GLIDEANGLE

You will be taught the exit in your AFF program. (The details of that exit will vary based on aircraft used and specific technique preferred by your DZ). Don't sweat it. A nice stable arch with chin up is what you are taught in the tunnel... and it will be very valuable during your exit. The transition from horizontal wind to vertical wind is known as "The Hill". It lasts a few seconds (~5). Many skydivers find that flying on the hill is one of the best parts of freefall. The choices we make have consequences, for us & for others!

Tunnel is a GREAT tool! It can greatly help your progression as a skydiver. HOWEVER, there are many important differences between actual jumps and tunnel time: Exit ~~The wind direction is completely different, and that makes a HUGE difference. Freefall... ~~Emotional impact of falling ~~Altitude awareness!!!! ~~No artificial frame of reference ~~Canopy Deployment Canopy... ~~This is the phase of the jump where most fatalities and serious injuries occur. (Serious injury or death in freefall above pull altitude is rare). ~~A bad freefall and a good canopy flight = "good jump" ~~A good freefall and a bad canopy flight = "ambulance ride" The choices we make have consequences, for us & for others!

As I have thought about incidents with various jumper injuries which impair their ability to flare fully with both arms, it occurs to me that it MIGHT be prudent to leave the brakes stowed for flight and landing in these incidents. Turns could be made by using rear risers (perhaps even a 270 degree turn the wrong direction to go the right direction if turning toward the incapacitated arm is too hard). Landing would be without flare... just a PLF with brakes stowed. The type of canopy and wing loading certainly would influence this decision. A big, slow student canopy might land acceptably with no input and the brakes stowed. A heavily loaded high performance canopy might NOT land acceptably in the same manner. Jumper upper body strength would probably play a role too... If strong, a single arm flare might be easy; if not strong, a single arm flare might be impossible. I am NOT advocating this as the correct solution… I am seeking a discussion of folk’s views of the pros and cons of this tactic. Thanks! The choices we make have consequences, for us & for others!

http://www.cypres-usa.com/cypres08.pdf The choices we make have consequences, for us & for others!

As I age, I find that I am less interested in saving him, than I am in saving me & those I am responsible for. All I would ask of this young man with "Mad Skilz" is that he let me know if he is jumping where I am. That way I can keep me and my students off his loads. The choices we make have consequences, for us & for others!

What is most interesting about your question is that it is about organizing the canopy rather than bagging the canopy. The vast majority of discussions here about packing seem to be about bagging the canopy: Folding all and bagging, OR folding top and bagging it then stuffing bottom, OR folding bottom and bagging it then stuffing top, OR Psycho/Precision pacing (rolling), OR Wolmari. These discussions of "how to get it in the bag" almost always include the following link: http://www.precision.aero/packing/mvc-002v.mpg P.S. The reason that you are asking about organizing and not bagging is that you haven't tried to pack yet. Bagging is what often drives noobs to tears... not organizing the canopy. There is nothing quite like struggling in the heat for 10 minutes to get the canopy in the bag without success. The choices we make have consequences, for us & for others!

Bullshit? Maybe not. Lets assume the following for a skilled packer of sport rigs (NOT tandems) at a busy dropzone. 12 hours of jumping (a summer day with jumping from 0800-2000 [8:00am to 8:00pm]) Subtract 2 hours for meals, breaks, and other delays. 6 minutes per sport pack job. $6 fee per sport pack job + 15% tip = ~$7.00 per pack job (rounded to the whole dollar) Given the above: 12 hours jumping - 2 lost hours = 10 hours of packing (10 hours x 60 min per hr) / 6 min per pack job = 100 pack jobs 100 pack jobs x $7.00 per pack job = $700 per day Last weekend I made 13 jumps in 2 days and paid my packer $95. I rounded the pay UP from $91 to $95 to thank him for some high pressure quick calls and his positive attitude. Since I am only ONE of his MANY customers, I think that he probably had a VERY lucrative weekend. Why don't I pack for myself? Simple, when I have less than 20 minutes to debrief the last student or gear up the next student, practice the exit @ the mock-up, do two gear checks, move to the loading area and grab some fluid to drink... I simply don't have time to pack for myself. Am I the kind of jumper who is dependent on my packer because I cannot pack for myself? .... NO. I can pack just fine for myself, thank you. On a hot summer day of fun jumping I would rather conserve my energy for jumping a lot, rather than tire myself packing and jump less. The choices we make have consequences, for us & for others!

