camamel

I am sorry but either you don't know what you're talking about or you don't understand. When a plane crash on take off you don't have time to undo 4 hooks and prepare your passenger and yourself. No WAY Are-we on the same planet? When you think you're good...this is when you become dangerous.

What about if the plane crash on take off, and the TI is unconcious or dead? Not only the passenger will have to undo his seat belt in a emergency situation but you also ask him to do the same with the lower or drag the TI outside!! No way When you think you're good...this is when you become dangerous.

I don't understand how loose some DZ operate. Examiner are supposed to teach new TI how things should be done...safely. DZO have to make sure (throughout their manager,chief instructor or by themself) that thoses guidelines are follow. Skydiving is a business like any other. Tandem,AFF and first jump course is our product. Every serious business, all over the world, that really care about their final product do random check through their production line to always maintain the highest quality. If we teach an instructor to do something a certain way but never check back on him, he will probably end up doing something different. Skydiving is our business, we don't deal with bananas but with real people. If we are not able to have and maintain a quality system for our custommer by ourself then the government will do it for us. That we don't want!! Have a look at the first page of Skydiving mag of November 2007. That's what I think Richard When you think you're good...this is when you become dangerous.

English is not my first language, I am not sure I understand your answer. First: the only reason my passenger is not hook to me on take off is if the plane crash on take off and I am dead or pass out. Then my passenger will know how to undo his seat belt and run from the wreckage.Lot better than having to drag me out if we are hook together plus my seat belt! After 1000 feet he is hook to me and if I go out the door he will go with me for sure that's 100% clear in my head. To make sure I understand your point do you agree with that or not. Richard When you think you're good...this is when you become dangerous.

On take off each tandem pass have their own seat belt. TI do it for them and show them where and how to undo it in case of an emergency. No up and pop or any exit below 5000. When those happen passenger are fully attach with the lower loose. After the door is closed we release the uppers until préexit briefing at 10000. We have a Gran Caravan. Richard When you think you're good...this is when you become dangerous.

ALS is a very rare but very sad hillness. If the diagnostic is early then you have between three and five years to go but all of thoses are not quality life. Your brain is in top shape all the time but it is harder and harder to tell your muscles what to do. Eventually you can't walk, second step you can't take care of your own person then you can't eat anything then liquide, you can't talk or write anymore and then you can't breathe. On each of those steps you need more and more help but it is harder and harder for the person to communicate with the people around and is thinking (Brain) is still 100% there. It is like being in jail in your own body. It is not easy for the familly around because a person with this hillness will eventually need 24h/day care. You have to find a good place and the right moment to go and to do so .You also have to think about it months and years ahead at least where I live...not an easy task when it is a love one. I went thru all that with my father 3 years ago. Anyway all that to say if there is an other person with the same hillness that come to me (or any other kind of hillness) I will try my best to make there dream come thru. Richard When you think you're good...this is when you become dangerous.

Since I start doing tandem back in 85 I did jumps with 100% blind passenger twice, and quadraplegic or paraplegic on many occasions . Staff at the DZ always call me on those special occasions so I can evaluate the condition of the person myself. On October 2006 I call back a person who was calling for his brother. I realise his brother had the exact same very rare hillness my own father died only 12 months ago. This is the ( in french SLA) in english I think it is the Lateral Amyothophic Syndrome (LAS) also call the Lou Guerig hillness. The problem was that we where full until the end of our season. Knowing his condition I told my partners that we will open one more day the following week-end for this guy and his friends. On THE DAY (October the 16th 2006) the weather was not perfect. No wind on the ground but 30mph at 1000 and up to 50 at 13000. Low clouds (2000') at 75% moving really fast. In those conditions I told my passenger Richard he should go on the first load with his brother and a child because the weather might not old on. He decide to go on the second load. When we took off for the second load (we never stop the turbine) the ceiling was closing in and it was getting dark on the ground. At 13000 it was sunny and so bright but also minus 18. Going thru layers of clouds was very...very cold. The exit at 13000 ...Such a spectacle!!! On our end of the year video it was our most memoriable video. In May of 2007 they all came back. Richard was in a weel chair and not able to jump any more. Richard When you think you're good...this is when you become dangerous.

Thanks Chris I am 100% behind you with this post and I think you write it the good way. I think the rule should be, on DZ.COM , in order to reply to some body you have to fill out your profile. I think I will work on that with Sangrio. Richard When you think you're good...this is when you become dangerous.

It's almost like choosing a round when you can jump an elliptical! Sigma with out any doubt. When you think you're good...this is when you become dangerous.

Bill Booth and Ted Strong are both the pionner of tandems since the early 80's. Vector and Strong are the companies that put the most research and developpement on their product, and for many years they were pretty much the only one making tandems rigs. UPT and Strong still have today a huge part of the world market, not to say the biggest. Both rigs are very good but they don't look the same for sure. They are both safe and built by the most experience companies in the market. When I start jumping it was with round canopy's. Those two systems remember me that, we now have high performance eleptical canopy. But we also have The SIGMA's !! Richard When you think you're good...this is when you become dangerous.

