JanuszPS

You don't necessary need to infect others while sick, coughing & sneezing, specially having problems with sinuses. those symptoms are not only related with viruses infections and can be a reaction for different reasons. I'm a perfect example at this very moment and was considering jumping last weekend, but due to the problems with sinuses I decided not to do only a h&p ;) j. Back to Poland... back home.

Not necessary true. there is below an extraction form the Radical canopy manual relating directly to canopy size and the entire manual you can download from http://www.basetroll.com/articles.html. So if PD uses PAI method then the Storm is smaller. j. Edit: BTW, once on the phone Stane confirmed to me that my coblats are the same size as Radicals. Back to Poland... back home.

Poland: 180 days. BTW It is somehow funny that better off is when the foreign (like me) has none TSO'd gear, otherwise he falls into US FAA regulations even though he is not US citizen/resident. At some point I think this is wrong IMHO. As foreign I should fall under My national / federation rules as long as they comply with manufacturer spec. It was somehow annoying for me to be asked at a US DZ to repack my reserve (Omega container and Techno reserve) to comply with FAA 120 days repack cycle as the reserve was packed in 180 days cycle. j. Back to Poland... back home.

Two rigs for different jumps: rig 1- 150 sft canopy for WS @ 1.25 WL - all way to the stop, but it's not very long rig 2 - 120 sft canopy @ 1.6 WL for FS, FF, canopy flying, etc - all way down - extended chest strap I did it first time on Cayenne 170 and was doing on SA2 150 @ 1.25 WL and I noticed huge difference. Since I cannot imagine to fly any canopy w/o doing it. It improved my flying/landing ability and quality to huge extend. I was frightened doing this first time (before I had 100 jumps), but later I get use to. Up to 135sqf I was loosening the chest strap with brakes in my hands (after collapsing the slider and stowing behind my neck). But on my 120 I find loosening my chest strap a little exiting as the canopy is more sensible to uneven pulling on toggles. @ Dave: Just speaking using common sense. No matter if the canopy is flying better or this is a subjective feeling that it flies better. The most important for the jumper /eg. me is that I fly and land my canopy better! So I don't really care what the canopy was designed for. It works better so I don't see much reason for arguing what makes it happen. Speaking as an engineer I can say that everything is designed to work in some range of control, installation etc, which is called a tolerance. Now, thus if the risers are spread or not, the canopy works as it was designed to - there is control and is safely landable with or w/o loosen chest strap. The question is if the canopy works better, and most of ppl think that it does, as flat wing is more efficient and has more lift thus still flies with less speed. The same sort of question is if lying forward in the harness improves the canopy efficiency/flying ability or not... fact is people lying in the harness are landing better in different aspects as finishing the flare at the end of the canopy flying speed (not prematurely) covering more ground at the landing, etc. just my opinion. j. Back to Poland... back home.

don't you think that your WL @ this point move you "slightly" beyond what is considered as a typical range WL for an average skydiver (using common sense of course) thus beyond the typical range of usable tools for an average skydiver You should post on some new category of Ballistic freaks of nature sorry, I couldn't resist j. Back to Poland... back home.

+1, exactly I dont really understand what can be achieved by doing that. j. Back to Poland... back home.

155 techno @ 1.25 WL for WS jumps 1 save 126 PDR optimum @ 1.5 WL no saves j. Back to Poland... back home.

I think there was a fatality about 2/3 yrs ago in UK due to similar situation. Didn't you want to cut the steering line and fly on your rears? I have jumped a Sabre 2 150 @ 1.25WL in a place with strong winds (Ireland) for about 100 jumps. the final outcome was I choose to change the canopy to one with more flat characteristic (glider) due to increased number of off DZ landings. In one jump I remember that the only persons who didn't land on the dz was me on SA2 150, an AFFI on SA2135 and a student on Navigator. Whatever I did, the canopy was sinking as hell with little of ground cover comparing to others except the AFFI on Sabre 2 aswell ;) with similar problem. So I changed to Cobalt and there was no more off dz landings anymore :D (but this is out of the topic). j. Back to Poland... back home.

BWC - Big Way Camp, sorry for using acronym j. Back to Poland... back home.

Believe or not, but I was on a jump where one guy had a total mal and he waited for AAD activation falling down in a perfect boxman position It was on some BWC where relatively experienced jumpers should be jumping. j. Edit: fortunately it was a successful AAD fire Back to Poland... back home.

