jacketsdb23

I've been thinking about this a lot lately. I believe that we, in general, have yet to accept the fact that we have a MAJOR problem. Until we do, most of us are banging our heads against the wall. People will get passes, no one will be held accountable, some people will qualify to land somewhere else, the skygods can still do what they want, newbies won't have incentive to learn proper landing pattern & vertical/horizontal separation...and we'll continue to do what we've been doing. Losers make excuses, Winners make it happen God is Good Beer is Great Swoopers are crazy.

Bingo. Losers make excuses, Winners make it happen God is Good Beer is Great Swoopers are crazy.

Funny - I had the very same experience. Practiced one way - on jump 300ish - had a spinner that I chopped with one hand on each handle. Had never practiced it that way. I can't explain it. But now I practice it that way. Maybe its a comfort thing? Losers make excuses, Winners make it happen God is Good Beer is Great Swoopers are crazy.

We went from $17/ticket to $20/ticket. They will come back down when fuel does just like last time. Losers make excuses, Winners make it happen God is Good Beer is Great Swoopers are crazy.

maybe there is some element of risk homeostasis in this whole problem. Fatalities aren't going up, they are just in a different category. Therefore, skydiving as a whole, is just as dangerous now as it was when most people started and people except that level of risk. Whether its in freefall, canopy deployment, or on landing...people accept the posed risks and aren't motivated to change it. Losers make excuses, Winners make it happen God is Good Beer is Great Swoopers are crazy.

Folks - Many of us are drunk with the notion that we are fully in control of our actions, including, when/where to rip a 270. On the surface we are. But we are incapable of making the right decision 100% of the time. A canopy collision (involving HP landing or not) is cast off as someone making a mistake, I can do better, I scan the sky, that person was an idiot, insert justification here. The sooner most of us realize that we don't have the control we think we do, and aim to take some of the human elements out of the decision process, which time and time again fail, we are bound to the same fates. I don't believe we have reached a tipping point in which a majority of those with influence believe there is a serious problem. Fatalities on average have been down the last few years. Unfortunately, there is a common trend to the fatalities that are happening. They shouldn't be cast off as "skydiving is dangerous". It's impossible to create a solution to something when there are so many who don't see a problem. This is not a swooper vs. non-swooper issue. This is making everyone from the AFF graduate to the 10,000 canopy pilot world champion being responsible for their actions in the landing area. This is holding them accountable for vertical & horizontal separation, having a clear understanding of the separate HP vs. Non-HP landing areas, what areas are unacceptable to fly through, and understanding canopy flight is just as important as the skydive. Many folks get this. Many do not and want to keep the status quo. Many people have tried addressing this issue and don't get the support required to effectively create change. This problem will continue until the politics and attitudes change. Until there is universal understanding that there is a problem, we can't do a damn thing about it. Losers make excuses, Winners make it happen God is Good Beer is Great Swoopers are crazy.

This is exactly the problem. Everyone thinks they can clear their airspace on every skydive, and its just not possible. Even with separate landing areas, there are circumstances that diminish the effectiveness of that approach. ETA: I didn't always feel this way, but the more I learn about HP landings, the more I feel that losing 500 - 1000 ft in mere seconds for landing should be done on a separate pass. Losers make excuses, Winners make it happen God is Good Beer is Great Swoopers are crazy.

In an ideal world, separate landing areas make a lot of sense. In the top half of the attached drawing, separate landing areas look good. HP pilots doing a 270 have a very good view of the traffic in the Non-HP landing area. The problem is, landing is a very dynamic situation from load to load and there are so many variables that a simple "separate landing area" plan many times will not work by itself. As an example the bottom half of the attached drawing illustrates a poor spot by the "spotter". Now separate landing areas make no sense and the HP pilots must understand that there is a high probability that non-HP pilots are crossing over "their" area. While it would be great if every single non-HP pilot went around the HP landing area, in practice and reality this does not happen. Be it from lack of experience, lack of understanding the pattern, etc. The drawing in the bottom half of the picture has happened to me and I aborted my swoop in freefall. Landing is much more than wait until I get to 1000ft and figure it out. A bad spot is only one example of how "separate landing area" by itself just doesn't work all the time. Other factors that may diminish the effectiveness of "separate landing areas" : Wind direction changes Bad Spot (new pilot, poor spot from jumper, etc. etc.) Clueless Jumpers Major Wind Direction Changes from 12K to the ground (affects the spot) The bottom line is, with so many dynamic issues...separate pass is the only thing that takes most of those elements away. Losers make excuses, Winners make it happen God is Good Beer is Great Swoopers are crazy.

