TALONSKY

I am a newbie instructor with just over 100 tandems but the one thing I learned that made my life a lot easier was instead of immediately trying to fix the students poor body positions just out fly them. Your legs are your greatest tool so use them to out fly your students. I spent my first 6o or so tandems trying to ankle lock and fix poor body position which I could but would take the first 10-20 seconds to figure out the right combination, now I just get out, get the drogue out and outfly them (it really has eliminated a lot of stress and made tandems a whole lot more fun). Kirk

I am not sure if you are aware or not thanks to Bill Clinton, we can not be excluded from having medical cover. But if we get hurt partisipating in an extreme sport we can be denied coverage for that specific accident. Kirk

Leg turns are a great way to do flat turns (or turn that do not lose alot of altitude). I have been using them for a while now. It does work that the leg up pick up is the way you turn. There is a link to a video of manbird doing a leg turn somewhere on this forum. Kirk

I do not know about the rest of the skydivers, but I have made it a point to directly inquire if skydiving is covered by my health insurance. A year ago I was looking a working for another company and after my first interview I sat down the there HR person and we got the insurance company on the phone to go over if skydiving would be covered. As far as life insurance goes, it is difficult to find cheaper policies that would cover skydiving but they are out there. I currently only pay $25 per month for $150,000 coverage that has only one exlusion of suicide. Kirk

I can understand not having the money to cover health insurance, but I think it is totally irresponsible to skydive without it. If you get hurt you and do not have health coverage you are just another in a long list of people that are a burden for the rest of the paying society with the exception that you choose to participate in an extreme sport. I would never skydive without health, and life insurance Kirk

I find that the small button that Dshiznit is talking about in the Z1 is really easy to operate and also to find, since it is centered on the helmet. Now with the Crappy visor on the Oxygn I find myself searching for the small little openning which is not centered on the helmet but off to the right side when on. Kirk

Well if I gave the impression that I hate my Sidewinder 2, I did not mean to. I like it because I feel it is the most snage proof and arrow dynamic camera helmet out. I just really like the visor setup on the Z1. So I think I will keep my piece of crap helmet Kirk

As with everything in skydiving it kind of boils down to personal perference. I own a Z1 and love it. I like the fact that the face shield is made well and if left open during free fall will not break off. Also the way it latch's is easy to work with gloves on. I also own a Sidewinder 2, which is basically a Oxygen helmet with a box on the side for mounting a camera. It is nice but I find the face shield is flimsie and if left open in free fall it would break off. Also the rachett sysetm for closing the face shield kind of sucks. Not to mention that since the face shield flex's alot it get surface cracks in it and the plastic is much easier to scratch than the Z1. Kirk

I completely agree with AggieDave. A good ground prep and pointing out things on the way up is just part of our job. I have never been tipped nor do I expect to, the $150 - $180 for a tandem is expensive for the average person and I would not expect them to pay any more. I think a tip would be great but the only tip that maters to me is the perment grin on their face afterward. Kirk

Contact the local DZ in the state the equipment is going to, ask them to hold the gear for inspection by their rigger and the person but not to release it. Only after you give them a call that you have been paid would they release it. I have sold and bought gear this way. It makes i relatively safe for both parties. Kirk

I guess there are a few advantages to being 6'3". Sounds like you did everything you could to get her legs up.

There are a couple of things I have heard of, one is to have them put there hands under their legs to help pull them up. Along with that if you have the student move the leg straps out(down their thighs) it also makes it easier for them to get their legs up. I personally will have them practice getting their legs out up high and if they have a problem upon coming in for a landing I will take my feet and cup their feet and pull them up(just using my legs) and we both slide in on our butts. Kirk

I may not be the most seasoned wingsuit pilot, but with 101 wingsuit jumps and never had a reserve ride yet. The last 64 jumps have been on a S3 with a Crossfire 2 130 loaded 1.85. I had line twist once but was able to kick out. Kirk

That is exactly what we are suppose to do. I just was shocked on this occasion that in a plane filled with skydivers most in the sport well over 4 years that no one caught it. It really makes me wonder how many really do look at chest straps and gear on the way to altitude. Keep it up Kirk

