tdog

Nice PLF - but the forward ground speed was near zero thanks to the round... Anyone got a PLF video of someone with more ground speed?

Can you search for all members who have XXX canopy or container??? Wouldn't that be cool when trying to get recomendations???

I disagree – and have an example to prove it. I had a friend who loved to drive at the posted speed limit + 40... Despite what he thought, he was really endangering others and himself as he used all four lanes of the highway during rush hour. But – he had no close calls so he felt invincible. He lost his drivers license for six months (think being grounded for cypress fire). He got his license back (think jumping again). Still had the attitude - I am the best driver on the road - I can handle going faster than others... Got another ticket. This time - "defensive driving" class. (think being instructed, not grounded, for cypress fire) The instructor threw out the typical syllabus and had a heart to heart with the students. Apparently she talked mainly about how easy it is to take someone else's life while driving - and taught the whole class from the perspective of the innocent drivers that get killed by others. I think she had gory pictures and stories from victim’s families. I wish I could have been in that classroom, because some magic must have happened. My friend came out of that class a changed person - and to this day - credits that class for changing his perspective on life. My point, I don’t think the same consequences work for the whole population and the wide array of attitudes (and even ages of participants) out there – so there is no one way to train/punish people who have a cypress fire. If I were the person who had to deal with cypress incidents, I would probably take the options everyone in this thread have offered and put them in a list. I would post the rule that "all cypress fires have serious consequences to be determined by management." When it came time to handle the incident, I would use the option I thought was best for the individual – ranging from “this is not funny, please never come back” to “god, I saw you shake in fear with the view of death in your eyes – lets go back up, and in the plane, tell us all what happened, and tomorrow lets talk about it on the ground.” My two cents.

Video anyone??? This is a good idea... I know the written text and pictures convey the concept, but until you see it as a fluid motion, it just does not click... My paragliding instructors a few years ago taught me to do a PLF off a swing set into gravel - and until I saw them do it once, it seemed impossible from the pics in the manuals... I for one would also be interested to watch a few other people do it with different ground speeds and headings to fine tune my skills.

Kind of off topic - but I have to ask... So, how many jumps does your dog have (the one in the pic?) I have a dog, and he loves riding in the car with his head in the wind - floating on lakes in intertubes, and when he was a pup he climbed multiple Moab climbing routes that were way to difficult for my sorry ass... But, skydiving is something I can't imagine him enjoying. Does the dog enjoy it? EDIT - I found the thread in Bonfire talking about this... Seems the dog did have fun. ;-)

CONGRATS...

Yep, I agree, as I said in the first post of the thread: Clearly you are correct, you have to take into consideration any wind you will encounter on final... I was hoping to answer the question if the accuracy trick works off axis in no wind and without any loss in turns, and it seems that it does from what people are saying. Thanks for the feedback. As usual I am learning a lot from you guys...

Thanks for the info... I tried "testing" this theory on a 737 - but the glide slope was so flat and ground speed so fast I had a hard time getting consistent results. (But what else are you going to do when you are sitting in a plane they won't let you jump out of...) The very reason I asked the question here - as I did not want to spend my whole traffic pattern seeing if it worked instead of keeping a lookout for others. If I know it works somewhat, I can take a quick glance and fine tune it safely when I know I am clear of others.

Quick story that will come back on topic, I promise… I design lights for concerts and events for bands you know and concert venues you have been too… I always chose brand “X” automated lights. There are only a few thousand automated lights sold each year, so the volume is very similar to skydiving markets. When I ran the lighting department of a company, I refused to become brand “Y” light dealers, nor would I even demo it. At the time, it was a very good decision, brand “Y” sucked and everyone knew it… Then brand “Y” made the best automated light since sliced chocolate bread and introduced it in the middle of their line of not-so-good products… I still refused to pay attention. I became outdated in my opinions. I was paid a lot of money to tell my permanent install customers outdated advice… Then it hit me – actually it was forced into every orifice on my body. I was working for another designer for a real high profile NFL event – and he made me use the brand “Y” product… Next thing I know, I actually liked it, but refused to admit it at the time to save face. From someone who tried real hard to sell the right gear to customers from the perspective of being an end user too – it is easy to fall in a trap and quickly lose perspective when you fall in love with one brand. Now, when someone comes to me and says, “I have used both for years, and I like one over the other because of these four reasons” – I really sit down and pay attention. That is why I love visiting this site, because people who have used more than one brand are making valuable comments about each. T.

No, because they walk away from it with a bunch of life lessons and experiences.... Now, if they blew that money on a drug habit, that would be a waste.

