Aviatrr

I definitely don't agree with the way you were taught.. "Pull the soft handle first" is not a good way to teach.. If you jump a rig with soft handles on BOTH sides......now you have a problem.. You either pull the wrong handle first, or you have to stop and think about it for a second(that you may not have to spare).. Personally, I believe that "pull right, pull left" is the best idea.. Some people go with "pull red, pull silver".. What happens when they jump a rig with two pillows, both neon yellow? My handles are traditional colors - red cutaway pillow, silver reserve pillow...but I still use the "pull right, pull left".. "Pull the soft one first" could get me in serious trouble since they're both pillows.. Mike

It's not that a hard toggle turn is dangerous below 2,000ft....the problem is that the Student CYPRES will fire at low vertical speeds(29mph), which could easily be achieved on most canopies, whereas an Expert CYPRES fires at 78mph vertical speed.. That's the primary reason they don't want you doing hard toggle turns below 2k on student rigs.. Mike

Sounds like you're flying to Quincy this year..? I've never flown in there, but I wonder if they normally close the airport to all but jump planes during the convention.. Have you talked to anybody about it yet? I may(big may at this point) be able to grab an airplane to take to Quincy....but not sure what the deal is with flying in.. I could look for NotAMs, but I'm kinda lazy.....ok, really damn lazy..

Those people did not die because they didn't have an RSL. They died because they didn't pull the reserve handle. PERIOD! If somebody has an RSL, suffers a spinning malfunction and chops, they could very possibly end up with the same result. The bridle could wrap around them as they spin violently. Hell, it happened a few weeks ago in Sebastian, FL on an AFF student when he had a Cypres fire. Hmmm.. I'm no psychic, but I sense some pie in your future..

Where/when in Florida? Mike

A kill line bungee PC? Wow, pretty cool.. Is that a new prototype or something?

Well, the reason I mentioned the Genera is two fold.. First, it appears to be freefly friendly(I'm going strictly by brief encounters on the DZ with these containers - I have not jumped one).. Even if you don't plan to freefly, better pin/bridle/riser protection is always a good thing.. Second, I own a Rigging Innovations Talon 2 - and not only are their rigs awesome, but Rigging Innovations customer service is awesome.. Sandy Reid(owner/president of RI) is always happy to answer questions and help out however he can.. If you have any specific questions about the Genera that aren't answered on their website(www.rigginginnovations.com), call Sandy and ask.. My next rig will be a RI VooDoo.. I have no experience with Altico - I can't comment on their customer service or product.. I'm guessing that their product is good as well - look how many of them are out on the market.. I do not have any idea how freefly friendly the Dolphin is though.. Mike

I'll be training for a new type rating - not exactly sure which one yet.. Depends on what my seniority will hold at that time - but it will damn sure be a new airplane.. Currently a Captain on a Hawker 800, previously a Captain on a Beechjet 400A.. Hopefully Challenger 601 or Falcon 50 Captain within a couple months.. Feel free to drop me an e-mail(address is in my profile) with any questions or just to talk flying.. Mike

Skyball jumps?! I'm there! Mike

I admit, I didn't go through a Tandem progression when I started jumping....but isn't that a bit excessive? Mike

Well, so far, the following has worked for me twice.. Look(both) Grab(both) Arch Pull right Pull Left One of those times, I got to Arch and found my reserve inflating, with both handles at full arms extention, and my main canopy way above me.. I guess when you practice it every jump, it becomes second nature.. The second time, after dumping at 5k(trying a Stilleto for the first time), spinning malfunction, got to the Pull right part and found that my right arm was already at full extention, and I was already becoming stable.. Waited a couple more seconds, and pulled the reserve at 3.5k.. It all happened so fast, and I was pretty much on autopilot.. Mike

