tdog

Dude, you from San Diego? I jumped with Chuck Apley out there two months ago and I PLAN on commin' back. You can get your free jump when I visit you guys again.

That is a useful tool... Need to turn while holding grips in a 4way, and you don't want to use your legs, throw your rig around... Or, if ya just want to have a fun spinny dive, like at an amusement park, throw your rig to the side...

Well, it seems a lot of the people want a "beer thread" to discuss all their first times... It could be a newbie talking about their first freefall or an experienced person talking about their first birdman.... Perhaps there is an idea there???

Me don't know

Thinking back to working with my paraglider versus my skydiving canopy - some things scare me... First, the lines on a paraglider, I believe (am not sure) have very little dynamic stretch... The lines are super thin and very tightly woven. They feel like dental floss, just a bit bigger. If that were true - it would be like falling on a static line climbing rope - nothing to make a hard opening a little softer. You would have to install a shock absorber somewhere in the system to put some dynamic stretch. Second, there are so many lines on a paraglider... I often had a twist or tangle that needed work on the ground after laying it out and building a wall. A few times I missed one and flew it off the mountain with a "malfunction"... Sometimes I could clear it, sometimes I had a built in turn until landing… The lines are so thin knots don’t come out under tension, but do with no tension… The brakes are not stowed at an optimal position, and the stow does not hold... Often it is just a magnet. And there is the whole speed bar mechanism.... Lots of mods there. Deploy a paraglider as a "stunt" - sure, it can be done. But, I think you have something... Build a skydiving specific canopy with the flight characteristics of a paraglider. The opposite of the tiny little elliptical canopies the swoop course freaks love. Of course, the paraglider-like pilots would have to borrow the tandem containers for the canopy, because a paraglider is about the same size. Editorial note... Do you know a lot of skydivers would have to be much better canopy pilots to fly it, and understand the weather so much better? My Paraglider could stall, deflate, collapse, dive in front of me, dive in back of me, and generally stop flying under conditions that I have thought nothing of on my skydiving canopy... One of my first flights on my paraglider as a student I failed to "keep the glider overhead" by applying brakes as it surged forward and found myself in freefall with a ball of fabric in front of me after it dove. How many AFF students face that under “acceptable” flying conditions???

I am not an instructor... But your post made me think... So much of what you learn in skydiving (AFF) is reading lips sometimes, understanding hand signals a lot... You learn AFF sign language... (Pull, Arch, Circle of Awareness, Legs Out, etc.) I bet you would do better off than us that can hear... Why, because we are used to communicating with our hearing, so freefall is new to us... Whereas, not being able to hear is normal for you, so you will be many times better "hearing" with your eyes. I am interested too in what the professional instructors think. Am I crazy??? Either way, I bet you will be an awesome skydiver and will jump with ya if you ever stop in my neck of the woods. T.

Soon as I saw it I remembered seeing it online, but since they are not a local company, there is no reason why I would have seen it on TV.

Just because I feel like telling the world... I sucked at leg turns in the Tunnel in Perris... Actually, I sucked so bad I turned the wrong way when I dropped a leg. I finally got it in the tunnel, but it was not "natural." Well, in the air I have been playing at my own pace. Today I put my hands on the back of my head, to know my arms were not doing the turn. I did a 360 and stopped... Then I went as fast as I could around and around for 1000 feet, and then stopped it on a dime... Then I went back and forth. I could feel the one leg dropped and the other extended, just like they showed me in the tunnel, but never had time to perfect. So, ya, here I am bragging...

I have been interested in skydiving for 6 years, so I noticed everything skydiving related. Last week I heard an UPS commercial on the radio. The gest is, a skydiving helmet manufacture owner talks about his shipping manager not willing to take risks, and therefore he uses UPS… Then you hear him jumping from the airplane, completely fake Doppler effect as he jumps and yells something… Regardless, it is a skydiving themed commercial for UPS – a HUGE company. Today I saw a commercial where a guy jumps from an otter… Then the camera cuts to a guy who says, “I can’t do it” as he chickens out… Then the instructor says, “how about for a Bud Light” as he chucks a case out the door… The pilot, without a bailout rig, jumps after the beer, leaving the plane pilot less. Another skydiving themed commercial for a HUGE company… Is it me, or have the mass media chosen our sport recently?

Someone send me a PM... Is that better than PM Sent??? I had an english professor in college who said the word "incidentally" so many times the entire class kept count... It was as often as 2 times per minute on one "incidental" day... A few months ago we had a string of posts that said "ask your instructor", I thought I was back in that nightmare class with a different word to count... I almost suggested we have a special icon, like a - but different - just so people would not have to type the three words.

I jumped my new Vector ( jump today) I got the "carry handle" too... I love the handle... I can carry the rig like a suit case, which is handy when I have all my OTHER gear in a backpack on my back. Worth the money... Worried it would be a lump in my back... Can't even feel it. I watched the rigger put together the skyhook. I am happy I have it.

