Aviatrr

It amazes me how many people just grab the rig, throw it on, and go.. These are the people that should insist on gear checks from somebody else, but often seem to be the people who say no thanks.. I always pack my own rig.. I check everything after I finish packing it.. I then check everything again just before I put it on.. Not long ago I visited a DZ up north.. There were a couple tandems on the load.. One of the instructors was doing back to back loads - video on one, then tandem on the next.. He landed, dropped his rig and video equipment, threw on the tandem rig, and met the plane.. Took less than 3 minutes.. On the airplane, the other TM noticed that "something didn't look right" with the rig.. Upon closer inspection, it was noted that the drogue release cable was improperly routed.. After passing through the loop, the cable then went through TWO of the three rings.. It probably would not have caused a problem - but it definitely could have caused a hard or impossible pull on the drogue release - resulting in a reserve ride with a drogue in tow.. The problem was fixed in the airplane, and the tandem was uneventful.. I always check my gear before and after putting it on, then do the '3-3-3' check several times on the way to altitude and prior to exit.. I have somebody check my reserve pin, and I can feel my main pin.. My main pin flap has a somewhat unusual closure, so I prefer nobody touch it unless they know that specific type.. I don't need my main pin and bridle exposed in a 180mph stand.. Mike

It would depend on what type/size of canopy I was jumping and what my altitude was.. If I have time, I'll try to clear it by pumping the brakes.. If that doesn't work, pull out one of my 3 handy dandy hook knives and cut the offending line.. If the line is WAY in, I would probably skip the pumping and just cut the line so as to prevent more damage to the canopy.. If the canopy is spinning fast enough that I can't effectively work, or my altitude is not sufficient, I'd chop it and not think twice.. I do, however, prefer NOT to test my reserve unless ABSOLUTELY, 100% necessary.. If I can safely solve the problem without chopping, I'll do it.. Mike

Unfortunately, this is all too common.. Paying for "packing lessons" is a damn joke in my opinion.. People should not be charging for this.. Somebody spends $1000-1500 to get off student status, and then is charged even more to learn a basic fundamental - THAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN TAUGHT IN THE INITIAL STUDENT TRAINING! Mike

With the PD170, it could be a tired canopy.. How many jumps does it have on it? As previously mentioned, the brake lines could be too short on the PD170 and the Sabre.. When you let the toggles all the way up, the steering line should only be very slightly bowed - but not pulling the tail of the canopy down.. You should not have to move the toggles more than 2-3" before it starts to pull the tail down.. If the lines are bowed too much in full flight, they are too long - have a rigger shorten then.. If they are not bowed at all in full flight, and are pulling the tail down, they are too short - again, have a rigger shorten them.. Of course, if the steering lines are too short, the canopy is flying in partial brakes the whole time, therefore not allowing you to have full authority over the flare.. Take a close look at the steering lines on your next jump.. Again, my best recommendation is to have an experienced jumper or instructor watch and critique your landings, and if possible, have somebody video them.. Mike

I've had standup landings with a 230 everytime, but with the 210 I sit on my ass everytime. What am I doing wrong??? I weight 61kg and stand 1.61m short. If you sit on every landing on the 210, you are probably flaring too late.. With that light of a wing loading on the 230, it could just be that the descent rate is so slow that a minimal flare does the job.....but with the 210, a bit more forward speed and downward speed, you may not be flaring enough.. Obviously, I can't do anything but speculate if I don't see your landings.. Ask a local experienced jumper or instructor to watch and critique your landings - even video tape them if possible.. Mike

Not necessarily.. If your rig is packed, and you take it in for a reserve re-pack, but decide to remove the main first.....most people just pull it out still in the bag and pull the cutaway handle.. However you choose to do it - make sure you don't re-attach it wrong.. The way I do it is easy, quick, and works for me.. Mike

