LawnDart21

I got an automated reply saying that they were reviewing the issue and would get back to me. I'll keep you all posted, if/when I hear anything.

I would like to take this opportunity to express my complaint with the TSA securty screeners at Chicago's Midway Airport. (MDW). I was returning from vacation on August 8th, 2003 at apporximately 6:30pm, when I placed my sport parachute through the x-ray machine along with my fiance's sport parachuite as well at terminal A. We were told by the screeners that the parachutes were not allowed as carry ons and that we much check them as bagage for the flight. I explained that both parachutes had been flown from Boston's Logan airport 5 days earlier as carry on items on the same airline, examined by the Logan Airport TSA as well as apporved by the airline (ATA). I was spoken to in a stern manor and told that each TSA screening facility operated on it''s own accord, and that Midway TSA refused to allow sport parachutes as carry ons, end of story. I asked for a supervisor, who came over, looked at the sport parachutes, and said "I just looked at them, and the answer is no." At this point, I told him that each parachute was valued in excess of $6,000 and were live saving devises that I refused to had over to baggage handlers, whom could unknowingly damage or tamper with them during the loading process. I was told again, very sternly that there was "no way were getting on the airplane with those parachutes." I showed him a letter from the manufacture of a computer device called an "Automatic activation device", that is located inside the parachute, it is a computer designed to release the reserve parachute in an emergency situation. The letter clearly stated that the United States DOT apporved the device as "non-dangerous" and that it could be brought on an airplane. I asked the supervisor to show me a TSA list, universal to all airports that showed sport parachutes as a banned item, which he refused to do. I said, if you cannot show me that this is a banned item, then I feel I should be able to take it as a carry on item. He said "You can't, it's too heavy." (This excuse was given 20 minutes into our conversation.) I asked him how much he thought it weighted, to which he would not answer. I then asked him what the carry on weight limit was, again he would not answer. (A sport parachute weights approximately 18 lbs, and is the size of a small back pack, and fits perfectly well in an overhead baggage compartment. At this point, I was getting angery as I felt we had answered all their questions, and that now they were simply being rude and seemed to enjoy it. The bottom line, is that they were refusing us based on personal instinct, rather than on specific regulations. Sport parachutes are not banned items, they fit within the luggae limits of carry ons, and the automatic activation device (called a CYPRES) is deemed by the DOT as non dangerous. I am an American citizen, a tax payer, and a frequent traveler. I have never in my life been so harassed at the airport. I travel frequently with my sport parachute and it is only at Midway that I have ever been refused to board a plane with it as a carry on. I asked for yet another supervisor in this chain of command, and when the next one arrived, I explained the issues, our treatment, the fact our flight was on a final call, and told him that according to the FAA FARs the pilot of the plane had the final say, and at the very least, should he deny us our sport parachutes as carry ons, I would sue the TSA for harassment if we were not allowed to board. At which point, he smiled and said we were all set and could board the plane. Your TSA agents operate from a strict set of guidelines, (or atleast they should be given the scope of their jobs) and I find it unjust that they are given the opportunity to tailor their discretion as they see fit. There needs to be a uniformity in thier actions. I am contacting the United States Parachute Association as well to voice my complaint. I can appreciate the need for heightened security, but blatant harassment of decent, hard working American citizens by TSA agents who lack any customer service skills is not fair to me or to any of the travelling public.

I have one, got it on Ebay, it is all you would ever need for tandem video. The WJ-AVE 5 & WJ-AVE 7 are the two most common ones that I have seen on dropzones. The 7 is the step up from the 5, but the 5 is fine for tandem video. I used a 7 for a year, then bought a 5, its smaller, less fuss on the board, and it works perfectly. -- My other ride is a RESERVE.