Of course. Richard When you think you're good...this is when you become dangerous.

Hi Éric We have a demo Sigma 340 since Labour Day week end. We closed the DZ for the winter yesterday, so I will return the canopy back to UPT in the next couples days. I love that canopy. With a 220 pounds passenger and no wind I swoop an amasing distance. In big turbulence it look even stronger than the 370. Opening are softer and compare to the 370 the toggles pressure look more like a solo rig. I am selling four complete Sigma rig all with 370's and I will buy 4 new ones with 340's. Because it is smaller I think it might have less tendency to tensions nuts. Richard When you think you're good...this is when you become dangerous.

What is your e-mail? We have 10000+ tandems on 370 here, and i understand! Richard When you think you're good...this is when you become dangerous.

How many jumps per year, per canopy? Richard When you think you're good...this is when you become dangerous.

At my place a full time instructor (Tandem& AFF) can do well pass 400 jumps from May to thanksgiving. A full time cameraman can do as much. And yes we have a full time turbine. Richard When you think you're good...this is when you become dangerous.

Do we agree that those things don't break down when they are bran new! Those inner bridles will show sign of deterioration a long time before a break down can happen. On Some DZ people think those rigs are good for ever with out maintenance, WRONG. Maybe they don't think that way, maybe they just want to save money, I don't know. But the result is the same, tandems passenger are not safe every where out there because of people thinking that way.We are very lucky to have only one tandem pair fatality in the last 560000 jumps. I agree 100% with Diablopilot,MAINTAIN YOUR GEAR. That's why Bill Booth invented SIGMA. It is more idiot prove. Richard When you think you're good...this is when you become dangerous.

Sigma harness don't have the Y mod. But in each and every Sigma owner manual there is a section on the student harness adjustement guide. The same thing can be found on UPT web site. Every new instructor should receive that manual from his examiner during his course. How to adjust the passenger harness is a very important part of my course when I teach to a new TI. He have to dress a lot of different size passenger during his course before I let him go. It is not harder and it doesn't take more time to do it well but they have to be teach the right way first. Richard When you think you're good...this is when you become dangerous.

A tension knot can do that. When you release the brakes one toggle will be completly loose in that case. What we do here is we pull the same side back riser as low as possible and the let it go. It takes only 2 or 3 sec and in 50% of the cases it clear the mal. To avoid thoses tension knots it is very important to untwist the controls lines on a regular basis. Richard When you think you're good...this is when you become dangerous.

I just hope that the final check before the boarding was not complete yet. Look like an instructor is checking the front. Otherwise I agree with Rigger 100%. Richard When you think you're good...this is when you become dangerous.

I receive my demo 340 this morning...before the long week-end as supposed. Richard When you think you're good...this is when you become dangerous.

Thanks Flegling and Miami. I was supposed to receive a demo 340 last year but when the offer finally came in it was October and I was closing. From what I read last winter in this forum convinced me to stay with 370. A few minutes ago Mark P from UPT told me a demo 340 will be ship to my place next Monday, so I can make up my mind myself. TK Berkman from HOP told me they don't offer demo anymore but if you buy you have a 30 days money back. Also thanks to Diablopilot for his Chutingstar contact. Maybe it will work with them so I can try a HOP 330. That way I will be able to compare those three. Richard When you think you're good...this is when you become dangerous.

Yes I like the 370's but I never jump the Hop. I ask for a demo but they told me they don't do that anymore. That,s why I am asking. Do you have many jumps on a Hop? With a 200 pounds passenger and no wind witch kind of landing can you expect? What happen if you end up with line twist on opening? With a Sigma it's no big deal. I have to agree that the toggle pressure is ...on the + side specialy with passenger over 200. How do you compare both canopy? Thqnks Richard When you think you're good...this is when you become dangerous.

Is there somebody out there with couples hundreds jumps on both mains? That way we can compare. I have 1500 + jumps on 370's and I don't see anything that open and land as nice. When you think you're good...this is when you become dangerous.

At my place we stop at 220. If weather and psssenger are o.k. we will eventually take a 225 or even a 230 but no more than that. Have you ever think landing a 300 pounds passenger with a F 111 reserve? Think about it! At 180 I am too small for wrestling or football. At 250 + unless you have a special rig, I think they are too heavy for our sport. If they keep jumping who can jump with them anyway? Safety is my priority, not records. When you think you're good...this is when you become dangerous.

Landing is perfect and wright on the spot. English is not my first language so I want to make sure I say the wright thing here because from my point of view it look like that some posters on this forum are not there to help there friends skydivers. This instructor want to improve himself, to do so he decide to stand in front of all of us. For this he have all my respect. Will, any time you need a job you will be more then welcome at my place. When you think you're good...this is when you become dangerous.