Scubadivemaster

Mullins is having the West Tennessee Halloween Boogie the weekend of the 31st this year. Hard to beat Mullin's KA.

I'm not sure that I have fully recovered from last year! Still missing an altimeter and a large part of my dignity and self control. (I had really hoped that they would find my dignity and self control under that big inflatable bouncy thing when they deflated it, but no such luck). Looking forward to seeing everyone. The Bardstown Gang will be there in force. I understand that the Richmond crew has to have a signed permission slip from Jamie to play with us, we evidently broke the registration team last year, delaying the start of the Boogie. We are looking forward to playing "Stupid human tricks" with the DZO again. Only 3 weeks!

I do not believe that there is a gap in the ISP, rather that there is a gap in the common application of it. It is very common for students to be “released” from AFF and then receive no further organized training. When they get to 25 jumps, they start looking for someone to sign off all of the skills in Categories F-H and to sign off on their check dive. That is a poor system that allows the student to develop bad habits, compromises safety, fails to retain skydivers, and produces licensed skydivers who believe they know far more than they really do. The ISP is designed so that students move from the care of their AFF instructors in Category E to the care of other instructors, coaches, or properly rated skydivers to continue their progression through the remaining categories. Contrary to the common practice of just turning people loose to learn on their own at the end of Cat E, the SYSTEM calls for continued organized training through the rest of the student progression. For instance, the very first training jump after successful completion of AFF should cover aircraft emergency procedures and exits, which your friends evidently missed. From the 2008 SIM, Cat F: The "gap" is not in the "system", but in the failed application of the training program. Tell your friends to find a coach or instructor who takes the remaining categories on their progression card seriously and will work with them to complete their A license training. A good coach or instructor will spend the time covering ALL of the SIM material for that category, not just the freefall skills portion. There is a good thirty minutes of "classroom" for every jump through Category H. It is just as intense of a training program as the first five Categories and should be taken just as seriously by the students and the instructors. The instructor/coach should be training both the SIM material AND the exit, the freefall, and the canopy portion of the jump. The student should be learning the skills on the ground, practicing the skills on the ground, understanding the skills on the ground, and then going and trying them in the air. Afterwards, there should be debriefing and corrective training. Often, it will take multiple jumps and ground school sessions to cover the learning required for a single category. Come on people, this isn’t bowling we are teaching. Doing it right protects not just the student, but everyone they jump with. The life you save might be your own (or more importantly, it might be mine). [/rant]

Actually, using a Royal lens I have to push the HC42 so far against the helmet to keep the box from hitting the lens that the thumbscrew has to be loosened and the camera pulled away from the helmet to turn it on. I rely on the Cameye once the camera is in the helmet. Not ideal, but it works once you get used to it,

The back of the box is solid on the FF3. There is no hole to allow use of the viewfinder. The first pics of the FF3 box that I got from 2KC showed it having the opening in the back like the FF2, but they changed that for some reason. I guess I need to shoot them an email and ask if there is a reason I can't just cut out the back of the box.

I've already got it tight enough that I struggle to get it off quickly to film landings, but I will give that a try Anybody else consider cutting a hole in the back so they can use the viewfinder?

One of the guys I jump with has the FF3 with the HC5 and now that I think about it, it seems like the groove for the elastic band is a little deeper on his than it is on mine. I remember thinking that the band on his looks a lot closer to flush when closed than it does on mine. I'll look at that this weekend.

I'm jumping an FF3 with an HC42, no still camera. I have about a dozen jumps with the camera and helmet. I was a little concerned about the elastic band closing system when I purchased the helmet, and really considered going with the FF2 because of the different closing mechanism. Upon deploying on Sunday, I had line twists down into the risers. After getting out of the line twists, I discovered that the box was in the full open position. When I examined it on the ground, it has some scrapes on the back of the box where I assume the risers hit it. The line twists were bad enough and the canopy was in enough of a spin that I thought I might have to cut it away. I really hate the thought of opening my reserve with the hazard of the open box to catch the lines. (Let me make clear I am not blaming the line twists on a riser strike, I was trying to modify my packjob with poor results.) Just my opinion, I wish I had gone with the FF2. There are a few other reasons (I know several people who have the FF2 and the HC42, and the bolt up and adjustment were simple. My FF3 with a stealth or diamond lens took cutting several holes to keep the box from hitting the camera, the battery or the lens, and there is really only one position I could get it to work in), but those are separate issues. I love the comfort of the helmet, but be aware that the box can open.