I only partially agree - from my perspective. While bragging in the bar is important, I think a lot of people want to “brag to themselves” and know they accomplished something, living life to it’s fullest… That is why I did my first tandem 6 years ago… But then I returned as an AFF student this year - and now am working on my A. Here is my perspective: I have tried a lot of new adventurous sports, ranging from snowboarding, wakeboarding, kayaking, rock climbing, mountaineering, motorcycles, dirt bikes, mountain biking, jet skis, snowmobiling, bungee jumping, paragliding, etc... I have stuck with EVERY sport above, participating a few times a year EXCEPT paragliding - because the currency requirements are so strong... Work got in my way, and I decided I did not have the passion to return after a 3-month break. A HUGE factor in my loss of passion were the people in paragliding who did not open their closed doors to me as a friend or peer - so I was alone in my passion... I hope to stay with Skydiving longer (right now feel as though I am hooked for life, I already feel I have some friends in the sport, but ask me in two years), as I am enjoying it more than any of the activities I have done before... But, I know I might “burn out” in a few years as I did in snowboarding, where I only go up to the mountains 3 times a year or so… And while I am going snowboarding tomorrow because I can’t skydive due to weather – if snowboarding required the same currency as skydiving, I would not be current enough to go… And my snowboard does not need a reserve repack either… The fact remains - flying in any fashion (general aviation, paragliding, hang gliding, skydiving, etc) has to be more than a recreational sport, but a lifestyle, to remain current. How many people are willing to make a lifestyle change to participate in a sport? Not many…

Anyone got deep orange/gray/black container combo. I am thinking that might be my choice if I was to buy new.

Our company just gave away a gift certificate at a trade show as a grand prize... Orbitz, Price Line, Expida... No one could agree. So I went to the bank and got a MasterCard preloaded with $1,800.... The recipient was able to use it however they wish... But, since some DZs charge more for credit cards - it will cost ya... But it is our new favorite gift cert to give from our company because it does not lock you into a merchant. Just FYI... How about an IOU - so you pay at time of jump, and you can jump with him?

Question… You can spot a probable landing point by finding the spot that does not appear to be going up or down, but is just getting bigger as you fly towards it. Lets take that one step further… Pretend you are flying on X-wind leg of a traditional landing and your desired spot is to your left at about 90 degrees… Do you find the spot, even off axis of your current flying direction, will exhibit the same qualities of not appearing to be going up or down? If so, how useful is it to you when you are judging your turns to the spot, or what other techniques do you prefer. For the sake of the question – assume wind speed is zero and any turns you do will not change your rate of decent or glide slope – as these factors have to be added back in…

Thanks everyone for the great reviews... I am starting a search for my own gear, and the Pilot really is catching my eye...

But in golf, if someone hits you in the face, the worst thing that can happen is you crash the golf cart into the water trap...

Ask your instructors... But what worked for me was finding something to look at on the horizon.

I agree - in my last jump I pulled higher than required as a student - but lower than I had ever before. Even though I was pulling higher than anyone else on the plane as a novice - I thought, "shit that ground is getting close and it is getting closer much quicker than before."

There is a discussion in the incident section about a Sabre2 190 breaking the leg of an experienced larger than average guy for apparently no reason since he was observed stable on opening. A few people chimed in that they got hurt on their Sabres and either modified it or replaced it with something else. More than one person indicated that there is a recurring theme in the thread, that Sabres are known to have hard opening issues. A few said they sold their Sabres for this reason. So as a safety and training poll, since the Sabre 2 is so popular, I am curious as to what you have experienced. Perhaps if there is a trend, other people might consider asking their rigger for options. There are poll options for Sabre 2 owners and options for non-owners as a “control group.”

I admire your new found courage... It will all work out.

I agree. Wow... Feet - ask your instructor about toe taps... I had a tendancy to get a bit sloppy around 5.5K on my AFF6, AFF7 and 2nd solo jump... All in my feet getting sloppy - I think because I was starting to think about the pull and exact altitude awareness. I pulled in a slow turn on AFF6... I learned a simple toe tap is all it takes to get awareness of my legs... Concentrating on the problem (shit, why am I spinning, I can't fix this) made it worse. Finding the solution (didn't that instructor tell the other student to use a toe tap - lets try it) fixed it. And - don't worry about it... Sooner or latter it will be fun!!! I had a blast on AFF6 and AFF7 - and so did my instructor.

So, did you tell your parents, and are they proud of their son???

What about the people this guy learned from and jumps with? Anyone asking for such a canopy missed a few key points in his training, like how to live! It is a two way road here! (or perhaps three way if the DZ lets this guy get on the bus.)

They don't tell you in the books/classes to expect to lose sleep. I too did not sleep for about a month. Not nervous, but excited... I awoke this morning thinking about a fun sunset dive yesterday - and could not go back to bed... But, I will have no problem in an hour falling asleep at the office. Go figure.

Congrats!