GLIDEANGLE

Is a similar rule for RSL's in place or pending there? I don't have the 2011 fatality summary at hand... but I seem to recollect that use of RSL's could have made as big, if not bigger, reduction in deaths than AAD's last year. The choices we make have consequences, for us & for others!

I wouldn't be surprised if stall drills could cause this. The choices we make have consequences, for us & for others!

Try this for thoughts on "what next"? http://www.dropzone.com/cgi-bin/forum/gforum.cgi?post=4051701 The choices we make have consequences, for us & for others!

Not all re-currency training needs are the same. A jumper who 30 days out of currency is relatively simple. A jumper who has not jumped in 10 years is an entirely different matter. At my DZ, the chief instructor reviews the unusual situations and makes a decision about who will do the re-currency jump (coach or instructor). My favorite resource for typical re-currency training is the USPA Safety Day Checklist, which can be found on the "member" > "downloads" section of their web site. I start all re-currency training at the training harness reviewing EPs. I find this to be a very useful diagnostic regarding how much re-teaining a jumper may need in other areas. If they don't know EPs.... They tend to need LOTS of help with other areas too! I hate doing re-currency jumps with strangers! I will never again do an UN-gripped exit on a re-currency jump with a stranger! One grip on a leg strap until stable is a simple way to be ahead of some of the "fun". The choices we make have consequences, for us & for others!

Depression is potentially fatal and very treatable. Treatment for depression can vastly complicate getting &/or keeping an FAA medical. There are medical consulting firms which specialize in helping folks deal with FAA on these matters. My experience with this firm was very good: timely, professional, authoritative, and reasonable cost. http://aviationmedicine.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=home The choices we make have consequences, for us & for others!

A bit of humor for this rather downer thread: Q: What do you call a professional skydiver without a girfriend? A: Homeless. The reason that it is funny is because there is a bit of truth in it! The choices we make have consequences, for us & for others!

Try this for some data rather than merely opinions: http://www.performancedesigns.com/docs/dualsq.pdf The choices we make have consequences, for us & for others!

Call the manufacturer and ask them. They have lots of experience with this. Fabric, fit, & design matter! Be sure to get measured by someone who knows what they are doing...FOLLOW THE DIRECTIONS FOR MEASUREMENT CLOSELY....AND THEN REPEAT THE MEASUREMENTS! The choices we make have consequences, for us & for others!

If that SDAZ package includes vertical wind tunnel time... it might be a bargain and a great way to build skills. The choices we make have consequences, for us & for others!

I was the guy in slot 2 on the other side of that attempted 30-way CReW formation who got wraped at the same time as you did. Laszlo's images of your cutaway are REALLY scary. Perhaps he would let you link to them here. There are lessons in those images for non-CReW dawgs. One of the many issues is the relevance of an AAD for even the skilled jumper who is on his game. All I can say is when I finally looked down after getting the canopy off of me and saw how far below us your inflated reserve canopy was..... I knew that there likely was a scary story waiting to be told. The choices we make have consequences, for us & for others!

Consider this: http://www.dropzone.com/cgi-bin/forum/gforum.cgi?post=4052172 The choices we make have consequences, for us & for others!

The hidden danger in higher winds is turbulence. Turbulence can be nothing more than a bumpy ride up high, or can cause your canopy to collapse down low. The challenge is to predict the location and intensity of the turbulence. At my home DZ, turbulence begins to be a significant factor when the wind speed exceeds ~20 mph. Know how to predict turbulence and select a landing pattern which will keep you away from the likely locations for turbulence. If it is windy, watch other canopies before you get on the plane. How much turbulence are they hitting? Where is it? Know that a recent annual USPA fatality summary showed three causes of death under a good canopy: canopy collisions, high performance landings, AND LANDING IN HIGH WINDS OR TURBULENCE. Canopy related deaths were divided almost exactly into thirds for each cause. Thus, jumping in high winds or turbulence caused as many deaths that year as swooping! That said, at my DZ, if you are not comfortable jumping in winds 15-20 mph... you won't jump much! [see my sig line below.] The choices we make have consequences, for us & for others!

Here is a brief refresher on how not to die: http://www.uspa.org/Portals/0/Downloads/Safety_Day_Check_List.pdf Be ready to demonstrate mastery of emergency procedures in the training harness before your recurrency jump. The choices we make have consequences, for us & for others!

