Aviatrr

The Aviator(www.arrowdynamics.com) has an internal.. The pictures of it you see in ads in magazines are the old model - the new model has a molded internal pocket.. I think the price went up $20 too.. Also, the Velocity(www.pia.com/skydance) by Skydance Photography has a molded internal pocket.. I have a Velocity.. I liked the Aviator too, but the Velocity seemed a better camera helmet than the Aviator.. The Velocity is not strictly a camera helmet - it is an open face that is upgradeable(with the addition of a side or top mount) to a camera helmet.. Then again, just about anything can be made a camera helmet these days.. Also, if you can find somebody that's got a Mindwarp from last year, it will have a molded internal pocket.. They just changed it this year I believe.. Mike

Not at all. Just to clarify, it's the piece of fabric that is below the 3 rings - it does not cover them.. It starts just below where the largest of the 3 rings is attached to the harness.. Look around next time you're at the DZ - it's a very common mounting location for a hook knife.. The knife is mounted upside down(you put it in from the bottom of the flap), with the strap on the knife sticking out.. The strap usually has a snap on it - but sometimes velcro - which folds back up and attaches to the other half of the snap on the mudflap.. To get it out, grab the strap, unsnap it(just pull), and pull it out.. Clear as mud? My explanation probably doesn't make it too clear, but it's the best I can do over the computer..

Jump #3. Slider hung up at the canopy on the right rear line group. Pumped the brakes a couple times, nothing happened. Chopped it. Made a sweet stand up landing on that big ass reserve. My instructor walked up to me, started to say something, backed up a couple feet, and the main landed on me. Good spot.

Skydive Key West is basically just a Tandem DZ.. They do allow experienced jumpers, but you must have 500 jumps, a D license, and a wing loading no higher than 1.2.. Then pay $35 for the ride to 10k in a 182.. No thanks, I'll stick to the mainland.. Mike

You gonna be there? I may make it up to Aerohio for the boogie.. If I make it, I'll definitely be doing a helo jump - Biplane if it makes it too.. I also wanna demo the Samurai that Brian Germain will be bringing.. Mike

The easiest way - in my opinion - to turn in a sit is with your hands.. If you want to turn left, rotate both wrists left.. If you want to turn right, rotate both wrists right.. After a while, it will become second nature and most of your turning will probably be accomplished with your legs.. Until then, try the hand thing.. Yea, that's fast for a sit.. Is that the speed from a Pro-Track? If so, is it set to SAS or TAS? Mine is set to SAS, and normally shows around 160 in a sit.. Up to 190 in a tight stand.. I've seen 251 in a tight head down position.. Average head down for me is around 180.. Mike

I have one under the left mud flap, one at the top of my right leg strap.. I didn't want to sew it to my jumpsuit, because I often jump without a jumpsuit or with different suits.. When I start CRW(which I will try soon), I will place another(a large Jack the Ripper type) on my chest strap.. Mike

Well, I'm glad you checked.. Knowing everything possible about your gear is a good thing.. Did you have your instructor show you the RSL so that you can identify one on other rigs? It's very easy to spot - and may change your emergency procedures.. Be aware that they can be attached on either side(depending on rig type), or even both sides on some.. Learning is what this place is all about.. Glad I could help.. Mike

I have many friends that are pro gun, and many that are anti gun.. I, personally, grew up very active with guns(competition shooter), and continue to be very pro gun.. When the gun debate comes up among friends, I sit it out.. One of my die-hard anti gun friends - whom I have known for over 5 years - was absolutely amazed, and somewhat horrified, when we went to my house one day, and I pulled out a concealed holster/gun and put it in the safe.. For 5 years he never had a clue.. That's the way I like it.. Nobody needs to know.. Will I give up my gun or gun rights? Not a chance.. Carrying a gun quite literally saved my life.. Had I been unarmed, I am 100% sure I would be dead.. You are not going to change my mind.. There is no way to eliminate all guns, so let's not even argue the point.. Banning guns will only take them out of the hands of law abiding citizens.. Enforce the penalties for criminals.. Enforce the laws on the books - don't make more.. Take a look at the statistics on crime in states before they began issuing concealed weapon permits, and after.. There is quite a decline in crime.. What does that mean? The criminals don't know who is armed.. Mike