Not only could that cause problems in freefall, but it would mean that you would be looking STRAIGHT DOWN(the last place you want to be looking on landing) down low.. The only thing I can suggest - as embarassing as it may sound - is taking a radio and having somebody help you out with your height above the ground during landing.. Ever done Skydive U? If so, you know the term 'muscle memory' and how it works.. Well, think of this as a form of 'muscle memory'.. My original comment regarding too large of a canopy was pointed mainly at the women.. It's all too common for a DZ to put a 200lb guy on a 290, and a 120lb woman on a 230 or 260.. The wing loading for the guy would be fine, but for the woman, a bit light in my opinion.. Canopies need to have SOME load on 'em to respond.. If you always have bad landings, you will most certainly be injured eventually.. The problem is certainly something that you need to work out, however you can.. Is your depth perception normal? Ever had it tested? Can you estimate distances pretty well? Do you jump at a DZ that may have additional challenges - such as a high altitude DZ? Uneven landing surface? Tight landing area? Something to consider is a canopy control course.. Such courses are offered at several DZ's, Deland and Perris being two that I am familiar with.. Check around your local area for one.. Also, try having somebody video your landings so that you can study them.. Luckily, I had the benefit of many thousands of landings to my credit prior to ever jumping.. Those landings were in airplanes, but the fundamentals are the same....afterall, a canopy is just a wing.. I have always been a very aggressive canopy pilot as well.. Mike

Damn.. Sounds a bit....complex.. I guess I do it the hard way.. I put a piece of masking tape on one riser - labeling either RIGHT or LEFT, and tie the 3 rings together with a pull up cord.. Mike

A good friend of mine had the same problem.. She weighed around 125, and they put her on a 230 for AFF.. She couldn't stand up a single landing.. She had almost 50 jumps, and hadn't stood one up....hadn't even come close, really.. One day, I took that enormous 230 away from her, and gave her my 190.. She stood it up 4 times in a row.. She downsized her way to a 135 in the next 20 jumps, and stood up every landing.. The canopy they had her on - and said she couldn't downsize until she could stand up that one - was so ridiculously underloaded that it was not responsive.. What size canopy are you jumping, and at what wing loading? Mike

The time and wind portions are correct.. The 030V100, however, I think is stating that the wind is variable from 030 degrees to 100 degrees.. It's not exactly an ICAO standard METAR.. 9999 BR SKC 27/15 Q1010 - Unrestricted visibility(9999), Mist(BR), Temp 27 Dewpoint 15, Altimeter setting 1010mb QNH(Q1010).. Mike

A woman named Wendy up in NC.. www.airwear-by-wendy.com As you could see, the wings I have on my suit allow me quite a range of fall rates.....but not quite up to that ridiculous fast speed I really needed..

On a diving exit, if you have your legs straight on exit you will go a bit head down while you're on the hill.. If you don't like it, try putting your feet on your butt right out the door.. You won't go nearly as far head down.. Also, if you're launching formations and are a diver, you will probably want to pull your feet up on exit - or else you may blow right past the rest of the formation as you go 'head down'.. Just think.. Now you don't want to go head down - in a few months, you'll be dying trying to get the hang of REAL head down..

Agreed.. I know to jump in shorts and t-shirt next time.. Swoop cords work well on some jumpsuits, but not so well on others.. Ask the manufacturer how effective they are on the specific suit you ordered.. You may want them to put on 'fruit bat wings' instead.. The wings on my RW suit are large fruit bat wings.. Mike

Where did you guys decide to move to? Mike

It would all depend on the situation.. I will do whatever I think gives me the highest chance of survival, based on the working time I have and what I have to work with.. Just because you go for your reserve without cutting away a main doesn't mean you are low.. You could have tried for your main handle a few times, not found it, and pulled silver at 2.5k. It goes into a wild spinner - you see it has a step-through.. Do you have a chance of fixing it? No.. If it's not controllable, you throw out your main in addition to reserve, you could have an entanglement or a spinning downplane.. Of course - if that's all you have time to do - do it! Whatever will give you the highest chance of survival is the best course of action.. Mike