You make a good pitch Ron, I see your point, and I'm changing my vote. 1.6 is extreme in that context. For each of my arguements against it, you have some pretty compelling points I'll give you credit where credit is due. Score; Ron:1 Tom:0 You know I think I'm fortunate in that my DZ while large for a northeast DZ has a family feel to it and we have generation after generation of up jumpers looking out for each other, offering input, suggestions and ass chewings in the name of safety at the drop of a hat. I spend every free minute I have on the dropzone with the new up jumpers talking canopy saftey and progression objectives. My standing line is that a typical jumper can figure out how to fly a canopy well in 10-20 jumps, but that they can spend the next 200-500 jumps learning its envelope of performance and encourage them to do just that. I always try to remind them that the ground is hard, and best approached with caution. Have a safe swooping weekend to all! I am ouuta here! Off to the DZ, 40+ tandems tomorrow, yahoo! (all this talk about downsizing, and I'm gonna spend all day under a SET 400......lol.....ironic.! Peace.)

I totally see your point Ron, and "sort of" agree with you in certain respects, but I am gonna stand by my statement, in that I think 1.6ish isn't really extreme if the pilot A) knows the risks, B) accepts the risks, C) has a good attitude (isnt a hotdog or a wanna be skygod and D) has recieved proper instruction. That said, I am very sorry about your friend. I agree that too many jumpers are being killed under good canopies and it is definitely an issue. Many people, (myself included 700 jumps ago) think that they are the excpetion to the rule and can manage smaller canopies with low jump numbers. I am a firm believer that 99% of success in our sport, specifically under canopy, is about managing risk. The other 1% is either dumb luck or fate, I havent figured that part out yet. But canopy piloting at any wingloading is about risk management. Reduce your risk to the lowest denominator you are comfortable with and then evaluate what you want to do versus what you can safely do. Right or wrong, I was under a 120 vengeance at WL1.8 at 400 jumps. I asked everyone I could find for advice/input, then went to Evolution canopy flight school to learn from the pros. I never lost respect for the canopies I was flying and always used my head. I'm approaching 1000 jumps this month, and have my last 100 or so jumps on a 105 loaded 2.1. 500 jumps ago I would have thought a 2.1 loading was extreme, and in that context, it was, now its just "normal" to me. Alls I was saying was that any size canopy can kill, and in the grand scheme of things, a 36 jump jumper wanting a 97, thats extreme, but a 300ish jump jumper, under proper supervision under a 1.6 isn't (in my mind) really extreme, I agree its not the brightest thing, but its (for better or worse) not that extreme these days. -Tom

I'll step up and defend Clay here, a 135 elliptical (x-braced or not) loaded 1.6ish isn't extreme, even at such a low jump number, if you are sensible and heads up. Can the canopy get the best of you?, absolutely, but you already know that. My only question is why the heck you would shell out the extra money for a cross braced 135 at 1.6 when at your jump numbers you probably would get similar performance out of an non x braced elliptical for much less $$, and then in 100s of jumps, well in your case, perhaps 50 jumps...lol, downsize again to a real x-brace canopy loaded appropriately (2.0) for swooping. (I say that knowing that like me, you are swoop fiend, and it just seems like a waste of extra cash on a crossbrace that will add minimal results at a 1.6 loading. It just seems like more of a "hey, I jump a crossbrace" thing, tahn anythingelse, but I of course don't know all the details, this is just my unsolicited opinion....lol.....and we all know what opinions are like.....lol........Just my .02) Stay safe up there, that's all anyone can ask. Blue ones! -Tom

