karlm

At JSC (Johannesburg Skydiving Club) we have developed a descent area and landing pattern program that has been very well received at the DZ. We fly a PC-6 Porter and have divided our landing area into two areas, one is for Pro Rated (jumpers who have a rating to do demo jumps) and the other for the rest of us. I have attached a jpeg of one of the patterns, as they rotate according to wind direction. The diagrams are placed at manifest and all load masters are aware of the system and chat to the jumpers before boarding. Better never to have met you in my dream than to wake and reach for hands that are not there.

OK, so i cant wait, it's only one more sleep till I get my new Icon I4 with my Vision 124 and Smart 135. I will take a few pics of the system this weekend, and post them for you all to see. YEAH - ONE MORE SLEEP. It's like my birthday all over again. Better never to have met you in my dream than to wake and reach for hands that are not there.

Well well ..... seems that the debate goes on. Here is my two cents worth. THE BEER RULES! You buy beer for anything you do or the first time at your home DZ, and only for those who have done such event before. e.g. 1st Cut Away, 1st 16-Way, 1st Bird, 1st Crew etc. If you find youself at a boggie, and are subjected to a few firsts, grab a couple of beers and feed it to your local jumpers who have done the same. BUT BE AWARE OF BEER LURKERS Or to be safe just revert to the "no it's my second time" Better never to have met you in my dream than to wake and reach for hands that are not there.

Well it will be a tie between two, both done this past weekend at the PPC Easter Boggie. #1 - First Wing Suit Dive, (did I say first) with my two friends. Got 78 seconds from 12000ft opening at 4500ft. Watched my buddy zoom all over the sky trying to get control of his suit. ;-) #2 - 16-Way Dive exit of the KingAir, second last out with Chris Dales on my heels (big way guru), and having all the old dogs give me the thumbs up afterwards. Wow what a learning curve, these guys had so much to teach me. OK, there is one other, but it's a bit weak. Doing camera for my uncle and cousin on their tandems, while visiting from OZ. Better never to have met you in my dream than to wake and reach for hands that are not there.

Some good news some sad news. The Boggie is still on, with a KingAir B90 & Porter flying. the big way attempt has been postponed due to lack of local interest in the attempt. Sure we will fire it up again. Anyway, see you all there. Better never to have met you in my dream than to wake and reach for hands that are not there.

Wide knees are good for stability but will slow you down a bit. I agree with most of the posts here, keep them shoulder width apart. You should never jump with more than 10% of your body weight in weights. (well thats my opinion). Another suggestion is to fly elbows down, while in the mantis position, rotate your elbows so your forearms face up, this will increase our fall rate, but not ability to pick-up grips etc. I have used this technique on the"bigger guys" dives and it works well, I also get my lighter students to do so while on coaching dive. And as said above a good hour stretch in the morning before jumping is essential to good body movement and flexibility, no matter how fast or slow you fall. Hope that helps a bit. Better never to have met you in my dream than to wake and reach for hands that are not there.

I jump the Oxygn A3 and love it! I have stopped using the flip up visor as I found the lens started to "crack" after a few months. I now keep it shut and have never had any fogging issues. On the rare occasion I find myself on a early or late load, I will flip the visor up, for more visibility. I have never jumped the Z!, but those who have love them, but a friend of mine has lost hers on opening three time now, due to the lack of solid fastening systems (my opinion). ParaSport is good with replacement parts, so it's no big deal. Then there is the factory Diver, no moving parts, no fogging. I would suggest either the Oxygn or Factory Diver. Both are great depends on budget and specifics you want from a helmet. Better never to have met you in my dream than to wake and reach for hands that are not there.

Yes you are correct .... seems like the two contradict each other. Sorry for the confusion. While jumping the Pilot I was on a few loads that ended up being deep, and with a small amount of brakes was able to make it back, with plenty of altitude to spare. I was sure that the angle of attack was small. But while watching others fly the canopy (we have about 10 Pilots on our DZ) the Pilot does have quite a steep nose down configuration. Not to sure if I make any sense. Better never to have met you in my dream than to wake and reach for hands that are not there.

Jumped the Icon (I4) with a 132 Vision and 135 Smart Reserve during the December Boggie in Cape Town South Africa. I found the harness to be comfortable and easy wearing, with the standard padded back it sits nice. The articulated rings on the hips, worked great, and the harness was comfortable while under canopy. It may not be the best looking rig, but then again it's not always about looks. I was very impressed with the added safety features that come standard with the Icon. The only few comments I have heard from those who have bought them are. The leg straps seem to be a bit on the short side. Seems there is no cushion. But they have been looking into that. A few have ordered the Icon (I3) and tried to squeeze a 135 Smart into it, so the reserve pack looks big and bulky. No mals of yet, our riggers found the Smart easy to pack and rigger friendly. As for Pilot vs Sabre. Tonto is not the only person who has made that statement. I did about 15 jumps on a Pilot 168 and was impressed. A member of out National Team who has jumped Sabres for the past few years, said that he sees this as being of the same if not better quality and flight dynamics as the Sabre. So far all that have jumped either the Vision or Pilot have come back with nothing but good reviews. Better never to have met you in my dream than to wake and reach for hands that are not there.