The N3 has a rechargable battery. My N3 holds a charge for a really long time. I don't knopw how a user would replace the battery... there are no screws or other obvious ways into the guts of the N3. If you like the features of the N3, don't let the battery be an obstacle to buying it. The choices we make have consequences, for us & for others!

My Wings is happy with a 210 Spectre / 235 Optimum. Heck, it is happy with a 176 Lightning w/ tail pocket in place of the Spectre. The lack of a D-bag makes the Lightning pack big. Or maybe I am just a klutz/wussy and can't/don't cram the fabric as tightly without a d-bag. The choices we make have consequences, for us & for others!

Remember... Death in free fall above pull altitude is uncommon; death under a perfect canopy is all too common. Regardless of discipline (specialty), we each need to learn to fly our canopy safely! Time spent mastering canopy flight, particularly SLOW flight will pay off when you least expect it to! The choices we make have consequences, for us & for others!

Here is a good place to start your search: http://www.usapr.com/ The choices we make have consequences, for us & for others!

Hmm... Jumping is making your symptoms worse. I am not sure what sort of reassurance you are seeking here, but this is the wrong place to get guidance on a condition that can result in permanent disability and chronic pain. I can say this much with certainty: If I were your instructor, and you told me that story, I would refuse to jump with you! I hope that you get good medical care, get your problem fixed, and join us in the sky! The choices we make have consequences, for us & for others!

- I use my N3 for altitude info DURING the jump. - I use my Pro-Track for logging AFTER the jump. It is simply too laborious to get info for multiple jumps out of my N3. The choices we make have consequences, for us & for others!

I think fully exposed pop tops are ugly. The choices we make have consequences, for us & for others!

Every canopy mentioned so far in this thread is suitable. It comes down to what you want and preferences. I like my Spectre for soft openings, for docile openings & flight, and for being suitable for a little bit of CRW. My Spectre behaves well when I don't! The choices we make have consequences, for us & for others!

Equally difficult would be getting accurate data about non-fatal injuries. I suspect that less than 1/2 of NON-fatal skydiving injuries which require medical care are reported in some parts of the US. The choices we make have consequences, for us & for others!

Hmmm.... I can't think of too many times that I got myself into a stupid situation under canopy and thought "Damn I wish I had a smaller canopy overhead!". Even when I got in trouble on a windy day, my big canopy saved my ass. My most recent jump was a cutaway. Having a big Optimum 235 overhead SLOWED EVERYTHING DOWN.... and made my pattern and off-DZ landing EASY. The choices we make have consequences, for us & for others!

1. No you can't get a "canopy endorsement". The level of performance requred by this canopy proficiency card is elementary. It doesn't warrant an acknowledgement. 2. The canopy proficiency card is not new. It has been around for at least 5 years. USPA has revised it for this new requirement to make it simpler and easier to administer. 3. If you want to work on your canopy skills and already have your B-license... I suggest that you take a look at the PREVIOUS canopy proficiency card, which has more requirements. I have attached the previous card. Of course, using this card with a canopy control coach is the smart way to approach improving your skills. The choices we make have consequences, for us & for others!

I feel your pain. As a student, I too, was fighting weather and wanted to learn as much as I could (being a voracious reader). However, the challenge is to read things that will be helpful and to not read things that will only clutter your brain early in your jumping career. Therefore I have the following suggestions until you have actually made a few AFF jumps: --Limit your reading of the USPA SIM to Section 4 (the Integrated Student Program) --If your reference to "The Riggers Handbook" is to the PARACHUTE RIGGER HANDBOOK published by the FAA, limit your reading to chapter 2 Design and Construction. --I found Parachuting: The Skydiver's Handbook to be somewhat dated. I would not recommend it, except for the cool photo of the aircraft which was damaged when a jumper was pulled through the wall of the fuselage by a premature canopy deployment. There is no question that tunnel time is helpful for AFF freefall skills. However, remember that death or severe injury in freefall above pull altitude is rare.... death or severe injury due to pilot error flying the canopy is all too common. Don't diminish the importance of canopy flight skills. After you have made a few AFF jumps, you might enjoy reading Brian Germain's The Parachute and Its Pilot The choices we make have consequences, for us & for others!