fasted3

I understand what you mean. When it is your family at stake where do you draw the line? So where would you draw the line? Anywhere? Is there any act so heinous that you would not do it to save your family? Seriously, I am not talking about waterboarding now, I mean gutting babys - stuff like that. Is there anything that would be too much for you? Or does anything go? I am asking you, since you started this thread, but welcome other's comments as well. But what do I know?

I like yours. It is about you, correct? But what do I know?

www.parachutedefrance.com But what do I know?

I LOVE that pic.

4441 feet, 7 g's were in the comments. Also that the rocket could be reused. Coming soon to a DZ near you? Cool to think about. But what do I know?

Alti Track-wrist mount and Optima in helmet. I am very satisfied with these products. But what do I know?

I agree that is a good reason to keep them apart. I've unpacked my rig to have a look and given this some thought. A few things I've been taught have kept me safe without my having fully realized how and why it was working. I'm glad it came up. I keep my stows small, that gives me a bit extra between the bag and risers. I think a bit too much is a lot better than any too little. Small stows offer less space for anything to get in as well. My rig could have a problem with the risers getting under the reserve. It turns out the way I packed was to keep them along side rather than underneath. I'll be more concious of that now. I route the slack down to the bottom of the container. That keeps it as clear of the reserve as it can be. Carefully insertng the bag keeps things where they should be. As I mentioned before, my d-bag packs up square enough to go in nicely either way, and I think that I'll stay with the grommet up for this rig. I'll be watching out for mistakes while packing, and will know to be careful to not push the risers down too far into the container, no matter which method I use. I'll keep hoping for no mistakes. Zero defects is a good motto. The last issue of Parachutest pointed out that jump numbers are certainly no guarantee of immunity from mistakes. A license jumpers had zero. Way to go, A's. But what do I know?

I got an Alti-Track early on, so I have most of my jumps logged on my computer. I like the graphs and details. But, I know how much stuff I have lost off of computers, so I keep a written version too. I know what it feels like to come across old log books from my diving days, and reading stuff from 30+ years ago encouraged me to keep up with it now. It makes a great autograph book and place to jot down phone numbers and emails too. I'm not sure how important the 12 hr freefall thingie is but I'm there. Having the logbook proves it, if anybody cares. Getting there in less than 500 jumps is probably rare. So I'd say keeping a logbook is a good idea. How much good it would do after 5 years off is debatable, and probably wouldn't have made much difference in your case anyway. They can be faked, if someone wants to, and don't mean much to some folks, but I'll keep mine, accurate and signed. But what do I know?

That has been my thinking too. Less rotation seems to equal less line twists for me. Here again it is difficult to say for sure since so many factors can cause line twists not related to packing. Just thinking of that bag pulling out smoothly behind me helps me relax and get a good deployment. How much is packing? Hard to say. I don't have the cut corners, which I think actually decrease the need to pack grommet up. I'm with you about not knowing much compared to the other guys we get to hear from. I'm keeping an open mind and appreciate the opinions. But what do I know?

Oh goodie, I get to argue that mistakes are indeed a bad idea. Where to start. Being ignorant enough to think that "mistake=death" is overly dramatic and ridiculous. Here is a good one. With skydiving, ANY mistake can be the one that gets you. Why screw around with anything just because you 'probably' won't die? I've had mine that damn sure could have, and will also be trying my hardest to avoid any more. BTW: some mistakes pretty much DO=DEATH. To make my own side track here, I dislike seeing things explained by fate, statistics, or shit happens. For sure, it does, but why not look at each one with the eye that we could have done better. Maybe leaving an extra inch of lines was the cause, maybe that rubber band was a bit worn. Why not own this stuff and resolve to improve, rather than throwing our hands in the air and saying 'shit happens.' In regard to the current thread, what I see is a challange to 'accepted wisdom' in the wingsuit community. Your original point seemed to be that you would do whatever you felt like and welcomed any bad consequences as a learning challange. Probably not what you meant, but that is what you got called on, and I agree. I'm still thinking about how to pack, but I will think long and hard before I do anything different. I want everything to work perfect on every jump. I don't expect it, but that is what I want. Nice shot about my flying too. Thanks for the smileys. I do OK. I've avoided more shit than I've caused, so far. I'm not afraid to fly with you at all, you're good. Peace again. But what do I know?

Wow. Quite an editorial, and great distraction from your earlier nonsense about screw ups being a good thing, or whatever you meant to say. When I started reading it, I thought, Oh no, somebody has been following me around writing down all my mistakes. Yes, I make a lot of them, and no, I don't think this post was all about me. Some of it was, I suspect, so I'll address this point: It's the people that say "That will NEVER happen to me" that scare me the most. They're conditioning themselves to not know how to handle screwups. Let's add this comment too: "fall on your face trying to put on your legstraps "the cool way" and realize later that your rig is too small for doing so." You will never see me do this one. Why not, because I'm better than you? Because I never make any mistakes? NO! I still will NEVER do it, because I NEVER put on my leg straps that way. I CAN'T! Therefore, I WON'T. I will own my many mistakes. I will learn from them as much as I can, and hopefully not make too many. I know I will, but I'll try anyway. So relax. You can quit being scared of me because of complacency. By all means be afraid of me because I'm an idiot. But that's another story. PEACE But what do I know?