Low to me is under 2k.. I normally pull at 2.5, sometimes 2k.. Depends on the canopy I'm jupming.. 2k is as low as I will go normally.. For a lot of people, under 3k is low.. To each their own.. Pull where you feel comfortable.. Mike

Cool.. Welcome to the dark side.. I assume you jumped at Deland? I'm out there during the week sometimes, usually a couple days every other week.. I work week on, week off, so I'm away from home every other week.. During my time off, weekday jumps are at Deland.. If you see a guy in a maroon/black Merlin freefly suit with tie-dye(same colors) stripes, say hi.. Rig matches.. My helmet says "Follow me to certain death" on the back.. I love sitting in front of the tandems

Did you already get your high performnace endorsement? I think it's kinda BS that they separated the two.. I didn't have to deal with that one, I was grandfathered in under the 'prior PIC' exemption.. I did, however, have to get the high altitude and tailwheel endorsements.. I had time in tailwheel prior to the cutoff date, but it was dual received - therefore, not grandfathered under the PIC exemption(I didn't have any certificates at the time).. Cool.. The instrument rating is one of the most valuable ratings.. Just be sure to stay proficient.. How far along in your instrument training are you now? Mike

I still freak out whenever I go IMC.....I'm still a low time instrument pilot.. So far, only about 700 hours of actual time..

Congrats on a job well done.. Why the hell would they not clear you for level 4? You proved that you can do the primary things on your own.. Freefall stable(I'm assuming, since you said they were in front of you), deploy your main, and get rid of a bad main and deploy your reserve.. I had almost the same happen on my 3rd.. Once I got under reserve, I was whoopin and hollerin so much they heard me while I was still at 2k.. First stand up landing, too..

Aren't you working on your instrument rating now? In that case, rain is good.. Clouds are good.. Get some actual time while you have a 'safety net' sitting next to you.. Uh, that's assuming your instructor has some actual time..

I don't fly jump planes....well, not often anyways.. I fly corporate jets.. During my time off, I don't want to fly - I want to jump.. I get enough flying at work.. Hell, if I were the jump pilot, everybody would be so damn scared they would be out the door by 5k.. Mike

Here is a brief description of the crew emergency egress system.. http://science.ksc.nasa.gov/shuttle/technology/sts-newsref/sts_egress.html#sts_inflight_egress Mike

Geez.. All you people that are scared of the exit need to start jumping at a new DZ.. You see, at my DZ, by the time we get to altitude, EVERYBODY is in a big hurry to get out of the plane......because nobody wants to risk their life spending another second riding with our pilot.. Seriously, though.. It's certainly not something to be embarrassed about.. You're doing something that is not natural.. Something that you have always been taught is damn dangerous and downright wrong.. Well, by the whuffos anyways.. On the ride to altitude(as you anticipate), and when you get near the door, you mind is telling you this is not right.. Tell your mind to shut the hell up and jump!@# Once you get past the student jumps, and you can make some different exits, it will become more of a fun thing than something you dread.. There are so many different ways to exit all the different airplanes.. The exit is one of the best parts - it kinda sets the tone for the whole skydive.. When I first started jumping, I didn't have any problem with the exit.. I looked forward to it.. My biggest fear during AFF was that I would fall out during my climb out.. Not that falling out matters - I was planning to jump anyways - but that meant that I could either lose a JM or blow the exit.. It never happened, but on my L7 AFF my JM said that I was about half way through the count, he looked up toward the pilot, looked back at me when he didn't hear "GO!", but didn't see me.. All I remember was giving the count, exiting, and not seeing my JM for the first 10 seconds or so.. When I did see him, he was on his head trying to get down to me.. Mike

I haven't jumped an Oxygen, but I do have a Z1.. If I end up down in Sebastian this weekend, I'll bring my Z1 and you can try it out.. I normally jump an open face freefly helmet, but keep the Z1 around for cold weather jumping.. I hope you have a big noggin, though.. My Z1 is an XL..

