Tonto
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Everything posted by Tonto
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The Pintail was made by PISA around 1988/89 and was quickly named the Spintail due to its propensity for spinning malfunctions, which were very rare at the time - so much so that the canopy was grounded for a while. It had some odd idiosyncrisies such as 2 filled in cells and an unusual brake line mechanism. Performance - by todays standards would be shocking, but still prone to significant risk. We've learned a great deal in the past 17 years. I'll always remember the Pintail though, as it was my 1st canopy I had to cut away after an unusual bowtie type malfunction involving the bridle and pilot chute. t It's the year of the Pig.
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Tell them it's a garot you plan to use to kill yourself with if confronted with a hijacker who has a box cutter. As for box cutters... just take the blade out of your hook knife and insert in some inert, non metal handle. I've travelled all over the world - including inside the US with my hook knife on my rig as a carry on. But they did make me take my shoes off... t It's the year of the Pig.
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I've had my Pantz for 14 months. Apart from when I jump my Skyflier 3, I've worn them on every other jump. I do mainly AFF, and in Pantz with a sweatshirt or T shirt, I have a range measured on my Neptune of between 95mph and 143 mph - all on my belly. They give huge leg power on those early AFF linked exits when the student doesn't arch as taught. I'm not a very good freeflier, but they manage a sit just fine, and are cool for head down. And after 300 dives, not one loose thread. Without a doubt - they are money very well spent. t
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I think that's a bit of a presumption. The "vast, vast" majority of skydivers pay for and maintain cypreses that they will never need. They are essensially buying peace of mind, and that peace of mind has been shaken somewhat. RSL's save many, and kill a few. AAD's fall into the same category, along with airbags, seatbelts etc. Each jumper should make their own, informed desision. Personally, I don't like the idea of any safety device that may kill me, but it's all about playing the odds. I'll keep wearing a seat belt. t It's the year of the Pig.
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I have 2 girls, now aged 7 and 11. Since I've been jumping for over 20 years, they have spent about 20 weekends a year at the DZ since the day they were born. The elder one has done 2 Tandems, the younger one is due for her first tandem next year. I don't stay over for the parties when they're at the DZ. They've seen plenty of ambulance rides and can usually tell why.. "Yeah, another low turn... When will they learn?" from my 11 year old last time it happened. There has been one fatal at the DZ when they were there, but they never saw it, and when they asked, I told them what happened. I don't think they think it could happen to me yet. I think I'm a better parent being who I am than stopping jumping and resenting them for it though. t It's the year of the Pig.
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That's more than a 15% downsize... The PD site also has a very good article on why smaller canopies are higher performing, even at lower wingloads than larger canopies. Many senior small jumpers (usually women) find themselves in this position where the only canopies available at the size they need are high performance canopies that recomend higher wingloadings. It's a gap in the market no one is prepaired to fill it seems. Try looking for 70 sq ft pilots, Sabre 2's or Safire 2's and you'll see what I mean... t It's the year of the Pig.
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Seeing these new bird posts, I went back and read something I wrote about my first flight 2 years ago. That 1st flight is one of the most memorable events of my life. The thing that continues to amaze me about this sport is how little we know, and how much we can learn from those who have much fewer dives than we have. t It's the year of the Pig.
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He was pulling against the tab that covers the velcro - and tore it right off! In my book - that would count as a hard pull. We have a saying here... "Met genoeg geveld kan jy our eier vinger in jou poepol afbreek.." It fits pretty well here.. I'll leave it up to PJ to translate! t It's the year of the Pig.
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Ahh, these young un's... they think they know what they're talking about... and then they find out they don't. I'm reminded of an 18 year old AFF student from about 10 years back who "Discovered a new band - called "Jethro Tull"" about 5 years after they released their "20 years of Jethro Tull" album.. t It's the year of the Pig.
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Well, after a couple of flights... The loops at the end of the sleeves I suggested are completely unessesary. Not having them has no ill effects, and allows you to get a full hand to the risers without unzipping, and makes for a far less claustrophobic experience than any other suit I've flown. The snaps to keep the booties up? Also not needed. I just zipped up the legs and folded the bootie in like I do to walk out with a 4 way suit. Landing with the leg wing loose has showed no ill effect. The single diagonal zipper is pure joy and makes the suit easier to get into than any other I've worn. As for the flight, well, it aint no S3, but its fun to fly, feels rock steady and is much, much more nimble. I'm looking forward to many, many more dives on it! t It's the year of the Pig.
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Price is ZAR 8000 ex VAT, I beleive. Current exchange rate is R6.40 to the $, so about $1250 ex VAT, Shipping, etc. That's the same ballpark as the top suits from PF and BM, right? t It's the year of the Pig.