Daniel- There is something called the accuracy trick. Rather than repeat the excellent descriptions others have written, I will refer you the the search function for "accuracy trick". It should really help you see what your glide angle is, and adjust it as necessary.

Maybe learning this lesson well at 18 jumps while you are still on a 300 ft canopy is a blessing. Would have been much worse under a more aggressively loaded canopy. More than deciding which direction you are going to land before you get on the plane, at 18 jumps you should be actively walking the landing area and planning your entire pattern. Walk to the point on the ground below your the spot where you plan on entering the pattern. Tell yourself, "I will be here at 1000ft" (modified appropriately for wind conditions), walk your proposed line of flight for the downwind to the spot you will turn on base. Tell yourself "Here is where I will be turning onto base. I will be at 600 ft." Walk your line of flight to your planned turn onto final. Tell yourself "Here is where I will turn onto final. I will be at 300 ft". It helps if you pick points on the ground that are easily distinguishable. (e.g. the point of entry is over the big yellow airplane, the turn to base is at the junction of the taxiway and the landing area. The turn to final is before the trees at the far end of the landing area, etc. ) By actually walking the landing area, you may see that your plan is in error. "Oh Christ, If I turn in on final here, I'll overshoot the landing area" or "Hey, with the wind blowing this way, if I turn onto final here, I'm going to land in the rotors off the hangar." Ask a coach to walk the landing pattern with you and plan how to lengthen or shorten the legs if you are not arriving at the planned spots at the planned altitude. They can also point out things you may not see, like where the rotors are with those particular wind conditions. They should be able to give you some good advice such as "With the wind like it is today, do not go beyond these trees or you may not make it back." When you get open under canopy, fly your plan! No plan perfectly survives contact with reality, but having that plan in place and trying to stick to it will make you a better and safer canopy pilot. Of course, you'll still screw up, but you'll know why and where you screwed up, and be better for it than the guy who spirals down and only has landing direction planned. He has learned nothing. Does all this sound obvious? It did to me when I took the ground portion on a canopy course. When I actually started to do it, it changed my entire canopy experience. You are participating in one of the only activities on earth where you can walk around on the ground with your arms over your head like you are flying the canopy, simulating your turns, and no one is going to look at you and say, "What an idiot!" Take advantage! Just don't make airplane sound effects while you do it.

CNN reporting the jump is postponed. Probably a wise decision.

Yeah, I wouldn't want to try to inflate a mylar balloon in anything close to that sort of wind. Much less ride it 25 miles up and then jump out without a spot. God only knows where he will end up, but looking at the satellite images it looks like he has picked a place with about 150 miles of "outs".

The CNN stream is down now Winds appeared to be 10 or greater judging by the flag on the crane.

I bought a used Spectre 190 for a second rig. The sellers described the canopy and said that it came with a new lineset. I was told (at least I swear I heard) that it had Spectra lines.) I was pissed when it showed up with Dacron! I called and was told I could return it within two weeks if I didn't like it. Though I feel it is a little more docile than my other Spectre 190 with Spectra lines, it has become my primary canopy. I think the Dacron even makes packing a little easier, as the heavier weight of the lines tends to make them fall toward the center of the pack job. I vote Dacron, hands down.

I wondered if this was the snap type toggle. I have not seen those on any gear actually being used here in this area of the US.

That is the situation I can see. I thought he was saying he couldn't get the toggles to release from the risers. Not saying that couldn't happen, I'm just not sure how it would.

Okay, now that everyone has kissed and made up, and the pissing wars are over, , let's go back to the original reason for the cutaway. Can anyone say what type of gear this was, what type of risers, toggles, etc? I've been mentally stowing the brake lines and securing the toggles on every brand and type of riser with which I am familiar, and am having a hard time imagining a way that I could lock the toggles into the keepers. Is that what you are saying, that the toggles would not come free of the risers, or did the toggles come free, but the brakes fail to release? Mind, I'm not saying I don't believe it happened as you say, I just want to understand better to make sure I know how to pack our rental gear for visiting Irishmen.

So when are you coming back to jump again? Starting next weekend Skydive KY has a new, larger, faster airplane (King Air!!!). Come play with us again!

Another fellow victim, er . . . "participant" for this year's Richmond round jump! Whoever lands farthest out walks back naked (new rule from last year, I'd send pictures, but you really don't want to see them.) I've got my own Russian for this years jump (in a Racer). (Go ahead, call me a weenie)

No it won't fit. Since you now have no use for the Dolphin, send it to me. Pretty sure my Black Jack will make a nice main for it.

