GLIDEANGLE

Could happen, but I haven't heard it often. My DZ works hard to avoid that sort of situation. Every weekend we have load organizers. The organizers for the novice/intermediate level are selected, in part, for their ability to be positive and encouraging, while still providing the necessary feedback for improvement. There a couple of local jerks who chew on novices. We work hard to steer the novices away from them! Fortunately there are so many positive, encouraging, welcoming belly fliers, that the novices don't need to jump with the grumpy ones. Then of course on Fridays... the old guys jump. They are very explicit about being willing to jump with anybody. If you jump with them you had better be prepared.... TO LAUGH AND LAUGH. They have a good time and drag fellow jumpers into their good times! The choices we make have consequences, for us & for others!

I agree. My Spectre meets my definition of "docile"... It behaves well when I don't. The choices we make have consequences, for us & for others!

Taris: Please take the following as I intend it... a sincere attempt to be helpful. If you are truly considering a 150 and you weigh 195lbs...you are REALLY looking for trouble. 195+25 gives you an exit weight of 220lbs and a wing loading of 1.47! Do not believe me. Read the following and decide for yourself: USPA canopy size recommendations: http://www.uspa.org/SIM/Read/Section6/tabid/169/Default.aspx#1072 Brian Germain's canopy size recommendations (and 21 other wonderful pages of canopy related info). http://www.bigairsportz.com/pdf/bas-sizingchart.pdf Bill Von Novack's downsizing challenge. This is interesting because it does NOT tell what canopy you should or should not jump. It simply challenges you to DEMONSTRATE your readiness to downsize. If you meet the standard... downsize the increments recommended above. http://www.dropzone.com/cgi-bin/safety/detail_page.cgi?ID=47 Look at it this way.... If theguy who suggested that it was OK for you to jump the 150 is wrong, what happens? You pay with pain, $$, lost work, and possibly your life. If I and the others who wrote the linked documents are wrong... you spend a while longer on canopies bigger than necessary. Which is the better risk to take? Blue Skies, Jim The choices we make have consequences, for us & for others!

OMG ... I am speechless!!! The choices we make have consequences, for us & for others!

These are strong recommendations that are available to guide canopy choices: http://www.uspa.org/SIM/Read/Section6/tabid/169/Default.aspx#1072 http://www.bigairsportz.com/pdf/bas-sizingchart.pdf The choices we make have consequences, for us & for others!

The USPA Safety Day Checklist is intended to be a brief review for recurrency. It covers all the key stuff quickly. http://www.uspa.org/Portals/0/Downloads/Other_SafetyDayChecklist_2009.pdf The choices we make have consequences, for us & for others!

Psycho packing IS PRO packing. The difference is only how you get it into the D-Bag. The "Proper Ram-air Orientation" (PRO) is maintained. The choices we make have consequences, for us & for others!

To all the posters with suggestions above.... I am struck by the fact that none of you recommend doing lots of coaching with post-AFF, pre-license students as preparation for AFFI. (Of course, I may have just missed seeing it above) Wouldn't doing coach jumps help with the memory task and provide some practice chasing new jumpers? I presume that chasing AFF students is more extreme than chasing coaching students, but I also figure that it would provide a good alternative to doing only 4-way (where "chasing" is less of an issue). Coaching SDU style with very detailed ground preps and debriefs would also seem to be good prep for these AFFI tasks. I am not saying that coaching is all that one needs, but that it seems that it might have significant value along with the other suggestions above. So... Am I off base here??? The choices we make have consequences, for us & for others!

Here is a very brief intro to psycho packing. Ask your rigger to advise on this if you are interested in adopting it. http://www.precision.aero/packing/mvc-002v.mpg I converted to psycho packing after I lost control of the slider while struggling to fold my Spectre and had a nut buster of a slammer opening. The choices we make have consequences, for us & for others!

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

"Spectre2" And that would be what? The choices we make have consequences, for us & for others!

Hmmmmmm...... People buy and jump them because they are good canopies. So, have you considered the following as playing a role in one or more of your concerns? -- Is it being packed correctly? -- How is your body positon during deployment? -- Is the line set in trim? -- Are you using the correct slider? -- What does your rigger have to say about your canopy? The choices we make have consequences, for us & for others!

