Chrisky

I can hardly think of any sport putting your body in a falling position as it is before doing a PLF. The key to a good PLF (that is MY experience, from two weeks training at airborne school and 15 jumps on rounds into various ruff terrain types) are the following points: KEEP YOUR FEET (ankles) TOGETHER like bolted. This is crucial. Try bending your legs sideways prior to impact (away from flight direction, if any) (knees slightly bent as well), so that your feet touch the ground sideways. (Kinda like a saucer on the side, that will roll nicely on its round side.) This way your ankle doesn't have to roll off the full impact force. This is essential, and i have seen a lot of illustrations showing the feet flat on the ground as the very first thing. That is wrong. Then roll off over the side of your leg, back over your butt/back. (twist your upper torso/face away from earth). Arms are shielding your head on the sides, holding the risers. If you have enough momentum left, your feet will come over and back down in front of you. Imagine a red line going from the side of your (i.e. right) ankle up your leg, over the (i.e. right) rear of your lower back across your back to your (i.e. left) shoulder. This is the "contact path" your body will roll over. To be able to practice a PLF right, you should start on a box/chair to get you enough airtime to get your feet together and a little sideways movement(that will help you roll). You can actually start standing with your feet close together, then shift your weight over and tip over your own ankle. Don't be afraid, i have been dropped from suspended hanging harnesses in 3m above the ground (no matts), as well as all my military jumps (including equipment and night drops) and have never hurt myself using this technique. My AFF-I made me instruct that part to my mates in groundschool. It makes a big Phump!, you feel a little compressed, but then you stand up, shake and walk away. And that is all you want... Edited to add: If you are going foward, use your arms (holding on to the risers) to turn your body 90 degrees to your favourite rolling side. The mind is like a parachute - it only works once it's open. From the edge you just see more. ... Not every Swooper hooks & not every Hooker swoops ...

Count me in on location. BUT, being based in a town with more than one DZ around (Vancouver: Pitt Meadows and Abbottsford DZs), and also having different Home DZs in different countries set my home DZ count to 3, the possible DZs in my area to 2. Thus i would prefer the town where i live (and might team up with others for a ride to a DZ) as the location for posting. Overall, GREAT improvements! I really really really like it! The mind is like a parachute - it only works once it's open. From the edge you just see more. ... Not every Swooper hooks & not every Hooker swoops ...

Well, i'm pretty sure everybody knows the theory, but in practice it seems a bit more complicated. With all that shielding (or not), limited space, tight component integration and stuff... Ahem, just let me tell you about the misfires i've seen in my short time in the sport (and even shorter time of seeing FXCs...).... Anyway, this is getting offtopic... The mind is like a parachute - it only works once it's open. From the edge you just see more. ... Not every Swooper hooks & not every Hooker swoops ...

Good i decided to read what was proposed instead of double posting this... The mind is like a parachute - it only works once it's open. From the edge you just see more. ... Not every Swooper hooks & not every Hooker swoops ...

Plastic doesn't necessarily shield static electricity... Especially not that tiny crap plasic window, ending 5 mm next to the control unit on only one side of it. A encompassing metal frame like in your computer does. What kind of tech bg is it that you have? How many AADs did you build to know how simple a device it is? M2C... The mind is like a parachute - it only works once it's open. From the edge you just see more. ... Not every Swooper hooks & not every Hooker swoops ...

Yep, but the unit is still working, which is unknown with the vigil. While it's true that cypres went through these early stages as well, i'm happy i'm not a first generation customer on either... The mind is like a parachute - it only works once it's open. From the edge you just see more. ... Not every Swooper hooks & not every Hooker swoops ...

No shit, there he was... I would have liked to see the look on her face... Been to Kiawah once, quite some Gators there. Nice place though. The mind is like a parachute - it only works once it's open. From the edge you just see more. ... Not every Swooper hooks & not every Hooker swoops ...

now to be honest, i have found beautiful girls whereever i have been... Not specific to any country... Or is it just me? Gotta visit sweden sometime to make sure there still are QTs there as well.... The mind is like a parachute - it only works once it's open. From the edge you just see more. ... Not every Swooper hooks & not every Hooker swoops ...