Here's my two cents worth. I had about 220 jumps before going to an elliptical. And Spent the next 50 trying not to kill myself (ok it was not that bad). As said before don't down size and change from square to elliptical at the same time .... rather fly the 170 and get the numbers up, and then try a 170 elliptical, if you like it then look at down sizing once you have put a few on the 170 elliptical. The main thing is, a 170 Square vs 170 Elliptical with your weight under. The elliptical will not fly faster (could be effected by angle of attack, aspect ratio etc). The only real benefit from a elliptical is the faster turning and more radical maneuvers, due to the lack of drag during a turn. Also look at where you want to be in the sport in 2yrs, if camera work is something you like, then stay square, if swooping is your calling move to elliptical. Better never to have met you in my dream than to wake and reach for hands that are not there.

Did jumps on the Pilot 168 & 132 - Loved it. Great fun canopy to fly. Yes it is not a radical canopy, but will keep you smiling once you get the just of it. On the slightly higher loaded Pilots I have seen a swoop or two Get your hands on a Demo and jump it today, you wont be sorry. I have just placed my order for a 124 Vision and will be putting a Pilot 124 in my second rig by the year end. Better never to have met you in my dream than to wake and reach for hands that are not there.

Maybe I can help shed some light on the new "toys" by Aerodyne Int. I have jumped both the Pilot 168 & 148, at my home DZ (Johannesburg Skydiving Club) we are at 5000ft MSL, so canopy's perform a bit more aggressive here than at coastal DZ's. Over all I like the Pilot as a canopy, the points that make me say this are as follows. Opening: Of the 25 to 30 jumps on the Pilot I cannot recall one hard or positive opening, they were all smooth on heading with no "whip". The Pilot does take a few feet longer to open than the Hornet and Sabre, so be aware of it when jumping (but it's not like 300ft). Packing: mmmmm ..... the first few pack jobs are gonna be a treat, the new material used is quite slick and the first few pack jobs are fun to say the least, but once the canopy is settled in, it's a breeze to pack. Flight: With light responsive toggle pressure and a great glide ratio the Pilot is a excellent all round canopy. I found it to be very docile if required but if you flew it, it would react and be a fun canopy to fly. The riser pressure is great and manageable, so front riser approaches are easy and safe. (well as long as you know what you doing) Landings: With the great toggle pressure, this canopy is a breeze to land, it has a steeper angle of attack than most square canopies, but flairs out nice, and will have you swooping easy if you have enough forward speed. Our National Team went to Gap for the World Meet with Pilots and Visions packed, and they had always been PD Jumpers, but once they had a few jumps under the new canopies, they all came back saying it's some of the best gear availalble to jumpers today, with a world calls standard. You will not go wrong with any of the new Aerodyne Gear. I'm awaiting my Icon I3, Smart 135 & Vision 124 Better never to have met you in my dream than to wake and reach for hands that are not there.

Get one as soon as you can .... you'll never regret the purchase. I have mine set for break off (4000ft), deplyment (3200ft), and my hard deck (1500ft). When I did alot of 4-Way training, I became very dependent on my audible as mu focus was based on the dive and not altitude, we also had a break off person, who would leave on 4000ft, but then we all wore a audible. In South Africa, you cannot Freefly without one, it's part of or MOPS (Manual of Procedures) or BSR's. With the higher speeds generated altitude awarenes is vital. They are also neat to log jumps with (ProTrack) and download to your PC if you get the extra software and stuff. Better never to have met you in my dream than to wake and reach for hands that are not there.

Sorry - On the video link posted the student is thrown, pushed, kicked, shoved out the aircraft. Not a very professional thing to do in my opinion. As for my experience as a JM in the last year or so of me holding my rating 99% of the students I have despatched have had great exits and stable deployments, but on the odd occasion we find one that just is not on the same wave length. Just remember to practice your drills, ask questions and arch hard on exit and look up at the plane. Better never to have met you in my dream than to wake and reach for hands that are not there.

LilSal - Contact your associations head office, and find a listing of all the DZ in your area, sometime a bit of driving will be needed to get the best Instruction. Once you find a DZ that suits your needs and travel restrictions, contact the CI (Chief Instructor) and explain your situation, they will be more than willing to assist you. You might have to do a confirmation of knowledge at the new DZ and a bit of an orientation on the landing area, aircraft etc. Dont be shy to ask questions - I know here in South Africa our AFF Instructors will contact each other about a student who moves DZ's. Have your log book ready for inspection and be honest with any questions posted to you. Better never to have met you in my dream than to wake and reach for hands that are not there.

