DocPop

Hey GP I know this probably won't make your desire to jump any less, but there are some of us whose DZs close for 6 months of the year and we can't jump unless we travel! The long term health of your ankle has to be your priority. I know it sucks to be told so soon after you started that you have to have 2-3 months off, but I promise you it will be worth it if you don't end up with an ankle that either requires surgery or is so chronically weak that it won't stand up to any landings. I can tell that you're stubborn, but you also seem to be smart, so I have confidence that you'll take the smart option. As other have stated, this time could be very valuable if you use it to do stuff that you otherwise wouldn't because you would be in the air. For example, watching others land with an instructor by your side commentating on the landing (pattern, turns, flare etc). Don't SPEND your time on the ground; INVEST IT! "The ground does not care who you are. It will always be tougher than the human behind the controls." ~ CanuckInUSA

OK - you want to play word games - the canopy is fine, the lines are not. "The ground does not care who you are. It will always be tougher than the human behind the controls." ~ CanuckInUSA

And I knew a guy that rode a reserve baglock for the rest of his life.... Reserve's can and do malfunction. Than rather land a ball of sh1t, when you have a potentially good canopy on stand-by? Not a ball of shit. But a perfectly good canopy with a broken steering line - certainly. "The ground does not care who you are. It will always be tougher than the human behind the controls." ~ CanuckInUSA

So sorry to hear that your injury is worse than you first thought. Definitely hand out at the DZ and watch and listen - there is a whole bunch you can learn. D "The ground does not care who you are. It will always be tougher than the human behind the controls." ~ CanuckInUSA

FIFY "The ground does not care who you are. It will always be tougher than the human behind the controls." ~ CanuckInUSA

Where did you hear it was the Stable Belt Stretchers? "The ground does not care who you are. It will always be tougher than the human behind the controls." ~ CanuckInUSA

Or, as the risers are not hooked up to a canopy, just put a small band over the riser and move it down to the place where the elastic keeper would be. "The ground does not care who you are. It will always be tougher than the human behind the controls." ~ CanuckInUSA

that's what i keep on saying..

http://www.performancedesigns.com/docs/Pulse_Flight_Characteristics.PDF "The ground does not care who you are. It will always be tougher than the human behind the controls." ~ CanuckInUSA

I think anyone going to a high altitude DZ should definitely take it easy for the first few jumps - in the same way one would when jumping an unfamiliar canopy. "The ground does not care who you are. It will always be tougher than the human behind the controls." ~ CanuckInUSA

I don't think that was Joel's point. If I understand him correctly, he was saying that when it comes to helmets, one brand usually fits a certain head shape better than another and the only way to find out what is right for you is to demo. I have found this to be true for both motorcycle and skydiving helmets. I can't find a comfortable Cookie, but my Revolve is perfect. That might be the other way round for someone else. "The ground does not care who you are. It will always be tougher than the human behind the controls." ~ CanuckInUSA

In the front or back? Now that is GOOD! "The ground does not care who you are. It will always be tougher than the human behind the controls." ~ CanuckInUSA

I think most people on here would be very supportive of canopy control courses. "The ground does not care who you are. It will always be tougher than the human behind the controls." ~ CanuckInUSA

I did the Brian Vacher safe flight school course last year. Jump 10 included "landing on rear risers". His courses are aimed at anyone from 20 jumps up. and just to be an ass, his courses have the reputation that 2 or 3 out of 20 end up hurting themselves.. So now you know better than a member of the PD Factory Team? "The ground does not care who you are. It will always be tougher than the human behind the controls." ~ CanuckInUSA

That sounds like crap. "The ground does not care who you are. It will always be tougher than the human behind the controls." ~ CanuckInUSA

Does this work? In theory it should but as mentioned up-thread, I am fairly sure this has led to at least one incident and I certainly wouldn't recommend it. Imagine what would happen if you got a foot tangled in the lines and were hanging upside down. Your situation just got a lot worse. I don't think stayhigh would either, judging by the "The ground does not care who you are. It will always be tougher than the human behind the controls." ~ CanuckInUSA

Awesome! Really well-produced and very entertaining. Congratulations to all the competitors. Thanks PD! "The ground does not care who you are. It will always be tougher than the human behind the controls." ~ CanuckInUSA

Fair enough, man. If you're not comfortable, don't try it. "The ground does not care who you are. It will always be tougher than the human behind the controls." ~ CanuckInUSA

We are talking about different things here. You are talking about using rears to extend a HP landing (if I understand you correctly). I am talking about practicing landing with rears only on a straight in approach. Maybe that is where the confusion arose. "The ground does not care who you are. It will always be tougher than the human behind the controls." ~ CanuckInUSA

Ok - let's go back to what I originally said: I understand what you (and BillVon) are saying. I am not saying that the OP should have landed on the rears in this case. I am saying that jumpers should practice this skill (with a good canopy) to give an extra option in a mal involving steering lines. V-B's reply said it was a bad idea for us (him and me) to land a canopy like this. I disagree and was citing BillVon's checklist to support my view. "The ground does not care who you are. It will always be tougher than the human behind the controls." ~ CanuckInUSA

I don't think I misunderstood him at all. Here is the reasoning from BillVon's downsizing checklist: It is quite clear that the intention of practicing this skill is to deal with a problem, particularly those involving brake lines. "The ground does not care who you are. It will always be tougher than the human behind the controls." ~ CanuckInUSA

You have a reserve for a good reason. You don't have to land any ball of sh1t. But reserves also malfunction. Landing a canopy on the rears is a useful skill to have and can avoid the need to use your last chance to live. "The ground does not care who you are. It will always be tougher than the human behind the controls." ~ CanuckInUSA

not saying play with it up high; but i still think it's a BAD idea for you AND me to take that down to the ground.. just expressing my concerns! Why should we not practice landing with rears? It is on BillVon's downsizing checklist and I have done this on every canopy I have jumped more that once or twice so far. "The ground does not care who you are. It will always be tougher than the human behind the controls." ~ CanuckInUSA

I suspect that you might be feeling the effects of breathing a totally dry gas. This causes dehydration of the mucous membranes and the symptoms you describe. A similar effect is noticed by scuba divers. It should not cause any permanent damage and the best thing you can do to prevent it is stay well-hydrated during the day's jumping. Try that before cutting down on the O2 use! Hope that helps. "The ground does not care who you are. It will always be tougher than the human behind the controls." ~ CanuckInUSA

I would think that the answer, at least partially, is what a lineset like that would to to the opening. You know how a lineset that is even a couple of inches out of trim can really jack up opening characteristics, particularly on HP canopies. I would imagine that a lineset required to flatten out a canopy would massively change the opening characteristics. The more sensible answer seems to be design a canopy with desirable opening characteristics and let jumpers fine-tune it after opening by collapsing the slider, opening chest-strap, using an RDS etc, etc. It would be interesting to hear from a canopy designer on this topic. "The ground does not care who you are. It will always be tougher than the human behind the controls." ~ CanuckInUSA