The Hornet is a good canopy - I have one now and love it.. As for the reserve - well, it's certified under TSO 23, so I wouldn't hesitate to jump it.. I have a Tempo in my current rig, but the main reason for that is that I could get a larger reserve in the same container if it were a Tempo.. I plan on getting a Voodoo container with a PD reserve soon - the PD reserve because they are much more reinforced and would probably stand up better to a high speed deployment.. How often do high speed deployments happen? Not often - but based on the fact that I do 99% freeflying, I am willing to pay the extra cash(and take a bit of a smaller reserve) for the extra piece of mind.. Don't take this to mean I think the Tempo is inferior - it certainly is not.. If I thought that, I would never have jumped one(or continue to jump one).. Instead of the Dolphin container, you should consider the Genera if you are planning on getting one of Roy's "affordable rigs".. Another thing to consider is "building" your own setup.. If you go with a Hornet and Tempo(I think you said 210), along with an articulated Wings container, you're looking at around $2575 or so.. Less if you go with the standard harness - not articulated.. I definitely suggest getting a freefly friendly container, even if you don't plan on freeflying.. It will help with resale.. I think you also asked about articulated harnesses.. They rock.. Mine has hip rings(Talon 2 with F.A.S.T.), but not fully articulated.. I have jumped other fully articulated rigs, and they are much more comfortable, and makes maneuvering in freefall(mostly freefly) in my opinion.. If you can afford it, get it.. Mike

Just out of curiosity, where did you learn? How long ago? It's pretty rare to find DZ's that don't use RSL's on student rigs. USPA BSR's require it for Group Member DZ's. Not that I agree with that requirement, but it's there. Mike

Busy is good.. More chances to jump, and more people to jump with.. I'll let ya know when I'm gonna be out there.. Mike

I'll be there for the same reason as you - job training. Training for a new type of airplane at Simuflite in Dallas. I'll let ya know when I find out when exactly I'll be there. I think I'll only have one weekend off - so, unfortunately, I won't be able to travel very far away. What dates are you going to be there? Mike

I'll probably be in Dallas area for a couple weeks in either mid July or early August.. I will probably only have Sat and Sun free - which DZ should I hit? Are there any DZ's that are more freefly friendly than others? Mike

I'm absolutely terrified of flying. All phases of flight scare the bajeezus out of me. I just try not to let the passengers know about my fear of flying. Mike

If you jump in the U.S., you should probably verify that with your instructors. If I remember correctly, one of the USPA BSR's states that all student jumps must be on rigs with an AAD and an RSL. Mike

What does a Cypres have to do with RSL's? Nothing. They are two totally separate pieces of equipment made to do vastly different things. Yes, they both deploy the reserve - but that's where the similarities end. An RSL will deploy your reserve as soon as your riser(s) separate from the 3 ring - whether you like it or not. If you're at 6,000ft and cutaway, do you want the RSL to deploy your reserve IMMEDIATELY even though you may be spinning wildly, increasing the chance of a reserve mal? Too bad - you don't have a choice. If the RSL is connected, it WILL deploy your reserve. Period. Don't try to tell me that you will disconnect your RSL if you are in such a situation - you will probably not even think about it. What if you have a canopy collision/wrap at 1500ft? If you cutaway with an RSL, you greatly increase the chance of a reserve entanglement. Do you think you are going to think about releasing the RSL while you are accelerating toward the ground from 1500ft with two entangled jumpers under deflated, streaming canopies? The Cypres will deploy your reserve if certain parameters are met. For the Expert Cypres, it will deploy your reserve if you are traveling down in excess of 78mph between 130'AGL and 750'AGL. Actually, the manual states it may deploy your reserve as high as 1050'AGL in certain unusual circumstances that may trick the Cypres pressure sensor. If you are in freefall at 750'AGL, and the Cypres is working correctly, it will sever the closing loop on your reserve. If you are between 130'AGL and 750'AGL and accelerate through 78mph, it will sever the closing loop. Does it care WHY you are going that fast? Nope. Does it care if there is already a main out and currently inflating? Nope. Does it care if you just cutaway, or if you have a bag locked main and have not cut it away yet? Nope. If you cutaway too low WITH a Cypres, but no RSL, the Cypres WILL NOT save your butt. If you cutaway at 500', and don't pull your reserve, but only have accelerated to 75mph by the time you get to 130'.....too bad. Cypres will disarm. What good would it do you then? Please, don't bring AAD's into the RSL equation. They are two COMPLETELY different items. If you have one, it should not affect your decision for the other. Here's my opinion on RSL's. I know it differs from others, but that's why it's an opinion, and not a fact. If you are confident that you can pull your reserve handle in a timely manner after a cutaway, you don't need an RSL. If you are unsure of your ability to pull the reserve handle after a cutaway - get out of skydiving. It may seem like a cruel thing to say, but this is a very unforgiving sport. Mike