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I see my PHI (Now that I've actually touched it..) has a rigid centre rib in the leg wing. That would account for the lack of snaps, at least in my book. Mine was bought as a demo... so sadly, someone will be out demoing it tomorrow. I may get a go on Sunday though... t It's the year of the Pig.
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And he'd have a spare set if he ever loses handles as a result of a chop.
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Others are pointing out the problem. You need to release the wingtip gripper to pull. Now you (may) need to find it again to unzip. If I have a cutaway - I'll need to open my hands to get the gripper - and there go my handles. After 18 cutaways I've only ever dropped one handle - and that was to succesfully deal with a reserve malfunction - so I'll be sewing a couple of loops onto my PHI. It'll take less than 5 min, cost less than $5 and provide me with familiarity and peace of mind on my next several 100 wingsuit dives. But that's just me. t It's the year of the Pig.
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I'm done at 2000ft. I've done 1800 AFF dives now, and I've never had the need to go below 3500ft. As someone said before, we are not superhuman. There are 1000's of variables that can present themselves in a very narrow time frame. Know your options and your timeframe. Prevention is better than cure. t It's the year of the Pig.
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I just recieved mine, and I've not yet seen it, but from Taz's description, your suit is perfectly normal. Wing cutaways use velcro. Personally, I'm quite pleased about that. What I intend to do this weekend is.. 1. Hold the wingtip gripper when I zip out of the wings. 2. Unzip the suit and push the booties into the thigh for landing. (Still do this on my Classic 1 and have always used the vent hole on my S3 rather than the tabs) 3. Push the L.Q.R.S cable into the bootie. There are a couple of differences from this pic too - most noticable is the pic has what looks like a rear wing deflector while ours do not. After the weekend's jumping, I'll sew loops onto the arms and put a snap through the toe tab to hook up to the leg for landing. Nothing that can't be sorted in 10 min, if it even needs sorting at all. Can't wait to see how it flies! t It's the year of the Pig.
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I have quite a few jumps and load only at 1.8, which many consider to be quite low for my experience level. Part of the reason is I'm at a DZ that's 5000ft AMSL, but I also don't like to fall down. If I were jumping at sea level, I'd be on a 90 something, but 10, 20 or 30 years from now I may well be jumping something the same size I started out on, which was around 200 sq ft when I was 22 years old. For me it's all about staying within your limitations. t It's the year of the Pig.
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Grounding Yourself For Wind
Tonto replied to jumpjunkie2004's topic in General Skydiving Discussions
I sit out at 15kts. I jump every weekend and I have quite a few jumps so I don't need to squeeze in every dive I can. Where I jump is hot and high, and the margins for error are low on a highly loaded canopy. I like to swoop and I don't like the variables that higher/turbulent winds cause. t It's the year of the Pig. -
And it was the 3rd world which did the world's 1st successful heart transplant. South Africa had the same fear of Cuban doctors after the 1994 elections. It proved unfounded. The time and effort many have put into their communities is admirable. The US has lots, and lots of crappy doctors. t It's the year of the Pig.
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Chance of Main and Reserve both malfunctioning
Tonto replied to SkyDiveCoastie's topic in General Skydiving Discussions
The chances are pretty good. I had a pressure knot on a Tandem main, cut it away and had a pressure knot on the reserve too. It sucked, but I got it sorted before landing. t It's the year of the Pig. -
Always Coke. It's civilisation in a can - and when you find it, in Africa, or anywhere else, it's always cold. t It's the year of the Pig.
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RW Using Fatalities as Advertising!
Tonto replied to silvere's topic in General Skydiving Discussions
I really, really wish you were around when we drooled over the inovation of shot and a half capewells after using 2 shot. All I can hope is that you have no idea of what or who you're talking about. I also like my Mirages, but when I look at them, I understand it only looks the way it does and works the way it does because of Bill Booth. The truth is - those 3 fatals were caused because the jumpers failed to ensure that they had a landable canopy above their heads prior to landing. That may seem harsh, but whenever safer equipment has been released - jumpers have used it to push their margins a little lower. The old "I need an AAD to go on THAT skydive" is proof of that school of thought, akin to "If I'm going to skick my head in a blender, I'll wear a helmet." Here's a trick. Don't stick your head in the blender. If some guy invents a blender proof helmet, encourage all those who stick their heads in blenders to use it. t It's the year of the Pig. -
I missed a calender month in March 1987. I broke my femur in Feb, jumped again in April - but I was still on crutches.. I'll be jumping this weekend!
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This must be North American slang. Oxford defines "Freak" as follows, n person or thing that is abnormal in form. Person who dresses absurdly. That doesn't sound like a good thing. Is it? t It's the year of the Pig.
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Rodger still got no shoes eh? That's good to see. Some things never change.