I took a 245lb passenger on a tandem last weekend, and I gotta tell you, here is my take on the situation. I saw the guy in the hangar, all 6'1", 245 lbs.... He looked like a linebacker, big, but in good shape. I am 6'0", 190lbs, and spend 6 days a week in the gym, ie, consider myself to be in great shape. Anyways, I saw the guy, and my first instint was to say "no way, this guy is gonna wreck me", but in talking with him, he couldn't have been more excited about the jump, and so we talked at length about the risks, what I needed him to do, etc, explained that our typical cut off was 225lbs, and why it was 225. Explained the 500lb limit on the gear, and then we went and weighed ourselves, with gear and came in at 490lbs. Now I don't necessarily think pushing manufacturer weight limits to the last pound is something I would want to do on a regular basis, but given my confidence in my ability, my confidence in the gear and in my packers, I felt comfortable taking the guy. We were jumping an Otter, so I had plenty of manuever room. When we left the plane at 13,500ft, it was like Wiley Coyote running off a cliff. Out the door, and then POOF!! straight down! We fell stable, he was the best student I had all day, and the opening at 6000ft was soft and smooth. Winds were in the 12-16mph range and we sliced right through it, slid in on our butts in the peas and that was that. I debated having him help me flare, but tehn thought better of it, lest he panick and flare early, I might not be able to out muscle him. So I let him fly us around under canopy, while I rested up for the landing.....lol. When it came time to flare, the last 12 months in the gym all paid off and I put us down like a feather (I was exhausted afterwards though). This student is now coming back for AFF. I think I played a huge part in that decision and it's something I'm proud of. Would I want to take 245lb students all day. Nope. But under the right conditions, I think its A-Okay. I didnt get paid anything more than my usual take....lol. I can see why a dz might charge more for a heavier tandem, but for me, I'm a weekend TM, and work outside the sport, so it's not a big form of income for me, so I can afford to be flexible in terms of $$, but if I were a full time TM, I can see where the extra money would offset the extra risk, and think it is okay for a DZ or TM to charge extra. -Tom

Flying in "smooth" 30mph+ winds at Byron? Under a 170 stilleto, loaded 1.3ish? Too funny........

I alst forgot, and above all else there is a hamburger joint on th north shore, famous, the burgers kick maximum ass, your arterie will never fogive you, but if you have to choose between jumping and the burger, get the burger. Ask the locals for the name, it's on the only main road along the water.Mahalo, TOm

My canopies have consistent 800-1000ft openings every time, and I wouldn't want it any other way. I used to jump a "slammer" that would open in 300ft or less, and it fucking sucked when I was going 144mph while skysurfing or if I was filming a tandem video with a heavy camera helmet on my head. So as a result, I looked for a new canopy with softer opeings. Plus, when I pack, while coning my canopy I roll the tail tight like a (quoting Bill Murray from Caddyshack) "big old Bob Marley joint", every jump. I make anywhere from 10-30 work jumps a weekend, and would't last 5 jumps a day if I was constantly getting slammed by hard openings. So that is why I want a 1000ft snivel. My back and my neck thank me for it every day.

I wouldn't plan on spendning tow whole days at dillingham field, as they rearely jump all day. Plan for visits in the morning, say 8am or 9am. They usually close up (especially during the week) in the early afternoon after A) they get done with the tandems they bring in from waikiki beach, or B) the winds pick up. Either way, they rarely jump after 2pm. The up side is a gorgeous beach is right across the street and the north shore, Waimea (sp?) and the Pipe Line are justa short drive east of airport. If you spend your whole day at the DZ, especially two, you'll wont be making the best use of yoru time there. Call ahead to see if they have tandems that day and ask how long they plan on jumping. Pacific and SDH are side by side, if one isn't jumping the other probably isnt either.

One word: TRUST. My personal gear, I check myself, beginning of the day, pack myself and jump myself. I will recheck my main pin, handles and riser covers before putting the rig on each jump, but I will rarely, if ever ask for a gear check in the plane before jumping, unless I am bumped hard or something, and then I will only ask someone I know well and completely trust to check my pin. As for tandems, I check and recheck everything on the ground before I put my gear on, for each jump and then, I won't let anyone near my container on the plane, unless it is another TM or an LO that I trust. One last connections check and drogue check before jump run, and I am outta there. - Tom as a footnote, tandem or fun jumping, it's always better to keep a plane spinning on the ground waiting for you to check your gear, than to rush to the plane without all your shit in order. I'd rather be hazed by the load for being late than discover a twisted leg strap half way up to jump run. Take your time out there. The plane can wait, safety can't.

