pilotdave

Consider the FF2 instead of the FFX. Basically just as snag-free (the door really has no snag points), but MUCH more convenient to use. I've heard the FFX is a pain in the ass every time you need to take the camera out or put it in. I have an FF2 and lately I've had to take the camera off between every jump (4-way video). Also not sure if they make it to fit an HC-96... don't remember seeing that on the list, but I haven't checked recently. The FF2 can fit a wide range of cameras though... but new side-mountable cameras are becoming scarce. Dave

I created a template with the hole pattern of my quick release. Spent a long time trying to find a way to get it on the helmet perfectly straight. Finally realized that: a) I can just turn the plate that is attached to the camera to whatever angle I need. b) My video camera is cocked to the left a few degrees, so I needed to put the still camera on crooked too. Finally drilled the holes by taping the quick release to the helmet where I wanted it and drilling straight through the mounting holes. 10 minute job took me a few hours at least. Once the still camera was mounted, I could just turn on the sidemount video camera and align the still camera with it. Dave

You may be right that I'm reading an old version of the SIM, but the address is: http://www.uspa.org/publications/SIM/2007SIM/section5.htm#52d. That's the HTML version of the 2007 SIM, section 5-2 (D). See the table at the bottom. Is that a mistake left there from the previous revision? Edit: I just checked the PDF version as well and the same table is there (Page 108). Doubting it's a mistake... I think the recurrency recommendations are still what I quoted above. Dave

I quoted directly from the SIM on the USPA website. You're right though... but those are the 2007 recurrency recommendations. Dave

It's SIM section 5-2: "Students who have not jumped within the preceding 30 days should make at least one jump under the direct supervision of an appropriately rated USPA Instructor. USPA A-license holders who have not made a freefall skydive within 60 days should make at least one jump under the supervision of a currently rated USPA instructional rating holder until demonstrating altitude awareness, freefall control on all axes, tracking, and canopy skills sufficient for safely jumping in groups USPA B-license holders who have not made a freefall skydive within the preceding 90 days should make at least one jump under the supervision of a USPA instructional rating holder until demonstrating the ability to safely exercise the privileges of that license. USPA C- and D-license holders who have not made a freefall skydive within the preceding six months should make at least one jump under the supervision of a USPA instructional rating holder until demonstrating the ability to safely exercise the privileges of that license." Instructional rating holder = coach or instructor. So only an instructor is required for students after 30 days. Dave

Stay FAAAAR away from cameras that can take AA batteries. You'll be lucky to get more than 20 pictures on a set/charge. If you want nice pictures and don't mind the size, the Rebel XT would be great. Overkill for your needs, but it takes great pictures and is so much less annoying to use than a lot of point and shoot type cameras I've used before. Can get them refurbished for not a lot more than a good point and shoot. Only problem is size... can't just stick it in your pocket. Battery life is great... probably 500+ pictures on a charge. Not sure what you mean about dubbing to a computer. But if you need to plug the still camera into a TV or DVD recorder or whatever, the Rebel XT comes with the A/V cable and can do NTSC and PAL. I had (until I gave it to my parents) a great Casio Exilim. Tiny little thing... I bought it so I could stick it in my jumpsuit pocket to take pics on the plane. Mine was the old 4 MP version... the newer ones are about half as thick as mine which is pretty crazy. Very convenient, takes nice pictures, and great battery life. Needs a docking station to download pictures and charge, which is annoying though. Whatever you get for a camera, get a memory card reader for your computer. Much easier to pull the memory out of the camera than deal with plugging in the camera to the computer every time. I find that my memory card reader is a lot faster than USB straight from the camera too. Dave

http://www.skydivingmovies.com/ver2/pafiledb.php?action=file&id=5822 Dave

You really teach first jump students how to read an aircraft altimeter? Even AFF students that will go above 10,000 feet? Dave

If the cutaway cables scare ya, take a look at the little white loops that the cables go through! They're the only things holding your risers to your harness!

But the idea is that bands that are harder to break are more likely to cause (or fail to break in the event of) a bag lock. I use crappy rubber bands that break all the time for that reason. No idea if there's any data to back up the claim, but I knew a guy that had a bag lock attributed to tube stoes when i was a student so i haven't liked the idea of them ever since... Dave

Your point is fine... when we spiral, we effectively stop moving horizontally through the air and effectively move straight down through the air. The guy below and behind you could be on a collision course. Look down and back before spiraling. But wind has nothing to do with it, so don't convolute the advice. It makes no difference which way the wind is blowing. It's about the relative position of the two canopies within the air mass. You'll get closer to someone flying below and behind you when you spiral, period. If two people are walking on a sidewalk, one in front of the other, and the guy in front decides to start walking in circles, the guy behind will get closer and could hit the guy in front. Same applies to two ants walking on a treadmill. The speed of the treadmill or the direction they're walking on the treadmill makes no difference to whether or not the ants will run into each other. Dave

I really think you're reading into this way too much. The BSR obviously needs to be worded carefully to avoid stupid loopholes like requiring accuracy jumpers to land in the same place at the same time as the swoopers. But I don't think a BSR allows us to throw common sense out the window. I doubt there are many dropzones that have classic accuracy jumpers landing at the same time as swoopers very often. Those dropzones can (and must) deal with the issue appropriately. Every dropzone is different. Any BSR has to be broad enough to let it work everywhere. I personally don't think a BSR is required anymore. It was last year... but we've learned a lot of lessons since then, and we've learned them the hard way. In the end it will be up to the dropzones and the jumpers to solve this problem. I think it makes more sense to spend the time and money to educate, not regulate. The USPA doesn't have enforcement officers... it will be up to the DZOs, S&TAs, and all jumpers to enforce the rules whether it's a BSR or just best safety practices/local procedures. Dave

