LawnDart21

I was able to squeeze a sabre 150 (with a zillion jumps on it) into my Mirage G3/M1 two years ago, but it was very very tight. Right now my fiance has my Cobalt 135 in her Mirage G3/M1, and it fits tight, but isnt stretching anything as I can tell. I have a Cobalt 120 in one of my M1s and it too fits pretty tight. The only canopy I can say fits "medium" in my M1 is my 105 in my other container. If I look at all three side by side, the 135 looks like it packs huge into the container, where as the 105 looks like it fits "just right". Anyways, long stroy short (sorry for the marathon post....lol), I wouldnt attempt to put a 170 into the Mirage M1. Even if you get the canopy in the d-bag, the extra pressure of the dbag squeezed against the lines in the pack tray would make me nervous. Blue skies, Tom -- My other ride is a RESERVE.

Ponds don't count as wipe outs. That was a CHOW. Subtle difference Ozzy. And I needed a bath anyways.......lol But I know what you are reffering to you jerk! And if you remember, despite leaving a divot on the beer line, I ended up standing up that landing in the peas. That didnt count as a wipe out! Plus I WAS wearing my helmet, which was my original point. JERK. LOL! Remember the Godfather II, "We never talk about family business outside the family". I'll remember this at Thanksgiving Dinner this year. Your in for it! -- My other ride is a RESERVE.

Another thing I'd recommend is picking up Bill Phillips book "Body For Life", its a good read and has alot of good info on dieting, training and supplements. I think it goes for $30.00 at Borders. -- My other ride is a RESERVE.

16 reps wasnt part of normal workouts....lol. I just used it as a measure for my progress every now and again, like doing a maxing out bench press, I just cant go heavy anymore, bum shoulder, so I rep out on a lighter weight ocassionally instead of maxing out weigh-wise. My max out reps at 185 on creatine was 16, where as off of it, it was only 12. -- My other ride is a RESERVE.

Last season I went from 205lbs at 14% body fat to 185 lbs at 7% body fat in about 12 weeks using Muscletech's version of Ripped Fuel called Hydroxycut stacking it with creatine. They can work fine with each other if you take them correctly. as said before though, they wont do anything unless your diet is strict and proper. Eating at the right times and eating the right foods make the most difference. I used both the ephedra version of hydroxycut and the nonephedra version, neither one produced any ill effects. The thing with people"s "hearts exploding" so to speak, is that in like 99.9 percent of those cases, the people having medical issues were far exceding the manufactures recommended doses. The only thing supplements do (when taken correctly) is speed up the natural process and in some cases, help people get over that "hump" in fat loss, no pun intended, most people on thier own can't get to that 6-pack becuase their body won't let go of the fat under 10% body fat as easily. The body fights it as a natural defense to being "too thin" in most people, Ripped Feul and hydroxycut just get your body past that "resistance zone" and once you are past it, its pretty easy to maintain fat loss. Anyways, there are a zillion philosophies out there, I just know what worked for me first hand. As for creatine, when i was on it, my bench was 185lbs for 16 reps, and when i would take a week off of it, my reps drop to 12, a 25% decrease in strength, which would recoup once i was back on it. Cardio is the most important thing for fat loss too, you need to become best friends with a treadmill if you want the diet, weight traning and supplements to work. -- My other ride is a RESERVE.

I remember alot of people telling me early on that a helmet would only serve to keep the mess together if something really bad happened. As soon as I got my A license I started jumping without a helmet and LOVED it. Really a great feeling in the air. But then I started seeing all these helmets on other people with little nicks and scratches, so I asked people where they came from, and I got answers like: Hitting the door on the way out Getting kicked by another jumper in freefall Hard landings, etc, etc, etc Then I realized that it was better to knick my helmet than my head. So I jumped with helmets from then on. 1000 jumps later, I see all the little scratches on my helmet and think about how much worse those scraches would look on my head.....lol In all seriousness though, the thing that keeps me wearing helmets is swooping. While I havent wiped out (knock on wood) a landing swooping yet, the odds are that I will eventually, and when I do, I'm betting I'll fair 100 times better with a helmet on my head, than without one. Just my .02, think long term in the sport, you will have better odds of staying healthy with a helmet in the long run, than without one. -- My other ride is a RESERVE.