+1 My age and altitudes might vary but it fully match to my point of view. just personal choice to simplify life in already difficult situation. although I might provide small differences in EP's depending on type of jump (e.g. fs, camera, WS) but they are minor. I just wonder how many jumpers forget to disconnect the rsl in the situations which they suppose to do so (at least in their EP's). As a side note, during my very fast back spin after cutting away I waited just enough to get belly down possition and I released the reserve knowing that I might end up with twists on the reserve, which happened. but in accordance with the witness jumper he saw me going from my back to belly in a split of a second. I waited though for a short while to be "more" stable before I pulled the reserve handle. j. Back to Poland... back home.

+1, although I know a guy with 40 jumps and 4 cutaways j. Back to Poland... back home.

@ 1:15 just right after cutaway I can see the reserve bridle on the right side of the view. It can also be a reason of a quick reserve pull as in the next short while the reserve cord is visible (fully extracted) by the left hand. @ Ozzy Did the cut away and reserve handles were pulled at the same time or just with delay of fraction of second? The reserve deployment was much more similar to RSL rather Skyhook use. @DSE +1 I jump WS w/o RSL although the RSL might prevent some serious accidents but I prefer to prevent more common scenario of being wrapped by the extracting bridle/lines/reserve after unstable cutaway while flying WS. j. Back to Poland... back home.

there is a difference between the line twist and the spin! Agree that the twist on the reserve likely will not lead to spin though. Note: I have two rigs, one w/o rls and second (jav) where I removed the rsl and I choose not to have one. After a severe line twist with fast spin back to earth I chopped (relating to the previous topic about fatality) with EP with two hands on both handles. Even without rls I ended up with twist(s) on the reserve. I guess that with rls I might have more twists thus less time to prepare for uneventful landing. So rls contribute to reserve twists (not neseserly to spins though) and depending on the altitude the twists can contribute to crashed landings (eg low cutaway). just my opinion j. Edit: as a side tone better crashed landing than the impact. Back to Poland... back home.

hey just for curiosity how do you check your reserve pin multiply times during climbing?! seriously I don't know how to do that while wearing the rig in a crowded place. so very nice answer but at some point I doubt in it. Edit: I could misunderstood that you check the pin instead the handles - so in that case my bad. / Edit In terms to the poll: there is a lack of at least one more option - multiply times per day (not necessary once per day and before each jump). - that's my answer. If I feel that the reserve: flap/pin/container was exposed to unusual external conditions - force, push, pressure, while taking place in the plane/exiting/landing/packing I might do it after the jump/before the next. But when I don't see/feel any from the above there is no need IMO to do it each jump. just my opinion and choice. j. Back to Poland... back home.

To be honest I don't know if anything like Cobalt manual ever existed. I was searching for a while but just quieted that some time ago. Although owning 3 different cobalts I should have the manual. At some point you can refer to Radical manual. the only thing which I have is the line trim for Cobalts. good luck j. Back to Poland... back home.

The coach hit the student, although the student's mistake was suddenly going flat while the coach dived to catch with him. sad j. Edit: but this is not a place to talk about the incidents, but their results Back to Poland... back home.

Somebody reminded my in Dublin (IRL) in the pub this accident http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ET03_VqRejQ worth watching j. Back to Poland... back home.

Ok, I understand your logic, but disagree with the statement that it is nearly the same issue with or w/o the WS. Well I only experienced that once and I might not have enough experience in that and any other matter in this sport. I prefer just during/right after the reserve deployment prevent the bad thing and cut away main - just my choice of actions. W/o WS you can fly actively your openings using your body and hands. With WS you can't, or at least I can't in the same extend. As some ppl say, only cows don't change their minds, so I take into consideration changing mine, but not at this moment. Today I read very nice sentence (now in translation) expressed by one of the best women climber in the world of her time which applies to all risky activities: "Life tests the best when you can loose it" +Wanda Rutkiewicz+. It means that nothing in their sport is 100% safe and works perfectly similar to skydiving and the worst things happen. One of those worst things is the entanglement of any type incl. both canopies, reserve and main while flying WS. Rare but still can occur the same as malfunctioned reserve after a main mal and cut away. And in my case when I barely touched the bridle and the main immediately opened, I can suspect that the main would have just opened right during the reserve deployment and went into the reserve. Don't forget, I jump Performens Variable safe jumps and no PCIT cheers j. sorry for bad English Back to Poland... back home.

Thanks, I'm not sure but it looks that he/she was struggled to find the PC at the first. Than the person was flying the WS after pulling PC. was that a student? what was the direct reason for PCIT? j. Back to Poland... back home.