Ahh, the ole' RSL debate. It seems to come up every other month or so. Personally, I do not use an RSL. I feel that the RSL is more of a danger than a help for me personally. I do not feel that way regarding an RSL's use for everybody. If I cutaway, I want to have the option of deploying my reserve immediately, or taking a few seconds to get stable first. RSL's are designed to deploy the reserve immediately following a cutaway. They do that job well. Unfortunately, they do not discriminate. If there is still a main canopy out there - such as if a line or riser is snaged on something - the reserve will fire into it. If a person is VERY unstable after a cutaway(such as a high speed spinning malfunction under a highly loaded elliptical), the reserve bridle or PC could catch on something(arm, leg) and entangle, keeping it from ever extracting the reserve from the freebag. I don't tell anybody whether or not they should be using an RSL. It is an individual choice. I believe it is a good idea for students and relatively inexperienced jumpers to use an RSL. You will find that lots of jumpers have different opinions on this subject, for very different reasons. I jump relatively lightly loaded, medium performance canopies - up to around 1.4 to 1.5 - but feel that an RSL would not benefit me in most situations. Alan(gear forum moderator) jumps an extremely high performance canopy - I believe loaded around 2.4 - and he DOES use an RSL. He has decided that an RSL is a good thing and has more benefits than drawbacks. Difference of opinion - but nobody is wrong in this case. It's an individual decision. Try asking Alan about his take on RSL's in the Gear forum. He has a whole lot more experience than I do, and that's what that forum is for. Mike

Chances are if the closing loop is too tight, you will not be able to close the container. Try this. Adjust your closing loop so that it is so tight that you can BARELY close the container using all your strength. Place the rig on the ground(or even better, on somebody else laying face down on the floor) and pull on the bridle as if your PC were inflated behind you pulling on the pin. How easily does the pin come out? If I remember correctly, most pilot chutes exert about 100-120 pounds of pull force at 110-120mph. Add to that the fact that it will not be pulling on your pin the whole time - but will be building up speed and force for about 6-7 feet(the length of your bridle) - then exerting all that force for a split second. If you really want to know how much force a PC exerts, try this. First, get a harness and anchor yourself into the bed of a truck. Get a PC the same as the one in your rig. Get a scale similar to a fish scale, but with a much higher weight range. Attach PC to the end, and have somebody start driving. When you reach about 110-120mph - that's your PC's long term force in freefall. Oh, and if you do try this experiment, please have somebody video tape it.

I have a few jumps on a Sabre 150(around 1.4 loading) and 170(around 1.25) and had no problem stalling either one.. I did take wraps on the lines to get a good, deep stall.. I was able to get a stall without the wraps also.. Check your steering lines on your next jump.. Are they bowed way back indicating lots of slack in the lines? If so, have your rigger shorten 'em.. Mike

And it makes him look like one of those R/C skydivers when he's jumping it...except he's going a bit faster.. Mike

I recently ordered a Sony PC-5, and am wondering exactly which accessories I should get.. I will be using it strictly for personal video for now, mostly freefly.. Which wide angle lens is the best for this type of photography? .50 or .42? Is the field of view adequate on a .50 for big way freefly dives? The PC-5 comes with the FS11 battery, which they claim is good for up to 65 minutes. I plan on getting an FS21 or 31, possibly one of each. Realistically, how long can I expect out of these batteries on a PC-5 while recording without the video screen on? I have not decided whether to mount the camera in a full box or just an L-bracket with camera condom. Any recommendations? Of course, the full box will protect the camera better, but does it add a lot of bulk or weight? Are there breakaway ring sights for sale out there? I would like something that I could easily snap off if necessary. Of course, I will have a single point helmet release - but would much rather just ditch the ring sight(rather than the whole camera and helmet) if a line snags on it. I'll be mounting the camera on a Skydance Velocity helmet. Thanks Mike

I am looking at the Icarus Crossfire, and I wanted some input from people that jump them about wing loadings.. The sizes I am looking at will be loaded pretty light - so I am looking for info specifically on similar sizes/loadings.. I am looking at the 149 and 139, which would be loaded about 1.35 and 1.45 respectively.. I plan on following Icarus to a boogie where they will have demo canopies in these sizes, and possibly a 129, but I want to have an idea how they perform at these light wing loadings first.. Thanks Mike