Big wat training is already underway, doing some refreasher dives with the focus on diving, laer we'll look at floating. PPC Boggies have always been 100% FUN, FUN, FUN ....... Hope to see you all there. Better never to have met you in my dream than to wake and reach for hands that are not there.

Well you are more than welcome to visit Sunny South Africa. The boggie should be a lot of fun, with the Big Way being the highlight. Better never to have met you in my dream than to wake and reach for hands that are not there.

Pietermaritzburg Parachute Club (PPC) will be hosting a Easter Boogie (8 - 12 April 2004) to celebrate their 50th Anniversary. There will be a 50-Way Attempt, we are looking to break the current South African Record. So if you an old PPC jumper or have been out the country long, come and join us for this, it's gonna be a blast. A Porter and KingAir will ferry the jumpers to altitude, with the assistance of two CASA's for the bigger stuff. For more information, please contact Andrew du Toit andrewdt@softhome.net [email] Better never to have met you in my dream than to wake and reach for hands that are not there.

Seems everybody has a similar opinion. I jumped a Hornet for 107 jumps, before going over to a Heatwave. And must say the Hornet is a excellent canopy, if $ is no issue, then look at a new Sabre 2 or the new Aerodyne Pilot. Guys at my Dz who have jumped both the Sabre and Pilot compare the two quite well. The Pilot has a flatter glide angle. Soft openings, good all round response and will serve you well. I would chat to your CI before looking into a elliptical canopy e.g. Heatwave, Stiletto, Vision etc. If you are happy with a square get a demo Pilot and put it through it's paces, you'll love it. Better never to have met you in my dream than to wake and reach for hands that are not there.

The Tempo Reserve was manufactured by PISA (Parachute Industries of South Africa) they had been around for years, and the Tempo was one of the top selling reserves in it's day. I have had one ride on a Tempo 170, sub terminal and it opened fine and landed good. Remember a reserve is there to get you to the ground safely. I would have no doubt in purchasing a Tempo reserve and jumping it. You will not go wrong with it. - PISA has now been absorbed by Aerodyne, so the quality and manufacturing ethics are sure to have been first class for that sort of merger. Better never to have met you in my dream than to wake and reach for hands that are not there.

mmmm ..... think it's just over 320 for 2003. 4-Way, 8-Way and FS coaching dives. I still remember saying that if I could do 100 a year I would be happy. Better never to have met you in my dream than to wake and reach for hands that are not there.

Yip, if you stay in the sport long enough you gonna land with the plane (or in the plane if you have no canopy skill). Been there done that, a few times. Twice at my old DZ due to weather or ATC holds. And a few times, cant rememeber the amount, during our DZ JumpAThon, 4 jumpers doing 100 jumps each over 12hrs, did a rotation with three other JM's, we had to do visual gear and mental checks, and the rotation lasted 5 loads. Landed with the Porter each time. Got used to it. Better never to have met you in my dream than to wake and reach for hands that are not there.

Jumped both the 168 and the 148 (Think those were the sizes) and have nothing but praise. Must be some of the best canopies available today, but cannot be compared to the Hornet, the Pilot is decades ahead of the Hornet in evert aspect. Good consistant soft openings, on heading and controlled. Nice riser pressure and response, both back and rear. Toggle pressure allows pilot to feel in control, and will be gentle or quick dependant on input. Pilot performs great at higher loadings, good consistant swoops and flares. Great idea canopy as a first, or for those not into the "crazy canopy" ride, and versitile for any type of jumping or situation. You will not be sorry you bought a Pilot, and it will have a good re-sale value.

Did about 40 jumps on a Vision 132 in 8 days. 100% Impressed, as far a canopies go the new Aerodyne stuff is top shelf. I found that the canopy had consistant on heading openings, with good toggle and riser pressure and response. Great controlled swoops. Canopy stays in dive, and is responsive to riser & toggle input for high performance landings. Great canopy for those who are getting into the elliptical market, will be happy. Will have a good re-sale value.

Jumped the Icon with a Vision 132 demo for about 8 days. And was impressed with the overall design and style of the Icon. The standard production features are great, padded back, hip rings, internal riser covers, hook knife. I found the harness to be very comfortable, even if it was a demo and not quite my size. With the cut in laterals, and thicker leg straps, made the canopy ride a pleasure, felt like I was sitting rather than handing in the harness. I also like the new toggles that were on the demo. They use the pin system to help avoid premature openings or toggle release issues. All round I was 100% happy, and would recommend it to all skydivers.