btucker

there are other sensitive areas besides yourr tounge...

No doubt about it, the lower you dump the higher the risk. On back to backs loads, I might hum it down to legal*. Where possible I try to avoid that and open as high as possible. I enjoy and pay for flying my canopy so why would I waste that? I've had a slow speed mal at 3000, it was actually a lot of fun as there was no time pressure. On another incident, I whistled through 1800ft with a locked bag, the emergency procedures where performed with somewhat more haste! Dozens of canopies opening low(er) and then landing in the same small area with now substantially less time & altitude to set up. You can have that! * main open by 1800ft is the relevant op reg. Blue dreams, Benno

bag can tumble through it's lines.. If your super curious, You can probably recreate the mal (on the ground). There is also video (somewhere on skydivingmovies.com) of a premie producing the same mal, you can feel the pilot scratching his head. Check with a rigger perhaps you need to check the compatibility of the gear (bag too tight?), tube stows/bands, how much lines between the risers and the first stow or the pilot chute (kill line okay?). Maybe it just was shit happens. Blues

At lower wing loadings on a square, it can be fun to jump (solo) and then dump with no brakes stowed . The canopy does a heck of a surge. One doesn't want to be in the air with other people as your canopy will open in full drive = less time to avoiid other people. What a soft cock packer, not stowing your brakes. To really teach you a lesson they should have stowed just one brake. Similarly giving a hard pull on the hackey would have been another option. SOFT

At the nationals I was drug tested. The testers where suspicious and wanted additional samples. I was asked to provide urine, faeces, blood, mucus and semen samples. I'm smiled and handed over my jumpsuit. Although it tested positive for K9 blood and giraffe semen no illegal substance was found and I was awarded a medal. I have since been banned from a nearby zoo. At a boogie Adrian washed that jumpsuit with diesel and dried it out near the fire... PS: It's bad luck to wash a jumpsuit.

I opened in a track to see what would happen... You really do get to see your feet! PS: I used a slow opening canopy.

Thats alot of reserve repacks

Someone already said some good stuff: There also are other corners in the performance envelope besides swooping: Slow flight, CRW, accuracy... Put me down for $50 for July (I hope I lose my dosh too) Stay safe, Benno

Under stress, one can tunnel vision - I'd hate to spend the rest of my life clearing some lousy cables. I'm not sure I could stay stable either - flying with hands on your handles is hard enough. I think most at our DZ have been taught: look and locate - grab both handles peel and punch - cutaway! check, check - check both risers have released punch - go reserve! arch clear cables Almost all ozzie students use a one action system (SOS system) . They are taught to put both hands on the yellow handle and punch it down - then to clear cables. The yellow handle is actually the cutaway handle, but if you keep pulling it; It will pull a red thing that is the reserve ripcord. Therefore, it's very important to pull the yellow handle all the way least you do half the job. Which is why instructors get students to clear their cables. And beat them about the head if the don't! Happy chops, Benno

What's that saying? Starting with a full bucket of luck and an empty bucket of experience. You need to fill the experience bucket up, before the luck one runs out. -> It's good to jump the safe side of marginal conditions. Should you find yourself on the dangerous side of marginal conditions (for whatever reason) you'll have the experience to help you. That which does not kill you... You are on the wrong internet site perhaps

About a dozen. Both. No problem {I did open high} Not when I get someone else to! Relax and trust your abilities. As long as you do some key things (which you probably know more about than me) it will be fine. -> The most probable worst case is some line twists and/or an off heading opening. Actually alot of my pack jobs are like that. Blues Benno PS: If I have a mal next jump, I am going to bill you for the beer!

