LawnDart21

Don't personalize a generalization just because you happen to be a coach. I never said all coaches blame students if they go low. To put it in your words, AFF instructors are typically more "mature" instructors than coaches, because they have more experience, and hence they are less apt to unfairly blame a student if they go low. -- My other ride is a RESERVE.

Was this "instructor" a coach or an AFF instructor? I'm betting it was a coach. Most AFF instructors dont go low, and the ones that do, don't blame the student. -- My other ride is a RESERVE.

My personal experience/philosophy is to let the canopy fly in full flight. IMHO, full flight gives the canopy the best chances of staying pressurized. To be clear though, there is no one universally accepted answer to that question. Unfortunately, the only clear answer is: "It depends"..............on actual wind conditions, type of canopy, loading, etc, etc. The best answer is: "Ask an instructor at your DZ, they have the best idea of your skill, the canopy you fly and the general landing conditions/turbulence effects at your DZ. Good luck, stay safe, Tom -- My other ride is a RESERVE.

I voted 401-600 jumps, but in a perfect world, I think it's okay to start swooping when certain criteria are met, regardless of jump #s. If someone approached me on the DZ today and asked "am I ready to swoop?", I'd list them my criteria: 1) You show a high level of competency in basic canopy flight. 2) You have witnessed someone else femur in. 3) You fully grasp the severity of a bad swoop (relates to criteria #2) 4) You have a mentor/coach that is willing to teach you. 5) You are willing to listen 6) You are willing to abort swoops when the set up isnt "perfect". and the most important criteria: 7) You have medical insurance, so the rest of us don't have to keep paying $20 for an asprin at the hospital so they can afford to off set the non-collection of funds they spend on you if you happen to accidentally hook yourself. -- My other ride is a RESERVE.

It's already been said, but it bears repeating, Don't rush, just go about your progression. If you make it before the boogie, great, if not, there is always next year and the year after tha and the year after that. -- My other ride is a RESERVE.

Um, how many times do you here "Comp won by PD pilot"? They win ALOT these days. If thier wimpy 21 cell Velocity is kickin so much ass on the Comp circuit, why make a 27 cell? I have heard that the 21-cell FX was good, but not perfect, and the correctible qualities of the FX, in part, let to the need for/creation of the 27 cell VX. If the Velocity opens great and is winning at 21 cells, why make a 27 cell version? I'm sure the market for it would be huge though....... -- My other ride is a RESERVE.

I asked Lewmonst to come jump on a raft dive we made at Rantoul 2003, and she got one of those "One is a million" shots of us exiting the Casa, I forget what I paid for the pic, but it was priceless, worth every penny. Lew- I know you'll remember it, we had the American Flag Uncle Sam hat on one of the jumpers in the back of the raft. The pic is sitting on my desk at work as we speak. Blue skies, Tom Blue skies, Tom -- My other ride is a RESERVE.

My only regret of entering this sport is that prior to skyidving, I could sleep soundly for 8 straight hours. I can trace back, almost to the day I started jumping, that I started having sleeping problems. Now I can't sleep more than 90 minutes to 2 hours at a time. Like clockwork, if I go to bed at at 11:30pm, I am wide awake at 2am-2:15am, fall back asleep at 2:30am, back up at 4:30-5am wide awake, fall back asleep again until 7:30, wake up wide wake, then up for the day. I don't feel groggy or anything, its just my new sleep cycle. My doc keeps telling me I OD'd on adrenaline and it screwed up my internal sleep clock, but its only a thoery. Only downside, I can't sleep in on rainy days, still up at 7:30am on weekends, rain or shine. -- My other ride is a RESERVE.

Your "going with Icarus", I'm just curious what canopy you are ordering? Model, Size & Wingloading? Thanks -- My other ride is a RESERVE.

I must have failed the test, it told me to go find a bowling alley........... -- My other ride is a RESERVE.