Hi, I explained tht question in the initial post. I just gave my sequence of actions which I think are best for ME. What I mean is that in the case the reserve deploys w/o cut away, the main might go out due to the lesser pressure on the main pin - highly possible. If the reserve for some reason does not deploy and you didn't cut away you still have something to work with. If you cut away first and than have problems with the reserve there is nothing left to work on. If I deploy reserve and just the main goes out right after the reserve it's not a good thing. But if my arms are not free from the wings is even worst. So the degree of pressure on the main loop is one big unknown. But to prevent the very bad situation I would prefer to see/feel deploying reserve before cutting away. So in this case the degree of the pin engagement has nothing to my decision to cut away, but the fact that the reserve is opening and the risk of the two out nearly at the same time is high. I would rather cut away the main straight after feeling/seeing the reserve even in the snivel just for sake of not having two out at the same time (deployment time) or right after with hands struggled by the wings. I was trained to use one hand for one handle during my AFF. For the WS I have been thought to collapse the wings, arch, deploy, keep the position while moving my arms to my chest (close to the handles not for no reason) and wait for deployment. It is my opinion only (now I could put the warning sentence) and I do what I think is the best for me w/o putting others on a risk. If I dont fly the WS I might wait or secure the main flap from opening as I have two hands to work with but still I wouldn't have any control during deloyment. To be hones the PCIT situation was one of my worries while deciding to do WS jumps. j. Edit I have at least one less worry as I don't use RSL and any (other) MARD. I prefer simplicity of mine system and less variables in a difficult situation although my system was made by Performance Variable ;-) - that might explain the PCIT, . So I don't consider RSL disconnection in my sequence of actions. j. Back to Poland... back home.

that's a pity, there is nothing more educational than a nice piece of footage with the comments. j. Back to Poland... back home.

+ 1 j. Back to Poland... back home.

Because it's not. I just gave my sequence of actions, nothing more. the possibility of main going out is quite high IMO and that's very unwanted for me doing WS, just right after opening with arms struggled by the wings. j. Edit in fact there is at least two more options, not only those two given in the pull: - pull reserve and cut away - try to open it - none from above (?) Back to Poland... back home.

There should be one more option - pull it yourself. I'm not an expert by any means with thousand of jumps, but I have completely different opinion based on my own experience. One day I have swapped canopies in my container from Cobalt 120 to Cobalt 150 as I feel more comfy under 150 doing WS jumps. The container is Omega SS sized for canopies up to 150. I also extended the closing loop, but I was still struggled to close the container - took me more that two attempts. I thought that the PC is large enough to pull the pin from the loop no matter what (up to reasonable extend). Because it was a cloudy day while getting closer to the clouds and opening altitude I decided that this time I will open above them thus higher than usually. So I collapsed all wings and pulled at about 1100-1000m and how surprise I was as nothing happened. While having collapsed wings I looked back and saw perfectly inflated PC in tow (I have .55 century, so no evidence on the video). I run quickly through the options and decided that I don't want to use the reserve - simple as that. So what was my next step? I moved both my arms symmetrically (not to cause any stability issues) to the main closing flap I touched the bridle (it is quite difficult to grab it) and before I realized the PC opened the container and inflation occurred with a twist which cleared itself. The fact is that it is difficult to pull the bridle, but is quite simple to push it to one side causing the pin movement. I don't know what I would do if I was pulling at a normal altitude which is for me about 900/800m on a WS jump. I remember going though the options and the sequence of events was: pull the silver and than cut away for the sake of not having the two out in a WS jump as the container might be just closed by the very end of the pin. That's the link to the very boring movie with cobalt openings including the one with PCIT, roll up to 2:16 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SZ-lw83XxbE I arched and pulled at 2:18, I made up my mind at 2:20/21, than reached my back at 2:22/23 and the canopy was out at 2:24. Since my AFF I have had one thought in my mind that if I have the PCIT, first I will try to help it open (altitude depending) and after one unsuccessful attempt I will go with the EP. The same was with my mal. Few years ago there was a fatality of a quite experienced jumper who was in a spin under perfectly inflated canopy while spinning on his back due to the line twist - he fought till the impact. There was a list of the reasons why he died and recommendation what to do. So I made up my mind what to do in the situation like that and I had a plan. So when I was exactly in the same position, spinning 100km/h down on my back, after two attempts I just cut away. So for me the answer is, if you have some plan what to do in an identified situation you are one step ahead and follow your plan. If there are some other factors and deviations from your plan (ie. lower altitude, something unexpected etc) and you are surprised buy it, stick to the simple EP straight away which in my case would be the one written above. Well, there is lots of wisdom in what all of you experienced guys are saying, but sometimes it seams that the less favourable options are better. The skydiving is a little bit of lottery and that day I took the third option which was correct. For me the reserve is the last resort, however I don't have any greater fear to use it as I've done it once before that jump. But I wanted so badly to be on the next load that I didn't bothered to use it ;-) sorry for long post regards J. Back to Poland... back home.