!!!!!! f. me that is too close !!!! Mistakes around DZ's seem all to common - Last week we had a pilot lose the plot and fly directly under us on our heading on jump run - saying/thinking he was 10miles away. Fortunately our diligent pilot and air traffic control where on the case. -The pilot tells me this is regular occurance. -> So If I have right of way and I fall through a wing at 200Kh/h, I won't be hurt -> Dudes, Lighten up. Maybe the glider was directly behind them or there was cloud?? B.

maybe if we showed Philip some tits he'd take his chopper up more often. .....or lose one of phil's canopies in a tree after a chop . I got a free chopper ride! Blue Dreams Benno

- for 120Mb I expect tits! Benno

Just remember have fun! Don't take yourselves too seriously - pass the rock, please. Go and get pissed (after trainning) Create an enviroment where it's okay to make mistakes. When I stuff up my team mates are laughing and thinking "glad that's not me". Pin check each other in the a/c have the camera check the spot - my job is the next point (iff I can remember it) use packers - extra energy too junior for gaggle landings (me: too scared)? Pair up and land by wl then swap. Washing jumpsuits is bad luck don't have sex with the camera guy Blues

i wont have to compress my p0rn as much....

well done Lainey - may you get many 100's more. Does sydney skydivers get a direct debit from your new job? Blue dreams, Benno

I think it was a few years ago, a chap up in Queensland went up to do an intentional (with a teritary) cutaway and had a mal on his main!

good post, ta for sharing. I think people forget what it's like to be new in the sport. As I embarke on a long journey to start instructing, it's nice to be reminded. Just out of intereset, How big was the reserve in your Odyssey? Heal fast!

Others will tell you to get a coach, so I'll leave that to them... It's impressive you've been doing no contact dives – they often turn into speed (freefall speed) races and everyone get's maxed out. Sounds like your more than ready for randoms, but you've got to build the pictures and communication with your opposites. I assume your getting video - 1.Simple randoms – four pointers. I'd draw them but reject the draw if it is too hard or too unfamiliar. Consider doing the same jump again that day – once everyone has seen the real picutres. 2.Drill dive randoms – choose small thing to big thing. Bipole to hammer* is an extreme case. 3.Pick the occasional block and do it for fun – get to know the dive pool and have fun with it. 4. Keep stats so you know whats going on and what you need to work on. 5. Work the team dynamic. Make sure you all have the SAME goals. Have Fun Rotate through all your exits Search dz.com for personal notes Build an atsomsphere where its okay to make a mistake – that's why we train – when I fuck up my team mates are thinking “hahahaha glad that's not me, he's screwed!” * randoms, but I'd also [slowy] introduce building top of block randoms. If you don't build the top of block exactly right the block will be shit. Blues Benno

I do both. Better to see with the helmet and just the googles. + googles are alot easier to clean. But when it's cold, I like to put the face plate on . It sometimes steams up and I have to pop it up after I open. It's also alot quieter - you can hear yourself curse too. A full face is essential in the tunnel. Other have already said similar. Around these parts for less than 100 jumps a ull face isn't the best idea, googles with open face are fine. Check with CI! Blues

For team trainning I do back 2 backs, so I need two rigs. I had a third but I sold it to pay for the next rainning camp. The 3rd was a great spare for me and the team - mals, repacks, cypres service (10 weeks down here).... Blue ones.

... interesting. Skydive Nagambie takes an official min of 5 (ive seen them do 3 on a hot load once) and regurarly do max of 17 = sardine city. They also seem to always hot fuel, even before a shuti down (I'll have to ask about that, very curious). ***A max of 17 is possible with this one also, but we suffer a loss in climb rate and fuel effciency, so we just put a max of 15 on board. Minimum is 8.***

Balance person freedom vs the collective. The classic [bad?] example is seatbelt laws. An easy call for the DZSO on a small DZ that knows and has watched the individual. Now what does the poor DZSO do at a boogie where there are international jumpers on gear they might not have even see before? Sadly it seems some can't listen and don't want to learn or will even lie to the DZSO. There is a not insignificant danger that non skydiving bodies (i.e FAA/CASA) regulate WL for us - If we can't get our shit together and stop these “he was on a what and how big!!” issues from occurring – accident or not. BTW: I believe the Dutch implementation of WingLoading opregs only applies to a new [for you] canopy. Blues Benno

some of my 8way team is from melbourne, and I used to live their. Hit us with it!