I remember hearing that the Cessna 120 was a candidate a long time ago, but it's gross weight is also too high. I don't think there are any cessna LSAs. There are a bunch of aeroncas, luscombes, and pipers that meet the LSA requirements. Dave

Because it's a great big obstacle. I don't think you literally mean to put it in the way of the swoopers though. Our DZ has the tuffet near the edge of the landing area. There are almost never traffic conflics with accuracy jumpers because they almost always get out low and land after anyone else that got out low. During competitions they usually block off a big area around the tuffet to keep other jumpers away. Some of the accuracy jumpers would prefer to sit the tuffet on the peas (for drainage), but I hate that... takes away the peas as a target to aim for. Dave

Hey now! That's a Kaman Sea Sprite, not a Sea King!

30 seconds is just as quick as a couple? I guess it depends on your needs. I do this stuff for fun mostly. Often like to take landing pictures. Sometimes I'll see canopies on downwind and grab my camera. I'd miss every landing if I needed 30 seconds to get my camera off. Or the other way around... Bout to go and decide I want to shoot stills. Takes about a second to slide the camera into place. I use a schumacher quickshoe... really not a whole lot to snag on with no camera in place. The still camera itself is a much bigger snag hazard than the quick release. It's also light enough and low enough that I don't think it makes any significant difference compared to the still camera alone. Dave

His wingloading on a 230 is in his profile. 1.07 is already starting to lean toward the high side for canopies like those. Dave

Oh, if you've got a rig, then you can answer your own questions whenever you're ready to jump either canopy. Try before you buy! ...unless they're not available locally. PD and most other manufacturers have demo programs for their current canopies. $30 or so to use the canopy all you want for 2 weeks. If you're considering a beat up old canopy, definitely give some nice new canopies a try too, for comparison. Dave

100 jumps? Come on... I have a '96 PD 9-cell. No clue how many jumps are on it, but it's in the hundreds (I've put ~150 on it myself and am at least the 3rd owner). Right now the brake lines are horribly short, allowing it to stall really easily (holding 3/4 brakes for a few seconds will get a stall started). Just haven't bothered to get them lengthened because I jump it so little. But even with its age and brake lines, it flies just fine. Lands OK, just a little scary knowing it's so close to a stall. But I jumped it for a few months over the winter and stood up all but one landing. Might have had a better flare when brand new, but to say it's practically beyond it's lifespan is just not true. After a quick visit to a rigger, it'd be a fine canopy for a (light) newbie. Not sure it's the best choice though... opens hard, tricky to land well, no resale value. But if it's cheap and money is a factor, it works. I think I got mine for $400 or so. I like my Sabre2 a lot more, but it was $1100 (used). Big price difference for soft openings and a powerful flare. But I'd definitely wait to buy anything till you get an A license, then pick the size you want, find a container and reserve, then demo mains. Impossible for anyone to know which you'll like more, and by then you may not want a PD F111 canopy at all. Dave

I searched around B&H's site and finally found 2"x10 yard rolls for something like $9 or $10 (black only?). Obviously more expensive per yard, but it would take me about 50 years to get through 50 or 60 yards of that stuff. The 10 yard roll is a reasonable size that I don't mind carrying around. It's the premium grade Permacell tape, which according to my vast research (ha!) is the preferred type of gaffers tape in the film industry. All I know is it sticks real good, comes off without leaving goo, and is really easy to tear straight pieces. But it is the boring black color. Dave

Are you talking about a Sabre or Sabre2? Can't imagine why anybody would put a pocket slider on a Sabre2... Dave

That might be true, but Strong's Tandem Director told you: And it says in the UPT Sigma manual: So you've been warned by the 2 biggest manufacturers of tandem equipment (I don't remember from the video what you're DZ uses). Law or not, you now know better. Dave

I have around 800 jumps on my sabre2 135. My openings are probably more like 98% off heading, 1% brisk, and I think I've had 2 or 3 hard openings, but all of them were close to each other before I had the canopy relined. Since the reline (a few months ago), openings have been more on heading. Still tends to turn, but far fewer of the 270-360s on opening. Heck, I count 360s as on heading openings.

Here's a pic from Skydive Delmarva in 1999 with a sign like you're talking about. I was gonna get a better pic of that sign the next time I went, but it was gone by then. Dave

The helmets are awesome... I love my FF2 and would definitely recommend it. But I really wish they didn't bother with the custom sizing. Rawas come in standard sizes and they seem to fit people just fine. The dbox on the FF2 is sized to fit a wide variety of cameras. Just seems like they could be pumping those things out and keeping some in stock (as well as stocking gear stores). I don't really know how custom each helmet is... they must have a limited number of molds, right? I assume they only have a certain number of sizes and they pick the closest one to each customer's measurement. All they need is head circumference... not as if they custom mold each one to the customer's head. Mine was worth the wait and the price (almost $600 including the cutaway, installed cam eye, shipping, etc.). But it just seems like they could bring the wait time and price way down if they just made them in bulk. Dave