markbaur

Packed wet from a previous jump. I was trying to describe the damage in a way that most readers would understand: affecting the performance of the canopy in a way that leaves a safe landing in doubt -- and since I was wearing shorts and tennis shoes, wondering where in Paducah I was going to do my PLF, I had some doubt. Mark

I blew out the front gore on a 28' round on a water jump hop-n-pop. On a square, that might be similar to tearing a rib. We were jumping into the Ohio River, so I decided to land it (if that's the correct term for a water jump). The blown gore on the front was about as big as the drive slots on the back, so I didn't have much forward speed, but there was enough wind to push me from the spot (over Paducah, Kentucky) to the river. Mark

Wet nylon has lower porosity and reduced strength. Most of the time this won't matter, but unlike fergs, I have caused major damage to a parachute by jumping it wet. Mark

Most of the time, riser covers and the webbing "set" at the 3-ring will keep the risers from releasing in a no-tension cut away. I'd argue that the best general procedure is cut away, then pull reserve. This procedure works in almost all situations, and extra time spent cutting away when you don't need to is balanced by the reduced time needed to analyze the malfunction. Make the decision tree short. One pull-time procedure, executed well: Step 1. Pull a ripcord -- preferably the main, but reserve if necessary. Step 2. If you don't like the result, cut away and pull reserve. Mark

That depends on what you mean by "change." On January 1st, USPA will accept only the 2-page and 4-page A-license proficiency cards. The old license form (the one we'll still use for B, C, D licenses) will not be accepted. Are there operations still using the old form? How do they reconcile it with the A-license test in the 2002 and 2003 SIM? Mark

After the first jump, all gear is used. Most well-maintained used gear is safe to jump. What you've described is poorly maintained or poorly assembled gear -- and the toggle was not the problem the second time. Mark

Um, check of threes? That is: three-rings assembled correctly, three straps threaded correctly, three handles in place. Every jumper is responsible for at least that much self-check on jump run. You've described a jumper malfunction, not an equipment malfunction. Mark

My regards to all my friends at Bardstown. I made a bunch of jumps there when I was stationed at Fort Knox -- got my Master Rigger ticket from Kenn -- made parachutes in the trailer -- met Lynne there (got married in E-town, still happily married all these years later). I'm hoping to make it to the hog roast this year, and expect to see you there! Mark

The last rigger conference I went to was in Muskogee, but I'll see you in Jacksonville next month. Mark

ly disagree. The canopy performance questions have properly migrated to the canopy control/swooping or CRW forums. As a rigger, I am interested in gear issues (fit, construction, durability, freefly-friendliness, etc.) whether they involve rigs and canopies, or accessories like helmets and altimeters. I think the G&R forum signal-to-noise ratio is pretty good. Mark

Para-Gear is the best source for stuff you want yesterday. The trade-off is that for them to ship it immediately, they have to have it on the shelf. As you've found out, that means you sometimes get stale stuff. I've always found Para-Gear to be agreeable about price negotiation. If it's been a year since your purchase, you are probably out of luck, but for other folks buying from them, ask for a price adjustment based on age and I think you'll get a fair deal. Mark

According to SSK, once the battery is installed, it is good for two years, and no more. No + three months like on the 4- and 8-year service. Mark

I have it on vhs, along with its predecessor "Sky Capers" and follow-ons "Wings" and "Skydive!" Not for sale, and I'm reluctant to copy copyrighted stuff, so you'll need to come to Skydive Twin Cities to see it. You should wait until May or June, though. Mark

Not every USPA program pays for itself, so you may be able to make a case for getting a subsidy for yourself. But the money has to come from somewhere, so which USPA programs do you think should make a profit? Mark

May as well also crawl down inside the cells to look at the ribs, especially the crossports, which can show ravelling as a result of hard or unusual openings. It's a bit spooky to be down inside the canopy, but it's a great bonding experience. Mark

Looking at the Nitron photo, I see the stabilizer bowed out. That makes sense: higher pressure below the wing, lower pressure above, the air tries to sneak around the end of the wing (making vortexes) instead of flowing straight back (making lift). So given that the stabilizer and the winglet-thingee do the same thing, why not just make the stabilizer bigger? Mark