That made me think about it in reverse. I've had 2 rides on one of my PD 143s, and its 3 years old. It has 9 repacks and 2 rides, and I asked myself if I would buy it now? Yup. I'm still jumping it, I know it works...lol and it has plenty of repacks/rides left on it. As long as it is in good condition, I'd buy a used reserve. I'm jumping a "used" reserve now, only difference is I was the one that "used" it.....lol Blue skies, -- My other ride is a RESERVE.

www.gatorz.com Radiators are gatorz answer to the skydiving goggle question. -- My other ride is a RESERVE.

I have seen, but can't remember exactly where, "gear bags" for a single canopy, ie, a bag that holds a main bagged in it's main d-bag, p/c, bridle, excess line and risers, all zipped up in a neat little carrying bag. Does anyone know who makes them, I am going to make my own, I just want to see one as a reference. Thanks, Tom -- My other ride is a RESERVE.

I went to the Evolution school two years ago and just saw they have a "Quest" competion type school set up with Team extreme and Pd Factory team. Anyone go to the 2003 Quest? -- My other ride is a RESERVE.

Side note, be cautious: Pay close attention to where your excess lines and your bite stows are when you are placing the dbag into the container and rotating it to close the container. With the tight fit, excess line has a greater potential to work itself around line stows as you are muscling the closing flaps shut. The "tight fit" that you mention can easily force excess (unstowed) suspension line in and around the bites. Just be meticulous when you place the dbag in each time and watch the lines as you close the container and you should be okay. Just something to think about. -- My other ride is a RESERVE.

I figure between student jump costs, jump tickets, three full containers (2 for me, 1 for fiance), video equipement, ratings course fees, and a skyboard, I;m in about $30,000 the last 4 years. I've made back about $8,000 net (of current fun jump tickets) over the last few years doing tandems, so I figure if I stay healthy and keep jumping, I'll break eevn in 5 more years. Then I can start saving for a base rig.....lol -- My other ride is a RESERVE.

Value = What someone is willing to pay for it. Transaltion = Ebay! Put it up on ebay, there is some similar stuff up there from time to time. I bet a nostalgic rigger might dig it too. Good luck!

I just thought I'd throw this out there as Safety Day approaches, something to think about before flying your canopy. Before each day starts, I like to walk out into the landing area and visualize my landing patterns before I jump. I find that point in the sky (at around 1000ft) where I want to start my pattern with my big old SET 400 on tandems and then look I for the point in the sky that I want to start my pattern again under my 105 on fun jumps. (Usually the two points are are no where near each other as I fly different patterns with my different canopies.) Once I find those points, I look straight down for a ground reference for each point. Maybe it's over a marsh, or the end the drive way, and then when I go and jump, I use those points as my targets, and fly my canopy path to arrive at those points at 1000ft (approx) to start my final patterns. I've come to realize that alot of the messy/ugly landing patterns that I have seen resulted in pilots fixating on their landing target (say the peas), rather than their entry point into their landing patterns, and they dont think backwards to determine where they need to be in the air to start a safe pattern to get to that ground target. Once my 1000ft ground reference targets are ball parked, I then work backwards again, talking with the pilot to see where the spot will be, and then mentally visualize where my my opening point will be, and then my flight path to my 1000ft target point (entry point to final pattern.) Now all of this is theory, in that even knowing the ground winds and winds aloft, its not an exact science, but the point is, once I am open, say at 3000ft under my 105, I dont fly to my landing area, I fly to my 1000ft target (entry point of pattern) spot on the ground. I know I have 2000ft (3000ft opening - 1000ft pattern entry) to get to that spot. I then draw a straight line with my eyes between the two points (opening and entry to pattern point) and find the half way point between them (say I see a big red truck on the ground half way between the two points). In theory, I should now arrive over that truck by 2000ft, half the distance covered in half the altitude. If I see I will get there early, I can adjust my pattern with S-turns, no problem, but if I don't get to the truck at all by 2000ft, say I am still an eight of a mile back from the truck, chances are, I ain't making it to my 1000ft target point either. My whole trip from 3000ft to 2000ft, I am scanning left and right looking for suitable outs, so if I don't make it to the half way point, I already have my out picked out, and in theory, its already behind me as I flew over it, so I can use that last 2000ft to turn around and set up for my landing out with ample time and atlitude to set up a safe landing. Would I rather safely land out into the wind, under controlled canopy input, or push flying to the landing area knowing I wont have enough altitude to turn into the wind? Crosswind landings and downwinds are better than low turns, but not putting yourself in a position to have to have to make that choice is the best defense. Basically, I just want to convey that canopy flying is alot like golf. Golfers plan their shots from Tee to green, so to, we can plan our flights from opening to landing, using the ground and our altitude to give us input along the way to tell us how we are doing on our preplanned flight paths. Adjustments are always needed, but if you take the time before jump #1 each day to think these things through, the adjustments you will end up making will be minimal, and you will be less apt to find yourself in a bad position low to the ground under your canopy. Just something to think about as the "season" draws closer for us northern jumpers. Blue skies, safe swoops, Tom

