Ralf

Check this URL: http://www.koyn.com/clouddancer/articles/23KJump99.html. I found it under WWW.DropZone.COM - FORUM - Safety & Training - High Alititude Jump. It talks about the brief for the HALO jumps (23K ft) at Quincy in 1999. It is good to read. From that, I said that I think the Quincy HALO jumps is from 23K. Read it, and I think that you might be more careful about wanting to quickly (less than 200 jumps) make a 30K HALO jump. At 27K feet in freefall, when you try to exhale, and you can't, what is wrong, how did you cause it, and how do you fix it? At 15K, some people have sinus and ear clearing problems. What happens at 30K? What do you do when the cold (-40) causes your goggles to shatter? I also recommend that you go to the SkyDance Web site (www.1800SKYDIVE.com) and check their links to HALO jumps. Some of the more dangerous jumps are HALO (24K+), Para-Scuba, Night military (drop zone not lighted), smoke (Forestfire, not Demo), and combat (people shooting at you). Some Demo and movie jumps are also dangerous. Dangerous means that they are technically demanding, and if something goes wrong, it goes wrong fast. It also means that it is just plain dangerous (like night military or combat). The army made me practice 2 weeks of PLF's before they let me jump. I don't think expecting you to make 200 jumps before an extreme jump is too much. Blue Skies, Ralf Stinson C-8962, D-23283

Too Prepared - it is a double edge sword! How do you handle the knowledge? Check shooting instructors (both military and police) and ask who are better new students, men or women. The answer is often women, and often they outshoot men the first time. (In general) Women listen, ask questions and don't have preconceived ideas about how to shoot. Men think they share the Y chromoson with John Wayne and therefor know how to shoot. They don't really listen to the rangemaster. I had a Gunnersmate (Navy Job) tell me that he never could shoot expert (award). After convincing him to forget what he thought about shooting and listen to the Rangemaster, he shot better then me for the first round, and received his expert medal! I should listen to my own advice! Listen to the jumpmaster, don't let your knowledge interfer with your learning. Be safe - have fun.

I checked by profile, where do I select if I am a NewBie or Old Hand? I noticed a jumper with a new B license listed as a Old hand, and I am listed as a Newbie. I still have lots to learn, but when I am in line for boarding the airplane, and ask for a pin check, I have had young people with over 1000 jumps not know how to check my 5 pins (two on the chest reserve and three on my backpack) and have no idea how my Capwells work. To me, PC stands for ParaCommander, not pilot chute or politically correct. Don't worry too much, I only jump my PC about two times a month. Just to remind me how nice the new equipment is, which I normally jump. Ralf Stinson C-8962 (S/L J/M and CSO (Club Safety Officer) in 1973)

A HALO (High Altitude - Low Opening) started as a military operation, and now is sometimes used by Civilians. It is usually over 25,000 feet and often at 30,000 feet or more. At 23,000 ft (I think this is the Quincy jumps), the TUC (Time of Useful Conscience) is about 4 minutes, the plan is to remove the oxygen mask at 1 minute before jump, jump, at 2 minutes after you are off of oxygen, you have fallen enough to for normal breathing. Two minutes safety margin, nice long freefall. Strongly recommended before a 30K HALO Jump. For a HALO jump from 30,000 feet, the TUC is 60 second to 120 seconds. You must use a bail out O2 Bottle! An breviated outline follows what you must do if you want a 30K HALO jump. 1. 200+ Jumps (and D Licence) 2. Class 3 or better FAA medical check and card (cost about $75) 3. High Altitutude Physiolgy Class (1 day, cost about $35) from USAF, setup by the FAA. 4. Schedule with DZ. I only know of SkyDance SkyDiving, Yolo County Airport, near Davis (Scramento) CA normaly schedulling the HALO jumps. Next ones are June 23 & 24. There should be some in September 2001. 5. (asuming your are going to Skydance, and they keep their past schedule) Friday, first time HALO jumpers receive training, make two jumps as follows. 6. Friday: 13K jump with mask, but no O2. Learn how the equipment, goggles and helmet feel in freefall. 7. Friday: 13K jump with mask and O2. Correct problems with goggles, equipment, etc. 8. Jump Day (Sat or Sun): 30K jump. Pre-breath O2 50 min. before take-off (prevent bends). Climb to altitute (about 1 hour), jump, free fall 150 seconds. Termial velocity is about 180 MPH but decreases as you decend into thick warm air. 9. Don't plan RW for your first time, the air at 30K is thin and fast, you will fall differently. Also remember, it is - 40 degrees (Cent or F). Wind Chill makes it -100 degrees F. Your exposure is short, but you must be covered or you will have flash frost bite! At that altitue, if you look up, Dark Blue Skies, Ralf Stinson

I received two emails, a 3 hr report and a 6 hour report that your email server (receive) was down. It did after 6 hours acept my test email and you look like you are up and working well. Am I the only person who noticed a problem? Edited by ralf on 6/8/01 09:57 PM.

June 7th evening, I tried to send an email. I don't think it went out, even though it said "sent." A record was made of the "sent" email, but the subject and body was blank. I sent an email June 8 morning. It reacted the same, and I confirmed that it was not received. I also tried to send an email to ralf@dropzone.com and it was not received. Ralf