Bunk Beds at Skydive Dallas are free. If the timing works, I could give you a ride. Heck I would do it for free just for the chance to have you trapped in my truck for an hour so I could try to help you understand the canopy safety issues you have raised in your other threads. PM me to work out details if you wish. The choices we make have consequences, for us & for others!

8: You are working WAY too hard at this and putting your life and limb at risk. Try this: 1. Fill a cooler with adult beverages and ice. 2. Take cooler to your home DZ. 3. Chat with the S&TA or the Chief Insturctor and ask which rigger you should bring your gear selection questions to. 4. Throw yourself on the mercy of the recommended rigger. Promise lots of adult beverages after the beer light goes on. 5. Trust this rigger... stop surfing the net for products and advice for a matter that LITERALLY IS OF LIFE AND DEATH IMPORTANCE. 6. Follow the advice you get from this rigger. 6. Send all your rigging business through this rigger for your first year. 7. Wait for beer light, open cooler, pay your beer debt AND... spread your beer around to the experienced folks at the DZ and LISTEN, LISTEN, LISTEN. Stay Safe The choices we make have consequences, for us & for others!

Welcome home. Thanks for your service. Don't drop your guard now... bear down until you are home safely. The choices we make have consequences, for us & for others!

Container: Reflex with Catapult and ROL PC pouch Main: Paradactyl Reserve: Pioneer K-XX or GQ Security SAC AAD: FXC The above is Troll bait. The choices we make have consequences, for us & for others!

What if I have had a reserve ride? Actually in some circumstances a reserve ride might INCREASE my risk of a water landing. The choices we make have consequences, for us & for others!

There are LOTS: Here is one... "Safe Sex" One person faces inside of plane with back to door and butt low (I can't recollect if they are sitting on the floor or crouching). Other jumper sits face to face on the first jumper's lap with legs spread to each side of the first jumper (hence the name). Second jumper takes grips on first jumper's harness. Launch is to simply tip the chunk out the door without regard to the appearent wind. There are lots of others. Some work better in one aircraft configuration or another (C-182/206 vs. Otter/Caravan vs. tailgate). Of course all the 4-way randoms & blocks can be launched as exits too. The choices we make have consequences, for us & for others!

Congrats! Now the fun begins...learning to play with others. Have fun, stay safe. The choices we make have consequences, for us & for others!

Rover: 1. Smile, Breathe, Relax. I am not kidding.... this is very helpful. 2. I have found the language used regarding arching to be sometimes unhelpful. I have heard the term "arch hard". Unfortunately that often implies arching rigidly. I have found that thinking of "arching deeply" is more helpful for me. I smile, breathe, relax, and ooze into a deeper arch (like a melting chocolate bar). 3. I am 52 years old so I have to work diligently on my flexibility. I have found this helpful with my arch: I lie on the floor face down as if I was going to do a push up (with my hands on the floor in front of my shoulders) and then push my chest up...WHILE LEAVING MY PELVIS AND LEGS ON THE FLOOR. This helps me stretch those parts of me that need to stretch for a good arch. 4. Tunnel time has helped many folks in your situation. The choices we make have consequences, for us & for others!

I have seen that a jumper's fear can change over time and events. Usually it is just the way you describe including the spike after a period of not jumping. I have seen one jumper who suddenly couldn't get back in the plane (despite >500 previous jumps). This jumper got over it with lots of support and is back having fun in the air. I have seen folks change based on bad (or at least scary) episodes on jumps. I know of one jumper who has completely stopped following a very scary episode. The choices we make have consequences, for us & for others!

There is your problem. If they are comfy before exit, they are too loose for freefall. The choices we make have consequences, for us & for others!

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

I recently made a jump which had the exit spot over a large body of water. The winds were strong and blowing onshore, so I wasn’t too worried at the time. After landing I was thinking that if I had opened low for any reason, I might have had a water landing several hundred yards from shore. That thought got me wondering: What are your personal rules for when you wear flotation gear near large bodies of water. I am NOT referring to the student/round canopy situation addressed in the USPA SIM. What do you use as your rule assuming that you are a licensed jumper with ram-air main and reserve? The choices we make have consequences, for us & for others!

If memory serves me corrctlly this product was on the market recently and the firm seemed to fade away... presumably due to lack of sales. I can't recall the firm's name right now. The choices we make have consequences, for us & for others!