I dunno, sounds good in theory, but..... At higher wing loadings, the differnce of 6 feet on a plane out can be the difference between a 300 ft swoop or a ride to the ER or worse. That difference really has little to do with the initial turn on final to initiate the swoop, rather its in that turn to the swoop, that the pilot makes the necessary adjustments, ie risers, toggles or no input in necessary, to arrive at the ground just above it, rather than making a big whole in the ground. Plus, with density altitudes and wind speeds always changing slightly, I can't think there ever exists an exact "point of no return" on a low turn/hook turn situation. My philosophy is simply that my eyes are the best indicator for me. I KNOW what too low looks like for me, having been there over a pond, and getting really wet...lol (that differnce of 6 feet I mentioned). In my opinion, the goal is a system of memory/visual calibration built up in each canopy pilot over time. Successful swoops and unsuccesful swoops all add up to being able to just know when you are too low, or at a good alti to commit to a hook turn. The problem is that the unsuccessful hooks obviously can injure or kill if they go bad, which I think goes back to our initial point of taking it slow and progressing incrementally, rather tahn all the "downsized too quickly" incidents we are reading about. I think it would a fair comment to say that most, if not all of the pro pilots have busted themselves up, or atleast pounded in, learning thier skills, the question was how did they survive it, while others didn't? Luck may play a role, but if you see any of thier "Parachutist" profiles, I think the answer is there. Canopy Progression: "PD-170: 2Zillion jumps, Sabre 170: 2 zillion more jumps, etc, etc. They took the time to learn everything their larger canopies could or could not do, and then applied that knowledge base of how to learn a canopies flight envelope on the smaller canopies they jumped. Anyways, thats my .03 cents. Safe Swoops! Tom

Relating to gear, its recommended that we disconnect our three rings and bend out the "memory" of the ring webbings once a month. Also to remove our cutaway cable and clean it with silicon each month too. Admittedly, I used to go a season without doing that, always counting on my rigger to do it for me each 3 month repack. (Now that I am a rigger, my rigger (me) still does it for me, just more often now, each month...lol). Inspect your gear more often, thats my suggestion. TXV Rigging - "My Other Ride is a RESERVE." Tom

After reading the rest of the threads, it reminded me of two other things I wanted to mention. If I have a huge student getting video, in addition to wearing baggy stuff, I also "restructure" my arch with them, saying, "instead of your arms 90 degrees in a box, once we are stable I am going to straighten your arms out to the side, and we will fly like an airplane with wings. Once out there, I will place my hands flat on top of yours and we'll fly through the air together." Once the students arms are out straight, I place my hands on thiers and then if i feel we are sinking on our 140lb video flier, I apply pressure to their hands, and push down into the relative wind, and it actually can slow you down. Going too slow? Let up the pressure on thier hands, and you speed up. Its just an added little thing that makes the video's job a bit easier, and it looks cool in the video, plus the students have no idea that the "real" reason I am asking them to do this is becuase they are heavy. They don't get insulted, and the videographers job becomes easier, and they do a better video. All my vidiots have complimented the difference it makes in fall rate control with the big students. Give it a try sometime. 2nd, be wary about wearing small/tight suits to increase your fall rate for video. Your ability to control your students and your body posture are all based on the drag your jump suit creates out the door and in freefall. I have found that freefly pants and a short sleeve t-shirt give me my best control, as i like a lot of drag on my legs and not as much on my arms, as I feel it helps me cut through the relative wind in a body posture (slightly head down) which transitions down the hill nicely for me. (I've actually reached a point now where I can keep eye contact with my video person all the way down the hill and through the drogue toss.) The drag on my legs gives me my control, and my arms (without drag) make handles checks, and body repositioning quicker as I am not fighting the air as much with my arms. I'll end this with a funny story (I hope) that taught me alot about drag and jumpsuit choices. A year ago I got barfed on by a student (I've had 4 pukers in 500 tandems), and it was so bad, i actually puked right back on him (this was at about 2000ft.). So we landed and I was covered in puke, but had a back to back load, so I stripped off my jumpsuit, and left my pukey sneakers on the ground as well, and did the next tandem in shorts, a tank top and bare foot. When we left the plane, I realized for the first time how much difference a jumpsuit and sneakers really made in my flying, I was fighting myself the whole dive to stay stable and not spin, I couldn't counter my student's poor posture as well without the extra drag. I was straining my legs and arms to stay level and was amazed at how little control by body generated all by itself. Anyways, my point is just to experient with different drags of suits, pants and shirts, and find what works best for you, once you are confortable in your drag choice, then flying your body will get easier and easier under the drogue. Best of luck! Blue ones, Tom

