tigra

Pammi, I couldn't reach my slider and it was beating the #$%^ out if my bumpers. After a few different suggestions from riggers, including shorter risers, I went with soft links. The slider was hanging up by the bumpers and just out of reach. The soft links solved the problem for me. Ask a rigger about them- they can be easily installed, and not too expensive. PD now makes them, they are called "slinks". Also, someone told me that the shorter risers have smaller toggle handles, which I don't think I'd like.

180 degree turn below, say 500'? Done with the front risers or toggles for the purpose of a fast landing with a long surf. That's the most basic definition, maybe the 500' is closer to 200? But you better be pretty comfy with your canopy before you start any radical turns that low- high performance canopies tend to be pretty ground hungry. Don't do em myself. And I think you can still have some fun with the Stiletto without them. (or do them high, and be careful not to cut anyone off or get in anyone's way!)

I have a factory diver, which I wear without the visor regardless of the season, and I really like it that way. (but I'm not a cold weather jumper anymore) I wear goggles or close fitting sunglasses under it and have for a couple of years. But with the newer helmets, all the lenses are flip ups anyway, aren't they? So, to avoid fogging and heating up, keep it open til jump run and fasten it securely. And if you're feeling claustrophobic, you should be able to pop it open under canopy, too.

I didn't see that, but a few years ago, there was a guy who on his AFF level one cutaway a perfectly good parachute at around 100'. He landed in the trees and walked away with only scratches and bruises. Thing is, it was probably a failed suicide attempt that got caught on video, and since he survived, it got a lot of media coverage. So he made the talk show rounds talking about his escape from death and his parachute malfunction. It was pretty obvious to even a novice skydiver that the guy cut away a perfectly good parachute for no apparant reason, but no one ever mentioned that on the talk shows. That wouldn't have been anywhere near as interesting!

I would get the largest reserve that would fit safely and comfortably in the container. Ask your rigger, and check with SunPath for their recommendations. Your reserve is your back up. The priority should be a safe landing. Blue ones!

I may be wrong, but I believe the fatalites you referred to involved much more highly loaded reserves opening at extreme speeds. Really, a combination of 2 separate issues, and definately beyond the specifications of the reserve canopies in question.

I broke my ankle in July of 98, and was grounded for the rest of the summer, and a beautiful long indian summer and fall. Jumpable all through November, which does not always happen in Chicago. My boyfriend was dragging me to the dz every weekend anyway. It was really difficult and my liver suffered the consequences. (meaning I sat around and drank while my friends jumped...) One of my friends (girlfriend of another jumper,) was really bummed when I got better, because she had no one to party with anymore! I had promised my doctor and my physical therapist that I would wait until spring, but I finally broke down and made a jump in early december, which made coming back in the spring that much easier! As a rule, I get through the winters fine without jumping because there is so much other stuff to keep me busy that I don't get to do the rest of the year. But the first signs of warm air and sunshine get me itching to jump all over again!

I know it sucks to give up your rig for a few weeks just when the weather is becoming jumpable, but it is important maintenance. My baby is with my rigger right now for the same thing. You can probably safely jump it this weekend, but if its your first trip to the dz this year, and your reserve is out of date, they probably won't let you jump it anyway. Most dzs have you renew your paperwork and waivers once a year and they will check your rig and reserve card at that time. Our manifest is all computerized, and we can't manifest with a reserve out of date. Yes, there are ways around that, but this is a safety forum so lets not go there.... Also, your rigger will not repack your reserve without sending the cypres in. Please be safe and don't fudge it past this weekend! maybe you can rent or borrow gear? Not the best option, but anything to get your knees in the breeze, right! Blue ones! Maura

Yes, it can get "uncocked", especially if you are a new packer and mess with the canopy a lot. I believe that happened to me the fist time I jumped my own unassisted pack job. Huge hesitation before opening. So, while cocking my pc is on of the first things I do, I always check after it is in the bag, before I close my container.

I have a sabre 150, about 500 jumps, relined last year, maybe 50 on the new lines. Email me if you are interested. Just looking for a fair price.

Our old dz was right next to a major highway, and across the highway was a nice bean field, with a friendly neighbor (but I didn't know that at the time). But if you landed there, it was a long walk back because you had to get to the bridge to cross the highway. Anyway, I landed out there one day, after my first 8 way, and started the long trudge back. As I was walking down the road, a police car drove past, then backed up and stopped. The officer got out of the car and opened the door to the back seat. Get in, he tells me. So I did, of course. Then I asked him if I was under arrest or if he was giving me a ride. He laughed and said anyone crazy enough to jump out of planes deserved a ride, and he drove me back. It was pretty funny having a police car deliver me back to the dz.

