GLIDEANGLE

Every minute counts. Let's assume that it takes you 10 minutes to pack, and that you pack immediately after landing (no delay for bathroom, snack, or flirting. If you jumped 6 times in a day, that would be 60min of sun per day of jumping. If you jumped 4 days a month for 12 months.... That would be 48 hours of sunlight IN ADDITION to the unavoidable exposure when flying the canopy. If your canopy has cool neon colors... They are extra sensitive to sun exposure. The choices we make have consequences, for us & for others!

Your instructors can help you figure this out. Solo freefall is often a waste of time. Lack of a frame of reference means that you don't REALLY know how well you are performing. If you must jump solo rather than with a coach... I highly suggest hop & pops to work on canopy skills. You cannot practice flat (braked) turns too much. Your instructors can help you plan jumps that are appropriate for you and your gear. The choices we make have consequences, for us & for others!

I presume that you are asking about MAIN closing loops. Most reserve closing loops are made of really thin (1.8mm) hollow braid with a breaking strength of ~450 lbs (Spectra?). It is commonly known as "Cypres loop material". The choices we make have consequences, for us & for others!

1. Altitude, 2. Arch, 3. Smile, breathe, relax. The tunnel is a great tool (and can be WAY cheaper than repeating AFF jumps). Listen to your instructor's analysis of your jump. Practice a lot on the ground. Ground practice is cheap. Be sure to buy that instructor a beer.... She worked hard on that jump! The choices we make have consequences, for us & for others!

Agreed. However, I know of one student vs. coach canopy collision with serious injury in 2010. That one is concerning on several levels. The choices we make have consequences, for us & for others!

If you have a solid curriculum which has pieces of canopy control taught across the AFF and coaching jumps... the FJC should be kept to exactly what it is titled: FIRST JUMP COURSE. It should contain enough information to safely get the student through their FIRST JUMP. Teaching more in the FJC is NOT likely to increase learning, as most students are mentally spent at the end of a streamlined 6 hour course. The choices we make have consequences, for us & for others!

If I recollect correctly, there is only ONE item on the AFF-I proficiency card which OVERTLY addresses canopy flight. It reads: “5. Prepared an effective canopy flight plan and provided ground-to-air (for example, radio) instruction for winds up to 14 mph.” That results in two outcomes: 1. AFF-I candidates are not forced to demonstrate canopy control knowledge beyond the elementary: "turn left now", "flare now". 2. The AFF-I candidate can easily get the impression that teaching canopy control is of low importance. In addition, the canopy control item on the proficiency card is signed off by an AFF-I not an AFF-I/E. Thus, there is essentially no quality control, and again the message is sent that teaching canopy control is a low priority. Yes, there is a bit of canopy control embedded in the two ground preps that AFF-I candidates are evaluated on. However since the ground preps are Cat C & D... The content is very, very elementary. I wonder how often AFF-I candidates fail their rating course over canopy control issues (either relating to their ability to teach canopy control or their own demonstration of canopy control). My bet is that it is VERY rare. The rating standards haven't kept up with the needs of the skydiving community. USPA is getting exactly the instructors which it asks for in its standards. The choices we make have consequences, for us & for others!

Here is the USPA position on this question from the SIM § 5-3.K.2.b: "Gloves are essential when the jump altitude temperature is lower than 40° F." You have already identified a good reason to wear gloves... you might need to use your hands!!! The choices we make have consequences, for us & for others!

25 Almost everywhere you will be good to go solo with an A-license. There are a few exceptions for places with challenging LZs, or night jumps. Those may require a higher license. The choices we make have consequences, for us & for others!

And the definition of "under uspa instructor supervision" is having a uspa instructor on the premises of the drop zone at the time of the jump, not necessarily in the plane, correct? Correct. The choices we make have consequences, for us & for others!

Completing AFF does NOT equal having a license to jump solo. AFF "grads" remain students until licensed. Therefore, you will have to do at the new DZ whatever the new DZ chief instructor wants. Completion of AFF results in clearance to "self supervise in freefall, under USPA instructor supervision". A license requires 25 jumps and a lot of other knowledge and skills, a test and a check jump. This is exactly why I HATE the term "graduation" with regard to AFF. AFF is simply phase one of the student process. The choices we make have consequences, for us & for others!

Freefall gets lots of attention.... But canopy control lets you walk to the hanger. The choices we make have consequences, for us & for others!

The videos that were submitted for the USPA video contest last year would be good... even have audio. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wdM2L6BylvI http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7QnhEfYCfb8 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PfmK0gJ-MBU I have no idea who owns the copyrights and what their attitude is about uses such as yours. The choices we make have consequences, for us & for others!

If I already have two out.... Why would I care about an AAD misfire? The choices we make have consequences, for us & for others!

The funny part is that most non-Texans will think that you are kidding! In summer, some of the girls are WELL into the hard liquor before the sunset load walks into the hangar, and muzzle flash looks cool in the dark. (I am just describing, not endorsing, the behavior.) The choices we make have consequences, for us & for others!

Nightlife varies by location. Many DZs have a vigirous night life.. some are empty and quiet. The choices we make have consequences, for us & for others!

Here is relevant reading for you: http://www.dropzone.com/cgi-bin/safety/detail_page.cgi?ID=47 http://www.bigairsportz.com/pdf/bas-sizingchart.pdf What I really like about the first link is that it allows you to prove to yourself if you are ready to downsize or not. Note that the second link is 22 pages... all of it gold. Remember... the leading cause of death in skydiving right now is flying into a catastrophe under a perfectly good canopy. The choices we make have consequences, for us & for others!

Welcome! Regarding a second tandem... My opinion is that the purpose of a tandem is to allow you to experience the rush of freefall without responsibility. It is mostly an emotional issue. Once you have that experience, you are ready to move forward with other modes of instruction such as AFF, IAD, or SL. I take LOTs of jumpers on AFF jumps which are their first jumps ever. The vast majority do well. Your First Jump Course will tell you what you need to know about canopy flight to make your first jump safely. Don't get on the plane until you have your questions adequately answered. Again, welcome! The choices we make have consequences, for us & for others!

Gven that canopy collisions are a leading cause of death in skydiving... I suggest that you pick LOUD colors which contrast with both the ground and the sky. The choices we make have consequences, for us & for others!

http://crwdog.servebeer.com/CRWdog/Beer_Rules.html http://www.starcrestawards.com/awards/awards_ceremony.html The choices we make have consequences, for us & for others!

You are correct, SD Dallas is in a dry county. If you anticipate a -able event such as a new license.... Bring your beer with you. If you have an unexpected -able event, bring your beer next time. Remember to bring good to drink. Crappy to wear during an SCR ceremony is OK... as long as it is really COLD! Make mine Shiner Bock. The choices we make have consequences, for us & for others!

Congratulations! Here are 22 pages of canopy control info and drills which are perfectly suited to solo work on hop & pops. http://www.bigairsportz.com/pdf/bas-sizingchart.pdf Tell us where you are. Jumping w/ people at or slightly above your skills in freefall is likely to be frustrating & wasteful. Find experienced folks to jump with... It will work much better! The choices we make have consequences, for us & for others!

Welcome to Skydive Dallas... we will do our best to take really good care of you. Warning, we vigorously enforce the beer rules. The choices we make have consequences, for us & for others!

I don't think that the decay in this skill is entirely due to neglect. I suspect that some turbine DZs deliberately under-train students about spotting so that the jumpers won't give the pilot any trouble on jump run. That plan probably works OK until the jumper goes someplace else to jump where jumpers are expected to spot. The choices we make have consequences, for us & for others!

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