I have found that taking bigger students (taller and heavier) are actually an easier ride than the small/light ones. I am 6'0" tall, 190lbs, and I have found that these students fall the most stable and are the best to have under canopy in turbulent wind conditions on landings. The only down side of course is not popping my eyes out while I flare. It takes some extra effort, but that little extra effort on landing is worth a nice stable ride in freefall. My one piece of advice would be the overall shape of your student, rather than thier weight and size. Students with high body fat percentages, regardless of weight, don't fit in the harness as well. simply put, the leg straps need tension, and legs with higher body fat, tend to be "mushy" and the leg straps are more apt to slide around, loosen, etc. The other thing is round students (not trying to be rude), but I've seen students with large midruffs put in a harness that has the belly band riding way low, and the chest strap just under their neck to fit around them. Its not comfortable for either the student or the TM in those situations. Every tandem is rewarding in its own way, whether its a large person, somall person, heavy person, thin person, I always feel a sense of accomplishment to put them down softly in the peas. All in all though, my best tandem student was 6'4", 240lbs. We fell like an anvil, nice and stable. Blue ones, Tom

Muchos "Grassy-Ass" Amigo! -- My other ride is a RESERVE.

Okay, so I have a mirage that has seen a few hundred jumps and is pretty dirty. Perfect condition, just dusty/dirty from a years worth of use. The cyrpess and the reverse/main have a new home in my other mirage, so I want to wash this one. I've heard stories about putting it in a pillow case and sticking it in a "tumble" washing machine with woollite with cold water. Has anyone washed their rigs before? What did you do? Thanks, Tom -- My other ride is a RESERVE.

I'm not saying I agree with the statement 100%. I know that no one is perfect, including msyelf. (Ironically, thats really the only thing I do agree with 100%.) I have seen numerous cypres fires for one reason or another, many by accomplished skydivers. My question/rant was really just an amplification of the same sentiment that I have heard at a few different DZs. Yes its a hard core stance, and no, I've never actually witnessed it happen, (someone getting walked off the DZ) that is why I ask the question. Personally, I agree with you about talking things out and learning from experiences, and I'm totally not an advocate for militant zero-tolerance guidelines, but I have heard others who are. And definitely, I see a trend of "cypres generation" jumpers viewing the device as a crutch, rather than what it is really intended for, a last ditch life saving device. -- My other ride is a RESERVE.

There is a running debate amongst many bonfire circles that I have heard around the country, that anyone that has a cyrpes fire that is not unconsious, should be politely walked off the drop zone and asked not to come back. The rationale being, that if you have a cypres fire because you A) lost altitude awareness, B) had a VERY low pull, and it fired during the snivel of your main, or C) panicked in a crisis, ie couldn't find your reserve after a cut away, that you shouldn't be in the sport and that your a future hole in the landing area anyways. So, short of being unconsious, or a legitamate misfire/malfunction of the unit (say, maybe back tracking for 9000ft and the unit fires high because it gets confused with the pressure change at pull time), the theory is, there is no excuse for a cypres fire other than being unconscious or disabled in freefall. This question comes from an expeirence I had last year. I have approx 50 jumps without a cypres (2nd rig) and just over a 1000 jumps with a cypres. My only cutaway (to date of course, there are bound to be more) was on my rig without the cypres. I was approached after the fact with the comment "you were lucky you got your handles, not having a cyrpes to back you up". My response was simply "I was A)conscious and B) I rehearse my emergency procedures", there was nothing lucky about it. In that type of scenario, a cypres should not be a factor, if it was, I should be playing golf next Saturday. Just a rant really, nothing more nothing less. Just curious if others agree or disagree with me. -- My other ride is a RESERVE.

Jet-A fumes.

If the airlines and the TSA are worried about people trying to get out of aiplanes mid flight, then they need to stop showing chick movies in flight, like "How to Lose a guy in 10 days". Hey, atleast they give us barf bags.......... "It's not the turbulence, it's the acting.....BARF!!!!!"

Thanks ASSHAT!! lol This was my prespell check version. I hate it when my job gets in the way of my posting...... I wrote the whole thing while on the phone with an ERISA attorney.....