Or just saves the money to dismantle and scrap the old stuff... Apart from that they have lots of unused territory and not as crippling environmental regulations for training grounds. Have a platoon of 60 ton tanks dig up someones wheat field gets really expensive in germany... The mind is like a parachute - it only works once it's open. From the edge you just see more. ... Not every Swooper hooks & not every Hooker swoops ...

nope, they are usually at Klatovy, which is czech republic close to the german border... The mind is like a parachute - it only works once it's open. From the edge you just see more. ... Not every Swooper hooks & not every Hooker swoops ...

Depending on the situation, that might happen from putting a little tension on the lines when bagging the canopy, how can one know how much static electricity is needed? Maybe wearing rubber soles could also trigger it? (Very hypothetical, i must admit). It simply should not happen. If only for not needing a repack and cutter replacement. The mind is like a parachute - it only works once it's open. From the edge you just see more. ... Not every Swooper hooks & not every Hooker swoops ...

Looks like it still has a problem The mind is like a parachute - it only works once it's open. From the edge you just see more. ... Not every Swooper hooks & not every Hooker swoops ...

I'm selling a slightly older gear, same setup, but a 150 with 200 jumps, and i want 3000 Eurons for it. Just looked at a german shop, they want 1550 € for a new Jav. The Cypres has another 9 years lifetime, so it is still pretty high-value. I think it's a good deal The mind is like a parachute - it only works once it's open. From the edge you just see more. ... Not every Swooper hooks & not every Hooker swoops ...

Now, i haven't seen any of them, but don't they use the same cutter jack like the cypres? Then you could just hook up a twin cutter... Or, just look at their Website, and/or mail them. The mind is like a parachute - it only works once it's open. From the edge you just see more. ... Not every Swooper hooks & not every Hooker swoops ...

Do a search, you will come across a thread with an extensive discussion on misfire(s) that happened and why, and you will also find the DZ.com member name of the US representative. Mail him any questions. The mind is like a parachute - it only works once it's open. From the edge you just see more. ... Not every Swooper hooks & not every Hooker swoops ...

It's better to be on the ground, wishing you were up there, than being up there and wishing you were on the ground. When i thought about to jump or not to jump due to wind the last time, my buddy came in too fast and broke his leg (piloting error thou), which ended my jumping day anyway... Not comfy, not jumping. It's that simple. The mind is like a parachute - it only works once it's open. From the edge you just see more. ... Not every Swooper hooks & not every Hooker swoops ...

Another thing learned!

Well, considering all the different kinds of jumpers out there, their different weights and proficiency levels, i do not hthink such regulation would be practical, except maybe for limiting wingloading and canopy design (no semi-elliptical/elliptical/Xbraced). Still, i think this would not be necessary if people listened closer to their instructors and more experienced comrades. I had no clue of wingloading when my instructor told me a 150 would be just the right size for me. When i went to a 135 i made a much more informed decision and was a lot more aware of the factors involved and what i was looking at. I also always gave "negative advice" serious consideration. And my instructor, who set up my first gear deal for me, would never have sold me anything smaller even if i had wanted. When i was buying my first gear (used) i basically had my instructor make the decisions for me, but he explained me well why and what. Some gear dealers would probably have sold me anything i wanted though without a lot of questions. The mind is like a parachute - it only works once it's open. From the edge you just see more. ... Not every Swooper hooks & not every Hooker swoops ...