Really? Explain that. And I've found many wingsuiters who do things different, just to be different. I've got just about 400 wingsuit flights, and packing "grommet up" for 40 to 50 did not change the openings one bit, and on many containers increases the risk of damage, snags, or malfunctions. Thanks for your reply. I think the deployment speed is slower because vertical fall rate is much slower. Forward speed is a factor, but I slow down a lot during deployment, and find that my openings are super soft compared to belly jumps. It is a subjective opinion I admit. I don't think most wingsuit fliers that pack grommet up do it just to be different. I know I don't, and with my particular rig, a Jav, it packs up nice enough that I'll keep doing it this way, I think. I'm saying that just because it's worked well hundreds of times, and I hate to fix what ain't broke. You know more than me, so I could change my mind. A few times packers have done it the regular way and I lived. I hope to see more on this subject. Do any other WS fliers have super soft openings? Do you pack grommet up just to be different, or do you think there is a valid reason for doing it? But what do I know?

Do you know that this is widely promoted for wingsuits? The reasons given are: 1. Slower deployment speeds. 2. Angle of bag leaving container is more to the bottom. Most wingsuitors I know pack grommet up. I do too. But what do I know?

I am unclear about your role in this. Beyond mentioning it to the DZO and the S&TA, what action do you feel is required of you? But what do I know?

I was fortunate enough to be there. Those guys had a great time, and I did too, just watching them. Skydive Spaceland should be proud for making this happen and giving our veterans the opportunity to jump. Well done! But what do I know?

I agree with this, and think is where a lot of folks are coming from. Whatever you call it, if it works it's a good thing. Keeping the limbs in and landing on the soft parts can save your ass. I will take the truck challange with the tumble over the slide any time. On a side note, when I was a kid I remember doing a lot of crazy stuff on bikes, skates, skate boards. Those crashes are the training for this too. I'm not knocking the slide, in it's place, but for me when the chips are down, I'll go for the PLF. I will agree with the OP that nice standups are far better and should be strongly encouraged. But what do I know?

Great point, and very relevent. In fact, I think not saying anything is complacent, while the young jumpers were more a case of not knowing what they don't know. Word games I admit. The term itself lends itself to it though. Any mistake can probably be written off to complacency, so it's of limited value in preventing errors. Don't be complacent. OK, great. Another reason I dislike it is that it frequently goes along with, don't be complacent, anything can happen. Actually, some things can NOT happen. Not if you want to stay alive, anyway. I check my gear, but don't live in a state of panic that I've got it on right. I have other things to worry about on a skydive, and by the time I'm out the door, I am not worrying about whether I'm wearing my rig or not. Some see that as complacent, but I don't. I have considered the implications of gearing up wrong and developed methods and procedures that make me confident I will get it right. I still double check my stuff and appreciate others looking out for me, but it's just not an area that I feel needs any more work on my part than I'm already doing. I am fully aware that any number of things can go wrong on a skydive, and certainly want to anticipate and prevent all of them. If I make a mistake I want to own up to it and prevent it from happening again. I will not accept or take comfort from the idea that 'shit happens' and I am powerless to do anything about it. Don't get me wrong; it is useful to look for complacency in one's self. It would be complacent not to. But what do I know?

I've never jumped a round, but I have done a few PLF's. Well, a lot. I was a slow learner at stand ups. PLF's saved me a lot of times. Speaking of swooping speeds reminds me of a downwinder at Eloy. I got up pretty quick after the dust settled, told the guys in the crash truck I was ok and walked away. Yeah, it was on the way as soon as I touched down. They drove off shaking their heads. I'm better now, but still ready to pull a PLF out of the bag at any time. That would be one of the last skills I would want to give up. But what do I know?

Brain fart But what do I know?

You make a great point: People who don't understand that you can die skydiving should not do it. I guess that rules out a lot of people. But what do I know?

The best policy is to find out before the jump. If I expect pics or video, I will say so up front. Better to know what you are getting before you pay for it, as in any transaction. If it's not what you want, don't buy it. If it's not what you're selling, say so. But what do I know?

I read it. Good book about the early pioneers of wingsuits, with some amazing stories. Each chapter is devoted to a different birdman. I liked it but wished it was longer. I'd give it a B. But what do I know?

1/10/15 But what do I know?

Thanks for referring me to this thread Wendy, it is a better one for my question. What states have the best and worst medical care for the uninsured? While jumping in Arizona I heard that they have a really good plan, while Louisiana is not so good. As more people jump without coverage in these hard times, it may be good to know. But what do I know?

This thread comes at a good time, as people lose their jobs and health insurance. Some will continue jumping, and that brings up the question of what happens if they get hurt. Free care is available, but the quality varies widely from state to state. What are the best and worst states to get hurt in? But what do I know?