Stolen from Andrew Kantor: "Now, when you encounter a crazy screechy monkey, there are many things you should not do, and one of the things not to do is go up to it and jab it repeatedly with a stick. Because all that does is enrage the crazy screechy monkey, who will then hoot and hop and call to all his crazy screechy monkey friends. Then suddenly you’ve got a whole colony of crazy screechy monkeys hooting and flinging their poo at you, and all you have is a stick. You can’t poke them all. They move too quickly, and eventually their poo gets into your eyes. If you try, everyone watching you is going to say “look, that person is trying to fight an entire colony of crazy screechy poo-flinging monkeys with a stick. What an asstard.” Then they’ll laugh and point at you." Cover your eyes.

Oh, I have a purple Quasar that makes me look like Barney the Skydiving Dinosaur and I like it just fine. I actually have people stop me to tell me how ugly my Reflex is. It's the combination of the colors. It was probably cool in the 90's. I wouldn't know, I wasn't cool in the 90's. Nonetheless, I love my Reflex, I just hate whoever ordered it in those colors.

They are awesome rigs. A bit hard to find parts for if you lose your free bag, etc, but comfortable and well made. I bought one as a second rig and everyone who jumps it loves it. (Except for the colors, what the hell were you guys thinking, Mick? Maroon, bright blue, and purple???)

Between 6 Spectres, varying in wear from brand new to 1000s of jumps, in size from 150 to 230, I have never done anything to the nose and only roll the tail enough to keep everything neat as I'm bagging it. I always neatly quarter the slider. Never had anything but gentle openings.

Write that comment in your logbook and come back and read it in 200 jumps. I made roughly the same transitions you have and at the same wingloadings. I started with Mantas (288 F111), switched to a spectre 230. Put maybe 50 jumps on it, had good consistent landings, even in slightly turbulent conditions. Was able to dig out of late flares, make lower than perfect turns to avoid other canopies, etc. and never had any real problems. I stitched to a Spectre 170 next. I flew it and landed it fine. Had a big time. Put about 25 jumps on it and my wife wanted to jump it, so I traded her for her 190 Spectre. I still occasionally jumped her 170. All of these canopies are pretty forgiving and seem almost docile but if pushed can give you a good time. I never learned the true limits of any of these canopies, because I kept downsizing (mainly because I love the speed). I felt completely comfortable under all of them. Didn't listen to anyone telling me that I was progressing too fast because I was flying and landing just fine. Never had a hint of trouble. My instructors thought it was fine. One of my instructors (whose 170 I originally jumped) caught my inevitable bounce on film. (Under the 170.) I never had any problems until I got it into a corner and didn't know how to get it out. Hell, I didn't realize I was IN a corner until I was bouncing off the turf. I had probably 50 jumps on it by then and landed it consistently and perfectly. I spent 2 months this spring watching my friends jump while I sat on my butt. What happened? I was jumping something too small and highly wingloaded for my experience level. What you are not taking into account is that when everything goes wrong you have three things to fall back on: Training, Experience, and Square feet over your head. You want as much of all three as possible. Clearly, you are working on the training if you have Germaine's book. That's commendable, keep it up. That will help keep you safe and assist in your advancement. Your experience (assuming the 33 jumps in your profile is correct) probably totals much less than 120 minutes of canopy time. C'mon! Two hours! At two hours of driving experience, you leave the new driver in a station wagon, you don't give him a Mustang. Once he has learned how to really push the limits of the station wagon, then he moved to something sportier (and that offers less protection.) There is no substitute for square feet over you when the shit hits the fan, which it inevitable will. My last 125 jumps have been under the 190 Spectre. I still haven't touched everything it is capable of doing, and I'm pretty aggressive with it. For the past couple of weeks I've been jumping a F111 Troll 290 in preparation for a "Special" jump and can't believe how much fun I am having with it. Why didnt I just stick with the Manta for a 100 jumps?? You can make these things fly backwards! There are all sorts of tricks you can learn on huge canopies safely that will translate well into the more aggressive canopies and wingloadings. I even got a little swoop out of the 290 last week. Don't get too touchy. The majority of people here are trying to help. We're not criticizing your skills. Your skills are probably exactly where they should be for 33 jumps. You may be a natural, we've all seen people who are. If so, we'd like to keep you whole so that you reach your potential. Either way, I encourage you to burn the tires off your daddy's buick before you take the Ferrari around the block for a spin. Your body will thank you, and you will be a more competent pilot for it.