The comp grips (the fat ones) are good too. And are you sure you can't do a swoop suit? They make them in the higher drag fabric, and you can get the "winter cut" with a fuller cut, and order a little extra wing. I just think its a more versatile RW suit. Also, depending on your landings, knees and seat reinforced with cordura is a good option, and if your doing a lot of exit practice in the mock up, knee pads aren't bad either. Pretty darn easy to turn a $185.00 jumsuit into a $300.00 masterpiece, isn't it? Good luck!

"If you don't have the green line, couldn't you cock it and then use a green permanent marker to color in that section of line in the window? Just coo-rious." I'm more comfortable checking it the way that I do. Then I know for sure it's good. I cock it first, then check it before I close my container.

I don't have that little green line to let me know when my pilot chute is cocked. To check it, I just wave it in the air and drop it, if it catches air and sort of floats to the ground its cocked. If it drops straight down hackey first, then its not. I would say, when it gets hard to cock, its time to replace it. Mine is getting to that point after about 500 odd jumps, but it still works. Anyway, I'll be replacing mine soon, because it is sort of worn and I have a new canopy, so I think its only right to have a new p/c to go with it. Its a great idea to ask your rigger to SHOW you exactly what the article was referring to and see if yours is OK. Just like skydivers in general, most riggers are very approachable and willing to answer questions and help out. Blue ones!

I stayed pretty low key about my skydiving when I took the job I'm in now. It really didn't come up at the interview, so I didn't volunteer. My previous employer did give me greif about it more than once, so I figured why open that can of worms? Its my personal life, what I do on the weekends, so how is it their business? They know now, and its no big deal really, but they do make comments about how crazy it is. But, speaking as a person in a position to hire people, I would not discriminate against anyone for their weekend leisure activities which are perfectly legal. I've had enough problems with 20 something party girls, (and boys) crawling in to work still blasted from the night before. (Not like I didn't used to do that myself...) So, I know there is a lot worse than skydivers, out there in the work force. So if the subject comes up, talk about how skydiving has improved your self confidence and decision making skills, and how that will make you a better employee. And, just a word of wisdom... its probably not a good idea to call in sick to go jumping. If Karma has her way, that will be the one day that something happens, and you will have a hard time explaining why you are on crutches the next day when you stayed home from work for the sniffles!

You know, it really is hard to pack a malfunction. And it doesn't have to look neat and pretty in the bag in order to open nice. Some of my best openings on my sabre have been really ugly looking pack jobs, where I just sort of ended up stuffing it in the bag. Just watch your slider and be careful with your lines, and even if it looks like sh@#, it should still work. Sorry, no real suggestions for taming that slippery zero p material. I have a brand new Spectre and its a b@#$% to pack, so I'm going through the same thing. I actually had John LeBlanc of PD try and show me how to control it. Firm but gentle, don't kneel directly on it, wrap the tail tightly were some of his suggestions. Good luck!

Only for the one I'm living with! Had to disappoint the others...

I am a wuss. Its not the freefall that gets me as much as the canopy ride. But I have done my fair share of cold weather jumping, I just choose not to these days!

Yes, but I don't think I'll be out this weekend, so I'll miss your graduation. My rigger has my rig, had to send the cypres in for it 4 year check and do a repack. Plus, I have "relative work" to do. (sister in town) And call me a wuss, but 40 degrees is still a little chilly to jump. I'm waiting for 50 and full sun. I was out for the expo, but other than that, haven't been around all winter, so we probably have not met. My name is Maura, I have long blond hair and all my gear is red, black and white. I usually pack on the blue mat next to the freefly area, east end of the hangar. I should be there for the next sunny weekend day, so come find me. I mostly belly fly, but I've been dabbling in sitflying too. If you end up at Skydive Illinois on Monday, give Ronco a big kiss for me. He is GREAT PEOPLE. Blue ones! I hope Roger's weather mojo is working and you get to graduate!

Don't worry Chris, you'll make new frineds!

If you think your jumpsuit is sexy, you should see my weight vest. Its made by Zute Suit, just for chicks. Basically, it sort of looks like a twisted bustier- the boobs are cut out so the weight is better distributed, under, in between, instead of smashing them down the way a guys vest does. When I got it, the first thing the guys said, was, uh can you try that on without a shirt?

Hey Brad, I know how you feel. There was a time when I first started jumping that I really did use it for stress relief from my job. Even the wait from Monday to Friday could be too much! My boss and co-workers went from thinking I was nuts to do it to begin with, and trying to tell me I couldn't when we were busy (just in case I got hurt and couldn't work- senstive caring employers they were...!) to, throw that girl out of a plane, she's much easier to get along with when she's been jumping! Even a 1 or 2 week layoff is tough, especially when you are new to the sport. But now I can take the whole winter without going through serious altitude withdrawal. I actually look forward to the season dying down by the time falls rolls around, after 6 or 7 months of spending every weekend at the dz, sleeping in a trailer, getting up early for the first load of the day. Because between my job and skydiving, I don't spend any time at home. So for the first couple of weeks it feels good to sleep late in my own comfy bed Saturday morning, and not have to pack a bag and drive out to the dz immediately after work on Friday. Of course, by January, I'm looking for sunny skies and unseasonably warm weather, and by February, I'm starting to get cranky and irritable again..... Hang in there! Good luck! You can get through this!