By your rationalization then, when a jumper with say 60 or a 100 jumps calls to demo a cross brace canopy, that PD should just ship it out and say: "Have fun! & Be careful!" Those calls DO happen, alarmingly more than you may think. And no, we are not all capable of choosing what we fly. It is impossible for most jumpers to make truly informed decisions about canopy choices because unless you either A) made the canopy or B) have jumped it alot (and have the skill to assess its characteristics), then no, you cannot safely choose solely for yourself, because you simply do not know what the canopy is capable of at each wingloading. PD, Icarus, Atair, Precision, they MAKE the canopies, they know the canopy characteristics way better than you do, better than I do. In order to make truly informed decisons (translate that as SAFE DECISIONS) we need their input, it only increases everyones safety. Read my sig line twice please............. -- My other ride is a RESERVE.

"Flock of Seagulls" apparently "landed" in Tampa.....which is in Florida, by no small coincidence PD is also in Florida, coincidence? I think not. -- My other ride is a RESERVE.

"No wonder no one likes them." Thats right, no one likes PD, we just use them for their canopies. Shhh! Don't let the cat out of the bag.......... Um, you can blame PD for everything from Global Warming to the "Flock of Seagulls" reunion tour , I ain't leaving an airplane without a PD reserve on my back. -- My other ride is a RESERVE.

I'll do my best to keep this constructive & positive If your jump numbers in your profile are correct, you have just over 100 jumps and have made 40 a year. To be clear, without being attacking, you have no reason to try swooping at this point. NONE. Alas, as is most often the case, you will do it anyways, and then in 100 jumps when you "go big" and hook yourself out of your sneakers, you'll post a "LEARN FROM MY MISTAKE" thread like everyone else does. Think Safety first. -- My other ride is a RESERVE.

Done for the day. As Ron said, it's actually very clear, 8 hours must pass from time the drink is consumed before they can jump. Even if its "just one", it don't matter to the FAA if it's one or ten beers, so it don't matter to me. I wont risk my rating and income for anyone, let alone a one time tandem jumper who can't abide by our clearly defined rules, I'd rather piss them off and keep my rating than make them happy and risk losing it. -- My other ride is a RESERVE.

Hi, I am the TM that took the nun on a skydive. The oldest jumper I have taken on a skydive was 72 yrs old, and I have to say, in 800 tandems, they were both two of the calmest passengers I have ever taken. I think I may have had 5 people panic in the traditional sense once the canopy is open and they realize they are supended 5000ft off the ground. In every case, I found that constant verbal communication with them, reassuring them they were doing great and that it was "almost over" really helped get through the canopy ride. Once safely landed, I told each one of them how genuinely proud of them I was. I know your Mom will do great when she jumpss! Please let us know how it goes, Blue skies, Tom -- My other ride is a RESERVE.

As a generalization, I would say it depends on how safely and how fast you want to progress. If you want to progress faster (and safer) stay on the larger more docile canopy (Sabre). Put it in this perspective. Its every swoopers relative goal to get the optimum performance out of any canopy approach. The optimum approaches are typically 180 and 270 degree front riser turns. It is considerably easier (and safer) to learn these manuevers on a larger more docile canopy. If you buy the smaller more agressive canopy it will take you longer to learn because you will have to learn in smaller increments on the more aggressive wing. It's like getting your drivers license and then jumping on a race track in a Ferrari. Who will do better on the Ferrari, the newly licensed driver that understands the mechanics of driving, but hasnt driven much, or the driver who beat the hell out of his 4 cylynder Honda on the same race track and knows alot more how cars in general handle in the turns. Who will be safer and who will do better on the same Ferrari? The best part is, if you pick the Sabre, you will end up being able to outswoop all the people that opted for downsizing too quick, becuase you will be a better canopy pilot. Anyone that downsizes (for swooping) without being able to consistantly, safely and accurately land thier current canopy with 180s and 270s is simply slowing down thier learning curve, and only driving their sports car in 1st gear. They may "look cool" with the "Mini Me" main chute, but they very rarely can out swoop the gradual progression canopy pilot, becuase the gradual progression pilot can fly thier canopy to its limits, where as a "MiniMe" pilot cannot even scratch the surface of thier canopies performance, becuase they dont know how. In the race to downsize canopies, the tortoise usually wins because the hare rarely finishes the race. So obviously my suggestion would be the lighter loaded Sabre, just be sure to get plenty plenty of canopy coaching from "qualified" instructors and keep a level head about it, and you'll do just fine. To steal HH's tag line: Safe Swoops! Tom -- My other ride is a RESERVE.