I can't imagine the market is really there for anything more expensive than current HP canopies. It seems that this design would be much more labor intensive = more $. I certainly look forward to the next advance in HP technology though. R&D must be fun at these companies. Losers make excuses, Winners make it happen God is Good Beer is Great Swoopers are crazy.

Folks, this isn't a mundane task without benefit. We now have two fatalities in the past year that may be directly linked to something as "simple" as a brake fire. One was very experienced, one was a beginner. Learn as much as you can about the parachute you are jumping. Losers make excuses, Winners make it happen God is Good Beer is Great Swoopers are crazy.

Another scheduling conflict with some of our sponsors and local swoopers attending the Florida meet in Raeford. So...Our last change, for better or worse. May 14th date has been moved to May 21st for the first meet. It looks like the pond will be ready for Accuracy and Speed courses. Come play. Losers make excuses, Winners make it happen God is Good Beer is Great Swoopers are crazy.

Hi Guys - we made a date change to our first meet to accommodate some sponsors and swoopers who are attending the FLCPA meet at Raeford. 2nd Dubai International Parachuting Championship - January 5-17 FLCPA Meet #1 Skydive Deland - January 29 Australian CP Nationals @ Sydney Skydivers - February 16-20 FLCPA Meet #2 Skydive City Z-Hills - March 26 FLCPA Meet #3 Skydive Palatka - April 16 1st Open CP Kiev Cup DZ Borodianka, Ukraine 1-4 May - www.paraskuf.com.ua NCCPA Meet #1 Skydive Sacramento, - May 21 FLCPA Meet #4 Raeford Parachute Center - May 14 1st Ukranian CP Nationals - DZ Borodyanka, Ukraine - June 7-10 - www.paraskuf.com.ua FLCPA Meet #5 Skydive The Farm - June 11 Belgium Black Mountain Swoop Comp - June 11-13 NCCPA Meet #2 Skydive Sacramento, - June 18th Russian Canopy Piloting Nationals - June 22-25 German Swooping Open and British Nationals at RAPA - July 7-9 2nd Open CP Paraskuf Cup DZ Borodyanka, Ukraine - July 14 - July 17 - www.paraskuf.com.ua Canadian CP Nationals - Edmonton Skydive Centre - July 15-24 NCCPA Meet #3 Skydive Sacramento, - July 23 Pink Open/Czech Nationals/Austrian Nationals - August 12-14 NCCPA Meet #4 Skydive Sacramento, - August 13 6th World Cup in Canopy Piloting and the 2nd European Canopy Piloting Championships in KLATOVY, CZECH REPUBLIC - August 22-27 USPA CP Nationals SD Spaceland - August delayed to => September 14-17. Italian Swoop Fest, Open Competition, FlyGang Molinella, Italy 15-18 September French Open, "SWOOP CONTEST CASTELNAU n°2", 23-25 september, (AIR65 dot com) 3rd Dubai International Parachuting Championships and Gulf Cup - 29 November - 10 December 2011 Losers make excuses, Winners make it happen God is Good Beer is Great Swoopers are crazy.

DocPop - One thing to keep in mind. The velo 90 will respond aggressively to harness input during opening. If you aren't careful it will spin up on ya. I also know some Velo's that don't like sub-terminal openings. Get input from the S&TA and your local instructors and go have fun with the velo on the Tertiary rig. Losers make excuses, Winners make it happen God is Good Beer is Great Swoopers are crazy.