So at a low altitude bailout - the faster the airspeed of the aircraft the better - so you can use the forward throw of the plane to give you airspeed to fill your reserve the quickest???? Side question... Faster you go, the harder the reserve opens - I.E. "terminal opening". But, that does not mean you are using the least distance to get to stable canopy flight. Specifically, does a longer, softer opening at, let say 80MPH relative wind speed take more or less distance than a harder opening at 130 MPH relative wind speed?

First booties??? My first jump with booties was about number 20... I remember thinking some weird words for the first 20 seconds... But after a few hours in the tunnel and 60 skydives with them, I am afraid to take them off now.

I agree about the books... I read: Jump! and The Skydiver's Handbook both before my first jump... While I was still in AFF I read: The Parachute and It's Pilot and Skydive University's Basic Canopy Flight. (I do not recommend that one.) and The USPA SIM and The owners manual for the Cypres (a must read) and The owner's manual for all the containers/mains. Groundbound, If ya are really hungry for info, grab the book Phree recommended plus download the SIM off of the USPA website. Not to say ya should not post here, but you will learn a lot from those books and if ya really are interested, the books are fun to read. BUT, at the same time, Groundbound, DO NOT get overwhelmed by what you read here and in the books... I know it took me longer to make my first jump because I was apprehensive, "could I do what they want me to do?" In fact, it took me four years because after reading on the internet online about skydiving - I opted to go with Paragliding as my "sport" of choice, because skydiving (AFF) seemed overwhelming ("Could I really do a back flip?")... What a mistake, this sport is so much more fun. I think some of the "experts" as you call them are telling you to stop posting and start jumping because they know so many of your questions will be answered by the professionals who teach this stuff... Also, there is something to be said about not learning the "wrong" way before you learn the "right way". Every DZ has a standard policy on how they teach a specific task. Lots of people on here don't want to answer a question that might conflict with that, because when you jump, they want you to do what your instructors told you to do, not what you read here... Once you have an "A" license, slowly you learn to make some (a lot) of informed decisions on your own after weighing the pros and cons of each option. Like, "throw your handles or not to throw your handles" on a cutaway. If I kept my handles on AFF, I would have violated my school's rules... But some people choose to keep them and would recommend "no harm done" if you do... See what I am saying... Some questions are best left to your instructors until you have at least passed the first few jumps… The truth is, actually skydiving is easier than thinking about skydiving, especially on the first jump. The instructors assume you know nothing, and make sure you are ready... They don't expect you to do it on your own with them watching, they are doing a lot of the work for the first few jumps (assuming AFF). In recap, "Don't leave us"... but "Goto a DZ and hang around, and if you want, make a jump."

Ok, I will bite... So ya want other newbies answering your newbie questions, so no experts are bothered??? BTW - I have yet to find a (good) skydiver who calls themself an expert. I say, keep up the energy levels you have, and no need to "leave" dz.com just because you are looking someplace else too.

Otay - the really green version? Yep... You are right... You were the 'first' to post the correct answer...

I will take you up on that offer. Lets invent something.

But at one specific DZ we both know, if ya say you are doing ANYTHING BUT belly for the first 50 jumps, you get a talking to... And, when that 30 jump wonder (I say that as a 80 jump wonder, but someone who at least understands backsliding in a sit) backslid his freefly into our 4 way, I quickly started to understand that rule. I like the idea of trying what sounds fun - BUT with advice and coaching... It should not be about numbers, but experience, skills and dedication, IMHO.

Since you posted your dog, here is mine... My dog is not a "chick" but a "dude" - so perhaps we should hook them up??? Since Dillon and I live in a downtown loft, when decorating I thought it only appropriate to give him some furniture of his own, hence the fire hydrant. No, he has never peed on it inside, and if he ever does, well.... Then there are to "Mystery DZ" photos I took when I was out of town... First person who can guess the DZ wins a free jump, but you gotta come visit my home DZ to collect.

When my mother said "nice" - I knew she was doing the motherly thing. Coming from you, that is special.

I did not TAKE it, but it is OF me... Thank Apley for the photo.

So, I am the one that started this thread, so now I need a . I got it packed!!!! I watched the rigger do it, and he showed me a few tricks. I came home and tore apart the “professionally packed rig” – because it was my turn. Some of those tricks worked. Some didn't - so I made some of my own. Still took about 45 minutes, whereas I can pack a used rig in about 10... I hope my next pack will be half that time. BUT!!! My first jump on MY rig and MY new canopy will be MY packjob!!! Call me a stubborn person, but I wanted to know I could do it. Kind of like driving a brand new car off the lot. If I paid the cash, I am gonna drive. So, look at the attached photo of my first rig, all my own... Please note, I know it is wrinkly, (the lights in my loft are at harh angles, so it makes it worse than it really is) but remember it is also my first packjob on that thing and I was happy it closed.. Next time I will make the cosmetics look good (don’t worry, the important stuff is neat)

Remember the guy who changed the Interstate 5 highway sign in California... He dressed up as a CalTrans worker, painted his personal pickup, etc... The "change" was so well done, and added needed clarification to the sign, that Caltrans decided to keep it up. Is this the same guy?

My next handful of jumps are team training jumps... I have to use a packer (as he has a devilish grin on his face). Today I am gonna watch a rigger get it in the bag. I think I am gonna get some popcorn and enjoy the show.

Pilot 210