Troy, I'm in a similar situation, having just purchased a Wings container because the deal was too good to pass up, and I just fell in love with it. Fits nice, very comfortable, and great design. Really nice looking rig. I wasn't looking for a new container, but this one found me anyway. Since I already have a perfectly good system, I have time to piece this one together. My plan is to take it to my rigger and get his opinion as far as what size reserve and main will fit, and also get more feedback from Tim @ Wings. This container may require downsizing my main, (and I just bought a new spectre), and will definately call for a smaller reserve than I currently jump, but not ridiculously small. My reserve is already slightly smaller than my main. Like you, I want the largest reserve which will safely fit in the container. If I need to shelve this rig for awhile as I transition into a slightly smaller main, and maybe lose a little weight so I don't load the reserve too badly, for me that's OK. But, again, this isn't my only rig. I don't know if that helps or not, but you are not alone in your dilemma. Good luck! And Lisa is right. Tim can give you a better idea of what will fit. I would take his word for it, and if you aren't comfortable with it, don't jump it.

2 reserve rides, no cutaways...How? On jump #49, I had an FXC misfire at around 2500'(jumping rental gear). I was already under, and flying my main, when I felt something strange and was pitched forward in my harness. Then I was upright again, but something didn't feel right. I looked up, then looked again, like what did I just see? Sure enough, 2 canopies out. My first thought was "uh oh, what do I do now?" The second was "Ronco says I can land this." So I did, slightly off the dz but not far. To be honest, i don't remember the landing, but I know it was soft, and I'm pretty sure a stand up, since I was dry and the ground was covered in snow. With all that material over my head, I didn't even need to flare. What shook me up most was having a jumpmaster accuse me of pulling low, and him really not believing me when I told him I pulled at 3000'. Spent the rest of the afternoon looking for a white freebag in snow covered fields, when I had no idea where it had gone to begin with. I don't remember if I told my family or not. My mom's pretty supportive of this obsession of mine. She knows she can't stop me anyway, but she still worries. I jumped the next weekend, and checked when my dytter went off, since that's when I pulled on the last jump, just to prove to myself that I didn't pull low. That was also the last time I jumped a rig with an FXC. Second reserve ride was on jump 70 or something. I had taken a day off work to jump, 2 days before a big $10.00 weekend boogie. It was also my mom's B-Day so I probably should have been spending the day with her..., and also kind of windy but I was still too new to know when to ground myself on windy days. Anyway, it was a cessna load, we tried a 4-way, and the more experienced guy on the load suggested we break off high, around 5000'. One guy didn't get in, so the 3 of us broke at 5 like we planned, I tracked, waved and reached for my hackey, and could not find it. (It floated on me, although I had checked it on the ground and in the plane.) Reached again, still nothing, heart pounding, reached for Old Silver and was so happy to see a big patch of red material over my head. Didn't even think to look to see where my freebag went, just thought to myself, this is stupid, and its going to cost lots of money. My freebag was history in those winds, and my rigger didn't have one for me, and a $10.00 weekend coming up, the first one I could take advantage of without having to rent gear. So I drove to paragear the next day and bought one, brought it back to my rigger and he did my repack that day. I think I made the sunset load, and did lots of practice pulls. All told, it was a $200.00 skydive, and I did tell my mother, who was pissed that I had a day off on her birthday and went skydiving instead of going to the casino with her. But probably also happy to know that I had had a malfunction and dealt with it as I was supposed to, and lived to tell the tale. I have to say, it was a confidence builder for me in that respect as well.

"call me crazy, but i was scared shitless on my 2nd tandem" Chris, I had to do 3 tandems before starting AFP. I was fine on my first, really pumped when it was my turn, no hesitation, practically dragged the jumpmaster out with me. The second time, I sat up with the pilot and when I got to the door it just hit me, like, what the hell am I doing up here?? But then I went (might have needed a nudge) and it was all good. My third tandem, they had me climb outside the plane and do a "poised" student exit with a count. There I was, standing outside an airplane at 13,000' staring at the propeller. I froze; I did not want to let go of that bar! The jumpmaster had to peel me off the side of the plane! He was pissed, and gave me a big lecture on the ground, told me I had to practice that exit, or he wouldn't let me go to afp class! (and practice I did, over and over again) That was 5 years and many jumps ago, but I still laugh when I think about it. And I still get the jitters sometimes, especially after a long winter layoff, but the best cure is presenting my body to the relative wind and letting go.