Tonto

It's not just the airspeed. Although I've never jumped a wingsuit from a C-130, I have 200 plus FS hops out of them, usually launching a big peice. (8 - 12) The props all turn the same way. This causes one side to push up... the other to dump. And they're BIG props. I'm trying to remember now... but this info goes back to the late 80's. I think its the left side of the ramp that dumps, and the right that lifts. It's easier to stay well presented on the lifting side, and being well presented is critical when the speed arrives. You'll have just enough time to think "This isn't so bad?" before that speed arrives. Any pic of a mass exit off the tailgate will show you what the good side is. See if you can find one. Enjoy! t It's the year of the Pig.

Hey Ed! Is that a Sugarglider you're wearing? Apart from being a little wider in the arm positioning, it looks near identical! t It's the year of the Pig.

About 36 years ago, when I was 6, I was arguing about something with my Grandfather. I knew I was right. After a short time, he tired of this and gave me some money. A small amount. Although I'm in Africa, lets call it $1. He said, "You can't argue with someone who knows they're right. It's a waste of time. I'm old. I don't have the time. Take this $1 and give it to someone else to argue with you." I took the dollar, but it drove me MAD that he simply refused to listen to the point of view that I had spent all that time prepairing. You give yourself a lot of credit. When I see video footage of pilots with $50 000 000 worth of training ejecting too late and dying - I wonder what you have that they don't. For someone with all that awareness, I'm shocked that its so low that you can't feel your canopy release. I hear my three rings klink, the airspeed increase, the "pock!" of my reserve container opening, the "Vrrrrrrrr!" of my bridle leaving... You're about 30% as current and 8% as experienced as I am - but probably younger and faster. You're way sharper than I'll ever be - but you need to look. You've made up your mind. Stick to your guns. If I could send you a dollar, I would. I hope I don't see you in incidents. To the rest of you looking to avoid a double mal.. As someone who has had 18 cutaways, and one reserve malfunction (On a Tandem - posted in Incidents here) - I agree with all the old hands here have to say. Some of my chops have been from ugly wraps and entanglements, one a Pilot chute in tow, a couple of broken lines in the days I was more cavalier about gear maintenance, a spinner or two, a baglocked tandem... quite a nice spectrum, really. Some required no thought at all, and even had my CRW team laughing as they heard me shout out my drills in exactly the same way I teach my students. Some have broken drills due to timing or circumstance and resulted in my unscathed survival. I'm a lucky guy. I think avoiding a double mal starts with avoiding a single mal. Maintain your 3 ring release system. Replace risers, bags, bridles, pilot chutes etc when they still have a couple of hundred jumps left in them. Replacing your closure loop when it shows wear or once a month. Line trim checked (for me) every 300 dives. Replaced every 600 dives. Plan your dive. Dive your plan. Know who you're jumping with. Check the spot etc. even if it's right after exit. The sooner you know you're hosed, the better. If you're thinking "It'll probably be OK", it probably won't be. Murphy's always fucking with the low guy. Wear an alti, but eyeball when you can. Analog is less cool, but anything with batteries and no replacement cycle (Read: Neptunes, Pro-Dytter, Pro-Track) etc is just waiting to screw you. My jumping is very regular. About 35 jumps a month, year round. I replace now, every 6 months. Building ANY emergency procedure around triggers such as "flatlines" etc is just bullshit. What you hear under pressure - or even if you do hear - cannot be relyed upon. Ask those who've been in a gunfight how many shots they fired - how many were fired at them? Many won't know. Waiting for a flatline is Darwin award material. We'd all laugh our asses off at someone who was waiting for the 6 second buzzer before the expolsives went off - and the buzzer never worked. In the unlikely event of you having an entanglement use all the time you have to clear it - but even if it's for no other reason than your ego at the inquest into your own death - pull all the handles in the correct sequence. As the ground comes up - your options go down. The ground doesn't give a fuck how good you are, or how much you trust your gear. It doesn't know how safe gear has become. It's not fast, but it's patient, and its waiting to kill you. Stay sharp. t It's the year of the Pig.

Umm. Only 800 000 I'm afraid..In 3 months. t It's the year of the Pig.

I think that there is a greater likelyhood of people reading History and trivia who may remember such an incident. "The purpose of this forum (Incidents) is to report, discuss and learn from fatal and serious non-fatal incidents. Most, if not all, new threads here should start with the report of an actual incident. " We don't even know if there was an actual incident. There may have been several as the "1959-1963" timeframe requested covers 4 years. Do you think anyone could learn from it if there was one considering the changes in gear, training etc that have occured in the last 45 years? If we have confirmation of an incident - we can always move it back. t It's the year of the Pig.

Which is not always a good thing... t It's the year of the Pig.

1960? I doubt we're going to learn anything from this one so I'm moving it. t It's the year of the Pig.

