btucker

http://www.dropzone.com/safety/articles/FormingaTeam.shtml My 2c; Similar goals are critical, part of this is similar $. Set training dates early in the piece. Get everyone together with diary and make them mark in training days. Decide early on coach and camera. Ideally your camera should be part of your team - rather than a hired gun; Although you'll probably still have to pay slot. Finding other people is often easier than you think; Just ask round at the DZ. Everyone knows someone who wants to do a team! Take eagerness and commitment over talent. Nice to have a skygod, but if they are off washing their car every weekend they ain't much use! Easygoing people are a must for a team. You might want to consider a player coach - although this will raise the expense by alot. Fall rate can be solved by weights and some "getting to know you jumps"

In over your head, stress, nerves and performance anxiety isn't my idea of fun. Jumping is supposed to be about fun and developing your skills! When I want the stress and performance anxiety; It will be on my terms - in competition. Oh man round1 on jump run, does it get anymore turned on! The people I jump with with will laugh at my stuff ups and I'll laugh at theirs. If I'm on a jump and someone screws up (as all humans will do) I'm thinking "haha glad it wasn't me." No matter what happens I can use the time to my benefit, work on my body position, even look at the view. It never ever is a waste of money and no one should ever jump with other people who will think like that. I can understand for extremely large record attempts people will have to be cut. Not everyone will be firing on all cylinders. One of my coaches got cut on the 300way, everyone even champions screws up. I'm sure it wasn't anything personal. In other sports, some teams take a squad to competition so they can pick to best and brightest on the day. I've spent many a day as a reserve - but smile you are part of the team. I don't understand that on "fun ways" anyone should be cut. Part of the joy of skydiving is people develop their skills. If [say] someone backups going into a donut [always my sin], rather than cut them, bring it to attention of the coach/organizer. Who can then help the person fix it. Then smile at the next jump when they do the move perfect. Was your dive perfect? If it was maybe you should be cut for not pushing your envelope. Also, I've always been told that [where a choice exists] the base should have the more experienced people in it. Blues, Benno

cheat! Almost like a meeker picture and have the wings take up high grips. Makes everything small and tight. Don't be afraid to put the centres on the wings - depending on what the next point is. - I have listened to my coach well...

That shipping ain't cheap!!!!!!!

Maybe I was alittle too harsh. Congrats on a sweet jump - it feels darn nice huh? Blues Blue Dreams Benno

One of lads I just did tunnel time - flew just like that. The Airspeed coaches diagnosed this as a lack of flexibility particularly in the hip flexors. You can stretch those by placing one foot infront of the other and leaning forward. It's easy to forget that skydiving is a sport - especially if you as unfit as I am!! When ever you dirt dive (as much as it will hurt) on the creepers punch out that nice arch. Hope this helps, Blues Benno. tunnel time rocks! You lucky dogs...

In serious rel work it is a sin to look at your alti. It's is a cardinal sin to to look at your alti in working time. If everyone on team has audible altis (hopefully not all the same model) then this is safe. What about under canopy? That's when I use it most. Canopy collision; Am I too low to chop? Am I going to make it back? No turns below 200ft; What is 200ft, I'm a first jump student! Primarcy in learning dictates that students should be using altis from jump 1. Probably a cheap shop that doesn't want the students to frap in and smash their precious altis. Blues Benno Blue Dreams Benno

bloody shame on them! Is there another DZ you can use? When I was a newbie I was lucky enough to have a number of guru's to jump with. [although I am far from a guru] I really enjoy jumping with novice jumpers. Plus I find it benefits me; Rather than scramble for the next point I can think about and holm my moves and work on my body position. Blue ones, Benno Blue Dreams Benno

On an Airspeed tunnelcamp; I have had it explained to me that you alter your body pitch (i.e. tilt ) to move forward or back. I think of it like so: "Uncurling" your legs to tilt you forward. Droping your knees pushes you up and moves you back. Blues Benno

It is worth noting that 6other Picton jumpers (myself included @ jump 83) have had similar mals over the last two years; i.e. Total, cannot extract the pilotchute due to hard pull. Part of my pre-board gear check is to do a test; partial extract of the pilotchute. Also worth saying is company policy: The APF suggests something like "that if any attempt is made to deploy the main then you should chop (if time permits) prior to deplying the reserve." Thanks for the free booze Jas, glad you didn't ruin our day by getting hurt or worse. It was pretty windy! Blues Benno PS: On subject of gear checks. Have you ever checked you can remove your hook knife? I tried and could not as it had seized up!