My instructor sized me down from a 190 to a 150 between jumps 30 and 45, because i had pretty consistent good landings (was ridded of radio instructions on jump 2, no-TD AFF). The 150 put me at a wl of ~ 1.17. I didn't really think or even know of wingloading by then... I had consistent standup landings, until i started to flare asymetrical, putting my flare into a curve i had to run out, mostly finishing the run in a roll. This lasted for like 5-7 jumps, so my instructor came up to me and told me not to look at the ground but at the horizon, and there, i had my standups back. He also instructed me to play around with the canopies a lot up high, so i could get a better feel for their characteristics. Then last year @ ~260 jumps i went to a 135 (semielliptical) for 60 jumps, tried the 120 of the same model, found it to be too aggressive, went back to the 135 for like 15 jumps, retried the 120 and loved it. The guy who told me to try the 120 was the test jumper of the manufacturer, and he had been around the DZ for quite a while and had given me a number of tipps and watched my landings. So after a couple of demos on the 120 i got my own now and love it. I have been playing around with it a lot, and recently found me at pretty low altitude being cut off. I initiated a flat turn and thought, ok, well, crosswind landing (been there, done that). Turned out that the turn was so flat i came in upwind all fine and i had a fine, no-special landing. I was pretty amazed at how flat my canopy could turn if need be. I could even have kept up the turn and landed like 30 degrees crosswind to the other side, but i preferred a nice upwind flare... Still, i asked a lot of people on my choice of downsizing, being aware thet my profile matches exactly the majority of fatalities/severe injuries. Still know my PLF by heart though from two weeks of army training ten years back, my first 15 jumps were on good old T-10s. Now gimme a sec to trench in, then keep it comin'! On the side, a guy i knew by a common firend got a BT Pro 120 with like 85 jumps, and we both told him he was nuts. He told us he would not jump it for at least 30 jumps, but you know the deal and three weeks later i heard he had broken his ankle using the thing... I also was tempted to do a SLAM once, because i got the rabit-snake look going due to a fence right next to the peas, but i focussed and did the peas just right. The guy i did a two way with on that jump came in right in my flight path and would have landed right next to me had he not decided to do the SLAM. Broke his femur and was off to the hospital within 15 minutes. Edited to add: It's in my profile, but for convenience: 361 jumps, 120 Semi-elliptical loaded at 1.57:1 The mind is like a parachute - it only works once it's open. From the edge you just see more. ... Not every Swooper hooks & not every Hooker swoops ...

Way to go! Had one like that happen to me @ jump 60ish.. First jump on a new DZ, me second one to exit. The Pilot was there the first day and was used to a different exit procedure, the first group (2way, used to the DZ) didn't really spot as there was a slight cloud cover, and BAMM! there we are, on top of a large woody area and i'm getting really nervous because all that didn't match the photo i was shown... So i looked where the others were, and saw them going for a big clearing... headded their way and landed right next to them on a nice acre with cows, a good fifteen minute walk from the next town and a good 10 km off the DZ... People were looking quite surprised when we (freefly dressed clowns) knocked on their door to ask for a phone call to the DZ... And we had all thought that we could make another jump that day, it was November and it became my last jump for that season. I had to make that decision a couple of times last year as well due to long spots and a large forest surrounding the DZ. And we're talking old pine trees here, small canopy high up and nothin below, not good to land in... One advice though, when choosing the actual landing area: Keep a good pace away from roads, as wires are likely to be set up along them. Oh yeah, and no red canopies and single bull acres... Edited to add: Since that first time i always have five bucks in my pocket either for calling or paying a cab... The mind is like a parachute - it only works once it's open. From the edge you just see more. ... Not every Swooper hooks & not every Hooker swoops ...

Very good arguments, learning a lot of this thread. Just one tiny objection here. My BOC has about zero bridle exposure, and the PC is completely protected from the airflow. It's a BOC with a Freefly Pud. Image Now, in this image the bridle is actually exposed (the bright yellow thingy there...), as it was one of my first packjobs on that rig. Doesn't happen anymore. The mind is like a parachute - it only works once it's open. From the edge you just see more. ... Not every Swooper hooks & not every Hooker swoops ...

JFYI, the WL recommendations and packing volumes are on the very last page of the pdf... The mind is like a parachute - it only works once it's open. From the edge you just see more. ... Not every Swooper hooks & not every Hooker swoops ...

Check this out. Page is in german, check second pic from the top. depicted are two small stiffeners open downward attached to your front risers, so that your front slider grommets can be hooked up under them. I think every rigger could sew something like that to your risers... I've jumped a demo with these, slider stays down nicely. Much simpler than all that behind your head fiddling stuff and by far not as scary (to me) as your zipper/teeth stuff... The mind is like a parachute - it only works once it's open. From the edge you just see more. ... Not every Swooper hooks & not every Hooker swoops ...

I'm all with you on that. Just wanted to point out the flaw in comparison with statics and (modern) reserves... And learned about the Jesus rope that way... The mind is like a parachute - it only works once it's open. From the edge you just see more. ... Not every Swooper hooks & not every Hooker swoops ...

Statics are pulled out by the plane, Reserves and student ripcords spring driven. Pullouts are not spring driven. Would you jump a reserve without PC spring? The mind is like a parachute - it only works once it's open. From the edge you just see more. ... Not every Swooper hooks & not every Hooker swoops ...