"Barrell Roll or No Barrell Roll?" is a close second (only behind RSL or No RSL?) in the endless debate abyss here on dz.com...............lol I don't know your skills, so I won't make any suggestions or recommendations regarding whether you personally should be doing barrell rolls before opening or not, I'll only ask that you perhaps search the threads on it, there are lot of good opinions & experiences on the topic. Ultimately of course, I'd say talk with your former AFF instructors about it again too, they would be in the best position to offer advice. Lastly, the reason I mention this, 3 years ago I witnessed a 200ish jump jumper do a barrel roll before opening, go 45 degrees off his track during the role and he subsequently turned another jumpers Crossfire 119 into 2 Crossfire 59.5s, going right through it in freefall and tearing it in two. By the grace of God, no one was injured badly, but it gave alot of people pause to reflect on the topic. Anyways, your doing the right thing, you had a close call and you are examing the situation so that you can learn from it. Can't ask for more than that. Blue skies, Tom -- My other ride is a RESERVE.

Preface to say I tend to have OCD when it comes to gear storage.......lol Sunday night, after last jump, I stick my unpacked canopy in a pillow case, bring it home unpacked, and then lay it out in a spare bedroom on the (carpeted floor). Monday morning before work, I cover it with a blanket to keep any sun light off it that might sneak into the room while I am gone. Then I pack it when I get home Monday night. All that is just a preventative measure to let any moisture that might be on the canopy from landing sunset load evaporate. I dont like packing up a damp canopy if it is gonna be in the bag for more than a few hours. OCDOCDOCDOCDOCDOCD................ -- My other ride is a RESERVE.

Married on October 10th, 2004. Pic attached. She has the better arch I think............ If "Marital Bliss" were only one word and thus had a definition in Webster's Dictionary, the definition would end with: "See Pic" -- My other ride is a RESERVE.

Quote: "I like being the center of the group and in control." We wouldn't get along at all. At all. -- My other ride is a RESERVE.

I hate it when I get lost in an end cell, and no one comes looking for me. I hate it when I hear "Hey, we go a pizza, you want a slice?" when I am in the middle of a pack job, and all I end up with is other people's crusts. I hate showing up late to the bonfire after I finish up in the loft. I always miss the naked hoola hooping. I hate giving up my croquet mallet to go pack on rainy days at the DZ. I hate drinking soda after the beer light goes on to stay sober in case someone needs help with a rig. I hate the fact that my rig always always always ends up being the last one I repack....... I hate the fact that my wife wants to do her 20 supervised pack jobs on MY rig, not hers..... I hate the fact that I actually like to sew. Every time I sew something, I have to do 20 push ups to reclaim my machismo. So yeah, alot of things really tick me off about rigging..... But Damn, I love being a rigger!

Whenever I need a pick me up, I just think about the last time I saw you alive, at 6000ft comically mouthing "What the FUCK?!@!" with me as they slid under our formation. I still remember your crooked smile as we broke grips and tracked away. It was the last time I say you alive. As I said in your eulogy: "You will always be with us, in heart, in soul, in life, in love and in the ever after. Godspeed my friend. We love you." -- My other ride is a RESERVE.

Almost forgot, for any Skid Row fans, there is a live version of "I Remember" recorded in Tokyo that is pretty amazing. Also there is a version of MTV Video Awards performance of Tom Petty and Axl Rose singing "Freefallin" Pretty cool. -- My other ride is a RESERVE.

I have an acoustic version of Peter Gabriel's "In Your Eyes" that would bring a tear to Lloyd Dobler's eyes. Foo Fiighters "Times Like These" is another one. Thank God for the Foo Fighters, in addition to being a kick ass band, they are also the world's only defense against Foo. What would we do without them? -- My other ride is a RESERVE.