icevideot

Hey Bolas, why does this make me think of the hitler scenes in that adam sandler movie Little Nicky? You know the one, right? "... this ain't a Nerf world."

Texico? "... this ain't a Nerf world."

You could always take your jumpsuit on your next shoe expedition. Everytime I get new shoes I have to get used to how they feel with my booties. It always seems to be different. "... this ain't a Nerf world."

I 90 jumps I was far enough away that I should have used the zoom Seriously though jsaxton is probably right here. The more likely danger is loosing awareness, either altitude or situational. The most dangerous times are going to be when things are going really good (great skydive cool sunset, etc) or when they are really weird like a funnel or freefall collision or whatever. At those times it can be hard for very experienced vidiots to remain aware of all the things going on and keep our internal clock functioning. There have been a lot of AAD fires to support this too. At 90 jumps there is no way your experience level has you equipped for this. The other side of the coin is are you flying the camera or are you skydiving and just happen to have a camera running? If it is the latter then I am not sure you are being all that reckless. The signs to tip you off as to which one you are would be things like how often does the camera angle shift suddenly as you read your alti? How often do you just scan the sky around you for people or things you may not have noticed? Do you check the spot in freefall? When I am being paid to video I strive to never move the camera away from the subject to do these things. Now I have learned to look around pretty hard without moving my head and sometimes I may fly a bit higher or adjust heading to look where I want but to an extent I am trusting those I am jumping with to be aware and listening for that little voice to tell me something is not right. I can't advise you because I don't know you but I have seen people with far fewer jumps that I think were safe. I also know a few with 1000s of jumps you can't get me on a load with. Screen your advice carefully and choose your actions. It is always more fun if noone gets hurt so good luck. "... this ain't a Nerf world."

AggieDave does do a great job getting his points across doesn't he. I have learned quite a bit from him and a handful of others on here that are consistent and thorough. It is never too early to start building the knowledge base that will change you from an average skydiver/canopy pilot to a great one. It may be too early to try most of it for a while but that is where a good and experienced coach/mentor comes in. They can give you advice based on where you are in the learning curve. Watch what people do and try to stand near the more respected pilots on the ground and see what they point out as very good, okay, or just dangerous. Sometimes very bad technique can end in what looks great to the untrained eye. I love to hear these guys discussing a swoop I just saw and learn a lot from the things I didn't notice and they point out, good or bad. Never forget we all do this for fun. "... this ain't a Nerf world."

Congrats and I am glad it worked out for you. I do need to add a word of caution. It can be extremely dangerous to deviate from planned procedures especially this early in the sport. It sounds like you did a great job but this could have just as easily turned into a praise the AAD (whether cypress or other) thread. Without more information I can't fairly speculate on the instructors point of view. Skydiving is a very high speed sport and there are often multiple first person accounts that can vary widely. Keep up the great work and let us know how it goes.

Holiday Inn Express 478-272-7862 March 16-18 $66.60 / night (need AAA card when check-in) 2 queen beds, non-smoking Just FYI this is what we got. I hope Spence has arranged the warm weather. "... this ain't a Nerf world."

Which hotel is that? The name of it I mean, I am going to see if it is the same one we booked. "... this ain't a Nerf world."

So please educate me since I have only done about 20 jumps on a Diablo. Are you saying wing loading, turn rate, and field elevation have nothing to do with recovery time or altitude lost during recovery? I would also like to point out the fatality statistics do not agree that . I do have a lot of jumps on those and if you think it will recover as soon as you let up a toggle or riser then it is going to break more than your heart when you try it. This is an example of dangerous misinformation that is being stated. Please take a breath and relax before you accuse me of flaming you. I assure you it is not my intention. Have a great day, Robin "... this ain't a Nerf world."

In all fairness, students are not always accurate when they quote what their instructor "told them". I have even ran into this when I overheard someone coaching on canopy flight or emergency procedures. Then only minutes later have them say to me they were never told not to turn below 300 feet or were told to pull if they are unstable. They are trying to absorb a lot of information and some of it gets skewed. That is why it is so repetitive. As for the checks and balances in the hanger, I don't recommend anyone to take the advice of only one source. Even if the info is good then the understanding of it can be flawed. Discussing things with different people can lead to much greater insight. It also gives you a chance to evaluate the advice givers and decide which are better sources and which are often contradicted. The reason very low timers or students are sent to instructors is because sometimes it is as important what you don't tell them as it is what you do tell them. There is a reason emergency procedures are simplified in the beginning and as proficiency builds the different variables can be explained in detail. This is my opinion but you can always ask your instructor.