Cut Lurch some slack Andy, he's asking legitimate questions about canopies, because he wants to learn. If you ever heard one of his adrenaline fueld roars after landing, you'd understand, Lurch, eats, sleeps, and breathes skydiving. Most of the things we learn in the sport are learned from others, including canopy impressions. Correct and incorrect info is passed on based on personal experiences, and personal biases. I even said in one of my last posts how much I like the Crossfire, it is a great canopy. At our DZ, where Lurch did his AFF, we had some bad situations with Crossfires, that stuck out. It's what he learned as a student and he posted it here to learn from it. As for "Spinettos", I mean, c'mon man, Javelin makes arguably the best container on the planet, and you'll still here people say "Unravellin' Javelin", why? Because of a past problem with riser covers perhaps? long since fixed, but it sounds catchy, so people say it. "Spinetto" sounds catchy too, but people continuet o buy them, why? Because they are great canopy as well. Cut Lurch some slack, he's just trying to learn. The only reason he even started asking about Cobalts is becuase I fly one and have tried to be a mentor to him on the DZ the last year or so. I (shameless self promotion.....lol) fly the shit out of my 105, so its what he sees, what he knows. There is only one Crossfire being jumped on our DZ right now and no one is jumping Stilletos. Solely out of jumper preference this season. Last season we had 6 Crossifre jumpers. Things change year to year. So Lurch hears bad things about Crossfires and Stilletos and then notices no one jumping them on the DZ this season, makes a connection between what he heard and what he sees (or doesn't see in this case) and poses a question on the canopies. Its that simple. Trash talking gear is as much a part of bonfire lore as are the jump stories. No one (except you it seems) takes it literally. One more time, cut Lurch some slack. ps- Your comment about people dying under all kinds of canopies each year is true. Any canopy can kill you, but lets not shift focus on the canopy. The majority of all canopy fataliies are due to pilot error, not canopy failure. And how do we become better canopy pilots? We ask questions? Where do we ask questions? Our DZ, Where else? Dropzone.com. Don't be so quick to get all up in arms, or to quote "Malibu's most wanted....." "Don't be hating" Peace, I'm outta here, I gotta go pack a spinner on my Cobalt............lol -Tom

I jumped that 175 Triathalon on Hawaii my first tiem out in Hawaii. It's actually a good canopy, I think I put 100 jumps on it in total. I think the reason you had a lame experience with the 218 (if it's the canopy I am thinking of), is because its a POS, with a billion jumps on it and really old and tired. (I think Moses actually jumped it........). You might want to reconsider the 175, its a good canopy and would be better than continuing to hang under the 190. "Blue Skies, Black Clothes, Must Be Lurch" - T

An additional point on jumping an out of date reserve. It is my understanding that USPA group member DZs enjoy protection from UPSA in terms of insurance. If a jumper jumps an out of date reserve, purposely or otherwise, has a malfunction, and say crashes through the hangar. Nothing is covered by USPAs insurance because the DZ would have violated USPAs guidlines in terms of safety and hence they woudl not be covered. Meaning if a knucklehead jumps an out of date reserve and causes damage to something, it ain't covered and the rest of us get screwed when the DZ has to shut down. I consider it a pretty selfish thing to do. But hey, the world ain't a perfect place. I'm always amazed when people express a casual attitude towards their reserve in terms of maintenance and repacking. It was instilled in me on my AFF level 1 jump that "Your reserve is your absolute last chance, it's your LAST ride. Well, technically the ride to the morgue is your LAST ride, but only if your reserve fails, do you get my point?." With that said, I don't f with my reserve repack. Peace, Tom