Think of this in terms of LAYERS: -Your instructors will prepare you carefully to prevent this... Learn well how to "ARCH" -Your instructors will be VERY aware of your body size on the ground. (You may never hear it... but there will likely be a discussion about it.) They will assign instructors accordingly (slow fallers). -Your instructors will choose their jumpsuits to match your anticipated fall rate, known as "dress for success". -Your instructors will dress you in a jumpsuit which will help match your fall rate to theirs. -Your instructors will work to help keep you calm in the plane. -As you exit....ARCH! -Your instructors are good at flying YOU into position if your body position is a bit goofy. -ARCH! -If your instructors give you signals to fix your body position... Do what they tell you!!! -ARCH! -If your body position is really bad and you are very unstable, one instructor may release and stay nearby to assist. (It is often easier to fix tumbles with just one instructor docked on student). -ARCH! -Your instructors are skilled at stopping any spin you might have, and at rolling you over if necessary. -ARCH! -In the VERY uncommon situation where you lose both instructors..... PULL NOW!!!!!!!! -If you lose both... They will be flying VERY aggressively to capture you! -ARCH! -If you lose both instructors, and can't/don't pull...your AAD will attempt to activate your reserve. -ARCH! -If you, both your instructors, & your AAD are all unsuccessful ..... Don't worry, you signed the wavier!!! ;-) Losing both instructors is possible but very uncommon. I have almost 350 AFF-I jumps. I have NEVER seen a student toss off BOTH instructors. I have seen some students do their "best" to lose both, without success! To help you understand one of many reasons that it is hard to toss both off: We have a strong grip on your leg strap, with our hand entirely gripping it. I have had several times when I had a leg strap pull off my glove when the opening canopy pulled the student out of my hand ...and I was TRYING to let go! Our grip on the leg strap is so deep that the backs of our fingers are against your leg, as we grasp the leg strap with our whole hand. Hint #1: SMILE, BREATHE, RELAX! Hint #2: Trust hint #1! Go have fun!!!!! The choices we make have consequences, for us & for others!

I bet that it is difficult to pack NOT because of the wrinkles.... but because the ZP fabric has very little wear (~35 jumps) and is slippery. Jump it! Pack fast, pull high. What could possibly go wrong? The choices we make have consequences, for us & for others!

Even if it was a good idea, which it isn't, I am not sure that it would help much. In my experience, the "classroom" parts of my rating courses were important, but paled in comparison to the evaluations. There is absolutely no way to replace the challenges of DOING the jumps and ground preps. The choices we make have consequences, for us & for others!

Here is a reading list for you: http://www.dropzone.com/cgi-bin/forum/gforum.cgi?post=4052172#4052172 I assembled this list while recovering from a stupid landing! The choices we make have consequences, for us & for others!

A "little further"????? Elsinore, CA to Taft, CA is 186 miles, approximately 3:20 travel time (ONE WAY). Even here in Texas, that isn't "a little further"! The choices we make have consequences, for us & for others!

Hoop dive! The choices we make have consequences, for us & for others!

Add to your reading list: The Skydiver's Survival Guide http://www.amazon.com/Skydivers-Survival-Guide-Second-Edition/dp/0971598096 The choices we make have consequences, for us & for others!

Real time fall rate feedback: http://www.flysight.ca/ The choices we make have consequences, for us & for others!

Many (most? all?) reserve free bags have NO rubber bands... using a loop made from shock cord. The choices we make have consequences, for us & for others!

1. Chin UP. 2. Look at horizon. 3. Smile, Breathe, Relax. If you will look at your dive flow for that jump you will not find "look down and take in the view". Stop being such a "smart guy" and simply follow the damned script. Once you learn how to save your own life reliably, then you can take in the view. First things first! The choices we make have consequences, for us & for others!

I would guess that riggers who jump BASE would be most likely to be of help to you. The choices we make have consequences, for us & for others!

Wanna learn canopy control well? Wanna learn new and complex ways to scare yourself? Wanna hang with the "pocket protector" crowd? Wanna dress ugly? Wanna scare other skydivers with your rig? Wanna jump canopies which are challenging to land? Wanna learn the meaning of "....and then it was raining free bags"? Wanna have more fun than you can describe? Jump with the CReW dawgs! You will do all of the above... and more. The choices we make have consequences, for us & for others!

While walking the LZ you should be looking for: ~ Surface problems (holes, rocks, sprinkler heads, etc). ~ Nearby obstacles (fences, trees, ditches, etc). ~ Turbulence generators. ~ LZ size. ~ Wind indicators (wind socks, flags, wind blades). The choices we make have consequences, for us & for others!

All of the above is good advice. Based on my bad experiences, I want to emphasize...... ALWAYS walk the landing area! (Of course, do so safely) The choices we make have consequences, for us & for others!

Since your profle is blank it is impossible to know what the context (country) is for your question. In the USA, the USPA does NOT allow tunnel time to be used to meet any experience requirements for licenses or ratings. There are VERY good reasons for this: --Tunnel time has no spotting. --Tunnel time has no aircraft exits. --Tunnel time has no real "altitude awareness". --Tunnel time has no real "deployment time". --Tunnel time has no canopy flight. --Tunnel time has no canopy landing. However, tunnel time can be VERY useful (and cost-effective) for building freefall skills. If money is tight... a canopy control course is more likely to improve your odds of survival than tunnel time! The choices we make have consequences, for us & for others!

COLOR! The most important thing is that the gear be color coordinated! The choices we make have consequences, for us & for others!

With the passing of Bill Newell, does anyone know what the future of the Bob Buquor Memorial Star Crest awards will be? I hope that plans were made by Bill for the continuation of the program after his death. http://www.starcrestawards.com/ The choices we make have consequences, for us & for others!

http://www.precision.aero/falcon-9.htm Doesn't the canopy label have the TSO info on it? The choices we make have consequences, for us & for others!