandem rigs, everything stays closed. Near normal droguefall attitude, love all the safety features. Don't like the Sigma mains. The vote is still out on the Skyhook IMO. Seen a bunch of good Skyhook cutaways but am still curious as to what happened in Guam. I have yet to have to cutaway from a Sigma in a little under 500 on em. ( Icarus mains ). Weak points: the velcro on the reserve handles on some of the earlier models really sucks ( not too secure ). The drogue bridles take a fair amount of abuse where they pass thru the disk. The drogue attach point on top of the bag is tubular nylon and wears really quick. So you can still have that whole lost drogue after container opening scenario. Strong: Yeah they look like shit, but a lot of instructors leave alot of crap hanging out on Strongs. I learned on Strong and did about 500 tandems on Dual Hawks. I had a few cutaways on SET 400's, although they are nice canopies. They take a little while to open. The handle configuration is a little different from just about everything else out there. Have heard complaints about hard cutaways on them but I had 4 cutaways on Strong (shitty line sets, 3 of these were in a one month period of time, 2 on the same canopy). I never had trouble with the cutaways and I am not a big guy. I think pulling the second drogue release makes it ALOT easier. Also the drogue does not collapse partially during deployment like most other systems. I think that is why they make the SET canopies open so fucking slow. Vector 2: I only have 2 jumps on Vector 2 / EZ 384. I hate the Velcro riser covers and drogue 3 ring cover. Yes you hang from your ass under the drogue. Hate the tubular nylon drogue kill line and the fact that if it fails you lose your drogue. I've seen video of a drogue coming off a V2 right after container opening and flopping the bag right out onto the back of the TI's legs with lines / crap everywhere. Also Eclipses and V2's seem a little more prone to problems with premature main container openings, out of sequence deployments, etc...Expecially old V2's with curved pins. Eclipse: Like an improved V2 without a Collins Lanyard. Better riser covers and drogue 3 ring protection. Some have that 3rd drogue release / cutaway thing with the flyaway ring. Not a bad idea as it would solve alot of drogue in tow problems. Also a Spectra drogue kill line. All the Eclipses I have jumped have the 3rd drogue release and they also have a flex pin instead of a curved pin holding the container closed. They usually have Icarus mains. I LIKE ICARUS MAINS. 200-250 jumps on Eclipse. Con: They are hard to get parts for as they are no longer in business. Many V2 parts work apparently. Not a bad rig by any means. As far as Favorites: Give me a Sigma with an Icarus 365. As far as I'm concerned they have set the bar pretty high with the Sigma, and everything else sucks equally in comparison, but for different reasons. Nothin like the right tool for the job...

I saw a rash of malfunctions on Sigma mains this year, 5 in a month. All tension knots, all Pro Packed. I agree that flat packing is a more reliable method of packing, but why is it that we can pro pack our Icarus 365's all day long without all these problems?

Interesting discussion. First I agree that if your student is not cooperating on exit, you should continue to fly as big and hard as you can, and not fight with them to improve their body position. Having good people skills helps to relax your student in the airplane, and proper positioning in the door and presentation on exit go even further. Your student can really do alot of shit under you as long as you are still skydiving hard. If you have the ability, just put your control surfaces outside of theirs and get BIG! I agree that camera flyers who think it is the Tandem I's responsibility to place "teamwork" ahead of ensuring a safe skydive for them and their student, should either improve their flying skills or get a new suit. Our job as instructors is to provide our student with a safe and fun experience, your job as camera people is to fly hard and get the shot. I am not at all adverse to assisting with fall rate once the drogue is out to the best of my ability. I face the sun, I pull high on long spots, and I do my best to land as close to you as possible. There's yer teamwork for ya.

On the question of where the tension knots were on the Sigma mains, I seem to recall that most were in the A / B lines on the outside cells, although some may have been steering lines. We have had plenty of instances where people have been able to clear them also.

I have a couple hundred jumps on Sigma 370's. I love the way they open but that's where the love affair stops. They fly nice and are sporty on the toggles. I agree that the initial rate of turn on a toggle is signifigantly faster than on an Icarus main. BFD...! The toggle pressure is on the high side, which is not a big deal unless you jump big students or you are on your 10th tandem of the day. My biggest complaint about the Sigma tandem mains is that THEY LAND LIKE CRAP unless you do some sort of performance building maneuver ( braked approach, carving turn to final etc...). They are trimmed so flat that unless you carry a little extra airspeed into the flare you get a mushy landing. It's all good until you have that shitty setup that we all have from time to time on the no wind day and there is no altitude to setup a braked approach or it is super bumpy and your setup is screwed. I want a parachute that will deliver a positive flare in all conditions. Also I love the toggle pressure on the Icarus mains. I can rear riser them back from a long spot, and I can flare the biggest student that I am willing to take ( which is up to the 500 lb. TSO on the Sigma rig ) by myself. How many of you have ever had to land an unconscious tandem student? Alot of people bitch about Icarus openings. I think good body position at pull time goes a long way. We have people here who swear by the Sigmas too, as we have some of each. I guess it is all what you like. I do remember a rash of 6 malfunctions we had in a month period last year. All were very experienced tandem I's (1000+ tandems). 5 of the 6 were on Sigma mains less that a year old. All were due to tension knots. The one on an Icarus main was on a main with well over 1000 jumps on it. I have seen countless drogue entanglements with steering lines, drogues over noses, and one lost drogue due to a weak attach point on a Sigma main. Draw your own conclusion.

At my home DZ, when I worked there, they used the John Bonin tandem video. Besides being abso-fucking-lutely cheesy beyond belief, it did offer the necessary info in a concise fashion. We could always tell when they got to the part of the video where the student slid in on their face because the whole classroom would start laughing at once. In retrospect I can train a tandem student a hell of a lot quicker and more effectively one on one.

In the event of a high speed total malfunction (i.e. the container is still closed) I will personally deploy my reserve without cutting away. I think the scenario people are most concerned with here is pilot chute in tow. I think you should never have a pilot chute in tow if you ensure that your pilot chute is cocked and in good shape, and that your container is not closed incorrectly. If through some blatant error in judgement I don't do a thorough preflight inspection of my gear and I DO have a P.C. in tow, I would rather deal with a possible 2 out than a main / reserve entanglement with the main risers released. You STILL have to deal with the fact that your reserve pilot chute may entangle with your main pilot chute, but assuming it clears, I think you have more options with the main risers still attached. You can land a biplane or a side by side no problem with MOST reasonably sized, average performance canopies. Hell you have twice the square footage above your head. And if they downplane you can always chop! THIS IS MY OPINION AND MY PLAN, if you think something else that's cool. I think either method may save your ass and if you live you did the right thing. DO SOMETHING!