Good morning Lurch, don't feel bad about landing at the end of the run way, A) I kind of hosed you by hanging upside down off the wing of the Cessna for so long on jump run.....lol B) Since we were the only two in the air, and I was first out and noticed we were long to begin with, I just tracked back to the DZ and opened up over the wind sock. No worries, your canopy piloting skills as I see them are as solid as anyone's at 110 jumps. Your doing great! Given our landing area is usually full of jumpers of all abilities aiming for the same spot (the peas), I'd say you'd be better served by not jumping an elliptical canopy just yet, that includes, yes, the Cobalt....lol You are head sup enough that you could probably jump my Cobalt 105 tomorrow (given your weight of about 135 lbs) and in perfect conditions land it on a straight in approach on your butt and be fine. It';s having to land a smaller elliptical canopy in traffic or make a last second adjustment or even worse, having to land in a backyard the size of a postage stamp, that is when the conservative loading you are jumping will save yoru life instead of put you in the hospital. seeing as I know your flying capabilities better than most, here's my .02..... You are definitely ready to downsize to a 170, like on your next jump. We need to find you a used Sabre1 170 to put 10-30 jumps, or however many it takes so you feel comfortable. In terms of plunking down money for another canopy? You'll be happiest under a 150 in the long run. To be honest, you don't need an elliptical just yet, (in terms of backyard landings anyways), I think a Sabre 150 will be an ideal canopy (plenty of fun) for you to progress on for 100s of jumps and keep you safe while helping you get back from longer spots. Conveniently enough.....lol.....I have a Sabre150 you are welcome to jump once you are ready to downsize from a 170 to a 150. Mary is downsizing to my Cobalt 135, so the Sabre 150 I own is in a pillow case collecting dust, your welcome to jump it all you want. Let's set a time for early next season to reevaluate the elliptical canopy situation for you. You have plenty of time (and jumps to decide). If you decide then you want a Cobalt, after demoing one of mine, then yes, of course I will help you get one. As for Crossfires? the one Shay had a problem with was a demo that was just way out of trim on one side, probably just from being a demo for so long. I've jumped Crossfires and Crossfire2, 139s, 129s, 119s, 109s and 99s, and overall, my honest opinion is that they all fly great and open great. They are quality canopies. They had a problem with the canopy and they fixed it, things happen like that in this sport, its part of the evolution of canopy flight. All things being equal, there are alot of quality canopies out there, elliptical, semi elliptical and square. You will find jumpers (including myself) tend to be fiercely brand loyal when it comes to their gear. I jump Cobalts becuase I love them. In my opinion they are the best canopy on the market, some agree with me, others don't its all good. I 'll ask around the DZ and see if we can find you a 170 this weekend. We can pick up the conversation again then. Don't forget about the graduation/engagement party saturday night either. ps- one other factor, we need to determine the smallest main canopy you can safely put in your gear. How big is your reserve by the way? - Tom

I totally agree with you Ron. That's why I mentioned I was a dealer, I wanted it out in the open. Of course my opinion is definitely biased, but for good reason, it's a kick ass canopy/company!!! Everyone has that perfect canopy out there for them to find, something that matches their needs best, the only way to go is to demo them all, then decide. -- My other ride is a RESERVE.

Howdy! I think you should demo a Cobalt before buying a Stilletto. I went from a Stiletto to a Cobalt and wish I did sooner. I loved the Cobalt so much, I became a dealer here in the Northeast. I have jumped just about every elliptcial/crossbrace out there, and while VXs and Velcocities and Comp Cobalts are in the upper echelon of all the canopies out there, for a pure non crossbraced elliptical, you can't beat the "bang for the buck" that a Cobalt will give you. Great openings, amazing glide ratio, deep/strong bottom end flare. If you fly it you will buy it. I am jumping a 105 Cobalt loaded 2.0 (no fat bastard jokes....lol), and it is the best canopy I have ever hung under, I wish I bought it sooner. -- My other ride is a RESERVE.