That is a great practice that the UK has. I do not think it would be popular in the USA though, we are suppose to but not mandated to have a gear check from a fellow skydiver before getting on the plane. It seems here that after a while most skydivers become confident in their ability to not make mistakes and stop asking for gear checks. I along with most others at my DZ and for that fact at any DZ I have been to on the West Coast fall into this category. So for us the only saving grace (outside of our own double checks in the plane) to a mistake would be that visual check everyone should be giving each other. I also agree with you that it is kind of scary to think, if I miss something the only way it would get caught would be from someone off handedly looking at me for a gear mistake. I know, I should have mentioned the chest strap to the camera flyer immediately now, but the longer we were in the plane the more I was horrified that no one else caught the mistake( I mean if it was a misrouted chest strap I could kind of understand, but for everyone to miss that he did not have a chest strap hooked up at all is another thing all together). To add too it he had a white bodied camera suit with blue webbing on his container which atleast to me made it really stick out that the chest strap was not hooked up. Kirk

I agree that this camera flyer is one of the safest and most well accomplished skydivers I know and not to meantion a great person. I totally could see videoing for two teams almost back to back how he could miss it.

Good point, and I know after the fact that I should have pointed it out right away. Kirk

I agree totally, but my point was do we really all visually look at each other in the plane and scan looking at chest straps, 3 rings and that all flaps are closed, or do we just get on the plane and talk with our friends and think about our skydive. I would hope that when the day comes that I forget my chest strap or flaps are not closed that my fellow skydivers are 0bservant enough to see it before I leave the plane. Now, I realize it is my responsiblity to make sure my gear is right but we should all be kind of looking out for each other. Kirk

This last weekend, I was on the plane (otter) and by the door facing toward the pilot was a very experienced camera flyer. He was doing video a four-way team for a meet we were having. I noticed early in the plane ride he had his chest strap undone. There were at least 4 people facing him and 10 with in visual range to see him. At first I assumed since it was hot he just was going to do it up when he zipped up his suit. At 10000 AGL his suit was zipped up but his chest strap was still undone, everyone was getting ready I took that moment to let him know about his chest strap. Everyone around him and him was shocked that it had been missed. So I guess my point is everyone should always take a visual look at everyone else in the plane for gear mistakes, we were told to do this but how many of us really do it? Everyone is human and we can all forget something like a chest strap. Please look out for each other Kirk

As far as pulling in a track I would not suggest that, but pulling wingsuit style for regular skydiving I do not see any problem with that. I fly camera shooting 4 way and I find it easier to pull wingsuit stlye(both hands on the container) than regular do the wings on my camera suit. Kirk

As everyone else has already said the mods are recommended. However, I have jumped a Talon, Javelin, Infinity, and Eclipse (I really do not recommend this container for wingsuits) without any mod and have never had any issues. I did order and use a longer bridle now that I fly an S3. Kirk

I am quite sure Alti-2 would cover one if faulty parts are found in it. However, how many companies would replace a product that did not fail, but was lost due to a hard hit. Kirk

I do not think there is another manufacturer of any product out there that backs their product as well as Larsen & Brusgaard backs theirs. They are absolutely incredible( I just wish for me the Protack would record more than 119 sec of freefall). Glad to hear they were able to help you. Kirk

As far as ease of use the Protrack is very easy to use. There are two buttons a mode and a set. To look at the last jump push the mode button 11111 will appear on the screen hold the mode button down till 22222 appears on the screen. At that point is shows the last jump with fall rate to page back to other jumps just push the set button. To set alarm alti. after the display is on push the mode button once that takes you to the three alti sets. Push the set and the first alti goes up (leave it for a second an push set again ant alti goes down) when set push the mode button to move to the next. L&B have included a nice map of the windows and in book is easy for follow. Kirk

I would say it depends on what things are important to you. ProTrack- L&B will back their product better than any company I have ever seen. They replaced mine when I lost it do to a riser strike for nothing and had that replacement to me in less than one week. The down side to their product is it is not water proof, only functions as an audible not visual alti. and will only record freefall for 119 sec.(that only applies to us wingsuit flyers) Neptune- Is water proof, can act as an audible and or visual alti, has no limitations on freefall recording time. If it was not for the Protracks limitation on recording time I would get another one (lost mine again on a jump) but due to that I will now buy a Neptune Kirk