We moved the June 25th date to June 18th to avoid the conflict with a local boogie. We also seem to have a conflict with the 4th Florida League meet. Originally, it never occurred to me that this would have caused an issue, but it sounds like there may be several people who are interested in attending both, so we are looking at options. Bare with us while we try to get this league up and going. Apparently we slept through scheduling 101 class. Losers make excuses, Winners make it happen God is Good Beer is Great Swoopers are crazy.

2nd Dubai International Parachuting Championship - January 5-17 FLCPA Meet #1 Skydive Deland - January 29 Australian CP Nationals @ Sydney Skydivers - February 16-20 FLCPA Meet #2 Skydive City Z-Hills - March 26 FLCPA Meet #3 Skydive Palatka - April 16 1st Open CP Kiev Cup DZ Borodianka, Ukraine 1-4 May - www.paraskuf.com.ua NCCPA Meet #1 Skydive Sacramento, - May 14 (we are looking into date change) FLCPA Meet #4 Raeford Parachute Center - May 14 1st Ukranian CP Nationals - DZ Borodyanka, Ukraine - June 7-10 - www.paraskuf.com.ua FLCPA Meet #5 Skydive The Farm - June 11 Belgium Black Mountain Swoop Comp - June 11-13 NCCPA Meet #2 Skydive Sacramento, - June 18th Russian Canopy Piloting Nationals - June 22-25 German Swooping Open and British Nationals at RAPA - July 7-9 2nd Open CP Paraskuf Cup DZ Borodyanka, Ukraine - July 14 - July 17 - www.paraskuf.com.ua Canadian CP Nationals - Edmonton Skydive Centre - July 15-24 NCCPA Meet #3 Skydive Sacramento, - July 23 Pink Open/Czech Nationals/Austrian Nationals - August 12-14 NCCPA Meet #4 Skydive Sacramento, - August 13 6th World Cup in Canopy Piloting and the 2nd European Canopy Piloting Championships in KLATOVY, CZECH REPUBLIC - August 22-27 USPA CP Nationals SD Spaceland - August 31-September 3 Italian Swoop Fest, Open Competition, FlyGang Molinella, Italy 15-18 September French Open, "SWOOP CONTEST CASTELNAU n°2", 23-25 september, (AIR65 dot com) 3rd Dubai International Parachuting Championships and Gulf Cup - 29 November - 10 December 2011 Losers make excuses, Winners make it happen God is Good Beer is Great Swoopers are crazy.

The pond is a work in progress and it takes time/support from the local swooping community. There hasn't been much interest in competitive swooping in recent years in NorCal. We are trying to change that and it takes some time. There are a few issues with the pond that need to be addressed. Ideally, the pond would be available in time for the meets but we can't guarantee it. Losers make excuses, Winners make it happen God is Good Beer is Great Swoopers are crazy.

Hi guys - There is a conflict with the June 25th date being the same as the American Boogie - We are working on an alternative date. We'll give you a heads up as soon as possible. Thanks. Losers make excuses, Winners make it happen God is Good Beer is Great Swoopers are crazy.

Why would one not check the reserve pin prior to gearing up on every single jump? Just wondering the thinking behind checking in the morning and not looking again. A lot can happen during a day of skydiving. Losers make excuses, Winners make it happen God is Good Beer is Great Swoopers are crazy.