The "A" license exam is described in the USPA 2003 SIM, in section 3-2 here. The oral part is a 20-question quiz drawn from the category quizes; the practical is a skydive with an instructor. You can prepare for the oral exam by taking the quizzes on-line. Follow the link from the training page of Skydive Twin Cities (skydivetwincities.com), or click here. When you submit your quiz answers, I get a copy, and I usually respond with corrections and critique within a day or two. The study material and the quizzes are from the 2002 SIM, but there are no substantial changes for 2003. I hope to have updated material posted real soon now. Mark

Collegiates, like Nationals, are subject to a proposal/bid process. The competing proposals and bids should be available from USPA. You should ask, so you can see what your $120 is buying. It may be that the alternatives were $120 vs no Collegiates at all. The Skydivers Competition Manual governs competition and judging, and requires rated judges for Collegiates. If you want to be able to use unrated judges, then you should propose changes to the USPA Competition Committee. (As an aside, I'd recommend you target individual USPA board members who might be sympathetic. When you write to "fullboard," none of them will feel much heat.) I think the NSL is a better model for competition, so I wish you the best of luck organizing the Collegiate Skydiving League. I'd like to see Collegiate 2- and 4-way dives drawn for League meets, in addition to the rookie/intermediate/advanced/open 4-way draws. (Okay, A/AA/AAA/AAAA.) The S&A folks could compete weekly from their home DZs, where they likely have facilities and judging available. Mark

Yes. If you see more than one or two emoticons in the post, the poster is signalling that his or her comments are trivial and can be safely ignored. Think of each emoticon as a helium balloon: the more balloons, the lighter the weight of the opinions expressed. Mark

I have all three, plus Zwischen Himmel und Erde, which came out in 1982, just a year after Skies Call 3. They are not for sale, but if it's just info you want, I'm happy to answer your questions. Mark

A lot of that stuff is still around, so it's still an alternative for you. What are you jumping these days? Please propose an alternative economic model that would get us the quality, reliability, and performance of the equipment we use today. Mark

Removing a Cypres is usually straightforward. At the base of the reserve container, next to the spandex pocket for the processing unit, there is a velcro-closed pocket for excess cable. Open the velcro. Find the channels for the cables running to the control unit (the gizmo where you turn the Cypres on and off), and the cutter. Gently push the control unit through the channel until it is clear, then do the same for the cutter. Important: it's okay to help clear the control unit and cutter by taking the slack out of their respective cables, but do not pull on the cables. Remove the processing unit from the spandex pocket, again without pulling on the cables. That's it! Mark

I'm sorry I didn't make myself clear. I do think that getting candidate info is important, but it seemed as though the thread had branched, and that the AFF Certification Course stuff might be better discussed in another forum. I stand corrected. One of the problems we have with rating courses is inadequate publicity -- compare the listing in the current Parachutist with what is on the web site. I'd like to hear comments from prospective Board members on what they'd do about it. Mark

I think you've confused Course Directors with Instructor-Examiners. I/E tickets are not given out. They are earned. There is a proficiency card, and a written test. There is no limit on the number of I/Es, and being an I/E is not a Course Director prerequisite. I agree that folks should not appoint themselves, and I think all involved in that situation regret not having been more transparent about their actions (though I'm also sure that others will think their actions were transparent enough!) To be a Coach Course Director, you need an Instructor rating, including air skills, plus some other small stuff. The air skills (present a stable target, stay close enough to tell what the student is doing) are not comparable to what a successful AFF candidate needs. We've diverged from the original thread, so perhaps the moderator could snip this, and move it to Safety & Training. Mark

Your profile shows you're in Sebastian. There was a course scheduled for Sebastian at the end of October, but no local jumpers signed up. There will be courses in Deland in January, Z-Hills in February, and Lake Wales in April, and if you wanted to have a course at Sebastian, all you have to do is call one of the course directors. Which one will I see you at? There can be as many courses as there are candidates, so the problem is really how the candidates organize themselves to cover the course overhead. All the course directors I talk to would like to do more courses with more candidates. The issue of how many course directors there should be is quite different. There are already more course directors than are needed to satisfy the current demand. The more there are, the harder it is to maintain standards or standardization, and the easier it is for one or another of them to develop a reputation for competing on price or on how easy it is to pass their course -- see the threads on Coach Courses to see what unstandard can be. Mark