GLIDEANGLE

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  1. GLIDEANGLE
    Psychopack! The choices we make have consequences, for us & for others!
  2. GLIDEANGLE
    Skydive South Texas on Mustang Island near Corpus Christi is new in 2010. Previously at that location there was the occasional holiday weekend operation. Now different firm, most weekends, they have a full-time aircraft. Beach landings are the NORM! http://www.skydivetheisland.com/ this is the current firm I am speaking of, NOT Atlas Skydiving. The choices we make have consequences, for us & for others!
  3. GLIDEANGLE
    Something to remember is that YOU have to be able to meet the objectives in that brief period. Many students will do that without difficulty. However, it is not uncommon for students to have difficulty with one or more levels. I would consider choosing a place that has both the 7 day option AND access to a vertical wind tunnel. That would give you the option of remedial tunnel time if needed. My preference would be for a 7-day program that has tunnel time built in! The choices we make have consequences, for us & for others!
  4. GLIDEANGLE
    Skydiving Goals for 2011? Other than the obvious: have fun, jump lots, avoid injury & death... What are your skydiving goals for 2011? Mine: Senior Rigger rating PRO rating (My friends will say... "Weren't those your goals for LAST year?" Yes, but pursuing an AFFI rating, making ~90 AFFI jumps, and a season-ending injury got in the way. I am healed up and ready to GO FOR IT!) The choices we make have consequences, for us & for others!
  5. GLIDEANGLE
    Here is a beginning for you from the perspective of the USPA: http://www.uspa.org/AboutSkydiving/SkydivingSafety/tabid/526/Default.aspx Oddly enough, failure to get a working canopy overhead before impact is NOT the leading cause of skydiving deaths in the US currently. Flying a perfectly good canopy into either the earth or another canopy is the leading cause of skydiving deaths in the US this year. The choices we make have consequences, for us & for others!
  6. GLIDEANGLE
    Depends on what you are looking for: Cool swooping shorts...try the jumpsuit firms Shorts that advertise your addiction... See the "patches" comments. Comfy in HOT WX.... I jump in TX and it gets really HOT in summer. I often wear long swimming trunks under my jump suit and around the DZ. They handle copious sweat without becoming uncomfortable. They can be found with regular pockets (the zippered pockets are great for jumping. The choices we make have consequences, for us & for others!
  7. GLIDEANGLE
    The choices we make have consequences, for us & for others!
  8. GLIDEANGLE
    What is next? Spending all your time and all your money on this addiction! The choices we make have consequences, for us & for others!
  9. GLIDEANGLE
    Here is something interesting for you. Too bad it isn't a perfect match of engineer type (mech vs elec). It is several months old, but gives you a place to start your hunt. http://forum.altimaster.com/showthread.php?1003-Electrical-Electronics-Engineer-Job-Opportunity I would simply explore all the domestic manufacturers of skydiving stuff (canopes, harness/containers, electronics, helmets, goggles, hook knives, etc)... and see what you find. The choices we make have consequences, for us & for others!
  10. GLIDEANGLE
    What the heck does divorce have to do with this video? The choices we make have consequences, for us & for others!
  11. GLIDEANGLE
    USPA has made a reccomendation. DZs can choose to implement that reccomendation, or a different rule (stricter or more lenient). AND.... fellow jumpers can simply choose not to jump with you if they find your equipment choices are unsafe. This might be done overtly, or simply might be folks quietly jumping with other people instead of with you. The choices we make have consequences, for us & for others!
  12. GLIDEANGLE
    Look here http://www.uspa.org/USPAMembers/LicensesampRatings/InstructionalRatings/tabid/147/Default.aspx The choices we make have consequences, for us & for others!
  13. GLIDEANGLE
    This might be helpful regarding visas for employment in the US: http://travel.state.gov/visa/immigrants/types/types_1323.html The choices we make have consequences, for us & for others!
  14. GLIDEANGLE
    If you want to work at a DZ, learn to pack. Good packers make a fair amount of $$$. The work isn't easy, but busy days can pay fairly well. Do the math yourself: Pack jobs typically pay ~$6 each. Skilled packers can do a pack job in something like 6 minutes (lots of variance here). That grosses out to ~$60/hr. Good packers are often tipped as well. Of course there are lots of variables that can decrease revenue: -- Bad WX -- Slow packing -- Your reputation -- Competition Good Luck! The choices we make have consequences, for us & for others!
  15. GLIDEANGLE
    Any of the major jumpsuit manufacturers can help you build a slower suit. Call and talk to them. Generally slow suits use coarse fabric and are cut to be a bit floppy.. Don't rely exclusively on your jump suit: • If overweight, losing some weight can make a difference. • Learn to fly your body well enough that you can slow and accelerate easily. The choices we make have consequences, for us & for others!