Damn, this is my kinda canopy! Where can I get one?! I especially like the "static cling" cutaway protection.. Wouldn't it be great if canopies like this actually existed? Mike

I have a few jumps on a Voodoo, and it was awesome.. It is amazingly comfortable, very secure, and looks good.. I can't compare it to an Odyssey because I have never even seen one - much less jumped one.. The price difference is around $250 when you account for all the options added to the Odyssey to make it comparable to the Voodoo.. I don't know whether the cut in laterals on the Odyssey are a good or bad thing.. I have never had any problem with my Talon sliding around on my back during freefall - and it does not have cut in laterals.. It seems to me that it would make it uncomfortable under canopy.. Like I said, I haven't jumped one yet.. I am planning on buying a Voodoo as my next container, probably in the next few months.. I will, however, demo an Odyssey before I make the final decision.. Something to consider is the size of the canopies you plan on buying.. Currently, the Voodoo is only sized to hold up to a 150 main and 143/150 reserve.. Certain larger canopies, with smaller pack volumes, will likely fit in those containers with no problems.. I have a Talon 2 sized for a 150 main - I can stuff a Hornet 190 in there, a Sabre 170, or a Spectre 170.. To be sure whether or not it will fit, send an e-mail to Sandy Reid at Rigging Innovations and ask him if the specific canopy you plan to buy will fit.. You could also likely get a larger reserve in there if you go with a Tempo, as they have smaller pack volumes.. Mike

Definitely find out which CYPRES you have in the rental rigs.. You can ask somebody, or you can look at the button that you push to turn the CYPRES on.. If it is a Student model, it will have a yellow button and have the word "Student" on it.. If it is an Expert model, it will have a red button with no label.. If it is a Tandem model, I believe it will be blue, and will have the word "Tandem" on it.. The Student CYPRES can fire at 1,000ft if you are going slower than freefall speed, but faster than the 29mph limit.. I don't know what "slower than freefall speed" means exactly - no speed is specified.. In this scenario, the CYPRES assumes the student is under a partially open main.. If the CYPRES deploys your reserve at 1000ft while you have a fully inflated main, you could be much worse off than just having to get a reserve repack - there's a damn good chance of an entanglement.. How fast you go (vertically) when you are spiraling will depend on canopy size, rate of turn, wing loading, etc... Mike

Skymedic, I saw that you said somewhere else you live in FL...where do you jump? I'm normally down at Skydive Space Center in Titusville, and make it down to Sebastian now and then.. Deland when I'm jumping during the week.. Still trying to decide where to go this weekend(only Sat - I go back to work on Sun), and where to go for 4th of July(4th through 8th, actually).. Mike

There are only two slight advantages that I can think of.. 1) No chance of forgetting to cock the pilot chute, thereby reducing the chance of a PC in tow. 2) Less moving parts makes for a simpler piece of equipment.. As for the drawbacks..... 1) The bungee collapsible requires much higher speeds to work properly than a kill line collapsible.. Imagine a jump from a stationary point - such as a hot air baloon.. A jumper with a kill line PC may only have to get up to 25mph to allow the PC to work properly.. A jumper with a bungee PC may require 70-80mph for it to work properly.. These numbers are not based on anything but my own imagination - but the bungee PC requires much higher speeds(I think my numbers are damn close on the bungee PC) than a kill line to operate correctly.. The bungee PC basically starts in a 'collapsed' condition(if thrown out at low speeds), then as speed builds and pull force overcomes force created by the bungee, it ends up in a 'fully inflated' condition.. After deployment, and the relative wind is greatly decreased, the bungee collapses the PC again.. 2) On high performance canopies, or during high speed manuevers, the bungee PC will inflate and cause a great deal of drag.. For more info on the bungee collapsible system, try asking Alan.. Mike

It sounds like that guy is quite biased.. He obviously doesn't like PISA, since he makes negative comments about both their main and reserve.. While the Wings may have a "low resale value", it also has a low cost new.. Is he saying it will have a low resale value in relation to other rigs? Of course it will - it costs less new.. I would be willing to bet he is partial to the local gear store.. He deals with them often, and probably doesn't deal with anybody else on a regular basis.. Don't take his advice as gospel - but certainly don't totally disregard it, either.. Regarding the reserve comment.. I have had a ride on a Tempo, and a ride on a PD reserve.. Both ended safely - both few great.. Believe it or not, the Tempo flew straight with equal toggle input on both sides, but the PD did not.. I had to take 2 wraps on my left hand to keep the PD going straight.. I have a Tempo in my rig now, but my next reserve will be a PD.. Why is that? It's not because the Tempo is not a good reserve - it's just that the PD has much more reinforcement, and I do a lot of freeflying.. A PD opening at freefly speed has a better chance of survival than a Tempo opening at the same speed.. If you stay within the reserves limitations, no problem.. Mike