Foretrex 101 Picks it up fast cos it's in the same place it was when I turned it off - except 11000ft higher. I don't think it's faster than any other GPS though. t It's the year of the Pig.

Wow. Reading this thread now, written some 19 months prior to the release of the Mirage SB certainly puts several things into perspective. I've been skydiving 20 years this week. It's so good to hear that someone who was building rigs long before I'd ever heard of a Javelin, Wings, Infinity, Icon, Vortex etc, is still well ahead of the curve. Well. At least 19 months, anyway! Thanks so much for the information. t It's the year of the Pig.

I think you've got something there. I've got a few jumps on a Stilleto, and I've noticed that their performance drops RIGHT off when loaded above 1.8. Lower loaded canopies, as low as 1.4 ppsft get really looong swoops up here - while at the coast they just stop. t It's the year of the Pig.

Which was made legal by a democratically elected govenment, right? t It's the year of the Pig.

I'm with you on American Beauty Pulp Fiction American History X Full Metal Jacket Taxi Driver Fight Club Kill Bill* Reservoir Dogs Fargo Unforgiven Memento The Usual Suspects Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels Falling Down The Rocketeer Natural Born Killers Zoolander But would have to find other movies for the rest... t It's the year of the Pig.

Swingers is 11... t It's the year of the Pig.

35 It's the year of the Pig.

Spiralling in the pattern isn't good, but you know that now. One day, when you're really good, learn to be nicer to the new people when they scare you and your freinds. Good luck. t It's the year of the Pig.

Go to Spain, dude. I was a Captonian for 30 years. That's why I live in Johannesburg now! Cape Town will be wet and windy. Jhb will be cool and super clear, but... Go to Spain. When at Empuria Brava, look up Ivan (He owns the place and is an Ex South African) and tell him Tonto says "Hi." Enjoy! t It's the year of the Pig.

That's what you get when you install democracy in foreign countries! t It's the year of the Pig.

You know the risk. You're anticipating smearing in - and so saving your new gear for the following weekend - and yet you're still planning on going ahead. If I expected to fall over on a landing - I wouldn't do the jump. How old are you? Night vision and depth perception deteriorate rapidly in middle age for men. It's hobsons choice. Borrowed gear may be more forgiving if you use it right. Using borrowed gear may mean that you may screw it up cos it's unfamiliar. I think you're trying to force this. If your own DZ offers no night jump capability, then move to a DZ that does, or help your DZ do them. Our DZ is on Club owned land - private runway - no lights. But getting 100 club members each to buy batteries and 2 touch lights solved that problem. True, it's a mission laying them out and changing batteries etc - but for 3 or 4 times a year, we offer our members what they need to get their licence requirements. Having said all this - it'll probably go fine. If not, what's the very worst that could happen, right? t It's the year of the Pig.

John. I think you're confused. In Both Germany and Japan, 1940, the US was not even in the war. It took the US over 3 years to join the 3rd World War, which started in September 1939, not December 1942. Are you taking credit for democracy 3 years BEFORE the US even joined the war? t It's the year of the Pig.

Here you go. Weekends only. 1992 - 505 2004 - 428 2002 - 384 2003 - 331 1995 - 321 1994 - 285 1996 - 254 1988 - 233 1989 - 225 1993 - 224 2000 - 188 1991 - 179 2001 - 167 1997 - 162 1999 - 152 1990 - 146 1998 - 118 1986 - 113 1985 - 26 2005 - 24 1987 - 20 t It's the year of the Pig.

Time? Umm. Looked at my Neptune for the 1st time after opening.. (Pro-Dytter and 2000+ dives at the same DZ precludes much staring at the clock) and the screen was blank but for a thin line. Flat battery. I won't get full distance or time off the GPS either, as I turn it on just before exit and it takes 15 - 20 secs to get a lock. Doing it this way prevents me from recording the plane speed as my Maximum. (although I think a Porter would need to work quite hard on jump run to get 161 mpm..) I'll try download the dive tonight. t It's the year of the Pig.

Quite correct. You got me by a year. "The Spaniards used them in Cuba during the Spanish-American War (1898), and the British established them for thousands of women and children during the Boer War (1899-1902) in South Africa." t It's the year of the Pig.

Maximum ground speed on Foretrex 101 29 January 2005. True, I was exiting in 40 kt uppers and heading downwind, but I still worked at it - and seeing the ground move by below at that speed is something worth remembering for a while. Also did a tracking dive with 2 former AFF students of mine wearing FS suits and flew with them before climbing away. So many different ways to play with my S3...

And decapitation eliminates the risk of insanity and a host of other brain related maladies, but you don't see me putting pamphlets up promoting it. Bottom line is it is the owner forcing the abstinance - and the mutilation. There is birth control for ticks and fleas. (Frontline - applied to the base of the neck of the pet once a month.) Why no birth control for pets? t It's the year of the Pig.

Dunna dude. Just google Sudan Genocide and see what you get.. t It's the year of the Pig.