That and have you ever seen a SL out of a King Air? Holy cow that can get interesting. I don't know of anyone that has tried it more than a few times. I let my SL rating lapse and only teach AFF now but a lot of people jumping now learned that way and in some cases it is a viable alternative. "... this ain't a Nerf world."

Yeah I was more concerned with traffic from other aircraft. If you can't find a safe landing area in Rantoul I would seriously reconsider my hobbies. "... this ain't a Nerf world."

But, I watch Southpark. You mean all Canadian's heads don't flap when they speak? I would think that would be a dead giveaway. "... this ain't a Nerf world."

With all the different jump runs in Rantoul and different aircraft in the air I just trust the pilot and go when he says. Of course I do scan for traffic but not so much the spot. "... this ain't a Nerf world."

If you chop the main it still falls to the ground so wouldn't it also contribute to the total weight that is allowing the canopy to fly in the first place? It may not contribute to the equations for the reserve assuming you chop it but I think it does for the main. What do you smart guys lurking out there think? "... this ain't a Nerf world."

I used a circular polarizing filter for a while in bright light but stopped after a couple of busy days when I still had it on at sunset. (a bit dark for my taste) I went to UV and then had the lens flare issue. Now I just jump the lens naked. "... this ain't a Nerf world."

I think one needs to be careful of buying something cheap and then spending a lot on it to make it acceptable. When it comes time to sell the value often doesn't reflect the investment. Just my opinion but try to find something acceptable as is. If you end up needing to reline the main it will add another $200 to $300 but that should be about it. "... this ain't a Nerf world."

Yeah, I know what you mean but I doubt it is worth the trouble. "... this ain't a Nerf world."

MMMMM, I think she wins. I have had a lot of peeps ask me if bruises are normal but I don't remember seeing a more impressive example. They usually become rare once you get a rig that fits well. One size fits none... or is that all? "... this ain't a Nerf world."

I think the "pro" comes from a combo of better glass, wider front glass for more light, and front threads for a filter. I stopped using the filter due to the reflected "ghost" from the extra glass layer if you are facing the light source. I really like mine and it is considerably wider. If you don't like it as a primary it would still be an awesome back-up. "... this ain't a Nerf world."

Here ya go Spence, if you use this as the hook in your advertising attendance will double!! (sorry Bolas, I couldn't help it) "... this ain't a Nerf world."

This may be true in some places but the only routine second passes I have seen have been in competitions. They seem to be rare otherwise in my experience. "... this ain't a Nerf world."

Take some cold beer to the dropzone and after jumping is over hand a couple to some of the experienced jumpers and/or instructors and tell them you'd like to learn more about how the gear works. This type of introductory search for knowledge needs to be handled face to face with some gear or other teaching aids to help you understand. The more you learn the more questions you will have but you will gain some knowledge of the basics along the way. Don't forget that a little knowledge is a dangerous thing. "... this ain't a Nerf world."

I am not sure about the other manufacturers but in the Strong tandem course we were taught the top hooks are rated for 5000 lbs each and the lower (lateral) were rated for 2500 lbs each. One of those will easily tow a car. Maintaining a desirable body position would be "interesting" but you are now out of the aircraft emergency. If these numbers are not correct I am sure you tandem guys will correct me.

If you think belly fliers jump large canopies just visit the next 50 way or larger event and watch the swarm in the landing area while they are all looking for an open piece of grass. As for the risk of collision, I have pretty much boycotted one dz due to too many instances of me tracking toward freeflyers who zoomed down and opened and were now flying toward me. Tracking toward canopies suck and most freefliers I know don't usually open low. I prefer not to open low myself for that matter. My vote is belly before freefliers and it has everything to do with safety and nothing to do with a seat on the plane. It is winter now so who wants to sit by the door? "... this ain't a Nerf world."