The following are dates and information for the 2011 Season. If you have any questions PM me and I'll get you the info. Were hoping to get more competitive this year. Additional Information can be found on our Facebook page, Northern California Canopy Pilots Association. We have four competitions scheduled for the 2011 season. The four dates are: May 14th June 25th July 23rd August 13th Swoop Club and training days will be announced. Competitor briefing to start at 9am. Please be on time. If you haven’t jumped this year at Skydive Sacramento, please arrive with enough time to fill out paperwork, waiver and gear check. Use of Pond during each meet will be evaluated on meet by meet basis. NOT ALL MEETS WILL BE ON THE POND. League Registration - $50 We are asking for a one time League Registration fee to cover the costs of supporting the League. This support shows up in course supplies, course upgrades, medals, cash prizes and BBQ after the last meet. Meet Fee $20 Members Meet Fee $45 Non-Members Meet fees will help us to get enough judges to video and score the meet. Remember, most of the judges are jumpers too and its really hard to get good judges to volunteer. A little cash, lunch, and some appreciation go a long way in helping us score the meets. $14 hop n pops X 6 rounds Classes Pro 5’ Gates Amateur 10’ Gates Based on USPA National Rules Speed Distance Zone Accuracy Meet Prizes: (Subject to increase as the league grows. We are trying to get the support for higher cash prizes) 1st Place - Medal and $50 2nd Place Medal and $20 3rd Place Medal and $10 Top 3 of 4 events count toward overall league standings. Overall Champion Prize: 1st Place $200 2nd Place $50 3rd Place $25 Must be a NCCPA League Member to qualify for Overall Standings Any interested judges or volunteers please send an email to info@norcalcanopypilots.com or jacketsdb23@gmail.com. We are working to make this a paid day for your time. Competitors please check back often for updates. Losers make excuses, Winners make it happen God is Good Beer is Great Swoopers are crazy.

Dude, do you know how many people would kill for openings like that? If you don't like that style of an opening, get a different canopy. Looked sweet to me. Losers make excuses, Winners make it happen God is Good Beer is Great Swoopers are crazy.

Makes me cringe just thinking about it. I suppose I've always been taught and feel that if I ever throw the pilot chute out, I'll cut away, and then pull reserve. I don't like the malfunction, options, or possibilities (other than living through it). Nasty Malfunction and I hope I never have to deal with it. Losers make excuses, Winners make it happen God is Good Beer is Great Swoopers are crazy.

We can beat on guys like this all day long, it doesn't help. I can't wait until DZO's just stop letting jumpers like this on the plane. If the DZO doesn't know about a situation at your DZ...TELL THEM. I've done it at my DZ and it required the jumper to borrow a larger canopy from the DZO before he would let him on the plane again. To the OP: I hope you have fun and don't get hurt and don't hurt anyone else. Losers make excuses, Winners make it happen God is Good Beer is Great Swoopers are crazy.

And you think that is a plus for downsizing? What happens when you have to land off on a canopy thats just a little to much for you and you have to put it in the back yard surrounded by trees and power lines? That statement is exactly the reason you shouldn't be on the xfire 2. Losers make excuses, Winners make it happen God is Good Beer is Great Swoopers are crazy.

Whats up with these pilots? A NorCal pilot in Davis demolished a spool in a botched swoop landing under a crossfire 2 loaded at 1.5. He had about 200 jumps. From what I hear he is very lucky to be alive. Losers make excuses, Winners make it happen God is Good Beer is Great Swoopers are crazy.

Everything is gravy when things are going right.... Now imagine you get stuck in traffic, or boxed in. You need to make decisions quickly but the canopy is out flying your ability to make the correct decisions. You try to turn to final, a little to late. Canopy is diving and you stab your brakes to arrest the diving canopy. Now you've just done a front flip through your risers. If your lucky - you walk back to the hanger with your tail between your legs because you just walked by 10 people who told you not to jump that canopy. If you are not lucky - you are in an ambulance to the nearest hospital. If you are really really unlucky, you just took another buddy of yours and mine out while making that late turn prior to hitting the ground because you had tunnel vision and you were reacting to the canopy instead of proactively avoiding this position you just put yourself into. This is the exact scenario that played out at my home DZ not to long ago. He was very lucky, you may not be. A crossfire at any wingloading is a poor canopy choice for someone with 150 jumps, even a highly skilled jumper. Nobody is saying you are not talented. Give yourself another 150 jumps on something semi elliptical, the benefits to you will be tremendous. Seek the same canopy coaching you seek now, with the less aggressive canopy. Have fun and be safe. Losers make excuses, Winners make it happen God is Good Beer is Great Swoopers are crazy.