In Sydney you have Sydney Skydivers, which is a large and sometimes busy DZ located at Picton (60mins from CBD). Aircraft is Skyvan. If you can't get a lift from another skydiver; Get to the train station ( www.131500.com.au for train details )@ Picton and call the DZ - they'll send the bus down. Open 7 days, a few loads each weekday and around 20/day on weekends. Personally, I'd check out Byron Bay - awsome beaches and a great place to hang out; And, it would be [very] rude not to skydive while your in town too! DZ is short ride from town ( 10min ). www.skydivebyronbay.com + www.byron-bay.com Toogoolawah in Queensland is a real nice DZ too. The DZ is about 2hours from Brisbane, for the Nationals the DZ was doing pickups from the Airport. Maybe they do them @ other times. ( www.ramblers.com.au ) Most, if not all, DZ's have a PackerA or rigger that can do your reserve. Or you could look up www.apf.asn.au/apf_services/rigging.asp. Parachutes Australia in Sydney is near a train station ( Ingleburn ). Just in case you don't know; The APF ( www.apf.asn.au/skydiving/overseas_visitors.asp ) does have some op-regs that apply to OS skydivers. You'll need an AAD if you don't have less than a C license + If your greater than B license, but less than E license (500jumps) you'll need a RSL and/or AAD. Blue ones, Benno

Oh man, I really wish you hadn't written that - against that handle! Toogoolawah DZ is a commercial venture, it's how a family puts a roof over it's head and food on the table. It's many people's living. The DZO right now will be shaking his head thinking "I don't really want CASA nor customers to think my staff & pilots are on drugs!" Toogoolawah staff do not fly nor skydive pissed, stoned or twisted. Let the record show; I was at Toogoolawah for the Aussie Nationals - in late December 2001 through to New Year. I saw no evidence, nor heard of any rumors of pilots, JMs, TMs or jumpers taking to the sky pissed or twisted. NB: Zero loads done on new years day. Drug use among skydivers in Australia is a something that makes abit of noise from time to time. Basically, alot of skydivers use drugs recreationally. In my experience it's relatively rare that someone is stupid enough to endanger themselves and others by skydiving after a "huge" night out - whatever the source of their "nectar of the gods." I've never ever seen a pilot drunk or doped up on the job god almighty help them if I do [ and have evidence ]. Benno

I have a Y2K Sabre150 with 200 jumps. The darn thing started spanking me BAD! After abit, I finally worked it out - As my tracking improved, my flaring didn't. ANY forward movement, even very slow ( i.e. walking speed ) will spank the crap out of me. In a 4way; I track, flare, stop hard and enjoy the 500 - 600ft openings. Similarly solos ( with no tracking ) are a joy for openings. Big ways; Ughhh. I track, I track, I track, I flare as much as I can before it's dump time and get spanked. I don't do many big ways! Benno PS: I pack exactly as per the manual - i.e. "fold" the outside cells into the centre of the nose and roll the tail. Quarter slider ( not rolled into tail ). Tight milspec rubber bands - pull force checked against a fish scale.

I jump a 2000 Sabre 150 (@1.35), I've also owned a 1996 190. Sabre's are very, very popular canopys at my DZ in Australia - you can always easily buy or sell one. The 190 was for me a great beginners canopy, extremly forgiving - the flair would never stop. It would get you back from the longest spots, although your arms would ache! Always soft openings, 500ft. The 150 performs just dandy. You can have some real fun with nice landings. It is forgiving enough to have saved me from my pilot errors. 50% of openings are nice, 500ft. 40% are 'crisp', 400ft. 10% are utter crap, 150 up. Pack carefully, handle the wraped up slider as you would an atomic bomb - as thats what it is! Let the thing slip everywhere then shove in the bag; You will be sorry. Don't let the rep of hard openings deter you from a Sabre, but you must pack carefully and read the packing manual.