With SO many jumpers these days smashing in and leaving body sized divots in the landing area, I don't think there is a better choice than canopy coaching these days and Evolution is as good as they come. The best in my opinion. I attended last year and the things I learned then, at 400 jumps, I am still applying and progressing at 800 jumps a year later. The biggest advantage it gave me in terms of accuracy was how to effectively build a "sight picture" of my landing pattern/approach. I keep a log of "distance versus wind speed" on the different size canopies I jump. So now, whether it's a 270 hook into 6mph winds or a 90 turn to final after a video jump on a no wind day, I know pretty accurately A) How high and B) how far away to initiate my final turn to reach my projected target without overshooting or underhooting the landing. Once it's engrained in your mellon, you'll be able to visualize your landing pattern beforehand and eventually it'll become second nature and you'll become the most accurate cat on the DZ! That's my .02

Get there early, the post about sunset load being at noon, isn't too far off the mark....If you are going during the week call Skydive Hawaii or Pacific and see what there tandems look like. If there are no tandems (which is possible during the week, given the lagging Japanese tourism there at the moment due to the war), they may not send planes up. I'd hate to see you drive all the way up there and not jump. Go early whatever day you go. How many jumps do you have?

To each there own I suppose. I prefer to stand still (setting brakes) while others land, as opposed to leaving the landing area while others are landing. I've seen too many jumpers walking across the field in the direct path of a landing jumper. You might be heads up walking in, but not everyone is. To me it's safer to stay put until everyone is down. (Granted with the size of canopy your jumping you could probably land, pack and have a snack before the rest of the load lands, but for most jumpers.....lol, landing within a group, I still think it's safer to stand still.

Once I've landed, the first thing I do is set my brakes. I see jumpers all the time walking back to the hanger with their toggles flopping around, which leads to twisted brake lines, which leads to tension knots. Make it a habit to atleast stow the toggles before you walk in, and if time and safety permit, set your brakes right thier in the field when you land. It takes 20 seconds and will keep your brake lines from getting spun up. -- My other ride is a RESERVE.

I'm finding myself doing more Cessna tandems these days, and was just wondering what exit method other Tandem masters prefer when going out of a Cessna? I like backing into the hot seat and turning outward towards the step is working best, but if I have a large passenger (I'm 6'1"), I have to move them straight out the door feet first. What do you prefer? -- My other ride is a RESERVE.

Mr. Bill isn't exactly the safest of jumps you could do, ie, alot more can go wrong than on a typical skydive. That said, if your gonna do it anyways....lol, you'd be better off doing it out of a 182 (slower exit speed than say an Otter) and if you don't want to visit your chiropractor and possibly reline your canopy, you'll want a sub terminal deployment. If you deploy unstable, you risk your bridal "gift wrapping" your partner around you and your rig. Be careful, consult everyone and anyone on your DZ that has either done one or has even thought of doing one, and yes, use a big canopy. Laterz -Tom -- My other ride is a RESERVE.

I spoke to Paul about this a year or so ago, from what he said, when the plane went inverted, he went through a whole series of procedures trying to right the plane, to no avail. After trying everything, he was still upside down, and just said "fuck it" and let go of the yoke and rudder pedals, and the plane (based on whatever positions the yoke and rudder were in, something about nosing the plane down or something, but don't quote me on that, I'm not a pilot), anyways, when he let go and let the plane go, it began to dive and righted itself into a position that he could recover it out of the dive at about 8000ft. I don't think (again I'mnot a pilot) that there was any set procedure for righting an inverted Casa in the manual, as it had never been done before Paul did it. He is the only pilot alive that has righted a flipped Casa from what I have been told by jumpers at CSS. (Take that part for what its worth, hear say). But I did hear two military pilots went in with inverted Casas before this happened to Paul. Hence, of the three documented Casa flips, he was the only one to right it. The best part of the story, he said when he landed, he looked at the right seat pilot, who was a bit shook up understandably, but that he (Paul) climbed out, shook himself off, found the LO, chewed him out, and then got back in the Casa and flew the next load. (Again, I wasn't there at the boogie, these are just the stories I was told at CSS by Paul and the up jumpers at the bonfire. Take it for what its worth) Cheers, Tom -- My other ride is a RESERVE.