scrublink

Couldn't be much of a friend.

I don't mind corn. The beans out there I hate. They "hill" those suckers. And they give them big hills not like potato field hills. At least in corn once you are between the rows it is fairly flat.

Yeah. We used to have big debates about the obvious pros and cons. One of the typical problems students had with this system way a tendency to spin. You really had to arch hard, as the droque tried to de-arch you. The student program went something like this: 5 tandems, 3 drogue solos, and then non-drogue solos. The dropzone was very conservative, cessna type. Mom and Pop style if you will. Everybody knew each other and looked out for each other. Good safety record with both students and experienced jumpers. Most people have never heard of drogue solos, but I was told they were common training aids in Russia. I can't confirm this, but the guy who told me could probably find better things to bullshit me on than this.

Up until about 2000 I knew of at least one DZ that did student training under drogue equipped rigs.

There was a briefing for a DC3. I must be getting old. These were a treat to jump but we never thought of them as specialty aircraft. Hint: If the door is off thats where you get out. Probably where you got in too.

Here is New England we have some areas that have pretty busy airspace. We also had a skydiver that collided with a plane in freefal some years back. Skydiver broke his ankle and quit jumpting. Plane and four occupants crashed and died. They were lost and about 30-40 mile north of their intended course. Wrong radio fregqency for the area too. We have had quite a few close calls in the last few years and I suspect part of it is due to the fact that most people navigate by gps now , even when they are flying VFR. You can fly over an active DZ as long as its not in some other type of restricted airspace, and a lot of times you don't have to talk or listen to anyone. (The aircraft that crashed was not violating any rules at the time). Keep your eyes open when you are still in the aircraft and after leaving. Spotting isn't just about looking at the ground to find your exit point. On a side note. I am also a pilot and when I come across pilots that don't take skydivers safety seriously, I like to remind them that the aircraft crashed and the skydiver lived. Puts things in perspective for them.

While this dude might have "failed" to advance, it is not a failed jump. Every jump is a learning experience. I have know some students that struggle to get through their training that turn out to be world class jumpers. We all learn differently and at different rates. What might be easy for you or me, might be extremely difficult for him. Conversely after he finishes traing he might turn into a hell of a freeflyer because he has experience with unusual attitudes. I stress to my students that the physical aspects of skydiving are fairly easy and will come with practice, it is the mental side of this sport that is tough. And most of it is mental. I am sure that given enough time you could train a monkey to arch and pull (no offense to all you SkyMonkeys) but could you teach it the discipline to follow a dive plan. A successful jump is one that end favorable and with you learning something from your actions or the actions of others. If you are going through training with someone else, buddy up with them. You can compare notes and videos of each others training dives. This will give you more questions to ask your instructor and more exposure to the sport. One last note. Its not all about jump numbers. Time in grade has a lot going for it too. Listen to your instructors and you will be on your way to a long skydiving career. Congratulations on your progress this far.

Sounds like something I don't want to do. I am a "weather wimp". Part of my training for a pilot's license drove it into my head that thunderstorms are extremely powerful and unpredictable. It didn't really sink in until I flew about five mile away from one and had a bitch of a time getting the plane on the ground in one piece. I had no where to run by that time and eveery minute I was in the air it got worse. I Don't want to be in that situation again. I saw a group of skydivers (at a boogie) jump in front of a large storm in the midwest. They got beat up pretty good on landing, luckily no more than bruises from the bouncing and skidding. That was a cheap lesson for me and some others watching. Remeber the very old aviation saying "It is better to be on the ground wishing you were in the air, than to be in the air wishing you were on the ground. Gravity still works in a thunderstorm, your canopy may not.

I got a very good package price when I purchased. I bought everything from a friend of mine who is also a mfg of components for container mfgs. In response to some people who don't keep spares because they would just go with another rig: If I had another rig then I probably wouldn't keep a set of spares either. This is my most cost effective way to get back in the air in a relatively quick way.

how many jump tickets is this weekend going to cost? That is the only question that matters isn't it?

Next time I talk to him, I will ask him about how this happens.

I didn't measure the height of the launch. My rigger (always on top of his game) noticed that my pilot chute only popped about a foot or so when he test fired the reserve. I didn't ask him about what height it shoul attain, he just said that he thought it should be replaced. I understand my gears function fairly well but I have never had any rigger training so I didn't ask about specific questions. I have always felt that if I had to question my rigger's advice all the time then I probably needed to find a rigger I could trust. I do ask other questions as they arise, but something like this seemed common sense. For the record, this guy is experienced and very well respected in our area. I don't think anyone has ever had a bad word about his work or his ethics. One of the most anal riggers I have ever met. A group of people were talking about going to Norway to BASE jump and this guy perks up in the corner and says "That sounds cool. I would love to log a repack in Norway", right then I knew that this was a guy that I wanted working on my gear.