  16. GLIDEANGLE
    I wonder if the student realized that he was being a test jumper. How could one adequately explain to a student the importance of the unknown risks in this jump? This MIGHT make sense if it was preceded by a couple hundred wingsuit tandem jumps where both jumpers are TIs and experienced WS jumpers who test every bad scenario they can imagine. The choices we make have consequences, for us & for others!
  17. GLIDEANGLE
    I have given this more thought and it has dawned on me that we do have checklists...but they are not physical lists. Our lists tend to be mnemonics or other memory tricks: SHAGG (pre-boarding checklist for accessories) • Shoes • Helmet • Altimeter • Goggles • Gloves Check of threes: (3x3... a pre-exit self gear check) • 3ring, 3ring, RSL • 3 buckles • 3 handles SSS (a canopy check routine) • Shape • Stability • Steerability Checking the rig... The rig is the checklist! Just follow a routine path which will take you to each item to be checked. My path is front from right top, down, across to the other side, up that side, then the back from top to bottom. There is one checklist I DO use for skydiving... For packing my gear into the truck before leaving home! The choices we make have consequences, for us & for others!
  18. GLIDEANGLE
    I echo the comments above about over-thinking this. The above checklist is excellent. If you feel compelled to read the SIM, I suggest that you limit yourself to Section 4, Category A. That is the material for a first jump. Any additional info is just noise to distract you on your first jump. While there might be a place for checklists on the GROUND in preparation for unusual jumps (Night, Water, High Altitude, etc), there isn't much call for them in the plane or under canopy. The biggest problem with pre-jump checks isn't that folks don't know the sequence... it is that folks don't want to do them in the first place! Once committed to doing one... the steps are EASY. Smile, Breathe, Relax. The choices we make have consequences, for us & for others!
  19. GLIDEANGLE
    As someone who grew up in sunny southern California, and who as an adult has lived in Tucson, AZ and Fort Worth, TX; I am curious... What do you consider "nice" winter skydiving weather in the vicinity of the Great Lakes? My guess is that what is "nice" to you would be too nasty for me to be outdoors at all, let alone skydiving. The choices we make have consequences, for us & for others!
  20. GLIDEANGLE
    Recently someone tried to get an estimate of the reserve ride rate here on DZ.com with a thread where folks posted their numbers. As I recollect the rate was about 1:750. I seem to remember seeing a similar number calculated from the USPA membership renewal surveys. I would second the "volume" comment above. My DZ has two turbine A/C. On a busy summer day there might be ~400-500 jumps made. Thus even if we have reserve rides every few days, the RATE may not be that high. I also second the observation that some folks go a LONG time before they have a malfunction... I know one jumper who had his first mal at ~4200 jumps, and another who went over 5000 without a mal. The choices we make have consequences, for us & for others!
  21. GLIDEANGLE
    Something to think about regarding working full time as a jumper, is injury. I haven't heard of any working jumpers in the US being employees (all I know of are indendent contractors). Thus, no workers comp. Jumping is a physical endeavor, and injury can occur on any jump. Unlike an employee who would have workers comp to cover the medical costs and maybe disability insurance to cover some of the lost income, a working jumper who is hurt is instantly without income and faced with medical costs too. This is another reason to be a rigger... perhaps you can sew and pack while recovering from an injury that prevents jumping. The choices we make have consequences, for us & for others!
  22. GLIDEANGLE
    I see it the other way around most of the time... jumping is the second job. That lets folks have insurance, retirement, etc from the primary job and jump as the second job. Of course, I know some folks who work full time as jumpers... but not many. The choices we make have consequences, for us & for others!
  23. GLIDEANGLE
    Psycho Pack. The choices we make have consequences, for us & for others!
  24. GLIDEANGLE
    Additional thoughts: Regarding canopy controls: Front risers and shifting weight in the harness can be used to turn the canopy too. If you are going to be in Arizona for a military school... Consider getting to the vertical wind tunnel at Skydive Arizona between Phoenix and Tucson. Of course, doing AFF in AZ would be cool, but PRE-AFF tunnel time would be a great investment of time and money. (If you are forbidden to jump while in school... Maybe the tunnel would be acceptable.) The choices we make have consequences, for us & for others!
  25. GLIDEANGLE
    Generally... Simply listen to your instructors, and do as they say. KISS (keep it simple ). Don't over think this!!! You can make yourself crazy trying to over learn this before your AFF class. Stability: the two secrets are to RELAX and smile. Canopy and other gear: STOP!!!!! Your AFF lessons include gear rental. There is nothing to be gained and lots to be lost by buying before AFF. Regarding canopy controls: Brakes (aka: toggles) pull down the rear edge of the tail of the canopy. Pulling down the rear risers pulls down the rear half of the canopy. Either can be used to make turns and to flare for landing. Brakes are easier (and safer) for beginners to use. Using rears to flare for landing has significant risk of stalling the canopy. Here is the very best thing I can tell you: SMILE, BREATHE, RELAX!!!! The choices we make have consequences, for us & for others!