Orange1

None. But I started out static line before switching to AFF, and had to repeat a couple of those Skydiving: wasting fossil fuels just for fun.

What he said... One barrel of crude oil makes about 19½ gallons of gasoline, 9 gallons of fuel oil, 4 gallons of jet fuel, and 11 gallons of other products, including lubricants, kerosene, asphalt, and petrochemical feedstocks to make plastics. Skydiving: wasting fossil fuels just for fun.

We don't have wind tunnels here, but there have been times I've wished I had the option of one to train on. Oh, and Skylord... most people here learn to drive on "stickshifts" as well Skydiving: wasting fossil fuels just for fun.

As a newbie who has jumped only 2 DZs (one low traffic and one even lower traffic) I would just like to say that I have found this thread very useful, with lots of stuff I hadn't even thought about before , even though I'm probably hundreds of jumps away from even thinking about swooping, as it has raised a number of other issues too. For example, where I've jumped it's never been a problem for me to use an accuracy-type approach to get where I wanted to in the DZ (partly because I have a light WL and am usually last down), but I now see the real importance of setting up properly earlier on to get where I want - as well as what I should watch out for if I find myself following a swooper down, and what to be aware of when I get to jump busier DZs. Thanks for starting it. Skydiving: wasting fossil fuels just for fun.

Just a newbie and I know EPs differ, but in ours we are taught to look first to locate the handles for the reasons mentioned above by other posters i.e. shifting harnesses etc. Skydiving: wasting fossil fuels just for fun.

Great post. Should be compulsory newbie reading on overcoming fears. How many newbies can honestly say that they've never been relieved at a weather hold for the same reason? Let us know once the A is official! Skydiving: wasting fossil fuels just for fun.

For a first ever jump that sounds pretty good to me

Yup. So, I'm at the DZ one quiet day doing my first or second solo after AFF and start chatting to this guy who's obviously been in the sport a while. He's nice and friendly and very patient & helpful with a milliion typical "dumb newbie questions", happy to sit & chat about jumps, gear, whatever. A couple of days later i get hold of a (the) local skydiving magazine and there's an article about him. So I mention this guy to one of the other guys there and he says "oh ya... he's probably one of the best skydivers in the country". Skydiving: wasting fossil fuels just for fun.

Thanks. (AFAIK all planes here carrying static line students have to have a knife on the plane for in-tow situations - i was referring to when you'd use under canopy) Skydiving: wasting fossil fuels just for fun.

I can sympathise with the mental thing - I'm at a block at the moment as well (so will be watching replies with interest) re ripcord pulls - do you wear a wrist-mount alti? I found the easiest way to keep my arch & head up at pull time as well as bring my left hand forward properly was to train myself to look at the alti as i was pulling - you may want to try that. are you getting video'd on your AFF? It doesn't sound like it - if you have that option I would strongly suggest it - it makes a big difference from being told what you did, to actually seeing it. And good luck - you sound like you really want to do this, which means you will succeed Skydiving: wasting fossil fuels just for fun.

This question comes partly from a discussion on hook knives that has emerged in one of the Incidents threads. First DZ I jumped at, when i graduated from static line to freefall i was given a rig with a hook knife on. 2nd DZ when I asked why there was no hook knife on the freefall rigs was told: for novices they are usually more trouble than not. So, questions: - what situations does one use a hook knife for (other than line-over on reserve, or CRW)? - how much 'experience' would usually be required before one is considered familiar enough to know what to do with a hook knife? - how much time do you really have to extract and use a hook knife during a high-speed mal? (Would you use it in a horseshoe situation?) I know there are likely to be no absolutely hard and fast answers to these questions, but opinions - especially from jumpers who have had to actually use their hook knives - would be welcome. Edited to add from Remster's post in the France incident thread: Skydiving: wasting fossil fuels just for fun.

At the DZ i started jumping we only got assistance (bats) on the first jump, and then we were on our own - though I never saw anyone swoop in the general landing area so I guess it may be a matter of DZ policy. All I was really trying to point out is that what may seem obvious to an experienced jumper is not always obvious to a novice! Skydiving: wasting fossil fuels just for fun.

Probably... as long as you're not at a DZ where newbies land in the same area; from other threads here there are DZs where that happens. And a lightly loaded student on the same load as you (and probably pulling higher) is almost certain to be following you down, and may not have enough experience to figure out what you've said. Just my $0.02. Skydiving: wasting fossil fuels just for fun.

lol.. i'm average 109mph in a tight jumpsuit in my best arch!! (faster with weights of course) btw what kind of ranges are considered "fast", "slow" and "average" (without weights/wings etc)? Skydiving: wasting fossil fuels just for fun.

Well done The way I'm going with my ISPs I'll probably be, about, A9875 or something Skydiving: wasting fossil fuels just for fun.

I asked about light wingloading a couple months ago see the answere here --> http://www.dropzone.com/cgi-bin/forum/gforum.cgi?post=1589524;#1589524 Skydiving: wasting fossil fuels just for fun.

I've seen the rule of thumb on WL at 0.1 for every 100 jumps. There's obviously some kind of curve on this because newbies downsize very fast from student canopies in terms of pure WL. And the canopy very obviously makes a difference: I didn't notice much difference from flying my first student canopies which were 280s to moving to 230s, but I definitely noticed the difference moving from the student 230 to a Pilot 210 - but then not that much moving from there to a 190. I know this is probably a question that comes from inexperience, but how different, really, is a 0.1 WL difference? And is there a significant difference for example between flying a canopy at 0.95 and 1? I've seen a few comments about 1:1 appropriate maximum for 1st 100 jumps and I guess I'm trying to gauge if for example I am jumping at 0.95 is that 'comfortably' in this limit? If it is 1.05 or 1:1 is that a definite "no"?? And out of interest, is there an absolute maximum WL that anyone should stop at? (These questions are just to try figure things out in my head - all actual canopies I fly will be appropriately discussed with my instructors.) Skydiving: wasting fossil fuels just for fun.

uh... DUH!!! sorry, the economist was a bit slow yesterday but I've just 'clicked'! Skydiving: wasting fossil fuels just for fun.

Lessons to be learned are an important function of the incidents forum. For a newbie like me, another one is seeing the number of incidents. Because many times it is experienced jumpers who hurt themselves, and every single post like that reminds me, again: Never let yourself become complacent in this sport. (I didn't answer the poll, not applicable so far, I pray it stays that way but I know chances are it won't) Skydiving: wasting fossil fuels just for fun.

is that beer then um.... um.... is that a joke or a trick question? Skydiving: wasting fossil fuels just for fun.

OK - so I can admit mine is framed too then Skydiving: wasting fossil fuels just for fun.

Well, THERE'S an incentive to turn into a postwhore!! Skydiving: wasting fossil fuels just for fun.

OK, so, I'm a newbie but my FJ certificate is displayed in my study. As I thought this was a newbie thing, I was quite chuffed to see at another jumper's house - not sure how many jumps but he's been in it for 6 years and jumps every weekend - his certificate was still displayed on the wall. Where's yours? Skydiving: wasting fossil fuels just for fun.

peej, is that with or without gear rental? skydive spain has tickets listed at EUR23 (discounts for blocks) but i think that's excl gear er, skytango, consider your thread officially hijacked! (i think it happened a while ago actually ) btw you can try argue, whatever, as long as the first question you ask after you meet me is NOT "so, where's the rand going?"!!!! Skydiving: wasting fossil fuels just for fun.

We won’t hold this against you JC thanks {breathes sigh of relief} .. there's a good reason i've left 'occupation' blank in my profile Skydiving: wasting fossil fuels just for fun.