I haven't been to Rantoul, but I did go to seven Qunicys in a row. Didn't go to Rantoul the first year cause I wanted to get the bugs out. I also started spending my skydiving money closer to home. It takes a bunch of money to go to the WFFC. Travel expenses to get there, jump tix for two (can't seem to talk her out of jumping ), and time off from work. I have one of those jobs that doesn't come with paid time off. I can only take about three days off total in the summer to jump in addition to most weekend days so time is also a factor. Those are my personal reasons. My thoughts are that WFFC seemed to peak in 96 or 97, There are alot of smaller regional boogies now and you can do three or four of them without taking any time off from work and without traveling as far. It might be a simple case of been there, done that. Without a jet a lot of people that I have talked to aren't interested. I had a great time every year that I went and met some great friends from all around the country and even from other countries. If I can figure out how to take a vacation and keep my job I would love to go next year. Even without as many specialty aircraft as in the past, where else can you jump as much (or as little) as you want for ten days?

When I compared the old sprin to the new spring there was a one to thre inch difference in height. Both were the same age. The major difference would be in the way they had been stored. One in a rig the other in a box. I wouldn't mind hearing from other riggers to see if they have come across this or if this is unusual.

At my last repack my rigger (whom I trust to know these things) said that my launch was getting weak. Suggested I think about getting another. Since I had one, I changed it out. I jump an Infinity.

I'm not a rigger but wont's you get a longer life out of your spring if it is not compressed. Do you relieve the tension when not traveling (on your spring tht is)? I ask because I just replaced my original as it way deemed rather weak after nine years of being cooped up (except occasional outbursts).

Whuffos are too tough. Skydivers are usually marinated.

I also had a pilot chute and freebag. How did you fit that into a shaving kit? Tight or not, thats a lot of shaving euipment.

It sound like the students are either sliding down into a loos harness or rotating in the harness. Double check the back strap adjustments and make sure the legs are snug (not overly tight). I have found that it helps to tighten down the shoulder straps while they are hooked up (just before exit). I tell them it will be a little snug but after opening it will be comfortable. I have had a lot less harness creep doing this.

Yes. Yes I do. Some people, I am sure, are attracted only because of the danger.

I bought spares when I bought my rig. Seemed to make sense. I take them on vacation if I am going to be away for a while.

Bill, I know we impose restrictions on studens ( and others) that is what I was talking about when I said common sense rules. If someone is not aware, then they shouldn't be jumping. Dont DZs ground people that are unsafe anymore. It used to be done a lot more frequently. I don't like jumping with dangerous people. I guess I am not making my position very clear. I am not an "outlaw" jumper nor do I wish to jump at a DZ that caters to them. I think that the more rules we write down to cover certain criteria (ie. WL) then we open ourselves up to all sorts of rules that could affect everyone of us negatively. I would not be opposed to people getting "canopy waiver" or some such thing. Some sort of licensing system. You can't drive a tractor trailer wihout a special license and that makes sense. Maybe some sort of system like in use for the PRO rating. The whole reason that knee jerk type rules bother me is that it seems that the people they were intended for ignore them or find a way around them. Sort of like the saying that "locks only keep honest people out".

I don't mind rules that keep people safe from someone elses action. Nor do I mind good common sense rules. I just start to get very nervous when some group of people get together and try to decide what is right for everybody else, and they just lump groups in together. I don't swoop, but swoopers don't bother me. As long as they don't endanger someone else. I don't really car what they do to themselves. They are big boys and girls and hopefully are fully aware of the risks that they are taking for their fun. (Don't take this to mean that I want to see them get hurt or that I would enjoy same). I jump an elliptical canopy loaded at 1.467:1. (It might be slightly higher after lunch), but I am known as a conservative canopy pilot. I have had this same canopy for nine years and know it fairly well. All of a sudden a group or DZ makes a rule and that is going to make me unsafe? It just doesn;t add up for me. I have seen a lot of changes in this sport since I started packing in 1984 and most of the rules have IMO been arrived at with a dose of common sense. I would like to see this continue. After reading about DZ's that require AADs and some that have WL restrictions I am not sure that common sense and self policing is going to be around much longer.

No. I don't think that hard and fast rules are always the way to go in this sport. If USPA decides to do something like this (or a group of DZs in a region), then what is next. Mandatory AADs and RSLs? I know some drop zones already have rules like this but luckily they are few and far between. Skydiving isn't a sport that seems to attract a bunch of conforming sheep. It seems that it does attract a lot of people with free will and opinions. Evidenced in these forum every day.

The danger element isn't what attracted me, nor is it what keeps me going. I jump because it is something to do. It is fairly enjoyable and I find that for the enjoyment, that the risk is acceptable to me.