I have never heard of it happening after intentionally deploying a reserve - but it has happened.. On a high altitude jump(24k I think), a guy had his reserve deploy right out the door.. No O2 bottle.. Time of Usefule Consciousness(TUC) is pretty damn low for most people at that altitude.. He cut his reserve risers, freefall to 2-3k, and deployed his main.. It happened somewhere in Northern California, if I remember correctly.. Mike

Check out... http://www.xtremefly.com Mike

When it comes to malfunctions, I am paranoid.. I admit it freely.. That's why I always pack my own canopy.. As for cutting away with nothing out - I see that as a potential problem.. Not only is there the chance of a loose riser entangling with something, but imagine this.. You can't find your main handle.. You try 2 or 3 times(depending on what your procedure is), and then go for silver.. Uh oh, reserve is bag-locked.. Unlikely? Yes.. Impossible? No way.. If you already cutaway your main(even though it's still in the container), you're dead.. If you didn't, you still have one more chance.. Find that main handle and get it out.. How about this one.. I reach back to pull at 3k, give it 2 tries, and can't find my hackey.. I go silver.. Canopy out by 2k.. But it's spinning wildly, and I have no control of it.. I still have a chance.. First, quickly locate my main handle if I can.. Grab a couple hook knives(I always carry at least two), and slice those reserve risers.. Deploy main.. Again, is it likely? Nope.. Possible? As you know, anything is.. You decide to give freeflying a try.. You nail a sit your first time out.. You think to yourself..."This is awesome.. I can't believe I'm doing this.. Hmm, getting close to pull time".. You go to your belly, to find that you can now see arms and legs on the people on the ground(means your around about 500-800ft).. Do you want to waste the time going through your "look, grab, pull right, pull left" - or whichever you use? Not me.. Grab reserve pillow, pull.. I could go on with even more scenarios....but I think you get my point.. Why cause unnecessary problems? In my opinion, it's not a tough call.. Is there ANYTHING out? If so, cutaway then pull reserve.. If not, go straight to reserve.. If I get out at or above 1500, I'm going for my main.. My main will open in 300ft on a hop'n'pop.. If I'm below 1500, I'm going for my reserve.. My fear is not that my main will mal and not have sufficient altitude to cutaway and deploy my reserve, it's that I'm getting into Cypres territory.. A low exit, over unsuitable terrain, and two out....not a combination I want to deal with.. I feel that I am much better off landing my main than my reserve in a dicey situation.. I don't have a single jump on my current reserve, but have plenty on my main.. Mike

Why not? I sure would.. If you do push that person out, you could be saving your life and the lives of everybody else on the airplane.. If you have the chance, and you don't, it's partially your fault if something goes wrong.. If I have a canopy loose, and it's going out the door, I sure as hell want somebody to push me out if I'm not going out on my own.. Mike

Mine usually shows a couple hundred below my actual 'in the saddle' altitude.. I typically pull at 2.5, and my pro-track shows 1.7.. My canopy opens in 500-600ft.. Mike

I can fall fast, or fall slow, as needed.. I just didn't expect Marc to fall THAT fast, so I wasn't dressed appropriately.. Need a fast fall rate? I'll just jump in shorts and t-shirt.. Slow rate? Freefly suit.. Oh, that reminds me.. You guys need to learn to freefly by then, so we can do that too..

How'd ya like Deland? Pretty cool place.. Gets a bit busy at times, but not so much this time of year.. Which airplane you jump - the "Supersonic Otter" or the "Rocketvan"? Now you know why I was starting to get ready at 8k down there in Seb..

That's what true freeflying is...not just sit, stand, and head down - but being able to fly your body in any position.. This includes belly flying, as some freeflyers may not like to admit.. Freeflying has definitely helped my belly flying.. On a 10 way tracking dive, I was wearing my freefly suit(big mistake) and was a major floater.. So I went head down, got below the formation, back into a track, and joined 'em from below and the side.. If I had stayed on my belly, I would've only gotten to watch from above.. Mike

Damn.. I gotta come down and jump with you!

"So, did you jump?" "A little....at first"